400th Anniversary of Shirley Plantation

Far shot of approach to Shirley Plantation's Great House.

This year marks the 400th year of Shirley Plantation in Charles City, Virginia! 

Shirley is the first plantation in Virginia!  That is really saying something--it was settled in 1613.

When you arrive at Shirley you are a one-of-a-kind Colonial place--according to experts there is no other place that holds so many original colonial plantation buildings on original site!

Shirley Plantations Great House, Charles City, VA.

The Great House is spectacular!  When I was writing my novella "Return to Shirley Plantation" my hero, Matthew, approaches this home realizing how old it was even then (about 150 years old!) Look at the picture above and note the two story brick building to the left, in front of it and one to the right, also.  If you look to the left of the picture and the right in the margins forefront in the picture you will see a tiny bit of the two--two story L-shaped brick buildings that are closest to the parking area--the storehouse and the ice house.

Dovecote at Shirley Plantation

One of my favorite buildings in the Dovecote.  The colonials ate young doves.  It was fun to have a fellow history geek with me at Shirley and this person didn't know what it was.

Ice House at Shirley Plantation

This is a shot from inside of the ice house.  This large L-shaped brick building is on the right side forefront as you approach the house.

Exterior side of Shirley Plantation Store house

The Flemish bond brickwork is spectacular.  The bricks for the house and the buildings on the property were made onsite.

It is thought that indentured servants helped design and build the home and the outlying buildings on the property.


RT: Inside the storehouse building.  Note the wooden shutters. Various displays are showcased inside of the storehouse, hence the light fixtures.

Kitchen Display at Shirley Plantation

See the pie in the oven on the left?

Shirley Plantation's Kitchen

The kitchen is house on the first floor of a two story brick building to the right of the property and closer to the house.  On the side of the Great House there is an entry/exit door used to go to and from the kitchen.  The modern day kitchen is in the basement of the house.

The Carter family still owns the home although they were not the original owners of the property, Carters married into the Hill family and have occupied it for hundreds of years.  This is the oldest continuously working farm in Virginia!  Depending upon the time of year that you drive through, various crops are growing in the fields all around Shirley, which sits adjacent to the James River.

If you have never visited this National Historic Site, I encourage you to do so!  There is nothing quite like it!

Post cards of Return to Shirley Plantation and the 400th Anniversary Ornament

Giveaway:  We are giving away one of the beautiful 400th Year Anniversary Ornaments, thanks to Janet Appel, Director of Shirley Plantation, to one of our readers!  Leave a comment to enter!

OUR NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

May 2, 2013

This coming Thursday is our National Day of Prayer; a tradition that predates the founding of the United States of America. In 1775, the Continental Congress made a proclamation setting aside a day of prayer.  Later, in 1952, Congress established an annual day of prayer. Then in 1988 the law was amended, designating the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.   

The theme for this year’s National Day of Prayer is “Pray for America”. It is taken from Matthew 12:21.

“In His name the nations will put their hope.”

The popular trend to marginalize people of faith is frustrating. In the name of tolerance, many American traditions are being relegated to the trash heap. We are reluctant to mention anything to do with Christmas or Easter in schools, and prayer is often frowned upon or “sanitized” at community functions. Lawsuits are threatened if pictures of Jesus or Scripture are maintained on public grounds. Yet, our founders recognized that freedom came from God Almighty. And as John Adams said, “our Constitution is made for a moral and religious people.”

Our Declaration of Independence appeals “to the Supreme Judge of the world” The language in the document states,

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

The individuals who signed that Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, as well as many others, believed strongly enough in pursuing liberty to mutually pledge to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor."

During the Constitutional Convention of June 1787 where delegates had clashed for five weeks, Benjamin Franklin appealed for prayer.

“I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?  We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that "except the Lord build the House they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel.”

The United States of America was founded on Judeo Christian principles. Just as at that initial pivotal period in our nation’s history, we currently face national challenges of every kind.  It is again time to appeal to all people to repent personally, as well as for our national sins, and seek Almighty God’s forgiveness, direction, and healing.

“I exhort you therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 

For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” 

— 1 Timothy 2:1-2

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 

― 2 Chronicles 7:14

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

    slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

    nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

    or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

    so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

 ― Psalm 103: 8-12

Please pray for:

~ our nation

~ all who serve in leadership in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government

~ our state Governors and Legislatures

~ all who serve in our armed forces, police, firefighters, medical services, educators

~ for church leaders

Tea Party Carrie Fancett Pagels, Kathy Maher, and Joan Hochstetler

Charles City Tavern Sign

Welcome to the lovely Charles City Tavern, known throughout the region for its wonderful food! Having enjoyed Cate McKnight's hospitality on many an occasion, I know our guests will NOT be disappointed today in the wonderful Tavern fare we will be enjoying all day!

Front entrance to Charles City Tavern!

We are celebrating mere miles from Shirley Plantation, which is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year!

Partial view of building on Shirley Plantation, Left view

We are celebrating my story "Return to Shirley Plantation: A Civil War Romance" as well as Kathy Mather's upcoming release of "Bachelor Buttons" and Joan M. Hochstetler's Heritage edition of her novel "Wind of the Spirit."

1

Kathleen L. Maher

Kathleen L. Maher debuts with Murray Pura’s Civil War collection. She won ACFW’s 2012 Genesis contest and is represented by Terry Burns of Hartline Literary.

Bachelor Buttons: Rose Meehan longs for a better life than the tenements of Manhattan. She must choose between two suitors while the city explodes in the 1863 Draft Riots.

Website (blog): kathleenlmaher.blogspot.com

I'm giving away a copy of Bachelor Buttons, and a $25 Olive Garden gift certificate.

2

Book 3 of J. M. Hochstetler's American Patriot Series, Wind of the Spirit, released in the new Heritage Edition April 1.

With the patriot cause on the verge of extinction, rebel spy Elizabeth Howard is drawn into the very maw of war at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, where disaster nearly ends the American Revolution. But her heart is fixed on Jonathan Carleton, whose whereabouts remain unknown more than a year after he disappeared into the wilderness. Can her love bridge the miles between them—and the savage bonds that threaten to tear him forever from her arms?

An award-winning author and editor, Joan is the daughter of Mennonite farmers, a graduate of Indiana University, a professional editor, and a lifelong student of history. Her American Patriot Series is the only comprehensive historical fiction series on the American Revolution. Joan's contemporary novel One Holy Night was the Christian Small Publishers 2009 Book of the Year and finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Carol Award. She is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency.

The American Patriot Series
American Patriot Series Blog
J. M. Hochstetler

I'm giving away a box of authentic Boston Harbor tea from the Mark T. Wendell Tea Company. This delicious tea is the same kind the rebels threw off English East India Company ships into Boston harbor during the Boston Tea Party in 1773, one of the incendiary acts that sparked the American Revolution. The winner will also receive a copy of one of the volumes in the American Patriot Series, at their choice.

3

Book Blurb: Abducted against his will, Matthew Scott is conscripted into the Confederate army because of his Copperhead father’s political leanings. After being injured at Malvern Hill, Matthew is taken by the Union army to Shirley Plantation in Virginia where he is tended by seamstress Angelina Rose, a freed slave. Although given an opportunity to leave the South and start a new life for herself, Angelina remained for the sake of her sister’s orphaned twins who are still enslaved. Will Matthew’s return to Shirley Plantation settle a mystery concerning his father’s past? And help Matthew find the family he longs for.

Return to Shirley Plantation By Carrie Fancett Pagels

Carrie Fancett Pagels

Bio – Carrie Fancett Pagels

Carrie Fancett Pagels (www.carriefancettpagels.com) writes “romantic” historical fiction. Carrie’s debut release “Return to Shirley Plantation: A Civil War Romance” is a Kindle best seller and part of a multi-author anthology headed up by Murray Pura. Carrie is represented by Joyce Hart. 

Giveaway: Choice of one teacup set from Shirley Plantation. Do you like the elegant schooner tea cup set or the crackle-finish set?

Come in and take a seat in the interior of the Charles City Tavern:


Charles City Tavern interior front left dining area.

There are multiple areas of seating both out on the gorgeous wraparound porch and on the other side of the tavern--a large room.

Side and Dogwood at Charles City Tavern

Isn't this dogwood gorgeous?  This is such a great place to have our Tea Party and celebrate!

Fabulous Shirley Plantation is a short jaunt up the road!  Angelina and Matthew say "Welcome" and come on in and enjoy!!!






THREE Giveaways:  If you are a CQ follower put CQ, Helping Hands (HH), Overcoming With God (OWG), Carrie's author page on FB (CFP), Kathy's blog follower (KM), Joan's (JMH).

The Manners of George Washington

Ink sketch of a young George Washington, surveying
1956

One of the most interesting things I learned about the Colonial era in my research was the manners and rules of civility gentlefolk were to know. The Colonial Williamsburg site has a page on the Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation, as transcribed by George Washington at the age of 16 or so, when he lived at Ferry Farm. It can be found several other places around the web too.

Reading through the 100+ rules of etiquette really enriched my understanding of the culture of the time. And explained some things. You know how you get that particular feeling of decorum and elegance from paintings of the time? These rules actually make it pretty clear it wasn't a trick of the artist. I'm going to give y'all a taste of some of their rules and manners. The spelling and capitalization are all George's. =) Enjoy!

~In the Presence of Others Sing not to yourself with a humming Noise, nor Drum with your Fingers or Feet.

~Shift not yourself in the Sight of others nor Gnaw your nails.

~(One of my favorites) Shake not the head, Feet, or Legs rowl not the Eys lift not one eyebrow higher than the other wry not the mouth, and bedew no mans face with your Spittle, by approaching too near him when you Speak.

~Kill no Vermin as Fleas, lice ticks &c in the Sight of Others, if you See any filth or thick Spittle put your foot Dexteriously upon it if it be upon the Cloths of your Companions, Put it off privately, and if it be upon your own Cloths return Thanks to him who puts it off.

~let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat grave.

~Shew not yourself glad at the Misfortune of another though he were your enemy.

~Superfluous Complements and all Affectation of Ceremonie are to be avoided, yet where due they are not to be Neglected.

~Let your Discourse with Men of Business be Short and Comprehensive.

~Undertake not to Teach your equal in the art himself Proffesses; it Savours of arrogancy.

~Do not express Joy before one sick or in pain for that contrary Passion will aggravate his Misery.

~ Mock not nor Jest at any thing of Importance break no Jest that are Sharp Biting and if you Deliver any thing witty and Pleasent abstain from Laughing there at yourself.

~ Wherein wherein you reprove Another be unblameable yourself; for example is more prevalent than Precepts.

~ Wear not your Cloths, foul, unript or Dusty but See they be Brush'd once every day at least and take heed that you approach not to any Uncleaness.

~ Run not in the Streets, neither go too slowly nor with Mouth open go not Shaking yr Arms kick not the earth with yr feet, go not upon the Toes, nor in a Dancing fashion.

~ Eat not in the Streets, nor in the House, out of Season.

~ Speak not of doleful Things in a Time of Mirth or at the Table; Speak not of Melancholy Things as Death and Wounds, and if others Mention them Change if you can the Discourse tell not your Dreams, but to your intimate Friend.

~ Go not thither, where you know not, whether you Shall be Welcome or not. Give not Advice without being Ask'd & when desired do it briefly.

~Reprehend not the imperfections of others for that belongs to Parents Masters and Superiours.

~*~

Roseanna M. White pens her novels under the Betsy Ross flag hanging above her desk, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When she isn’t writing fiction, she’s editing it for WhiteFire Publishing or reviewing it for the Christian Review of Books, both of which she co-founded with her husband. www.roseannawhite.com

Honoring the Boston Marathon

Susan F. Craft

 

According to legend, the world's first marathon was run — unintentionally — in 490 B.C. by a Greek soldier, Pheidippides, who ran the twenty-five miles to Athens from the town of Marathon to announce a battleground victory over the Persians. Marathons were not formally run until the revival of the Olympic Games in Greece in 1896.

In Colonial America, by 1750 households at all levels had prospered to the point where they could buy a wide range of non-essential consumer goods. Along with the prosperity came an interest in leisure activities, including outdoor games and foot races.

Militia musters, court days, and public executions became community festivals, which included games, foot races, wrestling contests, horse races, and cudgeling, in which contestants used a stout ash stick to bludgeon an opponent into submission. Colonials also enjoyed itinerant magicians, acrobats, trapeze artists, jugglers, and the

presentation of exotic animals.

In the rugged frontier environment of the backcountry in places like Appalachia, running, no-rules fighting, and throwing axes and spears became popular sports.

Running among the American Indians grew out of the skills needed for war, particularly the need for practiced and trained runners who carried messages and vital information. Sometimes they held races as a form of entertainment at the conclusion of councils. The Iroquois tribes would select their best runners to compete in those foot races.

Foot races were a favorite sport among the Eskimos, who called them uk-whaun and ran them in the autumn when the new ice formed. The races would be one to three miles in length, to and around some natural object such as a stand of rocks.

During the American Revolution the First Continental Congress discouraged sports, as the founding fathers believed that idle amusements were decadent. They thought Americans should be virtuous and should abstain from luxuries like sports and should practice frugality. In contrast, George Washington encouraged games among his troops including foot races, bowling, cricket, shinny, fives, and a form of football. He felt the games allowed soldiers to exercise and gave them a relief from fighting and from their terrible living conditions.

Track-and-field athletics in the United States dates from the 1860s. The Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America, the nation’s first national athletic group, held the first collegiate races in 1873, and in 1888 the Amateur Athletic Union (which governed the sport for nearly a century) held its first championships.

An estimated 800 marathons are now held around the world each year; 20 of them with 10,000 or more finishers.

The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon.  When it was first held in 1897 only 18 runners took part. Last year, however, more than 21,000 runners finished the 26.2 mile course.

My heart goes out to the families of the victims of the terror attack. I’m so proud of the first responders, professional and volunteer, who ran toward the victims and treated them with such care and concern. My sincere thanks to the members of all the agencies who worked together to capture the perpetrator of this heinous crime. Evil is alive and prospering in this world. As a Christian, it comforts me to know, with blessed assurance, that good will ultimately win the battle. God will prevail.

 

New York State and the American Revolution--Part IV

According to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation,

“Nearly one third of all the battles fought during the American Revolution were fought in New York State. The capture of Fort Ticonderoga, the Battles of Oriskany, Newtown, and Saratoga are just a few of the major events that took place on New York soil.”http://nysparks.com/historic-preservation/heritage-trails/revolutionary-war/default.aspx

This is a four-part look at these important theaters in the war and New York’s vital role in our Nation’s Founding Struggle
By Kathleen L. Maher

Part IV The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

In some way, I have taken a backwards tour of these four battles: Newtown, Oriskany, Saratoga, and Ticonderoga. This last battle was actually the first chronologically. It was also the first major victory for the American army in the Revolution against the British.

In northeastern New York, along the western shore of Lake Champlain, Fort Ticonderoga stood sentinel to the passage between Canada and the Hudson River Valley. This passage had proven invaluable for trade and transport. Fort Carillon fell to the British in the French and Indian War in 1759 and they renamed it Ticonderoga. Still under British control in 1775, the fort was held by a scant garrison of 50 men, but housed a tempting amount of artillery.

Ethan Allen and less than 100 of his Green Mountain Boys crossed Lake Champlain from Vermont early on the morning of May 10, 1775. Accompanied by Massachusetts militia leader Benedict Arnold, the patriot force came upon a fort of unprepared, slumbering British. In one bold move, the fort fell into patriot hands. The guns seized would soon aid the Americans facing British General Gage in Boston.

But this wouldn't be the last contest in the war over possession of the fort. General Burgoyne and Canadian governor Guy Carleton desired to move down from Canada in late 1776 to reclaim the fort and secure the waterway. But Carleton backed out as the year drew to a close, convinced it would be too difficult to supply an army there in the middle of winter. Without his support, Burgoyne had to abort the mission and wait. 

The next opportunity came in 1777, and Burgoyne was ready. In July he set out on a southbound flotilla toward Major General Arthur St.Clair, the American commander at the fort. St Clair abandoned the fort with hardly a fight. It wasn't until Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga in November that Fort Ticonderoga would return to American Patriot hands.

Kathleen L. Maher won ACFW’s 2012 Genesis contest and is represented by Terry Burns of Hartline Literary. She debuts with Murray Pura’s Civil War collection with her novella, Bachelor Buttons.  

Irish immigrants in Manhattan struggle for livelihood and love set against the class warfare and political unrest of the Draft Riots of July 1863.

http://kathleenlmaher.blogspot.com

Nathaniel Griffith and the Killer Filly

God bless you, dear friends for coming. And to ye who are new here, I am Nathaniel Griffith and this be my farm.

What's that you say? Am I of the Griffith Shipping Company? Yea, I am, but I've left the running of it to my uncle and my brother-in-law. I fear sailing is not for me. Though in truth, I have crossed the ocean a few times in search of good horseflesh.

Take this dapple gray filly. She's three and spirited. She's got fine straight legs, and if ye look at the peak above her eye, ye'll see she's kind too. Though the man who sold her to me thought not.

Me uncle sent word last fall of a man in Wales who'd brought some horses from Egypt. My sense of urgency to see these fine animals overwhelmed my fear of sailing. 'Twas a hard time to convince our Captain Hall to sail across the Atlantic in late November, but after some pressing, he agreed and we left the week after a fierce storm, the likes of which I'd never seen, hit our shores.  But I digress.

After a very difficult sail (having been blown off course), we arrived in Newport, Wales late January. I was convinced I'd sailed through hell, but upon my word, the horses Mr. Durham had in his possession were well worth the sail.

After two weeks recovering at my uncle's house, I mounted one of his fine steeds and road to Mr. Durham's farm. No sooner had I arrived than the man proudly presented five young stallions of Arabian breeding. I thought to barter a good price for them, but the filly in the back paddock caught my attention. She held her head and tail high and trotted the fence with an intelligent look in her eyes that superseded that of the stallions.

When I gestured to the filly, the man's countenance streaked with fear. "She's a killer," he said then shook his head.

I asked him what had happened.

He coughed and sputtered and stroked a tear from his cheek. "Me son, he was leading her from the back pasture a fortnight ago. I was at work in the barn and heard him bellow. I stuck my nose out the door and the mare jumped to her side, knocked my son down and trampled him."

I gasped and asked, "What gave her cause?"

"Aye, best we can tell it was a wolf pack on the hill." He twisted his neck, and his Adam's apple bobbed. "I'd known a horse to spook at such, but ne'er there be a time before that I see a horse jump upon a downed boy. I held in my hand a pitchfork and rushed to my boy, determined not to let the filly come at him again. Ye see, I'd not known the wolves were on the hill. Only that the filly stomped upon my lad." He shook his finger at the filly. "If I had my musket, I would have killed her right then." With a heavy sigh he lowered his hand and continued. "'Twas blood coming from my son's mouth and he gasped for air--terror claimed his eyes. He died in his bed later that night, not able to breathe for his broken chest."

I shook my head. "'Tis a hard thing to lose a son."

He walked toward his barn. "I'll give you that filly if you pay a fair price for those stallions." He tossed a halter to me. "She's not been handled since that day."

As you can see. I've brought the filly home. The stallions I've already sold to breeders in Boston and Providence. I'll work with her until she's safe enough for any man to handle. She'd not given us trouble on the ship home, and I expect little trouble from her now. 'Twas an unfortunate incident.

I see Dr. Clarke is waving you down. I'll not keep you as I've much work to do. Godspeed one and all.
___________________________________________________________________________

Like Mr. Durahm's son, I had a filly (her name was Copper) use me as a launching pad. The electric fence along the pasture snapped. She spooked, knocked me over, and in her attempt to get away, she stepped on my chest. In the moments immediately following I didn't feel the pain so much as the panic of not being able to breathe. My lung had been punctured by one of the many broken ribs. Not until I was in the ambulance did I feel the pain.

When I arrived at the hospital, I begged for relief from the pain, but they would not give me any until after a tube was stuck in my side to drain the punctured lung. I had been married only three weeks at this point and would spend the next two weeks in the hospital and a month after that recovering from the broken ribs. What a welcome my poor hubby had to being married to me. To this day I still feel the occasional pang where the ribs were broken and the tube had been inserted.

Once I was able to ride again, I continued to train the filly. While I could ride other horses without hesitation, handling Copper required a battle with fear I never thought I would ever experience with a horse. With the occasional help from others, I managed to train her well enough to sell her to an instructor who would use Copper in her riding program. So like Nathaniel, I was confident in the kind look in Copper's eye. She didn't mean to hurt me, but accidents do happen.

The first recorded Arabian stallion to have been brought to England was the Markham Arabian. He came to King James I in 1616. However, there is evidence that some Arabian horses were brought back by knights after the Crusades.

The Welsh pony is believed to have been influenced by Arabians as early as the Middle Ages, which agrees with the notion of the knights bringing horses back. While the official year the Welsh Pony was brought into America was 1884, I would venture to say that people coming from Wales would have brought a horse or two over with them, and some of these were quite likely born with the native welsh-type pony blood.

The first official import of Arabian breeding stock to America was in 1725 by Nathan Harrison of Virginia. So to be strictly accurate, Nathaniel Griffith didn't bring true Arabian stallions back with him. I just thought it fit the story. That said, I have no doubt that some horses brought over in the 17th century did have Arabian blood. The horses I have read about tended to be smaller than the stock commonly found in England, which is what the Europeans were doing--crossbreeding their horses with Arabians to make them lighter.

King James I's breeding program would have enhanced the Arabian influenced. This, along with the old knights' horses influence, made it possible for many of the horses brought to America to have had a great deal of Arabian blood in them without any formal recognition.

AMERICA’S FIRST CIVIL WAR ~ Part 2

AMERICA’S FIRST CIVIL WAR

Part 2

In last month’s post we saw that America’s first civil war was The Revolutionary War; a war that divided families and neighbors to the Loyalist or the Patriot cause. We also reviewed the motivations which determined their decision.

Throughout the colonies, families and neighbors who once enjoyed amicable relations now found themselves at odds with each other. Families of every station of life were impacted by the severing of ties, but two very prominent families from two very different colonies experienced division in a very public arena.

The Franklin Family

Benjamin Franklin

William Franklin

Benjamin Franklin, born to the son of a candle maker in Boston, Massachusetts, at seventeen moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When he proposed to Deborah, the daughter of his landlady, the mother did not allow the union. While Franklin was in London, Deborah married a man who later avoided prosecution for non payment of debts by absconded to Barbados with her dowry. When Franklin returned from England, he and Deborah formed a common-law marriage until they could legally marry.

William Temple Franklin's
portrait by John Trumbull

Franklin was a man of many achievements; a successful newspaper editor, printer, writer, satirist, scientist, inventor, politician, statesman, and diplomat.  He had an illegitimate son, William, possibly by Deborah. Franklin financed William’s education at the Inns of Court in London. Later, William was admitted to the bar and automatically became a member of Britain’s upper class. William made influential friends while in England and returned to become the Royal Governor of New Jersey in 1762. William also fathered an illegitimate son, William Temple Franklin, who embraced the patriot cause and would later work as an aide to his grandfather. William Franklin remained a Loyalist, was imprisoned and later exiled to London.  He was unsuccessful in his attempt to reconcile with his father and at Benjamin Franklin’s death was disowned in favor of the grandson.

The Randolph Family

The Peyton Randolph House
Williamsburg, VA

Peyton Randolph

Peyton and John Randolph, cousins of Thomas Jefferson, were born (1721 & 1727) in Williamsburg, Virginia to Sir John and Lady Susannah Randolph a wealthy, aristocratic, powerful Virginia family. Their father, a prominent attorney and Speaker of the House of Burgesses, died when Peyton was sixteen, leaving their house and other property in trust for the older son. At different times, the brothers were both educated at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg and later studied the law at London’s Inns of Court. Upon his return, Peyton was appointed Virginia’s attorney general and later became Williamsburg’s representative in the House of Burgesses.

John Randolph

Peyton had challenged some of the rights of the Royal Governor he was appointed to defend, but it was not until 1764 with the conflict over the Stamp Act that his conflict with the British crown escalated. In 1766 he was elected Speaker of the House of Burgesses. Meanwhile, Peyton’s younger brother John succeeded him as the Virginia’s attorney general; however, by now the two brothers were politically polarized. Peyton joined the Patriot cause and John left for England in 1775 with most of his family. John’s son, Edmund joined the American army and he served as aide-de-camp to General George Washington.

The Wren Chapel is in the
Wren Building - Williamsburg, VA

The Wren Chapel 

In 1784 John died in England. As a patriot, Peyton had a warrant for his arrest and execution, but would die of a stroke in Philadelphia in 1775. After their deaths, both brothers were returned to Williamsburg where they are buried with their father in the Randolph crypt beneath the Wren Chapel at the College of William and Mary.

It may seem ironic that in the Franklin family Benjamin and his grandson embraced the Patriot cause while Benjamin’s son, William remained loyal to the crown. And, in the Randolph family, the younger brother, John remained a Loyalist, while his own son Edmund chose to join his uncle in pursuing independence from England.         

Like America’s Civil War of the nineteenth century, families and friends relationships would be tested and strained by their disparate loyalties.     

With Fire and Sword

With Fire and Sword – The Battle of King’s Mountain 1780 was written by Wilma Dykeman for the National Park Service. (approx. 82 pgs.)

           

           “Wilma Dykeman is a novelist, historian, and chronicler of the south-eastern mountain country. Among her books are The French Broad (in the Rivers of America series), The Border States, and Tennessee: A Bicentennial History, all dealing with the land and people for which the Battle of King’s Mountain was fought.” So states the foreward for this booklet, probably published as a handbook for museums located in the areas discussed throughout this compelling non-fiction story.     

Dykeman, an accomplished author, begins her tale of the Battle of King’s Mountain by lulling us into a sense of serenity as she describes the lovely mid-autumn harvest time of the southern highlands, the Cumberland Gap, and the lives of the “overmountain” people. All the while, she builds an underlying tension as she discusses the characters of men who will clash, claiming a harvest of lives on both sides of the battle.

          It’s about the strengths and weaknesses of both Patriot and British alike; in those character flaws that the battle will be won or lost. It is in the misguided decisions of Cornwallis, Gates and Tarleton that build the foundation for the battle to come, where lesser-known, but courageous men like Ferguson, the British soldier-prodigy, meets the fiercely independent patriot militias of Shelby, Chronicle and McDowell.  

The characters discussed and the decisions they made which inexorably led to the events on King’s Mountain in the autumn of 1780 will make for riveting reading, whether you’re a writer, student, history buff, or just enjoy a good adventure story. This booklet can be found on Amazon. 

I don’t know how it happened to end up in a book sale in northern New York, but I saw it on the shelf of my local library and had to have it!

My rating: 4 ½ Stars out of 5.  (Why not five? It’s too short!)

Patriot's Day: Remembering the American Revolution

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmer’s stood,

And fired the shot heard round the world.

—  from “Concord Hymn” by Ralph Waldo Emerson

I remember a dawn drive to the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts many years ago with my older sister, Christine. I was too young to drive, but she was not. Confiscating the family car keys, we stole away through the early morning, giggling at our historical adventure.

Upon our arrival at the wooden bridge that creaked beneath our sandals, a reverent stillness overtook us. We were the only ones there—save the spirits immortalized on this landmark. Through the morning mist, we envisioned lines of soldiers intent upon victory. And through the hushed stillness, we felt their pain and fear as those shots fired in bitter vitriol materialized in our minds and hearts.

We hushed at the hallowed ground beneath us—and silently walked back to our car.

April 19, 1775—the day the first shots of the American Revolution were heard throughout the world.

This date, so tenderly described in Emerson’s poem, lives on in celebration of America’s freedom from England every year in both Massachusetts and Maine. It is memorialized as Patriot’s Day and is a state holiday on the third Monday of every April. (Not to be confused with Patriot Day, held every September 11)

In Wisconsin, April 19^th is a special observance day for schools, when they are required to teach about the events of the birth of our country.

In both Massachusetts and Maine, parades and reenactments abound, especially along the route between Boston and Concord. This was the 20-mile journey travelled by Paul Revere where on that fateful, moonlit night, the rider screamed the words of warning to the Colonists: “The regulars are coming! To arms!”

Through the years, I often heard the words quoted as, “The British are coming.” However, most Colonists thought of themselves as British—Englishman—so the context and accuracy of those words are flawed.

Regardless of the words of warning, the entire countryside that had prepared for this attack was awakened, first by the riders and then by pealing church bells. Minutemen that had trained for months, grabbed their muskets and congregated on their local greens, then marched towards the scene of the action. By the time the 1,000 British regulars had reached Concord to confiscate weapons (that had already been hidden by the patriots), word had spread about the killings in Lexington, just to the east of Concord.

The enraged patriot’s confronted the British in Concord and killed two enemy soldiers at the North Bridge. Revolution had begun. Fighting like the Native Americans, the Colonists hid behind stonewalls and trees, picking off one British soldier after another, while the formally-trained King’s Army marched in lines down the road.

This retreat of the British army back to Boston cost them 73 men killed and 174 wounded. The American militia had suffered 49 fatalities and 41 wounded.

The war that had been brewing for several years was now a reality.

When I was a child in Massachusetts, I remember going to parades on what is now called Massachusetts Avenue (the route of Paul Revere’s ride). Early on, I learned an appreciation for this history—the founding of our country that was won through the blood of those who came before me.

Since I grew up, both Colonial and British militia re-enactors have staged mock warfare for public education and amusement. These provide stirring portrayals of the battles that occurred that day, all the way from Concord to Lexington to Arlington (then known as Menotomy Village), my hometown. One of these Aprils, I will find my way back to my hometown to see these re-enactments myself.

In the meantime, I have obtained permission from the Lexington Minutemen to use the wonderful photos from their website for this post. Click here for their website.

Here is a 12 minute video that you might find interesting. Click here for video.

I highly recommend the Hallmark movie entitled “April Morning” which so movingly portrays the events of April 19, 1775. Click here for Amazon link.

Spirit, that made those heroes dare,

To die, and leave their children free,

Bid Time and Nature gently spare,

The shaft we raise to them and thee.