Robert E. Lee's Orderly: A Modern Black Man's Confederate Journey

A descendant of a slave Al Arnold tells his journey of embracing his Confederate heritage. His ancestor Turner Hall Jr. a Black Confederate served as a body servant for two Confederate soldiers and an orderly for General Robert E. Lee. Turner Hall Jr. returned to Okolona Mississippi after the Civil War. Hall served a prominent family in that community for five generations. His lifes journey eventually led him to Hugo Oklahoma where he established himself as the towns most distinguished citizen receiving acclaim from Black and White citizens alike for his service. In 1938 his journey continued to Pennsylvania as the last Civil War veteran from his community to attend the final Civil War veteran reunion as a Black Confederate. He also traveled to New York City and was interviewed by the national talk radio show We The People in 1940.One hundred and three years after the Civil War Halls great-great grandson Al Arnold was born in Okolona Mississippi. Raised in North Mississippi Al would later discover the history of his ancestor and began an eight year journey of why how and for what reasons his ancestor served the Confederate armies? To his amazement Al discovered that seventy two years after the Civil war his ancestor was a proud Confederate and held in his possession a cherished gift from the Confederate Civil War general Nathan Bedford Forrest. Als personal research discovered that his ancestor was owned by Forrest and was enthusiastically warm toward the general and his service to the Confederate armies. This amazing connection to two famous Confederate generals awakened a new perception of curiosity about Confederate heritage in Al and challenged his traditional thoughts. He grew to accept his heritage and now embraces it with a desire to see African Americans embrace Confederate heritage instead of rejecting it on the notion of modern ideology. This is a deep personal journey of faith heritage race and family wrapped around the grace of God through the eyes and honest thoughts of a modern black man. Al tells the story of Turner Hall Jr. his personal Confederate journey and how family and faith has brought harmony to his new found heritage. Arnold argues for the revitalization of the lost Black history of the Civil War era. He bestows dignity and honor on his Confederate ancestor and challenges the traditional thoughts of modern African Americans. Arnold rests in his faith as the uniting force that reconciles our colorful past to our bright future.