The McDonald County Historical Society hosted a Veterans Day program Sunday at the Pineville Community Center.
The American Legion Post 392 Honor Guard posted the colors, and the audience joined in the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem.
Master of ceremonies Col. Mark Bartley shared the history of the battle of Pineville on Aug. 12, 1863, during the Civil War. According to material from the historical society, "Companies III, K and M of the Third Battalion, Sixth Cavalry, under Abe Allen, pursued "Coffee's 500" to Pineville, routed them in a few minutes, captured his ammunition and transported and left 75 of his men in command while he proceeded to Fort Gibson to join Gen. Blunt.
However, according to Clifford Noel, granddaughter of Lucinda Kirby Mosier, the word passed down from her grandmother reports the fighting to have begun by 6:30 in the morning and continued all day. She said the fighting took place southwest of the river below the cemetery and west of the mouth of Gordon Hollow. Firing, battle cries and other sounds were easily heard at the present site of the town of Pineville. Lucinda was living in Pineville at the time. When Humphrey's came to Pineville to run the funeral home in Pineville in 1939, they were told not to disturb or bury bodies at the big cedar tree in the Pineville Cemetery because there was a common grave for soldiers killed in this skirmish."
Also Sunday, a video was shown of American Legion Post 392 members performing a gun salute and playing "Taps."
Veterans at the event were recognized for their service one at a time by standing and saying their names and describing their service.
General News on 11/14/2019