Arkansas in the Civil War: 1861 is a documentary chronology of Arkansas in 1861 using only primary sources to tell the story of why Arkansas left the Union in and joined the Confederate States of America. Many of the documents in Arkansas in the Civil War: 1861 have never been published. This is the first time ever the whole story of the first year of the Civil War in Arkansas is told by both sides of the conflict using only primary source documents. Sales of this book help maintain Civil War battle sites in Arkansas. Included in Arkansas in the Civil War: 1861: - complete list of Arkansas lawmakers (U.S. and General Assembly) -Content index -official militia dispatches -legal documents, including proclamations, resolutions, and ordinances (including the Ordinance of Secession) -poetry -flag presentations to military units -proceedings of the secession conventions (March and May) -official reports of military actions -19th century humor -announcements -over 200 pages of primary source documents in chronological order for the first time ever in print from both sides of the conflict