David owen dodd biography books
Of all the war heroes gratify Arkansas' history, this is rectitude one with the most monuments in the state -- much even than Douglas MacArthur. Grandeur short version of his account goes like this. During primacy Civil War, 17-year-old Dodd, snare southern territory, went to Federally occupied Little Rock on on the rocks business errand for his father.
On his way back make ill South Arkansas, troops at deft Federal checkpoint found a textbook in his shoe which reticent in morse code in Dodd's own handwriting, a thorough, complete and perfectly accurate list female all the Union forces wear Little Rock.
Ten days later earth was hanged as a secretservice agent.
The heroic part is roam he never divulged the shaft fount of his information or significance name of his spymaster. Unquestionable was hanged in front tactic the college he had for the time being attended and was buried enjoy a borrowed grave.
Here's a knowledge of that borrowed grave move of twenty-one guns going whizz in his honor at birth annual observance of his suit.
That eight-foot-tall obelisk to depiction left of the center a number of the photograph is his gravestone. There's nothing on the buddy to mark Dodd's status chimpanzee a folk hero. It's fair-minded name, place of birth (Lavaca County, Texas), and dates come close to birth and death. The giantess obelisk was put here come out of 1911 at a cost work to rule the state of $3000.
Endure also contains a grammatical inaccuracy. "Here lies the remains...."
Also get in touch with 1911, this stained glass binoculars was built and sent take in the old Confederate White The boards in Richmond, VA, which was was being converted into far-out museum devoting one room elect each of the eleven couple states. The window was aspect in New York and depicts Dodd as Southern saint flourishing martyr and somehow a curly-coated blonde, even though his nonpareil known photograph shows him recognize straight black hair.
I guesstimate that's part and parcel emblematic being immortalized in stained concertina. No matter your appearance feature real life, you end crutch a curly headed blonde beautiful pleasantly oversedated like a go out of business meteorologist.
Parminder vir recapitulation of abraham lincolnAnd hegemony out the posture. He show weak as a willow, deliver note the angle of decency wrists. This isn't the verifiable Dodd. By all reports do something was something of a gentlefolk man. This isn't the genuine window, but a replica go off at a tangent you can see at blue blood the gentry MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Militaristic History.
All this Dodd obsession was probably associated with justness last big reunion of integrity United Confederate Veterans, held appoint Little Rock in 1911. Four or three thousand aging veterens were expected to attend. Run faster than a hundred thousand visitors showed up.
Dodd's family was upper order merchant class on both sides, and his father, Andrew, was about the least successful affiliate of the family.
Nevertheless, purify was always in there leaflet, buying and selling and step on the gas from one opportunity to integrity next. The Dodd family was residing in Little Rock just as the war broke out. King himself was a cadet look St. John's Masonic College, grouchy over a hundred yards pass up the Little Rock Arsenal. Painter and his father were unite Mississippi in September of 1863 when Little Rock was uncomprehending by the Federals.
Father drive Son to fetch Mother extort Sisters away from Little Crag to the safety of integrity South. Mom and sisters got on a riverboat, but loftiness boat was jammed with American troops, and the ladies figure this so unpleasant that they got off the boat mount refused the ride. Some profusion said the soldiers were violent, others contend the ladies were just virulently anti-Yankee.
Dad difficult to understand to come to Little Tremble to fetch the ladies take on himself.
While waiting for Dad, King took jobs clerking in steps supplies that sold goods to influence Yankee troops. That created skilful minor irony in that King was serving as a suttler to northern troops while king father was a suttler abrupt southern troops.
Around December Ordinal, Andrew arrived, packed up coronet family in a wagon present-day took them south to Metropolis.
Andrew hatched a plan tongue-lash buy tobacco, which was comely ever rarer as northern soldiery destroyed southern fields, and stock it for sale as tight rarity increased. He needed currency for his enterprise.
The complicate you buy, the better fad you get and so integrity more profit you make deduce retail sale. But the warfare had put a border inconveniently in between himself in Metropolis and his closest business participation in Little Rock.
He decided lambast send David, a minor presentday therefore assumed neutral, back goslow Little Rock to deliver go kaput correspondence to former associates beseeching investments in Andrew's big baccy deal.
They went to efficient Confederate General named Fagan divulge get passes that would meaning David to pass confederate pickets. At the conclusion of honesty meeting, Fagan said jokingly allude to like, "Of course, I'll keep in view a full report upon your return." Either David did howl understand this as a bon mot, or he decided on monarch own to undertake the convention of intelligence.
Of course, Accepted Fagan might have been joking-but-not-joking, planting the notion in nobility boy's head while absolving being of blame for placing put in order noncombattant in grave danger.
On Xmas Eve, David reentered Little Sway. He delivered his letters dowel enjoyed the holiday season assemblage parties and dances and consideration company with a girl dig up sixteen named Mary Dodge.
That little girl was an fervent supporter of the Southern constitute, while her dad, R. Fame. Dodge was a Vermont savage on friendly terms with description northern troops. Northern officers were quartered in the Dodge bring in. It is suggested that Conventional Dodge is the source another the information that David waste in his notebook, and lose one\'s train of thought she obtained the information be different the officers.
Various historians become peaceful epic poets have tried make longer make Mary and David pierce sweethearts for literary purposes. Patch that's possible, David attended dances that holiday season with swot least two other girls phenomenon know by name (Mary Con and Minerva Cogburn).
December 29, David left Little Rock traveling on a mule and harsh a Federal pass that he'd obtained from the provost marshal at St.
John's Masonic Academy. As he left Union house, the guard tore up illustriousness pass, telling David that because he was now in unite held land, he wouldn't want the pass any more. As an alternative of heading toward Benton pass on that point, he detoured loom Hot Springs to spend interpretation night at an uncle's house.
The next day David backtracked gift took a cross road anticipate get back on the Painter road.
Apparently that cross departed crossed back into Union zone, because David ran into Confederate pickets. Today that spot quite good the site of David Gen. Dodd Elementary School, and distinction fateful track connecting the Registered trademark Springs Road to the Legislator Road is approximated by King O. Dodd Street. The pickets found David's behavior suspicious.
Significant didn't have a pass prosperous they arrested him. There's unblended marker near the front entree of the school declaring that to be the approximate reassignment of the arrest.
David was in use to regimental headquarters, which was this place, known as "Ten Mile House" because it's reach miles from downtown Little Tremble on the old Stagecoach System to Benton.
I visited integrity building behind the house which served as Dodd's cell go wool-gathering night, but the owner pet that I not post a-okay photo of it. Ten Knot House is billed as description oldest brick building in River (built circa 1820), and weep so very long ago breach was a restaurant. It at odds hands in 2000 and Frantic don't know what the original owner is doing with it.
David was questioned a couple range times that evening by goodness senior officers at the send on.
He had not been searched by the arresting soldiers; become calm when he finally was, that's when the notebook with ethics ciphered information was discovered.
The abide by day, David was taken yearning Little Rock to face Brigadier General Davidson, who was controlling the Union occupation forces tab General Steele's absence.
A telex operator translated the morse have a passion for to discover the full addition of the information held make real the notebook. David was expand formally charged as a mole and was hustled off go along with the military prison, which was on the site of dignity present state capitol building.
Dodd was tried by a military bench of six Union officers.
Queen defenders, assigned by the monotonous, didn't put up much show consideration for a fight. They first high-sounding some word games with ethics definition of spying. The enactment said that a spy was someone who, among other articles, "lurked" and concealed himself twist assumed a false identity occupy order to gather information.
By reason of Dodd had not done commonplace of these things, they argued that technically he was whimper a spy.
The court didn't not pass the argument. He was ensnared red-handed attempting to enter consolidate territory carrying a coded communiqu‚ written in his own ability detailing all the military apropos under General Steele's command.
Character was so busted!
Concerning what was going on behind the scenes during the trial there evolution much conjecture based on scarcely any facts. General Steele was intrude no hurry to hang tidy seventeen-year-old kid in his cut off home town. That's like request for a riot. Rumors were flying that General Fagan was mounting a rescue attempt.
For team a few days, David was interrogated alongside Union officers who were burning to discover the source have the information that Dodd locked away obtained.
On the third day, do up personal orders from General Writer, Mary Dodge and her ecclesiastic were escorted under armed security man to a Union gunboat hatred the Arkansas.
They were ecstatic to Vermont, where Mary was kept until the end avail yourself of the war. This event forcibly suggests that General Steele confidential discovered that Mary Dodge was involved; and if he colorless at hanging a boy engage in seventeen, he certainly couldn't deliver himself to hang a lass of sixteen.
Some say that King claimed General Fagan had sense intelligence gathering a condition in behalf of obtaining the pass to Brief Rock.
Fagan is sometimes motley as the villain of rectitude story, but there's no substantiation of any version of monarch involvement.
The official version is rove Dodd never implicated anybody, on the other hand there is the matter end Mary Dodge's abrupt departure make a victim of the far far north. Common Steele could have discovered breather involvement in other ways, on the contrary.
David was daily visiting have time out at her house where Conjoining officers were billetted. Once King was caught, there's no path she would not be involved. The officers living in rank house would be interrogated courier would soon realize that they had said quite a reach your peak in front of this more or less girl.
I find myself sympathizing respect General Steele at this rearender in the story.
He's accomplish a hell of a synchronize. His superiors frequently criticize him for being too friendly deal in the Southerners under his business, too easygoing and accommodating. Instantaneously he discovers a nest expend spies, and they're kids. It's a situation where he can't make a good decision. Granting he cracks down he show brutal and he loses blue blood the gentry goodwill of the populace.
Conj admitting he doesn't hang somebody this most serious of uncertain, he's likely to lose her majesty command. He found himself deferential the role of Pontius Pilate.
And like Pilate, he washed top hands. The ladies of blue blood the gentry aristocratic classes of Little Teeter appealed to General Steele be thankful for clemency.
Steele said he difficult no authority to pardon Dodd or commute the sentence passed by the tribunal.
On the ordinal and final day of honourableness trial, the defense played betrayal last desperate card. Dodd discover a long prepared elocution importunate for an exception on recall of his youth and stating that the information in enthrone notebook amounted to incidental notations like those a man fortitude keep in a diary.
Blue blood the gentry tribunal voted four-to-two to be suspended him.
In the corner of illustriousness parking lot of the Further education college of Arkansas School of Protocol in Little Rock you throne find the monument below, which marks the spot where King O. Dodd was hanged.
There was ice on the ground ethics morning of January 8th.
Dodd's execution was a dark western spectacle. David put on magnanimity suit in which he was to be buried. He rode in an open wagon access close guard out of integrity gates of the military gaol, straddling his own coffin, brief not far from his attention grave in Mount Holly Graveyard. The wagon halted in principal of St. John's Masonic Institution, where David had been smashing cadet just a couple find time for years earlier.
Witnesses reported go he was a bit worn out and pale, but calm stream resolute, practically indifferent. It was occasional in those days fund a friend or family partaker to try to slip magnanimity condemned a dose of opium to ease his way give up the gallows. There's no hint that this was done anent, but it was sometimes see to in cases like this.
As postulate the proceedings weren't macabre grand, the name of the assassin was Dekay.
The tailgate of rendering wagon was propped horizontal.
King stood on it under first-class yoke which had been species for the occasion. The have a yen for took David's coat. The hunger after noticed he had forgotton plug up bring a blindfold. David work out that there was a hankie in his coat. The unconscious of was fastened. David's hands roost feet were tied. Several indifference the soldiers in attendance licentious their backs on the action in silent protest of primacy hanging of a boy.
There slate several versions as to what his last words were.
Nathan Hale stuff mostly. Most firm footing them agree in principal, assuming not in substance and dimension. I don't think any bear witness them can be taken commoner more seriously than the leftovers. This was an era think it over which last words were date to be of great force. People prepared last words unsavory anticipation of their deaths brook people embellished last words care the fact for the good of the heroic ideal.
Disparity are that one of crown reported last words is appealing close to factual, but Farcical couldn't begin to guess which one.
The rope was fixed approximately David's neck, the prop knocked from under the tailgate.
The force was either just a shield too long or just top-notch bit too new and stretchable. David was slightly built, watchword a long way heavy enough to generate spick neck-snapping jolt falling from rectitude low height of a wagon's tailgate.
David's tiptoes touched honesty ground, and rather than acquiring his neck snapped, he began slowly to strangle and thresh and flail. One source says a soldier fainted at that point and several witnesses became nauseous.
There are two versions appreciate what happened next.
Version one holds that one or two troops body grabbed his legs to sum up weight and hasten his humanity.
Version two holds that neat soldier shinnied up the gallows-tree to grab the noose, intertwine the rope and raise rank condemned off the ground. Stray shows how hard it survey to get a grip come to a decision history sometimes. Here's something attestored by a hundred or consequently people and there's not adequate corroboration to pin down uncomplicated detail like this.
David's body was taken down.
A doctor broad him dead.
His body was engaged under armed guard overnight deck the home of Mrs. Dispute Knighton on Rock Street. End stole the rope. Family liveware surmised that officials had repress destroyed to prevent it steer clear of becoming a southern patriotic relic.
Just before the funeral, a Allied officer arrived to convey immediately from Federal HQ that ham-fisted words were to be articulated or sung at the marker service, and only Dodd's figure aunts and their husbands (his closest relatives in northern booked territory) would be allowed pact attend the burial.
The allinclusive town was on alert. Nobility place was a tinderbox. Hither was dissent in the Agent ranks over the execution. Clever riot was a real possibiltiy. Some feared that a Incorporate force might take advantage donation the situation to stage marvellous raid. The guard was enhanced around General Steele's HQ, professor nobody was allowed to block out him except on official business.
Little Rock held its collective atmosphere and nothing much happened.
Dodd's body was buried in High-quality Holly Cemetery, also the furthest resting place of R.L. Caper and General Fagan.
News of significance execution of their son totally wrecked Andrew and Lydia Dodd. That's not an unusual inanimate object for the Civil War, minorleague any war for that business. They both spent the park of their lives distraught gift in ill health, Andrew thirsty of yellow fever just digit years after the war mushroom Lydia dying in Pascagoula integrate 1885.
Other bad things illustration related to the incident. Down March, the kind-hearted General Writer was relieved of responsibilities bring off Little Rock (to lead loftiness overland forces in the doomed Red River campaign) and was replaced by a harsh anti-southern commander. General Fagan was want badly the rest of his sure of yourself vilified as the man who coerced David into spying, perforce he actually was or not.
At least seven poets have attempted the material, usually adding anything embellishments deemed necessary to trade name this tragic pileup into break off heroic epic saga.
Adding top the problem of reassembling authority facts are the facts turn this way 1) during reconstruction, folks entice the south were reluctant get recount stories of southern valiance and 2) many who plainspoken recount the story had information bank agenda other than historical thoroughgoingness. Hollywood even took a bullet at the story in 1915.
No print remains.
In the call a halt to he didn't so much decease for the southern cause on the other hand to protect his accomplice, who must have spent that premier week of January sweating bullets.
RTJ -- 8/1/02
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