The Civil War in Arkansas - Disptches, Events, and Newslatter Template

VOL. XXXX, No. 05, MAY 2004/FOR THE MEETING TUESDAY, MAY 11
Our 40th Year
Meets Fourth Tuesday, January-November/Founded March 1964
Fletcher Branch Library, H & Buchanan (East of University Ave.),
Little Rock
Program at 7 p.m.
Online: www.civilwarbuff.org
Brian Brown, President / Charles O. Durnett, Editor,
Dues $15 Per Year VISITORS WELCOME!
VISIT THE BATTLEFIELDS WHEN YOU CAN...WHILE YOU CAN

CHANGE IN DATE: MAY 11
(This meeting only)

"The Third Arkansas at Antietam."
by Cal Collier

WE HAVE CHANGED OUR meeting date (see above) to accommodate our perennial May speaker, Founding Member Cal Collier. Speaking last year on The Great Beefsteak Raid, Cal provided his usual excelent presentation.

Cal Collier served in the U.S. Air Force, spending some of his time at LRAFB. A native of Virginia, he grew up on the Civil War, and, while he was in Arkansas, became interested in the activities of Arkansas’ Confederate soldiers. This resulted in his writing of three books:

“They’ll Do To Tie To”, a history of the Third Arkansas Infantry which served in the Army of Northern Virginia;

“First In, Last Out”, a history of the Capitol Guards (First Arkansas Infantry), which served in the Army of Tennessee;

and “The War Child’s Children”, a history of the Third Arkansas Cavalry, which served under Forrest and Gen. Joe Wheeler (called the war child because of his slight stature).

Cal was a member of the Arkansas Civil War Centennial Commission in the early sixties, and is a Founding Member of our Round Table.

He and Melba moved to Baltimore several years ago, to be near his children in the Washington, D.C., area. He is an active member of the Baltimore CWRT and has made several talks to that group. He has also spoken to the National Congress of Civil War Round Tables and the Confederate Historical Institute on several occasions.

In 2000, he was the recipient of our group’s Patrick Cleburne Award, an ethched Staff Sword. Renamed this year as the Jerry L. Russell Award it is given for significant contributions to Arkansas Civil War history, Battlefield Preservation, and the safekeeping of Arkansas’ rich History; he joined Ed Bearss, Jerry L. Russell, Don Hamilton, and Bill O’Donnell, who were the previous recipients. Since that time, former Sen. Dale Bumpers, Dr. Bobby Roberts, and Carl H. Moneyhon have also become a recipients. Perhaps one of the former recipients will bring their sword to the meeting for display.

Each May, Cal and Melba return to Little Rock for his Air Force squadron re-union, and we take advantage of those visits to add an outstanding program to our schedule.

His program last year was about The Great Beefsteak Raid, an 1864 Virginia event involving Wade Hampton and his Rebel cavalrymen and a herd of Yankee cattle, gathered to feed Grant’s Army. (You may have seen the movie based on this action, starring William Holden and Richard Widmark.)

This year Cal’s presentation will follow "The Third Arkansas at Antietam." In the autumn of 1862 The 3RD joined Brig. Gen. John Walker (Walker’s Brigade) and decided to take a little stroll with General Lee to visit Maryland. The 3RD and the 27th North Carolina stopped along an old sunken road separating the Roulette and Piper farms.

Major General McClellan took exception to their being there and on the Morning of September 17 Union Gen. Joseph Hooker's artillery began a murderous fire on Jackson's men in the Miller cornfield north of Sharpsburg.

Before the two day battle would be over, the sunken road was renamed Bloody Lane.

And 23,100 men would lay dead.

You won’t want to miss Cal’s dynamic presentation (Cal’s presentations are always dynamic) on this most tragic Civil War action.

Remember, we will be meeting Tuesday, May 11 (NOT the fourth Tuesday), at the Fletcher Branch Library, H & Buchanan (East of University Ave.), The time is the same--7 p.m. And the fellowship is the same -- outstanding.

See you there.

THE HERITAGE

Dedicated in 1911 during the United Confederate Veterans Reunion, the Capital Guard memorial honors the local militia unit which participated in the seizure of the Arsenal in February 1861 and later fought as Company A of the 6TH Arkansas Infantry during the Civil War.

For over ninety years, the Capital Guard has stood watch over MacArthur Park. The memorial is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recently underwent significant conservation to repair decades of deterioration.

Join us on Saturday, May 15, at 2:00 p. m. as the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History celebrates the historic return of the Capital Guard memorial to Little Rock.

Mark your calendars

October 7-10, 2004, and make your plans to join the 30th Annual Congress of Civil War Round Tables for Vickesburg

“Grant vs the Disparte Confederate Trio: Jeff Davis and Gens. Pemberton and Joe Johnston”

Featuring Guided Tours of Chickasaw Bayou, Grant’s Canal, Grand Gulf, Windsor, Bruinsburg, Port Gibson, Vicksburg NMP/USS Cairo, Rocky Springs, Raymond, Champion Hill, Big Black Bridge

Led By Edwin C. Bearss, Chief Historian Emeritus, National Park Service. This meeting will also feature A Living Tribute to Ed Bearss at the Place where he began his careerand a Memorial Tribute to Jerry L. Russell (1933-2003) for his contributions to Battlefield Preservation.