Jack hughes and Terence Mullin attempted to steal Lincoln's Corpse

   While several attempts had been made to steal President Abraham Lincoln’s corpse, none were ever successful. The closest anyone ever came to stealing Lincoln’s corpse was in 1876 when a band of outlaws attempted to steal the body and hold it for ransom and to secure the release of a counterfeiter, Ben Boyd. Boyd was a highly skilled master engraver whose engravings had fooled even the experts.

    The gang’s leader was “Big Jim” Kinealy who realized that with Boyd out of circulation the supply of counterfeit money would soon dry up. This was a very lucrative enterprise for Kinealy and he was prepared to do whatever he had to do to preserve his way of life, even if it meant stealing Lincoln’s corpse.

      The plan was simple, Kinealy’s gang would steal Lincoln’s corpse and hold it for ransom. The government could have it back if it paid $200,000 in gold and freed Ben Boyd.

      After a failed initial attempt, Kinealy decide to try again and recruited a local pub owner named Terrance Mullin and a small time criminal named John “Jack” Hughes. They needed a third man to help carry out the plot. Mullins suggested Lewis Swegles, who had patronized his pub many times in recent months, and quickly recruited him into the gang. They were unawre that Swegles secretly worked for the United States Department of the Treasury as an informant.

   The plan was set to rob the tomb on November 7, 1876. This would be Election Day. Everyone would be preoccupied with the election and no one would be near the cemetery. Kinealy was confident nothing would go wrong this time.

    On the night of November 7, the trap was set. Swegles had been in contact with the Treasury Department and they were well aware of what was about to take place. The outlaws entered the tomb and had lifted the coffin out when federal agents stormed in. The outlaws fled into the night and were caught 10 days later.

     Incredibly, at the time there was no law on the books against stealing bodies. Therefore, the best the prosecution could hope for was to get a conviction for the theft of a coffin valued at $75. Mullin and Hughes was found guilty and sentenced to 1 year in Joliet Prison.

     Government officials were concerned there may be other attempts to steal Lincoln’s body and began moving it periodically in the course of the next 25 years.

     In 1900, construction began on the permanent final resting place of the Lincoln Family. It was designed so that it would be impossible for anyone else to attempt a robbery.

       Robert Lincoln arranged to have his father’s coffin placed in a huge cage and then buried 10 feet deep and encased in concrete. On September 26, 1901, the tomb was ready. The coffins were carried up to the newly completed tomb.

    Because of the permanency of the tomb, and the chaos that had surrounded the President’s body over the years, there was a discussion among those present as to whether or not the coffin should be opened. Some argued that the remains should be positively identified due to rumors that the body in the box was not Mr. Lincoln.

     When the coffin was opened a pungent smell arose. Twenty-three people removed their hats and stepped toward the coffin to see the body.

    They discovered Lincoln’s body had been mummified and was immaculately preserved.  His hair was thick and course. The wart on his cheek was an obvious characteristic. His face was a bronze color from the gunshot wound that shattered the bones in his face. The color was described as being that of unhealed bruises. His beard was still there although his eyebrows had fallen out. His suit had mildew on it and there were tiny specks of cloth on his chest that were red, white and blue in color. It was later discovered that a small flag had been placed on his chest at the funeral. These tiny pieces of cloth were all that remained of the flag.

   Michael Williams is the author of a book entitled "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."

        The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

    The book is available in Kindle on Amazon.com for $3.99. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.                               
 

Grammy Award winning superstar Alicia Keys wil perform in Cherokee on Mar. 27

  Fourteen time Grammy Award winner, Alicia Keys will bring her electrifying award winning music to Harrah's in Cherokee, North Carolina March 27 at 8 p.m.

  Keys is best known for her captivating soulful music and memorable songs such as "Girl on Fire", "Fallin'" and "A Woman's Worth." 

  In addition to her Grammy wins, Keys has racked up a plethora of other awards including eleven Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards, three World Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, two MTV Europe Awards, three NAACP Awards, two Nickelodeon Teen Choice Awards, one BET Award, six Soul Train Music Awards, one Soul Train Lady of Soul Award, one People’s Choice Award, and one My VH1 Award

  As a child, Keys was strongly influenced by music from all different generations and disciplines, from the essential music of Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to urban lyricists such as Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and the Wu-Tang Clan.

   With her unmistakable blend of soul, hip-hop, jazz and classical music, Keys burst onto the music scene in June 2001 with her debut release Songs In A Minor on Clive Davis’ J Records. Songs In A Minor debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 Chart selling over 235,000 copies in its first week.  The album went on to sell more than 10 million units worldwide symbolizing the international impact she has as an artist. 

   Keys is the author of  "TEARS FOR WATER:  Songbook of Poems & Lyrics by Alicia Keys."  This deep rooted personal collaboration of Alicia’s inner most thoughts
and emotions has landed her a spot on the New York Times Expanded Best Seller List. 

  Keys will take the stage at 8 p.m. Harrah's is located at 777 Casino drive in Cherokee North Carolina. For ticket information call 1-800-745-3000.

 Jack Lipkin competes in the Stihl Competition at the Conclave

    The University of Tennessee Forestry Team finished in eighth place at the 56^th annual Southern Forestry Conclave held in Auburn, Alabama March 14-16.

  While the team didn’t fare as well as last year in the overall competition in which they placed fifth, the team did perform significantly better in two events  and won the Sportsmanship Award for the third time in four years.

  UT’s Jack Lipkin won second place in the Stihl competition which consisted of the stock saw, the standing block chop, the single buck and the underhand chop. Lipkin teamed with Tyler Nutter to place third in the cross cut competition  

   Fourteen colleges from across the southeast competed in the conclave. The event is a series of competitions pitting teams of collegiate lumberjacks against one another in contests of physical and technical skill.

  The University of Tennessee does not have a facility for the lumberjacks to train. In 2012, the team was invited to begin training for the Stihl competition at the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge. The team was trained by a former UT Forestry Team member Adam Lethco who volunteered to take the team under his wing.

  At the Lumberjack Feud Theater the team had access to equipment they didn’t otherwise have access to.  Lethco is a lumberjack in the popular dinner show and was able to give the team professional instruction.

 “The training at the Lumberjack Feud paid off well,” said Lipkin. “Without them helping me I would have never done so well. The four events I participated in for the Stihl competition were the four events Adam trained me in. We never did so well in the Stihl competition.”

  Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas won the overall competition.

The UT Forestry Team won the Sportsmanship Award for the third time in four years.

   Local author Michael Williams is raising money to print a Christian themed book about the role of God in U.S. history. Williams has previously written a book about strange and unusual historical facts that is currently available on Amazon.com entitled "Stranger Than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse."

  Now, he is raising money to publish a book about how God has impacted the course of American History. The book will be entitled "God In Modern History."

  “So many people believe that God performed miracles in ancient times as evidenced in the Holy Bible,” Williams said. “Most are unaware that God has had a hand in the events that have shaped our history.”

  This book will be a collection of 50 stories directly from the pages of history that prove that God has taken a direct role in U.S. history.  

  Read the story of the invasion of Washington D.C. during the War of 1812 when British troops invaded the nation's capital. Their invasion was thwarted when the prayers of the fleeing Americans were answered by God who directed the powerful gale forces of a hurricane into the city which decimated the British invaders.

   Read about the Christmas truce in which the two greatest armies on Earth laid down their weapons in homage to the spirit of Christ. 

  The cover will feature George Washington in prayer as he asks God to direct him and lead he and his men to victory. As history tells us, his prayers were answered. 

  The book will contain 50 stories that will inspire and confirm the reader's faith that God continues to play a vital role in the affairs of modern Americans.

  Williams needs to raise $3,000 to print the books and begin distribution. There will be two editions. The first will consist of 100 copies and they will be given to those that contribute $20 or more to the project. The second edition will be sold through Christian book stores and a portion of the proceeds will be used for Christian based charities.

  To contribute visit his page on gofundme.com. Once on the web Site you can search for his project by with this link;  http://www.gofundme.com/Christian-Book.

An orange glow from a massive fire could be seen for more than a mile.

   Dozens of firefighters from several area fire departments are battling a massive fire on Black Bear Cub Way in Pigeon Forge. The massive blaze cast an orange glow that could be seen for more than a mile.

    According to fire officials the fire broke out at approximately 4 p.m. as a brush fire then quickly spread to several cabins in the vicinity. Crews are battling to contain the spread of the fire which has destroyed at least six cabins and damaged more than 30 more. Emergency personnel have evacuated nearby cabins and officials say several homes in the area are at risk.

No injuries have been reported and officials are asking that people stay away from the area as several emergency vehicles need access to the road.

(from left) Tyler Nutter and Jack Lipkin practice the log roll at the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud. 

    With only days to go before the 56th annual Southern Forestry Conclave, the University of Tennessee Forestry Club arrived at the Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge Tuesday night, after the show, to get in one more practice before the big event.

   The conclave will be held in Auburn, Alabama, March 14-16. The conclave will pit the best collegiate lumberjacks in the nation in a grueling competition of physical skills and test the knowledge of the participants in a variety of events.

   Fourteen schools across the Southeast are expected to participate in the Conclave including: Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, Clemson, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Alabama A&M, Mississippi State, Louisiana Tech, LSU, Stephen F. Austin, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas Monticello.

  The Forestry Club of the University of Tennessee began training at the Lumberjack Feud in 2012 and the improvement in the skill level of the team was notable.

  “Last year we finished fifth in the conference,” said Jack Lipkin, senior in forestry and president of the team. “That’s the best we have ever done and this year we expect to do better. The people at the Lumberjack Feud have been amazing. They have bent over backwards to help us. They have provided the facility, training, wood and gear. ”

    The lumberjack team is a part of UT's chapter of the Society of American Foresters and meets every Tuesday to practice the events that comprise a typical intercollegiate timbersports competition. The events include archery, team bolt split, stock sawing, bowsawing and the standing block chop, and technical skills such tree identification, wildlife identification and timber estimation. The team will square off in 18 physical events and eight technical events.

  In 2012, the UT lumberjack team began training at the Lumberjack Feud which offered the lumberjacks a rare opportunity to hone their special skills by working with professional lumberjacks. There are few facilities in the nation that are designed to offer such training.

  “We didn’t have the facility to train the way we can train here,” said Tyler Nutter. “At UT we didn’t have the equipment they have here and wood was a major factor. We also get professional instruction on a new level.”

  Providing that professional level of instruction is a former UT forestry major and a lumberjack at the Lumberjack Feud, Adam Lethco.

  “I wanted to help build up the sport,” said Lethco. “I would like to see if get bigger and see the team go on to more competitions.”

    Lethco is one of a team of lumberjacks that performs at the Great Smoky Mountains Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge. The show is a family oriented dinner show that pits two rival families against one another in a lumberjack competition for the logging rights to the Great Smoky Mountains during the 1930s.

    Two schools, Stephen F. Austin in Texas and Arkansas Monticello, have dominated the competition for the past 56 years it has been going on. Last year, however, Georgia took home the trophy. Lipkin is confident the team will fare better.

    For more information about the UT Forestry Club contact Jack Lipkin at jlipkin@utk.edu for inquiries about the club.

Adam Lethco, a UT Forestry graduate, competes at the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud. Lethco has been hard at work training the UT Forestry team to compete in a conclave in Auburn, Alabama. 

                             Junius "Mad Booth" Brutus Booth

  In July of 1835, President Andrew Jackson received a chilling letter dated July 4. The letter was a tersely worded death threat against Jackson written by one of the most prominent actors of the American stage, Junius Brutus Booth.

   Although, regarded by some modern historians as the Richard Burton of his day, Booth was known for his erratic and often irrational behavior. He suffered throughout his life with alcoholism and mental illness. He was a bigamist who was married to an English woman and an American simultaneously. Neither woman knew about his double life. Booth was known to become violent during his drunken fugues.  His behavior earned him the unenviable moniker “Mad Booth.”

  Booth’s menacing letter was a direct threat on Jackson’s life. The correspondence was addressed to Jackson and began with the salutation “"You damn'd old Scoundrel."

  The letter went on to demand presidential pardons for two men accused of piracy. Both men named De Ruiz and De Soto, were facing the death penalty in one of the most high profile trials of the decade.  In the letter, Booth threatened he would   “cut your throat whilst you are sleeping.” Later in the letter, the actor also promised to have Jackson “burnt at the Stake.”

  Strangely enough, at the time it was not against the law to threaten the president’s life. In the modern era Booth would have been arrested and thoroughly interrogated by the Secret Service.

    Booth penned a second letter that day to the manager of a theater where he was scheduled to perform.  Booth apologized that he missed a performance.  

    The letter was filed away in Jackson’s home and labeled “Anonymous,” despite the fact Booth signed it. Little more was  thought of it.  Booth later apologized to Jackson for the letter and sent apologetic correspondence to several other members of the government.

   The letter came to the attention of investigators once again 30 years later after “Mad Booth’s” son assassinated another president. On April 14, 1865, the son of Junius Brutus Booth, John Wilkes Booth, earned an ignominious place in history when he fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln, thus committing a crime his father could not carry out. Unlike his father, the younger Booth was never apologetic for his crime. 

  Obviously, murder ran in the Booth family.

   Michael Williams is the author of "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."

      The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

    The book is available in Kindle on Amazon.com for $3.99. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.

    Cookie, Played by Uncle Bud Beasley seems to blush as Dixie Dawson, played by newcomer Felicia Gammon, teases him

    Anyone who has visited the Great Smoky Mountains or the Pigeon Forge area in the last 16 years is certainly familiar with Uncle Bud Beasley. The affable Uncle Bud is an accomplished singer, song writer, musician, comedian and TV personality. Recently, he joined the cast of the Great Smoky mountains Lumberjack Feud playing the part of Cookie the chef. 

   Uncle Bud played in a bluegrass band for 16 years touring the country with various bands and country music artists. For five years he performed with Uncle Bud’s ‘Lectro Wood Experience.

   “We played classic rock the way the good Lord intended it,” Uncle Bud said. “We played it bluegrass style.”

   Who could ever forget a rousing rendition of “Smoke on the Water” with banjo accompaniment?

   Uncle Bud went on to appear in numerous TV commercials for Metro West Ford. In the commercials Uncle Bud gave advice to the “automotively challenged.”  In a backdrop that resembled a DJ’s booth Uncle Bud received letters from listeners inquiring about car repairs. Invariably, the letter writer would be given the timely advice “You need a new car.”

  It was eight years ago that Uncle Bud joined the cast of the Tennessee Shindig. Over the years he recorded several CDs and attracted a following of loyal fans. The Shindig closed last year and Uncle Bud was recruited by the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud.

  Uncle Bud’s career took a new direction at the Feud. Now, he is plays as "Cookie," the cook who prepares hot meals for hundreds of guests and two camps of rowdy lumberjacks.

  “They may be divided in the competition but we all eat together,” said Uncle Bud.

  In addition to preparing hundreds of hot meals, Cookie provides the pre-show entertainment. In a fashion statement only he could pull off, Cookie enters the arena dressed in red long johns, a hunting cap similar to Elmer Fudd’s and bear claw house slippers.

  He wrote two original songs for the pre-show including “That’s what a bear is good for.” The song contains some unusual bear recipes, such as bear bacon, that could have only come from the mind of a culinary genius such as Cookie.

  Fortunately, none of these recipes are on the menu at the Feud. Cookie's preshow is lighthearted entertainment that’s fun for the whole family.

 The Lumberjack Feud is a 90 minute dinner show and fun for the whole family. For more information visit the web Site at http://www.lumberjackfeud.com/ or call 855-244-3383.

 East Tennessee's Own Janelle Arthur wowed the judges of American Idol Tuesday

  Pigeon Forge's own Janelle Arthur wowed the judges and received a standing ovation from the audience on Tuesday's edition of American Idol.

   Arthur sang the timeless Elvis Presley signature song "If I can dream." Her performance drew praise from the panel of judges.

  Keith Urban told Arthur her choice of songs was a good one. Nicki Minaj said "It was the best performance of the night."

  Randy Jackson told Arthur "I like that you are a throw back. That;s what we need right now, a throwback. Someone who can sing like Patsy Cline,"

  Mariah Carey congratulated Arthur on a job well done.

  At the end of the night Ryan Seacrest instructed the viewing audience to call in and vote for their favorites. Five of the ten that performed will be eliminated. If Arthur receives enough votes she will move on to the next round of eliminations. 

       David Acuff                     Maranda Acuff

       Devin Sullivan                  Daniel Gonzales

        Stephen Gross                Craig Stevenson

    The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office has rounded up suspects in a number of burglaries in the area in three separate arrests.

    A  Morristown couple has been arrested and charged with burglarizing several rental cabins in Sevier County. According to Sheriff Ron Seals,  on Monday Feb. 25th at app. 8:41pm Officer Jerry Huskey was patrolling in the Smokey Cove Cabin Resort and observed a man jump from a balcony of a rental cabin.

    The male subject jumped into a vehicle and sped off.  Huskey stopped the vehicle and after a search of the vehicle Huskey found three stolen flat screen TV’s that had been taken from area rental cabins. The man was identified as David C. Acuff, 28 of 534 Sunrise Ave Morristown and his wife Maranda A. Acuff,  25 was a passenger in the car. Both were charged with aggravated burglary and possession of Burglary Tools. Both were booked into Sevier County Jail and a bond was set. They are awaiting a March 18th hearing in General Sessions Court.

     A Sevier County man is in custody at the Sevier County Detention Center and has been charged in connection with burglarizing 6 homes in the Boyds Creek Community.

    According to Seals, Craig Stevenson, age 21, of 2470 Native Dancer Way, Sevierville was arrested on Monday Feb 25, by the Sevier Co. Sheriff’s Office Detective Division after an investigation was conducted into the recent burglaries of homes in the Stables Subdivision.

   Detectives developed Stevenson, who also resides in the Stables Subdivision, as a suspect and then found where he had sold several items of stolen property from the burglaries. Stevenson has been charged with six counts of Aggravated Burglary.

     Also charged with one count of aggravated burglary was Daniel Gonzales Jr. age 52 ,of 2478 Native Dancer Way who was an accomplice to Stevenson in one of the burglaries. Stevenson is being held in Sevier Co Jail awaiting arraignment before a Judge. Gonzales is also being held pending arraignment. The investigation is continuing and anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Johnny Bohanan the Sheriff’s Office at 865-428-1899

  Two Sevier County men were arrested in connection with a home burglary on Meadows Drive. Sheriff Ron Seals states that on Feb 4th,a burglary was reported to the Sheriff’s Office on Meadows Drive in Sevier County.

   Officers arrived on the scene and found that someone had entered the home and took several items of value. A TV  that was among the missing items was recovered the following day by a citizen that found it lying beside the road in the Gatlinburg area.

    Sevier County Detectives investigated the case and developed two suspects. On Sat. Feb 23, the suspects were questioned and gave incriminating statements. The suspects are identified as Devon R. Sullivan, 18 and Stephen R. Gross, 21 both of 2226 Meadows Drive Sevierville. Both have been charged with one count of Aggravated Burglary in connection with the burglary and were arraigned before a Magistrate. A $5000 bond was set and they were booked into jail. An April 5th hearing date has been set in General Sessions Court. Anyone with information pertaining to the case is asked to call Det. Jim Huddleston at the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Inv. Division at 428-1899.

    Firefly Fisher and Big Easy of the Harlem Globetrotters

   The high flying basketball wizardry of the Harlem Globetrotters is coming to the Thompson-Boling Arena March 19 at 7 p.m.

   The world renown Globetrotters have been dazzling basketball fans for 86 seasons in 121 countries around the globe to live up to their name. The team has long established themselves as innovators of the game with such concepts as the four point shot. This year is no exception. The Globetrotters are inviting the fans to decide what the rules of the game will be in the “You write the Rules” Tour.

   Globetrotter Tay “Firefly” Fisher explained the concept in a telephone interview.

  “We are asking the fans to go to harlemglobetrotters.com and vote on the rules of the game,” said Fisher. “They just go the web Site ‘HarlemGlobetrotters.com” and click on Vote and they can choose several options detailing what they want to see in the game.”

   At the web Site fans can decide to vote for two balls in play at once or double the points or six players against five Globe Trotters or the penalty box. The vote allows more interaction between the fans and the players.

  Fisher and the team have recently completed a USO tour in which they entertained U.S. troops in Dubai, Afghanistan, the U.A.E., Qatar and Bahrain.

  Fisher is now in his fourth year with the Globetrotters after a successful career at Siena College where he played an integral role in unsetting Vanderbilt to win the NCAA tournament.

  Fisher tours with the legendary team nine months a year. During the off season he operates the Tay Fisher Fundamental Basketball Camp where he mentors to troubled and economically disadvantaged youth.

 “I make the camp as affordable as possible,” Fisher said. “I reach out to kids because I want to give back. I want to mentor to them. When my basketball career is finished I plan to become a teacher.

  The Globetrotters have partnered with the Susan G. Komen Foundation in the battle against breast cancer. The team will be selling pick rubber bracelets at the game with the proceeds to benefit breast cancer research. The team will use a pink ball at one part of the game as a sign of support for the cause. Breast cancer is a subject Fisher is well familiar with.

  “I had a teacher that suffered from it and a friend of my sister is batting it right now,” Fisher said. “It means a lot to me to show our support.”

     Fisher said he hopes to meet UT women’s basketball legend Pat Summit during his visit to Knoxville.

“A lot of men aren’t big fans of women’s basketball but I am,” Fisher said. “I am a big fan and I would love to meet Coach Summit. She is at the top of my list of people I would like to meet. She has made a huge impact on the game.”

  Tickets are now on sale at tbarena.com.  

 Literary fan Erica Rickard meets Bill Landry at the fourth annual Rose-Glen Literary Festival held at Walters State

A standing room audience of literary fans crowded into a luncheon featuring Dr. Bill Bass, the noted forensic anthropologist at the fourth annual Rose-Glen Literary festival held this weekend at the Walters State Sevier County campus.

  Bass was among more than 20 authors who sold books and met with readers at the festival. In addition to his best-selling books including “Beyond the Body Farm,” Bass sold autographed photos of himself holding human skulls. Bass is the founder of the Body Farm, the forensic research facility in Knoxville that has made scientific discoveries in human decomposition that has helped police in solving murder cases.

  Among other authors in attendance were Bill Landry, creator of the Emmy Award winning “Heartland” TV series. Landry gave a presentation discussing his experiences and his TV series as well as his books including “Appalachian Tales and Heartland Adventures.”

   Currently, Landry is appearing with Sam Venable, Jim Claborn and Elizabeth Rose in the “Talk is Cheap” tour. The four noted writers share their experiences of the people they have met during their careers in a laugh-filled show.    

  James B. Johnston, author of “The Price of Peace” was on hand to sign copies of his book about the struggles in Northern Ireland. Johnston’s wife had a school mate that was killed by the Irish Republican Army. Although, the book is fiction, it is based on events that occurred between the turbulent years of 1968-2010.

  Other authors included Fred Brown, author of “The Serpent Handlers”, John Alexander, Butch McDade, Lin Stepp and others.

  In addition to meeting many favorite regional and local authors, aspiring writers got sit in on a class presented by Johnston detailing how to get published.

Stonewall Jackson has two graves. One contains his body, the other contains his arm.

    Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson was General Robert E. Lee’s most capable general and considered by military historians to be among the most gifted of tactical commanders in U.S. history. Jackson distinguished himself in numerous battles and met his fate when he was accidentally shot by his own men at the battle of Chancellorsville. His tragic death led to an unusual burial in which Jackson was laid to rest in two separate burial places. One grave was for his body and the other grave for his left arm.

   As a strategist, Jackson’s  Valley Campaign and his envelopment of the Union Army right wing at Chancellorsville are studied worldwide even today as examples of innovative and bold leadership. He distinguished himself in key battles such as the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) where he received his famous nickname "Stonewall", Second Bull Run (Second Manassas), Antietam, and Fredericksburg.

  On May 2, 1863, Jackson led a charge directly into the oblivious Federal right wing at Chancellorsville.  The Confederates marched silently until they were merely several hundred feet from the Union position then released a bloodthirsty cry and full charge. Many of the Federals were captured without a shot fired, the rest were driven into a full rout. Jackson pursued relentlessly back toward the center of the Federal line until dusk but darkness ended the assault.  As Jackson and his staff were returning to camp, they were mistaken for a Union cavalry force by the 18th North Carolina Infantry regiment who shouted, "Halt, who goes there?,"  but fired before evaluating the reply. Frantic shouts by Jackson's staff identifying the party were heard in the midst of intense fire but received the retort, "It's a damned Yankee trick! Fire!"  A second volley was fired in response and Jackson was hit by three bullets. Two struck him in the left arm and one in the right hand. Several other men in his staff were killed, in addition to several horses.

   The general’s shattered left arm was amputated by Dr. Hunter McGuire and he survived the surgery but died eight days later of complications from pneumonia. His body was taken to the Governor's Mansion in Richmond for the public to mourn and later buried in the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery in Lexington, Virginia. However, his amputated arm received a burial of its own. The Reverend Beverley Tucker Lacy, the un­official chaplain of Jackson's Second Corps, paid a visit to the hospital, where he discovered his chief's amputated limb. Lacy wrapped it in a blanket and rode the one mile to his brother's home, Ellwood. There, he buried the severed limb in the family cemetery.

 Upon hearing of Jackson's death, Robert E. Lee was quoted as saying “he has lost his left arm but I my right."

  Today a stone monument stands in the cemetery marking the grave of Jackson’s arm many miles from where his body is buried.

   Michael Williams is the author of "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."

      The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

    The book is available in Kindle on Amazon.com for $3.99. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.

The King of the Country Music, George Strait will perform at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville March 1 at 7:30 P.M for what will be the last time. Joining Strait for the concert is Martina McBride.

Strait’s current two year tour, the Cowboy Rides Away, is the legendary country artist's farewell stint on the road. Strait is known for an almost endless list of hits that include “Amarillo by Morning”, “All My Exes Live in Texas”, “the Chair”, “Write this Down” and numerous others. Strait has sold more than 68 million albums which produced an astounding 59 number one hits. He has earned 33 platinum album designations and 38 of his albums have been certified as gold. Strait has garnered every major music award including Country Music Artist of the Decade.

McBride has been called the "Celine Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range. McBride won female vocalist of the year by the Country Music Association two years consecutively. She is known for such memorable hits as “Independence day”, “Anyway”, “Concrete Angel” and “God’s Will.”

Strait’s current nationwide tour marks the end of an era which began in 1981 with the hit “Unwound.” His current album “Here for a Good Time” was released in 2011 to rave reviews from critics.  

Ticket sales have been brisk and are on sale now and may be purchased online at www.knoxvilletickets.com or by calling  (865) 656-4444 or Toll Free (877) 995-9961.

 Mark Twain in 1871. He had a premonition of his brother's death.  

    Mark Twain was born Samuel Clemens in Hannibal, Missouri in 1835. As a young man, he went to work on a riverboat on the Mississippi River. When he began to pursue his writing career, he remembered a term that was often used on the riverboats. This term became his pen name.

    Whenever a riverboat begins navigating unfamiliar waters, it is necessary to measure the depth of the water frequently. This is to make sure the water is deep enough for the boat to safely navigate. A crewmember would drop a weight on a measuring string into the water. Once he got his measurement he would turn and shout to the captain the depth of the water measured against his marker. For example he might say “By the mark…20 feet!”  There was one term that always made a riverboat captain feel comfort. It was a term that was used when the water was very deep and there was no sign of danger. The term was “By the mark…twain!”

       In 1858, Samuel Clemens, as he was known at the time, before he adopted his pen name, and his younger brother, Henry, went to work on the riverboat Pennsylvania. 

     The boat pulled into port one day in St Louis. The two brothers went ashore to visit their sister, Pamela, who lived nearby. After dinner that night, Henry returned to the boat.  Sam stayed at his sister’s house. 

     Later that night Sam went to bed. Soon, he drifted off into a peaceful slumber and had a nightmare that would haunt him for the remainder of his life. He dreamed that he was standing in a strange room. There were a number of people in the room with him. Most were crying. Against the wall he saw a metal coffin balanced across two chairs. He walked closer and peered inside. There he saw the body of his younger brother, Henry. On Henry’s chest lay a small bouquet of white roses. In the center of the bouquet was a single red rose.                 

     Sam awakened cold and shaken. The dream was so vivid that he was convinced his brother was indeed dead. He got up, got dressed and went for a walk. He returned later and went back to bed. Still trembling, he was unable to sleep. The next morning, he told Pamela every vivid detail of the horrific dream. When he finished she sat quietly for a moment somewhat bewildered.

   “Well, that dream couldn’t possibly come true” she responded. “Only wealthy people can afford metal coffins.”

     This brought comfort to Sam who was looking for any detail, no matter how small, which might make the dream appear more improbable.      

     Only days later, Sam was transferred to another boat. Henry remained on the Pennsylvania. Three days later, Sam was informed that the boiler on the Pennsylvania had exploded a short distance from Memphis. One-hundred-fifty people had been killed or injured. 

    Sam rushed to Memphis in hopes that his brother had survived. He reached the hospital where Henry had been taken. Sam was told his brother’s injuries were grave and the doctor predicted Henry wouldn’t last through the night. Sam stayed at his brother’s side during the final fleeting hours of his brief life. Henry died the next morning.

    Later that morning, Sam went down to the room where the bodies of the dead were awaiting burial. There were a number of people standing around grieving the loss of their loved ones. Sam slowly made his way into the room. There he saw a metal coffin balanced across two chairs. He approached and peered inside. Lying in the coffin was his brother, Henry, just as he had dreamed. The only thing missing was the roses. At that moment a woman dressed in black approached and placed a bouquet of white roses on Henry’s chest. In the center of the bouquet was a single red rose. The woman in black was one of the nurses who had attended to the young man. She told Sam that a number of the nurses felt sorry for Henry and took up a collection. They used this money to buy him a metal coffin.

   Michael Williams is the author of a book entitled "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."

        The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

    The book is available in Kindle on Amazon.com for $3.99. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.

Charley with Brad on his wedding day.    

     It seems only fitting with President’s Day upon us to talk about Charley’s political views. 

  When Dad was alive he would call Brad and ask whose turn it was to take Charley into the voting booth.

  It doesn’t take a political science genius to figure out that Brad and I cancel out each other’s votes.

  Dad's theory was that whoever's turn it was to take Charley into the voting booth got to vote twice. But he would be wrong. Neither one of us tell Charley who to vote for. We may help him if he needs it, but that's it.

    Most people would assume Charley knows nothing about politics. After all, he has Down syndrome, right?

   Well, let’s see about that.

    First, Charley knows exactly who the President is. He always has.  When Clinton was in office, he would point at the TV screen and say, “Pesent.”

    Charley was very young at the time.

    When Bush was in office, Charley would point to the screen and say, “Pesident Buss!”

     When Obama took office he’d point to the screen and say, “Daddy, look! Bama!”

     Charley has always liked the President, who ever he is. 

     Second, he doesn't care if the President is black, white, yellow, green with pink hair, rich, poor, likes or hates broccoli, or has Howdy Doody ears. The President is the President, and it's Charley's job to support him, no matter what party. 

    This is and always will be one of Charley's greatest gifts, and as for me, a source of Momma-pride.

    One of his favorite movies is The American President. Although, I think it sometimes confuses him. One minute he’s pointing to Michael Douglas and then there’s a commercial with Obama, and then back to Michael again, and he's looking at us like, what the heck?

     Charley has a small black radio and he listens to Rush Limbaugh on the radio every day.  Rush is always fussing about President Obama. So much so, that Charley fusses if we talk during Rush’s program.

    “Mom, Dad, no talkeen, da Pwesident’s on.”

    “That’s not the President, Son, that’s Rush Limbaugh.”

     “Nuh uh, dat Bama, dat guy said so.”

     And Rush gets cranked up again, yelling “Obama care” into the microphone, and Charley looks at us and says, “See? Dat Bama,” like, geeze, you guys just don’t get it.

    I suppose there’s no way we can convince Charley it’s not Obama.

    But what about the boy at the Special Olympics?

     Brad and I both went to the park one afternoon to watch Charley compete.

    Charley wasn’t exactly happy about this. We weren’t sure why, but if I had to guess, I’d say it’s probably because he was afraid we were there to take him home.

    But there was an athlete who was thrilled.

    No one else had on a suit and tie, but since Brad had a lunch meeting he was dressed in business attire. He stood at the top of the stairs watching as Charley was on the podium, being presented with his medal. As he started to clap, a wide-eyed athlete climbed the stairs and came face to face with Brad.

    “Are you the President?” he asked Brad and stuck out his hand with a big grin. Brad tried to hide it, but I saw the ego boost on his face.

    Brad shook his hand and said, “No, sorry, I’m not the President.”

    By then Charley was standing beside them. “No silly,” he said to the boy. “Dat my Dad.” 

    At least he didn't ask Brad if he was Obama. 

  Janelle Arthur of Pigeon Forge performed on American Idol Wednesday. 

   Pigeon Forge's own, Janelle Arthur, was passed through to the next round on American Idol Wednesday. 

   Arthur sang a moving rendition of Hank Williams' "I'm so lonesome I could cry" on Wednesday's show. Her performance earned her the chance to move to the groups competition in which she was paired with three other performers.  

   Following theperformance the four women were told by the panel of judges they will move onto the next round which will take Arthur to Las Vegas.

  More than 70 Idol hopefuls were sent home following their performances Wednesday.  Arthur is now in the top 20 female performers and will return Thursday night as the elimination continues.  

        Bruce Davis as he appeared in 1970 and today

A follower of Charles Manson, who has ties to East Tennessee, may soon be free. Only one obstacle remains between Bruce Davis and freedom. The California Board of Pardons and Parole granted parole to the convicted murderer but California Governor Jerry Brown may decide to block Davis’ release. Davis, who is now 70, has served 43 years in prison for his role in two murders. Davis took no part in the infamous murders of actress Sharon Tate or the LaBianca murders.

  Davis was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for his participation in the murder of Gary Hinman and Spahn's Ranch hand, Donald "Shorty" Shea. He is currently incarcerated at the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, California.

   Davis’ family, which was composed of Bruce Davis, his older sister Judith, and their parents, moved around frequently when the children were growing up. They migrated from Louisiana, Alabama and Michigan and finally settled in the small Roane County community of Midtown when Bruce was about 10-years-old.

  Davis graduated Roane County High School in 1961. After graduation, he enrolled at the University of Tennessee to study political science. He dropped out of college after only six quarters.

   After leaving college, Davis ended up shuffling back and forth from California to Tennessee, working odd jobs. He entered the hippie subculture and began experimenting with drugs.

  Davis was 30 when he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1972. The convictions of the Manson family members for a string of murders in Southern California ended Manson's notorious reign as leader of the murderous communal cult known as the Manson family. Davis has long maintained that he was a bystander in the killings of the two men. In recent years, he has acknowledged his shared responsibility and has become a born again Christian.

  While incarcerated, Davis has ministered to other inmates, married a woman he met through the prison ministry, and fathered a daughter through conjugal visits. The couple recently divorced.

Davis also earned a master's degree and a doctorate in philosophy of religion.

  Manson and three of his followers, Leslie Van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles "Tex" Watson, remain in prison for life in the Tate killings. Their co-defendant, Susan Atkins, died of cancer behind bars in 2009.

  Davis was originally paroled three years ago but then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected the  parole recommendation for Davis.

   Last week the state's Board of Parole submitted to Gov. Jerry Brown its recommendation that Bruce Davis is suitable for parole. The governor has up to 30 days to make a decision. His options are to affirm, decline, modify or decline to review, which would allow the parole to take effect.

   Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey sent a letter to the board last week opposing Davis' release. If paroled, Davis will go to transitional housing associated with religious groups in Los Angeles County.

  President Andrew Jackson's foul mouthed fowl was ejected from Jackson's funeral. 

   By modern standards, Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States would be considered a redneck.  While he resided at the White House, he enjoyed hunting squirrel on the front lawn and kept a moonshine still on the property. He enjoyed horse and carriage races and often orchestrated such events on the front lawn of the White House.

   By modern standards it must have been a peculiar site to behold. Visitors to the nation’s capital might expect to see Jackson’s friends and political allies racing across the lawn in carriages, or on horses, while Jackson and friends guzzled hard liquor he had brewed on the White House grounds. Known for his hot temper, Jackson was known to physically fight those that disagreed with him. Jackson often used profane language which rubbed off on one of his favorite pets and later got the pet ejected from Jackson’s funeral.

  Jackson loved animals and had a pet parrot he named Poll. The bird heard his owner’s foul language on many occasions and soon picked up the habit of using fowl, that is foul Language, and frequently let the obscenities fly.

   Jackson died in his Nashville home, the Hermitage, on June 8, 1845 at the age of 78. On the day of his funeral, Poll, was brought into the viewing room where Jackson’s open casket sat. Poll was placed on a nearby perch and soon became excited at the mourners that had gathered. It was then the bird let loose the obscenities that got him ejected from the service.

  Rev. William Menefee  Norment recounted the incident in volume 3 of Samuel G. Heiskell’s book  “Andrew Jackson and Early Tennessee History.” Norment wrote:

   “Before the sermon and while the crowd was gathering, a wicked parrot that was a household pet, got excited and commenced swearing so loud and long as to disturb the people and had to be carried from the house.”

   Norment went on to recount “the General’s parrot, excited by the multitude and the wailing of the slaves, let loose perfect gusts of ‘cuss words.’ The Negro slaves of the General were horrified and awed at the bird’s lack of reverence.”

    Poll died several years later but his presence is still reflected at the Hermitage. Today children touring the Hermitage are given an audio tour featuring a voice characterization of Poll. Fortunately, the Poll that gives the audio tour for the children does not use profanity.

   Michael Williams is the author of a book entitled "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."   

    The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864. 

    The book is available in Kindle on Amazon.com for $3.99. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.

(Sherry Palmer and her husband adopted a child named Charley who was diagnose as having down syndrome. Sherry is in the process of writing a book about how Charley has enriched their lives. She hopes to reach out to other families with down syndrome children).

It’s Monday night, and I’m struggling with writing. All writers will tell you they sometimes stare at the blank page for what seems like forever, and that’s what I’m doing. Or, at least that’s what I was doing, until I received a text about ten minutes ago.

            Charley’s an easy subject for the most part. With his shenanigans, his laugh, and what we call his bullheaded chromosome, he’s anything but blank. But when he’s gone my oomph goes with him.

You see, Sunday he boarded a bus and headed to the winter games of the Special Olympics in Gatlinburg. But back to the text – oh how I needed it, because there, on my cell phone was a picture of him, standing on the ski slopes with his teacher, Miss Gerry.

            He’s temporarily ditched the grey muscle-man shirt he lives in and is sporting a red hooded sweatshirt like the rest of the team.

            He’s wearing brand new jeans that bend in all the right places when he unleashes his dance moves that make him look cool on the dance floor. He’s put on aftershave to give him some oomph, even though he didn’t shave before he left. But most of all, he’s wearing a grin and a twinkle in his eye.

He’s staying in a hotel room and partying the night away. He’s probably meeting a girl but will most likely forget to get her phone number and will arrive home expecting that we will magically know how to call the girl he now refers to as his “Purty.”

            It’s all because of Special Olympics, created by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in her back yard in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s so that her sister Rosemary would have a place to play. I wonder if she knew that somewhere in Gatlinburg nearly 63 years later, a man with intellectual challenges would be having the time of his life because someone saw past disabilities into the core of abilities.

Someone envisioned a better way of life for people like my Charley. Someone looked around, counted her blessings, and showered others with opportunities. Because of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, he is running, lacing up a pair of ice skates, and hanging onto the handlebars of the walker-like support device that steadies him so he won’t land on his backside. But so what if he does? He’ll think of himself as a winner because he had the courage to put one foot in front of the other, and try.

            Fascinating, how a traditional team practices until they are ready for the big game. Only a select few get to run out onto the field to the roar of a thundering crowd. Over and over, they practice their moves; fine tuning their technique that will make them legends in their arenas.

Special Olympics practices too. They practice patience, support, respect, encouragement. Somewhere in Gatlinburg, there are teachers and coaches who have taken time out of their personal lives to make the Special Olympics a reality for someone else. While their own families are at home, these individuals provide hands-on assistance to the participants, so that life can have a little more meaning. No one makes them do this; they do it out of love for their students, so they can be included. So they can have their moment. Their thundering crowd. Their arena. A little extra oomph.

If you know of a teacher or coach who has given so much of themselves for these special athletes, take a moment won’t you, to thank them on behalf of all Special Olympians everywhere.

Tell them Charley sent you.