NEWS & UPDATES
NEW RESEARCH UNDERWAY
October 7, 2020 - The writers of the feature film screenplay in development traveled to Kansas City, MO to dig deep into the archives of state and county records to uncover fascinating details of George Washington's miiltary history, and his life after his service ended. He indeed owned his own farm and land in an intigrated community outside Lawrence, Kansas, and had a large family.
Also unearthed were equally revealing records of his former slave master, Jesse Miller, and his wife Margaret. George's oral history says he was given to Margaret and Lewis Waller, her first husband, as a wedding present when George was just an infant. Records indicate that Margaret and Lewis only had one child of their own, who died at the age of two. The Waller family also had a history of somewhat unusual inclusion of their slaves into the family life. This information seems to track with the possibility that makes George's oral history describing Jesse as something of a father figure, entirely plausible.
SCREENING AT THE MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM
February 21, 2016 - The Battle of Island Mound short film screened to a nearly full house at the Missouri History Museum. This was the second screening of the film at the museum. Director Brant Hadfield was on hand for an energetic Q&A session which lasted roughly thirty minutes. Private Washington the feature film concept based upon the narrative subject of the short, was discussed, and received an enthusiastic response from the audience.
Reviews posted to The Battle of Island Mound Facebook page:
I cried several times thinking how it might have felt as those young men literally fought for their freedom knowing what would have happened to them if they were captured. - Britt Eubanks
Saw this film yesterday at the Missouri History Museum and recommend it highly - it's powerful and strongly presented. See it! - Linda Eastman
I feel so proud both as an African American and a United States Marine Corps Veteran! - Alphonso J. Dalton
October 4, 2015 - The Battle of Island Mound received two Emmy Awards last night at the Mid-America Chapter NATAS awards dinner in St. Louis. One award for best Historical Documentary, and another for Cinematography in a program. Thanks to everyone who dedicated their time and energy to making this important project happen.
July 19, 2015 - The DVD of The Battle of Island Mound film and bonus material was included among some other 29 items sealed inside a time capsule at the Missouri State Capitol building on July 3, 2015. The capsule was dedicated at a ceremony presided over by Governor Jay Nixon, marking the 100th anniversary of the capitol building, and will be opened on the 200th anniversary in 2115. A capsule sealed in the cornerstone in 1915 was opened prior to the re dedication. A private citizen of Jefferson City suggested the DVD, and it made the final cut among other suggestions. Whether the DVD media will survive the passage of 100 years is a good question. But hopefully the disc's presence will motivate preservationists to locate a surviving copy in digital form somewhere if the disc itself will no longer play.