The Story of David O. Dodd

The Story of David O. Dodd (HM27GC)

Location: Little Rock, AR 72202 Pulaski County
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 34° 44.291', W 92° 15.904'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 467 views
Inscription

“Boy Hero of the Confederacy”

In December 1863 and January of 1864, Little Rock was a Union-occupied town. During this period David Owen Dodd, a boy of 17, was involved in a series of events that led to his hanging as a spy. As a result he became known as the "Boy Hero of the Confederacy."

Dodd lived in Camden and came to Little Rock in early December to conduct family business. During his return journey Union soldiers discovered information regarding troop dispositions in Little Rock in his possession. Dodd was arrested, given a brief military trial, found guilty of spying and condemned to death by hanging. Believing that the information that convicted him was too detailed for Dodd to have obtained with out help, Union General Fredrick Steele offered leniency if he would identify his source. Dodd repeatedly refused. His hanging occurred on January 8 at a site on the grounds of St. John's College.

Reports from the time vary widely in the details of the hanging. Some reports claim that the hanging was conducted ineptly. There are no known photographs of the execution available. It is known that an elaborate scaffold was not used, but rather a hastily constructed gallows. The tail-gate of a wagon was used as the hanging platform. A reprint of an article in the Arkansas Gazette State Centennial Edition, printed in 1936, stated in part:



"There were about 5,000 spectators present to witness the execution. Besides the spectators, there were present four Battalions of Union soldiers — so placed as to form a square, with the gallows in the center."

General Steele required that Dodd's funeral be conducted in a simple manner so as not to inflame the passions of the citizens of Little Rock. Early on January 9, a small cortege of mourners accompanied his body across town where he was buried in a donated grave in Mount Holly Cemetery.

The adjacent granite monument was erected in 1926 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to mark the hanging site. It was approximately 500 yards east of this location. In the early 1960's the monument was relocated because of Interstate construction. The interpretive panel a short distance to the north of you regarding the Little Rock Arsenal has a map which shows the hanging site and St. John's College in relation to this panel.

Inset "Do not weep for me for I will be better off in heaven. I will soon be out of this world of sorrow and trouble. I would like to see you before I die but, let God's will be done not ours."
David O. Dodd in a final letter to his family.


Photo captions
Bottom left: Know today as the Old Stage Coach House, it is located on the road that was the main route



to southwest Arkansas. It served as a Union outpost. After his capture, Dodd was initially confined and questioned here.

Middle top: David O. Dodd, Age 17
Middle: The hanging site was on the grounds of St. John's College, a Masonic school established in the 1850's. Notice the many white buildings that were constructed as military hospital wards.
Middle bottom: General Steele, fearing a public disturbance, directed that Dodd's funeral be kept simple. A brief service was conducted in this house that stood near the corner of Fifth and Rock Streets.
Inset caption: There are no known photographs of the Dodd hanging and there were varying reports in regard to the details. It is known that a hastily constructed gallows similar to the one shown above, was used rather than a more elaborate scaffold.
Bottom right: Dodd is buried in Mount Holly Cemetery located at 1200 Broadway in Little Rock. The cemetery is the final resting place of many Arkansas notables.
Details
HM NumberHM27GC
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, May 8th, 2018 at 10:01pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)15S E 567277 N 3844255
Decimal Degrees34.73818333, -92.26506667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 34° 44.291', W 92° 15.904'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds34° 44' 17.46" N, 92° 15' 54.24" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)501
Closest Postal AddressAt or near MacArthur Park, Little Rock AR 72202, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?