BATESVILLE — Mark Mobley removed a gray felt
hat from his head and leaned a musket against a library
table at the Old Independence Regional Museum in
Batesville.
“My father found that buried in his backyard when
he was about 8,” Mobley said as he pointed to the Civil
War-era weapon.
Mobley said his father, Freeman Mobley, was always
interested in history, and because no one had written
the story about northeast Arkansas during the Civil
War, Freeman wrote a book outlining what he called the missing piece of the puzzle.
In his book Civil War!: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle Northeast Arkansas 1861-1874, Freeman Mobley writes that from the beginning of the Civil War until its conclusion, Arkansas served as a major cornerstone for many operations of both Confederate and Union forces along the Mississippi River.
Two particular pieces of history will be celebrated in May. On May 5, the Lunenburg skirmish, which took place Jan.20, 1864, will be re-enacted in Izard County, and the next weekend, the 150th anniversary of the Union invasion of Batesville will be re-enacted.
The camp at Lunenburg will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 5. The re-enactment will take place at 2 p.m. on the original battle ground at Lunenburg. A memorial service for the locals who were killed in the skirmish will follow.
“This event coincides with Pioneer Day at Melbourne, and everybody is invited toactivities there as well,” said Roger Harvell, who is coordinating the Lunenburg event. “Some of the re-enactors have expressed an interest in being in the parade that will start at 10:30 a.m. in Melbourne, approximately four miles from the camp at Lunenburg.”
The next weekend, battle reenactments will begin at 2 p.m. May 12 and 13 at Riverside Park in Batesville. Re-enactors will set up camp, and people can visit from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 12, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 13. The re-enactorswill talk to the visitors, answer questions and share history with them.
“The Boy Scouts are cooking dinner for the troops,” Mobley said.
Mobley said he believes it is important to share the history of the Civil War with children, so there are activities planned for the entire family.
“A survey was done of the re-enactors, and they said they like to share history,” Mobley said, “so I’m doing this for the young people.”
In addition to the two-dayre-enactment, there will be Lemonade in the Shade; kids can search for Minié balls with metal detectors, and there will be cannon demonstrations.
A Confederate Ball will start at 6 p.m. May 12 at Josie’s at the Lockhouse. Entertainment will be by the Pilot Knob Mountain Boys and a Civil War dance group from Pocahontas. During the Confederate Ball, there will be a break for a nighttime battle re-enactment.
Tickets, which include dinner and entertainment, cost$20 each and are available at First Community Bank’s main branch and Cave City branch, Southern Bank, the Old Independence Regional Museum and the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Civil War!: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle Northeast Arkansas 1861-1874, by Freeman Mobley, is available on amazon.com.
Staff writer Jeanni Brosius can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or jbrosius@arkansasonline.com.
Three Rivers, Pages 45 on 03/22/2012