Area descendants of Confederate States of America soldiers now have a place to gather and honor their ancestors thanks to a group of local women who have founded a local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Kay Tatum, President of the Arkansas UDC, and Dianne Freeman, Registrar for the Arkansas UDC, held an organizational meeting in Mena, June 21, 2016. There were 13 local residents who registered at the organizational meeting and the charter application for the William Harrison Earp Chapter was submitted.
The William Harrison Earp Chapter became official in September when three representatives from the chapter were presented with their charter at the state convention in Harrison. The ladies present were Leighanna Guillett, Cortez James Copher and Era Looney.
Members of the Captain William Harrison Earp Chapter met for the first time, Sunday, October 16, when they were presented with their charter by the Arkansas Division President, Amber Friday-Brown, and the National UDC President, Pam Trammel at the Polk County Library. Other state honoree guests included: Honorary Division President, Helen Amason; District Director, Jennie Stone; Division 3rd Vice President, Karla Fry.
Each member was presented with a membership certificate and a copy of her official National UDC records. The officers present were sworn in by Amber Friday-Brown, Division President of Arkansas. The meeting was turned over to the Vice President, Cortez James Copher. The program for the evening was a short summary of the state convention in Harrison by Guillet and a presentation by Anne Dahm and Sue Ellen Patrick about the Battle of Poison Springs in Arkansas during the Civil War.
Guillett and Copher entered the UDC through their descendant Nicholas Hoyle who volunteered for the North Carolina 29th in 1862 and was captured at Five Forks, Virginia. He was held as a prisoner of war until his release in 1865 after taking the Oath of Allegiance. He relocated to the Red Bird community in Montgomery County, Arkansas. Red Bird is now known as Sulphur Springs.
The pair later discovered they are also direct descendants of Earp thanks to the tireless research of Shirley Manning.
Earp served as Commander of Company H in the 4th Arkansas Infantry, known as the Polk County Invincibles. He had moved to Polk County with his parents and siblings in the 1850’s, but traveled to Missouri and enlisted in the Army of the Confederacy, August 17, 1861. He quickly rose through the ranks to the position of Captain and Company H was placed under his command.
His first battle was at the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern at Pea Ridge, Arkansas. He went on to participate in several battles before returning home to Polk County to his family.
Officers of the local chapter are: President, Audrey Sue Giddens Costello; Vice President, Cortez James Copher; 2nd Vice President, Era Brown Furr Looney; 3rd Vice President, Grace E. Fountain; Recording Secretary, Leighanna Mozelle James Guillet; Treasurer, Janet Gwen Lyle Walker; Registrar, Cortez James Copher; Historian Darlene Sue Floyd Harper; Recorder of MSA, Anne Mitchell Bailey Dahm; Chapter Chaplain, Sue Ellen Bailey Patrick; Chapter Corresponding Secretary, Era Brown Furr Looney; Chapter Hostess Chairman, Shirley Yvonne Head Eudy; Chapter Parliamentarian, Deanna Grace Beck; Chapter Programs, Sue Derris; Yearbook, Kathy Haglar.
Those eligible for membership are women at least 16 years of age who are lineal or collateral blood descendants of men and women who served honorably in the Army, Navy, or Civil Service of the Confederate States of America, or who gave Material Aid to the Cause. Women who were adopted are eligible only through the bloodline of the biological parent. Also eligible are those women who are lineal or collateral blood descendants of members or former members of UDC.
No Confederate ancestor who took the Oath of Allegiance before April 9, 1865, shall be eligible to be used for application for membership. If proof of further Confederate service is available, thereby nullifying the Oath of Allegiance, the ancestor shall be considered for approval.
