Agricultural Economics and Law Grad Campbell Writes Book on Historical Tennessee Trial

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Mac Campbell, a Bumpers College and School of Law graduate, is senior vice president of the Lincoln Policy Group in Washington, D.C., and a published author.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Mac Campbell, a two-time graduate of the University of Arkansas with degrees in agricultural economics and law, has written a book about a historical murder case in Tennessee involving Andrew Jackson.

The Great Magness Trial: The Killing of Patton Anderson, the Trial of the Magness Family, & the Pursuit of Justice on the Tennessee Frontier has been published by BrayBree Publishing, which focuses on books related to Southern history.

Campbell is senior vice president of the Lincoln Policy Group, a public policy consulting and lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. He earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from the U of A's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences in 1996, and earned law degrees from the U of A in 1998 and Georgetown University in 2003.

The Magness trial was one of the most celebrated murder cases in early Tennessee history. The jacket description says: "David Magness shot and killed Major Patton Anderson in Shelbyville in 1810. His father, Jonathan Magness, and brother Perrygreen Magness were arrested as accomplices. Though considered a violent drunkard, Anderson was a personal friend of Andrew Jackson, who exerted his considerable influence to avenge Anderson's death. The involvement of prominent figures such as Jackson, Felix Grundy, and Thomas Hart Benton heightened the public's interest in the trial's outcome. It tested the ability of jurors to carry out their duties in the face of powerful men seeking the conviction of the defendants."

"I was searching for documents that might confirm dates of my family's migration to Arkansas," said Campbell of what drew him to the case. "When I found original notes in the Library of Congress related to a trial involving my ancestors, it turned out there were several important historical figures involved. Because the notes had been misfiled for decades, they had not been deeply researched or incorporated into studies of American luminaries who were involved. I was inspired to write the story when I discovered the long-lost notes related to some of the legendary figures of our history."

That was just the starting point. Researching the case was the most difficult task in telling the story.

"I had to find other records to complete the story and put it in context," said Campbell. "It was fortunate some of the county court documents survived the courthouse burnings of the civil war and I could obtain them from various places in Tennessee. Finding the documents was just the beginning. Reading and transcribing handwritten court documents from the early 19th Century is difficult and time-consuming."

With Lincoln Policy Group, Campbell helps citizens exercise the fifth guarantee under the First Amendment - the right to petition the government for the redress of grievances.

"The legislative process is complex," said Campbell. "Congressional rules can be confusing and drafting good law is intricate work. I advocate for my clients before the government and help them understand how to be more effective advocates for themselves."

He said growing up around agriculture working on small farms in his hometown of Harrison and studying agricultural economics provided a strong foundation for his career.

"I was in FFA and competed in the state contests with enough success that I was recruited by Associate Dean (Charlene) Mooty to matriculate to (what was then the) College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences," said Campbell. "I can't count the times I have reflected on lessons I learned from Drs. Cochran, Dixon, Redfern, Goodwin Sr., Ahrendsen and Wailes throughout my career. I believe a degree in agricultural economics may be the perfect degree for someone who wants to understand the political, practical and economic impacts of the public policy ideas considered by Congress." 

As for the book, he said one takeaway is our ancestors were tough people.

"I enjoyed being able to fill in a small gap that existed in the story of America," said Campbell. "It is satisfying to know my little book will save some future researcher all of the many hours I spent finding, researching, authenticating and compiling the documents for the story. Also, while it is ancillary to the book, I did find what I was looking for — a court document showing my family had settled what would become the Territory of Arkansas by May of 1812."   

Campbell is also tied to the college's history. In April 1996, a dedication program was held on campus in honor of the college being renamed for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and U. S. senator. Bumpers was present with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman serving as the keynote speaker.

"I was the student escort for Secretary Glickman the day we dedicated the college as Bumpers College," said Campbell. "It was a fun perk and I had a memorable day interacting with two of the wittiest politicians of our age."

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.