Dear Sir or Madam;

While we of Terrell's Texas Cavalry appreciate the fact that you were kind enough to have Natalie Chambers attend the Jackson County NAACP's January Jubilee celebration with us, we are also concerned by the tone of the article which resulted (NAACP Jubilee Celebration speaks of black Civil War soldiers, Jan. 12). Several persons have expressed to me that it seemed as though it must have been "pretty rough" for us, since it was a "war."

Please allow me to point out that we of the 37th and 34th Texas were invited guest speakers; that there was no "war" or debate, but a warmly-received presentation; and that James Planer (to whom you refer as a "historian") introduced himself by saying, "I may not be a historian, but..." Mr. Planer's concerns, expressed in very personal terms, were answered with documented historical data which supported our previous presentation and he and I plan to meet later for further individual discussion.

Several items were pointedly absent from the article. Major Danylchuk and Sergeant Hall (also a Buffalo Soldier reenactor) drove 600 miles from central Texas the day before to be present Sunday, and Major Danylchuk is a native Scot who served as an Army Ranger in Vietnam, winning the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. Most significantly absent was the fact that the 34th in Killeen has adopted a camp for troubled Black and Hispanic teenagers in Kempner, Texas, where they will be providing training and discipline designed to help them establish self-discipline and self-esteem as Confederate troopers.

The greatest concern we have is that your paper missed the point of this event entirely. The most significant aspect is that it is the first time anywhere, ever, that Confederate reenactors have had the opportunity to appear at any NAACP function and explain the role of Confederates of Color in the history of the War. It is a major step forward in overcoming a 137-year attempt to promulgate a false history of the South and the Confederacy as regards the role of Southerners of Color, and thereby establish a dialogue starting point for reconciliation and reunification.

We of the 37th and 34th applaud the local chapter of the NAACP for their willingness to have us as guests, Mr. Planer for expressing concerns which we could further address and especially Ms. Aneice Liddell, President of the local chapter, for her personal courage and dedication to the cause of truth. We were proud to present Ms. Liddell with a Certificate of Appreciation from both units.

We encourage everyone to visit our award-winning Internet site on the World Wide Web at:

http://www.webhosters.com/34thtxcav

Your Obedient Servant,

Michael Kelley, Captain
Commanding, Co. B (Dismounted)
Terrell's Texas Cavalry, 34th Regt.
Confederate States Army