History of the Currahee Rangers
Camp #935
The Currahee Rangers, Camp #935 was officially reactivated on May 1, 1990. The camp was organized to serve the Northeastern corner of the State of Georgia. The camp charter was presented on September 30, 1990 by Georgia Division Commander, Mr. Charles Clements, in a ceremony held at historic Riverside Plantation in Stephens County, Georgia. The keynote speaker for the event was Mr. Toombs Lewis, great-great-great grandson of the Honorable Robert Toombs. Historic Riverside was chosen as the charter site due to the significance of General Toombs having been hidden in the home for approximately two weeks following his departure from his home in Washington, Georgia, some 80 miles south, following the final meeting with President Jefferson Davis in Mr. Toombs home. The owner of the home was Mr. Joseph Jeremiah Prather, who was a personal friend of General Toombs. Riverside was constructed in 1852 by Mr. Prather. The current owner of the home is Camp #935 charter member, Joseph Turnbull Prather, grandson of Joseph Jeremiah Prather. Sadly, Mr. Prather passed away in November, 1995.
The Currahee Rangers chartered with 29 members and immediately went to work on projects and on recruiting new members. In June 1991, The Currahee Rangers were honored to receive the Admiral Howell award as the fasting growing camp in the Georgia Division. This award was presented at the Division Reunion in Athens, Georgia. The camp was awarded the recognition at the Georgia Division Reunion in June, 1996 as the outstanding camp in the Northeast Brigade, consisting of 22 camps.
The Camp has been very instrumental in presenting living history and educational talks to civic, school and patriotic groups. The camp sponsors recruiting and information booths at most events in the northeast Georgia corner.
In 1995 , the camp sponsored its first annual award of two scholarship to deserving graduating seniors. The students are required to submit an essay on a topic assigned by the camp. The winner is chosen by a committee made up of the history department at the local schools. The camp has expanded this to three scholarships beginning in 1997, one scholarship each being awarded in Franklin, Habersham, and Stephens County schools. The only requirements for the scholarships is that the student be a graduating senior who is planning on furthering his/her education, the student submit an essay, and if chosen the winner, the student will present his/her winning paper to the camp at the June meeting.
The camp marks some 2,000 graves of confederate soldiers the week of Confederate Memorial Day in honor of their service to the Confederacy. The graves of approximately 4,000 soldiers in a 12 county area has been documented with the valuable assistance of the Toccoa Chapter #1294, United Daughters of the Confederacy. Most of this project has been spearheaded by Mrs. Karen Ledford, Registrar of the Toccoa Chapter #1294. Mrs. Ledford has been awarded both the Jefferson Davis and the Winnie Davis medals by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Mrs. Ledford served as the Currahee Rangers sponsor in the Order of Robert E. Lee.
The Camp has purchased numerous reference books and computer programs for the camp archives and for the public libraries in the area.
Many members of the camp are active re-enactors with the 24th/52nd Georgia Volunteer Infantry. This provides a core of uniformed men to provide honor guards at Confederate Memorial Day observances and at individual ceremonies honoring our confederate dead.
This page was last updated 02 June 1998
