Bill Arp
Encyclopedia
Charles Henry Smith was a Georgia
politician who as a writer used the nom de plume Bill Arp for nearly 40 years. He had a national reputation as a writer during his lifetime, and at least three communities are named for him (Arp, Ga.; Bill Arp, Ga.; Arp, Texas).
Born and raised in Lawrenceville, Georgia
, Smith enrolled at the University of Georgia
(UGA) in Athens, Georgia
; however, he did not graduate. He moved to Rome, Georgia
in the 1850s where he lived in Oak Hill before he sold to his collegaue, Andrew M. Sloan who sold the estate to Thomas Berry
in 1871. During the Civil War, he served in 8th Georgia Volunteer Infantry (Rome Light Guards) as a major on the staff of several Confederate generals, including Francis Bartow. Following the war, he returned to Rome, where he served as a Mayor, Alderman, and in the Georgia Senate.
After the war and until his death, he wrote "letters to the editor" to the Atlanta Constitution as Bill Arp. They were typically in "Cracker dialect
" talking about all manner of things that he couldn't say as a public figure.
He also edited newspapers in Rome, Cartersville
and Atlanta and published five books: Bill Arp's Letters (1870), Bill Arp's Scrap Book (1884), The Farm and Fireside (1891), History of Georgia (1895), From the Uncivil War to Date (1903). And he was a successful lecturer as well.
Smith died in Cartersville, Georgia
in 1903 and was buried in that same city.
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
politician who as a writer used the nom de plume Bill Arp for nearly 40 years. He had a national reputation as a writer during his lifetime, and at least three communities are named for him (Arp, Ga.; Bill Arp, Ga.; Arp, Texas).
Born and raised in Lawrenceville, Georgia
Lawrenceville, Georgia
Lawrenceville is a city in and the county seat of Gwinnett County, Georgia, in the United States. The Census Bureau estimates the 2008 population at 29,258...
, Smith enrolled at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
(UGA) in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
; however, he did not graduate. He moved to Rome, Georgia
Rome, Georgia
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County...
in the 1850s where he lived in Oak Hill before he sold to his collegaue, Andrew M. Sloan who sold the estate to Thomas Berry
Martha Berry
For the Cherokee bead artist, see Martha Berry Martha McChesney Berry was an United States educator and the founder of Berry College in Rome, Georgia.-Early years:...
in 1871. During the Civil War, he served in 8th Georgia Volunteer Infantry (Rome Light Guards) as a major on the staff of several Confederate generals, including Francis Bartow. Following the war, he returned to Rome, where he served as a Mayor, Alderman, and in the Georgia Senate.
After the war and until his death, he wrote "letters to the editor" to the Atlanta Constitution as Bill Arp. They were typically in "Cracker dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
" talking about all manner of things that he couldn't say as a public figure.
He also edited newspapers in Rome, Cartersville
Cartersville, Georgia
Cartersville is a town in Bartow County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 19,7314. The city is the county seat of Bartow County.-Geography:Cartersville was named for Colonel Farish Carter....
and Atlanta and published five books: Bill Arp's Letters (1870), Bill Arp's Scrap Book (1884), The Farm and Fireside (1891), History of Georgia (1895), From the Uncivil War to Date (1903). And he was a successful lecturer as well.
Smith died in Cartersville, Georgia
Cartersville, Georgia
Cartersville is a town in Bartow County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 19,7314. The city is the county seat of Bartow County.-Geography:Cartersville was named for Colonel Farish Carter....
in 1903 and was buried in that same city.
External links
- Bill Arp from the Uncivil War to Date, 1861-1903. Atlanta, Ga.: The Hudgins Publishing Company, 1903, c1902.