ALEX HALEY AND FORT DONELSON NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD.

Alex Hayley and Fort Donelson  are not related subjects, but when we passed through Savannah, Tennessee earlier this week, we visited the Cherry Mansion which was a Confederate household taken over by General U.S. Grant. It also had another history as its earlier owner, Rudd,  built a ferry here to cross the Tennessee River. Who worked for Rudd? Alex Haley, grandfather of Alex Haley, the writer who wrote Roots and Queen.
As a young hopeful novelist in the 1970′s, I attended a workshop in San Jose, CA. and met Alex Haley with his first new book, Roots,  just hitting the shelves. It was an exciting and riveting speech he gave about his book and I could have bought an autographed copy, but  raising young kids, money was short and I opted to wait for the paperback version, a decision I’ve always regretted.

His second book, Queen was about this woman, his grandmother who was born to an African slave mother and a white plantation son named Jackson on the Cypress Plantation in Alabama.  She was given his name of Jackson and after the war married Alex Haley. She worked at the Cherry Mansion. The writer, Alex Haley was raised by these grandparents and heard the slave stories at his grandmother’s knee.

The Rudd ferry landing.

The bridge that replaced the ferry. Near the river park in Savannah is Queen and the two Alex Haley’s graves.

We’ve moved upriver to Clarkesville, Tennessee where Fort Henry and Fort Donelson were located, straddling the river, two pivotal battles in the war. The Confederates knew  Fort Henry was vulnerable and decided to concentrate their power on Fort Donelson. The Confederate Generals were inexperienced and untrained in warfare of any kind, nor did they agree on strategy. They had the advantage and without their mistakes, U.S. Grant may not have been the big winner who went on to Shiloh as a hero after taking the two forts.   It helps to see a map of the states surrounding Tennessee if you aren’t from this area.

The fort’s cannon were positioned high on this hill where the gun mounds are still evident. They learned from the taking of Fort Henry by the bombarding Iron Clads that the cannon were too high aground to be effective.


They moved their cannon closer to the water and waited for the Iron Clads.

They could see their smoke stacks from a distance and were ready for them, seriously wounding three of them before the battle by land, where General Grant, actually took the fort. They had to surrender unconditionally as per Grant’s conditions and he was ever after called Unconditional Surrender Grant. He was fair and honorable to his fellow Confederate Americans and the 11,000 prisoners were considered among the lucky ones.

Early sailors were called Blue Boys. They may not have realized they were part of a new branch of the U.S. Government to come, the U.S. Navy.

Steamers carried men and equipment up and down the river “roads” deep into the south after Tennessee was opened up to the Union and the supply lines for the Confederates compromised.

The Confederate garrison had about 400 little cabins like this with a tent roof to help the men make it through the coming winter, which was brutal. The visitor center has a good 15 minute film explaining the battle and picture exhibits as well. The drive to all the sites at the National Battlefield is an easy drive of about 2 miles.

The battlefield “hosts” an eagle’s nest, just like Shiloh. This one is closer to the road, but for the first time in 12 years, the eagle pair had no chicks and there was no activity. Signs around  warn not to attempt to feed eagles. A Fed Eagle Is A Dead Eagle. Visitors love the idea of National Battlefields being home to our National Bird.

Ulysses S. Grant was best friends in West Point with General Simon B. Buckner  who chose the Confederate side to fight. After the Union was reassembled and Grant had served as President, his old friend came to him and they shook hands and discussed the healing of a nation. Grant was  very moved by his old friend’s gesture.
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War makes unexpected heroes. Meet Mary Bickerdyke, a revered nurse.

Healing between north and south did come but with great inequality to African-Americans who were deprived of their Civil Rights, including the right to vote, and marginalized by Jim Crow Laws until the 1960′s.

A Confederate Flag.

Items a soldier might carry into battle.

An interesting stop that can be enjoyed by someone who is limited in their walking ability.

QUILTING SURPRISE

Opening the mail these days, I find more advertising than personal news. But, then, surprise! My adopted daughter, Karen, was published in Quilters Newsletter, a magazine I wrote a beginning writers piece for in 1976.  It didn’t pay much, in fact, it may have paid nothing, but the thrill was indescribable.

Here is Karen’s story that she sent me:

My husband retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2001 after serving for 20 years. To show my appreciation, I decided I would make him a quilted wavy U.S. flag wall hanging. I decided to use curved piecing to make it. He was thrilled with this idea. We went to my fabric stash to pick out the fabric. I cut out all the curved pieces using one template shape. Then the challenge began.
I tried to sew them together on the sewing machine and got so frustrated I gave up. I told him I was sorry; I tried but it was way too difficult for me. Years went by and as I made other quilts he would ask, “What about my flag quilt?” I’ve never been one to give up easily, so I thought, let me try one more time.
Guess what? I did it! I was so proud to have challenged myself, I decided to enter the quilt in the local county fair without him knowing. I talked him into going to the fair to see how my other quilts did. When he saw a red, white and blue quilt, he asked, “Isn’t that like the quilt you’re supposed to make for me?” When he saw the name and quilt label, he turned to me and gave me the happiest smile and biggest hug. I told him it didn’t win a ribbon. He said, “It won Best of Show to me!”  I’ll never forget the look of excitement on his face.Please challenge yourself and be patient. Just think, eight years later, you too can have a finished quilt for someone you love.

Karen is a great quilt artist. She’s a multitasker with, home and family, work, pets and many challenging projects.  She is proud of her quilt, but I’m proudest of all to be surprised by her accomplishments via a prestigious National Magazine. What a thrill!   Smooch!

AN HONEST TINHORN GAMBLER

I went to the Jamestown Heritage Celebration over the weekend mainly to see the Wagon Train, but I also met a charming character by the name of Linda Teigland Clark, a tinhorn gambler. I hadn't a clue what a tinhorn gambler does, but here you see it. The tin horn is designed to keep the game honest. The guy with the poke bets he can roll all the numbers in the box, from one to 10, before he rolls something he can't play. He tosses his dice into the top part of the tin horn (funnel) and it lands on the table beneath the bottom half of the horn. So, a roll of a deuce and a seven gives the gambler a choice, to play a nine or play a seven and a two.
However, Linda explained, old time tinhorn gamblers learned to cheat and faro dealers held them in contempt. Thus the negative conotation of a "Tinhorn Gambler."
Linda was so much fun to talk to, entertaining and chock full of gold rush stories. Which brings me to her book, The Small Window, available at Amazon.com, Alibris.com and others. Its the story of a Tuolumne County town named Hardluck and details the struggles of a family on a wagon train to California. Above, she offers a piece of candy to a smiling loser, but her game is honest. Like most gambling games, the odds favor the "house."
Another author on the street, historian Sylvia Alden Roberts also has a book about black gold rush history, Mining For Freedom.
Below, musicians entertained the folks on the street, instigating some impromptu dancing.

The tap dancers below executed their fast stepping routine to a caller like square dancers and were quite talented.

These young violin and fiddle players were as much fun to watch as listen too, but for me, the tinhorn gambler was the most intriguing. I'm crazy about games of all kinds and I loved that tin horn.

YUMA LIBRARY, AND FRIENDS

Each day finds us at Yuma Public Library to check email and post a blog. That is, all days except Sunday. Upon arrival I look with envy at this beautiful library and fervently wish it were located in Calaveras County. The inside is a marvel as well and yet, we have yet to spend a day lolling around the place, perusing and losing oneself in a book or two. But the temptation is strong and I'm determined to have one complete library day before I leave Yuma. Hmmmm. Strangely enough, on the road, the relaxed lifestyle, the hours fill up and I never get done what I would wish to each day.
Currently, I'm working on Bob Gambol's rambles in South America. At one point, he was returning to his hotel at dusk and he saw a guy walking towards him. It was a rough and tumble town so he crossed the street. The guy crossed as well, his intent clear. Bob waited until the guy was 50 feet from him, reached in his pocket and brought out his hand in the shape of a pistol and said as loud as he could, "BANG!" The guy took off running. Altercation averted. Rather amazing.
Jim and I talked about characters we've known. (Bob his one of his rambling friends who backpacked the world from 1991 to 1997.) As we talked I realized, I've known many characters in my life and I'm so grateful to have crossed paths with them. As a writer, I hope to get them all down on paper. (Some of them are my own family members.)
Adios