About Friends of Raymond

Behind the Mississippi Historical Marker is tree-lined Fourteenmile Creek. Here, the most savage fighting of the Battle of Raymond occurred, and this property was saved for posterity on June 30, 2009. Photo by Parker Hills.

President's Message

Dear Friend(s):

If you have paid membership dues to the Friends of Raymond (FOR) for the 2011 calendar year, let me thank you on behalf of the board of directors. (This year’s board consists of myself, David Barton, Alicia Crowder, Bob Chunn, Bonnie Menapace, Jimmy Morton, Bill Schmegel, and Oliver Shearer.) Your contributions have gone to worthwhile causes. This year, for example, FOR has:

• Made major improvements in the Military Park—especially along the walking trail—by clearing out undergrowth, saplings, and vines. If you have not visited the park lately, please take time to admire the work that you helped made possible;

• Continued planning reenactments of the Civil War Battle of Raymond, Battle of Champion Hill, and part of the Union assault on the Vicksburg defenses in Gen. Grant’s 1863 Vicksburg Campaign. This national event should attract several thousand reenactors and spectators in October, 2012, as part of the sesquicentennial commemoration of the Civil War;

• Made preparations to launch a quarterly newsletter;

• Updated current and past membership lists;

• Updated and revised the FOR web site; and

• Begun planning the fall pilgrimage.

To date, FOR has purchased and preserved 136 acres of the Raymond battlefield, erected interpretive markers, and placed full-scale replicas of artillery pieces in the exact locations of artillery during the Battle of Raymond fought on May 12, 1863.

If you have missed paying membership dues for this year, let me solicit your kind support, as we need your help in continuing our mission of preserving and promoting historical sites and events in the Raymond area. Any contribution entitles the giver to membership in FOR, while a gift of $100 or more entitles the member to vote. Tax deductable contributions can be made by check through the mail or in person, or by credit card or PayPal via the FOR web site.

Sincerely:
Ben Fatherree
President, Board of Directors
Friends of Raymond

Your continued support – to preserve the past and build for the future – is key to our success

Help Preserve Historical Raymond—
Join Friends of Raymond Today

Friends of Raymond, Inc., was founded in 1998 as a
501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization concerned with the preservation of historical sites in the Raymond area. The mission of Friends of Raymond is to maintain a non-for-profit membership organization supported by concerned citizens, public agencies, elected officials, businesses, and other groups devoted to the preservation, management, and promotion of significant historical areas of Raymond.

<Click here to Join>

Welcome Our Newest Generals

Lt. Col. (Ret) Kimble L. Johnson
San Joaquin Valley Civil War Round Table

Bill and Pam Schmegel

FOR Generals' Names are "Carved in Stone"

Friends of Raymond Generals pose by the new
granite marker that acknowledges the
contributions of those whose
assistance helped preserve the battlefield.

On April 21, 2007, the Raymond Military Park granite marker, 7' long by 3' high, was officially dedicated, and on this marker are permanently inscribed the names of Friends of Raymond (FOR) Generals. The title of FOR General is assigned to any person (or couple) who donates $5,000 in either a lump sum or in five yearly payments of $1,000. The money donated is used for the preservation, interpretation, and promotion of historic sites in Raymond and the Raymond area.

The marker was designed to include space for the names of 40 FOR Generals, and there are presently 25 names inscribed on the marker, with two more FOR Generals pending. New names will be engraved into the December of each calendar year until all 40 spaces are filled.

FOR General John Gillespie and his daughter Mary Elise admire the new granite monument that honors their ancestors.

A Generalship in Friends of Raymond is, of course, tax-deductible, because FOR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. And the monies donated will be used, not for salaries or lobbying efforts, but for historical preservation through a grass-roots organization that determines what action is needed and then makes it happen.

Generals

Mrs. Mary Adams
John & Barbara Barber
David Barton
Fred and Sue Brooks
James & Rebecca Drake
Dennis L. Driscoll
Martha Gillespie Ferguson
Gaddis Farms, Inc.
Mary Ann Keith, Hinds County Gazette
Dr. and Mrs. John P. Gillespie
Hugh B. (Gil) Gillespie IV & John P. Gillespie
Brig. Gen. Parker Hills, Ret.

Lt. Col. (Ret) Kimble L. Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Kilby, Jr.
Mary Nell Collins Landin
Dr. Robert Levine
Merchants and Planters Bank
David & Traci McCain
Frances McCain
Jack Moss
Isla Tullos & Butch Ogden
Charles & Kathy Pittman

San Joaquin Valley Civil War Round Table
Ed Sentell
Clarke Stewart & Paula Stewart Strange
Oliver V. Shearer, Jr. (Commodore)
Philip & Mary Kuhn

Bill & Pam Schmegel
Pattie & Mike Snowball
Stanford’s Battery
Doug Waters
Lester Senter Wilson