The 16th Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, Sons of Confederate Veterans of Greenville, South Carolina, welcomed two new members, Ernie Kinard and Vince Hall to their ranks during their October 28 meeting at the Phoenix Inn.
Vince Hall of Aiken, South Carolina, whose Confederate ancestor was Private Montgomery Wayne Hitt who served in Company B, 2nd South Carolina Infantry and whose grandfather Buck Hitt is an officer in the 16th Reg. joined the camp.
Ernie Kinard made history when he became the first member of the 16th Regiment, SCV with African ancestry. He is a descendant of Private Ephraim M. Kinard, who served the Confederacy in Company A, 3rd South Carolina Cavalry.
Ernie Kinard is a lifelong Greenville resident having graduated from Washington High School. He enlisted and served in the United States Army for 3 years. His overseas service was in Germany.
Kinard became interested in his family history talking with his late father about oral family history that had passed from generation to generation. He searched records at libraries in Greenville, Laurens and Columbia and eventually found the name of the great- great-grandfather who was said to be a soldier in the Confederate Army. He took the information he had discovered through his extensive research at the Library and Museum of Confederate History in Greenville and with the help of a museum volunteer found his ancestor’s name on the roll of Company A, 3rd South Carolina Cavalry.
Ernie Kinard and his wife have been married for some 39 years. They have three adult children and 10 grandchildren.
Mark Simpson, Commander of the South Carolina Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and Jim Forrester, 2nd Brigade Commander were present as 16th Regiment Commander Jim Bouchillon administered the oath of membership to the new members and together with members and guests welcomed the new members into the ranks of the 16th Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, Camp 36, SCV.
