John Mortimer Harrell (December 14, 1828July 4, 1907) was an American lawyer and writer. He composed the very first telegram sent from Little Rock to Memphis. During the American Civil War, he distinguished himself as a cavalry officer in the operations of the West. Afterwards, he served as commander of the Southern Division, Arkansas United Confederate Veterans. Life and career In 1861 John Mortimer Harrell was the political editor of the Old Line Democrat. He was the editor of the Southern States, a weekly that succeeded the Old Line Democrat. In 1876 he was one of the editors of the Arkansas Gazette. Soon after this he removed to Hot Springs, where he continued to reside for many years, until the death of his wife, when he moved out of the State. In about 1880 he was the editor of the Hot Springs Telegraph. During the Reconstruction Period, he served as secretary of the 1867 Democratic convention. He wrote extensively about politics in Little Rock during this time, keeping newspaper clippings and long commentaries on the articles. His writings were published in 1893 as the Brooks and Baxter War, and are one of the most prominent sources on the Brooks–Baxter War. In 1899, Harrell and John Dimitry co-authored Confederate Military History, Volume X: Louisiana and Arkansas. Selected works Brooks and Baxter War (1893) Confederate Military History, Volume X (1899) See also List of members of the United Confederate Veterans List of United States attorneys for the Eastern District of Arkansas References External links John M. Harrell at The Political Graveyard 1828 births 1907 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American newspaper editors 19th-century American non-fiction writers American Civil War prisoners of war American non-fiction writers American people of Irish descent Arkansas Democrats Burials in Arkansas Cavalry commanders Confederate States Army officers Journalists from Arkansas Lawyers from Little Rock, Arkansas Male non-fiction writers Military personnel from Little Rock, Arkansas People of Arkansas in the American Civil War People from Gatesville, North Carolina United Confederate Veterans United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Arkansas University of Nashville alumni Writers from Little Rock, Arkansas Writers of American Southern literature