Forum members, I want to apologize with an explanation for not providing
the history I told you would be forthcoming on events in Hannibal in
1861.  I have been sidetracked by another project.  I provided Vic Doyno
with a partial chapter from the book I am writing.  He asked me to write
is as a free-standing article and is including it in the cd-rom he has
coming out.  The article deals with dialect stories in Clemens'
childhood.
    Anyway, I promise to provide the 1861 article via the forum just as
soon as I can pull it together.  I have finished the chapter on 1849 and
now am going to skip ahead twelve years.  I think it will be of interest
to all of you who study the "campaign."  I have a modest goal and that
is to lay to rest the use of the word "Confederate" when people talk
about Clemens.
    Frankly, like everyone, my heart has been too heavy to write since
the attack.  I am hoping that by Monday I can live up to the president's
request that we all try to get back to a normal life.  I hope each of
you has been spared personal tragedy. God bless all of us.
    Terrell