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Charles Henry "Bill Arp" Smith

Lawyer, Soldier, Politician, Writer

Bill Arp Born: 6-15-1826, Lawrenceville, GA
Died: 8-24-1903, Cartersville, GA
Buried: Oak Hill Cemetery, Cartersville
Married: Mary Octavia Hutchins

Hailed as "The Mark Twain of the South," Smith began his career in 1861 writing political satire. In 1878, having retired from law, Smith began a regular column for the Atlanta Constitution that at its peak was syndicated to hundreds of newspapers across the South. Painting scenes of life on the farm and at home, Arp's weekly column struck a chord with post-war Southerners and helped ease their reconciliation with the New South.


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