Happy 4th of July to everyone.  Here in NE  Ohio we have the most gorgeous weather today.  Clear blue skies, perfect temperatures.  Just right for parades, picnics, fireworks or whatever your family does to celebrate our independence.  We attended our city's annual parade complete with high school marching bands, politicians, antique cars and tractors, civic groups and most of the town firetrucks.  As I watched all the people line the street, the children dressed in red, white and blue and grabbing candy as it flew towards the spectators; how many of them on this day take a few minutes to think about what the day means.  Is it important to them ?  Do they understand the struggle, the sacrifices made in the past 238 years and are they aware and grateful for the life they have because of it ?  I certainly hope so.

the history of Memorial Day

The custom of setting aside a day to honor those who have fallen defending our country had it's beginnings in the late 1860's.  It is likely that in towns in both North and South, memorials and gatherings were planned to honor those lost in the great Civil War.  It would grow out of a need to remember those lost, to honor those who gave the final measure of devotion.  All of these contributed to a growing movement which came together in an official proclamation in 1868.  Colonel John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic declared an official Memorial Day on May 5, 1868 and the first observance of this holiday was on May 30, 1868.  The south refused to honor the day until the end of World War I, when it became a day to honor all those who died not just the Civil War  By 1890 it was recognized in all the northern states and became an official national holiday in 1971.
The observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years.  Many Americans fail to see it as a day of observance and no longer adhere to the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day.  It is an excuse for a day off of work, a trip to the amusement park or picnic and barbecue.  Many towns no longer hold parades or services for the fallen.  We need to get back to the original meaning of Memorial Day and while we are boating or camping or barbecuing, take a moment and remember and honor those who died for our freedom.
I

Just finished this great Civil War fiction.  Tells the story of real life spy Elizabeth Van Lew.  A 43 yr old woman who lived with her widowed mother and was a member of the Richmond elite, Elizabeth was a staunch supporter of the Union and worked to see that union prisoners were given food and medicine beginning with the battle of Manassas in 1861 with men being thrown in the what is now known as libby prison.   While doing this she had the bravery and the opportunity to get information out and back to the forces in the north all the while keeping up the appearance of a loyal confederate.  She was considered the most effective Union spy.
The book was very well written and I enjoyed it very much

family history gem

I have become the repository of family history, a fact that pleases and humbles me.  I am honored that my husband's family sees me as a historian and have entrusted me with several wonderful links to the past.  We have been given articles that belonged to my husband's father after he passed, including birth and wedding certificates, honorable discharge papers from the US Air Force and wonderful old pictures.  I do love old pictures.  Two gems I was given were these... a German service medal that was originally given to my husband's grandmother, Martha Berger, for her work in a German factory during WWI.  This was accompanied by a letter, written in German, where she requested a replacement for a lost medal.  I found this fascinating.  The company still exits and it opens a small window into the life of Martha, whom I never met.
But me favorite gift was a hand written letter dated 1863.  I was soo excited to hold this precious letter.  This young man was writing while with Grant's forces at the battle of Vicksburg.  He wrote of camp life and his health, the gunboats on the river and the upcoming battle.  Such a wonderful primary source and a glimpse into the life of an infantryman.
So I thank those who entrust our family history to me.  It thrills me to dig into the past and uncover gems like these.

Happy Halloween

The Halloween as we know it today has evolved over centuries into a autumn holiday full of costumes and candy.  But was it celebrated in the 1860's ?   Halloween in the United States is a combination of All Saints Day, Guy Fawkes Day and the celebration of the fall harvest.
 In 1836 references to the holiday are found in a copy of Godeys.  The Peoria Morning Mail, on November 2, 1862 reported, "All-Hallow E'en [sic] This old time anniversary which took place on Friday evening was made the excuse by some of our wild boys for throwing unsavory missiles, putrid vegetables; taking gates off of the hinges, and sundry other pranks. This was probably ‘good fun' to the boys, but for those thus attacked it was not so desirable. This is the way a ‘very quiet' night was spen.  The end of season harvest of crops was the reason for a fall celebration.
The holiday become more popular and as the 19th century progressed more references in print are found.  Dressing up in costumes did not become popular unitil the late 19th century and Halloween wasn't an officiL holiday until 1921.
I'm sure the boys in blue and gray did not throw Halloween parties but may have indulged in a little fun with pranks and maybe sharing their cultures with story and song.

NE Ohio and the Civil War

I live in northeast Ohio up along the southern shore of Lake Erie far removed you would think, from the conflict of civil war.  But in the 1860's, Ohio was a free state, having been designated that by the legislation known as the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and the Ohio constitution of 1803.  Located across the Ohio River form the slave states of Kentucky and Virginia, Ohio drew runaway slaves seeking their escape to freedom.   Northern Ohio had been settled largely by New Englanders of Puritan roots who were not unprejudiced but strong followers of the freedoms set down by the Declaration of Independence.  Many secretly and many overtly helped the cause of runaway slaves hiding them, feeding them and even at times sending them across the lake to escape to Canada.
So it was natural that when President Lincoln's call for volunteers to protect the capital city went out, Ohioans responded.  Edwin Cowles called out " men of Ohio, the flag of our country has been torn down from it's standard and left to trail in the dust beneath the banner of a rebellious host...Ohio must be in the vanguard of the battle ."   Military training camps were set up to house and train the troops. They arrived from Painesville, Mansfield, Ashtabula and Sandusky.  230 regiments and more than 300,000 troops served the Union from the state of Ohio

story of the Bell boys

I just finished typing up the story of the Bell boys and their service during the Civil War.  John and his younger brother George were my great-great uncles.  They served with Company F of the 140th Pennsylvania volunteer infantry regiment, joining up in 1862 from Beaver county  Pennsylvania.  John died at age 21 on the wheatfield of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863.  George was captured twice and spent August 1864 to March of 1865 in Andersonville prison.  
so there story will not be forgotten.