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鈥楽o Great Was the Slaughter鈥� honored by Arkansas Historical Association

University of Central Arkansas Assistant Professor of History Dr. Buckley T. Foster has received the 2026 J.G. Ragsdale Book Award from the Arkansas Historical Association for his book, 鈥淪o Great Was the Slaughter: Market Hunting, Sportsmen, and Wildlife Conservation in Arkansas.鈥�

The annual award recognizes the best nonfiction, book-length study on any aspect of Arkansas history. Named for founding member John Gails Ragsdale, the honor highlights excellence in historical scholarship and contributions to understanding the state鈥檚 past. The award was presented during the association鈥檚 annual conference in Monticello, Arkansas.

鈥淚鈥檓 honored that the Arkansas Historical Association recognized this work and the history it represents,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淔rom starting the research to the book reaching my hands, this was a 10-year project.

鈥淭his award makes me feel it was a worthwhile endeavor.鈥�

鈥淪o Great Was the Slaughter鈥� tells an important and compelling story about the origins of Arkansas wildlife conservation. It reveals the untold story of Arkansas conservation pioneers who attempted to save the state鈥檚 game and fish populations. As Arkansas entered the 20th century, the national demand for meat 鈥� combined with the ability to ship millions of animals to hungry cities like New Orleans, Memphis and Chicago 鈥� had driven many species, including bison, prairie chickens and passenger pigeons, to extinction in Arkansas. Many others, including deer, bears, turkeys, quail and many fish species, were in danger of disappearing. Through extensive research, Foster traces how an unlikely coalition of sportsmen, conservationists and policymakers helped establish early conservation laws, fish hatcheries and wildlife refuges that laid the foundations for sustainable management practices.

Foster also presented some of his research at the AHA annual conference in a session titled 鈥淜illing for a Living: Market Hunters on Big Lake.鈥�

In addition to the Ragsdale Award, 鈥淪o Great Was the Slaughter鈥� was selected as an Arkansas Gem for 2025 by the Arkansas Center for the Book at the Arkansas State Library. Selection is based on the work鈥檚 literary or artistic merit, originality, and potential for local and regional interest. Titles with registered copyrights published within the current calendar year or the previous calendar year are considered. Arkansas Gems posters and bookmarks are introduced each year at the National Book Festival, highlighting recent regional literature to a national audience.

Foster is an accomplished historian and professor with over 25 years of experience teaching American, Southern, Military and Arkansas history at both two-year and four-year institutions across the South and Midwest. He holds a Ph.D. in 19th-century Southern History from Mississippi State University, with subfields in environmental history and the application of science and technology to the study of history. He earned both his B.A. and M.A. in History from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. His research explores Civil War military campaigns, rural life in Arkansas, and the history of hunting and conservation. Foster鈥檚 growing body of scholarship includes 鈥淪herman鈥檚 Mississippi Campaign鈥� (2006) and an edited Civil War diary of one of Stonewall Jackson鈥檚 colonels, 鈥淔ighting with Stonewall in the Valley,鈥� scheduled for release in October 2026.

About the J.G. Ragsdale Book Award

John Gails Ragsdale, a 1919 graduate of the University of Arkansas, was a founding member of the Arkansas Historical Association and served on the University鈥檚 Board of Trustees for 14 years. In his honor, the association has since 2002 presented the annual J.G. Ragsdale Book Award in Arkansas History for the best book-length study of any aspect of Arkansas history. Eligible works include nonfiction book-length historical studies written in English and published within the last two years.