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July 13, 2011
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—^Reporter
Opinion
Declare among the nations,
and publish, and set up a standard;
publish, and conceal not;
Jeremiah 50:2
On the Porch
Destination: Bolingbroke
The Apostle
is in the house
S o Maw Maw Jo’s
Cajun Shack is
reporting that
Robert Duvall
and Billy Bob
Thornton hunkered down
on her yummy Louisiana
cuisine for lunch
in High Falls on
Monday. Just anoth
er day in Monroe
County, huh?
While we’re all
excited to have that
kind of star power
hanging out in High
Falls, I feel
kind of like Jeff
Foxworthy in
1996 before the Olympics
came to Atlanta. “Don’t
you know we’re gonna
screw this one up?!!” joked
Foxworthy. That was
Foxworthy’s lead in to his
hilarious riff envisioning
Georgia hunters aiming
shotguns at the peace
doves released in the
Olympics’ opening ceremo
nies.
And indeed, by mid-
afternoon on Monday, the
chamber of commerce was
sending out a tersely word
ed press release begging
people to stay away from
the movie set.
“(The production compa
ny) asks that both specta
tors and media understand
that no one will be allowed
near the undisclosed film
ing location,” said the
release.
Of course, staying away
from an undisclosed film
ing location can be kind of
hard, since you don’t know
where it is you’re supposed
to stay away from. I’m sure
many Monroe Countians
will try to stay away from
the undisclosed location
by hanging out at Maw
Maw Jo’s. Most will prob
ably be looking for Duvall,
who turned 80 in January.
He seems to be the most
popular of the many
stars in town for “Jayne
Mansfield’s Car,” and why
not? He’s been around for
ever. Shoot, I thought he
was old in 1989 in the clas
sic TV series, “Lonesome
Dove”. Eight years later he
was playing an earthy, all-
too-human travelling evan-
glist in “The Apostle.”
The latter is probably
my favorite Duvall film.
If you’ve seen the movie,
you may remember Duvall
ranting at God after he
discovered that his wife
had left him for the youth
pastor.
He’s staying in his
mother’s home and
pacing the floor, rag
ing in his faith.
Blogger Lynn
Anderson at www.
faithteam.org
describes Duvall’s
prayer better than I
could:
He shouts his
prayers to God,
but his eyes are open and
blazing. He shakes his fist
toward the ceiling. “They
stole my church, stole my
wife! If you won’t give me
back my wife, give me
peace!’ he shouts. As he
paces the floor and flails
his arms, he presses God
further. “Give it to me, give
it to me, give it to me! Give
me peace!”But he doesn’t
stop there. Duvall’s Apostle
gets downright angry at
God and doesn’t hold back.
“I’m confused, I’m mad, I
love you, Lord, but I’m mad
at you! I know I’m a. sinner,
once in a while—woman
izer—but I’m your servant,
What do you want me to
do? Should I lay hands on
myself? What do you want
me to do?”
Anderson notes that the
scene is intense and full
of humanity, yet it also
portrays a profoundly rich
theology of prayer. The
Psalms give us permission
to let God know when we
feel abandoned or mis
treated.
We evangelical
Christians who populate
the South are always tell
ing people that faith is
about a real relationship
with God. As with The
Psalms, Duvall’s ‘The
Apostle” is a good place to
see just how real that rela
tionship can be. Real sin
ners talking to a real God.
So while we might not see
Duvall this week, we can
check out “The Apostle”
and let him remind us that
God already knows how we
feel, so we might as well
shoot straight with Him.
is published every week by
The Monroe County Reporter Inc.
Will Davis, president
Robert M. Williams Jr., vice president
Cheryl S. Williams, secretary-tre asurer
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The comments featured on the opinion pages
are the sole creations of the writers, they do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Re
porter management.
Publication No. IJSPS 997-840)
Local man’s band on TV Wed.
The Suggins Brothers need your vote to win $10,000
M eet Bolingbrokian
Kenneth Clark -
tenor/banjo extraordi
naire and member of
The Suggins Brothers
Bluegrass Band. The band is made
up of Ken and three other likewise
talented members from Georgia and
Aiken, S.C. They have their very
own tour bus and travel together on
the weekends playing at events all
over the southeast.
Ken says they have
played at many bluegrass
and jam sessions over the
years but in 1985, The
Suggins Brothers Band
took the stage for the first
time at Hamby Mountain
Music Park in Baldwin
and received a double
standing ovation/encore
for their effort and the
rest is history. They
knew they had some
thing special and never
looked back. Since then,
many miles have been
traveled, careers have changed and
kids have been raised. All has been
worth the efforts says a smiling Ken
- especially lighting up when telling
about having the pleasure of playing
with tops acts in the industry such
as Earl Scruggs, Rhonda Vincent,
Doyle Lawson and The Country
Gentlemen, just to name a few.
To date, their highest and most
humbling honor has been in the
form of an invitation to be featured
on national TV on a talent show
called “America Sings” on The
Gospel Music Channel. The show,
hosted by Drew Lachey, is a lot like
“American Idol” and viewers can
vote on their favorite group or per
former. A wide variety of musical
genres will be featured including
gospel, doo wop, a cappella, choirs
and even street corner duets. Many
uplifting groups from across the
country will be showcased, and now
we have one from Bolingbroke! Ken
says a representative from the show
called him a few months
ago. Thinking perhaps it
was a joke, Clark said he
played along at first, but
soon realized it was the real
deal. The show’s producers
said they discovered them
on You Tube and asked him
to overnight a DVD to Los
Angeles. They were chosen
to be on the show and their
episode will air at 9 p.m.
this Wednesday, July 13.
The show is available on the
CMC channel on DirecTV
on channel
338. They
need your support
and vote. Please
tune in. If you
cannot get this
channel, you
can go to the
show’s web
site at
WWW.
watchgmctv.
com/sing
after it airs
and vote for
them. Ken
says spread
the word, tell your friends and
church groups. He said The Suggins
Brothers are very excited to have
been chosen to be on the show and
particularly honored to be repre
senting Bluegrass music. They will
perform the song “Half Way Home”
written by Merle Haggard. The
grand prize is a $10,000 jackpot.
They love playing together on the
weekends and have produced several
CD’s and are for hire to perform at
events. Google them for more infor
mation or a sampling of their music
and to purchase a CD: The Suggins
Brothers Bluegrass Band or email
Ken directly at suggins@clarkl.com
Ken and the band already have my
vote. Please tune in and vote for The
Suggins Brothers Band Bluegrass
Band this Wednesday and enjoy the
show!
Vicki Smith covers
Bolingbroke for the
Reporter. E-mail her at
vicki,smith®
remax.
The Suggins Brothers include Kenneth Clark of Bolingbroke, left.
Civil War Sesquicentennial
Lynched slave buried in Forsyth
ne hundred and fifty years ago, the news
spread quickly in Forsyth that a slave had
murdered Elizabeth
Walker Holland, the sis
ter of Hugh Walker.
Even though the murder occurred in
northwest Georgia, people in Forsyth
knew of Elizabeth Holland because of
her family connections in the county.
Her father, Thomas Walker, had
deeded an acre and a half of land in
1829 to Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal
Church for a building site and burial
ground. Her brother Hugh, a wealthy
planter with 45 slaves in 1860, lived in a residence, still
standing, at what is now 1880 Dames Ferry Road.
In her succinct diary entry, Julia Stanford recorded:
“She was killed by a Negro woman and thrown into
a well. The negro was burned immediately.” Those
comments doubtlessly reflected the rumor that went
through the community. There is, however, a little more
to the story.
Surviving evidence suggests that Elizabeth Holland
was a difficult, woman to live with. Her husband left,
her and moved to the Republic of Texas in the early
1840s. There he secured a divorce in 1854. In 1860,
the divorced Elizabeth Holland was living in Chattooga
County with her three slaves, including one known as
Julie Ann.
Elizabeth Holland seems to have been a demanding
and mean mistress to Julie Ann. A traditional story
is that, Elizabeth Holland would heat, a poker in the
fire and touch the woman with it, to make her dance.
Another story is that, at, times she stuck Julie Ann with
a fork. Julie Ann is said to have testified that, she “grew
weary of waiting on ole miss and never being able to
please.”
On the morning of July 4, 1861, when Holland was
bending over a cradle, Julie Ann struck her in the head
with a rolling pin, killing her. The slave took the body,
threw it, in the well across the road from the house, and
according to one account, placed the well bucket, in such
a way to suggest, that, Elizabeth Holland had fallen into
the well.
When the slave was apprehended, the
Chattooga County authorities put, her
in the jail in Summerville, awaiting
trial.
There is no evidence that, Julie Ann
ever came to trial. State law at, the
time stipulated that, slaves accused of
capital crimes receive a trial in supe
rior court,. Chattooga County records
contain no information on such a
trial. The sheriff was responsible for
executing any sentence from superior court,. Newspaper
accounts indicate that, “a group of citizens,” not, a county
official, hanged the woman on July 12, 1861, eight, days
after the murder.
The lynching of a slave, which this appears to be, was
not, unknown in the ante helium South but, was relative
ly rare. The state had the responsibility for punishing
slaves for capital offenses in 1860. Surviving newspaper
evidence suggests that, the state was involved in Julie
Ann’s case. She had been apprehended and was in state
custody when the “citizens” seized her.
Securing a metallic burial case in Rome for $65,
Holland’s son-in-law then brought, her body on the
Western and Atlantic Railroad to Atlanta and from
there he transferred to the Macon and Western
Railroad to get, to Forsyth.
Soon after her burial, Hugh Walker supervised the
erection of a monument, for his sister. Her tombstone,
which cost, $10.40 with the foot, stone, notes that,
she was born on Christmas Day 1790 and died on
Independence Day 1861.
The story of the murder, picked up from the Rome
[Georgia] Courier, appeared in various newspapers in
the state. Stories of slave insubordination--and murder-
-intensified the unease that, white Georgians felt, in the
unsettling times 150 years ago.
You/
Rather than using direct email, U.S.
lawmakers are encouraging con
stituents to contact them by going
to www.house, gov or www.senate,
gov, finding the lawmakers’ website,
and clicking contact.
IN WASHINGTON
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R)
120 Russell Senate Office
Bldg. Washington, DC
20510
O - (202) 224-3521
chambliss.senate.gov
Sen.Johnny Isakson (R)
120 Russell Senate Of
fice Bldg. Washington,
DC 20510
O - (202) 224-3643
lsakson.senate.gov
Rep. Austin Scott (R)
516 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC
20515; Phone: (202)
225-6531; Fax: (202)
225-3013; web-
austinscott.house.gov