Friday, February 28, 2014

Evidence shows Conecuh County troops didn't kill 'Stonewall' Jackson

A couple of weeks ago in this space some of you may remember reading about a great local history book called “Sparta, Alabama: 1821-1866,” which was published by former Evergreen mayor Pat Poole in 1984. One piece of information in this book caught the eye of several local Civil War historians, who’ve contacted me in the meantime to clear up a connection between Conecuh County and the death of Confederate general Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.

The bulk of the book is Poole’s effort to pin down exactly where Sparta, now a ghost town, was actually located, but the book also contains a lot of information about local military history. That section of the book mentions that at the start of the Civil War, Conecuh County was the first county in Alabama to form a company of soldiers. This company, known as the “Conecuh Guards,” was attached to the Fourth Alabama Infantry Regiment as Co. E.

The Conecuh Guards went on to fight at Gaines’ Mill, Spottsylvania, Chickamauga, Sharpsburg, Strawberry Plains, First and Second Manassas, Gettysburg, Seven Pines and Petersburg under such commanders as Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. In a footnote, Poole’s book mentions that “General ‘Stonewall’ Jackson was killed, accidentally, by a man from Conecuh. The fault was on the side of the general, seeing as he did not give the required password when crossing a line of guards surrounding the Confederate camp.”

Local historian Steve Stacey of Monroeville, an active and longtime member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp in Monroe County, contacted me soon after the column appeared in the paper to say that he’d seen the “Stonewall” Jackson incident applied to Monroe County soldiers as well because the Fifth Alabama was on picket duty and was relieved by the 18th North Carolina. After Jackson’s shooting, the North Carolina troops claimed that troops from the Fifth Alabama hadn’t told them that Jackson had ridden forward, beyond Confederate lines. (The Fifth Alabama’s Co. C was from Monroe County under the command of Thomas Mercer Riley.)

"Stonewall was shot at Chancellorsville,” Stacey said. “He was on the left flank riding ahead to survey the situation. The Fifth Alabama was on guard duty and had just been relieved by the 18th North Carolina. As Jackson approached the pickets, a soldier of the 18th North Carolina fired and mortally wounded Jackson. James Lane, the commander of the 18th North Carolina, returned to North Carolina after the war and the reception of his neighbors blamed him for the death of Jackson.”

Auburn fans in the reading audience may be interested to know that after the war, Lane went on to teach at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama, which was later renamed the Alabama Polytechnic Institute and is now known as Auburn University.

“Now we know an Auburn Tiger lost the war because they shot ol' Stonewall,” Stacey joked.

Lane doesn’t appear to deserve all the blame because some sources say that unknown members of the 18th North Carolina Infantry Regiment shot Jackson, and the order to fire was given by Major John D. Barry. Many of his men fired at the same time, and Jackson was struck by three smoothbore musket balls. Barry died two years after the war at the age of 27. His family believed his death was the result of the depression and guilt he suffered as a consequence of having given the order to fire on Jackson. He was never promoted during the course of the war.

In the end, it doesn’t appear that anyone from Conecuh County shot Stonewall Jackson, and if you’re interested in reading more about the incident, Stacey recommended the 2004 book, “The Smoothbore Volley That Doomed the Confederacy: The Death of Stonewall Jackson and Other Chapters on the Army of Northern Virginia” by Robert K. Krick.


Also, if you’re interested in local history and would like to read Poole’s book for yourself, copies of it are for sale at his restaurant, Bubba’s BBQ, on State Highway 83 in Evergreen. They’re $5 each. It’s very good, and I highly recommend it.

Daily Weather Observations from SW Alabama for Fri., Feb. 28, 2014

Temp: 32.5 degrees F

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.00 inches

Humidity: 71 percent (Normal)

Conditions: Clear skies; frost on the ground; standing water on ground from recent rains; birds audible and visible; dogs audible.

Wind: Not measured.

Barometric Pressure: 29.60 inHg

Week to Date Rainfall: 1.00 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 7.10 inches

Winter to Date Rainfall: 22.80 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 10.50 inches

NOTES: Today is the 59th day of 2014 and the 70th day of Winter. There are 306 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE. 

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Another outstanding season of high school basketball comes to an end

Hillcrest's Jahod Booker (11) at Monroe County.
Another outstanding season of high school basketball in Conecuh County came to an end on Saturday when Hillcrest’s varsity boys came up short against area rival Wilcox Central in the 4A South Regional Tournament in Dothan. The Jags, as well as the other teams in the county, have nothing to hang their heads about because they all had great seasons and showed improvement over the previous year.

Hillcrest’s varsity boys finished the season with the best overall record in the county. They went 19-4 overall for a winning percentage of .826. Sparta’s varsity girls followed closely with an 18-4 overall record, a winning percentage of .818. Hillcrest’s varsity girls were next with an 11-9 overall record, a winning percentage of .550, and Sparta’s varsity boys followed win a 12-10 overall record, a winning percentage of .545. As you’ll see, all four teams finished the year with winning records, which wasn’t the case last season.

Hillcrest’s boys appear to have had the most potent offense. In 23 games this season, they scored 1,376 total points, an average of 59.8 points per game. Sparta’s boys scored 1,283 points in 22 games, an average of 58.3 points per game. Sparta’s girls followed with 1,268 total points in 22 games, an average of 57.6 points per game. Hillcrest’s girls were next with 828 points in 20 games, an average of 41.4 points per game.

On the defensive end of the court, it appears that Hillcrest’s girls were tops in the county. In 20 games this season, they limited opponents to just 773 total points, an average of just 38.7 points per game. Sparta’s girls followed closely, giving up 855 points in 22 games, an average of 38.9 points per game. Hillcrest’s boys gave up 1,199 total points in 23 games, an average of 52.1 points per game. Sparta’s boys followed, giving up 1,212 total points in 22 games, an average of 55.1 points per game.

Hillcrest’s boys and Sparta’s girls both were undefeated on their home courts this season. The Jags went 12-0 at home this season, and the Lady Warriors went 7-0 at home this year. Sparta’s boys only lost one game on their home court this season, going 7-1 overall. Hillcrest’s girls followed with a 7-4 record at home this season.

Sparta’s girls had the best road record this season, going 11-4 in road games. Hillcrest’s boys followed with a 7-4 road record, and Hillcrest’s girls were next with a 4-5 record in road games this season. Sparta’s boys went 5-9 in road games this season.

Hillcrest’s girls and Sparta’s girls were both undefeated against area opponents during the regular season this year. Hillcrest’s girls went 6-0, and Sparta’s girls went 4-0. Hillcrest’s boys went 5-1 against area opponents this year, and Sparta’s boys went 3-1.

When it comes to winning streaks, Hillcrest’s boys had the most impressive this season, winning 11 straight between Jan. 17 and Feb. 20. Sparta’s girls won seven straight between Jan. 3 and Jan. 24. Hillcrest’s girls won four straight between Jan. 7 and Jan. 17. Sparta’s boys won three games straight on three different occasions this season.

Hillcrest’s boys and Sparta’s girls never lost two games in a row this season. The longest losing streaks of the year for Hillcrest’s girls and Sparta’s boys were three in a row.

All four teams had to face ranked opposition during the season this year, and you can argue that Hillcrest’s boys had the toughest schedule of all. They faced seven ranked opponents throughout the season and went 4-3 in those games. Sparta’s boys were perfect against ranked opponents, but they only played one (Monroe Academy) and finished the season 1-0 against ranked foes. Sparta’s girls were 2-3 against ranked opponents, and Hillcrest’s girls went 0-2 against ranked opponents.


All four teams improved on their records from last season. During the 2012-2013 season, Hillcrest’s boys went 14-7 (.667), and Hillcrest’s girls went 9-11 (.450). Sparta’s boys went 10-15 (.400), and Sparta’s girls went 19-6 (.760). Just based on winning percentages alone, Hillcrest’s boys had the biggest turnaround from last season, a difference of .159. 

The Evergreen Courant's Sports Flashback for Feb. 27, 2014

Wendell Hart
 34 YEARS AGO
FEB. 28, 1980


“Aggies end season 27-1; enter tourney: Coach Charles Branum’s Evergreen High Aggies concluded one of the most successful basketball seasons in the school’s history with an 85-43 romp over W.S. Neal in East Brewton on Friday night. The win ran the Aggies’ record 27-1.
“Horace Smith and Perona Rankins led all Aggie scorers with 23 points each. Other Aggies getting points were Sanford Moye, 11; Anthony Williams, nine; David Floyd, eight; John Allen, four; Michael Lampley, four; and Philander Rogers, three.”

“Sparta cagers close season: Sparta Academy’s basketball teams ended the 1979-80 season last week. The Warrior girls made it to the state tournament by finishing second in District III while the varsity and junior varsity boys lost out in the District.
“The girls lost to host Lakeside Academy, 54-39, in the state tournament in Eufaula. Cathy Cope had 14 points; Missi Thacker, 12; Cheri Johnson, eight; Missy Price and Karen Brown, two each; and Lynn Hyde, one.
“According to Sports Information Director Byron Warren Jr., Missi Thacker and Karen Brown were named to the all-tournament team. Wes Brown and Jo McInvale were named to the junior varsity all-tournament team; and Missi Thacker of the girls and Terry Peacock of the boys varsity were named to the APSA All Star teams.”

49 YEARS AGO
FEB. 25, 1965

“County teams lose in meet: Both Conecuh County High School and Lyeffion High School were defeated by Frisco City in the Region 1, Area 1, Class A basketball tournament held in Frisco City last week. Castleberry was runner-up.
“Lyeffion lost to Frisco in the semifinals Thursday night. The Jackets led through most of the first and second periods, but the Whippets hit a hot streak shortly before the half and built up a seven-point lead by intermission. The Jackets could never overcome the deficit in the second half.
“The Blue Devils, seeded first in the meet, were edged by a hot-shooting Frisco team, 78-76, in the finals Friday night. It was a close one all the way, but the home court advantage got Frisco by the Blue Devils. Pine Hill downed Frisco in the finals Saturday night and will play in the state meet in Tuscaloosa this week.”

“Area cage meet underway here: The Region 1, Area 2, Class AA basketball tournament is underway here at the Evergreen High School’s Memorial Gymnasium, running through Friday night.
“Last night, J.U. Blacksher of Uriah played Flomaton in the opening game with Evergreen meeting Georgiana in the final game. Tonight it will be the Uriah-Flomaton winner vs. top-seeded Monroeville at seven o’clock. The Georgiana-Evergreen winner will play second-seeded T.R. Miller of Brewton in the nightcap at 8:30.”

64 YEARS AGO
FEB. 23, 1950

“Evergreen Coach Loses Road Battle To Cow: The highway was built for cars, but no car has yet won an argument with a cow which claimed the highway.
“Coach Wendell Hart of Evergreen High School escaped injury when his car turned over Saturday night as the result of dodging a highway-walking cow. All occupants of the car escaped injury, but the car suffered considerable damage.
“The accident happened about four miles south of Evergreen on the Brewton Highway (Highway 31) Saturday night at 8:30. Coach Hart was driving along, minding his own business on a highway built and maintained by the taxes paid by people who own and drive cars. A cow, a non-tax-paying cow at that, decided that the highway would be a fine place for a stroll which resulted in Coach Hart’s car being wrecked.
“The cow was not injured.”

“Sam Hanks Draws Praise At A.P.I. Spring Practice: Sam Hanks, all-state tackle at Evergreen High School in 1948, is one of two tackles that have been praised for their fine showing in Spring practices at Auburn. Hanks entered Auburn last fall on a grant-in-aid scholarship and played fine ball with the freshman team. He is now a candidate for a varsity tackle position.
“Hanks was a mainstay on the Evergreen Aggie 11 for three years. He is six-feet, two inches tall and weighs about 217. He is expected to see plenty of action Saturday when Auburn culminates Spring training with the annual practice game.”

79 YEARS AGO
FEB. 28, 1935

“All who enjoy a good basketball game should look forward to March 7th and 8th when a Conecuh County tournament will be held in the auditorium of State Secondary Agricultural School, Evergreen.
“Six teams of boys and four of girls will compete for the honor of being the champion team of Conecuh County. Schools entering a team of boys and one of girls are: Annex, Lyeffion, Brooklyn and S.S.A.S. Schools entering boys teams only, Burnt Corn and Repton.
“Thursday night, seven-thirty o’clock, one game between boys and two games between girls will be played.
“Friday afternoon, 2:30 o’clock, three boys games will be played. The Thursday and Friday games will determine who will play the finals, both boys and girls, Friday night at seven-thirty.
“Admissions will be 15 and 25 cents for each group of games.
“An all-Conecuh team will be selected from the boys and girls participating in the games.
“Officials of the games will be Conecuh people who are interested in athletics.
“Announcement of appointments for each team will be announced Sat., March 2, when they are drawn by the committee.
“Coach McInnis, S.S.A.S., and his basketball team are leaving Fri., March 1, for the District Tournament which is held in Murphy High School, Mobile. S.S.A.S. is one of eight teams out of 27 competing, who are invited.
 “Coach McInnis plans to take the following boys who will return Sunday: Graham Jones, Arthur Heifner, James Lane, Solomon Golson, James Somerall, Daniel Johns, Joe Horn, Gene Cargill.”


Daily Weather Observations from SW Alabama for Thurs., Feb. 27, 2014

Temp: 28.8 degrees F

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.10 inches

Humidity: 67 percent (Normal)

Conditions: Clear skies; standing water and ice on ground from recent rains; birds audible.

Wind: Not measured.

Barometric Pressure: 29.56 inHg

Week to Date Rainfall: 1.00 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 7.10 inches

Winter to Date Rainfall: 22.80 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 10.50 inches

NOTES: Today is the 58th day of 2014 and the 69th day of Winter. There are 307 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE. 

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Historical marker describes Alabama's smallest incorporated town

'Town of Oak Hill' historical marker in Wilcox County.
This week’s featured historical marker is the “TOWN OF OAK HILL” marker in eastern Wilcox County, Ala. The marker is located at the intersection of State Highway 21 and Dale Drive.

This historical marker was erected by the Alabama Tourism Department and the Town of Oak Hill in April 2010. There’s text on both sides of this marker, but both sides are identical. What follows is the complete text from the marker.

----- 0 -----

“TOWN OF OAK HILL: Originally known as ‘The Ridge,’ Oak Hill was settled c. 1830 primarily by former South Carolinians. During the early 1800s, Ebenezer Methodist Campground was located here. Due to a malaria outbreak, settlers from nearby Hamburg moved to Oak Hill in the 1840s. In 1856, Bethel Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church was established. A Baptist church was erected in 1910 but disbanded c. 1928. One of the first African-American Lutheran congregations was established at Oak Hill. The Oak Hill Academy, a boarding school for girls, existed here from 1849-1869. In the 1870s, a coeducational school was established which was eventually absorbed into the public school system. The school closed in the 1940s. A post office was established in 1894. Circa 1900, Oak Hill had four general stores, a drug store, gin, blacksmith shop and a Masonic hall. In 1940, Oak Hill was incorporated as a town. Benjamin Meek Miller, Alabama Governor 1931-1935, was born here in 1864. He was known as the ‘sturdy oak of Wilcox.’ In 1998, Oak Hill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.”

----- 0 -----

I passed through Oak Hill last Friday afternoon on a trip from Montgomery to Monroeville. Instead of taking the interstate through Evergreen, I took State Highway 21 south from Montgomery, and that highway takes you right through Oak Hill. If you’re traveling south on Highway 21, the marker described above will be on your left as you enter Oak Hill.

Oak Hill is a small, but neat little town, and if you’ve never been there, check it out sometime. With a population of around 40, it’s the smallest incorporated town in all of Alabama. Located 14 miles southeast of Camden, the county seat of Wilcox County, Oak Hill also supplied a number of military volunteers when Alabama seceded from the Union. It’s said that five of those soldiers died during the war.

I was interested to read that Oak Hill had once been the home to a sizable Masonic lodge. I didn’t spend a lot of time in Oak Hill on Friday, but I didn’t see the old lodge building when I passed town. The building's either not there any more, or I just missed it. Currently, the only active Masonic lodges in Wilcox County are located in Camden and Pine Hill. For more information about Oak Hill, visit www.oakhillal.com.


In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about another historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading audience, so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me to feature, let me know in the comments section below.

This week's movie picks are 'Non-Stop' and 'Thor: The Dark World'

It’s Wednesday, so today I give you my weekly list of movies that will open in theatres this week as well as a list of movies that will be released this week on DVD.


I hope this will serve as a useful guide as to what’s going on this week if you happen to be near a movie theatre or if you’re looking for something to drop into your NetFlix queue or pick up at the local Redbox.

Movies that are scheduled to hit theatres this week include:

- 2 Bedroom 1 Bath (Horror, R): Directed by Stanley Yung and starring Eric Roberts, Dee Wallace, Costas Mandylor, Michele Hicks and Andrew W. Walker.

- Alan Patridge (Comedy, R): Directed by Declan Lowney and starring Steve Coogan, Phil Cornwell, Colm Meaney, Felicity Montagu and Nigel Lindsay.

- The Bag Man (Action, Crime, Suspense, R): Directed by David Grovic and starring John Cusack, Robert De Niro, Rebecca Da Costa, Dominic Purcell and Martin Klebba.

- Jersey Store Massacre (Comedy, Horror, R): Directed by Paul Tarnopol and starring Danielle Dallacco, Angelica Boccella, Giovanni Roselli, Chris Lazzaro and Nicole Rutigliano.

- The Lunchbox (Drama, Romance, PG): Directed by Ritesh Batra and starring Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Denzil Smith and Bharati Achrekar.

- Non-Stop (Action, Suspense, PG-13): Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Scoot McNairy, Bar Paly and Michelle Dockery.

- Odd Thomas (Drama, Fantasy, Suspense): Directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Anton Yelchin, Addison Timlin, Willem Dafoe, Patton Oswalt and Gug Mbatha-Raw.

- Repentance (Horror, Suspense, R): Directed by Philippe Caland and starring Forest Whitaker, Anthony Mackie, Mike Epps, Sanaa Lathan and Nicole Ari Parker.

- Son of God (Drama): Directed by Christopher Spencer and starring Diogo Morgado, Roma Downey, Amber Rose Revah, Andrew Brooke and Louise Delarmere.

- Two Lives (Drama): Directed by Georg Maas and Judith Kaufmann and starring Juliane Kohler, Ken Duken, Liv Ullman, Ken Duken and Sven Nordin.

New DVD releases this week include:

- Adventures of the Penguin King (Documentary, Drama, Family, PG): Starring the voice of Tim Allen.

- Blue is the Warmest Color (Drama, Romance, NC-17): Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche and starring Lea Seydoux, Adele Exarchopoulos, Salim Kechiouche, Jeremie Laheurte and Catherine Salee.

- Gravity (Drama, Science Fiction, Suspense, PG-13): Directed by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen and Phaldut Sharma.

- Ice Soldiers (Action, Science Fiction, Suspense, R): Directed by Sturla Gunnarsson and starring Dominic Purcell, Adam Beach, Michael Ironside, Gabriel Hogan and Camille Sullivan.

- Jamesy Boy (Crime, Drama): Directed by Trevor White and starring Spencer Lofranco, Mary-Louise Parker, Taissa Farmiga, Ving Rhames and James Woods.

- Mr. Nobody (Drama, R): Directed by Jaco Van Dormael and starring Jared Leto, Sarah Polley, Diane Kruger, Rhys Ifans and Linh-Dan Pham.

- Nebraska (Comedy, Drama, R): Directed by Alexander Payne and starring Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Stacy Keach and Bob Odenkirk.

- Pulling Strings (Comedy, Romance, PG): Directed by Pitipol Ybarra and starring Jaime Camil, Omar Chaparro, Laura Ramsey, Stockard Channing and Tom Arnold.

- Thor: The Dark World (Action, Fantasy, PG-13): Directed by Alan Taylor and starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Christopher Eccleston, Natalie Portman and Idris Elba.

- Twice Born (Drama, Romance, R): Directed by Sergio Castellitto and starring Penelope Cruz, Emile Hirsch, Adnan Haskovic, Saadet Aksoy and Pietro Castellitto.

If I could only watch one movie at the theatre this week, it would be “Non-Stop,” and if I had to pick just one DVD to rent this week, it would be “Thor: The Dark World.”


In the end, let me know if you get a chance to watch any of the new movies in theatres this week or if you’ve already seen any of the movies that have just been released on DVD. What did you think about them? Which would you recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.

Daily Weather Observations from SW Alabama for Wed., Feb. 26, 2014

Temp: 46.8 degrees F

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.50 inches

Humidity: 85 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Mostly Cloudy skies; standing water on ground from recent rains; security lights still on in the distance.

Wind: Not measured.

Barometric Pressure: 29.45 inHg

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.90 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 7.00 inches

Winter to Date Rainfall: 22.70 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 10.40 inches

NOTES: Today is the 57th day of 2014 and the 68th day of Winter. There are 308 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE. 

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

'Locke & Key, Vol. 6' remains No. 1 on graphic novel best-sellers list

Today is Tuesday, so that means it’s time for my weekly breakdown of this week’s New York Times lists of best-selling graphic novels. According to those lists, there is only one new book at the top of the two major graphic novel lists this week.

“Locke & Key, Vol. 6” by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez remained the No. 1 book on the Hardcover Graphic Books best-sellers list for the second straight week.

“The Walking Dead Compendium, Vol. 1” by Robert Kirkman and others replaced “The Unwritten, Vol. 8” by Mike Carey and Peter Gross as the top book on the Paperback Graphic Books best-sellers list.

There were four books on this week’s Hardcover Graphic Books best-sellers list that weren’t on that list last week. They (and their places on the list) included “Fables: The Deluxe Edition, Book Eight” by Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham (2), “The Walking Dead, Book 1” by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard (6), “The Joker: Death of the Family” by Scott Snyder and various (7) and “The Best American Comics 2013” by Jeff Smith and others (10).

There were three books on this week’s Paperback Graphic Books best-sellers list that wasn’t on that list last week. They included “The Walking Dead, Vol. 19” by Robert Kirkman and Charlier Adlard (5), “Blue is the Warmest Color” by Julie Maroh (8) and “Olympians: Hades, Lord of the Dead” by George O’Connor (9).

As a reminder, I’m posting these lists each Tuesday because they, as a whole, represent a great, contemporary recommended reading list. These lists are initially released each week on Sunday, and if you’re interested in reading them then, visit The New York Times’ Web site at www.nytimes.com. Below you’ll find both of this week’s best-seller lists.

HARDCOVER GRAPHIC BOOKS
1. “Locke & Key, Vol. 6” by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
2. “Fables: The Deluxe Edition, Book Eight” by Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham
3. “Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search” by Gene Luen Yang and others
4. “The Planetary Omnibus” by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday.
5. “Batman, Vol. 3” by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
6. “The Walking Dead, Book 1” by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard
7. “The Joker: Death of the Family” by Scott Snyder and various
8. “Snowpiercer, Vol. 1” by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette
9. “Ant Colony” by Michael DeForge
10. “The Best American Comics 2013” by Jeff Smith and others

PAPERBACK GRAPHIC BOOKS
1. “The Walking Dead Compendium, Vol. 1” by Robert Kirkman and others
2. “The Walking Dead Compendium, Vol. 2” by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard
3. “March: Book One” by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin
4. “Aphrodite: Goddess of Love” by George O’Connor
5. “The Walking Dead, Vol. 19” by Robert Kirkman and Charlier Adlard
6. “Smile” by Raina Telgemeier
7. “Olympians: Poseidon” by George O’Connor
8. “Blue is the Warmest Color” by Julie Maroh
9. “Olympians: Hades, Lord of the Dead” by George O’Connor
10. “Saga, Vol. 1” by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples


In the end, let me know if you’ve had a chance to read any of these books. What did you think about them? Which would you recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.

How many of these recommended books on freemasonry have YOU read?

Regular visitors to this site will know that I love a good recommended reading list, and I ran across a great list yesterday on the Scottish Rite’s Web site, scottishrite.org. This list of recommended books about freemasonry and the Scottish Rite was compiled by Masonic scholar Arturo de Hoyos and was originally printed in 2009’s “Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide.”


The list consists of 38 books and is divided into two sections, one about “General Freemasonry” and another about the “Scottish Rite.” For more information about the books on the list, visit http://scottishrite.org/members/masonic-education/suggested-reading/. Without further ado, here’s the list, in alphabetical order by title.

GENERAL FREEMASONRY:

1.      “Albert Pike’s Esoterika: The Symbolism of the Blue Degrees of Freemasonry,” edited by Arturo de Hoyos (2005)
2.      “Coil’s Masonic Encyclopedia” by Henry Wilson Coil and others (1961)
3.      “Committed to the Flames: The History and Rituals of a Secret Masonic Rite” by Arturo de Hoyos and S. Brent Morris (2008)
4.      “Concise History of Freemasonry” by Robert F. Gould (1924)
5.      “The Craft: A History of English Freemasonry” by John Hamill (1986)
6.      “The Early French Exposures” by Harry Carr (1971)
7.      “The Early Masonic Catechisms” by Douglas Knoop, G.P. Jones and Douglas Hamer (1963)
8.      “English Masonic Exposures, 1760-1769” by A.C.F. Jackson (1986)
9.      “The First Freemasons: Scotland’s Early Lodges and Their Members” by David Stevenson (1988)
10.  “The Freemason at Work” by Harry Carr (1976)
11.  “Freemasonry in Context: History, Ritual, Controversy,” edited by Arturo de Hoyos and S. Brent Morris (2004)
12.  “Freemasonry: Symbols, Secrets, Significance” by W. Kirk MacNulty (2006)
13.  “Freemasons Guide and Compendium” by Bernard E. Jones (1950)
14.  “The Genesis of Freemasonry: An Account of the Rise and Development of Freemasonry in Its Operative, Accepted and Early Speculative Phases” by Douglas Knoop and G.P. Jones (1947)
15.  “Heredom: The Transactions of Scottish Rite Research Society,” edited by S. Brent Morris
16.  “Is it True What They Say About Freemasonry? The Methods of Anti-Masons” by Arturo de Hoyos and S. Brent Morris (2004)
17.  “King Solomon’s Temple in the Masonic Tradition” by Alexander Horne (1972)
18.  “The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland’s Century, 1590-1710” by David Stevenson (2001)
19.  “Prince Hall Life and Legacy” by Charles H. Wesley (1977)
20.  “Revolutionary Brotherhood: Freemasonry and the Transformation of the American Social Order, 1730-1840” by Steven C. Bullock (1996)
21.  “The Rosslyn Hoax? Viewing Rosslyn Chapel from a New Perspective” by Robert L.D. Cooper (2006)
22.  “Sources of Masonic Symbolism” by Alexander Horne (1981)
23.  “World of Freemasonry” by Harry Carr (1984)

SCOTTISH RITE:

1.      “The Bible in Albert Pike’s Morals and Dogma” by Rex R. Hutchens and Donald W. Monson (1992)
2.      “A Bridge to Light” by Rex R. Hutchens (1988)
3.      “A Glossary to Morals and Dogma” by Rex R. Hutchens (1993)
4.      “History of the Supreme Council, 33°, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America and its Antecedents” by Samuel Harrison Baynard Jr. (1938)
5.      “History of the Supreme Council, 33° (Mother Council of the World) Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., 1801–1861,” edited by James D. Carter and R. Baker Harris (1964)
6.      “History of the Supreme Council, 33° (Mother Council of the World) Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., 1861–1891” by James D. Carter (1967)
7.      “History of the Supreme Council, 33° (Mother Council of the World) Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., 1891–1921” by James D. Carter (1971)
8.      “Light on Masonry: The History and Rituals of America’s Most Important Masonic Expose” by Arturo de Hoyos (2008)
9.      “Lodge of the Double-Headed Eagle: Two Centuries of Scottish Rite Freemasonry in America’s Southern Jurisdiction” by William L. Fox (1997)
10.  “Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry” by Albert Pike (1950)
11.  “Pillars of Wisdom: The Writings of Albert Pike” by Rex R. Hutchens (1995)
12.  “Sephir H’Debarim: The Book of the Worlds: A Facsimile of the 1879, Second Edition with an Introduction by Art de Hoyos” by Albert Pike (1999)
13.  “The Supreme Council, 33° Mother Council of the World Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A.” by Charles S. Lobingier (1931)
14.  “Valley of the Craftsmen: A Pictorial History: Scottish Rite Freemasonry in America’s Southern Jurisdiction, 1801-2001,” edited by William L. Fox (2001)
15.  “Vested in Glory: The Aprons, Cordons, Collars, Caps and Jewels of the Degrees of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry” by Jim Tresner (2000)


In the end, how many of the books mentioned above have you had the chance to read? Which would you recommend? Which is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below.

Daily Weather Observations from SW Alabama for Tues., Feb. 25, 2014

Temp: 51.8 degrees F

Rainfall (past 24 hours): Trace

Humidity: 78 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Partly Cloudy skies; birds audible and visible; cows and dogs audible; standing water on ground from recent rains; security lights still on in the distance.

Wind: Not measured.

Barometric Pressure: 29.56 inHg

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.40 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 6.50 inches

Winter to Date Rainfall: 22.20 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 9.90 inches

NOTES: Today is the 56th day of 2014 and the 67th day of Winter. There are 309 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE. 

Monday, February 24, 2014

BUCKET LIST UPDATE No. 127: Listen to Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony” from start to finish

Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony” is considered one of the greatest pieces of music ever written and most people are familiar with its famous, four-note, “bomb, bomb, bomb, boooooomb” opening. Despite its popularity, it dawned on me one day that I’d never listened to this complete symphony, which has been described as “one of the most important works of all time.”


For this reason, I added this symphony to my bucket list a year or so ago and finally took the time to listen to it from start to finish on Sunday night. I’m not a huge fan of classical music, but I was more than a little pleased to cross this item off my bucket list, and all in all, it was a pleasant experience.

Although this work of music is commonly referred to as Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony,” its proper name is “Symphony No. 5 in C Minor of Ludwig van Beethoven, Op.67” It was written between 1804 and 1808 and was first performed in 1808 in Vienna. This symphony consists of four parts, called movements, and the version I listened to was about 30 minutes long and was performed by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

I don’t listen to a lot of classical music, but I enjoyed listening to this symphony nonetheless. I mostly just sat there with my earphones in, with my eyes closed, and tried to closely follow the notes of the composition. Classical music puts a lot of people to sleep, but I didn’t catch myself nodding off even once while listening. In fact, the 30 minutes or so that it took to listen to the symphony seemed to pass much more quickly than that.

I also think it’s pretty remarkable that Beethoven wrote this symphony even though he suffered from hearing problems and was almost completely deaf when he died. Despite this handicap, he created some of the most beautiful music in the history of the world, and even today, nearly 200 years after his death, people around the world continue to perform and listen to his music. That’s a type of immortality that few of us will ever enjoy.

Now that I’ve listened to this complete symphony from start to finish, I’m left wanting to watch a live performance of it. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for an opportunity to see it live because my guess is that it’s not performed very often in my neck of the woods. There’s a chance I might be able to catch it in Montgomery and Mobile at some point down the road.

It’s also been said that while Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony” is one of the most famous pieces of music ever written, it’s not Beethoven’s best work. Many people consider his “Ninth Symphony” to be his greatest work. Completed in 1824, it was also Beethoven’s final symphony and contains the famous “Ode to Joy” choral sequence. Today, it’s one of the most commonly performed pieces of classical music in the world.


In the end, how many of you have listened to Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony” from start to finish? What did you think about? What other bucket list-worthy pieces of music or albums would you recommend listening to from start to finish? Let us know in the comments section below.

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Feb. 24, 2014

U.S. Senator Howell Heflin
34 YEARS AGO
FEB. 28, 1980

Local weather reporter Earl Windham reported no rainfall in Evergreen between Feb. 18-24. He reported a high temperature of 81 degrees on Feb. 24 and a low of 24 on Feb. 18.

“Chairman David L. Burt Jr. of the Conecuh County Commission recently conferred with U.S. Senator Howell Heflin and other Alabama congressional leaders in Washington concerning matters of importance to county residents, particularly pending water projects.”

“Jack Wainwright, president and chief executive of the First Alabama Bank of Conecuh County, has been appointed as the chairman in Conecuh County for presidential candidate George Bush.
“A Reagan supporter in 1976, Wainwright will be coordinating Bush support in the county with the assistance of co-chairman David Hyde.”

“Cpl. Robert Grace, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hilary Grace Jr., Route 1, Castleberry, Ala., is participating with the 1st Infantry Division in Desert Warrior 80, a training exercise at Fort Irwin, Calif.”

“Heart Volunteers who were present at the recent reception held for them in Montgomery at the Governor’s Mansion are from left to right: Mrs. Nelda Bates, Mrs. Fob James, Mrs. Mary Tate, Vice President Conecuh Division, Mrs. Barbara Watson, President, Conecuh Division, and Ms. Mary Packard, Alabama Affiliate Field Director.”

49 YEARS AGO
FEB. 25, 1965

“Jackson Street is now one-way: Jackson Street is now a one-way street. The City has its signs marking traffic flow in place on the street which runs from Rural to Liberty (between the courthouse and the Rutland-Price Building). The flow is from Rural to Liberty.
“The City Council had also voted to change the alley by Bank of Evergreen from one-way north to south to one-way south to north, but this change will not be made due to the Jackson Street change to one-way traffic.”

“Marcus J. O’Gwynn has tendered his resignation as principal of the Evergreen City School effective at the end of this school year. He is resigning to accept the position of superintendent of the Atmore City School System.
“Guy S. Kelly, superintendent of the Conecuh County Board of Education, said the county board has accepted O’Gwynn’s resignation with regret.”

“Conecuh County recorded a total of 103 forest fires during 1964, according to the Division of Forestry, Department of Conservation. These fires burned 1,196.3 acres and caused damage estimated at $9,497.16 to young growing timber.”

“FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz., Feb. 16 – Army Sgt. Glenn R. Johnson, son of Mr. William G. Johnson, Rt. 1, Evergreen, Ala., participated in the Annual Rifle and Pistol Matches recently held at this U.S. Army Electronic Proving Ground.
“Sgt. Johnson was a member of the 509th Signal Battalion team which placed first in the rifle matches.”

64 YEARS AGO
FEB. 23, 1950

“City Begins Work On New Firehouse This Week: Work has begun this week on a new firehouse it is announced by Mayor J.H. Robison. The firehouse will be located to the left of the city building housing the City Clerk’s office and the plant of the light and water department.
“The new firehouse will be 32 feet by 32 feet, and is being built in a manner that will increase the efficiency of the reorganized Evergreen Volunteer Fire Department.
“The building will be separate from the present city building. It will have a slanted apron and drive to insure a prompt start for the fire truck. There will be adequate room to store all equipment so that it may be reached quickly when a fire alarm is sounded.
“The construction of this building is in line with the city’s program of increasing the efficiency of the fire department.”

“County schools report attendance off the worst this year as a flurry of colds and flu cases kept numbers of school children at home this week. All the county schools reported numbers out, but Brockton School was hardest hit from a percentage standpoint.
“Fifty pupils and two teachers were absent from Brockton Tuesday according to the report made to the County Superintendent’s office. Repton reported a number of absences, averaging about six per grade.
“The Evergreen City School had many out with either flu or bad colds. The High School also reported attendance far below average.”

79 YEARS AGO
FEB. 28, 1935

“Voters of Conecuh County evidenced their desire for the retention of the state prohibition laws as they now exist in the referendum election held Tuesday by a majority of 220 votes. Out of a total of 1,584 votes cast, 902 were cast for retention of the laws as they now exist while 682 votes favored modification. Only three beats in the county voted wet.”

“Mrs. C.A. Jones, Mrs. C.P. Deming, Mrs. K. Nielsen, Beth Deming and Valgerdur Nielsen went to Birmingham Monday for the Russian Ballet performance.”

“Christine Grant was carried to Century Hospital last Friday, where she underwent an operation for appendicitis. At the present time she is doing nicely.”

“FUNERAL SERVICES HELD FOR H.P. REYNOLDS: H.P. Reynolds, who died at an early hour Thursday morning at his home in River Falls at the age of 83, mention of which was made in last week’s issue, was buried late Thursday afternoon in the River Falls cemetery.
“The deceased had been connected with the Horse Shoe Lumber Co. for more than 30 years.”
“The funeral services were conducted by Dr. D.W. Haskew, pastor of the First Methodist Church of Andalusia in the Baptist Church at River Falls, and notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, was largely attended.”

“At least 173 babies in Conecuh County will be sure of their ‘first citizenship papers’ since that many baby census cards already have been returned to the State Board of Health, Montgomery, in connection with the ‘Register Your Baby’ campaign.”

94 YEARS AGO
FEB. 23, 1920

“W.H. Wild is having the old Cooper house removed to another lot nearby. Folks are wondering what will take the place of the old landmark, but Mr. Wild is keeping his own counsel if he has anything up his sleeve. Some have suggested that it is an ideal site for a tourist hotel, and it would be, but whether it will be used for such a purpose or for other purposes will develop later.”

“Judge Dunn went up to Montgomery yesterday to appear before the State Highway Commission to lay before that body Conecuh’s appeal for the beginning of road construction in this county.”

“Sad Death At Castleberry: Charles L. Bates died at his home in Castleberry on Saturday last as a result of an attack of pneumonia following an attack of influenza.
“The sad event occurred last Saturday morning at his home in Castleberry where he held the position of telegraph operator.
“So young to die, only 28 years. He is survived by a wife and two small children, a heart-broken mother, father, two sisters and three brothers.
“The funeral was conducted by Dr. J.A. Peterson at the Bates house Sunday morning, interment in Evergreen cemetery.”


Daily Weather Observations from SW Alabama for Mon., Feb. 24, 2014

Temp: 55.4 degrees F

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.40 inches

Humidity: 84 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Overcast skies; birds audible (including rooster) and visible; cows audible; standing water on ground from yesterday's rains; security lights still on in the distance.

Wind: Not measured.

Barometric Pressure: 29.61 inHg

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.40 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 6.50 inches

Winter to Date Rainfall: 22.20 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 9.90 inches

NOTES: Today is the 55th day of 2014 and the 66th day of Winter. There are 310 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.