A 17-year-old who was hanged for purported espionage by Union troops during the Civil War will be commemorated during Saturday events in Little Rock.
The events commemorating "boy martyr of the Confederacy" David O. Dodd are part of January observances of the war's 150th anniversary organized by the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission.
A ceremony set to feature a three-volley salute, a laying of flowers and a program about Dodd will begin at 10 a.m. at Mount Holly Cemetery, 1200 S. Broadway.
An afternoon seminar called "David Owen Dodd: The Man, the Myth, and the Window" will be held at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St. in Little Rock.
Speakers will talk about Dodd's life, his Arkansas connections and about the stained-glass window that was created in his honor more than 100 years ago and now resides at the museum.
Other events in January will include:
- A Jan. 19 marker dedication for Confederate soldiers involved in the skirmish at Branchville who were buried at the Hickory Grove Cemetery near Star City. A memorial service will also be held for soldiers buried at the Newton Chapel Cemetery at Mill Creek. An infantry will be in attendance to give a three-volley salute.
- A traveling exhibit called "Fought in Earnest: Civil War Arkansas" that will be showcased at the National Park Community College in Hot Springs from Jan. 21-31. The exhibit, produced by the Arkansas History Commission, details major events in the state during the Civil War with photographs depicting Confederate and Union soldiers, government officials and civilians.
- A Jan. 28 roundtable featuring University of Arkansas at Little Rock instructor Drew Hodges at the Second Presbyterian Church, 600 Pleasant Valley Drive, in Little Rock. The event will start at 7 p.m. and is free and public.