Sterling Price Camp History

In 1971 Camp Adjutant Courtney Shands submitted the following roster to Earl F. Harvey, Lt. Commander-in-Chief of Alexandria, Virginia. The roster is interesting in that it provides the residential addresses of the members, and on several occasions their professional titles.

William Crowdus......Pershing Ave.                          Governor J. M. Dalton.....Jefferson City, Mo.
Dr. O. P. Hampton....Washington Ave                      Col. D. H. Hundley........University City, Mo.
Lorraine F. Jones.......Kirkwood, Mo.                       M. A. Jones...........................Kirkwood, Mo.
C. J. Murphy..............Sappington, Mo.                     A. W. Moise................Webster Groves, Mo.
John C. Mosby III......Ballwin, Mo.                          G. L. Fuhri..............................Ferguson, Mo.
Fred Niemeyer...........University City, Mo.                 Brian Smith.......Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo.
Capt. Clinton A. Murphy..Sappington, Mo.              J. B. Peters.....................McPherson Avenue
Courtney Shands.....Westmoreland Avenue               Charles Via...........................Kirkwood, Mo.
Vance Cherbonnier...Florissant, Mo.                         The Florissant Valley Historical Society
James T. Pettus........Manchester, Mo.                       Robert E. Orten....................Kirkwood, Mo.
John McDermott...Durango, Colorado                      John Albury Bryan...................Benton Place
Judge Ivan Lee Holt Jr.....University City, Mo.         J. H. Cunningham.................Julia Dent Drive
Dr. Sterling Price........N. Ballas Road
 

No reports were found for 1972, but in 1973 A. Welborne Moise  was elected Camp Commander, Dr. Philip Brumbaugh became Treasurer, and Courtney Shands Jr. stayed on as Adjutant. One death was reported that year with the passing of G. L. Fuhri.  Mr. Moise’s grand-father was one of the most prominent ex-Confederates in the State. He had served as Missouri Division Commander of the United Confederate Veterans, and had served as vice-President of the Higginsville Confederate Veterans Home. In 1862 he had enlisted in Company E, 1st Maryland Battalion of Cavalry. At the end of the war he was commanding Companies D & H of the 24th Georgia Infantry. Lt. Moise passed away in St. Louis on 1 December 1920. Membership for 1973 included:

Dr. Philip Brumbaugh                        John A. Bryan                            J. H. Cunningham
William K. Gardner Jr.                        Judge Ivan L. Holt Jr.                 Col. D. H. Hundley
Lorraine F. Jones Jr.                          M. Alexander Jones                    Maury F. Jones
John J. McDermott                            A. W. Moise                               R. M. Morriss
John C. Mosby III                              C. J. Murphy                              Capt. Clinton Murphy
Fred Niemeyer                                   Courtney Shands Jr.                   Courtney Shands III
Charles Via
 

In 1974 Charles Via was elected Camp Commander. At that time there were three “Real Sons” in the Camp; Lorraine F. Jones, Reuben M. Morris, and Fred Niemeyer. Dr. Alexander C. Nivin is listed as an “Honorary” member, and there are 24 members in the Camp.
 

No reports were found for 1975, but in 1976 Charles Via was still serving as Camp Commander, and Dr. Philip Brumbaugh was Adjutant. William K. Gardner Jr. had been elected Treasurer, and the membership was as follows:

John A. Bryan                                T. C. Carlin Jr.                               Vance Cherbonnier
J. D. Cooper                                   J. Hunter Cunningham                    Judge Ivan Holt
Col. D. H. Hundley                         M. Alexander Jones                        Maury F. Jones
I. A. Long                                       John J. McDermott                         A. Welborne Moise
Reuben M. Morris (Real Son)         Clint J. Murphy                               Capt. C. A. Murphy
Fred Niemeyer (Real Son)               Dr. Alex C. Nivin (Honorary)         Courtney Shands Jr.
Courtney Shands III                        Don Shomburg (Honorary)            Jimmy D. Woods II
Noble k. Wyatt
 

In 1977 Charles Via was still Commander, and Phil Brumbaugh was Adjutant. Compatriot J. Hunter Cunningham passed away in March of that year, and there were 25 camp members on the roster. No new members were listed for that year.
 

In June of 1978 Noble K. Wyatt of Godfrey, Illinois was elected  Camp Commander, and Jimmy D. Woods II served as Adjutant. There were 24 members listed on the roster. Commander Wyatt was very actively involved with many projects in the area, including the preservation of the Alton, Illinois Confederate Cemetery. Through his efforts there became a greater community awareness of our Confederate heritage. His biography lists his many accomplishments while in office. By 1987, Charles Via had been a member of Sterling Price Camp #145 for 42 years. That year he had commented that although the core membership was dedicated and hard working, that new members were very hard to come by. This was not a new problem, nor would it go away in the future. Meetings were held on a rather irregular basis, and attendance was low. Real Son, Reuben M. Morris passed away the previous year leaving Fred Niemeyer as the only Real Son left in the Camp.
 

Commander Wyatt, and Adjutant Woods retained their offices in 1979, and there was a significant increase in Camp activities that year. In January they joined with the United Daughters of the Confederacy to celebrate the birthdays of Generals Lee and Jackson. In June they got together again to celebrate President Davis’ birthday at the Soldiers Memorial in downtown St. Louis.  They also worked on the preservation of the Confederate Cemetery at Alton, Illinois. The Camp became actively involved with several re-enactment groups in the St. Louis area and joined them in several memorial services. Commander Wyatt had the body of General Bushrod Johnson moved from an obscure cemetery in Illinois to Nashville, where his wife was interred. The Camp grew to 30 members in 1979.