All Roads Lead To Fifty-Six

I'm on the road for a few more days, deep in the tick-infested woods of North-Central Arkansas, not far from where J. O. Shelby spent the bitter winter of 1862-1863. Look for a full report report from the Trans-Mississippi upon our return. Two things I learned on this Independence Day: 1) Blanchard Springs and associated Caverns were named for a Civil War Veteran of Shiloh, Stones River, and Chickamauga (more on that next week); and 2) the Battle Flag is 100 times more visible today then it was the last time I visited Arkansas, ten years ago.