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Sunday April 8, 2012 $1.50
Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 86
• Corinth, Mississippi •
Today
Tonight
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49
20 pages • Two sections
Corinth Theatre Arts returns to Shiloh Hill Civil War musical returns to coliseum stage BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Local thespians are preparing to charge Shiloh Hill. Twenty-five years ago, audiences packed the Coliseum Civic Center for a well-received production of Bill Schustik’s “On Shiloh Hill: A Musical Resurrection of the American Civil War,” which was staged during observance of the 125th anniversary of the Battle of Shiloh. Corinth Theatre-Arts is bringing it back with performances at 7:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. next Sunday, all at the coliseum at 404 Taylor Street. “It was such a success 25 years ago and, since this is the 150th anniversary of Shiloh, it seemed only natural to do it again,” said Sonny Boatman, producer, who has found that people involved in the 1987 production have many fond memories of the experi-
Partly sunny
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Julia (Lesley Petty) gets Billy (John Huwe) ready to go off to war in On Shiloh Hill: A Musical Resurrection of the American Civil War. The production returns to the ColiPlease see HILL | 2A seum Civic Center after playing 25 years ago.
Museum photos going online BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The extensive photo holdings of the Crossroads Museum are beginning to go online, giving the public the opportunity to take a virtual tour at any time. The first photos went up a couple of weeks ago at Crossroadsmuseum.com. The images number around 100 thus far, and the number is expected to grow into the thousands as new photos are uploaded. “These are photos from the archives that the public does not see in a casual visit to the museum,” said Director Brandy Steen. “It’s a great way to connect to the community and for people to get a taste of what Corinth looked like in the early days.” Gathered from many different sources through the years, some are photos, and some of the images are photocopies of original photos. Many are considered rare. The first batch of photos to hit the web are divided into sections on the Civil War, including the Battle of Corinth, Civil War soldiers and Civil War camps, and famous Corinthians, including aviator Roscoe Turner, baseball player Don Blasingame and opera singer Ruby Elzy. Upcoming galleries include World War I and II, local citizens, buildings and homes, trains and depots, the 1954 centennial celebration, the courthouse and downtown. The next batch to go online will likely be photos from the centennial, and Steen said many other interesting subjects are coming up. “We have some Corinth Elementary school day photos from 1949 all the way up to 1960 with various classes and people,” she said. “We also have some black-and-white bride and wedding photos taken by Grady Perry for the Daily Corinthian.” Please see CROSSROADS | 3A
History comes to life in Bullard’s artwork BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Tony Bullard is bringing history to life. The 44-year-old Corinth artist’s most recent canvas creation, “Grant at the Cherry Mansion,” takes its viewers back to the prelude of one of the defining battles of the War Between the States. The painting depicts Union General Ulysses S. Grant the morning of the Battle of Shiloh. “What I want to do is capture General Grant at the Cherry Mansion right before Shiloh erupted,” explained Bullard. “It’s at daybreak, he’s by himself contemplating what’s about to hit. He’s got a serious look, a pensive look, kind of at peace — but still an uncertain look.” Bullard began his research for the work in December 2011, when he traveled to the Cherry Mansion in Savannah, Tenn., and took a series of snapshots from different angles. For his depiction of Grant, Bullard searched online for photographs of the stern-faced Union commander from the time of the April 1862 battle. The painting is done in oil paint. Oil and pencil are Bullard’s two favorite mediums to work with. Bullard will unveil the painting at a ceremony at the Cherry Mansion in Sa-
vannah on the morning of April 6 — the 150th anniversary of the event depicted in his artwork. “Grant at the Cherry Mansion” is the first of several paintings Bullard plans to do in 2012. With the anniversaries of the battles of Shiloh and Corinth upcoming, he has no shortage of timely material. Another of Bullard’s artworks-in-progress is along the same lines as his painting of Grant in Savannah — except from the Confederate side. “It’s basically the other side of the coin,” Bullard said. It’s going to show the main Confederate generals at the train tracks with Corinth in the background. In the backdrop, there’s a storm coming in from the north.” The painting “Preparing for the Northern Storm” shows three Confederate generals who commanded at Shiloh — Braxton Bragg, P.G.T. Beauregard and Albert Sidney Johnston — discussing the struggle ahead while standing next to a railroad track in Corinth. The background is a historically-accurate rendering of Corinth as it appeared during the war based on wartime photographs. Bullard plans to do another painting
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Please see BULLARD | 3A
Corinth artist Tony Bullard stands at the downtown Corinth site of his current artwork-in-progress, “Preparing for the Northern Storm.”
Group hosts readings to mark poetry month BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
KC’s Espresso is the place for poetry every Friday night this month. In honor of National Poetry Month, the Crossroads Poetry Project is holding free poetry readings every Friday night in the month of April. “We just get up and read and have a good time,” said Milton Wallis, vice-president of the group. There is not sign up sheet. Anyone who wants to get up
and read is welcome. Poems can be original or the work of an established poet. The only requirement is to keep it clean. “It’s all family-oriented,” Wallis explained. “We don’t get vulgar. “ The Crossroads Poetry Project is also celebrating National Poetry Month with displays featuring poems that were submitted for the group’s annual poetry concert. These displays will be at the library and KC’s Espresso throughout the month of April.
Hikes offer unique glimpse of Shiloh BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Donna Janzen reads a poem by Lord Byron during poetry night at KC’s Espresso. Wallis praised the poems submitted for the contest. Please see POETRY | 10A
Index Stocks...... 7A Classified......6B Outdoors......3B Wisdom......4B
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports......8A
Shiloh National Military Park continues its celebration of the battle’s anniversary with ranger-led hikes to the sites where the events unfolded 150 years ago. On Friday — the anniversary of the battle’s first day — hundreds of people from across the nation and around the globe signed up for the battlefield tours. “We started out with over
300 people at Fraley Field at 5:00 this morning and it hasn’t slowed down yet,” said Park Superintendent Woody Harrell. Another 300 signed on for a tour of the Hornet’s Nest, long considered the battle’s most important site, with Park Ranger Chris Mekow. On most years the anniversary hikes draw between 30 and 40 participants each, according to James F. Gentsch, Please see HIKES | 10A
On this day in history 150 years ago Col. Nathan B. Forrest is wounded in a skirmish at Fallen Timbers in Tennessee, the last casualty of the Battle of Shiloh. Defenders surrender Island No. 10 on the Mississippi River allowing Union gunboats to proceed as far south as Fort Pillow, Tenn.