Lampasas, Texas — Saltworks Camp No. 2353 of Lampasas, Sons of Confederate Veterans, earned third place in the parade at the recent Holland Corn Festival in Holland, Texas, on Saturday June 6th. The recognition reflects the camp’s continued participation in area community events and festivals across Central Texas.
Michael Oliver, commander of the camp (in the 7th Brigade), said members enjoyed visiting with paradegoers and handing out candy along the route. “We had a great day sharing our Southern heritage with an enthusiastic crowd,” Oliver said.
One of the camp’s most recognizable features at community events is a full-scale 6-pound cannon and limber known as “The Judge.” Camp members are certified to handle the cannon and use it as part of their historical display for visitors.
Upcoming Communit y Events
The camp is scheduled to participate next in Kingsland’s Aqua Boom Fourth of July celebration, a long-running Hill Country tradition featuring parades, fireworks over Lake LBJ, live music, vendors and family activities.
Saltworks Camp members also plan to take part in Lampasas’ Spring Ho Festival, the city’s annual community celebration held during the second full week of July. The festival began in 1972 and honors the historic Sulphur springs that helped shape the city’s identity.
The camp’s next meeting will be held July 28 at Little Tex Restaurant. Meetings are open to the public. D. W. Davis, commander of the Hico Camp, is scheduled to speak at the August 23 meeting at 2 p.m. at Little Tex Restaurant, 505 S. Main St. in Copperas Cove, where he will present a program on Confederate heritage.
Membership Information
Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans is open to male descendants of veterans who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces. For more information, contact Saltworks Camp Commander Michael Oliver at (254) 4320322 or D. W. Davis at (254) 433-9402.
The Saltworks Camp continues to participate in local celebrations as part of its community outreach efforts. Camp members said they look forward to visiting with residents at upcoming events and invite the community to stop by, learn more about the camp’s historical displays, local cemetery projects, monument maintenance and preservation and of course, meet “The Judge.”
Photos Courtesy of Ross J. Cox, Sr.
Ross J. Cox, Sr. the owner of the Judge, was hailed down returning home to San Saba last Saturday by two ladies wanting to examine The Judge. They were so excited about the history aspect that he invited them to his home to examine his Confederate bond and currency collection. To date, Cox has acquired 151 bills and 105 bonds, all original. Ladies R-L, Tiffiny Acuna of San Saba, Rachael Brown of Weatherford, and Ross Cox, Sr. stand beside a scaled-down bronze reproduction of “Virginia Mourning Her Dead,” a prominent Greco-Roman classical statue displayed at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia.