Spelling bee craze, unusual Civil War soldier and more from Greensburg

Could the spelling bee craze that swept the country beginning in the 19th century have been kicked off in Greensburg, Indiana? The city in Decatur County claims to have hosted the first citywide spelling bee. And there's a direct link to "The Hoosier Schoolmaster", a best-selling novel in 1871 that was set in the county and includes a riveting episode with a spelling match; it is credited with causing the popularity of bees to boom.