Society Saturday - How the Railroad helped win the War

At the Annual Banquet of the National Society Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America, we were entertained by Mr. David Shackleford, Chief Curator of the B&O Railway Museum.

I had the pleasure of sitting next to Mr. Shackleford during dinner.  He was a very interesting person, telling me of his career in the army, and his attraction to trains.  He seemed genuinely interested in our Society as well.  It was clear that he has a love for history.

His talk was on the history of the B&O Railroad and how it helped the Union win the civil war.  During the talk, he gave us a lot of information about the history of the railroad itself.  For example, each railroad company laid its own track and the gauge (distance between rails) of one railroad often was different from another.  Even if the difference was only an inch or two, a train built for one gauge of track could not run on another company's track.  Most trains only ran between 2 cities.  Thus, the cargo was pulled by horses through the city streets to get from one train to another.

During the Civil War, rail lines were a prime target for Confederate soldiers, who knew that destroying the rail system would weaken the advantage of the North who used their trains to move troops and supplies. The railroad was the target of several raids, including the Great Train Raid of 1861. Although the railroad was considered collateral damage during the war, this did not stop the B&O agents from helping the Union cause.  They often would pass along information about Confederate troop movements.  This intelligence helped the Union forces know when and where to prepare for battle.

http://www.borail.org/

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, Week 36

Hoarders

The hoarders help Hitler, when they grumble, groan and mutter

And say they are cheated, when they can’t get

sugar, coffee and butter.

They carry home great sacks full of foods

and juices in cans

Get irate at the grocer and baker, when not able

to get all demands.

Patriotic?  A, yes, the American flag is on

the windshields of all their cars

Yet they drive these cars to haul home their ill-gotten jars.

Just hear the clamor and roar, when they speak about meat

I wonder, were they in Europe, how much

could they get to eat?

They bootleg on gasoline, rubber and tires

Who says they are scarce are big liars.

And now, when they have to plod along

on their poor shoeless feet

They are yelling so loudly, that it’s giving the dictators a treat.

That there is a war on, they don’t seem to be aware

And what’s more, are too selfish

and greedy to care.

Business and leisure must go on in the same usual way.

Hungry, shoeless, unarmed soldiers will save them

while they idle and play.

So why should they do without what they want,

or try anything to save?

What care they for mothers who weep, and think

of sons asleep in a foreign grave.

Note: There is little doubt as to how Grandma felt about rationing (or not).

Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.

Society Saturday - The National Museum of the U.S. Army

At the Candlelight Dinner of the National Society Daughters of American Colonists, we learned about the building of the National Museum of the U.S. Army.

This museum is being built at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.  It will tell the history of the United States Army as well as teach what it is like to be in the army.

There will be an interesting exhibit about Artwork depicting the Army, and a unique experiential learning center where groups of school children will simulate problem solving on a rescue mission.

The museum is still in the construction phase but it sounds like a very interesting place to visit when it is completed.

http://thenmusa.org/index.php

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, Week 35

Hope

There is a grandmother,

living on Bancroft Street,

Who waits, not too patiently,

for the sound of the youthful feet

That were so ruthlessly sent away

to tread on a foreign strand

Hoping the time is now short,

when again they’ll walk

on their homeland.

And she hopes that never, never again,

the occasion will arise

When war’s devastation will

darken the world’s skies

And that our country will take

the place of a kindly big brother

Teaching other nations how to live

at peace with each other.

Twice, in my lifetime, I’ve seen

my boys sent to a foreign shore

One of them, lying asleep in France,

will return to me, nevermore.

But let’s hope, this time,

your task will not have been in vain

And that the four of you, safe and sound,

will soon be in your homes again.

Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.

Society Saturday - First Families of Maine and New Hampshire

On Tuesday of Lineage Week, there is a joint meeting and tea for the Order of the First Families of Maine and the Order of the First Families of New Hampshire.  These two organizations have met jointly for four years and it works well.  There is a lot of overlap in membership.

The Order of the First Families of Maine conducted their business first.  Membership is open to men and women who can trace their ancestors to Maine prior to 1652. Their prime objective is to support historical projects in Maine and it was agreed again to support the Maine Historical Society.

The Order of the First Families of New Hamsphire offers membership to men and women who can trace their ancestry to that state prior to 1680.  It was exciting to see the Order's Flag presented.  This was a dream of Founder Shari Worrell, and it took nearly 3 years to raise money and find a company to make a suitable flag.

Historian Margie Knight told of the origin of the Order's seal which is depicted on the flag.

http://offme.homestead.com/

http://offnh.homestead.com/

Tombstone Tuesday - Wreath Laying at Arlington Cemetery

One of the duties of the National Chaplain of NSDFPA is to prepare a wreath-laying ceremony at the end of General Court.  The wreath is used during the annual memorial service where one carnation is inserted for each member who died during the preceding year.

This year, the memorial wreath was placed at the grave of one of our Honorary National Presidents, Anne Holle, who is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Anne Carter Baldwin was born on 2 May 1907.  She was married to Major General Charles G. Holle.  They lived in Washington DC.  She was a member of several lineage societies in addition to the Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America.  She served NSDFPA in several capacities, including National Corresponding Secretary from 1967-70 and National President from 1970-73.  She died on 26 November 2002 and is buried next to her husband and his first wife.

National President Irene Walker knew Mrs. Holle and gave a lovely personal tribute to her.  To add to the ceremony, it was a beautiful day and the Cherry Blossoms were blooming.

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, Week 34

A Lonesome Town

The town is big and lonesome

Every day is a lonesome day.

For the boys who donned the khaki

Have waved, and marched away.

There are gleams of yellow sunshine

Coming through the new leafed trees

And the butterflies have wakened

We hear the hum of the honeybees.

The sounds are as cheerful as of old

As we watch the children run and play

But the boys, just out of school,

Have waved to us and gone away.

Yes, the boys have gone and left us

have marched away, khaki clad

And the town is big and lonesome

The days are not so glad

As they used to be.

The birds Sing as gayly in the tree.

But it seems the world will never be

The same as it used to be.

‘Till we have the boys back with us,

‘Till we hear their marching feet

And see them waving again to us

Coming gaily down the street.

They are boys, who were just little bits

of fellows, only yesterday,

Full of talk about their kites and marbles

And now they’ve marched away.

Marched away, like grown men, to meet

And battle with a foreign foe.

Our hearts were sad, but proud, to have

Them wave to us, then turn and go.

We know they’ll do their duty nobly

Our brave boys in khaki brown,

But ‘till they come marching home

This will be a lonesome town.

Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.