Robert E. Lee's Orderly

A descendant of one of Nathan Bedford Forrest's slaves, 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 Robert E. Lee. Turner Hall, Jr. was celebrated by blacks and whites in his community for his service. Hall attended the last Civil war reunion at Gettysburg in 1938. He was interviewed by the national talk radio show, "We, The People". This is a personal journey of faith, heritage, race and family wrapped around the grace of God through the eyes and honest thoughts of a modern black. Arnold argues for African Americans to embrace Confederate heritage to capture the enriched 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.

Author Biography:
Al is a physical therapist that lives in Madison Mississippi. He grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi. He attended Jackson State University and graduated Magna Cum-Laude from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, School of Physical Therapy in 1991. He came to the knowledge of his Confederate ancestor in 2008. He started to search for an understanding of why, how, what and when did his great-great grandfather serve during the Civil War. His journey has led him to embrace his Confederate heritage and the roles of slaves in the Civil War. He is a member of the Civil War Roundtable in Jackson, MS. He has a desire to see more African Americans study the Civil War and their connections to this vital part of America’s history. To this aim, he has written this book. He believes Civil War history is Black history. Al is married and has three kids. As a Christian, Al holds firmly to faith in Jesus Christ alone as the only hope for humanity in salvation, forgiveness, oneness, and love.