I’ve been researching some songs for my Civil War program, and I was rather shocked to find that in Lincoln’s administration, Septimus Winner, the man who wrote “Listen to the Mockingbird” (see earlier post) was arrested for treason during the Civil War because he wrote a song calling for the reinstatement of McClellan as commander of the Federal Army. I was shocked, not because Lincoln arrested someone who wrote and said things he didn’t like, but because the offense seems so harmless.  One site I found says this of Mr. Winner: “During the Civil War, Winner was greatly affected by the political atmosphere. His composition “Give Us Back Our Old Commander: Little Mac, the People’s Pride,” was written in plea to President Lincoln for the return of Union General McClellan who had been removed from command. The song was considered anti-Union and Winner spent a brief time in jail on a charge of treason. Winner was released from jail only after agreeing to destroy all remaining copies of the song.” You can read Winner’s full biography and achievements here:

Unfortunately, the sanitized, revised, mythologized version of Abraham Lincoln is the only Lincoln that many people know. Lew Rockwell has an extensive list of free articles you can read about Abraham Lincoln. These articles make good reading for high school and college students. You can find that list here:

Here is a poster of Lincoln from a Confederate point of view:

I’ve just returned from Oklahoma (a place without Internet and cell phone service) and am tired and overwhelmed; thus, the entry today will be short. My mother’s surgery was successful and she is doing well. Thank you readers for your kind prayers and well-wishes.

As a Civil War writer, I understand that my task is not only to reveal to you new information in my blog, but to direct you to sites where you can find interesting information about the Civil War in North Texas and Indian Territory. Here is a great site that is devoted to a family history during the Civil War. I found it absolutely fascinating, a site full of information. It is entitled, A Short History of the 22nd, 31st and 34th Texas Cavalries, with emphasis upon the Fannin County Texas McFarlands (and their neighbors and relations) in the Civil War. You can find it here:

I’m still waiting on some photos of last Saturday’s author event, but when I receive them, I’ll post them. I did get some reading accomplished during my trip, finishing A Model Summer by Paulina Porizkova (review coming soon) and Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells.

I was delighted to learn yesterday that my children’s book, Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House made the LOUISIANA YOUNG READERS’ CHOICE AWARD. I’ll post more information on that award later. If you don’t know, The Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award is a reading enrichment program of the Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana. The purpose of the program is to foster a love of reading in the children of Louisiana by motivating them to participate in the selection and recognition of outstanding books.

Return from Author Event

Yesterday, I was at Author! Author! event in Shreveport. It was held at the Municipal auditorium, a haunted place, that was once the site of the famous Louisiana Hayride. I had a grand time, performing with my guitar and signing books. I met so many cool people. Here is a photo of Rosemary Thompson and Sandra Hadwin is on the right.  I need to mention that that were volunteer workers representing the Altrusa Club of Shreveport, which is a literacy focused service organization. These beautiful ladies are the kind of people who truly make the world a better place.

Here is Aubri McHugh. In addition to the over 50 writers, their friends and fans, and the staff workers, there were present many wonderful librarians, teachers, and writers. Aubri is one of the many writers I met. I was able to read several of her poems, and I’m convinced the young lady has writing talent.

Of course, I also want to thank the Pulpwood Queens who work with the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, Lynn Laird and Teresa Micheels. These ladies are so talented and so committed to promoting literacy. I met several other authors and event workers that I hope to comment on later, and perhaps feature on my blog with a review or an interview.

For example, Here is Rebecca. Her smile and hard work certainly helped make the day a success.

And here I am, performing in the alcove they assigned to the children’s authors. The acoustics in this building are amazing! And to think–I performed in the same building as Elvis and other star performers. You can read more of the Louisiana Hayride and its fascinating history here:

A short post today, as I must prepare for a very busy day tomorrow at the Shreveport, Louisiana Book Festival called, “Author! Author! Shreveport Celebration of the Written Word.” I’ll be speaking in the morning and part of a panel in the afternoon.  I returned from Cameron Parish late last night and crashed. This morning, I faced the usual trip-return ritual of unloading my Toyota RAV, attending to book business neglected during my week of travel, and to home chores like mowing the yard, going to the bank, laundry, etc.

Anyway, yesterday I went to Johnson Bayou Library in Cameron Parish. I dipped my toe in the Gulf of Mexico as I stood at the edge of Louisiana. (My friends have always said I like to go to the edge of anything.)  As I drove to this definitively Cajun parish community, I hit some construction, and I took a picture of something I had never seen before: A pilot car to guide us through the construction. Notice the sign in the back of the truck. It says, “Pilot Car: Follow Me!”

Here is a photo of the large trailer used as a library at Johnson Bayou My program was actually in the Johnson Bayou Baptist Church. I’ll have a photo of me and the pastor posted later, as well as information about the history of some of these communities in Cameron Parish.

Early this morning, I was interviewed by Evan Johnson, Sunrise Reporter for KPLC TV, Channel 7 in Lake Charles.  Johnson is a sharp television broadcaster. He is full of energy, and he is one of those people in whose eyes you can see future greatness. Evan’s photo is below. KPLC’s link is here:

Today, I presented programs at Grand Lake, Grand Cheniere, and Cameron Libraries. The kids were wonderful, and I can tell that the librarians and their staffs are working their hearts out.  Several parents were there and added much to the programs.  Tomorrow, I’ll be at the Hackberry and Johnson Bayou libraries. Back in the hurricanes Katrina and Rita days, I did not hear much about this parish.  The librarians showed me photos of the devastation, and even now, the land is scarred beyond imagination. I would say that the devastation would have to have been as great, if not worse, than what south Mississippi suffered.

In some ways, I felt I am at the end of the world–flat, beautiful marshes stretching as far as the eye can see. When I return to Monroe, I am going to reopen Bayou Farewell and see if that writer talks much of this part of the state. The area has a deep beauty, though after the hurricane, a sad beauty.  I love the people here with their Cajun accent, their love of life, and their strong work ethic. I hope I can come back. I’ve presented the programs a little differently than I did at schools. The presentations have been more kinesthetic, allowing the kids to touch and handle my Civil War artifacts and the other display items.

Jefferson Davis Statue at Beauvoir

I still can’t get the images of Beauvoir out of my head. As Jefferson Davis Parish is nearby, folks are quite interested in the Jim Limber story. Here is a statue of Jefferson Davis on the grounds:

Today, I took a tour of Beauvoir, and I can see why the Davis family loved this place. The well-trained staff at Beauvoir were helpful, and you can tell by talking to them that they all have a deep passion, intense knowledge of, and a reverence for this place. I signed the books of mine (Jim Limber) that are there, and had a grand time.  Though the site has been formerly rededicated, there is still some restoration going on. The storm that came through Biloxi must have had the meanness and destructive power of Sherman’s bummers. Signs of the storm are everywhere in that area, and Biloxi still has a long way to go before we could say the area has fully recovered.  The most interesting fact I learned: Oscar Wilde (and other significant literary characters) had visited the Davis family. That is a story I must pursue. I also managed to do some more research on Jim Limber. I’ll talk about my findings in a future post.

Here are two more photos of Saturday’s celebration of General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s birthday. The first is of a man who takes on the General Forrest persona (and does so effectively, both in spirit and in looks). The resemblance to the past General Forrest is so startling, that one begins to think he is indeed an incarnation. The second is of Kim Shannon, a beautiful singer of Confederate songs. She and I alternated spots for the Forrest progarm, played some songs together, and I was most impressed with her voice and with her love of the South. I’ll have more to say of this talented lady later.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll be interviewed on KLPC TV here in Lake Charles.  The next two days will be spent presenting programs, songs, and stories to the libraries in Cameron Parish. I’ll report on my blog as I can.

Just wanted to post some photos and quick notes about my trip. Saturday morning, I visited the Hank Williams Museum on Commerce Street in Montgomery. Now, youve got to understand, I was raised hearing this man’s records, and hearing my daddy sing his songs. The first songs I learned on my guitar were Hank’s songs. It was fascinating to see mementos and artifacts of this Country Music Legend. There museum’s website is here: Here is a photo of the museum, followed by a wooden statue of the famous Kawliga.

Here is the famous wooden Indian, Kawliga! He stands just inside the museum.  Numerous performers have done versions of this song.

From the museum, I found the Holy Ground Battlefield. Here is a photo of Nell, the park’s gatekeeper. She is also a Civil War writer. She allowed me to play her a couple of tunes.

Here is the famous bluff where Red Eagle and his horse jumped into the river to avoid capture.

Finally, arrived at Fort Dixie, just outside of Selma, for the General Forrest celebration.

A cannon was fired in salute of General Forrest memory and again after I performed my song, “Cry, Little Artillery Man.”

I’ll have more photos and information on the General Forrest Celebration in future posts.

The First White House of the Confederacy

Yesterday afternoon, I visited the White House of the Confederacy. It was my first visit there, and just like my visit to Rosemont, it took my breath away. This afternoon I’m performing at the General Forrest Shin-dig in Selma, and visiting the Holy Ground Battleground off of highway 80, a battle that took place between the Creeks and American forces. According to this site the grounds were the site of the 1813 battle between Creeks led by Red Eagle and American forces under General Claiborne with Pushmataha’s Choctaws as allies. The Americans killed 21 Creeks and forced the rest into the Alabama River and surrounding swamps. Red Eagle was the last Creek to retreat. He escaped by leaping his gray horse, Arrow, from a 12-foot bluff into the Alabama River and swimming to the opposite shore with his rifle over his head, while bullets spattered around him. You can find an excellent short article about the Red Stick War here:

Here are three photos of the House of the Confederacy. Feel free to use them for your own presentations.

Here I am with Eve, the lady who ran the facility. She also presents school programs related to our Founding Fathers. She was sharp and witty, calling herself a “bad Czek,” (She is an immigrant, reborn again in the South coming through the port of New Orleans. She now considers herself a Southern Belle).

Here is the White House itself, followed by the sign with a brief history of the house. I was so happy that the Confederate White House is directly across from the Alabama State Capitol.

Tomorrow, I’ll be performing in Selma, Alabama at the 187th Birthday Anniversary & the 9th Annual Birthday Party for Lt. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest. I wrote a song for the occasion. This song was written based on information gleaned from a book, That Devil Forrest: The Life of General Nathan Bedford Forrest by John Allan Wyeth, a surgeon who rode with Forrest. There’s much we don’t know about this great man due to the myth-makers and historical revisionists who are determined to make everything about the South look bad.

That Devil Forrest

Standing over six feet high,
Wounded half a dozen times,
Fiery blue eyes
Looking up at the sky
Calling down the good Lord’s Wrath,
That devil, Forrest.

A fierce rebel ghost,
The first there with the most,
Never lost a fight,
Believed his cause was right,
Bold raider of the night
That devil, Forrest.

Killed 30 Yankees with his own hand,
And two of his own soldiers who ran,
He gave Sherman tell,
He fought them well,
A demon the Yankees feared,
That devil, Forrest.

Black rebels at his side,
Carrying pistols and Bowie knives,
Holt Collier and many others,
Who fought for masters and for brothers,
In the thick of any fight,
With that devil, Forrest.

At Fort Donelson, they hemmed him in,
But he boldly rode out with his men,
He wouldn’t surrender,
He  wouldn’t give in,
He gave the South some hope,
That devil, Forrest.

Ed Miller is one of the finest Scottish musicians I’ve heard. His website is here: There are several versions of this song, “The Spanish lady,” but as usual, Ed Miller’s is unique. Here is my transcription of his song. Please send me corrections for any lines or words I missed. Mistakes are easy to make in transcription, especially if the musician has an accent that is sometimes thick to my ear. rickeyp@bayou.com

The Spanish Lady

As I went up through Edinburgh City,
Being twelve o’clock at night,
There I spied a Spanish lady
Dressing herself by candlelight.
Madam, I am come to court you
In hopes your favor for to gain
If you’ll kindly entertain me
Maybe I’ll come back again

Sit you down you, hearty, welcome
Sit you down you hearty soul,
Sit you down, you hearty. welcome
Whether ye come back or no

Madam, I’ve got gold and silver,
Madam, I’ve got house and land
Madam, I’ve got men and maidens
All shall be at your command

What care I for gold and silver
What care I for house and land
What care I for men or maidens,
All I want is a handsome man

Madam you deal much in beauty
That sweet flower will soon decay
The fairest flower in all your garden
When winter comes will fade away

Ripest apple soon is rotten
Hottest love as soon is cold
Young men vows are soon forgotten
Pray young man don’t be so bold
First comes lilies, then comes roses
First comes April, then comes May
And the fairest flower of all is summer,
When winter comes will fade away

I’ve wondered North
And I‘ve wondered South
[By Gray Fires kept and White Horse Close?]
Down and around by the old clean village
And back by Deacon Brode’s house

Auld age has laid her hands on me
As cold as a fire of ashy coals
But, where or where is the Spanish Lady,
A maid so sweet about the soul

First comes lilies, then come roses
First comes April, then comes May,
And the Fairest flower of all is summer
When winter comes will fade away.