To all Friends and Supporters of the Allatoona Texas Monument Campaign (ATMC):
Thank you all for the assistance you are providing to this campaign. On behalf of the monument committee; consisting of Jim Dale, Chuck Carlock, and myself, I wish to announce that this project is on track to a successful completion. To bring you up to date, the 28th Georgia unit, a participant in the October encampment being held at Red Top Mountain State Park, has agreed to help with the monument dedication. We have solicited bids, and have chosen the Roberts and Shields Company of Marietta, Georgia, to craft the monument. It will be red Marble Falls granite, approximately five feet, ten inches tall, to match the Missouri marker, forty-eight inches wide, and eight inches thick. The front and back faces will be polished, and the sides natural. Preliminary plans are for the top of the front face to be engraved "TEXAS," with an state outline below, the "lone star" in the center of the state, and the two flags in color above the Red River boundary. At the bottom will be engraved "Allatoona Pass October 5,1864." The back face will contain the regiments and commanding officers, with an inscription beginning "Texas remembers its sons whose valor and devotion….." The committee is open to your ideas, and appreciates feedback on these plans.
Mr. William Scaife will conduct the previously mentioned staff ride, or in-depth guided tour, to Allatoona Pass, and donate the proceeds from this ride to the EVHS for use in funding the monument. Tentative date for this event is Saturday, June 22nd, with a cost of $25 for the tour. If you are interested, please contact Jim Dale at dalek001@alltel.net for more details.
In order to have this monument ready for dedication on Saturday, October 5th, the campaign needs your help in passing the word about this project through your various contacts, organizations, networks, and newsletters. You can greatly assist by forwarding news of the campaign to your local newspaper. Newspapers in Carthage, Marshall, and Tenaha, Texas; and Logansport, Louisiana, are helping to promote the campaign.
Again, we ask for your assistance in locating descendants of the soldiers in four Texas regiments; the Ninth Texas Infantry, Tenth, Fourteenth, and Thirty-Second Texas Cavalry, who fought at Allatoona. During the monument dedication ceremony, plans are to call out the names of soldiers, and for a relative or comrade to answer "Present." Descendants of Generals Ector, Young, and French will also be recognized during the roll call. Currently, we have the names of five soldiers for inclusion in this ceremony.
Thanks to each of you who have already sent a contribution. Anyone desiring to donate to this project may forward contributions to the Etowah Valley Historical Society (EVHS), P.O. Box 1886, Cartersville, Georgia, 30120, designated for the Texas monument. Your prompt support enables this campaign to continue to advance toward our objective. By the way, the EVHS is a 501.3.c organization.
If you have any questions about this campaign, please contact me at 6334 Bay Hill Drive, Abilene, Texas, 79606. My e-mail address is willtcw@earthlink.net, phone number 915-829-7340.