Bones and Stones

Ned Kelley's bones are missing.

If Ned Kelley doesn't ring a bell, except for your strange cousin, try to recall your history of the West--the Australian West. Ned Kelley has been called the Australian Jesse James or Billy the Kid. Mick Jagger (right) played him in the movie. (Poor Ned. He probably saw Jagger's face and spun and spun in his grave til his bones were flung to the ends of the earth. As you can see from this image, Ned (below, left) was exponentially better looking than the Rolling Stone who portrayed him.)

According to the Guardian Limited, authorities in Melbourne revealed that the remains of Australia's most notorious outlaw are nowhere to be found. Executed over 120 years ago, Kelley's body was tossed into a mass grave at a prison.

Archaeologist Jeremy Smith of the conservation organization Heritage Victoria told the press that Ned's remains would have been among those of prisoners transferred from the Old Melbourne Gaol to Pentridge prison in the 1920s.

"Although his skull was souvenired, his bones would have been just put in a sack in a disordered and deteriorated condition," he said. "We think there would have been about 32 bodies in a mass grave and probably all of them have been lost."

He and his team have been charged with clearing the old prison site, which is due for re-development. Mr Smith said he would extend the archaeological dig in the hope of finding the outlaw's remains but it was likely that they had been dumped in a nearby quarry.

Souvenir Skull? Dumped in a quarry? I for one am encouraged that Australians have no more respect for the dead than their American cousins!

Kelly's exploits have inspired films, television programs, songs and books. The Guardian said his place in Australian history has raged for decades, with opinion divided over whether he was a reckless killer or a young man driven to crime because of poverty and social injustice. (Does this sound familiar to our Jesse James fans? If not already, it will remind you of William Clark Quantrill as well. Read on.)

The article continues:

Born in Beveridge, Victoria, Kelly and his family lived in poverty and his first clash with police was at the age of 14. He was proclaimed an outlaw some years later after he and his gang were involved in a shoot-out at Stringybark Creek, which left three policemen dead. While on the run, he carried out two bank raids. In the second, he and his gang broke into a police station in the town of Jerilderie, imprisoned the officers in their own cells, changed into their uniforms and posed as reinforcements from Sydney. The gang took over the town for several days, raided the bank and burned mortgage deeds.

Prior to arriving in the town, he dictated the Jerilderie letter, a manifesto of about 8,000 words in which he tried to justify his activities, expressing his antagonism against the police and his sense of injustice about the way he and his family were treated because they were Irish Catholics. He intended the letter to be published as a pamphlet but it was kept and used against him during his trial.

Kelly was finally trapped in an ambush on June 28, 1880. He came out dressed in home-made armour, made of metal plate, and walked towards the police firing furiously. He was shot in the legs, arms and groin multiple times before being arrested, while the rest of his gang was killed. He was sent for trial, sentenced to death and hanged. Two newspapers reported his last words as a weary: "Such is life."

Edward "Ned" Kelly was born in June 1855; the exact date is unknown. The son of Irish parents, he was the eldest of eight. As a boy he risked his life to save a drowning boy. He was given a green sash as a mark of gratitude by the boy's family and was wearing it under his armour during the shootout with police that ended his time on the run. He and his family lived in abject poverty and were described as wild and rowdy. They were accused of crimes including cattle theft but Kelly said they were victimised for being Irish Catholics. He was hanged on November 11, 1880. Kelly has been played in films by Mick Jagger (1970) and Heath Ledger (2003). Peter Carey won a Booker prize for his novel True History of the Kelly Gang.

"Once again Ned Kelly has authorities scratching their heads," noted the Melbourne Herald Sun newspaper gleefully.

When they find his bones, I'm sending flowers.

____________________________
Media

From our buds at Wideawake Films, Bad Blood: The Border War that Triggered the Civil War is now available on DVD. Tom wrote the book on the border war (See War to the Knife at the top of this page) and he thinks this is one of the best documentaries he's ever seen; I heartily concur. Visit their site to order: http://www.civilwargoods.com/displayFileInfo.asp?product_id=12

________________________________
Email

Good Morning You Pretty "Southern Belle"! (note to readers: I'll be sure and poste your email if you use this salutation)

Sgt. Major A.W. Schofield here (left) late of Jennison's Jayhawkers, now serving with the 15th Vol. Cavalry with Regimental HQ @ Mine Creek Battlefield SHS.

Thanks for running some of Michelle's "Good Old Days pictures and, yes, I was portraying that old Scoundrel & Scalawag Shubal Morgan, Old Man Brown or Osawatomie Brown or Captain John Brown, commanding officer of the notorious "Liberty Guards."

Brown is one of my favorite impressions & will travel for food & gas as an employee of the KSHS doing this impression & others. Also am working up an impression of "Charles Hamilton" as a counter point to Brown. I do not do Jim Lane, but also do Capt. James Montgomery.

Your blog is great & You are doing a GREAT JOB with the "Round Table," Take Care, Keep Safe & Keep Tom in Line & Alive!

Arnold

DG: Arnold, Thank Goodness you're no longer one of Jennison's Jayhawkers!! Visit Arnold at Mine Creek Battlefield SHS at Pleasanton, Kansas, or at minecreek@kshs.org.

Edification and Tourism

While I was hosting a garage sale and generally leading the life of a dung beetle over the weekend, other people were traveling and attending edifying events. From Michelle Martin in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, come these photos of our friends at Fort Scott, Kansas.

Following the Civil War the southeastern Kansas town of Fort Scott began unparalleled growth, spurred by rich natural resources and Fort Scott's being selected as a major hub for the railroads that were spreading coast-to-coast. (In fact, in 1899 Fort Scott was rivaling Kansas City as the largest rail center west of the Mississippi.) Street Fairs were sweeping the country and it was decided that Fort Scott would throw the Grandest Street Fair of them all. Noted Fort Scott Historian Don Miller writes of the 1899 Parade: "Hundreds of people labored thousands of hours decorating dozens of horses, mules, wagons, bicycles, and themselves with flowers and filler that made it challenging to separate foliage from participants . . . ." Fort Scott's popular Street Fair was continued on for many years and for reasons unknown was discontinued.

In 1982, a not-for-profit corporation was formed to revive the Street Fair Festival and "The Good Ol' Days" has been held every year since the first full weekend in June.

The annual festival is extremely popular with adults and children alike. The Good Ol' Days draws thousands of people into Fort Scott's Victorian downtown for a weekend filled with arts, crafts, specialty foods, children's games, and live entertainment. The adjacent Fort Scott National Historic Site provides visitors with an opportunity to experience the living history activities of an 1840's frontier fort. Our long-time bud Tim Rues (he introduced me to Tom) is pictured above portraying the U. S. Senator and Civil War general, James Henry Lane. Whether he was calling on the powers of Heaven or Hell was never really clear, but Lane's oratory fervor is surely captured by Tim. (I keep nudging Tom to write the biography of the man whom he calls "Lincoln's Rasputin." Lane, nut though he was, arrived at the White House just as the new president needed protection and forever had the president's ear.) Providing music at Fort Scott was the band, The Freestaters, of which our friends Jon Goering (above, left) and his wife, Betsy, (right) are members. I'm not sure who he is portraying, but Arnold Schofield (below) brings new meaning to "Ahnold." And with a gun in hand. . . oh, it makes me shiver to think of him! (Schwarzenegger could get a few lessons in intimidation from Schofield.) It looks as if the festivities at Fort Scott's Good Ol' Days were just too much for this babe. . . .

See the rest of Michelle's images at http://spotted.morningsun.net/pages/gallery.php?gallery=317103

_________________________

Speaking of Lincoln

Spencer County, Indiana, boyhood home of the 16th president, is putting up new Lincoln signage. The panels, initiated and funded by the Indiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, will be attached to the existing “Indiana-Crossroads of America Signs” that are located at the state’s borders.

Spencer County is home to Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Lincoln State Park, Lincoln Pioneer Village, Lincoln Ferry Park, Lincoln Landing, and Buffalo Run Farm, which all offer opportunities for visitors to learn about Lincoln’s life in Indiana. The county plans a series of special events throughout the next two years to mark the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth, which will occur February 12, 2009. For a complete schedule or to request a free copy of Spencer County’s Lincoln Visitors Guide, visit www.ThinkLincoln.org or call 1-888-444-9252.

Tom and I have spent lots of time in Spencer County which boasts a beautiful, rolling countryside and a very personal glimpse at the life of Lincoln. This area is one of the most enjoyable in America for your entire family.

____________________________

Speaking of Pick-up Lines

Several years ago, BT (Before Tom), I was out with a group of gals in Cody, Wyoming. I believe we were in the Silver Dollar Saloon when a lanky cowboy asked me to dance. He told me his name was Dusty Holliday, and reluctantly acknowledged that, yes, he was, in fact, a direct descendant of the gunslinger.

I smiled sweetly. "Doc didn't have kids, at least no legitimate ones," I responded. "I'm a historian."

Dusty shrugged. "Oh, well. I tried."

The dance was fun, albeit short, and Dusty went searching for a business major.

Memorials--This Pie is for You!

A memorial service will be held at Arlington National Cemetery today for Vicki Heilig, a friend to so many in the Civil War community. Vicki died last month in Salisbury, North Carolina. John McCaslin of the the Washington Times reports that Dick Crozier, who frequently re-enacts Robert E. Lee, will deliver the address. Virginia United Daughters of the Confederacy member Martha M. Boltz said the ceremony to be held for Miss Heilig at 3 p.m. at Jackson Circle. Vicki was an active UDC member as historian and chapter president.

"We'll have ... Tuscarora brass, pipers, the whole shebang, ending with the cannon salute," said Martha.

In the mid-1990s, Congress rejected the federal patent on the UDC insignia. As a thank-you gesture to senators who voted in favor of the patent, Vicki took pecan pies to the Senate. When she encountered a senator on an elevator who asked whether one of the pies was for him, she replied: "No, senator, you did not vote for the UDC, so I have no pie for you." The response captured her humorous character, friends said.

Vicki, who held a master's degree from the College of William & Mary and worked as a programmer at IBM until her retirement in 1997, is credited in her obituary for being the "driving force on the Confederate Memorial Committee," who later led the group's annual ceremony at the memorial located at Arlington. She also led annual ceremonies in the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall commemorating Lee's birthday. Vicki founded the Montgomery County, Maryland, Civil War Roundtable when she tried to join a CWRT only to find women were not allowed. You may read her complete obituary and sign the guestbook at http://obit.powlesfuneralhome.com/obit_display.cgi?id=416916. Vicki, you will be so missed by so many!!!

_______________________________________

Birthdays. . . .

Today is the birthday of American Serviceman, U. S. Senator, U.S. Congressman, U. S. Secretary of War, and Confederate President, Jefferson Davis, born in 1808.

Today is also the birthday of my grandmother, born in Fries (pronounced freeze), Virginia, in 1900. She told wonderful stories of the New River and the railroads, of mountain lions, and the adventure of growing up in a place filled with history and beauty. Her grandfather was a Confederate cavalry man. I think my love of story-telling comes from her. She would have 12 children; my father was the seventh son. She loved roses, and dreamed of a house with a white picket fence. She made the best strawberry-rhubarb pie I've ever tasted, and when her family was young and her father-in-law moved in, as did her sister-in-law with six children, Grandma cooked greenbeans in a washtub each day for dinner. My white fence with the red roses is for her. A young woman on her wedding day, (above).

________________________________________________
Hanging out with the Generals

At the Kansas City CWRT on May 22. . . power has its privileges. Here I am, dining with General Grant (Randy Durbin) and General Meade (Andy Waskie).

The Occidental Tourist

We didn't plan to stay at the Occidental; our tour of the West was not planned at all. We just got into the car and drove. Since our guests were Philadelphians, I had secretly hoped to reach Buffalo, Wyoming, at just the right time, but had no idea it would work out. While many fans of Western lore may realize that Owen Wister wrote The Virginian while residing in this Victorian hostelry, not everyone realizes Wister was a Philadelphian who now rests in Laurel Hill Cemetery in that selfsame city. Our dear friends, both of whom serve on the Cemetery Board, were thrilled.

After touring Little Bighorn, we called the Occidental from the Custer Battlefield Trading Post (Putt was outside cleaning up and looked up the hotel's number). Dawn answered the phone and said she'd love to have us. (Since it was Memorial Weekend, we were not always guaranteed quarters.) So we headed south to the Sheridan Inn for a quick drink, and then on to the Occidental.

Among the famous folks to stay here were Buffalo Bill (which is enough for me), Calamity Jane, Teddy Roosevelt, and now the Goodriches and the Waskies. Carol and I left the husbands in the car and chose our rooms. I picked the "Hole in the Wall," so named because the bathtub is in the closet. I loved it and intend to remodel our master suite (acutally, create a master suite), based on this plan. Dawn explained the tub wound up in the closet because the lady who used this room tired of sharing the tub with ranchers who came in during the winter. Tom was thrilled to look out the window and count the trout in the stream just below.

We we were too tired to enjoy anything but the comfortable beds when we arrived, but early the next morning, I made a pot of coffee and sat in the lobby reading Nebraska in the Indian Wars. I heard a clanging on the sidewalk outside and turned just in time for the American Legion guys to wave as they were putting the flags up and down the street for Memorial Day. When Andy and Carol joined me, we explored the bar. (Above, Andy has his morning coffee surrounded by elk, antelope, and buffalo. You're never alone in the Occidental.) Carol (right)found an interesting volume on Wyoming whorehouses, but after some consideration, we decided we're just too old to have a lucrative business. Reluctantly, we packed our bags, then headed over to Duffy's for biscuits and gravy. Fortunately, we were there and gone before Tom saw the story about the mountain lion that had to be euthanized in downtown Buffalo just last month.








___________________________________
Email

From our friend Mark Dunkelman. . . .


The 22nd Annual Reunion of Descendants of the 154th New York Volunteers will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 14, 2007, at the Pavilion at Lakeside Park in Mayville, the Chautauqua County seat. This year we will hold a joint reunion with descendants of members of the 112th New York, the Chautauqua County regiment raised in tandem with the 154th in the summer of 1862. After their organization, the two regiments left Camp James M. Brown in Jamestown and went on to very different careers in the Union army, not meeting again until near the end of the war, in North Carolina in March 1865. In our program, I’ll present an overview of the 154th New York’s history and Joel Babcock, a descendant of members of both regiments, will relate the 112th’s service.

For the third consecutive year, City Fiddle will entertain us during the 1 to 2 p.m. registration period with instrumental music from the Civil War era. The group consists of Phil Banaszak and his wife, Gretchen, of Buffalo, playing fiddle and guitar. Phil is a great-grandson of First Lt. Alexander Bird of Co. F. He and Gretchen are outstanding musicians, so arrive early and enjoy their performance. Check out their site http://www.hardtackregiment.com/ (Above Left, Mark's mural of the 154th in action at Gettysburg.)

_______________________________________
Happy Birthday. . . .


. . .to Phil Kearny, 1815 . . . . the namesake of the fort near Story, Wyoming, where on June 15 - 17, the 140th anniversary of the Wagon Box Fight will be observed. There will be a tour of Wood Road, block houses and Wagon Box Battlefield, a symposium, living history demonstrations, Michael Terry Native American Encampment and programs, military tactics demonstration and more, 307-684-7629.


and to John Hunt Morgan, 1825, (right)


and to John Bell Hood, 1831,


and to The Battle of Blackjack, which occurred June 2, 1856. Visit http://www.blackjackbattlefield.org/ for more information on tomorrow's events marking the 1st battle of the Civil War.

Fort Leavenworth

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is one of my favorite places. It has the feel of a college campus but the urgency of the important military installation that it is. It is also beautiful. The rolling land, the historic buildings, the neatly manicured cemetery--the smart folks that work there! Command Historian Kelvin Crow, who is among those smart folks, joined us on our weekend tour of the Post to share his voluminous knowledge (above, in the National Cemetery with author, Dale Vaughn, and artist, Kathleen Cobb).

After weeks of rain, Kansas had such a glorious weekend that it was made to order for walking in the steps of history. This fort is certainly the place to do it. From Stuart to Sherman to Sheridan, to Eisenhower to MacArthur to Powell, nearly every significant name in American Military History has walked these grounds.

Joining us for lunch in Bell Hall (soon to be torn down; the Command and General Staff College is moving to new digs in Lewis & Clark Hall), was our bud D. K. Clark. As you may have learned in previous posts, D. K. is the smartest man here. Just ask anyone else and they'll tell you the same thing. He talked about exactly what it is they teach at CGSC. It was the most interesting lunchtime conversation I'll guarantee you've heard in ten years. (Above, right, D. K. and Tom plot Indian Wars strategy.)

Being a cemetery nut, of course, we hit several of those, some sites that were quite surprising. Right, at the cemetery for the Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Marilyn Wolford, Judy Theis, Terry Hobbs, Ken, Jack, Dale, Kelvin.
Buried at Mount Muncie not far from such Kansas history luminaries as Daniel Anthony and General Blunt, are Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, executed for the murders of the Clutter Family in western Kansas, (the subject of Truman Copote's In Cold Blood). The graveyard sextant told us they still have the contract with the state and federal prisons to bury the convicts, though they don't get as many these days. The last two or three were federal prisoners as the state has gone to cremation. (Left, Kathleen, Dale, Tom, CSM (ret.) Jack Elliott, Dr. Ken Hobbs)













No tour is complete without shopping so we headed across the Missouri River to Weston where we had a cold one in Pastimes, and our tour-ees roamed the streets and shops.

On to the next tour. . . .

Armchair General

It's obvious that Tom and I love the Weider History Group (since he's the official Wild West blogger we literally get paid to love those folks!) I have to admit, however, that my favorite of their publications is Armchair General. Is it because Jerry Morelock does such a great job in selecting articles, putting together quality writers, interesting subjects, fantastic layout? That's part of it. But they also have General Lee on the cover of this issue. Jerry's opening remarks about Lee are well done and the article by Brian Sobel is excellent. Much as I love studying the Civil War, AG is not exclusive to that era but genuinely puts it in the context of military history. Good job, guys!

Not to be left out, Civil War Times has an excellent issue on the stands with the lead article by our friend Justice Frank Williams. The question, "Did Lincoln go too far to save the Union?" Surprisingly, there is a difference of opinion on this issue. (Smiley face inserted here!) A great issue.

Equally compelling is this month's issue of America's Civil War. The cover is stunning, and very timely. Buy them all!

__________________________________

Fort Leavenworth Tour

. . . is this weekend. Our flooding situation has caused some folks to cancel (some day, mold will rule the world. . . ) so we have a couple of seats for either Saturday or Sunday (as of this moment). We will visit at least two cemeteries on the Post, the National Cemetery as well as the smaller graveyard at the back of the Fort where rest the German POWs executed during World War II. We'll see the Chapel, tour Bell Hall (about to be destroyed, Thank Goodness! This is one case where I am not in favor of saving this old building, though I get chills thinking about the folks who have passed through the halls). In June, the Command and General Staff College moves into new digs at Lewis and Clark, a far better building with architecture more fitting the station of this prestigious school. We'll visit some historic sites around Leavenworth and Lansing, then cross the Missouri River where we have some surprises in store. It promises to be the best tour yet, and may be our last opportunity to visit Bell Hall.

___________________________________________
Col. Jim Harrison

.....from the Leavenworth Lamp
A Fort Leavenworth officer was one of two U.S. Soldiers killed by small arms fire May 6 at the Pol-E-Charki Prison in Kabul, Afghanistan.Col. James W. Harrison Jr., 47, of Missouri, was killed while serving as a detention policy expert with the Combined Forces Command Afghanistan. Before his deployment in December 2006, he was the director of the School of Command Preparation at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Harrison previously served as the 47th commandant of the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks from June 2004 to June 2006.

I knew Colonel Harrison while I was doing media training on the Post. He was a good man. Our deepest sympathy to his family and the military community that will miss him.

________________________________________
General Lee

The photo at top is not General Lee but is re-enactor Al Stone. He does a remarkable job. For more images and information on how to invite the General to your event, visit his site at http://www.generallee.leeslieutenants.com/.

Calling all Scots!

The Reverend Dr. Bill Mackie (right) is organizing a tribute to the Scots who fought in the Civil War. The ceremony in Edinburgh, on July 21, will mark the anniversary of the Battle of Manassas in 1861. Yes, Edinburgh, as in Scotland. The ceremony will be held in front of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. Yes, Lincoln, as in the American president. Is this a small world, or what?

"We're still looking into exactly who took part and whether any regiments from the Edinburgh area were there," said Mackie. He hopes it will become an annual event.


Not only did I find this an unusual story, but the great number of comments it garnered is equally intriguing. Click on http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=737792007 to read the entire article, feedback, and leave your own. Especially interesting is the assertion that between 150,000 and 500,000 Scotsmen died in the American Civil War. Lots of reaction to that one!


If you, like I, are descended from one of those noble Scots, you will also enjoy this link, http://www.strom.clemson.edu/presentations/Scots-Irish.pdf, which has lots of quotes about how the Scots created, defended, and maintained America. Yaaay!!!!


Now, dear readers, much as I would love spending the rest of my day with you, I must return to the basement to rip out more rotten carpet. Life moves forward, no matter how much we live in the past.