We did end up going to Appomattox Court House yesterday. It is a National Historical Park and operated by the National Park Service. They have preserved and restored the village nicely. There were several “living history” reenactors there. We listened to two young soldiers who had fought the final battle at Appomattox (Isaiah Edwards for the Union and Robert Caldwell for the Confederacy). They told their stories of joining up and the battles they had been involved in up to the final one and the aftermath of the surrender. Both young men were great at staying in their characters in 1865. Their stories were very poignant and moving. They described the battles and the clean-up afterward very vivid. We saw the McLean house where Lee & Grant signed the formal surrender.
An interesting side note is that Wilmer McLean, in whose parlor Grand and Lee met had been living in northern Virginia when the war started. He owned the property where the battles of Bull Run (or Manassas, if you were from the South) were fought. 1st Manassas was the first infantry battle of the war. He sold out and moved to Appomattox County for two reasons. One was that he was getting away from the fighting and the other was that he was a war profiteer who had a connection to import sugar from Cuba. He made an enormous amount of money selling sugar to the Confederate army. After the war, he called himself the “Alpha and Omega” of the Civil war and actually sold his autographs. (He would slip you a piece of paper with his signature on it when he shook your hand, then charge you for it and call the provost marshal if you didn’t pay up. The young Union private “warned” us about him.) Considering that the war started at Ft. Sumter and the fighting continued after Appomattox until the final surrender of Texas in June, McLean was neither the alpha nor the omega, but close enough for his purposes.
There are only two days when the sunrise can shine entirely through our house from the north east to the south west and light up a crystal rose I have on a shelf in our kitchen desk and sparkle all over. And those days are June 20 and 21st. We’ve had so much cloudy weather that it didn’t happen today, and probably won’t happen tomorrow. It only lasts from about 5:30 to 6:00, and then the earth starts tipping back again. Oh well, there’s always next year if tomorrow doesn’t work.
Jan C almost 6 years ago
Good morning, Vagabonds.
We did end up going to Appomattox Court House yesterday. It is a National Historical Park and operated by the National Park Service. They have preserved and restored the village nicely. There were several “living history” reenactors there. We listened to two young soldiers who had fought the final battle at Appomattox (Isaiah Edwards for the Union and Robert Caldwell for the Confederacy). They told their stories of joining up and the battles they had been involved in up to the final one and the aftermath of the surrender. Both young men were great at staying in their characters in 1865. Their stories were very poignant and moving. They described the battles and the clean-up afterward very vivid. We saw the McLean house where Lee & Grant signed the formal surrender.
An interesting side note is that Wilmer McLean, in whose parlor Grand and Lee met had been living in northern Virginia when the war started. He owned the property where the battles of Bull Run (or Manassas, if you were from the South) were fought. 1st Manassas was the first infantry battle of the war. He sold out and moved to Appomattox County for two reasons. One was that he was getting away from the fighting and the other was that he was a war profiteer who had a connection to import sugar from Cuba. He made an enormous amount of money selling sugar to the Confederate army. After the war, he called himself the “Alpha and Omega” of the Civil war and actually sold his autographs. (He would slip you a piece of paper with his signature on it when he shook your hand, then charge you for it and call the provost marshal if you didn’t pay up. The young Union private “warned” us about him.) Considering that the war started at Ft. Sumter and the fighting continued after Appomattox until the final surrender of Texas in June, McLean was neither the alpha nor the omega, but close enough for his purposes.
Everyone have a blessed day.
Dkram almost 6 years ago
How are ya, Vagabonds
It was a sunny but cool yesterday, what I’d call comfortable. Today is starting out cool but is expected to reach the low 80s.
OK guys, keep on keeping on, and may God bless.
ttfn
MontanaLady almost 6 years ago
Good Cloudy morning, Vagabonds,
There are only two days when the sunrise can shine entirely through our house from the north east to the south west and light up a crystal rose I have on a shelf in our kitchen desk and sparkle all over. And those days are June 20 and 21st. We’ve had so much cloudy weather that it didn’t happen today, and probably won’t happen tomorrow. It only lasts from about 5:30 to 6:00, and then the earth starts tipping back again. Oh well, there’s always next year if tomorrow doesn’t work.
xoxo Happy Trails