150 Years Ago… a [sic] poem
By admin | July 27, 2010
This week’s “150 Years Ago…” column again reminds the reader that newspapers served many purposes in 1860. As noted in earlier columns, 1860 newspapers were a source of education, news, and entertainment, to only name a few.
Before reading this week’s primary source, the reader must be informed that America had yet to fully embrace compulsory education. There was no orthodoxy set in schooling and the ability to read and write were highly localized. The author of the following poem gets their point across, but notice the phoenetical method the poet uses:
[FAYETTEVILLE, ARK.] THE ARKANSIAN, July 28, 1860, p. 1, c. 7
I Wud Knott Dye in Wintur.
Bi the Orthor of “Thorts on a Faded Boka.”I wud knott dye in wintur,
When whiskie punchiz flo—
When pooty gals are skeetin’
Oar fealds of ice & sno—
When sassidge meet is phrying
& Hickeri knuts is thick;
Owe! who kud thunk ov dighing,
Or even getting sick?I wud knott dye in spring tiem,
& miss the turn up greans,
& the pooty song ov the leetle frawgs,
& the ski larkes airly screem;
When burds begin thare wobbling
& taters gin to sprowt—
When turkies go a gobblering,
I wud not then peg out.I wud knott dye in summer,
& leeve the garding soss—
The roastie lam & buttur-milk—
The cool plase in the gras;
I wud nott dye in summer,
When every thing’s so hott,
& leeve the whiski Jew-lips—
Owe KNOW! ide rather nott.I wud nott di in ortum,
With peeches fitt for erting;
When the wavy korn is gitting wripe,
& kandidates are treeting.
For these, and uther reesons,
Ide nott di in the phall;
& sence ive thort it over,
I wud not die a tall.
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Confederate Roll of Honor 1st Lt. James Graham Wilson Memorial Service
By admin | July 25, 2010
The Arkansas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans recently held a memorial service for Confederate Roll of Honor ecipient 1st Lt. James Graham Wilson, 1st Arkansas Infantry Company F, for his brave service at the Battle of Chickamagua on July 17, 2010 at the Cypress Valley Cemetery in Vilonia, Arkansas.
Attended by Civil War reenactors, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and many descendants of 1st Lt. James G. Wilson, the service began in prayer as the SCV Arkansas Division Commander Mark Kalkbrenner recited the 23rd Psalm followed by the “Tribute to the Confederate Soldier”:”Not for fame nor reward, not for place nor for rank, not lured by ambition nor goaded by necessity, but in simple obedience to duty as they understood it, these men suffered all, sacrificed all, dared all. This is their final bivouac, their eternal sleep as they rest under this hallowed ground. Strike the Tent, for we will cross over the river and rest under the shade of the tree.”
Kalkbrenner continued with the recitation of a prayer written by an unknown Confederate Soldier: “I asked God for strength that I might achieve. I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for, but
everything I hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am, among all men, most richly blessed.”
Following the prayer, Kalkbrenner then introduced compatriot Charles Wilson, a direct descendant of 1st Lt. James G. Wilson and member of the Patrick R. Cleburne Camp #1433 in Pine Bluff, Arrkansas. Donned in a Confederate uniform, Charles Wilson made his way to the remains of his great great grandfather when Kalkbrenner explained the libation ritual of the service:
Following the explanation of the libation ritual, Charles Wilson then knelt on the grave of his great great grandfather, took a sip of water from his canteen, then poured water on the grave of 1st Lt. James G. Wilson as Kalkbrenner concluded the "Tribute to the Confederate Soldier":
"The earth hides their human frailties from our sight forever. Soon we too will fold our hands in peaceful repose and lay down beside them. There shall be no awakening until the bugler plays Reveille and shall rouse the slumbering millions to answer to their names before the Great Creator of the Universe on Resurrection Day. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee that it might be displayed because of the truth."
Following the libations part of the memorial service, Mark Kalkbrenner related information about the Confederate Roll of Honor: "During the war, the Confederate Congress and General Order #93 established the Confederate Medal of Honor. This was established before the United States Congress established the Congressional Medal of Honor. From part 27 of General Order #93 from the Adjutant Inspector General's Office, Richmond, Virginia, November 22, 1862:
an act to authorize the grant of medals and badges of distinction as a reward for courage and good conduct on the field-of battle. “The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the President be, and he is hereby, authorized to bestow medals, with proper devices, upon such officers of the armies of the Confederate States as shall be conspicuous for courage and good conduct on the field of battle; and also to confer a badge of distinction upon one private or non-commissioned officer of each company after every signal victory it shall have assisted to achieve. The non-commissioned officers and privates of the company who may be present on the first dress-parade thereafter rosy choose, by a majority of their votes, the soldier best entitled to receive such distinction, whose name shall be communicated to the President by commanding officers of the company; and if the award fall upon a deceased soldier, the badge thus awarded him shall be delivered to his widow; or, if there be no widow, to any relation the President may adjudge entitled to receive it.”
Kalkbrenner continued as he recited General Orders Number 131 from Richmond, Virginia on October 3, 1863:
“Difficulties in procuring the medals and badges of distinction having delayed their presentation by the President… Difficulties in procuring the medals and badges of distinction having delayed their presentation by the President, as authorized by the act of Congress approved October 13, 1862, to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates of the armies of the Confederate States conspicuous for courage and good conduct on the field of battle, to avoid postponing the grateful recognition of their valor until it can be made in the enduring form provided by that act, it is ordered–
I. That the names of all those who have been, or may hereafter be, reported as worthy of this distinction, be inscribed on a roll of honor, to be preserved in the office of the Adjutant and Inspector General for reference in all future time, for those who have deserved well of their country, as having best displayed their courage and devotion on the field of battle.
II. That the roll of honor, so far as now made up, be appended to this order, and read at the head of every regiment in the service of the Confederate States at the first dress-parade after its receipt, and be published in at least one newspaper in each State.”
Kalkbrenner, while reading from his notes facing the nearly 200 in attendance, appropriately recited General Orders Number 64 from the Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office in Richmond, Virginia on August 10, 1864:
“I. The following Roll of Honor is published in accordance with Paragraph I, General Orders, No. 131 (1863). It will be read to every regiment in the service at the first dress-parade after its receipt.
“II. Attention is called to the manner in which the selections under the law should be made. The non-commissioned officers and privates are authorized, at the first dress-parade after each victory the company shall have assisted to achieve, to distinguish by a majority of their votes one private or non-commissioned officer most conspicuous for gallantry and good conduct in the battle. Should more than one soldier be hereafter selected by a company as equal in merit, the name to be announced upon,the roll will be determined by lot. Commissioned officers distinguished for gallantry on the field are not to be selected by the vote of the company, battalion, or regiment to which they belong, but a statement of their special good conduct
should be made by their immediate commander and forwarded
through the regular channel to this office.”
Kalkbrenner then stopped, looked up from his notes, and in a powerful and echoing tone, he read from the Confederate Roll of Honor: “Battle of Chickamagua. James G. Wilson, Company F 1st Arkansas Infantry!”
“Since the medals during the War were not presented, the Sons of Confederate Veterans have seen fit that these men and their descendants should receive that honor. The Confederate Roll Of Honor, General Order #93, Confederate Congress, 1862 extended official recognition to outstanding men that display courage and good conduct on the field of battle.
Kalkbrenner read from the official certificate from the International Headquarters in Columbia, Tn., “Know ye that First Lieut James Graham Wilson, Co. F 1st Regiment Arkansas Infantry is carried on the Confederate Roll of Honor, whose honor results from his actions related to valor at Chickamagua, Georgia on September 19-20, 1863, signed by Chuck McMicheals, Commander in Chief, Mark Simpson, Adjutant in Chief, 9th Day of July, 2010.”
At the conclusion of the service, the Sons of Confederate official Medal of Honor was placed around the stone of 1st Lt. James G. Wilson followed by a presentation on roses to two James Wilson’s grandchildren in attendance and a series of three musket and artillery vollies fired by Civil War reenactors from around Arkansas.
The medal and certificate is on permanent display at the Jacksonville Museum of Military History in Jacksonville, Arkansas.
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A Call For Papers and Presentations
By admin | July 25, 2010
“The Civil War in Arkansas: Voices from the Dust” will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the war and its repercussions in Arkansas. A wide range of topics will be covered, including effects on civilian life, military involvement, both Union and Confederacy, involvement of Native Americans, Freedmen, and slaves, individual military campaigns, bushwhackers, and the effects on Arkansas then and now, etc. We are looking for submissions of scholarly papers and also presentations, such as music and living history.
The conference is open to students, faculty, administrators, independent history scholars and living historians.
Send abstracts to:
History Conference Submissions
Attn: Martha Siler
514 N. 6th St.
Fort Smith, Ar., 72901
conference@claytonhouse.org
Dates to remember:
Abstracts for papers and presentations due: Dec.1, 2010
Notice of Acceptance: Dec. 5, 2010
Manuscript for review due: Jan. 10, 2011
For more information visit www.claytonhouse.org
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150 Years Ago… Pre Civil War Camels?
By admin | July 18, 2010
As temperatures keep rising throughout the summer months in 1860, Southerners kept trying to find better means of transportation. Though the traditional horses and mules come to mind as being the main source of animal-powered transportation, the argument must be made whether camels would make a good substitute in the arid climates of the deep South. The camel seems to make his debut in Texas, as noted by this week’s “150 Years Ago…” column. In little more than two month’s time, the camel makes his debut in an Arkansas paper on September 22, 1860, as an Arkansawyer noted :one camel can do the work of two mules and will take less to keep him than a mule or a cow. Below is a July 21, 1860 account of the value of a camel 150 years ago this week:
THE RANCHERO [Corpus Christi, TX], July 21, 1860, p. 2, c. 5
The Camels.—In his late report, Gov. Floyd, the present Secretary of War, says:
The experiments thus far made (and they are pretty full) demonstrate that camels constitute a most useful and economical means of transportation for men and supplies through the great deserts and barren regions of our interior. A camel will go safely with its burden over ground so rough and precipitous that a mule will scarcely pass over it unladen without assistance. They require no forage but what they gather in the most sterile and barren parts of our continent, and for many days together live conveniently without water. An abundant supply of these animals would, beyond all doubt, enable our army to give greater and prompter protection to our frontiers, and to all our interoceanic routes, than three times their cost expended if any other way. As a measure of economy and efficiency, I cannot too strongly recommend the purchase of a full supply to the favorable consideration of Congress.
Topics: 150th Anniversary Project | No Comments »
Illinois State Historical Society Calls For Papers
By admin | July 14, 2010
The Illinois State Historical Society announces a call for papers for its 31st annual Illinois History Symposium, scheduled to be held on the campus of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, April 14-16, 2011. The theme for the symposium is “Scared Oaths and Shallow Graves:Illinois and the Civil War, Part I.”
Scholarly papers, panels,PowerPoint presentations, education workshops for teachers, andmulti-media programs will be considered, as well as non-traditional presentations. Professional and amateur historians, as well as graduate students, teachers, and independent researchers are encouraged to submitone-page proposals along with a curriculum vitae not later than August30, 2010.
Proposals on all aspects of Illinois history will be considered, though preference will be given to those with specific ties to the symposium theme. All proposals will be reviewed by the 2011 Illinois History Symposium Committee; presenters will be notified of their acceptance by November 1.
For more information call the Illinois State Historical Society office at 217-525-2781, or visit the Society website atwww.historyillinois.org. William Furry Executive Director Illinois State Historical Society 217-525-2781 FAX: 217-525-2783 wfurry@sbcglobal.net www.historyillinois.org
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4th Annual Red River Region Heritage Symposium Slated For July 24, 2010
By admin | July 13, 2010
The 4th Annual Red River Region Heritage Symposium will be taking place on Saturday, July 24, at Historic Washington State Park. The conference topics will address “Trades and Merchants” of the Great Bend Region of the Red River which encompasses Southwest Arkansas, Northwest Louisiana, Northeast Texas, and Southeast Oklahoma. The event will take place at the 1914 Schoolhouse Auditorium of Historic Washington State Park.
Specific topics and speakers include the following: “Shreveport: A History” by Dr. Gary Joiner, Professor of History at Louisiana State University in Shreveport; “Antebellum River Port Society” by Captain James Campbell of Auburn, Alabama; “The Block Family: Jewish Merchants and the Quest for Opportunity” by Mary Kwas and David Marcus of the Arkansas Archeological Survey; “The Uncovered ‘Heroine’ Steamboat” by Nina Chick, Graduate Assistant at the Nautical Archeology Program at Texas A&M University at College Station; and “The Life of Adolphus Sterne” by Dr. Archie McDonald of Nacogdoches, Texas.
A morning workshop and luncheon for teachers on resources related to the theme of economics of the Red River Region that can be used for the classroom will take place from 9 a.m. to Noon, with a lunch included. Three credit hours will be provided. Cost for attending the workshop will be $15. Workshop presenters include Peggy Lloyd, Director of the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives and Linda McDowell, the African American History Program Coordinator of the Arkansas History Commission.
Cost for attendance to the symposium is $30 with an evening meal included in the cost. Timeframe for the event is from 1:00 to 8:00 pm. A discount price of $40 will be offered to teachers who wish to attend both the workshop and symposium along with a total of six credit hours. Check in will begin at the 1874 Hempstead County Courthouse Visitor Center. Registration must be made by July 21. Contact 870-983-2684 to register.
Historic Washington State Park, a restoration village preserving one of Arkansas’s most prominent 19th-Century towns, is located on US 278 nine miles north of Hope and can be reached by taking Exit 30 off Interstate 30. For more information visit www.HistoricWashingtonStatePark.com or call (870) 983-2684.
Topics: News, Preservations, Research | No Comments »
Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Meeting Slated
By admin | July 12, 2010
To familiarize Arkansans with planned programs and activities of the commission, a free informational meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 19, at the Lecture Hall of the Caplinger Airway Science Academic Center at Henderson State University at 586 N. 10th St. in Arkadelphia. Topics to be discussed include:
Civil War Sesquicentennial Historical Markers
Civil War Sesquicentennial Passport Program
Annual Themes
Sanctioning of Local Events
Civil War Sesquicentennial Grants
Heritage Tourism.
This meeting is targeted to residents of Clark, Nevada, Garland, Hot Spring, Pike and Saline counties, though everyone is welcome to attend.
PLEASE feel free to forward this to everyone you think would be interested in attending! I’ll be sending more of these out as other regional meetings are scheduled.
Mark Christ
Community Outreach Director
Arkansas Historic Preservation Program
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25th Annual Arkansas Book and Paper Show Slated
By admin | July 12, 2010
The 25th annual Arkansas Book & Paper Show will be August 14-15, in Jacksonville. The show will be at the Community Center at Jacksonville, Ark.–about 15 miles from Little Rock. Books and documents pertaining to Arkansas (as well as many other topics) can be found at this show.Admission is $5. It is expected that 35 to 40 exhibitors will be at the show, most of them from out of state.
For more information, contact the shhow directors Ed & Jeri Myrick in Conway: arkansasbooks101@yahoo.com.
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Arkansas Toothpick Update- July, 2010
By admin | July 11, 2010
Greetings from the desk of The Arkansas Toothpick. Summertime is generally a time of rest and reorganization for most Civil War groups. This is hardly the case for the Sons of Confederate Veterans. While the mercury hits near triple digits, discussions of future Civil War-related activities and educational opportunities are being investigated.
The city of Pine Bluff, Arkansas is still of utmost importance in researching and restoring the history and heritage of. While members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans meet and discuss with representatives from the city, a clearer picture is seen in the overall project of reconstructing an accurate depiction of the 1860’s South East Arkansas.
Though there are many projects being discussed, the two that are most urgent include the writing of the application to the National Parks Service’s Underground Railroad and Network to Freedom regarding goings-on in contraband camps in and around the city of Pine Bluff from September, 1863 through the end of the Civil War. A program on this project was recently given to the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Little Rock, Arkansas and nearly 20 university libraries have requested copies of the findings.
Another project still underway is the writing of the application to the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission for an iron marker including the history of Pine Bluff during the Civil War. Discussions will resume next week on the co-funding of the marker as members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Pine Bluff meet with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to discuss a five-part exhibit for the Jefferson County Museum on the Civil War.
Next weekend marks a very rare opportunity for Arkansas Civil War history buffs. There will be a memorial service for James G. Wilson, a Confederate Roll of Honor veteran on July 17, 2010 at 10:A.M. at the Cypress Valley Cemetery in Vilonia, Arkansas. More information on directions can be found at: http://arkansastoothpick.com/?p=744.
Anyone interested in helping restore an original battlefield in Arkansas is invited to come out to Reed’s Bridge Battlefield (Officially known as the Battle of Bayou Metoe) in Jacksonville, Arkansas. There is always someone out there every Saturday morning until the early afternoon working on brush clearing, construction, mowing, and even gardening. The battle site is located on Arkansas Highway 161 south of the city of Jacksonville, Arkansas. This is a great opportunity for families to come out and help preserve our history! The next major Civil War reenactment in Arkansas will be at Reed’s Bridge on September 11, 2010.
Another great family outing will be on Saturday, October 9, 2010 at the annual Camp White Sulphur Springs encampment 7 miles west of Pine Bluff, Arkansas on Sulphur Springs Road. Civil War living historians will present a day of Civil War education and entertainment on the original grounds where nearly 10,000 Confederate soldiers helped reorganize the Army of the Trans-Mississippi in 1862. There will be more information on this event on arkansastoothpick.com soon.
Be sure to return back to arkansastoothpick.com every week. There is a new post every Sunday afternoon on goings-on in Arkansas exactly 150 years ago each week. This week’s article reports a severe drought in July, 1860 in the South. There is also another article posted regarding the first telegraph sent to an Arkansas newspaper, sent in July, 1860 from St. Louis, Mo. to Fayetteville, Arkansas. If you ever wondered how Arkansawyers celebrated the 4th of July, be sure to read last week’s post! This is a very educational service provided to the public courtesy of the Patrick Cleburne Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. If you are interested in joining the Sons of Confederate Veterans, this is the best time to join, as the fiscal year begins August 1st. If you need help finding a Confederate ancestor free of charge, e-mail us at info@arkansastoothpick.com.
Topics: Living Histories, Memorial Services, News | No Comments »
150 Years Ago… Hot Hot Hot
By admin | July 11, 2010
When we think of the summer, regardless of the century throughout history, we think of rising temperatures and the harsh living conditions that the summer has become known for. 1860 Arkansas was no exception, as this week’s “150 Years Ago” column features an article written in Fayetteville, Arkansas showing the temperatures’ unwavering rise in the mercury.
According to several newspaper accounts this week 150 years ago, a drought appears general all over the Southern states. The drought is so serious that lawmakers in Alabama are considering postponing debt collecting until another crop can be harvested. What does this all mean? This means that the South’s crops, the financial backbone of the future Confederate states, are in dire straits and that the South, due to this severe hot weather and devastation of crops, will surely have a negative financial impact:
[FAYETTEVILLE, ARK.] THE ARKANSIAN, July 14, 1860, p. 3, c. 2
Mercury.—Quicksilver is rising—has been doing its “level best” to get out of the glass. To another column we refer our readers for the degrees which it stood on different days this week. More scorching heat, with the breezes that stir every day, was never known in this latitude.—Even the turkies are using fans to cool themselves. The young corn at 1 o’clock P.M., is all in curls, like young lassies getting ready for a Mechanic’s Festival.
Also included in this week’s “150 Years Ago…” column is a very important “first” in Arkansas history. Due to the subject of Independence Day last week, the following was also printed last week. Usually, the editor will not back track to previous weeks, but the nature of the following is self-explanatory in its importance:
[FAYETTEVILLE, ARK.] THE ARKANSIAN, July 7, 1860, p. 3, c. 1
First Telegram to an Arkansas Paper.
We sent this day a health to the “Republican.” That paper rejoins:
St. Louis, July 7, 1860.
“Arkansian.”
St. Louis greets Arkansas on the completion of the Telegraph to Fayetteville, in uniting the two cities so closely together new ties will be formed binding the North centre and the South more, indissolubly to each other. May the Union be perpetuated.”“Republican.”
Amen.
Topics: 150th Anniversary Project | No Comments »
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