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The Gainesville Volunteers, Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 373, Pearl River County, is celebrating “Confederate Heritage Month” (as proclaimed by Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant) with a full-scale memorial service at the McNeill Cemetery (aka the First Baptist Church of McNeill Cemetery), at 2 PM, Saturday, April 19, 2014, in conjunction with Mr. Jack Spiers of the McNeill Cemetery Association.

We will be honoring twelve Confederate Patriots buried in the McNeill Cemetery proper, as well as two veterans buried elsewhere.  Southern battleflags will be flying, muskets will be cracking, and the Seven Stars Artillery will be booming the good news of our common Confederate “Heritage of Honor” that afternoon.  Descendants of the men being honored, history buffs, genealogists, and the general public are invited to join us as we salute:

38th MS Infantry (Mounted), Co. C (“Hancock Rebels,” raised in Hobolochitto [now Picayune], MS): Pvt. George Spiers (1824-1898); Pvt. Richard (Richardson) Spiers (1832-1895); Pvt. Thomas “Biscuit” Spiers (1839-1906); Pvt. John “Pocket” Spiers (1826-1900); Pvt. James Spears — died in hospital, Jackson, MS & gravesite unknown; Pvt. Orvil Spears — KIA at the Siege of Vicksburg, MS & buried there.

38th MS Infantry (Mounted), Co. I (“Columbia Guards,” raised in Marion County, MS): Pvt. Samuel E. Wallace (1843-1904).

46th Mississippi Infantry: Pvt. Jacob M. Rich (also Ritch) (1840-1929), Co. A (“Gaines Invincibles,” raised in Wayne County, MS).

Mississippi Reserves (Commissary Dept.): Pvt. William M. (William Martin) Spiers (1820-1892).

Georgia Local Defense: Pvt. Joseph E. Garner (1830-1914), “Franklin County Guards,” raised in Franklin County, GA)

19th Battalion Georgia Infantry: 1st Lt. William L. Hammock (1835-1923), Co. E (“Columbus Factory Guards,” raised in Muscogee Co., GA)

4th Alabama Reserves Infantry: Pvt. W.H. (Wilson H.) Lovless (1818-1896), Co. G (“Chunchula Guards,” raised in Mobile Co., AL), 4th Alabama Reserves Infantry Volunteers

40th Alabama Infantry: Pvt. Andrew Jackson Green (1850-1924), Co. A (“South Sumter Guards,” raised in Sumter Co., AL), 40th AL Infantry

7th Battn. South Carolina Infantry: Pvt. E(vander?) D(avid?) Phillips (1848-1935), Co. G (“Moffatt Rifles”), 7th (Nelson’s) Battn. (Enfield Rifles) SC Infantry.

To attend, simply take US Hwy. 11 to McNeill and look for Jack’s Fish House.  Turn west and go 0.25 miles to the cemetery, which will be on your left.  (If you cross RR tracks, you’ve gone east instead of west at Jack’s.)

We hope you will join us for an afternoon of history, heritage, and honor.  For more information, please contact:  Adj. Jim Huffman, 601.798.8208 (home), 601.916.1783 (text), or huffman1234@bellsouth.net (email).  Website:  http://www.gainesville-vols.org/.