ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, August 3, 1996 TAG: 9608050054
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
DECRYING GROUPS that use their flag in the name of racism, but still on the fringe of controversy, the Sons of Confederate Veterans met Friday in Richmond.
More than 130 years after Southern armies retreated from Richmond, hundreds of descendants of Confederate soldiers are back in the capital of the old Confederacy.
About 1,000 members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans are in Richmond for the organization's centennial gathering, called ``Carry Me Back To Old Virginny.''
At The Jefferson Hotel on Friday, Confederate flags festooned the main dining room, children walked by holding the Confederate battle flag, and the Civil War was referred to as the War Between the States or the War of Northern Aggression.
``We're here to remember and commemorate the courage and character of the Confederate veteran,'' said William E. Satterwhite, one of the centennial's organizers.
``It's the deciding moment in American history, and people are intrigued by it,'' said Barton Campbell, chairman of the centennial celebration.
Despite the sometimes fierce nationalism of the flags, and signs like ``Politically Incorrect and Proud,'' and ``Unattached Children Will Be Sold As Slaves,'' Campbell said the descendants of Confederate troops are patriotic Americans.
``When we look at the Stars and Stripes, we realize we're an integral part of that,'' he said. ``Thirteen of those stars are from the South.''
Members staunchly defended the Confederate flag, saying it is a historical symbol and has been incorrectly appropriated by hate groups.
``The Ku Klux Klan is a disgrace to our flag,'' said Bennett Allen of Stickleyville in Lee County. His father was a foot soldier during the war.
In 1992, the Sons of Confederate Veterans passed a resolution denouncing the KKK and all others who promote hate through the use of the Confederate flag.
Most of the people crowding the hotel said they were there simply to honor their ancestors.
Gary C. Walker of Roanoke was dressed in the same kind of uniform his ancestor, Thomas F. Walker, would have worn when he joined the 36th Virginia Infantry.
``I very much enjoy writing about the war and talking about it, but the Confederacy no longer exists,'' he said. ``I live in the United States, and I haven't completely lost contact with reality.''
The five-day gathering includes battlefield tours, a Confederate debutante's ball and a closing march Sunday down Richmond's Monument Avenue past statues of Confederate heroes.
The march won't be passing the newly unveiled statue of black tennis great Arthur Ashe, a Richmond native. Organizers said that was simply because of the march route and was not intended to slight Ashe.
Surrounded by the descendants of Confederate soldiers, Sylvia Davis, a black employee at the hotel, struck a philosophical note.
``We can't live in the past,'' she said. ``It's always good to know your history, but life goes on.''
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP Eugene Hough, wearing a Confederate officer'sby CNBuniform, joined others in singing hymns Thursday at St. Paul's
Episcopal Church in Richmond.|