may07

Our 43nd Year
FOR THE MEETING TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2007
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
VOL. XLIII, No. 5,
Ron Kelly, President/ Charles O. Durnett, Sec-Editor,
Dues $15 Per Year
VISITORS WELCOME!
VISIT THE BATTLEFIELDS WHEN YOU CAN...
WHILE YOU CAN

"Selected Campaigns

of the 3rd

Arkansas Cavalry,"

Army of Tennessee, CSA.

With Founder Cal Collier

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).

The first two books, "They'll Do To Tie To" and "First In - Last Out" are now available in paperback version.

They are available from:

Mr. Lawrence Harper

Pioneer Press

P. O. Box 191

Little Rock, AR 72202

Telephone: (501) 907-7912

The price is $18.50 and $16.50 respectively. Check with Wordsworth Books in the Heights.

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, and his last surviving sibling. 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, given for contributions to Arkansas Civil War history, joining Ed Bearss, Jerry Russell, Don Hamilton, and Bill O’Donnell, who were the previous recipients. Since that time, former Sen. Dale Bumpers, and Bobby Roberts have also become a recipient. This commemorative Calvary Sword is only given to those who have made a large contribution to the civil war community.

The Third Arkansas was composed initially of eleven volunteer companies from southern Arkansas:

Field and Staff Officers
Company A— “The Arkansas Travelers,” organized at Portland, Ashley county.

Company B— “The Berlin Beauregards,” organized at Berlin, Ashley county.

Company C— “The Confederate Stars,” organized at Monticello, Drew County.

Company D— “The Selma Rifles”, organized at Selma, Drew County.

Company E— “The Champagnolle Guards”, organized at Champagnolle, Union county.

Company F— “The Hot Spring Hornets”, organized at Rockport, Hot Spring county.

Company G— “The Three Creeks Rifles”, organized at Three Creeks, Union county.

Company H— “The Orphan Company”, a mixed Arkansas/Kentucky company.

Company I— “The Tulip Rifles”, organized at Tulip, Dallas county.

Company K— “The Ashley Volunteers”, organized at Hamburg, Ashley county.

Company L— “The Rust Guards”, organized at Latonia, Ashley county (consolidated with Co A).

The 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment was organized by companies on July 5, 1861 and mustered into Confederate service for the duration the War. When Dr. W.H. Tebbs and Van H. Manning, a lawyer at Hamburg, Ashley county, organized two companies in early 1861 and marched them to Vicksburg, where they offered them to the Confederate States at Montgomery, Alabama, the Confederate secretary of war refused to accept them.

The two officers then went to Montgomery, and by persistent entreaty, succeeded at length in securing their admission to the Confederate Army, for the war. Manning knew Congressman Albert Rust, then the Congressional representative for his district in southern Arkansas, obtained the assistance of his influence. When Rust decided to enter the military service of the Confederacy, Manning persuaded him to return to his home at Champagnolle, raise eight more companies, and follow on to some rendezvous where together they could organize a regiment for the service during the war. Rust did so, and joined Manning at Lynchburg, where the regiment was

organized as regular troops of the Confederacy enlisted for the duration of the war. It was really the first regiment from Arkansas to be enlisted as regular troops.

The regiment was ordered to the mountains of West Virginia, where it performed arduous and discouraging service in the campaign on the Gauley and Cheat rivers. Hard marching under Stonewall Jackson (whom Col. Rust later described as an impracticable old schoolmaster who said grace before he ate and prayed before going to bed) in the Valley Campaign followed this. The regiment was engaged in the battles of Greenbrier and Allegheny. Under General Jackson at Winchester, in January 1862, the 3rd Arkansas marched to Bath and Romney, returned to Winchester, and was ordered thence to Fredericksburg and assigned to the brigade of Gen. Theophilus H. Holmes. Colonel Rust was promoted to brigadier general and was transferred to a command in the western armies. Van Manning was promoted to the colonel of the regiment succeeding Col. Rust. The 3rd Arkansas was engaged in the battles of White Oak Swamp, June 3, 1862, in J.G. Walker's brigade, and on July 1, 1862 participated in the battle, of Malvern Hill, It was at Sharpsburg on September 17, 1862 where Col., Manning was seriously wounded. At Fredericksburg, again in December 1862, the 3rd Arkansas was assigned to Hood's Texas Brigade, with which it remained, until the end of the war.

Here the regiment was additionally augmented by, the incorporation of Bronaugh's 2nd Arkansas Infantry Battalion of five, Arkansas companies. The regiment was not engaged at Chancellorsville, being engaged instead, with Longstreet's Corp. at Suffolk.

The 3rd Arkansas participated in the, battle of Gettysburg with Longstreet's Corps, fighting in and in the vicinity, of the Devil's Den, and went with that corps to Tennessee in, September 1863 where it fought at Chickamauga (where the gallant Major, Reedy was mortally wounded), Chattanooga, Wauhatchie, and in the siege of Knoxville, TN.

Returning to the Army of Northern Virginia in the spring, of 1864, the regiment fought with the Texas Brigade at the battle of the, Wilderness, May 6, 1864, marching at the double-quick several miles that morning to save the Confederate line and subsequently throw Grant's forces, back. Here Col.

Manning was shot through the thigh and captured, He was a prisoner of war until July 1865.

The regiment moved on to continue the fight at Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor. The regiment was at Deep Run on August 6, 1864; at Petersburg during the siege by Grant, at High Bridge and Farmville in 1865, and surrendered at Appomattox Court House with General Lee on April 9, 1865. At Appomattox, only 144 men remained to stack their arms instead of the nearly 1,500 mustered throughout the war.

Don Hamilton cleaning the Battle of Little Rock marker at Brownsville in January 2007.

Clean-up Fix-up Paint-up

It is time to marshal the troops for the annual check-up for the markers around the city. All of the markers need help from the Central Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trails and the Civil War Roundtable of Arkansas. A touch up here and there, a couple of weeds pulled, a little bit of paint, and a little bit of mowing.

Don Hamilton and Ron Kelly did this all by themselves last year. We need a few more volunteers this year. One day over the Memorial Day weekend ought to do it. From then on, it is just a little mowing at the markers during the summer.

These markers are a principle tourist attraction for our heritage and civil war visitors. Don will have a signup list at the next meeting for you to make your mark.

PROGRAMS 2007

May 22, 2007 Cal Collier
TBA

June 26, 2007 W. D. Honnoll
M. J. Thompson: The Swamp Fox

July 24, 2007 - Dr. Thomas A. DeBlack
TBA

August 28, 2007 Don Nall
Joseph O. Shelby

September 24, 2007
TBA

October 23, 2007 - Mike Polston
General Allison Nelson

November 27, 2007
TBA

We Who Study

Must Also Strive To Save!

WE NEED A NEW HOME

The Civil War Roundtable of Arkansas has been meeting at the Fletcher Library since 1997. Jerry Russell found the site, and the Roundtable was very happy to have a permanent place to meet and hold their programs.

Of late, the library has started booking meetings in our usual spot. A library representative said that we could no longer rely on being able to meet at the library on the fourth Tuesday of each month.

As a result, we need to consider a new home. Bring your questions and suggestions to the meeting next Tuesday. We are already booked in the library for the next three months, with the exception of July.

We can look for a new, more convenient place or change the meeting day to a less busy time.

Never for Want of Powder

The Confederate Powder Works in Augusta, Georgia

C. L. Bragg, Charles D. Ross, Gordon A. Blaker, Stephanie A. T. Jacobe, and Theodore P. Savas

An illustrated tale of the Confederacy's large-scale war technology told by a quintet of experts

Lavishly illustrated with seventy-four color plates and fifty black-and-white photographs and drawings, Never for Want of Powder tells the story of a world-class munitions factory constructed by the Confederacy in 1861. It was the only large-scale permanent building project undertaken by a government often characterized as lacking modern industrial values.

In this comprehensive examination of the powder works, five scholars—a historian, physicist, curator, architectural historian, and biographer—bring their combined expertise to the task of chronicling gunpowder production during the Civil War. In doing so, they make a major contribution to understanding the history of wartime technology and Confederate ingenuity.

Early in the war, President Jefferson Davis realized the Confederacy's need to supply its own gunpowder. Accordingly, Davis selected Col. George Washington Rains to build a gunpowder factory. An engineer and West Point graduate, Rains relied primarily on a written pamphlet rather than on practical experience in building the powder mill, yet he succeeded in designing a model of efficiency and safety. He sited the facilities at

Augusta, Georgia, because of the city's central location, canal transportation, access to waterpower, railroad facilities, and relative security from attack.

As much a story of people as of machinery, Never for Want of Powder recounts the ingenuity of the individuals involved with the project. A cadre of talented subordinates—including Frederick Wright, C. Shaler Smith, William Pendleton, and Isadore P. Girardey—assisted Rains to a degree not previously appreciated by historians. This volume also documents the coordinated outflow of gunpowder and ammunition, and Rains's difficulty in preparing for the defense of Augusta.

Today a lone chimney along the Savannah River stands as the only reminder of the munitions facility that once occupied that site. With its detailed reproductions of architectural and mechanical schematics, and its expansive vista on the Confederacy, Never for Want of Powder restores the Augusta Powder Works to its rightful place in American lore.

Events at

Prairie Grove

Battlefield State Park

Summer 2007

Webb Civil War & Antique Collection

May 13, 2007 - 1 pm - 5 pm

June 24, 2007 - 1 pm - 5 pm

July 15, 2007 - 1 pm - 5 pm

August 19, 2007 - 1 pm - 5 pm

September 16, 2007 - 1 pm - 5 pm

October 21, 2007 - 1 pm - 5 pm

Webb Civil War & Antique Collection – Ann and C. W. Webb are Civil War compilers who will display and talk about an array of items from their personal assortment of Civil War and antique kitchen ware. Meet at Hindman Hall.

Admission: Free

Cannon demonstration with

First Arkansas Light Artillery

May 12, 2007 - -10 am – 2pm

June 16, 2007 – 10 am -2 pm

July 21, 2007 – 10 am – 2 pm

August 11, 2007 10 am – 2 pm

September 15, 2007 – 10 am – 2pm

Cannon demonstration with First Arkansas Light Artillery group – Cannon firing demonstrations are every hour from 10 am to 2 pm.

Burgess Civil War Collection

May 20, 2007 - 1 pm - 4 pm

June 17, 2007 - 1 pm - 4 pm

July 22, 2007 - 1 pm - 4 pm

August 26, 2007 - 1 pm - 4 pm

September 23, 2007 - 1 pm - 4 pm

Burgess Civil War Collection - Local Civil War enthusiast Steve Burgess will display and talk about Civil War items from his personal collection, including bullets, cannonballs, and other items found in northwest Arkansas. Meet in Hindman Hall. Admission: Free

1st Arkansas Cavalry, Company D

CSA Demonstration

May 27 - 10:00 to 2:00 –

See members of the 1st Arkansas Cavalry, Company D talk about soldier life while you are watching the Confederate Cavalry camps and activities. The 1st Arkansas Cavalry, Company D is a Civil War reenacting unit dedicated to the portrayal of Confederate cavalry soldiers in an extremely authentic manner. They will be talking about their clothing and gear.

Spinning Demonstration

June 10, 2007 - 1 pm - 4 pm

July 8, 2007 - 1 pm - 4 pm

August 12, 2007 - 1 pm - 4 pm

Spinning Demonstration - See members of the local Wool and Wheel Hand spinners Guild demonstrate the ancient art of spinning thread, and discuss the basics of making cloth in the Arkansas Ozarks. Meet in Hindman Hall.

Admission: Free

Fall & Winter 2007

September 1 - September 3, 2007

56th Annual Clothesline Fair

More than 200 craft booths with artisans demonstrating and selling their wares. Living history, musical entertainment, and square dancing are all important parts of this celebration. Refreshments are available through the Prairie Grove Lions Club and other local non-profit organizations. Contact the park for further information.

Admission: $4 per vehicle for parking in the state park

October 27, 2007 - 7 pm - 10:30 pm - Haunted Battlefield Tour

Tour groups will be guided in front of the historic Borden House along part of the park's walking trail and into the valley where the heaviest fighting occurred during the Battle of Prairie Grove. Chances are good that there will be a few surprises along the way. Tours depart every 20 to 30 minutes. The last tour will conclude around 10 p.m. Parking is available at the east entrance of the Borden House. Admission: Free. Meet at the historic Borden House. Passes will be required for specific tour departure times. Passes are available the day of tours.

December 1 - December 2, 2007 - Christmas Open House

Christmas will be in the air as in the days of the Civil War at Prairie Grove Battlefield. While food is cooking in the Latta House kitchen, members of the local Wool and Wheel Handspinners Guild and the Dogwood Lace groups will be demonstrating spinning, weaving, and lace making. There will be guided tours through the historic Latta and Morrow houses. Admission: Free

2008 – Battlefield Park 100 years Anniversary (1908-2008)

December 6 - December 7, 2008

"Battle of Prairie Grove" Reenactment

Reenactors and spectators alike participate in guided tours through the Union, Confederate, and civilian camps; various military drills; cooking, spinning, and lace-making demonstrations; and living history programs. Battle demonstrations begin at 1 p.m. each day, featuring charges and counterattacks by Union and Confederate infantry and cavalry on the actual battlefield near the historic Borden House. Reenactors, contact the park to register. Admission: Parking $4 per vehicle.

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SEE YOU TUESDAY NIGHT

For

One of our founders