Join Marcille Hughes and Vallie Fletcher Taylor at the Pine Colony Inn 500 Shelbyville Street Center, Texas for Saturday's Old Shelby County Courthouse Celebration. If you would like the book, "Rebel Private: Front and Rear," Vallie will be here in Center, to sign copies and visit with folks. Saturday from 9:00a.m. till 6:00p.m July 29th, 2000 "Texas Writer Coming to Center to Honor Two Great-Grandfathers" Vallie Fletcher Taylor is returning to the home of Judge R. L. "Bob" Parker,the man for whom the secret staircase in the historic courthouse was built."The verdicts rendered by my great-grandfather were not always popular with the rambunctious crowd in the courtroom," Taylor says." He often had to make a quick get-away to jump on his horse before the spectators could leave by the main entrance to mount their horses and come after him." "I guess he was thought of as either a hero or villian by the citizens of early day Center," Taylor continues. "He was the one that ask Ozzie Cartwright to take the records from the old Shelbyville Court House at night, and bring them to this area, then Parker guarded them with a gun." He also had the honor of naming the town and being the father of the first white child born here. That child, who married a young doctor from Jasper and later became my grandmother, brought me here often when I was a little girl." Taylor will be at The Pine Colony Inn during Saturday's celebration signing copies of a rare Civil War memoir written by another of her great-grandfather's, William Andrew Fletcher of Beaumont. Taylor added annotations to the original manuscript and an Afterword about the rest of his life. Bill Fletcher was a member of Hood's Texas Brigade, a scout for General Stonewall Jackson, and, after his second serious battle-wound, a member of Terry's Texas Rangers. His book relives the very personal story about his life as a Confederate soldier including his capture and exciting escape. "Our family received thank you notes from Margaret Mitchell who found the one copy in the Library of Congress when she was researching prior to writing Gone With the Wind. She called Rebel Private: Front and Rear her most valuable research tool," Taylor states. "Those familiar with her book will recognize Bill Fletcher's words and descriptions all through it."