Happy Birthday, Wyatt Earp

Wild West published this photo of Wyatt Earp and you'll find a description of it filed under "Wyatt's First Star" at http://www.historynet.com/historical_figures/3564412.html. Yes, this little man is Wyatt Earp, along with his mother.

"She doted on the frowner," isn't that what Virgil (ala Sam Elliott) said to Wyatt in Tombstone?

Happy Birthday, Wyatt, March 19, 1848. We see why she doted on the frowner. He was handsome thing, even scowling.

By the way, Wyatt was named for Wyatt Berry Stapp, Captain of a company of mounted volunteers from Illinois during the Mexican War. Nicholas Earp is listed as the third sergeant in the company.

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Jeb Loved A Ball!

Thanks to Southern Belle and Meade Society member of the Florida Chapter: Pat Crumpler

April 4-5 is a weekend of celebration sponsored by the JEB Stuart Memorial Foundation to benefit the Museum of the Confederacy.

Beginning with a reception at the museum Friday evening, the weekend includes tours to the famous Hollywood Cemetery and to the Maymount Estate. Also available is a walking tour of historic sites in downtown Richmond hosted by a knowledgeable museum staff member. Saturday evening concludes at the Renaissance Center with a ball featuring period dress, dancing and Southern Food. Music provided by not only the Virginia Military Institute's Scottish Piping Band, but The Second South Carolina String Band and Evening Shade.

For information please contact the JEB Stuart Memorial Foundation at JEBStuartMemFound@Yahoo.Com or phone 1 877 887 3235.

Faces From the Past

In the photo above, the baby is six months old, Louise Celine is 4 years old, Norman is 7, and Otto is 9. "Mother's" age is not given, but what I'm wondering is how on earth her neck supports that hat?

These are not my relatives. In fact, I have no idea who they are. But a few years ago, I entered Lloyd Zimmer's book store and came out with a large box of photos. Every now and then, I go through them. I began sorting some last night for a project and wanted to share some with you. The photos of children are my favorites and here's just a sampling. The identity of most of them is unknown to me, but some of the dates are there. The little girl on her pony, left, was taken in 1912.

I don't know the year of the little boy and his dog, below, but on the back is written, "Mickey Jensen and Frosty, age 8." I'm assuming it was Mickey who was age 8 and not Frosty.

When I was 9, our first house burned down. Gone were our baby pictures and Mama went to relatives to copy or replace them. When I was 17, our second home burned (the houses burned for totally unrelated reasons. ) We had gone to the coast to church, a five hour drive. I remember stopping at my sister's bedroom to turn off the light and noticing the triple photo frame on her dresser with a picture of me, one of her, and one of my brother. "I'd like to take that with me," I thought. "How silly!" was my next thought and I turned off the light and left.

There is no name nor a date on the mother lovingly holding the baby, below, but I think this is such a lovely, iconic picture. The emotion flows from her and touches even today, decades later.

Whenever I go to an auction or an antique shop and see old family photos I want to bring them home. The fact that they have been cast aside is so sad to me.

It's silly, I know. I just can't help it.

(Visit Lloyd Zimmer's Books and Maps at 117 SW 6th Street here in Topeka or online at http://ksbiblio.com )

Southerners and Others

Talked to my "brother" Dave Chuber on the phone last night. Dave is the historian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and is originally from Statesville, North Carolina. Short and full of it --and speaking with the same accent--folks just assume he's my brother. Close enough.

Dave just led a staff ride for his non-commissioned officers to the battlefield at Centralia, Missouri. Sadly, the guerrilla war in Kansas and Missouri during America's Civil War is starkly relevant to today's soldiers.

For an account of the battle, click here http://centralia.missouri.org/massacre/index.shtml. A very young Jesse James, left, was said to have taken part in the battle and personally killed the Yankee commander. It is difficult to confirm, however, and Jesse had been wounded a couple of weeks prior and might not have been able to take part.

Dave passed out copies of draconian orders issued by America's government in the 1860s, orders designed to quell the growing rebellion but which had exactly the opposite effect. As his men read these documents and considered what their own reactions would have been, the light bulbs went on.

"They got it," Dave said. "They also got it that we have to be careful in the Middle East with the way we treat civilians so that we don't push them into the arms of the insurgents."

Studying history has become not only interesting, but crucial.
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Jeb Stuart Birthplace

Our friend Tom Perry is on a tear over the conditions and management of the Jeb Stuart Birthplace back home in Patrick County, Virginia, an entity he created then stepped away from in the hopes other folks would carry on his work. It has not transpired the way he had hoped. Tom believes it would be best if the state or some other public entity took over the site. I side with him on this issue, and this hallowed ground is too important for hagling and neglecting. We need action. Check in at the www.freestateofpatrick.com and share your thoughts and ideas.

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Salute, Marmaduke!

Celebrating a birthday this week was John Sappington Marmaduke, right. His name is so unforgettable and so, so Southern!!! Born in Missouri on March 14, 1833, Marmaduke attended Yale, Harvard, and graduated from West Point. He would rise to the rank of major general in the Confederate Army and die in 1887 while serving as governor of the "Show Me State." Ain't he something? Born today in 1767 was another famous Southerner, General and President Andrew Jackson, left. Ain't they a pair? Born on March 16, 1822, was Union General John Pope. One of my favorite quotes of the Civil War was said by Robert E. Lee in reference to the Yankee general: "Pope, the miscreant! He must be suppressed!"

Soldier Stories

Dear Reader, as if I didn't trouble you enough, I have created a new blog: http://soldierthenandnow.blogspot.com/ Please visit and contribute. I spent today on business at Fort Leavenworth and heard Gen. Bill Caldwell, who is in charge at the Fort, and British Gen. Simon Mayall address the students. I will be sharing interviews with some of the British officers visiting the post as well as the students who are in residence there.

While there, I ran into John Reichley, historian extraordinaire, who knows just about everything about this historic post and town. He reminded me that Scott Porter is speaking to the Leavenworth Historical Society (Frontier Army Museum) next Thursday, March 20, and is then conducting a battlefield tour on Saturday morning following. We're meeting John at the bar just before hearing Scott speak. Come join us, and stay tuned!

Abraham and Mary Lincoln Letters

From Antiques and the Arts Online:

R.M. Smythe & Co., Inc, held one of the most successful autograph auctions in its 125-year history on January 17. The sale, featuring the collection of Steven Lee Carson, saw more than 75 percent of the offered lots sell; and, in the end, bidders on the floor, on the phone and at their computers were able to take home a remarkable variety of historical autographs and Americana.

Not surprisingly, the highest hammer price was achieved by a letter written by President Abraham Lincoln, asking Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to approve the resignation of a cavalry captain at the request of the officer's wife. Lincoln, typically a "soft touch" in such cases, makes the argument that "we are rapidly getting an over-proportion of officers." The letter sold for $16,675.

Keeping it in the family, a pair of 1869 letters (one incomplete) from Lincoln's widow, in which she refers to him as having been "from my eighteenth year — Always — lover — husband — father and all, all to me — truly my all," brought $14,950.

We were on the same seminar schedule with Steven Lee Carson a couple of years ago and enjoyed him so much. Steven Lee has delivered addresses in The White House, The Kremlin, The U.S. Capitol, The Lincoln Memorial, Ford's Theater, The Smithsonian Institution, The National Archives, The Library of Congress, The Belfast (Northern Ireland) Parliament, over the Voice of America and throughout the United States. Most of the famous personalities covered in his speeches include the celebrities he has dealt with at The White House or as a member of The National Press Club. I enjoyed his stories immensely. What an incredible collection he has sold!

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More on Hillbillies

From fellow blogger, Byron, comes this link for Hillbilly Savants, a great site.http://hillbillysavants.blogspot.com/2008/02/whats-in-stereotype.html. Seems lots of folks are in an uproar over the prospective film depicting West Virginians as albino and hunchbacks.

Blogger Confusion

In my previous blog, I announced that fellow blogger Dimitri Rolov found my blog "feisty and entertaining." Afterwards, I received a comment from fellow blogger Drew Wagenhoffer and it was Drew who plugged Tom's book, Bloody Dawn, and commented on my blog. Drew publishes Civil War Books and Authors and Dimitri posts Civil War Bookshelf. I read and enjoy them both and apologize for the confusion. Drew was such a gentleman, and I apologize for putting words into Dimitri's mouth, or blog.

Politically Correct Targets

If you're an albino or a dwarf or a giant, preferably one with a goiter or slant eyes, and have a hillbilly accent, have we got a job for you.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Pennsylvania) ran an article about a film company's seeking odd extras to portray West Virginians. "Holler" people to be exact.

"Some of these 'holler' people -- because they are insular and clannish, and they don't leave their area -- there is literally inbreeding, and the people there often have a different kind of look. That's what we're trying to get," said a company executive in the newspaper. According to the Tribune-Review, the press release said:

"Extraordinarily tall or short. Unusual body shapes, even physical abnormalities as long as there is normal mobility. Unusual facial features, especially eyes. . . . a 9-12-year-old Caucasian girl with an other-worldly look to her. . . .Could be an albino or something along those lines -- she's someone who is visually different and therefore has a closer contact to the gods and to magic. 'Regular-looking' children should not attend this open call.'"

For some reason, West Virginians are offended. So am I. Virginia has always considered traitorous and untrustworthy those counties that seceded from the Commonwealth after the Commonwealth seceded from the United States. West Virginia has been the butt of our jokes since 1863. But there are many commonalities among the mountain folk, many family ties, much culture and tradition in common.

I understand a film company's wanting unusual looking people; what irks me to no end is that they appear to believe their warped view is reality. Also, pity the poor child whose hopeful stage mother drags him or her to this audition, proudly pointing out, "See, my boy's crosseyed!"

My Grandpa worked in the coal mines in West Virginia as a young man, the 1910s and 1920s. He worked alongside Greeks, Italians, Russians, Czechs. The population was as diverse in some areas as New York City. And what about the places without diversity? The places where the same mountain folk lived and struggled since before the American Revolution?

Well, those are my people. I come from the same culture, pretty much the same gene pool, and I'm not apologizing to Hollywood or anyone else. And you know what? I am sick and tired of every body in the world being off limits to ridicule except white Southerners. I don't care who you are, it's okay to pick on them. And I only knew one albino family growing up. Okay, maybe two.

Read the story and the followup comments: Film's casting call wants that 'inbred' look - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review At top, National Geographic photo of albino pygmy monkey twins, born not in West Virginia, but in Sweden. Perhaps there's a role for them. . . .
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Pitiful Criminals

The Civil War Bookshelf, authored by fellow blogger Dimitri Rotov, recently linked to a most interesting crime story. Seems a guy in Monroe, Georgia, held up a Kangaroo convenience store by brandishing a “hand cannon,” a Civil War-era cap-and-ball revolver which had a 9-inch barrel. The suspect made off with $55. Turns out he is homeless--but thankfully he kept his highly collectible gun. He should have contacted Ed Kennedy or Dave Chuber who would have offered him more than fifty bucks for the weapon. Would-be crooks--there is a socially acceptable way to show off your Civil War era firearms. Call me next time and I'll put you in contact with a gun nut, er, collector. Okay, okay. . . I'm furthering the Southern stereotypes. . . . Sometimes the shoe just fits.

Speaking of the Civil War Bookshelf, Dimitri recently plugged one of Tom's books and mentioned my blog as well. He said it was "feisty and entertaining." I am so tickled. It has been my lifelong ambition to be considered "feisty and entertaining."

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Listen Up

. . . "thou bawdy flap-mouthed whey face!" I'm not exactly sure what a "whey face" would look like, but it doesn't sound pretty. From our friend, Norman Marshall, comes this link for Shakespearean insults. Priceless!!

http://www.william-shakespeare.org.uk/a2-shakespeare-insult-generator.htm