On Friday, January 20, the Winston County Friends of the Library will host an event featuring author Anne Preus, who recently released the book Out of Texas. The book is based on true events, and the characters are tied to Winona. The Friends of the Library will provide a sack lunch for the first 24 attendees.
Preus’ book features the story surrounding the Brantley and Baltzell feud, which originated in Gonzales, Texas. National newspapers reported on the feud at the time, which ended with the unsolved murder of then-Winona Mayor Arnold Brantley in 1870.
Preus co-wrote the book with her cousin, Joseph Townsend, a native of Winona. Townsend approached Preus with the research he’d completed while recovering from an extended illness. According to Preus, Townsend “had gone as far as he could” with the story; he asked his cousin to jump in and “make the story more humanistic.”
When he approached his cousin, Townsend told Preus, “I’ve got a story that’s too good not to be told.” That quote would be the resounding inspiration for writing the book, especially when Preus would “hit a wall” or encounter some other difficulty in writing.
While there is some background regarding Dr. John Brantley and his family, the book's main character is Rebecca Brantley, the doctor’s widow. Preus centered on Rebecca and her relationships as a widow in the 1800s who would move back to Mississippi to live with her mother-in-law.
The book has many historical names recognizable to Mississippians, including Governor James L. Alcorn. Alcorn had created a Secret Police Bureau, and one of the reported officers was a black man named Buford Hobbs. Hobbs had a personal tie to the Brantley family, and Preus utilizes this relationship within the book. Preus said after learning about the story, she wrote to place herself in Rebecca’s shoes, asking herself, “What would I do?”
To meet Anne Preus and learn more about the Brantley-Baltzall feud, attend the event on Friday, January 20, at 11:30. Ms. Preus will have copies of her book available.
