Visit the Louisiana Boardwalk this Saturday, April 30, from 9am - 1pm for Bossier Parish Library's Spring Festival! There will be something for everyone: games, crafts, face painting, performers, Build-a-Bear mascot, technology, Bossier history, water safety, railroad safety, door prizes - fun for the whole family!
The History booth will feature photos and information about the steamboat era along the Red River. We will also help you make your very own "Steamboat in a Cup" craft to bring home!
The festival will be under the Texas Street Bridge and it's FREE! Hope to see you there!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Talley murder
We've spent some time digging deeper into the newspaper account of Elias O'Neil's murder in Shreveport. Martin Talley, Jr. shot O'Neil in April of 1871, an act of retribution for O'Neil's murder of Fred Talley, Martin's father. Fred Talley's murder occurred just 8 months earlier, in August of 1870.
Fred Talley has a violent history of his own, with the Ouachita Telegraph reporting on Talley's killing of EB Huff in November of 1866. "The difficulty originated at a gaming table." Fred Talley had nine children, but his third daughter, Lou, died at age 9 on August 10, 1870, just 7 days before Talley was fatally shot by O'Neil. Talley's wife, Elizabeth M. Fite, was left to raise her remaining 8 children alone.
According to the memorial obituary for 39 year-old Talley placed in the Southwestern on 24 August 1870, "Though fearless and calmly resolute in danger, it could never be said of him that he was a quarrelsome man; and it was a source of consolation to him in his last moments to know that he had received his death wound while acting the peacemaker."
Elias O'Neil, was confined upon the charge of killing Talley, but was supposedly too unwell to be brought into court right away. The Southwestern reports that "in the difficulty, he was several times struck on the head by a large walking cane, and as erysipelas [infection] has supervened, his physicians regard him in a somewhat critical condition." This diagnosis did not stop the trial and on the 30th of August, O'Neal was "brought before Judge Levisee to undergo a preliminary examination upon an application for bail."
According to the Southwestern's 7 Sept 1870 article, within the week, "the application to be admitted to bail by Mr. Elias O'Neal, charged with murder in killing Mr. FW Tally, was finally argued yesterday, the examination of witnesses having occupied three days. The arguments of cuonsel, pro et con, were able and exhaustive, though not so ornate and flowery as usual, being limited in time. After a lengthy, impartial, and thorough investigation, Judge Levisee decided that the accused be admitted to bail in the sum of $20,000."
Fred Talley has a violent history of his own, with the Ouachita Telegraph reporting on Talley's killing of EB Huff in November of 1866. "The difficulty originated at a gaming table." Fred Talley had nine children, but his third daughter, Lou, died at age 9 on August 10, 1870, just 7 days before Talley was fatally shot by O'Neil. Talley's wife, Elizabeth M. Fite, was left to raise her remaining 8 children alone.
According to the memorial obituary for 39 year-old Talley placed in the Southwestern on 24 August 1870, "Though fearless and calmly resolute in danger, it could never be said of him that he was a quarrelsome man; and it was a source of consolation to him in his last moments to know that he had received his death wound while acting the peacemaker."
Elias O'Neil, was confined upon the charge of killing Talley, but was supposedly too unwell to be brought into court right away. The Southwestern reports that "in the difficulty, he was several times struck on the head by a large walking cane, and as erysipelas [infection] has supervened, his physicians regard him in a somewhat critical condition." This diagnosis did not stop the trial and on the 30th of August, O'Neal was "brought before Judge Levisee to undergo a preliminary examination upon an application for bail."
According to the Southwestern's 7 Sept 1870 article, within the week, "the application to be admitted to bail by Mr. Elias O'Neal, charged with murder in killing Mr. FW Tally, was finally argued yesterday, the examination of witnesses having occupied three days. The arguments of cuonsel, pro et con, were able and exhaustive, though not so ornate and flowery as usual, being limited in time. After a lengthy, impartial, and thorough investigation, Judge Levisee decided that the accused be admitted to bail in the sum of $20,000."
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Gale news
Have you been using the free Gale trial to search for Bossier City or Shreveport news? We have! Here is one of the articles that we were able to find that ran in the Daily Evening Bulletin of San Francisco, CA on April 28, 1871:
We will be checking our newspaper collection to see what locals had to say about the murder.
TERRIBLE MURDER IN SHREVEPORT,LA.
A Young Man Kills His Father's Murderer
A correspondent of a New Orleans paper writes from Shreveport, under date of April 8th as follows:
Our usually quiet, very orderly and law abiding city was thrown into great excitement to-day about dinner time, by the discharge of two shots from a double-barreled shotgun in the hands of a wild young man, eighteen years of age, named Martin Talley, Jr., on Market Street, about a square from the Brooks House. Coming from an alley, he approached very near without speaking a word to his victim, Elias O'Neil, of Bossier Parish, and fired one barrel into his face killing him instantly; but after O'Neil fell, put the gun to his head and discharged the other barrel, charged with buckshot, completely tearing his head to pieces. By the first shot, he, it is feared, also mortally wounded Dr. L.S. Fisher, who was conversing with O'Neil, blowing out one eye and horribly disfiguring him. Dr. Fisher has recently moved here and is not as well known here as O'Neil, who was almost forty-five years of age, and long a resident of the neighboring parish. Mr. O'Neil, last August, near the same place where he was murdered, killed the father of his murderer in a gambling difficulty, and this retribution has come to him. Young Talley attempted to escape, but was captured at once and conveyed to prison. It is a sad event viewed from any point...especially it is sad in regard to Dr. Fisher, who was innocent in every respect, and it is to be most sincerely hoped he may recover.
We will be checking our newspaper collection to see what locals had to say about the murder.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Free Access to Gale for National Library Week
Gale will offer their vast historical newspaper collection for National Library Week this year for a full two weeks Apr 10 to 24th. Click below or to the right to browse through the historic newspapers for the following categories!
Gale NewsVault — The definitive cross-searching experience for exploring Gale's historical newspaper and periodical collections — with access to more than 10 million digitized pages.
Global Issues in Context — Empower your users with the tools they need to understand today's world issues from a truly global perspective.
GREENR (Global Reference on the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources) — From the green-collar economy to questions of energy and resource management, GREENR is the foremost online reference portal for sustainability and environmental studies.
Powerspeak Languages — The perfect language learning resource teaches users how to immerse into cultural authenticity. New languages include ESL Mandarin, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Korean.
Science in Context — From global warming to space exploration, students are drawn into the subject by integrating pure information with today's headlines and videos — showing how scientific disciplines relate to real-world issues.
Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive — The largest, most ambitious collection devoted to the study of slavery. In its entirety, it will consist of more than 5 million cross-searchable pages. Part I: Debates over Slavery & Abolition available now.
Gale NewsVault — The definitive cross-searching experience for exploring Gale's historical newspaper and periodical collections — with access to more than 10 million digitized pages.
Global Issues in Context — Empower your users with the tools they need to understand today's world issues from a truly global perspective.
GREENR (Global Reference on the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources) — From the green-collar economy to questions of energy and resource management, GREENR is the foremost online reference portal for sustainability and environmental studies.
Powerspeak Languages — The perfect language learning resource teaches users how to immerse into cultural authenticity. New languages include ESL Mandarin, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Korean.
Science in Context — From global warming to space exploration, students are drawn into the subject by integrating pure information with today's headlines and videos — showing how scientific disciplines relate to real-world issues.
Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive — The largest, most ambitious collection devoted to the study of slavery. In its entirety, it will consist of more than 5 million cross-searchable pages. Part I: Debates over Slavery & Abolition available now.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Leaving Bossier Parish
In 1861, nearly 800 Bossier men departed the parish and headed off to war.
The June 19, 1861 issue of The Southwestern notes the Bossier Volunteers leaving town.
The Bossier Banner also reported on the events at the Volunteers' departure.
On June 13, the Bossier Volunteers, under Captain E.G. Randolph, left. At the Cane place, Miss Mattie Maples presented the flag. Mrs. Cane gave a reception dinner, and Wesley P. Winans and Robert J. Looney delivered addresses. The company, numbering 104 men and 9 servants, left per steamer via New Orleans for Camp Moore, where it and other companies were organized into the 9th Louisiana regiment with Richard Taylor as colonel; E.G. Randolph as lieutenant colonel, and Wm. R. Peck, as major.
The Bossier Banner of the 19th of April contained a headline "Off for Charleston," announcing the departure, on the 16th, of Ed. A. Lowry, Morgan O. Taliaferro, J.E. Jackson and Wm. G. Aarons. They joined the Caddo Rifles at Shreveport and went to Virginia, whither the Shreveport Grays had already gone.
A military ball was given at the courthouse in honor of the departure of Capt. Loudon Butler's company, the Bossier Boys, on Wednesday, May 8. Miss Maggie Moore presented the flag. This company left Shreveport the next day on the Grand Duke, arriving in New Orleans on the 12th, where it was mustered into service by the State authorities, but, owing to a disagreement between Gov. Moore and the Confederate secretary of war as to term of enlistments, Capt. Butler's company, together with many other companies, were disbanded at Camp Moore with all but a few members returning home and joining new companies as they were organized.
The Banner also reported on the events at the Volunteers' departure. On June 13, the Bossier Volunteers, under Captain E.G. Randolph, left. At the Cane place, Miss Mattie Maples presented the flag. Mrs. Cane gave a reception dinner, and Wesley P. Winans and Robert J. Looney delivered addresses. The company, numbering 104 men and 9 servants, left per steamer via New Orleans for Camp Moore, where it and other companies were organized into the 9th Louisiana regiment with Richard Taylor as colonel; E.G. Randolph as lieutenant colonel, and Wm. R. Peck, as major.
On September 22, the Robins Grays left, with Loudon Butler as captain. A barbecue was given by the friends of the company at Fillmore and Miss Emily Garrison presented the flag. This company went directly to Camp Moore, via Monroe and Vicksburg.
On September 25, the Vance Guards left, under Captain Richard Welcome Turner. Miss Lizzie Dickson presented the flag. A barbecue was given to the Guards at this place the day before their departure, and on the day of their departure another barbecue was given on the Bellevue and Minden road, between the residences of John W. Hudson and C.P. Thompson. The Rev. Baxter Clegg delivered a few friendly words of admonition and offered a prayer for their safety.
The June 19, 1861 issue of The Southwestern notes the Bossier Volunteers leaving town.
Captain Randolph's company of "Bossier Men" passed through this place en route to the wars last Thursday. Our citizens vied with each other in giving them a hospitable reception. The Shreveport Sentinels received them at the ferry landing, and escorted them to the boat, where R.J. Looney, Esq., delivered a neat address, which was responded to by Capt. Randolph. Lieut. Winans, on behalf of the ladies of Shreveport, in a few appropriate remarks, presented them with a wreath of flowers. We understand the ceremonies on the other side of the river were still more interesting, consisting of a barbecue and flag presentation, by one of Bossier's loveliest daughters, Miss Maples. We learn that some of the returned "Bossier Boys" have embraced this opportunity to prove themselves "Men".
The Bossier Banner also reported on the events at the Volunteers' departure.
On June 13, the Bossier Volunteers, under Captain E.G. Randolph, left. At the Cane place, Miss Mattie Maples presented the flag. Mrs. Cane gave a reception dinner, and Wesley P. Winans and Robert J. Looney delivered addresses. The company, numbering 104 men and 9 servants, left per steamer via New Orleans for Camp Moore, where it and other companies were organized into the 9th Louisiana regiment with Richard Taylor as colonel; E.G. Randolph as lieutenant colonel, and Wm. R. Peck, as major.
On June 13, the Bossier Volunteers, under Captain E.G. Randolph, left. At the Cane place, Miss Mattie Maples presented the flag. Mrs. Cane gave a reception dinner, and Wesley P. Winans and Robert J. Looney delivered addresses. The company, numbering 104 men and 9 servants, left per steamer via New Orleans for Camp Moore, where it and other companies were organized into the 9th Louisiana regiment with Richard Taylor as colonel; E.G. Randolph as lieutenant colonel, and Wm. R. Peck, as major.
The Bossier Banner of the 19th of April contained a headline "Off for Charleston," announcing the departure, on the 16th, of Ed. A. Lowry, Morgan O. Taliaferro, J.E. Jackson and Wm. G. Aarons. They joined the Caddo Rifles at Shreveport and went to Virginia, whither the Shreveport Grays had already gone.
A military ball was given at the courthouse in honor of the departure of Capt. Loudon Butler's company, the Bossier Boys, on Wednesday, May 8. Miss Maggie Moore presented the flag. This company left Shreveport the next day on the Grand Duke, arriving in New Orleans on the 12th, where it was mustered into service by the State authorities, but, owing to a disagreement between Gov. Moore and the Confederate secretary of war as to term of enlistments, Capt. Butler's company, together with many other companies, were disbanded at Camp Moore with all but a few members returning home and joining new companies as they were organized.
The Banner also reported on the events at the Volunteers' departure. On June 13, the Bossier Volunteers, under Captain E.G. Randolph, left. At the Cane place, Miss Mattie Maples presented the flag. Mrs. Cane gave a reception dinner, and Wesley P. Winans and Robert J. Looney delivered addresses. The company, numbering 104 men and 9 servants, left per steamer via New Orleans for Camp Moore, where it and other companies were organized into the 9th Louisiana regiment with Richard Taylor as colonel; E.G. Randolph as lieutenant colonel, and Wm. R. Peck, as major.
On September 22, the Robins Grays left, with Loudon Butler as captain. A barbecue was given by the friends of the company at Fillmore and Miss Emily Garrison presented the flag. This company went directly to Camp Moore, via Monroe and Vicksburg.
On September 25, the Vance Guards left, under Captain Richard Welcome Turner. Miss Lizzie Dickson presented the flag. A barbecue was given to the Guards at this place the day before their departure, and on the day of their departure another barbecue was given on the Bellevue and Minden road, between the residences of John W. Hudson and C.P. Thompson. The Rev. Baxter Clegg delivered a few friendly words of admonition and offered a prayer for their safety.
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