A Southern Missive

Saturday, I was at the Rapides Parish Library. Here is a photo of me at the Kent House Plantation on Bayou Rapides Road in Alexandria where I’ll be performing as a musician in the future. Following that is a grave on the grounds of a fellow in the 12th Louisiana, a unit I have reenacted with.

Tonight, I’m in Paris, Arkansas at the Cottage on the Creek Bed & Bath. I just finished a program for the parents and teachers at the middle school, and tomorrow I have a very full day with the elementary school students.  I’ll be presenting Civil War programs and Scots-Irish programs. Tomorrow, I’ll be on my way back to east Texas for my program at Harleton, then on to Houston where I’ll be storytelling on Saturday and Sunday and Monday at the Heather & Thistle Organization.

Paris is such an interesting area.  Here are some photos I took today with my iPhone.  First is the Logan County Museum. It used to be the jail here. Male prisoners were upstairs in the left hand side and women prisoners downstairs, while the jailers and their families lived in the right side of the building. Next to the building is the gallows. The last hanging in Arkansas took place here, July 15, 1914.  His name was Arthur Tillman.

Believe it nor, evidently the Vikings came to Arkansas. Here is a rune stone that’s been translated. When translated the runes say, Nov. 12, 1011. Unbelievable–the Vikings found Arkansas?

I’ll be presenting two Civil War programs in the brand new library Rapides Parish facility in Alexandria this Saturday. Here is the ad the library ran on their website:

Rickey Pittman at the Westside Regional Library

Join us Saturday May 9, at 10:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. Author, story-teller, and Musician Rickey Pittman will give two performances celebrating our heritage and teaching important lessons from our region’s history. Mr. Pittman’s children’s book Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House tells the fascinating and little known story of a young black orphan who was raised with Jefferson Davis’ family. It is currently on the Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award list. Mr. Pittman’s other works include the novel Red River Fever and the short story collection Stories from the Confederate South.

While both performances are family events, the morning performance will feature entertainment especially for children and the afternoon program will include readings from Mr. Pittman’s adult literary work.

Here is a poem for the Clan Cumming. I wrote it for the event (Sam Houston Folk Festival) and read it to the crowd at the opening ceremonies. I think it will also likely be read at the Houston Highland Games and at the Scottish Festival at
Arlington. Their representative, Dawn Burgess–with her grandchild, Marjorie–is pictured below.

The Clan Cumming

The illustrious Clan Cumming,
Rivals of the Bruce for the crown,
The story of their troubled history
In Texas blood can be found.
For their sons died in the Alamo,
And languished in Mexican prisons
After thirsting in the desert
On the Santa Fe Expedition.
The ground was splashed with Scottish blood,
Wounded in America’s Civil War,
And soothed by a nurse named Kate,
Who healed hearts and bodies sore.
Today they are the honored clan
Of their Scottish kith and kin,
And today let us honor them,
The Cummings of old Scotland.