Buddventures

Union outpost

2009-03-13T15:24:00.000-03:00

So, here we have a flag in the Fort Clinch visitor center. It does not say, but from its condition, I am guessing it is a reproduction that has been flown over the fort in modern times.

Here is the current flag, a reproduction of the US flag in use in 1864. This is actually the most popular design of the 36 star flag, and several other variations existed.

This is my wife's version of the flag-in-the-window shot.

Olustee

2009-03-12T23:00:00.004-03:00

The Union campaign that climaxed in the Battle of Olustee (or Ocean Pond) began in February 1864, when troops commanded by General Truman A. Seymour embarked at Hilton Head, South Carolina. Their immediate objective was a fourth occupation of Jacksonville. The force could then disrupt transportation links and deprive the Confederacy of food supplies from central Florida; capture cotton, turpentine and timber; gain black recruits for the Union army; and induce Unionists in east Florida to organize a loyal state government.

Seymour's expeditionary force landed at Jacksonville on Feb 7. Scouts and raiders moved west and met little opposition.Meanwhile, during the month of January, movement of the Federal fleet had been noted by the Confederate forces, and they began to prepare for an offensive. The defense of Florida was placed in the hands of Brig. General Joseph Finegan and Brig. General Alfred Colquitt. Once it was apparent the Union forces were moving westward in Florida, Finegan began searching for the Confederate army's best defendable position.Finegan found that position at Olustee. With a lake called Ocean Pond on his left, a nearly impassable swamp on his right and only a narrow passage between, he called for troops to help defend Florida. Colquitt answered that call, bringing veteran troops from Savannah, Georgia.

On Feb 20, the Union force of 5,500 men and 16 cannon marched westward from Barber's Plantation, near modern day Macclenny. Their plan was to defeat the Confederates 32 miles away, near Lake City, and then cut off the railroad there. But by this time, the Confederate forces almost equaled the Union opposing army in number, and Finegan sent skirmishers to draw the Union forces to Olustee. The Union army drove the Confederate cavalry back several miles, but resistance kept growing stronger. H.W.B. Athens wrote "At 8 o' clock in the morning on the 20th instant we were informed that the Yankees were advancing. A part of the brigade was immediately ordered to some rifle pits hastily constrcuted near at hand, the remainder forming line of battle in open field. In this position we patiently waited the coming of the foe for an hour, when our General, who is a fair man, concluded to meet halfway." The opposing armies made contact that afternoon and the Confederate line was formed, infantry in the center with cavalry on each flank.

The battle was joined on the floor of a forest of virgin pines, free of underbrush. Men fought in the open forest; neither force constructed earthworks. The Union army was cauhgt between two swamps, one preventing their advance, and one hindering a retreat. Initially, neither side expected the battle here to amount to much.

Around 2 PM, the battle intensified as the 7th Connecticut opened up heavy fire with their Spencer repeating rifles. This caught the 64th Georgia off guard and killed all of their field officers. Colonel Barrow of the 64th had told his men "I am sure that we are in the right, and that God is on our side. Follow me today, my men, and I will lead you to the enemy. Remember, that the honor of Georgia rests with you." Soon after saying these words, Col Barrow was shot through the heart by a Union bullet and killed instantly. The 7th Connecticut advanced quickly, and soon found themselves ahead of the rest of the army, and in a deadly crossfire. The Union advance was finally halted when they ran low on ammunition and witdrew several hundred yards. Milton M. Woodford of the 7th CT wrote home "As we advanced, the enemy retired, keeping just in sight. Whenever we could get near enough to atnd any chance of doing execution we would blaze away at them and they returned the fire in a way that showed that they were good marksmen, for their shots came plenty near enough, although none of us were hit."

By 3 Pm, the 7th New Hampshire deployed on the Union right flank, battling heavy fire from the Confederates. The regiment had earlier been ordered to exchange their Spencer repeating rifles for old, defective muskets, many of which did not even fire. Colonel Hawley, leading the 7th new Hampshire, either gave a wrong command or his command was misunderstood, causing the confused 7th to scatter to the rear.

The 8th US Colored troops with no battle experience and little traing were deployed on the Union left flank. They had less than one month's service and had never practiced firing their weapons. They were severely mauled at a railroad crossing east of Olustee. Of the 375 men in this troop, 310 were killed or wounded. The 8th US Regimental Surgeon wrote "Here they stood for two hours... under one of the most terrible fires I ever witnessed, and here on the field of Olustee, was decided whether the colored man had the courage to stand without shelter, and run the dangers of the battlefield, and when I tell you that they stand with a fire in frint, on their flank without flinching, I have no doubt as to the center of every man who has gratitude for the defenders of his country, white or black."

Around this time, Colonel Harrison arrived with Confederate reinforcements. The area recently vacated by the 7th New Hampshire now came under concentrated fire. The train also had a large cannon mounted on a flatcar which shot a lare shell every five minutes with devastating effects. By now the Union had five cannon captured and almost all others rendered useless. James H. Clark remarked "the horses and men were nearly all killed or wounded, and it was the greatest slaughter among artillery known in the history of the war."

By now the Union felt the day was lost, but the 54th Massachusetts and 1st North Carolina US Colored advanced, staggering the enemy.
By 5 Pm the fire slackened on both sides as soldiers ran out of ammunition. The men searched the pockets of their fallen comrades, desperate for more ammunition. New supplies arrived for the Confederates and the entire line moved forward, led by the 27th Georgia.

"The whole line moving as directed, the enemy gave way in confusion. We continued the pursuit for several miles, when night put an end to the conflict." -Brigadier General Alfred Colquitt

"Claiming to be the last to leave the field, the 54th Massachusetts heard their Lt Col Hooper say 'Well boys, we must hold this line: We must fix bayonets and stay in our tracks.' The men shouted 'we can do it.' They gathere all the cartridges from the field they could, and as the enemy advanced... the men would cheer so that the Rebels thought it was a trap and fell back. After some time our men were withdrawn a little way, and a line formed there as the army retreated our regiment fell back taking different positions until off the field." -Major John Appleton, 54th Massachusetts

Colquitt's brigade gradually advanced until they were nearly on the enemy's left flank. The Yankees broke and fled, and the Rebels knew they had won.

"Grape and canister swept by with hideous music, and shell after shell tore through our ranks and burst amid heaps of our wounded heroes. The 115th New York swept forward in the face of a galling fire, through reeds higher than our heads, over logs and fences, until the hateful columns of Southern grey were plainly visible.After three hours of fighting, every regiment excepting the 115th New York had been compelled to leave the field. Our boys occupied precisely the same position which they did at the opening of the battle. They stood battling over the bodies of their fallen comrades...At last the shades of night covered the field of blood, and we were then ordered to the rear. After giving three ringing cheers of defiance to the rebels, the regiment slowly and sadly dragged themselves away. Over one half were killed and wounded, and the remainder were black with powder and the smoke of battle, and could hardly move."

-James H.Clark: "The Iron Hearted Regiment."

Battle casualties amounted to 1,861 Union and 946 Confederate soldiers.

"It was a fair, square, stand-up fight in pine woods, just there not very thick, and having little undergrowth, save about an occasional swampy hole. There was probably a difference of less than five hundred in the numbers engaged. The Confederates knew the ground and were formed for battle. We rushed in, not waiting for the proper full formation, and were fought in detail. The enemy had the great advantage, with modern weapons of being on the defensive and ready. There was absolutely no pursuit of the defeated party until the next day. The Confederate loss was 940; the Union loss 1861. This left the former with say 4500; the atter with about 3700, or about that proportion. It was one of the sideshows of the great war, but the loss on the Union side was proportionately about three times as great as at Buena Vista. I suppose it did help to whittle away the great rebellion." -Col Joseph Hawley

Union soldiers remained in Jacksonville until the end of the war and occupied several coastal towns and various places along the St Johns River. They carried out frequent operations against Confederate forces defending east Florida but did not venture out in significant force again.

The 1899 Florida legislature created a commission to select a site and to raise funds for a suitable monument to commemorate the battle. The site was acquired by the state of Florida in 1909. the monument was built in 1912 and dedicated in 1913, just 49 years after the battle.

A small onsite museum has several artifacts, but does not say if they are originals or reproductions.

World's Smallest practical joke?

2009-03-11T14:13:00.001-03:00

This is the World's Smallest Police Station, in downtown Carrabelle, FL. A few stories abound about how it came to be, but here is what is known: The Polices had a phone bolted to a nearby building, but its use exposed them to the elements, and supposedly it was used by people for illegal calls. So in 1963 when the phone company decided to retire a phone booth, the Police took it to put their phone inside. The illegal calls continued, however, and vandalism plagued the tiny station, so eventually the phone was removed. But the reputation as a Police Station lived on.

Now it is an empty booth, still with the Smallest Police Station label. Supposedly, this is a reproduction and the original is on display somewhere else. I love local lore, never can get one straight story.

D-Day Training

2009-03-10T15:38:00.002-03:00

This marker is in a rest area just east of the Crooked River Lighthouse.
In late 1943, Carrabelle Beach and Dog Island, while they were a part of Camp Gordon Johnston, were used by the US Army 4th Infantry Division to train for the Normandy Invasion on D-Day, June 6th, 1944. The Amphibious Training Center had been officially closed, but it was reopened and staffed for the purpose of training for this important mission. Although the troops had trained for over three years, the amphibious training conducted on this site was the last step before shipping out to England for the invasion. On D-Day, the first amphibian infantry assault teams to arrive on French soil were from the 4th Infantry Division at Utah Beach. On June 6, 2000, the Camp Gordon Johnston Association extracted a small amount of soil from this site and delivered it to the National 4th Infantry Division Association to be placed in the Association's monument in Arlington, VA. The US Department of Defense's World War II Commemoration Committee in 1995 named the Camp Gordon Johnston Association an official "Commemorative Community."

Crooked River of the Florida variety

2009-03-09T10:04:00.005-03:00

The Crooked River Lighthouse, just west of Carabelle, Florida, has seen many mariners safely home for the 100 years it was lit and used. It was built in 1895 to replace one on Dog Island that was destroyed in a hurricane in 1873. Authorities decided it would be better to have a lighthouse on the secure mainland rther than the exposed Dog Island. After construction delays, the Crooked River Lighthouse, flanked by two identical keeper's houses was completed. The twin houses, one for the keeper and the other for the assistant keeper were sold in 1964 and moved from the site. A fire destroyed one of the houses and the other remains in private ownership.

Electricity came to the lighthouse in 1933 and it became automated in 1952. The lens was built in 1894 by Henri LaPaute in Paris France. The lens currently is on display at the US Coast Guard District 8 headquarters in New Orleans. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1995.
In 1999, the lighthouse belonged to the US Coast Guard, but was inoperable and deemed surplus property. The Carrabelle Lighthouse Association was formed and in August 2001 the deed was transferred to the city of Carrabelle. The following February, the CLA reached an agreement with the city to care for and restore the lighthouse.

On December 8, 2007, with the restoration of the light complete, the park was opened to the public and the Coast Guard recommisioned the light as a private aid to navigation.
Tower Height: 103 feet

Construction: cast iron skeletal tower with cement foundation

Number of steps: 138

Original light apparatus: 4th order open bivalve revolving lens (Henry Lepaute 1894)

Modern light apparatus: 4th order open bivalve with 190mm rotating lantern

Light: two-group flashing white, flashes every twelve and a half seconds

Currently the CLA and the city of Carrabelle are in the process of building a replica of the Light Keeper's house to be located in the park to serve as a museum. When completed the museum, lighthouse, and recreational conservation site will be open to the public.

History and information from park brochure at the site.

This is a playground that was not here in 2003. I sure wish I had a pirate ship when I was growing up!!

U-534

2009-03-08T13:00:00.004-03:00

From the Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News:

A HISTORIC German U-boat which was cut into sections by a Widnes-based contractor and transported to its new home in Merseyside is now a key exhibit in a maritime museum.
The U-534 is the centrepiece of a major exhibition centre being constructed by Appleton-based Whitfield and Brown at the Woodside Ferry Terminal.
The U-boat was sunk in a Norwegian fjord by the crew of the “G” For George, a Liberator bomber of the RAF’s 547 Squadron.
The vessel is believed to be the last U-boat to make an attempt to escape the Allies at the end of the war.
Legend has it that the vessel contained a valuable cargo of contraband gold bullion, or possibly even a sacred relic known as the Spear of Destiny – said to be the spear that pierced Christ’s side.
The sub was found to be carrying an enigma cypher machine.
The Liberator dropped 10 depth charges on the sub during two attacks and one charge is said to have stuck to the upper part of its hull before exploding.
The U-534 sank stern first and 49 of its crew survived.
The Widnes contractor excavated a 60x20m “reception dock” into which the four sections of the historic vessel were placed. The Mersey Mammoth floating crane was used to transport the sub to its new home.
A project spokesman said: “The sub U-534 was formerly the centrepiece of Wirral’s Historic Warships Museum until it closed two years ago.
“It was bought for a nominal sum by Merseytravel after there were fears it could be sold for scrap.
“Because of space limitations and operational difficulties in moving the sub, it was cut into four sections and floated to its new home.”

By Adrian Short

Original article here

The Seminole Wars

2009-03-07T11:06:00.005-04:00

Despite this book's kid-like appearance, it is actually quite valuable, and I would have kept it if I had bought it, and not checked it out from the library. When it comes to the Seminole Wars, most books (which there are not many) focus on only one of the three wars, or a specific aspect, etc. Only two that I have found completely cover the entire conflict from start to finish. This is the good one. The other one was written and arranged in a very confusing manner that made the sequence of events hard to follow. This book is neither long, nor hard to read, but it covers all aspects of all three wars to satisfy any curious history buff. Anyone living in or near Florida should read this and I would recommend it to anyone else, also, as the Seminole Wars were THE major event in Florida of the 19th century and had a profound impact on the rest of the country as well. The book can be purchased on Amazon here. Also see the several Seminole War sites I have visited here.
The Seminole Wars
John and Mary Lou Missall
280 pages
2004 University Press of Florida

Shall not have died in vain...

2009-03-06T12:03:00.002-04:00

Just a couple shots of the flag over the cemetery at San Marcos.

Cape San Blas

2009-03-05T11:05:00.004-04:00

This is a lighthouse on the Gulf coast that I visited in 2003, and decided to come see again. When I was here before, only one of the dwellings had been restored, while the other was in terrible condition. I had read that it had since been restored as well, which is my I came back to see it.

As it turns out, somehow I lost most of my pictures from the 2003 trip, which kinda upset me. I was going to do this great before and after sequence and blah blah blah.... Anyway, so this picture is not mine, it is from Lighthouse Friends. But it shows how the second dwelling looked when I was here before.

Now the second dwelling is fully restored and serves as a gift shop that is, naturally, not open on Sundays, which is when I was here.

The site has no markers or brochures, so no locally available information. This small building is also there and was probably associated with operation of the lighthouse.

A brief overview of the light's history, thanks again to Lighthouse Friends. To read the full story, go to their site. I don't want any kind of copyright snafu.

A lighthouse here was originally built in 1836, further north, near the tip of the St Joseph cape. From 1847-48 it was dismantled and rebuilt at the current location near the southern end. This light was destroyed by wind in 1851. A second brick tower was built in 1855, but was destroyed by a hurricane less than a year later. In 1857 the third brick tower was built, which lasted until 1882, when the beach around it had completely eroded away.

Following the loss of the third tower, it was decided to replace it with an iron skeleton tower that could easily be moved if needed. It was built in 1885, after the ship carrying it, ironically, sank. The iron skeleton proved to be a good idea in 1918, when the light was moved inland to protect it from the eroding shoreline. The light remained active until 1996, and in 1999 was placed under care of the Air Force.

A short walk takes you to the beach

The light is also clearly visible from the beach

The light is on Air Force property, part of the Eglin Air Force Base, seen above. It is accessible to the public, unless special AF testing is occurring. There is also a state park a few miles up the road.

Fort Gadsden

2009-03-04T19:40:00.010-04:00

This is another little known fascinating site, just a while south of Tallahassee. During the War of 1812, the British recruited Native Americans and runaway slaves in an attempt to use them against the Americans. Here on the banks of the Apalachicola River they built a fort to shelter them and make a base for operations against American shipping on the river. The British left in 1815, but the fort continued to harass American shipping on the river. In spite of the fort being in what was still Spanish territory, the United States ordered it destroyed.
Alerted to the threat from the US, the local Natives and runaways took shelter in the fort and awaited an attack. Col Duncan Lamont Clinch with 116 men in riverboats met with Major John McIntosh and 150 friendly natives. On July 23, 1816 word was received that four men sent to the river for water had been killed by men from the fort. That was the excuse needed to attack, and on July 27, they approached by land and on the river with the gunboats.
The gunboats opened fire, and on the fifth salvo, an explosive shot landed in the fort's magazine, which exploded, killing over 300 of the people in the fort. Clinch reported that "the explosion was awful and the scene horrible beyond description." When the fort surrendered, the Native Chief and leading runaway were captured and executed for the murder of the four men who went to the river. In the above photo, small wooden posts mark the corners of the fort's magazine. In the center is a flagpole flying the British flag.

While this dramatic episode occurred after the official end of the War of 1812, and before the official beginning of the First Seminole War, it has often been considered a battle of both wars.

In 1818, after the official start of the First Seminole War, Andrew Jackson sent a group of men down the Apalachicola River to destroy Seminole Villages. Upon encountering the site of the old fort here, he was so impressed by the location, that he ordered a new fort constructed. The new fort was smaller, but on the same spot. The above model shows what the new American fort would have looked like.

Lt. James Gadsden, who would later negotiate the Gadsden Purchase in Arizona and New Mexico, was put in charge of building the new fort. Jackson was so impressed by Gadsden's enthusiasm that he named the fort for him. Above is a portrait of Gadsden.

The new fort was not occupied for long, and the site was virtually forgotten until the Civil War. With the Apalachicola River leading to vital plantations in southern Georgia and Alabama, the Confederates realized its importance and occupied the Fort Gadsden site until 1863 when Malaria drove them away.

Today little remains of the American fort, and almost no trace exists of the British fort. The site is a National Historic Landmark, and is well maintained by the Apalachicola National Forest.

In this site, locally known as the "Renegade Cemetery," the remains of many of the persons killed in the explosion of the British Fort were buried. The brick burial vault dates from the late 19th century. Grave Robbers, though to be workmen building a nearby railroad, broke into it in the early part of the twentieth century. Archaeological excavations revealed that the wet acid soils had destroyed all physical remains of the persons buried here. Only the numerous shallow depressions mark the resting places of those killed in the terrible explosion.

The brick vault in the cemetery
In 1838 the Steamship Irvington, carrying 200 bales of cotton on a downstream run, burned and sank four miles upstream from here. This 15 foot sidewheeler was constructed in 1836 in Madison, Indiana. These boilers and parts were dredged from the river about where the Irvington went down. The ship's short life on the river came during the early part of the Apalachicola steamship period. Later over 200 ships worked the river from the Gulf to as far north as Columbus, Georgia.
More parts from the Irvington
View of the Apalachicola River

Near the parking lot for the site is a large encased booth with many excellent artifacts found here and displays including the fort model and Gadsden portrait. Above are Native and British items from the time of the first fort.

Remains of a British musket and bayonet

Items from river steamboats found in the area

I'm not sure what this is, unless it's just a baby tree.

Tallahassee

2009-03-03T10:33:00.001-04:00

Just a few last shots of Tallahasee before we move on. Here is the capitol at sunset.

Another view

By the way, did I mention my hotel was cheap, nice, had free wireless, AND a nice view of the capitol? Oh yeah...

Now a few on my way out of town...

Here is Florida State University (FSU), home of the Seminoles. Oh, and this looks like a nice, fancy admin building right?

Think again! It's the stadium!

Lake Jackson, part two

2009-03-02T12:20:00.006-04:00

During Florida's territorial and early statehood time period, the land where the Lake Jackson Mounds are was owned by Col. Robert Butler. He was the state's first Surveyor General when Andrew Jackson was governor. Under his ownership, much of the land was used as a plantation, but some remained in its natural state. Here are some photos from the nature trail through the upland pinelands that surround the park today.

Looks like some trail improvement going on. Should be interesting to come back again in a few years and see how it looks.

This area waslabeled as "historical," but with no explanation why.

I have no idea what this fascinating plant is. I even looked in books and online, with no luck. Does anyone know?

These steep-walled, forested ravines are locally called "steepheads" and are normally found along the east bank of the Apalachicola River in Liberty and Gadsen counties. Most have small streams and a cool, moist microclimate, quite different from that of the surrounding terrain. The flora, in part, consists of Southern Magnolia, Redbud, and the Oakleaf Hydrangea. All have a rich herb and vina flora,includingmany fern species such as Maiden, Venus Hair, and Southern Lady ferns, most of which are often rare elsewhere. Related ravone forests occur along mainly the northern tier of counties in the panhandle. All with similar flora and faunas.

Getting late in the day...

Termite paradise?

This is Lake Jackson, just a quick jaunt away from the park.

My first boat

2009-03-01T11:06:00.003-04:00

So this is my first boat, the USS Maryland 738 (b). I am officially checked out and on my way to my new boat in Groton. But before I left I got ahold of one of the boat posters showing the sub, battleship, and sloop Maryland. Then I had everyone in my division, and the whole chain of command up to the CO sign it. My little souvenir of my time here.

Blazing Angels part 2

2009-02-28T14:20:00.003-04:00

The day is mine! When we last met, I was stuck on the mission flying through the ice canyons to destroy the heavy water plant. Before we begin, may I re-emphasize HOW^$%%#&$%#$ REDICULOUS THIS STUPID LEVEL IS AND HOW IF I EVER MEET THE *&^%$%^**$ WHO DESIGNED IT I'M GOING TO SKIN HIM ALIVE!!!! Ahem. Anyway, I hate to say it, but there aren't really any tricks, you just have to keep flying the mission until you figure it out. The only real hints I can give are to try different planes. they all fly differently and you may have better luck with a certain one. I wound up using the Spitfire. Also, each time you re-try the level try something different. Find out which corners you can fly around full speed and which ones you have to slow down for. See if you can fly around obstructions a different way. You may be surprised. And remember, there is a rediculous time limit, so you have to go full speed 99% of the mission. Once you get through the first canyon (yes you read that right, FIRST CANYON!!!! THERE ARE MORE!!!) you have to bomb some German ships in an alcove. This is rather tight flying, but is not terribly tricky. Then you follow Joe through ANOTHER canyon, but this time, there are enemy fighters in there with you. Take my advice: IGNORE THE FIGHTERS! Shooting them down does you know good, and if you don't shoot them, it doesn't matter. Just concentrate on flying through the canyon. Once again, stupid time limit. After this canyon, you have to shoot down the fighters and sink some more ships. Fortunetly, this cove has more room than the last one, so you don't really have to worry about crashing. However, these enemy fighters are a pain. They have equal planes, and these guys are GOOD. Use the target follow mode here. Trust me. Once you destroy the enemy, Joe will unceromoniously disappear and you have to follow him again. Look for the blue arrow on your radar, that's him. He is busy going through the last (finally!) canyon. Follow him, this is just like the last one, fighters and all. By the way, each canyon is worse than the last, and the time is harder to beat, but without realizing it, by practicing the mission you are getting better at canyon flying. After the final canyon, you finally reach the heavy water plant. Just bomb it and get it over with. No problems here. Oh and one last thing, there's a sub to sink at the end too.

After that HELLACIOUS mission throught the ice, it's time to get back to the real world. Now you have to assist the DDay landings at Normandy. This seems fairly standard shooting bombers and ground targets. Biggest trick is there are soooo many targets. Each time you come around, use the joystick to select the target closest to you. This makes it easier to see. Here you have to beat both a timer and the little meter saying how many friendly troops are left. It's not terribly hard, but you have to be quick. And the land targets are low and tucked into small ravines. Try not to crash! Oh and also, one of your wingmen is killed on this mission. Just like landing your damaged plane on a previous mission, this is part of the story and nothing you do can change it.

After saving the Normandy invasion, you have to rid Paris of German troops. By now it should be becoming clear that the missions are getting harder. Imagine the last mission, but all the enemy tanks are in between tall buildings. The biggest challenge with this mission is to not run into the buildings. To avoid this, your best bet is to fly along roads, rivers, etc as much as possible. There are a lot of them, but you have plenty of time to take them all out, so relax and watch out for the buildings. Also, unlike previous levels, if you are called to help another area here, you have to go immediately. You can not wait until you finish cleaning up the area you are at, or you will lose. After cleaning up all the Germans, you have to take out the fleeing German general. This is very bizzare, because he will pop up and dissapear on your radar repeatedly in a pattern that is physically impossible. Your best bet: Hang out by Notre Dame, just circle over the river. With about 35 seconds left on the timer, he will appear in this area on three boats on the river. Take these out, then a few fighters, and the mission is done.

Your next assignment is the Ardenne Woods, more commonly called the Battle of the Bulge. This one seems to be quite a doozy. First up is a wave of German fighters to take out, then some armored columns, then a bomber wave. Oh, and you have one restrictive time limit to take out all of it. Well, this is where I am now. I was going to wait longer to post this next installment, but since I am leaving now and who knows when I will get back to the game. So when I do, I will continue my little narrative. Have fun!

Farewell Kingsland

2009-02-27T13:32:00.004-04:00

Well, tommorow I leave for the frozen north, and what better final flag friday here than to show a few landmark flags I will miss driving by every day. First is this pair, the foreground one at Kingsland Park and the tall one at the police station.

The tall one from the other side.

And this large flag, at the Freedom Self Storage in St Marys near the base.

I always love to see a little patriotism on my way to work in the morning. I do hope I can find some in the liberal north!

Lake Jackson Mounds

2009-02-26T12:14:00.004-04:00

This is the Lake Jackson mounds site, on the northern edgeof the Talahassee area. The site consists of six arthen temple mounds, two of which can be visited. There is evidence that the Lake Jackson Indians participated in a southeastern socio-religous complex known to archaeologists as the Southern Cult or Southeastern Ceremonial Complex, which flurished around 1200 AD. It is believed that the society had a well organized political system with tribal leaders residing in regional centers, such as this one. The remains of important tribal members have been found here with burial objects such as copper breast plates, shell beaded necklaces, braclets, anklets, and cloaks. These indicate trading ties with other major pre-historic settlements throughout the southeast. They traded shell beads and tools, as well as salt and shark teeth, in exchange for copper, soapstone, and mica

This site was abandoned around 1500 AD for unknown reasons. Descendants of the residents here met members of the De Soto expedition in 1540.

When I came here before in 2003, there was a large orange sign here that said "Water not fit for consumption, do not drink." Since the sign is nolonger here, does that mean it's now safe? *shudders*

It is hard to imagine how the site would have looked, as erosion and vandalism have taken their toll on the mounds, and plants have overgrown the site as well.

The people here are knwon to have hunted deer, turkeys, turtles, fish, and other small game using spears, bow and arrows, traps and snares. They also grew corn, beans and squash, as well as gathering berries and roots. They built small, simple houses of natural materials, but did most activities outdoors.

Old Fort Park

2009-02-25T12:25:00.002-04:00

This is Old Fort Park, also known as Fort Houston because it was located on the plantation of E.A. Houston. It was hurriedly built by locals in the Civil War to prevent the Union army from capturing the capitol at Talahassee. The Union army was stopped at Natural Bridge by an army that included Houston's son, Patrick, who commanded the artillery. Now the fort is a peacefull park in a nice neighborhood near the capitol. A silent testimony to the dedication of the local citizens to defend their territory.

Korean memorial

2009-02-24T12:45:00.005-04:00

This is the brilliantly designed Florida Korean War Memorial a few blocks from the capitol. The information here is from the state Department of Veterans' Affairs Website.

The designer said of the memorial:

The main entry to the Memorial occurs at the corner of Gaines Street and Suwannee Street in Tallahassee. The concrete walkway, which meanders through the existing trees in Cascade Park, provides an approach where one will catch glimpses of the memorial area through the trees. It reveals the Memorial in small pieces or frames, and refrains from disclosing the entire Memorial until the visitor has fully arrived. At the terminus of the approach, one crosses a threshold marked distinctly by a change in the walking surface.
The focal point of the memorial plaza is a large vertical circle that represents the purity of life through perfect geometry. This the "Circle of Life." The top of the circle is broken, signaling an interruption in this purity. A broken fragment that would complete the circle is lying adjacent to the large circle and has become embedded in the ground. The names of those killed in action are etched on the inside of the broken fragment which once completed the "Circle of Life."
The Memorial represents those who have fallen and shows that the Korean War interrupted the lives of all involved, including family, friends, and those of all services who fought there. This interruption in the "Circle of Life" left an indelible mark on our nation, a mark that will never be replaced -- a point in history.
The visitor will find a large map of Korea located on the ground of the Memorial. The map is divided into two parts by the "Circle of Life" element. The Demilitarized Zone shown on the map is what guided the placement of the circle.
The final major component is the timeline. Upon entry, the visitor will be able to walk around the outer edge of the Memorial and experience a timeline that chronicles the War. Along the timeline are rough-hewn markers that give a brief story of the war and its major battles. Markers are placed in relation to the time of the occurrence.
-- Shawn Bliss, Designer

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Korean War Veterans' Memorial was on December 2, 1998 at Cascade Park in Tallahassee. The dedication was December 11, 1999, and was attended by about 1,000 people from all over the state. The keynote speaker was Governor Jeb Bush. Among the dignitaries attending were Harley Coon, National KWVA President and Kwang-Sok Ryu, the Korean Consul General.

Here are the names of the 583 Floridians who gave their lives in the war.

A ceremony was held on Saturday, June 24, 1 pm marking the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the war. Attending were Lt.Gen. Bob Milligan, USMC (Ret.), Comptroller, State of Florida; Edward Magill, National 1st V.P., Korean War Veterans' Association; Lt.Col. Robin Higgins, USMC (Ret.), Executive Director, Florida Dept. of Veterans' Affairs; Scott Maddox, Mayor, City of Tallahassee; and Frank Brogan, Lieutenant Governor, State of Florida

Union Bank

2009-02-23T11:10:00.000-04:00

Just a quick stop at the public parking near the Florida State Capitol. This is the Union Bank of Florida building, Florida's oldest surviving bank building.

Florida capital Inside

2009-02-22T14:58:00.013-04:00

When I went through Tallahassee this time, I arrived to find the old State Capitol open for visitors. In 2003 when I came through before, it was not, so this was new, and rather neat. This makes four that I have been in- California, Arizona, South Carolina, and now Florida. The capitol here features the rooms where the state government worked, as well as a museum of Florida history. Seen here is the interior of the capitol dome.
On March 4, 1824, Tallahassee was chosen as the new Florida state capitol, uniting east and west Florida, which had traditionally been governed from St Augustine and Pensacola, respectively. Log buildings housed the government for two years, until a masonry building was built. Seen above is the portrait if Andrew Jackson, the first governor of Florida, that hung behind the desk of the Senate President's desk from 1929 to the 1970's.

In 1839, Congress approved $20,000 for a new capitol building, to replace the unfinished masonry building. On June 25, 1845, Floridians celebrated their home's new status as a state on the steps of the new capitol building. William D. Mosely became the first elected governor of the state. Seen here are Andrew Jackson and William Duval, who suceeded him, becoming the first civilian governor of Florida. These portraits are in the hall of Governor portarits.

In 1891, the building was refurbished, including adding the cupola and bright red and white striped awnings to shade the windows from the bright Florida sun. In 1900, it was decided by voters that a larger facility was needed, and $75,000 was appropriated for the expansion of the capital building. Frank Pierce Milburn designed the new capitol, and although it was much simpler than his usual designs, it included similar features, such as the new dome that was much like those in South Carolina and Kentucky. He also added metal reliefs over the capitol entrances depicting the state seal. When it was all said and done in 1902, this expanded building was the last in which the entire Florida government was under one roof. Within ten years, the Supreme Court was moved to a separate building. Seen above is the restored Supreme Court room in the old capitol.

Robe of one of the Florida Supreme Court Justices

The capitol building went through another change in 1923 under Governor Cary hardee. Henry Klutho, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, had already become well known in Florida for rebuilding Jacksonville following the fire of 1901, and designing the governor's mansion in 1906, before he was given the job of improving the capitol. The last alterations done were the additions of wings for the House of Representatives and Senate in 1936 and 1947 respectively. Seen above is the restored House, and below, the restored Senate room.

These hankerchiefs were traditionally dropped to signal the end of a Senate session.

Original desk from the House of Representatives, before it was moved to the Capitol wing. M. Ohmer's Sons Company of Dayton, Ohio, built all the new furniture for the remodeling of the captol in 1902, including legislators' desks and chairs. they were used in 1903 for the first legislative session to be held in the remodeled capitol building. One hundred sets were purchased, 68 for the house and 32 for the senate. The desks were oak and cost $25.50 each. When the legislative chambers were remodeled again in 1923, the old desks were refurbished. New chairs were purchased for $13.70 apiece. In 1939, when the house moved to a newly constructed wing of the capitol, all new desks and chairs were bought. The old furniture was either sold at auction, given to schools, or acquired by legislators as family heirlooms. This desk and chair set is the only original now in the state's pessession.
The capitol rotunda originally had a spiral staircase, but this was removed in 1923 and the marble stairs seen above were built. In the 1970's, the new state capitol was built, and the old one was going to be torn down, until a public outcry saved the historic building. Now the new capitol wraps around the old capitol building, the central area of which has been around since 1845.
The restored Governor's office
Governor's secretary office
Governor meeting room

And now a collection of artifacts from the various rooms of the capitol.

Who could forget the rediculous fiasco that was the 2000 election? Thanks, Florida.

An old wooden school bench from an African American school.

Flashback to the days of Jim Crow, here is a "colored" restroom door from the Whitfield Building, where the Supreme Court was housed until 1949.

Florida Forts

2009-02-21T11:33:00.007-04:00

This is a book I no longer have and really wish I still did. Though with moving to Connecticut soon, maybe it doesn't matter so much. Anyway, this book by local author Alejandro De Quesada is an excellent guide to the forts of Florida. The book is arranged in time periods, from the earliest colonial settlements to the defensive sites of the Cold War. The book covers all existing forts and several forts that are long gone, with a fascinating historical text, along with descriptions and photos of the sites today. Several are National or State parks, some are cared for by other agencies, and some are simply neglected and left to the raveges of nature. This book is excellent for a history of the state or for someone wanting to see historic places in Florida. Also good because it has good information about topics that are otherwise hard to find, such as the Seminole Wars and the early colonial disputes. Overall and excellent book, highly reccomended for anyone living in or near Florida. It can be found on Amazon here.
A History of Florida Forts
Alejandro De Quesada
218 Pages
2006, History Press

Florida's Vietnam Vets

2009-02-20T15:21:00.004-04:00

Today's Flag friday features pictures of the Florida State Vietnam Vets Memorial, across the street from the Capital building.

This is one of my favorite memorials.

What is there not to love about this beautiful, patriotic memorial?

Florida Capital outside

2009-02-19T13:16:00.002-04:00

I have a problem.

I have too many photos and I can't decide which ones I like best!

This is the Florida State Capital, from the outside!

Entrance to the Capital

State House of Representatives

State Senate

Law Enforcement memorial

Cornerstone of the new capital building

The historic capital, originally built in 1845, just in time for Florida's statehood. More info when I post the inside photos.

The new capital was built in the 1970's, with the House and Senate in wings wrapping around the old capital.

Why any state needs a capital building this monstrous is beyond me.

Sculpture outside the capital, entitled Stormsong.

Florida Supreme Court, with Stormsong in the foreground.

Veterans memorial

Memorial for Captain John Parkhill, of the Leon Volunteers.

Old and new capitals

Both capitals with the Leon County Confederate memorial.

St Mark's Lighthouse

2009-02-18T12:10:00.002-04:00

This is the St Mark's River Wildlife Refuge, which I came to, in order to see the lighthouse here. It would be my luck they were having some kind of festival that day, and not wanting to deal with the fiasco, I decided to take a few photos from the parking lot and call it a day.

One of the NWR waterways

Looking upriver towards San Marcos de Apalache

The current light tower was built in 1842 when the older tower was threatened by erosion. It rests on a bed of limestone taken from fort San Marcos de Apalache and was originally 65 feet tall. The light had survived two hurricanes by the outbreak of the Civil War, when both sides used the light. It was bombarded by Union ships in 1862 and in 1863 Union troops landed to burn the stairs so the Confederates could not use the tower. In 1865 when the Union army landed to march towards Talahasee, they found several explosive charges planted in the tower by retreating Confederate soldiers. Fortunetly the charges did little damage and the tower was soon repaired.

And with a little telephoto...

And here on the loooong drive out, you can see smoke from the many control burns occuring around the state recently. Apparently the fire season these last couple years have left Florida officials feeling a little "burned!" (Oh that was bad!)

San Marcos de Apalache

2009-02-17T14:12:00.009-04:00

This is one of the most fascinating little known sites in the country. Located where the Wakulla and St Marks rivers converge near the Gulf Coast, this is the site of a fort owned by the Spanish, British, Muskogee, Confederates, and US. It's history begins earlier, though, with the doomed expedition of Panfilo de Navarez, who came north from Tampa in 1528. When he failed to find gold and riches, he built rafts near here to return to his ships, but the ships and two of the rafts were destroyed in a storm. After a long overland trek, only four men survived the ill-fated expedition. Hernando De Soto passed through here on a much more succesful expedition in 1539.
By 1679, the Spanish began construction on a wooden fort on this spot, the logs covered with lime to look like stone. This ruse only lasted three years before the fort was burned by pirates. It was not until 1718 that Captain Jose Primo de Ribera began to build another wooden fort.
Artist's concept of the early Spanish fort.
The first stone fort here was begun in 1739, but construction was slow, and it was only half finished when the fort was transferred to the British in 1763. By 1787 Spain occupied the fort again as a result of the Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolution. Seen here are the remains of the Spanish Bombproof, or magazine. It was built with limestone from about a mile downriver, and had four rooms with arched ceilings and strong doors. Its roof served as a firing position for troops on the north wall of the fort. Much of the stone fort was destroyed by a hurricane in 1851. Stones from the bombproof were used later to build a lighthouse and Marine hospital. When Confederates occupied the fort, they placed a battery of canon here.

This piece of mortar from the Spanish Bombproof shows the finger markings of a construction worker in the upper left corner. Someone also very obviously formed their name or initials with stone chips in the mortar.

This is the keystone from the Bombproof. The keystone was placed in the entrance arch of forts and magazines to hold the doorway together, and as a symbol that it is finished.

The original moat of the Spanish stone fort. In 1800, a former British officer, William Augustus Bowles, united groups of Creek and Seminole Indians into a nation they called Muskogee. This nation made a capital near modern tallahasee and eventually captured the fort here at San Marcos. Not long after, the fort was retaken by the Spanish and Bowles was taken as a prisoner to Havana, Cuba, where he died.

The remains here are what is left of the north wall of the Spanish fort. In 1817, prompted by Indian raids into Georgia, and by slaves running away to Spanish Florida, the United States began the First Seminole War. As part of this, Andrew Jackson was ordered to invade Spanish held Florida. In April 1818, Jackson siezed the lightly defended San Marcos, where he believed the Natives were getting war supplies. He wrote "To prevent the recurrence of so gross a violation of neutrality, and to exclude our savage enemies from so strong a hold as St Marks, I deem it expedient to garrison that fortress with American troops until the close of the present war. This measure is justifiable on the immutable priciple of self defense, and can not but be satisfactory, under existing circumstances, to his Catholic Majesty the King of Spain." In addition to attacking Spanish and Indians here, he found a Scottish agent, Alexander Arbuthnot, who he accused of selling arms to the Indians. Later in his campaign, he found another British agent named Robert Ambrister. Both men were given a military tribunal here, and were executed. Britain had serious discussions about war over the incident, but cooler heads prevailed. The US House of Representatives stated "The House of Representatives of the United States disapproves the proceedings in the trial and execution of Alexander Arbuthnot and Robert C. Armbrister. This House disapproves of the seizure of the post of St Marks and Pensacola, contrary to orders, and in violation of the Constitution." More importantly, as a result of Jackson's succesful campaign and Spain's weak control over Florida, the territory was sold to the United States in 1821.

In 1857-58, a Marine Hospital was built near the fort, using stones from the Spanish Bombproof. This facility provided care for local yellow fever victims. The modern park visitor center, seen here, is built on the foundation of the hospital.

In 1861, Confederate forces took control of the fort, renaming it Fort Ward. During the war, the river was blockaded by the Union Navy, but the local blockade runner The Spray was one of the most successful of the war, delivering salt as cargo. In 1864 a Union raid destroyed many nearby kettles and furnaces of salt. In 1865, a Union invasion was stalled by running aground while trying to avoid the fort. The soldiers disembarked the ships, and result was the Battle of Natural Bridge, that stopped the invasion. Seen here is the large earthen magazine built by the Confederates.
Looking down the Confederate magazine into the Spanish moat. The last soldiers to occupy the fort were Union Colored Infantry under Col Joseph Shaw. They left in 1866, and the fort became a part of history.

Here is the surviving portion of the out wall of the Spanish stone fort. In 1996, the State Park Service built a wooden covering to protect the wall from the river, which had been eroding it.
Here is a canon in the visitor center. Based on its condition I am guessing it is authentic, probably one of the Spanish canon by its design.

This appears to be a grave, located atop the Confederate magazine. I have no idea the story behind it. If anyone does, please tell me!
This cemetery is near the visitor center, and is where several unknown soldiers from Jackson's army are buried.

Marker at the cemetery

Marker for Luther Tucker, near the site of the original fort.

Marker at the original fort site

Marker in memory of Malee Francis, whose story can be read in depth here.

Odometer reading: 224.4

Natural Bridge

2009-02-16T14:06:00.012-04:00

This is the Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic Park. This place made me glad I had a good atlas, because it is in the MIDDLE of nowhere! I'm talkin' dirt roads kind of nowhere! Course I learned when I got there that if came in from the other direction it was paved. Oh well. Oh, and the natural bridge is where the St Marks river goes underground through a limestone cave, then re-appears on the other side of where the road is now. Also for information purposes, there is no one here, no visitor center, nothing. There is a picninc area and restroom, and some monuments and interprative signs at the site. Most of the following text is from the signs and the park brochure. Which, by the way, I had to get elsewhere, since there were none at the park.
Between March 1 and 3, 1865, a Union flotilla arrived in Apalachee Bay. General John Newton and Naval Commander William Gibson had a joint assault plan in mind to cripple Confederate forces that had attacked Cedar Keys and Fort Myers. On March 3, 300 seamen surprised Confederate pickets and captured the East River Bridge, four miles north of the St Marks lighthouse. The following day, Navy gunboats commanded by Gibson ran aground in the shallow waters of the St Marks River. Gibson spent the next two days desperately trying to get upstream to Port Leon but was unsuccessful.

Capturing Tallahassee was not General Newton's primary objective, even though the capital lay just eighteen miles north of St Marks. His plan was to take St Marks and the fort there, destroying the railroad, bridges, and other property in the area.

Gibson's unexpected delay provided just enough time for a Confederate messenger to travel to Tallahassee and warn the citizens of the danger to the capital caused by the Union landing. In an effort to defend the Capital, every man and boy who could bear arms volunteered to join the thin ranks of the Confederate Army. The forces were made up of wounded Confederate soldiers home to recuperate, men as old as 70 and cadets as young as 14 from West Florida Seminary (now Florida State university.) The Confederate troops, commanded by General William Miller, were taken to Newport to prepare a defense.

On March 5, Union General Newton, with troops from the Second and Ninety-Ninth US Colored Infantry Regiments, advanced past the East River Bridge, causing Confederate troops from the Fifth Cavalry to withdraw to the Newport Bridge on the St Marks River. The Confederate cavalry was joined by the volunteers from Tallahassee, where they gained enough strength to force Newton to take a round-about route to Natural Bridge. Miller, who had second guessed Newton's attempted surprise crossing, sent Confederate forces under Lt. Col. George Scott on an overnight march to defend the crossing.
An anonymous Louisiana soldier from the 99th US Colored Infantry later wrote to the Secretary of War "the 99th regiment landed at forte Jefferson Florida And we lef it and went to the battle Natchar Bridge and while on that experdition as we were going we had sixty round of carchage and 2 Days Ration in harvest Sack and our Robber Blanket woolen Blank and two pece of Artiliry to hall through all that Mud and water..." (Spelling and punctuation his.)

General Newton reported "The officers and men of the expedition behaved nobly under the most trying cicumstances, marching fifty miles in forty four hours, of which they rested only five houre, and fought or skirmished most of the time."

In the pre-dawn hours of the following day, a series of skirmishes lasting about 10 hours occured along the narrow natural bridge. Confederate forces, made up of 500 to 700 men, fought off three major attacks and several minor attempts by Union forces of nearly equivalent strength. The Union troops, having decided that the bridge was impassable, began a hasty retreat.

General Newton wrote in his battle report "It has now been demonstrated that the enemy's position was too strong in numbers and strength to be carried, and as our position was in low salient in the marshes, exposed to his cross-fire, of which he was not slow to avail himself, it was determined to withdraw, to the open pine barrens about 300 yards distant, in a position selected..."
Confederate General William Miller wrote: "Colonel Scott proceeded to place the troops in line... In the early dawn the enemy advanced in force across the pass, firing rapidly, but after a short contest were driven back by a mingled fire of musketry and canister.During the whole morning, until 11 o' clock, a desultory fire was kept up by the skirmishers on our front, and at 11 o' clock the enemy advanced in full force, and opened from his artillery. the firing was now rapid and continous and four successive efforts were made to pass the narrow defile formed by the sinking and rising of the river. The fact that the fire of our whole line could be concentrated on this point rendered the attack of the enemy hopeless."

Cadet 2nd Lt Byrd Coles of the West Florida Seminary remarked ""...no doubt many of our cadets would have been struck if our teachers had not watched us constantly and made us keep behind cover."

By sundown on March 7, Union soldiers were in the protection of their own fleet. Newton, feeling that he had not been adequately supported by the Navy, took his troops back to Key West. Union losses totaled 21 killed, 89 wounded and 38 captured. Confederate losses were three killed and 22 wounded.

General newton wrote in his battle report "The expedition, though it did not effect all that was anticipater, was far from being unfruitful in its results. Two important bridges, one foundry, and two large mills were burnt; extensive salt works partially destroyed and laid open for the future raiding parties. It is proper to state that this expedition has likewise established the blockade vessels off the lighthouse instead of outside the bar as before. Saint Mark's is now thoroughly blockaded."

Jacob Gardner of the Milton Light Artillery remarked "It was a warm place for the number of men engaged. Three guns of our battery and two guns of Captain Houstoun's battery were there. The enemy had a narrow defile to pass through of about forty yards, and all the gun played on this point. We played havoc amongst them, you may be sure. It was mostly an artillery fight."

This guy was up behind the trees at the site, over by some State Park equipment. Don't know what it's used for, but it looked interesting.

Odometer reading: 213.2

More graves

2009-02-15T18:51:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I set out with some more time to kill the other day, and got a strange hit and miss day. My first effort was to go out to Dover Bluff in northern Camden County to find the ruins of the old Spanish Mission. Well, after exploring for a while where the map said it was, I came to the conclusion that it must be on the property of the exclusive Dover Bluff Club. Nuts. Have I mentioned my pet peeve yet about historic sites on private property? So on the way back I stopped at the Ella Park cemetery and added it to FindaGrave.

Names here are Anderson, Browning, Clark, Copeland, Dowling, Dukes, Nelson, Poindexter, Wasson, Whitehead, and Wilson.

Next I went west to find the site of the old Camden County Seat at Jeffersonton. I wandered around where it was supposed to be but... the town is completely gone! There is nothing left to even show that it existed! Also I've never seen so many people concerned about trespassing. Every other tree on every road around there had a no trespassing or keep out sign. Geez, what's so great about that area? Anyway, on the way out I found the Tompkins cemetery and decided to add it as well. If anyone is reading this who is near this cemetery, it could really use a caretaker! Many of the graves are worn, or buried, or just plain neglected. Several of them I had to dig out the stone to find any inscription, and there are also several unmarked graves. If anyone has information on these, I would greatly appreciate it. Names here are Banks, Black, Blake, Brown, Butler, Cerold, Corley, Crum, Dessaw, Dunham, Edward, Green, Harris, Hill, Hunley, Ingram, James, Johnson, Kight, Lawrence, Lockley, Lollar, Mainor, Maynor, McCain, McKinnon, Merrow, Painter, Pasely, Perry, Powell, Reed, Tillman, Toney, and Wilkerson.

Blazing Angels...part 1

2009-02-14T16:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, so for Christmas, the wife got us a Wii as a way to spend time together. I recently got this game for it, Blazing Angels, Squadrons of World War II. I have to say for the most part I like it. Now I'm not much of a video gamer, but I'm having fun. Biggest problem is that every time I get stuck on a mission, it's not due to lack of ability as much as there's a trick to doing it. And by the way, I searched the web and none of the "hint" sites are any help. So here I want to impart my little bit of knowledge for you guys.

You start out on a training mission in a biplane. It's pretty easy, and tells you exactly what to do. Perhaps the hardest thing to figure out is how to drop bombs. The gun crosshairs are obvious, but when you are given a bombing task, a circle will appear on the ground beneath you. If you can't see it, fly lower or at a downward angle. When your target is in the circle, release the bombs. Oh yeah, and landing is easier than you think. Just go low and level over the runway, then hit the brakes.

Second mission is Dunkirk part one. Pretty simple at first. Just shooting down bombers and bombing tanks. Trick is towards the end the tanks start coming faster, and the last column appears right in front of the bridge you are defending. With this column you have to be very fast and use guns, not bombs or you will never get them all in time. At the end of the mission you have to destroy the bridge, with a time limit as always. To do this you have to hit the same spot (near the middle) several times.

After defending the bridge, you are tasked with defending the British ships. The hardest part of this is sinking the German ships with bombs. The biggest suggestion for this is to attack them lengthwise. This gives you more to attack. Also, for all of these missions, use the right arrow to send your wingmen after your targets as well.

After Dunkirk, you move onto the Battle of Britain. This mission is straight forward: Shoot down German planes. The challenge? You have to do it before they bomb the crap out of London's famous landmarks. Try using the follow cam here. I didn't like it at first, but it is really useful for shooting enemy planes. I still don't like using it for ground targets, though.

The next mission is a trick. It is not terribly hard, but you have to understand it. You take off from a carrier, then have to photograph your ships for practice (you are a recon plane.) You get a new display with a green bar across the top. This is the range meter, and when the arrow is in the middle portion, you can take the picture. You have to hold the button until the picture is done though, so you have to take it IMMEDIATELY when you are in range, or you will not have time. It is really slow on the practice runs, but don't worry, it is much easier on the mission (go figure.) When you actually go on the mission, you are flying through a sandstorm in the North African desert. You will start off in the right direction to find your first "target." To find the others, two green bars appear on the side. Each represents one of the other "targets," and the bigger the bar, the closer to the right direction you are going. It makes more sense when you actually do it. Finally you have to land back on the carrier before getting shot down. Try to figure out quickly which way the carrier is facing so you have time for a nice long approach.

Your next mission is attacking the Germans in North Africa. Typical shooting down planes and destroying ground forces. Here you get rockets instead of bombs, which is actually pretty cool. The aim point is the same as the guns, and you have a meter for how many rockets you have. They are lots of fun to shoot, so go nuts! BTW, you can shoot planes with them too!

Now comes the real fun. You leave the European theater to be a "flight instructor" at Pearl Harbor. I'm sure you can figure out how that goes for you. Just remember all of your dogfighting tricks, and you should get through this one without excess difficulty.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl, you fly against their fleet at Coral Sea. When flying to the fleet, stay low! They don't mention it, but if you fly any higher, you get spotted too soon and fail the mission. This is your first mission with torpedos, which are a lot of fun too. Their display looks similar to the camera display, but you have a horizintal bar for distance and a vertical one for height. Both have to be green to get a hit. Word to the wise is attack ships from the side here, so the torpedo has a bigger target. Also, try to get as close as possible while still in range, in order to garantee a hit.

Next is the defense of Midway. If you have a historical instinct, you will probably be tempted to fly the Buffalo fighter. Trust me, don't. Take the P40, you will be glad you did. First you attack waves of japanese dive bombers. For this, concentrate on one wave at a time. If you try to go back and forth, you will lose big time. Next you have to escort friendly bombers back to base. this is a huge pain in the you know where, because you are flying between friendly planes while trying to kill the enemy. And when the bombers make it back, you have a time limit to get the rest of the Japanese fighters. Again, try the follow mode here and remember to use you wingmen. There are a lot of 'em.

Next you get to do the fun part of sinking the enemy carriers. Well first, you have to escort the friendly bombers (which, btw, you are flying. I'm not sure what the heck they were thinking on this one!) After taking out the enemy fighters, you get to torpedo the enemy carriers before they launch more planes. After the carriers, you get to sink the rest of the ships as well. Hint for this one is use the joystick to switch targets each time you approach and find the closest one to go after. This helps prevent hitting ships that are already sinking.

Next you defend Guadalcanal. This is tricky because you start out hitting transports, then you hit tanks once they get ashore. However they are well covered by trees and buildings enroute from the beach to the airfield. Try not to hit the ground when shooting them. But this isn't the best part! After destroying the enemy, your plane is magically damaged beyond repair (I swear, this is part of the game, and nothing you do prevents it.) You have a minute and a half to land your crippled plane, which by the way, flies like a rock now. I found the way to do this is to approach with the runway on your right as you approach land. If you go the other way, you have to contend with a large mountain. In order to make the time, you have to start towards the base immediately at full speed. You probably won't succeed on your first try. Imagine the challenge of landing, but with a time limit, a plane that does not steer, and you can't see because of the smoke. Fun times! After landing, you switch planes and take off to sink more enemy ships. Same routine as always.

Now you have to assist the landings on New Georgia. This is actually rather tricky, because you have to attack land, sea, and air targets in three locations before they destroy the invading forces. The only way I found to do this is to once again concentrate on one spot at a time and kill all the enemies there before moving on. Even when the next friendly group calls for help, don't respond to them until you have finished the current enemies. To those familiar with Star Trek, this seems like a Kobayashi Maru situation, but that is how it must be done.

Next mission is to assist the attack on Rabaul. This mission must have been easy and non-eventful because I don't even remember it.

After Rabaul, you return to Europe to assist in DDay workups. First things is attacking a German fleet near Norway. This is pretty standard except you are among icebergs, so try not to crash. The ships tend to congregate right next to the icebergs, so find the best way to navigate around them and still hit the ships. The other trick on this one is you have to hit a german submarine, which surfaces and sinks from time to time. Be quick or you'll miss it. And with the sub especially, attack it lengthwise so you have more area to hit.

Ah, now we come to where I am stuck. At the end of the last mission, one of your wingmen spots and enemy base hidden deep in a fjord. It is determined that the base is a heavy water plant and it is your job to take it out. Ok, a little background first. A little research shows that there was in fact a German heavy water plant in Norway. But the allies destroyed the plant with a series of paratrooper raids, and at one point a heavy daylight bombing raid. That is the historical background. Now, here is the game's version. You and one wingman have to fly through an ice cave for three minutes to reach the plant and bomb it. Seriously, WTH DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING???????? This is the most retarded thing ever! Now, the only decent guide I have found on the internet says this level is "easy." I suppose for people who always play video games and are used to this kind of stupid crap maybe it is easy. But I do not play many video games, am therefore not well practiced in randomly flying down canyons for no reason. All I want to do is fly around, shoot planes and bomb stuff. NOT go flying through an ice canyon that has no historical basis! Sorry, I'm getting really spun up about this, because I have been stuck here for a few days now. If anyone has any little secrets for this level, please let me know! Anyway, when I finally move on, I will continue this little hints naration. Thanks for playing folks! By the way, you can get it here.

Cumberland USA

2009-02-13T15:21:00.003-04:00

Here are some shots of the flag at the ferry station on Cumberland Island.

One day, five cemeteries

2009-02-12T12:55:00.004-04:00

So the other day I had a few hours to kill and decided to go cemetery hopping. First up was back to Oak Grove, this time to find the Hudson/Pottle family for one of my FindaGrave friends. This one was very easy to find because they are old enough to be on the cemetery directory, and they are right next to the gazebo. Pictured here is the family plot with Harriet Pottle Hudson, Sarah Pottle, Joseph Pottle and Mary Chrichton.

Here is the First Presbyterian Church cemetery in St Marys. It only has these three people in it: John Wood, Laleah Wood, and Jane Wood Pratt.

This is Miller Cemetery, out near Point Peter. I had found it once before by accident, and decided now to come add it to Findagrave. Buried here are: Pharabea Bryson, Elizabeth Miller DuBose, John DuBose, Mary DuBose, Harriet Eubert, Absalom Jackson, Francis Jackson, Mary Miller, Thomas Miller, Josephine Lovell Rival, and Max Rival.

This is a good example of my favorite kind of cemetery. Small, family oriented, not known outside of those near it.

Next up is Carlton Cemetery in Kingsland. Bigger, but still small enough for me to add all the names to FindaGrave. These surnames are here: Balkom, Branecky, Carleton, Colson, Cooner, Davis, Dunaway, Fennell, Gillette, Green, Haddock, Hoffman, Horne, Nichols, Rigdon, Seals, Sweatt, Teston, Williams, and Windgate. Know anybody?

Finally, here is Sheffield Cemetery, on the former Sheffield Plantation near our house. Buried here are Ammons, Blount, Cook, Cooner, Crow, Harris, McGuire, Miley, Pickering, Pounds, Sheffield, Stafford, Stover, and Westbrook.

I also recently went to Green Pine Cemetery in Yulee, Florida, and added many names. I did not get all of them, though. And I'm not going to list them all here. Too many.

Devil's Millhopper

2009-02-11T12:47:00.003-04:00

This is the Devil's Millhopper State Geological Site near Gainesville, Florida. This fascinating landmark has been an attraction for curious visitors since the 1880's, but has been around much longer. Much of Florida is covered in Limestone rock. This rock is very hard, but easily dissolved by acid. When rainwater contacts carbon dioxide in the air, as well as matter in topsoil, it becomes acidic. When the acidic rainwater reaches the limestone bedrock, it slowly dissolves it away, often creating formations and caverns. Devil's Millhopper is the result of one such cavern. When the ceiling of the cavern became too thin from the acidic rainwater, the cave collapsed, forming a large sinkhole.

In the 1880's, grain was ground in mills, and was put into the mills using a millhopper, a large funnel on the top of the mill. When this site was discovered, fossilized bones and teeth were found, leading to a superstition that this was the milhopper to feed the devil. Hence, the name.

Scientists have learned a lot from the Millhopper, not only about the geological makeup of Florida, but also about ancient life from the fossilized remains and plants found in it. The site was purchased by the State of Florida and became a state park in 1974.

This railroad tie is all that's visible now of the trail built in the 1930's by the Conservation Corps. The main disadvantage was that the trail caused excess erosion on the side of the sinkhole. The current trail is elevated, minimizing the impact.

The Millhopper has its own mini-ecosystem, due to its shape retaining a fairly constant temperature, kind of like a cave. Luscious ferns and mosses are found all around the inside of the sink, feeding off the mineral rich water and rock. Bottom of the sink.

This is a Needle Palm, which is normally found in areas further south in moist, dark areas. Here in northern Florida, they are only found in deep crevices and ravines, like this sinkhole.

Our personal method of not climbing back up the (236) stairs too fast.

The park also features a half mile nature trail around the rim of the sink.

One of the streams that flows into the sink.

Saw Palmettos.

Facebook?

2009-02-10T11:14:00.002-04:00

Hey readers, I'm trying a new thing, since facebook has a blog application. I just need nine (9) of you to go here to confirm I exist. But even if I get nine people, don't think that you can't still join in! Go there and become a follower! Heck, I'll even be your friend! Everybody's doing it.

Welcome home!

2009-02-08T13:37:00.001-04:00

Any Navy wife in Kings Bay should be able to tell you that the place to watch the submarines go in and out is Fort Clinch. Located on the Cumberland Sound, this is where the subs pass between Amelia Island, Florida and Cumberland Island, Georgia on their way to the open ocean. Back in 2005, I decided I wanted to see what this transition looked like from the outside, so we went down to Fort Clinch when the other crew came in. Here are some pictures from that day. We begin with the Coast Guard helicopter sweeping the area long before the sub shows up.
Here one of the Navy guard boats clears a curious fishing boat away from the area.

Now the entourage appears

USS Maryland, SSBN 738

Personel topside

Now the sub bends north around Cumberland Island towards the Kings Bay Sub base

To the sea!

2009-02-07T13:05:00.003-04:00

So in the good tradition of touring books, here is another excellent example. To The Sea is one of several books written by Jim Miles specifically for the Civil War. This book covers the march of Sherman's army from Atlanta to Savannah through Georgia. The unique feature of this series is how it's set up. The books have two sections, a history and a touring section. The history section is a highly detailed but easy to follow description of the people, places, and events involved in the campaign. Then after ensuring the rader has a thorough understanding of the campaign, the author gives a detailed auto tour along the major campaign routes, with side tours through cities and parks. The tours covers battle sites, historic homes and other buildings that were involved, monuments, and other interesting sites. The author also pays special attention to describing differences in the locations between 1864 and today. This series is a must have for any Civil War buff, or for any history chaser living in or near a major Civil War campaign. To The Sea can be found on Amazon here, and many of the others in the series can be found here.
To The Sea
Jim Miles
336 pages
2000 Cumberland House Publishing

Carolina Sky

2009-02-06T15:45:00.001-04:00

The American and South Carolina flags fly against a beautiful skyscape on a chilly December day at the Rock Hill airport.

That's it?

2009-02-05T12:58:00.000-04:00

Well, I have to say folks, I'm a little disappointed by the results of my first contest. I honestly thought I would get a little better turn out, but ah, what was I thinking? Anyway, the prize goes to Wiinterrr for her entry:

"The answer to my question, does my butt look bigger in these jeans, is NOT as much as the ones I wore YESTERDAY, mister."

Congrats Wiinterrr, I will be sending you a $25 Amazon Gift Card, I figure that's an appropriate prize. You also get to display the coveted OH SNAP award on your blog (right click and save the image below.) Thanks to Diesel for the idea.

Other entries included (and were limited to):

Cookie: "Well my dearest hubby, ya know those new shoes I just got for ya, well, they are the newest rave in foot apparel, they're actually made out of concrete to help stabilize you when you walk. BTW, why dont'cha come over here by the railing so you can get a better view of the scenery.... :-)"

Linda: "Umm..Honey, it is freezing out here. I can't believe you dragged me out here. Yes, I am giving you the 'look'!"

And the wife: "Arrrgh...me wants me chocolate!" <--Probably the most likely!

And here's mine: "Why didn't more of you put in an entry???"

Thanks to those of you who participated!

Mini Budd

2009-02-04T14:18:00.002-04:00

Ok, so normally the "little turdmuffin" doesn't get his own post, but this had to be an exception. When went to Fort Clinch this last time, we got too many good ones to just let them go.

Big step...

Seriously, how many stairs are there here?

Oh yeah, my dad was here too, so it was really a family outing.

I like this one

Look! A canon!

Someone was a little tired....

What's in there?

Now a few photos from my dad.
Go figure, just like his parents, always ignoring signs...

Stop playing in the dirt and come on!

Hey guys, wait up! It's not funny anymore!
Now a couple by the wife...

This one's her favorite

Fort Clinch

2009-02-03T00:56:00.011-04:00

In 1816, the US Congress granted money to an ambitious national project: The Third System of fortifications. The first system was begun in 1794 due to fears of war in Europe, and 21 locations were given small, mostly earthwork fortifications. The Second System was begun in 1808 out of fear of a war with Britain. Several more were built, but many went unfinished. In the War of 1812, Baltimore's Fort McHenry prevented a British invasion (and inspired the National Anthem,) while an undefended Washington DC was invaded and burned. The Third System was born from this war and the desire to never have an American city be invaded as Washington had been. 42 sites on both coasts were eventually given these new forts, boasting the latest earth and masonry designs. Famous examples of Third System forts are Fort Monroe, Virginia, Fort Point, California, Fort Jefferson, Florida, Fort Independence, Massachusetts, Fort Pulaski, Georgia, and Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Fort Clinch, on Amelia Island, Florida, is one of these forts.

Begun in 1847, the fort was a late comer to the scene, and featured a two wall earth and masonry design. It was named for General Duncan Lamont Clinch, a hero of the Seminole Wars and later Representative for Georgia. The fort's construction was slow, and by 1860, only one third of the wall and two bastions were completed. With little to defend and no regular garrison, the fort was quietly taken by Confederates in 1861. The Confederates, however, already strained for resources and manpower, did not do any work on the young fort. Soon, they began to realize that Florida had much the same problem as the rest of the Confederacy: Too much coastline to defend against the massive Union Navy and invading armies. One by one Confederate forts from Virginia to Texas fell into Union control, and on March 3, 1862 the Confederate defenders left Fort Clinch. The Union quickly took back control of the fort and the 1st New York Volunteer Engineers worked to complete it.

The near destruction of Fort Pulaski in 1862, coupled with the pile of rubble in Charleston Harbor that used to be Fort Sumter, convinced both sides (and the rest of the world) that the days of brick fortifications were numbered. Forts under construction by both sides were often completely redesigned to be partially of fully earthen, to deaden the impact of the new rifled canon. A major success story of this is Fort McCallister, near Savannah. Fort Clinch had massive amounts of earth piled over the top of its interior casements and inner wall.

But the fort was still doomed. The end of the war in 1865, and the lessons learned about modern fortification resulted in a cessation of construction on the fort in 1867. While the walls, bastions, and other defensive features were mostly complete, other things such as the Officer Housing, seen above, were not finished. The officers of the fort had been staying in homes out in town, and their housing had not been seen as a major priority.

Another interesting unfinished feature comes as a result of Fort Sumter. The forts had originally been designed with traditional, large barracks buildings, such as the one above, that loomed over the fort walls. The bombardments of Fort Sumter had proven this was a bad idea, as they provided easy targets that were quickly destroyed, often resulting in injuries and collateral damage. So at Fort Clinch they had begun to construct barrack rooms along the inner wall of the fort, sheltered from enemy fire. These were not completed and their beginnings can be seen around the fort's inner wall today.

In 1898 the war with Spain prompted a quick fortification of many key locations around the US. Many old Third System forts were re-used by a simple addition of a larger, concrete gunmount. Fort Clinch was no exception, and its example can be seen on the right of the photo above. This is also a good depiction of the fort's design, with the outer wall and bastion clearly visible, and the earthen mound covering the inner walls behind them.
Fort Clinch performed its final duty in World War II, as a Coast Guard surveillance and communication post. After the war it returned to the State of Florida, who had been in charge of it since 1935 when it was developed into a state park. The story of Fort Clinch is ultimately one of "nothing happened here." Its guns were never fired in anger, and the closest true battle was that of Olustee, Florida, many miles to the west. Sandwiched on the border of two enemy states, it was one of many outposts that eventually formed a death ring around the Confederacy, starving them of supplies and revenue. Built across from Cumberland Island to defend the vital sea ports of Fernandina, Florida and St Marys, GA, it fulfilled its mission of controlling the Cumberland Sound that granted access from these ports to the ocean.But each fort that is preserved today has something unique that makes it special. Whether it be a battle, or a special design, or another historical event. Fort Clinch is amazing because of how it is preserved. Walking into it is like stepping into the spring of 1864. The fort and those who work there are made to have the appearance of this isolated Union outpost still under construction. Looking out over the forest and beaches surrounding the fort, it is easy to imagine the apprehension of a garrison deep in enemy territory, afraid of what might happen to them if they leave the fort, or of a possible attack by a determined enemy. It may not be the scene of a major battle, or have a song inspired by it, or even held a famous prisoner, but if you come here with an awe for those whose bravery made this fort possible, you will realize what a special place this truly is.

I have been here several times, but this will probably be the last. This place also is special to me because it was here that I first tried my hand at history volunteer work. I came down here for a few weekends to be a volunteer tour guide and "living historian," and did really enjoy it. But I quickly found that with doing that in addition to my job, there was simply no time to do other things, such as seeing other places. (And this was before I had a kid!) The picture above, taken on this latest visit to the fort, is my favorite I have taken here. The downside is that the clouds that day made many of the photos dark or grainy, but the plus side was that I got some spectacular sky effects in other photos. Fort Clinch is one of very few things I will miss down here.

This is a photo from the first time we came here shortly after arriving in Georgia in 2004.
And here is the fort seen from the beach, in 2005
I don't like to sound stuffy or better-than-though or anything, but have you ever been to a historic place and you run into someone who clearly has never even cracked open a history book, or is just clueless in general? Usually they can be found toting around their kids saying things like "this fort is where President Lincoln was shot" or "this canon was used against Al Quida in 2002" or something like that. Anyway, we encountered one of those here. In one of the fort's rooms was a board with several REPLICA 1860's papers, such as the one above. Some even had dates and signatures on them. We heard a group of people looking at them saying "Wow, I can't believe they just left these up here! Why has nobody ever tried to take one? How have they survived all these years?"

Response in my head: "That's a great idea! I bet I can make a killing off these on Ebay!" *shudders*
Another of the replica papers, this one taken in 2004.
Even as a newlywed, the wife had her own ways to enjoy history....

New toy!

2009-02-02T11:28:00.001-04:00

What is it? It's a Find A Grave widget! Now you can search the records I enter right from here. Unfortunetly due to its size, I had to put it all the way at the bottom of the page. But hey, better than nothing, right? Keep watching for more cemetery and Find a Grave action!

Burnt Fort

2009-02-01T17:12:00.006-04:00

Ok, setting off on another Find a Grave adventure, I arrived here at the Burnt Fort Church in northwest Camden County. Turns out Burnt Fort had a pretty interesting history. Back before the Revolution, when Florida was Spanish territory, the area that is now south Georgia was considered "off limits" by both Britain and Spain, in order to avoid another war. At the time, Georgia' southern border was the Altamaha River, where Darien is, and Florida's northern border was the St John's River, where modern day Jacksonville is. In 1755, a man from Virginia by the name of Edmond Gray, came to Georgia and was elected to represent Augusta. He opposed the requirement of 50 acres of land for the franchise of land granting. He proposed that the property should be evaluated by its value, not merely its size. The proposal failed, and Gray took his followers to start the community called New Hanover on the Satilla River. The community began on the northern side of the river, in what is now Charlton County. Because the settlement was in neutral territory, they were not considered to be part of any colony, British or Spanish. Having loyalties to the British, the settlers wrote appeals to both Georgia and South Carolina, to be annexed by one of them. However, England would not recognize the settlement for fear of war with Spain. The Spanish offered to let the settlers move to the St John's River and establish trade with the Natives there. Gray informed Governor Ellis of Georgia of the offer, and Ellis, in turn gave license for them to trade with the Natives at there current location. Although he was rebuked by the GA Board of Trade, the clear violation of the neutral territory angered the Spanish, so they sent a company of soldiers to order them to leave New Hanover. Gray replied that they would do what their superiors told them to do. However, New Hanover was considered an embarassment to the British, and both Georgia and South Carolina commisioned representatives to order the settlers to leave. the representatives, James Edward Powell (GA) and Major Henry Hyrnes (SC) met at Savannah on Jan 26, 1759 and went to New Hanover. Gray was then ordered to leave in 28 days. Gray himself and Ephraim Alexander had been given another offer by the Spanish to set up a trading post on the St Marys River, and so intended to leave. Not all of the settlers were so willing. Because of this, Powell and Hyrnes were ordered to destroy the town, which they carried out. After this episode, the name of New Hanover disapeared, but the settlers did not. They stayed, and the name Burnt Fort began to be used.

The first evidence of a church at Burnt Fort is a deed from 1872, well after the community had become a great logging area. Though it is called several names through the years, it was a place where all denominations worshiped. It remained in use until 1947, when the community, and church attendance declined dramatically. the church was abandoned and by 1960 it had completey collapsed. In 1976, nearby residents decided to bring back the Burnt Fort Chapel, and on September 4, 1977 the newly re-built church opened.

Looking inside through the windows

This is Camden County's only remaining one-room school, located next to the Burnt Fort Chapel.
This is the Burnt Fort Cemetery

And here is my query, the Hopkins family. This one was really easy because of the small cemetery and large family marker. But due to the size of the cemetery, I decided to just photograph all the graves to add to the website. Because of that, I will not be adding them here as I have previously done. However, the cemetery can be found of Find a Grave here, and I have added all of them there. And just so you know, I will list the surnames I found and documented here:

Anderson, Bailey, Bedell, Brown, Buie, Carmichael, Chaney, Clemons, Collins, Comer, Crago, Cushing, Day, Deen, Drury, Eaton, Felder, Godley, Goodbread, Gray, Grissett, Harrell, Hedleston, Heddleton, Hopkins, Howard, Lang, Langlois, Littlefield, McClurd, Mercer, Miller, Nettles, O'Barr, Parker, Patterson, Phillips, Popham, Poturich, Rain, Readdick, Reddick, Robertson, Roseberry, Seymour, Smith, Stepp, Stevens, Steverson, Thomas, Thrift, Ulmer, Warner, Watson, Wells, Williamson, Wright, Yeomans

If any of those names look familiar, you might want to go check it out and see if you have a relative! Have fun!

Tour time!

2009-01-31T21:07:00.003-04:00

This is an awesome series! This book is a part of the Touring the Backroads series by Blair Publishing. There are several different titles available for both Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee. Each book is divided into several tours based by area, and can be easily driven. the only downside is that the road names in the books can often differ from what actual signs say. For instance, the book may list road numbers, while local signs only have names. This can be remedied by a little advance research on an internet map site, but on the road it can be a challenge. The descriptions of the locations are usually good, with plenty of detail. The books are also quite nice in that they usually cover both major and minor sites, rather than just one or the other. This particular example has a specific disadvantage of only covering Revolutionary War sites, while other books cover other topics. Great for a topic specific study, but if you are just driving through and want to see many different things, you may have issues. Each book is written by a local expert, often someone with several other books to their name. Overall, these are the best books I have found for finding historic places easily. I highly reccomend them for anyone living in an area covered by one of them. The one above can be found on Amazon here and most of the others can be found here.

Touring South Carolina's Revolutionary War Sites

Daniel Barefoot

Touring the Backroads Series

338 pages

1999 John F. Blair Publishing

Watertower friday?

2009-01-30T16:28:00.004-04:00

Ok, so its not a flag, but I think it fits the spirit of Flag Friday. This is the Kingsland watertower (one of several, actually.) I saw a photographic oppurtunity and I took it! Mwah ha ha!!!

Credit where credit is due...

2009-01-29T14:45:00.002-04:00

Ok peeps, one more Cumberland post, I swear! Since, as usual, the Wife had the good camera, she got some good shots that I didn't with my poor little point-and-shoot. I figgered I would share them with y'all (yall's? yalls's? yallsss's? I'm not good with my Southern speak yet!) And if you want to know more about the stuff on here, read through the last few posts. It's all in there somewehere. Above is the Dungeness Mansion ruins, from the shadowed side.
Remains of a pier near Point Peter
Why hello there....

Dungeness viewed from the water

You Bubbleheads should recognize this as a "de-magnetizer."

Remains of the Carnegie's Pool Hall

No shelter- Sand

Look... we haven't killed each other yet!

Are we done yet?

2009-01-28T11:36:00.007-04:00

Ok, so we've covered the major spots on the island that we saw, here is all the "inbetween" stuff. Think of this as the nature part of the journery. Oh come on, humor me already! These first few pictures are on the way from the dock to the Dungeness mansion.

The entrance to Dungeness

Wild horses grazing on the grounds near the ruins.

Walking out towards the beach

This was the most bizarre occurence, I wish it was easier to see. In a few spots the sand seems to have solidified, then been carved by the wind, making miniature canyons and formations. Very cool.

Dead trees near the beach

Here we are "not" feeding the seagulls. Actually it was pretty amusing to be swarmed by these guys.

Ok this one is really hard to see, but if you see the lines across the beach here, that's actually blowing sand. It made very interesting wave shapes as it blew across.

Wild turkeys we happened upon. I was actually shocked at how big these things were!

Armadillo. We saw a couple of these, but they proved rather difficult to photograph since they constantly forage under the leaves. What the heck do Armadillos eat, anyway?

And finally we return to St Marys with just enough daylight to capture these pelicans.

The locals

2009-01-27T16:35:00.010-04:00

So this is the cemetery near the Dungeness mansion ruins.

This is the cemetery's most famous (former) resident, General Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee. General Lee fought in the Revolution, distuinguishing himself at Camden, Guilford Couthouse, and Eutaw Springs. He is also known as the father of Henry Lee IV, who wrote speeches for John C. Calhoun and Andrew Jackson, and as the father of the much more famous Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Robert Lee visited the grave her in 1829 and 1870, acommpanied the latter time by Phineas Miller Nightingale. As for "Lighthorse Harry", he was in the area when he fell ill and sought out General Greene's daughter Louisa at Dungeness. He passed away there on March 25, 1818. Several Navy gunboats were nearby and lowered their flags to half mast at news of his passing. At the funeral, Commodore Henly gave the final respects, and his pallbearers were Captains Elton, Finch, and Madison, Lieutenants Fitzhugh and Richie, and Mr. Lyman of the Army. Marines from the USS John Adams and Brig Aranac formed the guard.

On May 28, 1913, General Henry Lee's body was removed from its place here on Cumberland and transported to the Washington and Lee University Chapel in Virginia, to rest beside his famous son Robert.

"In memory of Catharine Miller (widow of the late Major General Nathaniel Greene Commander in Chief of the American Revolutionary army in the Southern department in 1783) who died Sept 2nd, 1814 aged 59 years. She possessed great talents and exalted virtues."

Here are Louisa Greene Shaw, youngest daughter of Nathanael and Caty, and eventual owner of the original Dungeness Plantation.

"Sacred to pure [unknown], This simple stone covers the remains of James Shaw. [unknown] are not to be learned from perishable marble, but when the [unknown] of Heaven shall be unfolded, it is believed they will be found written there in characters as durable as the volume of eternity. Died January 6, 1820. Aged 55 years."

"Relict of James Shaw and youngest daughter of Major General Nathaniel Greene of the Army of the Revolution, died at Dungeness Georgia, April 24th, 1831, aged 45 years"

Marker commemorating Thomas Carnegie, who began the second Dungeness mansion here, but is not actually buried here.

Charles Jackson, who was a family friend of the Greene's, and died at Dungeness.
"In memory of Charles Jackson Esg. Who was born at Newton, Massechusetts on the 23rd of April, 1767. He was educated at Harvard College and was a Commisioned Officer in the American Revolutionary War, and for several years a Counsellor at Law. Who died on the 25th of Oct 1801 at the mansion of Phineas Miller Esg. Cumberland Island"

This person is difficult to find info on, but based on names and dates, I believe that the Dungeness property passed to a Phineas Miller Nightingale, and this is his daughter.

"Martha Greene Nightingale, Daughter of P.M. and M.K. Nightingale, Born on 13th December 1841, died 16th March 1844"
"In memory of Catherine Rikart born in Mulhouse, Alsace, France, July 26, 1831. Died In Dungeness May 12, 1911. Erected by the family of Thomas M. Carnegie in affectionate memory of faithful and loyal service during many years."
View from the cemetery

New new new new new new new new!!!!

2009-01-26T09:40:00.000-04:00

Ok guys, everyone else is doing it! It's time for Buddventures to have its first ever contest!! *Audience participation required. Yes, this mean YOU!* So here it is, write a caption for the above photo. BTW, for those who don't know, that would be "the wife." Contest is over when I say so (aka when I get enough responses, so the more I get, the sooner its over - Motivation!) Prize to be determined. I'll find something nice.

It's Ruined!

2009-01-25T16:16:00.003-04:00

Ok, ok, here is the Carnegie post I keep promising! More specifically, this focuses on the Dungeness mansion of the Carnegies that, as you can see, is now, um, ruins.
Our story begins with Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene (he seems to keep popping up a lot!) In honor of his services during the War, South Carolina and Georgia both donated lands to him, and his family settled at Mulberry Grove on the Savannah River. General Greene died on June 19, 1786, and his wife Caty married his former secretary and their childrens' tutor, Phineas Miller in 1796. In 1800 they moved to Cumberland Island and built a large four story mansion out of tabby, giving it the name Dungeness. The name is believed to have come from a hunting camp established nearby by General Oglethorpe, who named it after the county seat in England. The mansion was 76 feet tall, had six foot thick walls and several outbuildings, including the one seen above. When Caty died in 1814, her daughter Loisa took charge of Dungeness and created a thriving Sea Cotton plantation, as well as growing olives, oranges, figs, dates, limes, and pomegranates. Dungeness itself burned down around 1867, and sometime after 1880 the remaining walls were demolished. The building above was a slave cabin that held two families. It is the oldest standing structure on the island, and was used later by the Carnegies as a records house.

In 1881, Thomas Morrison Carnegie, brother of famous financier Andrew Carnegie, bought the Dungeness property from former Confederate General W.G.M. Davis. He unfortunetly died in 1886, and did not much get to enjoy the property he built up, but instead passed it on to his wife Lucy.

Lucy made many additions to the mansion, which was designed by Andrew Peebles in the Queen Anne style. At its peak it towered over 100 feet and covered 6,720 square feet.

The mansion was vacated in 1925, and on June 24, 1959, was burned down by an arsonist.

Between 1977 and 1981, a group of Georgia students working with the Youth Conservation Corps conducted historic preservation of the mansion, grounds and buildings, including stabilizing the mansion's ruins.

Garden Pergola, built by Lucy Carnegie

As usual, the wife finds her own way to enjoy history...

Remains of the Pool/Recreation house near the mansion. This building was originally designed by John Ingle and also built in the Queen Anne style. It featured a heated indoor pool, steam room, baths, recreation room, gunroom and squash court. It also featured guest room son the second floor.

This building was the carriage house, originally for horses and carriages, becoming the garage for "electric carriages" around 1900. It is now the maintenance facility used by the National Park Service.

These old cars are located near the old garage. There is no explanation given for them. Did they belong to the Carnegies? Their workers? Later residents of the island?

In the attic

2009-01-24T11:46:00.006-04:00

So, in direct contrast to last week's book selection, here is a very fascinating, if not directly historical, book. Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz is one of those books that received a lot of attention, and naturally received a lot of both praise and criticism. The premise of the book is simple. Horwitz was a news correspondent who returned to the states and lived in Virginia. It was here that he met a group of Civil War reenactors. After questioning why they do what they do, he decided to begin an epic journey across the South. He went to cities, towns, and farms talking to white, black, mixed, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, everyone he could find, to ask what they thought of the Civil War. The result is an amazing study of the real heart of the South. Among these interviews are fascinating stories such as visiting Shiloh at dawn, the Union statue in South Carolina, actual battle reenactments, the center of the South Carolina Rebel Flag debates, the "last Confederate Martyr," and interviews with author Shelby Foote and the real life last living Confederate Widow. Altogether, the book provides fascinating insight both into why the Civil War is still so strongly on America's mind, and why history fans in general are so intrigued by the past. I highly reccomend this book for anyone with an interest in history, and especially in the Civil War. Also good for those significant others/family members/coworkers who always ask why you care so much about people and events from 100 years ago. It can be found on Amazon here.
Confederates in the Attic
Tony Horwitz
432 pages
1999 Vintage Publishing

The wind in the trees

2009-01-23T17:48:00.002-04:00

A large flag flies over Waterfront Park in St Marys, seen from the Cumberland Island visitor center.

Chilly...

2009-01-22T15:06:00.000-04:00

Ok, so when first disembarking onto Cumberland Island, you run into the Ice House Museum, seen here. The ice house was, oddly enough, where the Carnegie family made ice during their time here. The plant made 200 pound blocks of ice that were hauled by horse arounf the island. But more about the Carnegies tommorow. For now, come inside with me...
Archeologists have done excavations under the icehouse of a tabby structure that was previously here. Part of it is seen in this small window in the ice house floor.
Ice pick found in the ice house

Reproduction of the hats that were worn by Oglethorpe's soldiers during the War of Jenkin's Ear.

Spanish helmet, probably found nearby.

Some artifacts from the Sea Island Cotton industry.

Dishes from the Carnegie's Dungeness mansion.

Getting there is half the fun!

2009-01-21T12:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, so after 4 and 1/2 years living here, we finally made it out to Cumberland Island National Seashore. Figured we would do it to get rid of any reason to ever come back here. Anyway, to get there, you have to take an NPS ferry from downtown St Marys. That's the ferry arriving now.
In the visitor center, there are some intersting displays, including this one of sea turtles hatching.

This one shows how Sea Oats grow.

Some Native American artifacts

As these tools show, both cotton and lumber industries at one point made their home on Cumberland.

Artifacts from the Carnegie Estate on the island.

View of downtown St Marys from the visitor center. Visible are Trolleys Bar, the Sub Museum, and God only knows what. That corner building always changes.

Waterfront park.

Finally we say goodbye to St Marys

Looking towards Point Peter, where the battle took place in the War of 1812

Looking south towards Amelia Island

This guy decided to hang around the boat for a while

Cumberland Island! Barely visible on the left side is the ruins of the Dungeness Mansion, that belonged to the Carnegie family.

Looking north, at the Kings Bay Sub Base.

Cumberland Island again

Tying up the boat. Ready to go see the island? Stay tuned!

On this day

2009-01-20T13:01:00.000-04:00

My fellow Americans, Regardless of how you see it, today is a significantly historic day. We children of the 80's have seen (and many remember) pehaps a record number of historic events in our lifetime, including: The Challenger explosion and America's return to space, the healing of a divided nation (Germany), the world rising up to defend a helpless nation (Gulf War), the fall of one of the mightiest empires the world has ever known (The Soviet Union), the second ever President to be impeached (Bill CLinton), the worst domestic terrorism in our history (Oklahoma City), A frontline US Warship attacked and nearly sunk by an enemy in peacetime (USS Cole), the turning of a new milenium, the worst terrorist attack in history (9/11), and the fall of one of historie's worst dictators (Sadaam Hussein). We have also seen the rise in technology and popularity of CD's, DVD's, the Internet, cell phones, Global Positioning, home computers, SUV's, and countless other major inovations. Right now we are fighting at least two wars, have the worst financial crisis since the 1930's, are hated the world over, have sky high unemployment, are divided on several major political issues, have an astronomical national debt, most of our production is done overseas, and now the President is a Democrat for the first time in eight years. Oh, and by the way, he's also a black man. I know the internet now is full of articles and opinions about everything for and against concerning everything about our new President. Not the least of what is covered is his race. People have compared him to Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and a host of others. I couldn't care less what his race is. I can think of plenty of Black people that I would rather have as President than a large number of white people I can think of. But this is not my reason for writing today. Regardless of what happens in the next four years, today is monumental. And the next four years are gauranteed to be just as eventful as the last several have been. That is why more than ever, all of us as Americans must look at our history. We must look at who we are, and what we trully believe. For the last couple decades the government, both Democrat and Republican, has run rampant with all kinds of powers and abuses that have the Founding Fathers rolling in their graves so fast they could light a fire. Why are they important, do you ask? Didn't they live over 200 years ago? I ask you this: How many peole follow the Ten Commandments? Those were written many, many years before there was even an England, let alone United States. Look at what the founding fathers wrote:
"We hold these truths to be self evident, that ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among those are LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. That to secure these rights, GOVERNMENTS ARE INSTITUTED AMONG MEN, DERIVING THEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED."

Does this sound like something important to you? Do you feel that all should be treated equal? Do you value your rights and freedoms as an American? Should the government work solely to protect and defend your rights from being infringed? These word come from the Declaration of Independence, the basis of the Revolution and the govenment formed afterwords. Let's read on:

"That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO ALTER OR TO ABOLISH IT, and to institute new government."

Does this sound familiar? I'm not making it up. It comes right after the previous section quoted. This was written and agreed upon by men with everything to lose. They had homes, families, businesses, all of which could be snuffed out in a moment by the momentous act of signing the Declaration. Why did they do it? What was so important to these men that they would RISK EVERYTHING INCLUDING THEIR LIVES to protect it? What has driven over 200 years of America's young men and women to fight and die to defend a flag that represents what these men did so long ago? Not long after the Revolution, the Constitution was written to "Form a more perfect Union" and establish the government that would carry the legacy of the Declaration. But it would not suffice without a Bill of Rights, designed to protect The People from the exact injustices they suffered under the British. So to understand why these men signed the Declaration, let's look at these rights:

1st) Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This is what America is. This is freedom right here. You can choose your religion, say your opinion, read what you want, and meet with who you want to. Imagine living under a government where you could not do those things.

2nd) A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

What is this? Oh yeah, the Revolution was fought by CITIZENS, with their OWN GUNS. The Founding Fathers realized that the other rights could not long survive without this all too important right to defend them. They even went so far as to say:

"No Free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -Thomas Jefferson

"A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves...and include all men capable of bearing arms." -Richard Henry Lee

"What, Sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty.... Whenever Governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins." -Elbridge Gerry

"If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?" -Patrick Henry

"Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence." -George Washington

That was the Father of our Country, as well as four other important Founding Fathers defending the Second Amendment. So, who still doubts its importance?

3rd) No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

This is pretty straight forward. The British kept troops in America against the wishes of the people, and even had them stay in peoples private homes. Proabably something you want protection against.

4th) The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

That's right people. No one (not even the police) can search you, your home, your car, or any of your personal possesions unless a specific warrant is issued to do so.

5th) No person shall be held to answer for any capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

This is perhaps the most quoted of the Bill of Rights, and yet many people have never even read it. Simply put, you do not have to answer for anything. No one can make you confess to anything, or take away your basic rights to make you confess.

6th) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district where in the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

7th) In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

These both ensure a trial by jury, to be judged by your peers, to not be set up in a no win situation. This is what protects you from being falsely accused and convicted of crimes.

8th) Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

This ensures humanitarian treatment for ALL Americans, no matter what.

9th) The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Simply put: The Government cannont violate your rights. That's it.

10th) The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

This is perhaps the most abused of the ten ammendments. Read it again. See what that says? The powers given to the Federal Government by the Constitution are the ONLY powers it may have. All others are reserved for the States or the People. When was the last time this system was actually followed?

So there you have it folks. These ten ammendments spell out why these men risked everything they had to separate from their government. And they certainly did not think themselves the exception to the rule. Thomas Jefferson, the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence, was the forefront of the Revolutionary movement, and oh by the way, third President of the US, has a famous quote that "The tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants." But he also had a much less famous, but I think even more important quote: "The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere." Say that again??? You mean to say I SHOULD question my government? I should NOT allow it to do what it wants? That's right folks, this is the spirit our country was founded on. This is the spirit in which Patrick Henry said "Give me Liberty or give me death!" This is when Nathan Hale said "I only regret that I have but one life to give my country." This is the time when ordinary farmers and shopkeepers took up arms and said enough! The citizens took a stand against the armies of the world's mightiest empire and won! They defended their rights! What is more, they defended them, from THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT. These were British subjects. Not until the Treaty of Paris in 1783 were they truly free as Americans. Many despaired in the meantime that their cause would be lost. George Washington himself at the Battle of New York cried "Good God! Have I got such troops as these?" But the citizens, the people, pulled through. At Trenton, Saratoga, King's Mountain, Cowpens, and finally Yorktown, the fighting spirit of the free men prevailed.

Why is all of this so important now, you ask? Read those rights again. How many violations can you think of, of those rights, in just the last few years? How about the last twenty years? How much is enough? When do you stand and say "today, I fight for my rights?" Today, I am a military man, fighting to preserve the freedoms that so many have already given The Last Full Measure of Devotion to defend. I will now give you the oath of enlistment in the US Military: "I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." I will defend... against all enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC. This is where all of this is important. I am not defending a government, I am defending the Constitution itself. When people ask, I am not defending my country, I am defending MY FREEDOMS. To me, this is regardless of who, what, or where the enemy is. I fight in the spirit of Washington, Nathaniel Greene, Nathan Hale, William Jasper, William Moultire, Francis Marion, Andrew Pickens, and the countless others who bravely fought and often gave everything, even their own life, so that their families and children may live free. I continue the spirit of Oliver Hazard Perry, Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Ulysses Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, George Dewey, John Pershing, Chester Nimitz, Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas Macarthur, and so many, many others to this day, continuing this legacy. But this legacy only matters if we remember why we are fighting. So come on America. No matter what happens in the next four years, let's make 'em count!

"Stand your ground. Do not fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, LET IT BEGIN HERE." -Captain John Parker at the Battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775

Are you retarded?

2009-01-19T11:02:00.004-04:00

So wandering through the parking lot yesterday, I came across a vehicle that had this as their front liscence plate. In case you can't read it, it says: St Marys, GA, Second oldest City in the USA. Ok, now I understand that small towns have slightly skewed versions of history to promote tourism, and St Marys is no exception. But come on! St Marys was not even founded until 1787 (under the name St Patrick!) Not to mention that Georgia was the last Colony to be founded. The only reason St Augustine is the oldest city in the US is because the Spanish founded it. And true, the Spanish did make a settlement near present day St Marys, but they were long gone by the time Oglethorpe founded the English Colony. As James Vocelle says, "whatever rights the Spanish had aquired by reason of possession had been lost by subsequent abandonment." One could also claim their was an Indian settlement here, but, well, um, they were everywhere!! That hardly constitutes a place as the oldest city in America. So I think I have made my point. Small town America, I love ya, but you have got to pay attention to history before you make outrageous claims! Too many people are miseducated about history as it is! As my wife would say, "please and thank you."

What's new?

2009-01-18T12:31:00.001-04:00

There's a new marker at Point Peter in St Marys! Check it out!
In 1795 a cannon battery constructed on the Point Peter peninsula became the southernmost fortification in the First System of U.S. coastal defenses. Vacated in 1802, it was reoccupied and strengthened in 1808 to provide support for the enforcement of the Embargo Act and the prohibition of the international slave trade. In 1812, former Georgia governor George Matthews led the unsanctioned "Patriot" invasion of Spanish Florida from Point Peter. On January 13, 1815, during the War of 1812, a British force overwhelmed 116 U.S. regulars here, destroying the fort and barracks. After the U.S. acquired Florida in 1819, the post was abandoned.

Rising again?

2009-01-17T10:23:00.001-04:00

So this week's book selection is a litle different. Until now the books I have posted have gotten at least decent reviews from me. This book, however, the Politically Incorrect Guide (PIG) to The South, was very disapointing. I have read a few books in this series, and while it is nice to read something that is not as liberal biased as many books are, this series seems to go to an extreme the other way. I got this one thinking it would have some interesting, non-liberal history, but most of the book is not even about history. It talks about how food is better in the south, Nascar is in the south, the best sports teams are in the south, etc. First of all, I really couldn't care less. Second of all, most all of these claims made by the book can be easily disputed. Even when the book does talk about history, it is so unbelievably extreme in its pro-southerness as to be almost laughable. It makes claims such as after 1776 there were no major Revolutionary battles in the North. Seriously? Now don't get me wrong, I really like the South, but if this is what you have to resort to in order to "defend" your region...? Anyway, at this point, I think you can guess that I don't reccomend this book, unless you know someone who thinks Jesus was really born in Alabama and Satan lives in New York, or something like that. If you do know such a person, you can get the book here.
The Politically Incorrect Guide to The South
Clint Johnson
2007 Regnery Publishing
288 pages

North Georgia Brigade

2009-01-16T12:40:00.001-04:00

Here is the flag of the North Georgia Brigade at the Civil War museum at Alexander Stephens park.

A word from our sponsor...

2009-01-15T17:58:00.000-04:00

So, I wondered over a fun little website that let's you make your own... stuff, I guess. Thought I would work on some promotional material for the site. Let me know what y'all think. First off is the new official Buddventure seal....
Uncle Sam wants you

Tired of gas prices?

Danger Will Robinson
My personal favorite, the First Church of Budd
Or maybe I'm just overconfident.... Ok, I didn't make this one, just liked it.

Search confusion much?

2009-01-14T17:47:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I was inspired by my friend, Kim, to get some kind of "tracker" for my blog. He got found by some crazy search once, and I have been waiting for the day when it would happen to me. So I'm not sure that my blog has anything about "security cameras at Chattahoochee High School nature trail," but I am rather curious to know what the searcher had in mind. If you come across this post, I would like to know, iffen ya don't mind.

Women are from....

2009-01-13T17:42:00.001-04:00

So, just to show my diverse interests, here are the moon and Venus the other night. Not too bad for just a point-and-shoot camera, huh?

And these are the moon on a diferent night, with cloud cover.

Trey family

2009-01-12T15:45:00.003-04:00

Ok, so this latest Find-a-grave outing has returned me to Oak Grove Cemetery in St Marys. I have set out in search of the Trey family. Unlike last time, there is only one plot, in the main part of the cemetery, in between and just behind the gazeebo and cemetery map.

Arthur Charles Trey

Mar 6, 1937

Jan 23, 2004

Married may 9, 1958

Judy Callaway Trey

Oct 8, 1940

Mar 31, 2001

Daddy

Alois Trey

June 19, 1904

May 10, 1989

Married May 4, 1926

Mama

Anna Erban

June 4, 1905

Oct 17, 1989

The family plot

ruhe sanft in gottes hand

Deine Familie Und Freunde
(rest soft in God's Hand, your family and friends)

1989

In Germany

These two are the back of the main burials

This is also on the plot, though I don't see a direct name connection

Jonathon Donald

April 7, 2004

Barrick
this grave was in the back part of the cemetery, but has the Callaway last name, which I believe is Judy's maiden name.

Hero of the Hornet's Nest

2009-01-11T10:42:00.000-04:00

Ok, so this is Elijah Clarke State Park, north of Washington, Georgia, and on the GA/SC border. Seen above and below are a reconstruction of Clarke's first home in GA. During the summer months, it is open and has artifacts from his life inside.

Elijah Clarke was born in North Carolina in 1733 and moved to Georgia in 1774, when he joined the Revolutionary effort. He served in several battles throughout Georgia and South Carolina including Aligator Creek, Kettle Creek, Musgrove's Mill, Blackstocks, and two sieges of Augusta. After the war he served in the State Assembly from 1781 to 1790. In 1793 he joined the French Army and participated in efforts against the Spanish in Florida. In 1794, he established the Trans-Oconee Republic in the area of modern day Northern Georgia. This was viewed by the Government as a violtaion of treaties with the Natives, and after failed diplomatic attempts to end the Republic, a group of soldiers and local militia surrounded the settlement and Clarke surrendered.

Erected to the memory of Gen. Elijah Clarke 1736-1799

Revolutionary Soldier and Patriot

And his Wife Hannah Arrington 1737-1827

By the Elijah Clarke Chapter, Athens, Georgia

And the Hannah Clarke Chapter, Quitman, Georgia

Daughters of the American Revolution, 1924

Clarke was originally buried at his home, which is now under Clark's Hill/Strom Thurmond Lake (the name depends on which side of the state line you're on.)
John Dooly was another Patriot leader, most noted for his actions and Kettle Creek. His home was located here, where he was killed by Loyalists, and he is buried somewhere nearby.

Yes this area is still plagued by low water levels, as these pictures of Clark's Hill/Strom Thurmond Lake show. Ya see, this is a fishing pier, and is supposed to be IN the water...

Windows to the past

2009-01-10T10:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, so this is one of the books recommended by the National Park Service for more information on the ruins of Arizona. It is certainly a good recommendation. It begins with an overview of early Native American ancestry, then breaks down into individual chapters about each of the prehistoric tribes. It also traces the roots of modern tribes to see how they relate to the ancient tribes and ruins. Through each chapter it highlights how archaeologists have pieced together a timeline of when tribes moved and when structures were built. By comparing various features found in and around the major and minor sites through the state, they can see how droughts, wars, and other factors affected where the ancients lived. Very easy to read and follow, with a very informative text, it is an excellent choice for someone looking into Arizona history or ancient American history. It can be purchased on Amazon here.
The Archaeology of Ancient Arizona
Jefferson Reid and Stephanie Whittlesey
1997 University of Arizona Press
276 pages plus glossary

Foggy day

2009-01-09T12:00:00.001-04:00

The American and Georgia flags fly over the Taliaferro County Courthouse in Crawfordville, Georgia.

The Severest Check

2009-01-08T18:51:00.005-04:00

Ok, here is the Kettle Creek Battlefield, just north of Crawfordville. During the Revolution, Georgia had an estimated 25,000 residents, located mostly along the Savannah River from Savannah to Augusta. Most of them were Tories, loyal to the British Crown. Earli in 1779, Col Boyd, the British Commander, left Augusta with 800 men to unite with Col McGrith's 500 men near present day Washington, GA. A group of American Patriots led by Andrew Pickens with 250 South Carolina militia. He was joined by John Dooley and Elijah Clarke with around 100 Georgia militia. On Sunday, Feb 14, 1779, the British troops were camped on a hill near Kettle Creek, GA. The American forces, outnumbered more than two to one, attacked the surprised British. Their right was commanded by Dooly, the center by Pickens, and the left by Clarke. As the surprise wore off, the fighting became intense as the attacking Patriots had trouble advancing through the dense canebrakes and high water of the creek. The British appeared to be winning when Clarke slipped with 50 men around the
British rear, and when Col Boyd fell, the Loyalists were finally routed. The final tally was 40 Loyalists killed, and 70 captured, 9 Patriots killed and 23 wounded. Five of the Loyalists were hung for treason.

Unfortunetly, the Patriot success was undone by a British victory at Brier Creek just two weeks later.

These are from a monument on the battlefield listing all the Patriots who fought at Kettle Creek.

Cemetery where some of those who fell are buried.

Up around the corner

2009-01-07T16:28:00.003-04:00

Ok, so heading out of Alexander Stephens State Site, I checked out a few other nearby things, including the Crawfordville Baptist Church, pictured above, where Harry and Eliza (see last post) and some of their descendents are buried.

Phillips Mills Baptist Church, just north of Crawfordville

"Elder Silas Mercer

Baptist Minister-Chaplain-Theologian-Statesman

Born Feb 25, 1745, North carolina, died Aug 1, 1796 Wilkes County, GA. Was converted and baptized circa 1775 into the Kiokee Baptist Church. Founded Phillips Mill Church, May 7, 1785 and served as pastor 1785-1796. Later founded Bethesda 1785, Powelton 1786, Clark's Station 1786, Sardis 1788 and others. Helped organize the first Baptist Association. The Georgia
Chaplian- Revolutionary War. Leader in merger of separate and regular Baptists in Georgia and South Carolina. Delegate to Georgia Constitutional Conventions 1789 and 1795. Established Salem Academy 1793. Defender of Calvinistic Doctrine. Silas and Dorcas Mercer had eight children, two sons were teachers, three sons, including Jesse Mercer, were Baptist Ministers.
Remains of Silas and Dorcas Mercer moved from original site at Ficklen to this site Oct 12, 1976"

Little Aleck

2009-01-06T14:18:00.009-04:00

Ok, so here is the reason I came to Crawfordville, this is the home and burial site of Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens. We begin in the small on site museum displaying various artifacts from the Civil War.

Uniforms and weapons

Medical equipment

Pieces of railroad that was destroyed by Sherman's army enroute to Savannah.

Various reunion badges and ribbons

This was perhaps the most interesting thing in the museum. I had not heard of the Cross of Honor before, and certainly not in this context. The Cross of Honor was created by the Confederate government as a military award similar to the US Medal of Honor. After the war, around 1900, the Daughters of the Confederacy were authorized to give the awards post-humously. The awards pictured above, however, appear to be modern US awards, with the Southern Cross on bottom. For example the green and yellow striped one in the center is clearly the Vietnam Service medal and says so on the medal itself, but instead of the traditional round medal, it is cross shaped. Likewise with the blue and white Korean Service medal to is left. If anyone has more information on these, I am certainly interested to find out more.

Alexander Stephens was born, raised, and educated in Georgia, and rose to become a very succesful lawyer despite his small size and high voice. He began his political career in 1836 when he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives. He then moved from there to the State Senate, then the US House until 1859. In spite of the fact that he opposed secession, when the South left, he was elected to the Confederate Congress, then became the Vice President of the Confederacy. Toward the end of the war, he realized the situation's futility and left Richmond to return to his home, where he was captured on May 11, 1865. He was held as a prisoner at Fort Warren, Massachusetts for five months before he was pardoned. In 1873 he returned to the US Congress until 1882 when he was elected Governor. Unfortunetly, he died four months later. His house named Liberty Hill, was purchased in 1845, but he tore it down and rebuilt it in 1875. Above is the master bedroom, built on the first floor right in front. unusual design, but built for him because by then he was crippled, hence the wheelchair by the bed. Another interesting feature is that the bed faces north-south. He was always a sickly person, and a widely held belief at the time was that the north-south magnetic lines were good for health.

This is what was known as the "man room", where his desk was, and where he played Whist. Many of the items in the house were his, and were returned when the State bought the house. Everything else is authentic period though. For example, the table here belonged to his college roommate. The bust in the back is of him, done by a youth who he payed to put through college. He did this with many students, both white and black.

This is the dining room. The wheelchair here was his first. Donated by a group of ladies from Philadelphia that were impressed by a speech he gave them.

The tea room, or "ladies room". The organ belonged to him, though he didn't play it. Although he was not married, he often had ladies at the house, and they would play the organ for him.

A guest bedroom for visiting family members, usually his half brother, Linton

Bedroom for visiting children

Ledger kept by his half brother Linton.

This room was specially reserved for Robert Toombs, his good friend. Toombs was a fellow lawyer, fellow college alumni, also served in Congress, and was the Confederate Secretary of State. He lived a few miles up the road in Washington, GA. I originally planned to visit his house too, but ran out of time.

His personal library, many of his original books are still here, as well as the ladder. This room is where he was captured by Union troops, and existed at the time because it is in a small separate portion of the house that was not rebuilt.

His bedroom back of the library, where he stayed while the main house was rebuilt.

His servant's house

Inside the servant's house

A photo of his house servants. The woman, Eliza, had belonged to him since she was 12. The male is Harry, who she met and wished to marry, but he belonged to someone else. The following letter was written in March 1850 from Stephens to Linton, who was watching the house while he was away:

"Dear Brother-

In my letter written at the house today I forgot to reply to the request Googer's Harry to take Eliza for a wife. Say to him that I have no objection-And tell Eliza to go to Simon and Henrys and get her a wedding dress including a pair of fine shoes etc. and to have a decent wedding of it. Let them cook a supper and have such of their friends as they wish-Tell them to get some "Parson Man" and be married like "Christian Folks". Let the wedding come off sometime when you are home so that you may keep order amongst them. Buy a pig and let them have a good supper-Let Eliza bake some pound cake and set a good wedding table. "

Stephens was known to be a kind master to all of his slaves, and following the war, he put one of Harry and Eliza's kids through college. Descendants of him recently held a reunion at Liberty Hall to pay their respects to Stephens.

This is the gas pump that provided gas to the lamps in the house. The large well on the left housed the tank, and the cabling led to a large stone weight. About twice a week, the machine was wound up, and then a back and forth type motion applied a continous pressure on the tank to send the gas.

Stephens grave, which reads:

This tablet is a tribute from the Old Guard of the Gate City Guard to the member of their departed friend Alexander Hamilton Stephens. Patriot and Statesman, Vice President of the Confederate States of America, born feb 11, 1812, died mar 4 1883. His remains rest beneath this tablet. Dedicated Oct 19, 1913

Grave of his half brother Linton Stephens reads:

Linton Stephens, Georgia, Lt Col 15thRegt GA Infantry Confederate States Army, July 1, 1823, July 14, 1872.

All in a day's drive...

2009-01-05T11:14:00.010-04:00

Ok, so I have been noticeably absent from cyberland for a few days, but now I have to show a one day tip. So The kid managed to get so much Christmas loot, that we couldn't even haul it all home, so I had to go back and get it. Not one to turn down an oppurtunity, I made a few stops. Somehow I wound up in the DEAD CENTER of nowhere, and after arriving in Crawfordville, GA, I realized I had no money. Then I found out there was no ATM in town. I had to go 12 miles away to find the closest one. Word to the wise, ya know. Anyway, it was well worth it, as the next post will show. For now, above is the Taliaferro county courthouse in Crawfordville.

Couple markers on the way to Crawfordville. Also middle of nowhere.

On the Courthouse grounds

The colonial road from Charleston to Vicksburg followed the highway at this point. The route, used by Col. Langdon Welch on his expedition to the Mississippi in 1698, was thereafter followed by British traders. Through Taliaferro Co., it followed the present route, Raytown to Crawfordville to Union Point, then Ogeechee River Old Town. Wm. Bartram, celebrated traveler, crossed here in 1773 with the party, headed by Col. Barnett, which surveyed 2,000,000 acres of land ceded by the Creeks and Cherokees to the Colony of Georgia. Lafayette followed this road on his American tour in 1825.

This County, created by an act of the Legislature Dec. 24, 1825, is named for Colonel Benjamin Teliaferro, Revolutionary soldier in Lee's Legion and a member of Congress from 1799 to 1802. In this city stands Liberty Hall, now a State Shrine, beloved home in life and the last resting place of Alexander H. Stephens, affectionately known as "Little Alec" and "The Great Commoner." Born in a log cabin in this county in 1812 and graduating from the University of Georgia in 1832, Mr. Stephens began his public career by serving six consecutive terms in the Georgia legislature with distinction. He was elected to Congress in 1843 and served through 1859. He voted against secession in the Georgia Convention of 1861 but accepted his State's decision and was a delegate to the Montgomery convention at which the Confederacy was born. Elected Vice President of the Confederacy he served throughout the war, opposing many of the policies of President Jefferson Davis. Mr. Stephens was elected to the United States Senate in 1866 but a seat was refused him. He was again elected to Congress in 1873 and served until 1882, when he was elected Governor of Georgia dying in office on March 4, 1883. Among Taliaferro County's first officers were: Sheriff Asa C. Alexander, Superior Court Clerk Marcus Andrew, Inferior Court Clerk Henry Perkins, Coroner Solomon Harper and Surveyor Henry Stewart.

1917-1918

Dedicated to those of Taliaferro County, GA.

Who offered their lives in Humanity's defense

in the War of the Nations

and in memory of those who gave

their full measure of devotion.

A tribute from the Crawfordville Woman's Club

Confederate monument

In sacred memory of the men of Taliaferro County who mad the supreme sacrifice

World War I

Roy Dozier

World War II

L.A. Cason

Henry C. Simons

Roger W. Gunn

Charles Roberts

On fames eternal camping ground, their silent tents are spread and glory guards with solemn round the bivouac of the dead.

"They died that we might live"

Ok, so here is Union Point, where I had to drive to find an ATM

This monument read "Commemorating the site of the First Regimental reunion of Confederate Veterans. Survivors of the 3rd Georgia Regiment met at the Union Point Fairgrounds July 30-31, 1874."

Sodor Wars Episode One: The Phantom Thomas

2009-01-01T11:43:00.004-04:00

A long time ago on an island far, far away.....
The Island of Sodor was a happy place. All the engines and other residents lived in peace and prosperity. Who's that coming around the bend now? It's Thomas! Hello Thomas! Thomas toots sadly that he has not seen any other engines for quite some time. Even his loyal friend Percy seemed to have disappeared.

Then as he came around the corner of Crescent Canyon, he found a new engine. "Oh, hello!" cried Thomas.

"Oh.... um.. hi...." replied the new engine.

"I suppose you are new to the Island?" puffed Thomas.

"Yes..... I suppose you could say that I am." replied the new train.

"Say," said Thomas. "You look a lot like me, what is your name anyhow?"

"um...er...uh.... I'm going to KILL YOU!!!!"

Thomas quickly tried to puff away, but the mysterious engine was far too fast for him, and plowed over his passenger cars. Thomas could hear the screams of the passengers dying in agony behind him as him engine sped up from the lightened load.

"Bustin' boilers!" cried Thomas. "That b*tch is trying to kill me!"
"Who are you?" cried Thomas. "Are you some kind of monster! And how were you not on the track?"

Then the mysterious engine raced after Thomas, seemingly bent on his destruction. He chased him round the bend and up the mountain going faster and faster until Thomas nearly thought he would simply die of exhaustion!

Then as they rounded the corner onto New Sodor Bridge, the new engine's larger size proved its downfall as it flew off the track, landing with a mighty crash!
Thomas continued down the track around Dead Man's Curve until he found Percy sitting high up on the canyon wall. "Oh Percy!" he cried.

"Hello Thomas," said Percy. "What is the trouble?"

"Oh Percy you wouldn't believe it! There is a new engine that tried to kill me! And he wasn't on the track at all!" explained Thomas.

"Now Thomas," replied Percy, "I'm sure he was on the track, you just didn't realize it..."

"Say Percy, what track are you on, way up there?" asked Thomas.

"Oh, this is a new line they have been working on. It is a special bypass for the New Sodor Bridge." replied Percy.

"Oh alright." Said Thomas. "Well I best go find Sir Topham Hat and tell him about this new engine."

As Thomas puffed slowly away, Percy peered after him and muttered to himself, "yes, I don't think we will have to worry about this half-wit Thomas..."

Folkston Revisited

2008-12-31T12:21:00.005-04:00

Ok, so since we were in Folkston for the Find a Grave adventure anyway, I decided to take our train-crazy-toddler to the funnel. Unfortunetly, they were having a slow day, so we did not actually see any trains, but they have a new (small) museum that we stopped in. Above, we see Charlie demostrating what an alligator says.

"Choo choo! Choo choo! Choo choo!"

"Yes Charlie, lots of choo choos."

I guess this is how the office at thetrain station was supposed to look like back in the day.

Some various train related artifacts, here we see some lamps and oil cans

locks and keys

train books

Telegraphs and wire covers

The Hildegarde was one of the last recorded steamers to serve this area on the St Marys River. She began her service here in the 1890's and was sold in 1916 to a sugar refinery company in Savannah.

Using the public docks, she would come twice a week from the Fernandina area and stop at Kings Ferry which is about ten miles from Folkston on the St Marys. The boat would spend the night taking on mail, passengers and supplies to return the next day.

She broke her keel on a sandbar in South Carolina ending a small piece of history for this area.

Askew Family

2008-12-30T17:55:00.013-04:00

Ok, so today's Buddventure comes courtesy of Find a Grave. For anyone who has not checked out this website, you really should because it is amazing what you can do on it. Anyway, one of the things you can do is become a Photo Volunteer, so if someone is tracing their roots and finds out about family graves that they cannot visit themselves, they contact someone local to visit it and take a photo. Pretty neat, huh? So my first trip as a Photo Volunteer has brought me back to Folkston, to the Pineview Cemetery, pictured above. Since I expected this to be a quick easy trip, I brought the kid along with me to give mom a few hours off. Yeah, cemetery, not as small as I expected. Not even close. So I hope the photo requester does not mind, but I thought since the photos are taken I may as well share them on here so others who are interested can find them.

So here is the first Askew family I came across, right in the front of the cemetery. These graves are:

James Willis Askew

Apr 16, 1906

Sep 25 1989

Doris Alwyn Askew

Apr 22, 1908

June 6, 1998

Another Askew next to them, maybe their daughter since she died young:

Lucia Merle Askew

July 13, 1923

Sept 22, 1924

Here is the next Askew plot I came across, this one almost all the way in the back.

Albert L. Askew

Oct 23, 1893

July 24, 1986

His wife:

Mary I. Askew

Aug 9, 1898

Aug 10, 1982

Geraldine Askew Gibson

Dec 6, 1916

Feb 27, 2000

Claude Barnes Gibson

Jan 5, 1914

Sept 21, 2002

In memory of Albert Leon Askew Jr.

April 27, 1915-Mar 3, 1920

Son of Albert Leon and Mary Ida Askew

Geraldin Burney Dillard

Feb 9, 1943

Feb 4, 2008

James Larry Dillard

May 26, 1949

Dan George Burney

Oct 7, 1908

Apr 22, 1992

Mary Inez A. Burney

Feb 5, 1919

Sept 5, 1983
And finally, the last Askew plot (that I found) where the person I was looking for was found. This plot is almost exactly in the middle of the cemetery.

Here is my query:
Kittye Haralson Askew

Sep 28, 1893

Apr 20, 1960

Fred Davis Askew Sr.

May 7, 1891

Feb 25, 1971

Remember the Cowpens post? Well this man served on the Carrier USS Cowpens in WW2. Interesting, huh?

Fred Davis Askew Jr.

EM3 US Navy

World War II

Dec 13, 1927

Nov 27, 2000

Thomas Wallace Askew

Sept 26, 1915

Apr 5, 1951

Charlie loves Buddventures!

On the ground

2008-12-29T21:04:00.002-04:00

Ok, so since I showed you Woodbine from the air, I thought I would show what's here on ground level. This is the Camden County Courthouse square, which was shown on the previous post from the air. So to let you know what you are seeing, above is the old courthouse, which is in the top left of the aerial photo, on the eastern side of the courthouse square. The building below is the new courthouse, on the northern side of the square, therefore the top left of the picture. The bottom, or southern side of the square is the Sheriff's office, and nestled sorta in between the new couthouse and the Sheriff's Office, on the left side is the Bryan-Lang Historical Library.
The town of Woodbine grew out of Woodbine Plantation, founded on the Satilla River by John Bailey, then passed to his son Henry, and then to his children. The plantation, which grew rice, was then purchased by James King Bedell, now considered the town's founder. He was the one to grant land to the railroad, with the stipulation that the town that would grow here carry on the name Woodbine. The town was incorporated in 1908 and laid out in a "railroad strip community" style. In 1923 it became the county seat, and the old couthouse and square, designed by Julian de Bruyn Kops, were built in 1928. The library and Sheriff's office were added in the late 80's and the new courthouse was opened in 2004.

County monument to the armed forces.
Monument for police of Camden County who have fallen in the line of duty.

Supposedly, there should be a marker here somewhere for the county itself, but I have looked several times to no avail.

Black Sea boats

2008-12-28T15:31:00.001-04:00

Ok, so this article is a little old, but still interesting:
Adolf Hitler's 'lost fleet' found in Black Sea By Jasper Copping
Last Updated: 2:36am GMT 03/02/2008

The final resting place of three German U-boats, nicknamed "Hitler's lost fleet", has been found at the bottom of the Black Sea.
In pictures: Hitler's lost U-boats The submarines had been carried 2,000 miles overland from Germany to attack Russian shipping during the Second World War, but were scuttled as the war neared its end. Now, more than 60 years on, explorers have located the flotilla of three submarines off the coast of Turkey.
The vessels, including one once commanded by Germany's most successful U-boat ace, formed part of the 30th Flotilla of six submarines, taken by road and river across Nazi-occupied Europe, from Germany's Baltic port at Kiel to Constanta, the Romanian Black Sea port.

In two years, the fleet sank dozens of ships and lost three of their number to enemy action. But in August 1944, Romania switched sides and declared war on Germany, leaving the three remaining vessels stranded.

With no base and unable to sail home - the Bosporus and Dardanelles were closed to them because of Turkish neutrality - their captains were ordered to scuttle the boats before rowing ashore and trying to make their way back to Germany. However, all three crews were caught and interned by the Turks.

Now the submarines' hulls have been discovered by a team led by Selçuk Kolay, a Turkish marine engineer, who will present his findings to a shipwreck conference in Plymouth this week.

Mr Kolay established the boats' positions through research in German archives, interviews with surviving sailors and by sonar studies of the seabed.

He has already completed successful dives to the wreckage of one vessel, U-20, two miles offshore in about 80ft of water. He believes he has discovered another, U-23, at twice that depth, three miles from the town of Agva, but bad weather forced him to suspend diving until the spring.

He thinks he is also close to pinpointing the third boat, U-19, thought to lie more than 1,000ft down, three miles from the Turkish city of Zonguldak.

"It's one of the least well known stories of the war but one of the most interesting, " said Mr Kolay.

"It is a quite incredible story. To get to the Black Sea these boats had to be taken across the land, and once they got there they had no way out."
All three U-boats had been operating against British shipping in the North Sea. U-23 gained notoriety for scoring one of Germany's earliest successes, sinking a British ship off the Shetland Islands days after war began. It was later commanded by Otto Kretschmer, known as "Silent Otto", the most successful U-boat ace.

In 1941, Germany invaded Russia and decided it needed a presence in the Black Sea to harass Soviet shipping there. Unable to use the Bosporus, the only shipping route into the Black Sea, the boats were dismantled at Kiel and taken by canal to the River Elbe, and upstream to Dresden.

Here, they were partly dismantled and taken by lorry to Ingolstadt, on the Danube, and then ferried downstream to the Black Sea and Constanta, where they were re-assembled.

When Romania switched sides the crews were ordered to scuttle out of sight of the Turks so the submarines' locations would remain a mystery. Mr Kolay was helped by a map drawn by Rudolf Arendt, 85, the former captain of the U-23, showing where his crew came ashore.

Mike Williams, secretary of the Nautical Archaeology Society, said: "This is a significant find because these U-boats were all scuttled, so they should be intact, like a sealed tube. They are unique survivors of the war."

Chasing the Redcoats

2008-12-27T21:02:00.001-04:00

Ok, so this is a book I picked up at Ninety-Six as a substitute for another tour book I no longer had. This book certainly covers more battlefields than other tour books, though aside from the graves of Francis Marion and William Washington, it does not cover other war related sites. Each site location is accompanied by a short description of the battle that took place, though the descriptions are not nearly comprehensive. Perhaps the best idea would be to familiarize yourself with the battles before, then use this guide to travel. Its best property is probably its small size, just a small paperback compared to some of the larger tour books. It is also a cheap buy at just $12. All things considered, I highly reccomend it for any history chaser living or traveling in the Palmetto State. The book can be bought on Amazon here.

South Carolina's Revolutionary War Battlefields: A tour guide

R.L. Barbour

2002 Pelican Publishing

119 pages

Palmetto State

2008-12-26T12:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I stole this photo from the wife. It is the entrance to South Carolina from Georgia on 95. This setup makes it quite obvious that the residents of the Palmetto State have very strong pride in thei state's history and traditions.

Bill of Rights Day

2008-12-24T11:49:00.004-04:00

Ok, so this is a message my Dad sent me about the Bill Of Rights day celebration in Phoenix. I hate dabbling into politics on here, but the way I see it, this is a history blog, and we may well be in the middle of historic times right now. It's time for all of us to take a serious look at the world we live in and decide what it is we want and believe in. If you agree, then read on.
Bill of Rights Day, 2008, Phoenix, Ariz.
THE LIGHTER SIDE -- A Delightful Gathering (scroll down for darker side)
The Bill of Rights Day celebration in Phoenix, held this year at the Wrigley Mansion, showed the day's growing popularity since events began here in 2003. This reflected growth nationally since 1997, when Aaron Zelman and Richard Stevens worked together to reinvigorate recognition of this most auspicious day.More than 250 people -- the largest crowd so far -- packed the banquet hall and took part in the reading, food and drink, oratory by Patrick Henry (ably portrayed by Dr. Lance Hurley), and most important, a Town Hall discussion of the 217-year-old Bill's health and welfare.The reading was led by people from the community, and joined by those assembled:
Preamble and the 1st Amendment: Author Alan Korwin
2nd Amendment: KTAR Meteorologist Ed Phillips
3rd Amendment: Americans for Prosperity Arizona Chapter Tom Jenney
4th Amendment: Federalist Society and Institute for Justice Jennifer Perkins
5th Amendment: Attorney Richard Stevens
6th Amendment: Justice of the Peace Gerald Williams
7th Amendment: Ronald Reagan and Ron Paul Aide Joe Cobb
8th Amendment: ACLU Arizona Executive Director Alessandra Soler Meetze
9th Amendment: Republican Jewish Coalition Arizona President Amy Laff
10th Amendment: Arizona Council on Economic Education President and 4th Great Granddaughter of Patrick Henry, Elizabeth Volard
THE DARK SIDE -- Redress of Serious Grievances
It turned out that examining the abuses and usurpations of our government -- which the "declaratory and restrictive clauses" of the Bill of Rights are supposed to check -- is serious business, not just a Hallmark card opportunity.Those assembled expressed in no uncertain terms their anger that government had stepped so far outside its delegated boundaries, exercising unchecked powers, intruding into aspects of our lives that would have appalled the Founders, infringing upon or virtually eradicating freedoms we hold dear, and failing in its primary obligation -- the protection of our freedoms and rights. We found broad consensus on these points.This reading of the Bill of Rights is potentially a very dangerous thing.The government is not likely to take kindly to direct threats to its powers -- which the Bill of Rights specifically represents -- especially as it is held in hand by an angered people. The very idea that the people would take it upon themselves to examine government's abuses, usurpations of powers, abuses of authority, and contraventions of the very Bill that is meant to constrain government actions, is inflammatory.At what point do the people, oppressed and incensed by the abuses of government, act directly to limit and yes punish those responsible? When are "public servants," feigning to guard us against infringements, brought to justice?How is that government to react to this frontal assault on itself by the Fourth Branch of government, we the people? Do "officials" sit idly by and say yes, you're right, we screwed up, we'll leave you alone now? Or do they see the challenges as extra-legal, unwarranted foment, subversions of their unchallenged authority, and cause for retribution and retaliation? What do they tell their compliant press corps to tell the masses about all this?
By what means do the people rightly resist tyrannical, undelegated, unchecked abuse of power -- when elections and indignant letters to the editors have no effect? At what point does push come to shove? The people assembled asked -- where is the tipping point?We have very real concerns. The abuses are not imagined, not temporary, not short lived, not arbitrary, not about to dissipate on their own, and not acceptable.How It WentIf there was one common theme revealed in Bill of Rights Day 2008 this was it -- the federal government has overstepped its bounds with respect to the restrictions placed upon it by the Bill of Rights. Our rights are under assault. There was no disagreement. Too many felt the Bill of Rights was on life support.Our government is exercising powers it has not been given, and it's not acting to limit the abuse. No one realistically expects such change to come from within.There was inconsistent agreement on which abuses were worse, but there was unanimous consent that government had grown large, ugly and usurped powers it had no legitimate claim to take. The Tenth Amendment seemed to emerge as perhaps the most important and egregiously abused:The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.Just who is responsible for enforcing the Bill of Rights? Is Congress, or the Attorney General, or Senator McCain, or the Speaker of the House? Are they charged with the duty to enforce the limits on themselves? Pure experience reveals that to be ludicrous. The limits on government are enforceable only by the Fourth Branch of government -- we the people!The Bill of Rights was put into place by the Founders who recognized that government would naturally and inexorably exceed its bounds, acquiring more and more power. The Founders wrote basic rules for where that power must end. But they wisely left it up to the people to demand and enforce those limits -- government by its nature will do the opposite.Perhaps we have for a time neglected our responsibility under this document. It is time to renew our watchful eye over those natural and necessary limits on government, which the Bill of Rights demands. We are the guardians. The requirement to act falls to us.That's why Bill of Rights Day is dangerous. For if the people rise up and demand the limits placed on government, government is at risk. Its power and lifeblood are directly challenged by the very people it seeks to govern. The people's interest in limiting, regulating and governing those who govern threatens those who govern, and rightfully so. But so it should be in a free society.We reached some pretty dangerous conclusions that day, 250 members of we the people, in Congress assembled, in the magnificent Wrigley Mansion -- itself a free-market product of the very freedom we sought to preserve. The Fourth Branch of government examined the other three and found them lacking. We were not happy (although congregating that evening was pure joy).But who rises up, pitchfork in hand, and says enough? Surprisingly, many seemed at or near that breaking point, and these were decent and good citizens, your peers from around the neighborhood. How would government view that?We had recommendations on the table -- from prison terms for violation of oath of office to heads on pikes. Suggestions ranged from statutes to punish errant politicians to periodic criminal background checks for every government official in the land. Burning gasoline-soaked-tire destruction of photo-radar tax collectors that surveil the innocent. Jail for judges who subvert the law or invent their own. Fully informed juries. Tax revolt.We the people hungered for the common decency and rule of law we believe we are promised but that we do not receive. To a government bent on control and plunging headlong unbridled we edged perilously close to... well let's just say it got pretty uppity. I steered it away from a precipice more than once.Two hundred and fifty of my neighbors and friends packed into the Wrigley Mansion ballroom the night of Dec. 15 and examined the Bill of Rights. Well dressed, well mannered, well heeled, we assembled for a night of light ebullience, an evening of recognition, honorifics, celebratory drink and dining. We found ourselves in a ferment of redress of grievances.
Bill of Rights Day is not some mild mannered milquetoast celebration, it is functional. The government is failing us, exercising powers we have not delegated, interfering with our essence, eating out our substance. It is unacceptable, implacable, must not continue. The Bill of Rights, not government edict and largess, must prevail.We at Wrigley found ourselves appalled and unfortunately without consensus as to how to proceed. Author Claire Wolfe poignantly asked ten years ago, what do you do when it's too late to work within the system but too early to shoot the b@stards? Did she encapsulate the problem with this:"The ideal citizen of a tyrannical state is the man or woman who bows in silent obedience in exchange for the status of a well-card-for herd animal. Thinking people become the tyrant's greatest enemies."America needs 1,000 chapters of the Committee for the Bill of Rights, in 1,000 cities. A thousand points of light in this stygian darkness. We need to speak with a singular voice as the quintessential branch of governance. "You have no delegated power to take money from us in taxes and give it to businesses you deem poorly run. You don't. Whatever consequences you promise, whatever horrors you predict, you lack power to address the invented problems in this manner. You must cease and desist or face prison or worse."Like I said, this is dangerous stuff. How far away is the tipping point? When do the intolerable acts put pitchforks in the faces of the Dodd-Franks who insist on our passive compliance -- while undermining our banks and homes? When do the house and senate speakers and "leadership" cross the point of no return? They are moving in that direction with no signs of brakes.Who raises a hand when asked, "Do you want your taxes to go up?" How is it then that our elected officials keep raising our taxes? That's got a name. "Taxation without representation." When you have representatives but they fail to represent you, you are unrepresented -- while craftily deluded into thinking otherwise.It's wrong to cast this as some sort of partisan dilemma. This not about the Republicans vs. the Democrats. This is about the government vs. you.This is statism vs. individual freedom. The forces that have subjugated mankind since time immemorial are fighting the liberties that have created the greatest prosperity and abundance the planet has ever known. For all the political drawbacks of the classic "libertarian" philosophy, its underlying adoration of personal freedom, the right to be left alone, the right to do as you please as long as you harm no one, this must be rekindled. The late author and statesman Harry Brown recognized that government is a way for one group of people to impose its will on another group of people. We need less imposition and more free will."Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher."--Thomas Paine, Common Sense 1776
Those of you who missed the meetings this year, mark your calendars now. Bill of Rights Day, Dec. 15, 2009, falls on a Tuesday.Maybe we need to meet before then.
Respectfully submitted,Alan Korwin
Alan Korwin
Bloomfield Press
"We publish the gun laws."
4848 E. Cactus, #505-440
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
602-996-4020 Phone
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1-800-707-4020 Orders
http://www.gunlaws.comalan@gunlaws.com
Call, write, fax or click for free full-color catalog(This is our address and info as of Jan. 1, 2007)
If you can read this, thank a teacher.If you're reading this in English, thank a veteran.
"No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothingbecause he could do only a little."--Edmund Burke

Leavin, on a.... prop plane

2008-12-23T23:00:00.006-04:00

Ok, so this is my first "mobile blogging"! Try to follow along here. The wife has been up in South Carolina for a while now, but when I came in, she came down to "visit" for a day. Then when we went on standown she asked her dad (did I mention he's a pilot?) to come down and fly me up there. No, not his house, to her mom's house near Charlotte. We're going to her dad's house near Columbia in a couple days. Then we will drive home to Georgia. Confused yet? I'm not sure yet that I'm not. Anyway, here is her dad's plane at the St Marys airport.

Starting lineup at the airport

Friendly reminder from your local submarine base. I love how the small sign says pilots are "requested" to not fly over the base.

Here's the base, looking out toward the piers.

Here's the rest of the base with all the admin buildings.

Crooked River, the jut of land above is where the state park is.

Woodbine, GA. Here is the Camden county courthouse complex

looks like some clearing operation going on

The Altamaha River above and below. The mouth of this river is where Oglethorpe created the town of Darien as a barrier for Savannah.

Nice farm yo.

Here's where we stoppped for gas

Gassin' up the plane

Nuke power plant at the Savannah river site. Oh by the way, that's the Savannah river too.

Another site at the Sav River site. Looks like a former plant site that has been decommed and is being disposed of.

Some kind of mining operation. I'm used to seeing these out west digging for gold or copper. Not sure what they're looking for here.

Lake Murray, west of Columbia SC.

Dreher Island State Park on Lake Murray

Monticello Reservoir, just north of Lake Murray. You can see the dam and power plant here that form the lake.

Charlotte, North Carolina

Catawba Power plant at Lake Wylie

Here we are, Rock Hill Municipal airport

Jacket at the Rock Hill airport of Robert Bryant

HOLDER OF WORLDS NON-STOP LIGHT PLANE RECORD
MIAMI, FLA. TO CAMDEN, NJ.
JULY 13, 1938 1051 MILES
IN 13 HRS. & 20 MINUTES