Most history lovers recognize the name Kenneth C. Davis, the popular historian who's made a fortune from his 'Don't Know Much About . . . ' series of books with subjects ranging from the history of the paperback publishing industry (Two-Bit Culture, Macmillan, 1984) to America's Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation (2008).

Those who haven't heard of Davis surely have heard of Sam Cooke's popular rock ‘n roll ditty 'What a Wonderful World,' with its immortal pop lyrics' Don't know much about history, Don't know much biology .., etc.' Any of us who write about history will agree that it's common to have our readers tell us as much about a particular event as that which we've been able to research on our own.

The following are addendums to History's Lost Moments columns that have run recently in the Moultrie News. I think that you'll find them as interesting as I did. In October, 2009, the

Moultrie News

 ran a History's Lost Moments column about the ex-slave, Billy Rose, a man who served as a valet to a Confederate general and as doorman at the South Carolina statehouse.

An excerpt from that column detailed a few of Rose's early experiences: 'As an 11-year-old slave boy whose duties included tending the wood box and sweeping the yard, Billy saw one of Columbia's grandest spectacles-- the visit of the Marquis de Lafayette in 1824. That grand old 'Hero of Two Revolutions' strode up Pendleton Street from Bishop Ellison Capers' home toward the Capitol treading upon a carpet of flowers strewn by dozens of pretty young girls. No grander sight could have greeted Caesar returning to Rome from conquering Gaul.'

Thanks to the wide reach of the

Moultrie News

a Columbia gentleman by the name of Joe Long e-mailed us with more information on that remarkable African-American ex-slave who was so beloved by all who knew him. Joe Long is the curator of education for The South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum located beside the 301 Gervais street. 'I really enjoyed your article on William Rose, three-war SC vet, and am glad someone else is taking an interest in him!

The gold watch you mentioned is on display in our gallery, engraved ‘The dying gift of Gen. Maxcy Gregg to his faithful servant, William Rose.' Rose was a witness to the famous reconciliation between 'Stonewall' Jackson and Gregg, on the latter's deathbed. Billy Rose was a Presbyterian elder at Ladson Presbyterian Church after the war, and I believe that he's buried under Ladson, as the church expanded over its own former graveyard. Some of his records are under the name 'William Barrett,' including his Seminole War service.'

'I hope the attached picture of Rose comes through. As you see, he's in the General's coat, attending a United Confederate Veterans' Reunion in Columbia. Rose appears to have been a staunch Democrat and active in Hampton's gubernatorial campaign in ‘76.'

Later in October, 2009, a column entitled 'Can That Much Have Changed In 40 Years' appeared in the Moultrie News. Forty years ago the country was torn by the Vietnam War and an upstate special forces major was on trial for murder in association with a death during the interrogation of a prisoner over there.

A local Air Force retiree, Colonel James 'Jim' Poore e-mailed that he 'enjoyed reading the article on 'change' in the

Moultrie News

 and particularly the comments on Major Middleton. 'I was a career military man and Vietnam veteran. On my tour in Vietnam I worked in support of various Special Forces 'A' and 'B' teams. Following that tour I spent several years in the Pentagon, involved in

Vietnam activities. A co-worker was Colonel R. Rheault who was later Middleton's commander in Vietnam -- and who was also implicated in the Article 32 investigation on a charge of murder [of a Vietnamese prisoner]. Colonel Rheault was an excellent soldier whose career was ruined by these charges, even though the charges were eventually dropped.'

'Along with Rheault and Middleton [who was from Jefferson, SC, and was one of the first of the famed Green Berets], some four other Special Forces officers were also accused with charges that were eventually dropped. The charge, by the way, was not that of conspiracy to

assassinate suspected VC [Viet Cong], but of conspiracy to murder a specific Vietnamese [man] who had been working as a double agent for the VC. There had been a program -- Phoenix -- that had dealt with the elimination of VC leaders, but none of that was related to this [Middleton] case.'

Colonel Poore also added that he recommends the 'book entitled Those Gallant Men [Presidio Press, 1984], by attorney John S. Berry, who was one of the team defending these men. The last half of the book deals with the Middleton case.'

In April, 2009, History's Lost Moments ran a column on a local lady, Emma Jule Gadsden Williams' and her Career With The NY Yankees' front office in the Mickey Mantle era. Readers of the Post and Courier probably noticed that on Friday, December 18, the 'Moxie Column' announced that Mrs. Williams is the 2009 Winner of the Charleston Federation of Women's Clubs Hall of Fame Award. Mrs. Williams of Mount Pleasant, but originally of Huger, worked her way up from employee of Diners Club and Lord and Taylor of New York to the CBS headquarters business office where she knew of Dan rather, Walter Cronkite, and many other newscasters. Since CBS owned the Yankees organization back then, it was a lateral move to the Yankees' baseball team business office. Soon, Mrs. Williams was processing paychecks for Mantle and a host of legendary Yankee players.

Mrs. Williams continues to be very active in the Mount Pleasant community and especially in her church, Greater Zion A.M.E. Seldom does a week go by that a reader of the History's Lost Moments column does not write in with additional insight on a particular column.

Calls or e-mails have come from as far away as California, Nebraska, Georgia, North Carolina, New York, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Britain and Iraq. Credit the far-flung readership of the

Moultrie News

 --especially now that it has an internet edition!

(Dr. Thomas B. Horton is a history teacher at Porter-Gaud School. He lives in the Old Village of Mount Pleasant).

See more columns online at www.moultrienews.com. Visit his Web site at www.historyslostmoments.com.