2004 News Archive

Floyd brings life and times of last cavaliers to Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. - The average foot soldier in the Confederate Army was 17 years old when he joined the cause and 19 when he fell in combat.
At no other time in history have the warriors been so young, so inexperienced and so full of conviction about the cause they were fighting. They were the last of the true cavaliers.

E. Randall Floyd, author of the best-selling novel Deep in the Heart, will explore the forces that drove the foot soldiers into each battle at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, April 24 at Magnolia Cemetery during a presentation for the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The event will honor Confederate Memorial Day which is Monday, April 26.

"These were the last of the true cavaliers - the last of a long line of courageous warriors who embraced the concepts of dignity and strength and honor above all else," Mr. Floyd said recently as he prepared his presentation.

"While their deeds are now but a memory, we shall never forget these men or what they did - even as we rise today to take our stand against those who seek to undermine and make a mockery of our heritage and erase all remnants of the noble cause."

The event is sponsored by Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander Camp No. 158, Sons of Confederate Veterans.

For more information, please contact Carrie McCullough, associate publisher, at carriemccullough@bellsouth.net or (706) 738-0354.