ANNOUNCEMENTS

Why should the Mark's Mill Battlefield & Cemetery have copies of Pillars of Power: Steps Toward Secession? From an author’s point of view that is an interesting question, and I hope you will allow yourself a few minutes to read the following information as I attempt to answer that question for you.

Pillars of Power: Steps Toward Secession will present the American Civil War as it was fought in Arkansas in a completely different manner. Actually, until now no one has researched, written, and published an in-depth, authentic history of that national tragedy as it was enacted in Arkansas. Yes, our Nation is nearing the planned festivities that will surround the Sesquicentennial Celebration of the American Civil War, but in the one hundred and forty-four years since that War ended a detailed history of its events in our State has not been written. That fact alone is a very substantial reason why this book and the three others that will follow should be available to every high school student in Arkansas. Historic photographs and vivid maps also aid in the comprehension of that major historical event.

However, these books will also become excellent resource materials for your history and social studies teachers. As a former junior and high school teacher in Arkansas I understand that those who teach need far more information than is presented in the text books that are used in their courses of learning. The information in these books will enable a classroom teacher to present more in-depth information about the Civil War in Arkansas than he or she could before these books were published. I would urge you to make your teachers aware of these publications. Also, those who check these books out to read them will find a presentation of the War in Arkansas that has never existed before.

Also, these volumes present that confrontation in chronological order, with one book having been written for each year of the war. Yet, each volume also stands alone on its own merits to provide specific understandings without the need for the other three.

Then too, each area of the State is covered so teachers, students and readers can understand exactly what happened in their particular area of Arkansas. Yes, there were areas of Arkansas than had far more involvement during that era than others, but this was also an event that touched the entire state. The majority of today’s historians agree that the Civil War was the most important historical event that has occurred in our Nation, as well as in the State of Arkansas.

Arkansas has made gigantic steps in improving its educational offerings to the students who attend it colleges and universities in the past thirty years. One example, as a student at an Arkansas university who was seeking a minor in American History I took a course entitled The History of the Southwest, and the book we used for the Arkansas part of that offering was the same fifth grade text book I had in elementary school because that was the only history of Arkansas in print at that time.

The publication of these books will represent another large step in the history of Arkansas pursuing its past to enable today’s students to learn from those times, and hopefully take the necessary steps to prevent repeating the lessons of days gone by.

The following is a brief biographical sketch of the author to validate why he possessed the qualification to research and write these books.
Jim Lair, a native of Camden, grew up with a fascination for the many reminders of the War that he could visit in his area of Ouachita County. After college he taught American History in Smackover, El Dorado, and Camden, Arkansas for a total of six years.

Lair was the recipient of the Award for Best Church History from The Arkansas Historical Association for an article, That Man Might Worship: A History of Camden’s First Baptist Church that was published in the Ouachita County Historical Quarterly. He has spoken before various history groups in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee, as well as appearing before several Civil War Roundtable groups. He also received several awards from the Arkansas History Commission during his years as the President and Editor of the Carroll County Historical and Genealogical Society.

The author worked for over ten years as a Staff Writer for a Northwest Arkansas newspaper, and during that time a number of his articles received awards from the Arkansas Press Association.
He also wrote and had a biography of David Owen Dodd published to commemorate the execution of a Confederate martyr, and that work will be published again with new information as a part of the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the War. Three other books by him that related directly to the history of Arkansas have been published.  Lair will be one of the featured speakers at this year’s National Convention of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

To add these books to your library you have two options. They are available through Follett Library Resources, which I am told is the distributor of record with most Arkansas schools. Or you may contact Terry Cordingley at Tate Publishing Company, terry@tatepublishing.com or 888-361-9473, and the publishing company will sell the books directly to you. The publisher will offer you a 40 percent discount on the $29.95 selling price, but it is my understanding your book distributor offers a better price than that to their school clients.

If you have other questions please feel free to contact me at jblcivilwar@cox.net, or (402) 496-3024

Jim Lair's interest and experience in researching and writing Arkansas history shows in these volumes on his ruling passion, the Civil War. Years in the making, Lair's narrative version of the Civil War events in Arkansas unfolds on a giant canvas that places local events in their national context. Anyone who shares Lair's interest in that era in Arkansas will find much to appreciate about his saga.
Ray Granade, Director of Library Services, Ouachita Baptist University.

Mr. Reynolds has recently published a book entitled Into The Mouth of The Cannon. It is historical an accurate researched history of the 18th Arkansas infantry and the role several families from Bradley County (living in Cleveland, created April 1873) played in the Western Theater during the Civil War.  There is a lot a history about Bradley, Cleveland , Saline, Grant, and Drew counties documented in the book.

The book has biographies of Hartwell S Reynolds, his father Henry Reynolds, his wife Elizabeth Reynolds of Bradley County (living in Cleveland, created April 1873).  Also included are Dr. James L. Isaacs, Lt. George W Isaacs, Sergeant Richard T. Stockton, Granville McGuire, Naomi McGuire of Saline County and many more.  This could be a valuable research book for those that are interested in the early Civil War in Arkansas and why Arkansans chose to join the Confederacy.

Mr. Reynolds also has a family web site (Robert Reynolds Family Archives) containing lot of information about families from Cleveland Counties.  You can visit his website here.  http://www.reynoldsarchives.com/  

Also,  there is a link to purchase the book from Author House Publishers on the site.  The book is a true story that is well-documented.  Each chapter has numerous source reference note numbers authenticating the research. The book is indexed and also contains an appendix making it easy to research a surname.  Mr. Reynolds credits the Arkansas History Commission as very helpful in locating information and source material that went into the book.  http://www.reynoldsarchives.com/into_the_mouth_of_the_cannon.htm

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Cleveland County History Book

- Louise Mitchell - Added 02/11/06

For those of you that have been asking about Johnny Cash and Bear Bryant, both will be included in the Cleveland County History that is finally at the printers.  I typed both the Rivers Family (Johnny's mother was a Rivers) and the Bryant Family that includes Paul "Bear" Bryant.  There is at least one additional submission of the same, but extended, Bryant Family.

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  Harvesting Hidden Treasures

- Wanda Mitchell Newton 

 

Former Kingsland resident, Wanda Mitchell Newton, releases new book, Harvesting Hidden Treasures. The author is the youngest of ten children born to the late Wallace Edward Mitchell and Mary Jewell Graves Mitchell. She grew up on their family farm four miles  southeast of town in the Saline community and graduated from Kingsland High School in May 1956.

Wanda’s desire to write began at an early age and through the years has written poetry, short stories, and articles for special occasions. Her ultimate desire has always been to write a book about her childhood.  She shares several of her poems as well as a few of her mother’s in the book.

Life began for the author during the Depression, followed by WWII, which created extreme difficulties for their family.  Amidst those difficulties were many daily experiences on the farm, which she feels, are worth sharing.

The simplicity of life in rural Arkansas will allow readers to catch a glimpse into an era almost forgotten by today’s society. Day-by-day word pictures are painted of spring through winter, allowing readers to see how a family of ten survived.  Sacrifice, hard work, and an abundance of love were the necessary daily ingredients.

Since a good harvest was vital to their family, Wanda chose to entitle her book Harvesting Hidden Treasures. Just as in spring they sowed seeds that brought forth crops to be harvested in autumn, beautiful treasures were planted and woven within her heart also.Now, in the autumn of her life, she brings forth her harvest and wishes to share it with others.The homespun stories will warm your heart as you walk alongside the author. It is not a book of eloquent words or of a fancy lifestyle.  It is one of plain and simple daily experiences that made her who she is today. A few of the treasures she shares is:  A Farmhouse Christmas, Winter Wonderland, a Quilting Party, Peddling Watermelons, Dinner on the Riverbank, Hog Killing Day and Winter Morning Memories.  Old family photos are shown thoughout the pages.

Wanda invites you to walk alongside her and share laughter, shed tears of both joy and sadness, and see how God blessed in the midst of poverty and hardships. Harvesting Hidden Treasures is a great book for older children, as it will allow them to see the contrast in life then and now. Hopefully many adults will recapture special treasures they, too, have forgotten; Now rediscovered.

Seeds that were sown in poverty have borne a bounteous harvest.   

To receive a signed copy of Harvesting Hidden Treasures, Please send $12.95 plus $2.50 for S/H. Send to Wanda Newton, 233 Spur Dr., Victoria, TX 77904. Phone: 361-578-5452.