Ellison Capers Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy honors Mims

Beulah Marie Baggett Mims of Turbeville always knew and appreciated her father’s yearlong service in the Confederate Army. But she did not realize what being a daughter of a Confederate soldier meant for others in the community.

“This is still such a shock. I couldn’t believe everything they wanted to do for me,” Mims said.

With pomp, circumstance and Civil War-era garb, Mims was inducted into the Ellison Capers Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) on Sunday at Horse Branch Free Will Baptist Church in Turbeville. With the 37 members of the chapter and numerous family and friends in attendance, Mims, 93, became one of only 34 living “Real Daughters” on the UDC national roster and one of two in South Carolina.

This was not only a special event for Mims — for the Florence County chapter, it was something rare and extraordinary.

“This is something we may never see again … a living connection to Confederate heritage,” said Kevin Lassen, president of the Ellison Capers Chapter UDC.

Mims’ father, John Jarriett Baggett, served in the Confederate Army from 1864-65 at the age of 17. He served in Company I, 23rd South Carolina Infantry and surrendered, along with the rest of the Confederate army, at the Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865. He then went on to serve as a reverend in Turbeville until his death in 1919 at the age of 79. Mims was born in 1916, just three years before his death.

“I was 3-years-old when he died. All I know is that he wanted me to have the sewing machine,” she said.

Mims spent the bulk of her life as a seamstress as a way to honor her father.

This ceremony was another way for Mims to honor her father’s memory.

The service began with the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, the Salute to the Flag of South Carolina and the Salute to the Confederate Flag, emphasizing the patriotism the UDC strives to embody. With the new member ritual and presentation of a “Real Daughter” certificate and the singing of “Dixie,” the attendees headed outdoors for a salute by the Stafford Militia from Latta.

As “Taps” played and muskets fired, Mims and other UDC members held back tears.

“I’m just so thankful to be here. I never thought I would make it to 93,” Mims said.

The UDC is the oldest Southern heritage and patriotic organization made up of the lineal and collateral female descendants of the soldiers, sailors and statesmen of the Confederate States of America. Members must be women older than 16.

Originally established in 1896 as a service organization to aid Confederate soldiers and their families, the UDC expanded its role to include educational, historical, memorial, benevolent and patriotic responsibilities.

“The main objective is to preserve the true history and honor their memory,” said Lassen, who has 32 ancestors who served the Confederacy.

Today, the UDC strives to honor the era of the Confederacy (1861-65) by providing scholarships for students who are descendants of Confederate servicemen, holding memorial services at burial sites of soldiers, participating in historical educational programs and working in VA hospitals to show respect and gratitude for those who continue to serve the country.

The South Carolina Division of the UDC was established in 1896 by a group of women who met at the Senate Chamber of the State House in Columbia. That same year, the Ellison Capers Chapter of Florence was established. By 1897, the number of chapters doubled from nine to 18 across the state.

Today, there are 56 chapters in South Carolina with more than 1400 members. Nationally, the UDC has chapters in 33 states and the District of Columbia.