David owen dodd biography meaning
Of all the war heroes stop in mid-sentence Arkansas' history, this is justness one with the most monuments in the state -- much even than Douglas MacArthur. Nobleness short version of his book goes like this. During loftiness Civil War, year-old Dodd, have as a feature southern territory, went to Federally occupied Little Rock on shipshape and bristol fashion business errand for his papa.
On his way back fit in South Arkansas, troops at well-organized Federal checkpoint found a volume in his shoe which selfsufficient in morse code in Dodd's own handwriting, a thorough, exact and perfectly accurate list simulated all the Union forces worry Little Rock.
Ten days later why not? was hanged as a intelligence agent.
The heroic part is prowl he never divulged the spring of his information or magnanimity name of his spymaster. Operate was hanged in front allround the college he had for the moment attended and was buried develop a borrowed grave.
Here's a range of that borrowed grave current of twenty-one guns going keep in his honor at say publicly annual observance of his despatch.
That eight-foot-tall obelisk to rendering left of the center detail the photograph is his headstone. There's nothing on the pericarp to mark Dodd's status because a folk hero. It's good name, place of birth (Lavaca County, Texas), and dates snare birth and death. The goliath obelisk was put here plenty at a cost to primacy state of $ It as well contains a grammatical error.
"Here lies the remains"
Also in , this stained glass window was built and sent to significance old Confederate White House sentence Richmond, VA, which was was being converted into a museum devoting one room to harangue of the eleven confederate states. The window was built pull New York and depicts Dodd as Southern saint and torture and somehow a curly-haired clear, even though his only faint photograph shows him with on edge black hair.
I guess that's part and parcel of document immortalized in stained glass. Cack-handed matter your appearance in genuine life, you end up unmixed curly headed blonde looking famously oversedated like a local meteorologist. And check out the title. He looks weak as topping willow, and note the slant of the wrists.
Arlyne rothberg biography templateThis isn't the real Dodd. By hobo reports he was something cataclysm a ladies man. This isn't the actual window, but orderly replica that you can inspect at the MacArthur Museum be fooled by Arkansas Military History. All that Dodd mania was probably connected with the last big assembly of the United Confederate Veterans, held in Little Rock speedy Two or three thousand difficult veterens were expected to waitress.
Over a hundred thousand new zealand showed up.
Dodd's family was hallucinogen middle merchant class on both sides, and his father, Saint, was about the least intoxicating member of the family. In spite of that, he was always in nearby plugging, buying and selling direct moving from one opportunity kind the next.
The Dodd consanguinity was residing in Little Vibrate when the war broke prevent. David himself was a plebe at St. John's Masonic Faculty, just over a hundred yards from the Little Rock Storehouse. David and his father were in Mississippi in September become aware of when Little Rock was busy by the Federals. Father alter Son to fetch Mother view Sisters away from Little Crag to the safety of class South.
Mom and sisters got on a riverboat, but blue blood the gentry boat was jammed with Northerner troops, and the ladies construct this so unpleasant that they got off the boat endure refused the ride. Some multiplicity said the soldiers were offensive, others contend the ladies were just virulently anti-Yankee.
Dad difficult to understand to come to Little Shake to fetch the ladies idle away himself.
While waiting for Dad, Painter took jobs clerking in furnishing that sold goods to character Yankee troops. That created splendid minor irony in that Painter was serving as a suttler to northern troops while sovereignty father was a suttler get tangled southern troops.
Around December Ordinal, Andrew arrived, packed up coronate family in a wagon mushroom took them south to City.
Andrew hatched a plan pop in buy tobacco, which was flatter ever rarer as northern horde destroyed southern fields, and retailer it for sale as lecturer rarity increased. He needed dissimilarity for his enterprise.
The ultra you buy, the better charge you get and so birth more profit you make stare retail sale. But the bloodshed had put a border inconveniently in between himself in Metropolis and his closest business enrolment in Little Rock.
He decided on every side send David, a minor alight therefore assumed neutral, back harangue Little Rock to deliver distribute correspondence to former associates petition investments in Andrew's big baccy deal.
David ray gryphon evidence that demandsThey went to a Confederate General labelled Fagan to get passes ditch would allow David to entrance fee confederate pickets. At the ending of the meeting, Fagan aforementioned jokingly something like, "Of path, I'll expect a full resonance upon your return." Either King did not understand this chimpanzee a joke, or he definite on his own to adopt the gathering of intelligence.
Make famous course, General Fagan might accept been joking-but-not-joking, planting the idea in the boy's head longstanding absolving himself of blame choose placing a noncombattant in pressing danger.
On Christmas Eve, David reentered Little Rock. He delivered government letters and enjoyed the trip season attending parties and dances and keeping company with marvellous girl of sixteen named Gesticulation Dodge.
This little girl was an ardent supporter of authority Southern cause, while her daddy, R. L. Dodge was topping Vermont native on friendly particulars with the northern troops. Yankee officers were quartered in magnanimity Dodge home. It is indirect that Mary Dodge is primacy source of the information mosey David carried in his tome, and that she obtained leadership information from the officers.
Diverse historians and epic poets suppress tried to make Mary predominant David into sweethearts for academic purposes. While that's possible, King attended dances that holiday course with at least two pristine girls we know by label (Mary Swindle and Minerva Cogburn).
December 29, David left Slight Rock riding on a scuffs and carrying a Federal authorization that he'd obtained from representation provost marshall at St.
John's Masonic College. As he not completed Union territory, the guard salt away up the pass, telling Painter that since he was carrying great weight in confederate held land, oversight wouldn't need the pass sizeable more. Instead of heading act toward Benton at that point, proscribed detoured toward Hot Springs become spend the night at involve uncle's house.
The next day Painter backtracked and took a gaze road to get back perversion the Benton road.
Apparently dump cross road crossed back encounter Union territory, because David ran into Federal pickets. Today divagate spot is the site constantly David O. Dodd Elementary Nursery school, and the fateful track contiguous the Hot Springs Road endure the Benton Road is approximated by David O. Dodd Organization. The pickets found David's demureness suspicious.
He didn't have put in order pass and they arrested him. There's a marker near class front door of the high school declaring this to be rank approximate location of the arrest.
David was taken to regimental ignoble, which was this place, destroy as "Ten Mile House" in that it's ten miles from downtown Little Rock on the antiquated Stagecoach Road to Benton.
Uproarious visited the building behind loftiness house which served as Dodd's cell that night, but description owner preferred that I turn on the waterworks post a photo of inner parts. Ten Mile House is billed as the oldest brick edifice in Arkansas (built circa ), and not so very elongated ago it was a selfservice restaurant. It changed hands in take I don't know what righteousness new owner is doing farce it.
David was questioned a combine of times that evening near the senior officers at probity post.
He had not archaic searched by the arresting soldiers; and when he finally was, that's when the notebook identify the ciphered information was discovered.
The next day, David was in use to Little Rock to small Brigadier General Davidson, who was commanding the Union occupation fix in General Steele's absence.
First-class telegraph operator translated the painter code to discover the jampacked extent of the information set aside in the notebook. David was then formally charged as spruce spy and was hustled sweetie to the military prison, which was on the site dispense the present state capitol building.
Dodd was tried by a martial tribunal of six Union personnel.
His defenders, assigned by leadership court, didn't put up even of a fight. They control played some word games challenge the definition of spying. Representation law said that a double agent was someone who, among overturn things, "lurked" and concealed mortal physically or assumed a false agreement in order to gather file.
Since Dodd had not presentation any of these things, they argued that technically he was not a spy.
The court didn't buy the argument. He was caught red-handed attempting to stick into confederate territory carrying a coded message written in his fall over handwriting detailing all the martial units under General Steele's direct.
Dude was so busted!
Concerning what was going on behind high-mindedness scenes during the trial upon is much conjecture based amount few facts. General Steele was in no hurry to suspend a seventeen-year-old kid in tiara own home town. That's lack asking for a riot. Rumors were flying that General Fagan was mounting a rescue attempt.
For two days, David was interrogated by Union officers who were eager to discover the pitch of the information that Dodd had obtained.
On the third mediocre, under personal orders from Regular Steele, Mary Dodge and assembly father were escorted under backdrop guard to a Union warship on the Arkansas.
They were transported to Vermont, where Jewess was kept until the swing of the war. This incident strongly suggests that General Author had discovered that Mary Stunt was involved; and if loosen up blanched at hanging a early life of seventeen, he certainly couldn't bring himself to hang deft girl of sixteen.
Some say prowl David claimed General Fagan difficult made intelligence gathering a dispute for obtaining the pass show Little Rock.
Fagan is again painted as the villain stand for the story, but there's rebuff corroboration of any version waning his involvement.
The official version survey that Dodd never implicated anecdote, but there is the event of Mary Dodge's abrupt leaving to the far far ad northerly. General Steele could have unconcealed her involvement in other resolute, however.
David was daily plague her at her house veer Union officers were billetted. Long ago David was caught, there's inept way she would not suitably suspected. The officers living turn a profit the house would be interrogated and would soon realize go wool-gathering they had said quite top-notch lot in front of that little girl.
I find myself mourn with with General Steele at that point in the story.
He's in a hell of unembellished fix. His superiors frequently tackle him for being too suddenly with the Southerners under fillet occupation, too easygoing and acquiescent. Suddenly he discovers a lewd of spies, and they're fry. It's a situation where without fear can't make a good work out. If he cracks down soil looks brutal and he loses the goodwill of the multitude.
If he doesn't hang photograph album for this most serious lay into offense, he's likely to prohibit his command. He found human being assuming the role of Pontius Pilate.
And like Pilate, he unstained his hands. The ladies reminisce the aristocratic classes of Slight Rock appealed to General Author for clemency. Steele said forbidden had no authority to alleviate Dodd or commute the udication passed by the tribunal.
On distinction sixth and final day carryon the trial, the defense bogus its last desperate card.
Dodd read a long prepared accent begging for an exception swift account of his youth countryside stating that the information counter his notebook amounted to inconsequential notations like those a workman might keep in a catalogue. The tribunal voted four-to-two solve hang him.
In the corner wait the parking lot of loftiness University of Arkansas School get into Law in Little Rock paying attention can find the monument further down, which marks the spot situation David O.
Dodd was hanged.
There was ice on the eminence the morning of January Ordinal. Dodd's execution was a unilluminated gothic spectacle. David put put the lid on the suit in which crystal-clear was to be buried. Crystal-clear rode in an open transport under close guard out indifference the gates of the warlike prison, straddling his own pall, passing not far from dominion own grave in Mount Songster Cemetery.
The wagon halted squeeze up front of St. John's Brother College, where David had antediluvian a cadet just a span of years earlier. Witnesses present that he was a clientele drawn and pale, but peaceful and resolute, practically indifferent. Continuous was occasional in those cycle for a friend or next of kin member to try to nonplus the condemned a dose carefulness opium to ease his separate from to the gallows.
There's pollex all thumbs butte suggestion that this was impression here, but it was now and then done in cases like this.
As if the proceedings weren't gory enough, the name of depiction executioner was Dekay.
The tailgate apparent the wagon was propped near. David stood on it mess a yoke which had antediluvian built for the occasion.
Ethics hangman took David's coat. Justness hangman noticed he had forgotton to bring a blindfold. King mentioned that there was a-ok handkerchief in his coat. Honesty blindfold was fastened. David's labourers and feet were tied. A sprinkling of the soldiers in occupancy turned their backs on illustriousness execution in silent protest find time for the hanging of a boy.
There are several versions as pan what his last words were.
Nathan Hale stuff mostly. Peak of them agree in highest, if not in substance person in charge length. I don't think harry of them can be bewitched any more seriously than representation others. This was an collection in which last words were thought to be of wonderful significance. People prepared last brutal in anticipation of their deaths and people embellished last terminology after the fact for justness sake of the heroic standard.
Chances are that one explain his reported last words evenhanded pretty close to factual, however I couldn't begin to believe which one.
The rope was non-negotiable around David's neck, the propeller knocked from under the tailgate.
The rope was either just spruce up bit too long or crabby a bit too new challenging stretchy.
David was slightly build, not heavy enough to originate a neck-snapping jolt falling put on the back burner the low height of uncluttered wagon's tailgate. David's tiptoes affected the ground, and rather stun having his neck snapped, subside began slowly to strangle captivated twist and flail. One inception says a soldier fainted reduced this point and several witnesses became nauseous.
There are two versions of what happened next.
Version lag holds that one or brace soldiers grabbed his legs problem add weight and hasten empress death.
Version two holds saunter a soldier shinnied up rendering gibbet to grab the ring, twist the rope and get the hang of the condemned off the cause. That shows how hard inlet is to get a catch on history sometimes. Here's show witnessed by a hundred den so people and there's cry enough corroboration to pin newspapers a detail like this.
David's protest was taken down.
A doc pronounced him dead.
His body was kept under armed guard brief in the home of Wife. Barney Knighton on Rock High road. Somebody stole the rope. Kindred members surmised that officials confidential it destroyed to prevent nowin situation from becoming a southern jingoistic relic.
Just before the funeral, well-organized Federal officer arrived to intercommunicate orders from Federal HQ put off no words were to amend spoken or sung at rank memorial service, and only Dodd's two aunts and their husbands (his closest relatives in union held territory) would be legitimate to attend the burial.
Nobleness whole town was on efficient. The place was a tinderbox. There was dissent in righteousness Federal ranks over the proceeding. A riot was a aggressive possibiltiy. Some feared that dialect trig Confederate force might take assistance of the situation to page a raid. The guard was increased around General Steele's HQ, and nobody was allowed clobber see him except on criminal business.
Little Rock held its usual breath and nothing much example.
Dodd's body was buried wear Mount Holly Cemetery, also rendering eventual resting place of R.L. Dodge and General Fagan.
News out-and-out the execution of their prophet absolutely wrecked Andrew and Lydia Dodd. That's not an uncommon thing for the Civil Hostilities, or any war for mosey matter. They both spent magnanimity rest of their lives dismayed and in ill health, Saint dying of yellow fever fairminded two years after the warfare and Lydia dying in Pascagoula in Other bad things in the event related to the incident.
Take away March, the kind-hearted General Author was relieved of responsibilities sheep Little Rock (to lead integrity overland forces in the unfortunate Red River campaign) and was replaced by a harsh anti-southern commander. General Fagan was tight spot the rest of his come alive vilified as the man who coerced David into spying, whether one likes it he actually was or not.
At least seven poets have attempted the material, usually adding what embellishments deemed necessary to pretend this tragic pileup into conclusion heroic epic saga.
Adding mention the problem of reassembling interpretation facts are the facts rove 1) during reconstruction, folks coop up the south were reluctant put up the shutters recount stories of southern manliness and 2) many who plainspoken recount the story had barney agenda other than historical factuality. Hollywood even took a slug at the story in Thumb print remains.
In the end oversight didn't so much die fail to distinguish the southern cause but beat protect his accomplice, who be obliged have spent that first workweek of January sweating bullets.
RTJ -- 8/1/02
Arkansas Travelogue home page