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| Mark Christ speaks about Jacob Haas, a Civil War soldier, during Pen to Podium on Aug. 20 at the Department of Arkansas Heritage in Little Rock. |
More than 50 people turned out
Tuesday, Aug. 20, to hear Christ discuss his book, “This Day We Marched Again: A Union Soldier’s Account of the
War in Arkansas and the Trans-Mississippi” during the Pen to Podium: Arkansas
Historical Writers’ Lecture Series. Christ’s book follows Haas who
enlisted with the Union Army.
The diary was kept in Haas’ family and
transcribed into English by a family member. The family eventually contacted
Christ, who expanded the story by researching Haas’ accounts. The lecture
included historical maps and old photos of Haas.
“We’ve heard Mark talk about the Civil
War before,” said Gwen Moritz, of North Little Rock. “He’s such an expert.”
The Arkansas State Archives' Pen to Podium lectures are meant to
give residents a unique experience in Arkansas history. Authors have the chance
to talk about their research and their books, attendees hear stories and
little-known historical facts about Arkansas and the Friends of the Arkansas
State Archives host a reception that brings people together.
Several attendees at Christ’s lecture
said they were impressed by how expressive and detailed the diary and Christ’s
research were. Attendees lined up after the speech to buy a book.
“For those of us who are interested in
history, how else would you get this kind of experience?” asked Moritz about
Pen to Podium. The lecture series is a chance to hear experts’ thoughts, she
said.
Other attendees wanted to hear the
personal stories, such as those Christ uncovered during his research. Haas
wrote about the earth exploding around him, about men whose gums bled from
scurvy, about endless marching and hunger and about freeing African Americans
from slavery.
“I loved that it was a personal
account – I loved that,” said Jan Badeaux, of Little Rock. She said it was interesting how Haas talked
about fields and flowers in Arkansas but then wrote that even beauty becomes
mundane after a while.
George Grayson, another audience member,
said his family recently emigrated from Croatia to the U.S., so he related to
Haas’ accounts. Grayson is the first in his family to be born in United States, he
said.
Christ’s lecture presented a
historical account that was fascinating on multiple levels, Grayson and Badeaux
said.
“We want to learn about the place we live because it’s rich in history
and colorful people,” Badeaux said. “We want to be a part of that.”
The next Pen to Podium event will be
Tuesday, Nov. 12, and will feature Joe David Rice, a native Arkansan and former
tourism director. He is the author of “Arkansas Backstories, Volumes 1 and 2,”
which highlights lesser-known aspects of Arkansas history.
