Historic Washington and Saib the Camel

Churchill Chapter members and our guests were treated to a personalized tour of Historic Washington on Saturday, 23 October by well known preservationist Richard Butler. Amidst the wonderful 1860 setting of Washington, historic homes, antique furnishings, captivating stories, boardwalks, delicious lunch at Williams Tavern and a lot of laughs, the highlight of the tour was meeting Saib. We were pleased the Arkansas Division President, Mary Jackson and her husband Jack could join us for the day. Thank you Richard for a picture perfect day in Washington!

Wine and Cheese in the Cemetery
and a Civil War Scavenger Hunt

Saturday evening, November 6th, Mount Holly Cemetery came alive with spirits, but not the kind that they are most known for. The General T. J. Churchill Chapter #1373, Little Rock, hosted the event as a fundraiser for their upcoming 100th Anniversary. The fun event was attended by 62 guests. The prized “golden shovel” award was awarded to the team of misfits who outsmarted and cheated their way to finding the most answers with the clues provided.

Upon arrival guests were treated to a wide array of wines, hors d’ oeuvres and selected cheeses served by members Sharon Gaskin and Sherrell Snodgrass.

Those guests wishing to participate in the Civil War Scavenger Hunt were given a “test” by Kay Tatum, Chapter President, to indicate whether or not they were qualified to be a Team Captain. Questions were asked in a playful manner much to the delight of the audience. Teams were equipped with flashlights, a shovel, a cemetery guide and finally the questionnaire in which the clues were given to locate each grave site.

Six different teams scoured the circa 1843 cemetery for clues and answers to some 10 questions all pertaining to Civil War history. Four Confederate General’s buried at Mount Holly were featured in the hunt as well as Arkansas Boy Martyr of the Confederacy, David Owen Dodd, who was hanged at the age of 17 as a Confederate spy. Five other grave-side visits completed the hunt.

Mount Holly Cemetery is the final resting place of 175 soldiers from the Civil War. 160 of those graves are Confederate soldiers while 15 are those of Union soldiers. Omer Weaver was the first Confederate casualty from Little Rock. He died August 10th 1861 and was interred at Mount Holly.

In 1884 some 640 Confederate graves were removed from Mount Holly and re-interred in a mass grave at Oakland-Fraternal Cemetery, also in Little Rock. In 1913 the 11 acre Confederate plot was deeded to the National Cemetery.

Churchill Chapter Hosts 115th Annual Convention

The ladies of the General T. J. Churchill Chapter were pleased to co-sponsor the 115th Annual Convention of the Arkansas Division in Little Rock on September 23-25, 2010. The event held in Little Rock’s oldest Historic District offered a wide array of elegant events.

The Presidents Open House was sponsored by Margaret Wyatt Piano and Vocal Studio in memory of Ms. Wyatt’s Great-Grandmother, Mrs. Alice Rebecca Young-Carson, General James F. Fagan Chapter #1209, Benton, AR and her Grandmother, Mrs. Mineth Cecil Carson-Threet, Jenkins Ferry Chapter #1978, Sheridan, AR. Sadly neither of these Chapters are now active. Photos of the ladies were displayed along with a large newspaper article describing in much details and pageantry the dedication of the Jenkins Ferry Battle Monument by the Chapter of the same name.

Friday afternoon, September 24th, the ladies traveled via horse and carriage provided by Little Rock Horse and Carriage to the Memorial Service at St. Edward Catholic Church. The beautiful circa 1905 Church was the perfect setting in which to honor fifteen members of the Arkansas Division lost to death this year. Carriages transported members to MacArthur Park for the laying of the wreath at the Capitol Guards Monument. The main building at MacArthur Park was constructed in 1840. Known as the Arsenal building, it played a pivotal role during the war. First occupied by Confederate troops and then secured by Federal troops on September 10, 1863. The Arkansas Civil War Reenactors, dressed in Confederate uniforms, fired volleys at the conclusion of the service.

An elegant historical evening awaited guests. Period music was provided by Lark in the Morning as guests entered to soft lighting and candlelight. Churchill members Sharon Gaskin and Melia Mellard and their dashing escorts waltzed in representation of such an event that night have occurred 150 years ago in September 1860, before Arkansas was at war. Members and guests had the unique opportunity to individually recognize their Confederate ancestors by lighting a candle in memory of their ancestor and then were presented with a white rose in remembrance of their service.