PEARISBURG (WSLS10) -Saturday, July 11th marks the first day in more than fifty years a confederate flag has not flown above the South Carolina State House.
The same day, one local community in the Commonwealth is holding the last medal of honor ceremony for a confederate soldier.
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A statue of Tapley P. Mays stands in front of the historic Giles County Courthouse. Giles County Native Tapley P. Mays was awarded the Confederate Medal of Honor by Confederate Congress during the civil war. He was one of 57 men that was approved for this prestigious award.
A member of the 7th Virginia Infantry called "Mountain Boomers," he will be honored Saturday by an unveiling of a portrait by artist and former Virginia Sons of Conferderate Veterans commander Henry Kidd.
Speakers at the event include National SCV Commander Charles Kelly Barrow, SVC and Chief Heritage Operations Officer Ben Cooter Jones and Congressman Virgil Goode Jr. and Delegate Joseph R. Yost.
The Confederate Medal of Honor and portrait of Tapley P. Mays will be permanently displayed in the Giles County Courthouse.
Tapley P. Mays was drilled and trained on the very courthouse lawn that the ceremony will take place.
There will be a parade beginning at the Andrew Johnston House one block away from the courthouse. After the ceremony the public is invited to attend the living history at the Andrew Johnston House and tour the museum which includes artifacts from the civil war and Giles County.
The ceremony begins with a parade at 11 a.m. in Pearisburg. There will aslo be a musket salute by local reenactors and a cannon salute by the Giles Artillery.
For more information click here.