MFH: September

There are two September events for which I do not know specific dates.

This September was the 278th anniversary of the birth of my 6th great-grandmother, Elisabetha Barbara Molter. Elisabetha was born in September 1730 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. She was the second (of four) daughter and third (of seven) child of Johann Theobald and Anna Margaretha Angelica (Pfaff) Molter.

View Larger Map

On 03 May 1757, Elisabetha married Johann Adam Becker in Altenkirchen. Elisabetha and Johann had nine children, six sons and three daughters. Elisabetha died in Altenkirchen in January 1784.

My descent from Elisabetha is:
Elisabetha Barbara Molter + Johann Adam Becker
|
Johann Jacob Becker + Maria Catharina Mehl
|
Catharina Barbara Becker + Johann Theobald Bender
|
Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

Also, this September was the 151st anniversary of the birth of my great-great-grandmother, Mary Ann Skehan. Mary Ann was born in September 1857 in Quebec, Canada. On 08 August 1875 in Lac Sainte-Marie, Quebec, Canada, Mary Ann married Thomas Hayes, Jr. Mary Ann and Thomas, along with their eldest son, my great-grandfather, emigrated to the USA in 1878. Mary Ann and Thomas had ten children, six sons and four daughters.

View Larger Map

Mary Ann died on 22 September 1940 in Marietta, Washington, Ohio, USA where she is buried at (New) St. Mary's Cemetery on St. Mary's Avenue.



My descent from Mary Ann is:
Mary Ann Skehan + Thomas Hayes, Jr.
|
Thomas Francis Hayes + Harriett Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

In Memoriam: Paul Newman (1925-2008)

Paul Newman, renowned actor and philanthropist, has died at age 83 (CNN, MSNBC).

Here are some tributes:
via StinkyLulu

via Film Experience Blog


via Boy Culture

MFH: 27 September

Today is the 124th anniversary of the birth of my great-grandmother, Helena Loretta Ruppel. Lena, as she was known in the family, was born 27 September 1884 at Hohman, Washington, Ohio, USA. Lena was the seventh (of nine) child and fourth (of six) daughter of John Konrad and Carolina (Herbst) Ruppel.

View Larger Map



In this picture of the John Konrad and Carolina Ruppel family, I believe that Lena is the girl standing to the right of her father.

Lena was married on 04 October 1904 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Hohman, Washington County, Ohio to John Charles Schoen. Lena and Charlie had three children, two daughters and one son.

This picture of John Ruppel and three of his daughters was taken in about 1904. Lena is the daughter in the dark dress to the right of the portrait. The portrait is of John Konrad and Carolina (Herbst) Ruppel. That portrait today hangs in my home.

This is the wedding portrait of John Charles and Helena Loretta (Ruppel) Schoen.

This picture of Charlie and Lena Schoen was taken on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary in October 1954.

Lena died 16 February 1955 in Marietta, Washington, Ohio, USA where she is buried in the (Old) St. Mary's Cemetery on Fourth Street.

My descent from Lena is:
Helena Loretta Ruppel + John Charles Schoen
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 26 September

Today is the 222nd anniversary of the marriage of my 5th great-grandparents, Johann Theobald Bender and Maria Elisabetha Wagner. Johann and Maria were married on 26 September 1786 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

View Larger Map

Johann was born 31 March 1759 in Altenkirchen and Maria was born 25 January 1760 in nearby Frohnhofen. Johann and Maria had three children, two daughters and a son. Maria died 04 March 1813 in Altenkirchen and Johann died 24 April 1819 also in Altenkirchen.

My descent from Johann and Maria is:
Johann Theobald Bender + Maria Elisabetha Wagner
|
Johann Theobald Bender + Catharina Barbara Becker
|
Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

Today, also, is the 170th anniversary of the birth of great-great-grandmother, Sarah Jane Walker. Sarah Jane was born 26 September 1838 in Indian Creek, Monongalia, (West) Virginia, USA. Sarah Jane and her twin brother, John, were born the eldest of the 14 children of Jonathan and Elizabeth S. (Lowe) Walker.

View Larger Map

Sarah Jane married Andrew D. Fleming on 05 May 1874 in Washington County, Ohio. Sarah Jane and Andrew had three daughters. Sarah Jane died on 20 September 1920 in Lawrence Township, Washington County, Ohio.

My descent from Sarah Jane Walker is:
Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
|
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

The Final Frontier

On of my favorite web sites in the Astronomy Picture of the Day. The pictures are always amazing. Yesterday, they ran what is quite possibly the very first picture of an extrasolar planet (picture below).


The search for extrasolar planets is one of the most fascinating aspects of field of astronomy. You can learn all about the know extrasolar planets at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Planet Quest web site.

MFH: 20 September

Today is the 290th anniversary of the birth of my 6th great-grandmother, Sarah Bartlett. Sarah was born to John and Elizabeth (Haynes) Bartlett on 20 September 1718 in Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.

View Larger Map

In 1740, Sarah married Jonas Seely and they had five children, four sons and a daughter. Sarah died in Goshen, Orange, New York, USA.

View Larger Map

My descent from Sarah Bartlett is:
Sarah Bartlett + Jonas Seely
|
Joseph Seely + Elizabeth Haines
|
William Gedney Seely + Hannah Ferris
|
Joseph Seely + Caroline S. Richards
|
Adda R. Seely + Lewis C. Hayes
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me


Today is also the 236th anniversary of the birth of my 4th great-grandfather, Edmund Hayes. Edmund was born 20 September 1772 in Loudoun County, Virginia, USA.

View Larger Map

On 07 April 1797, Edmund married Sarah Whitacre in Frederick County, Maryland. Edmund and Sarah had 10 children, 3 sons and 7 daughters. Edmund died in Wesley Township, Washington County, Ohio, USA.

View Larger Map

My descent from Edmund Hayes is:
Edmund Hayes + Sarah Whitacre
|
David P. Hayes + Nancy Agnes Haddow
|
Lewis C. Hayes + Adda R. Seely
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

MFH: 18 September

Today is the 332nd anniversary of the birth of my 8th great-grandmother, Elsa Katharina Schneider. Elsa was born 18 September 1676 in Germany. In about 1701, Elsa was married to Johannes Heimbach and they had 14 children, 7 sons and 7 daughters. Elsa died 29 July 1726 in Germany.

My descent from Elsa Katharina Schneider is:
Elsa Katharina Schneider + Johannes Heimbach
|
Johann Jacob Heimbach + Mary Gertrude Young
|
John Hanback + Mary Huffman
|
Rosanna Hanbach + James Lowe
|
Jonathan Lowe + Hannah Ayles
|
Elizabeth S. Lowe + Jonathan Walker
|
Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
|
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me


Today is also the 315th anniversary of the death of my 7th great-grandmother, Ruth Palmer. Ruth was born 18 September 1693 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

View Larger Map

Ruth was married in October 1710 to George Hulme, Jr. and they had one child. Ruth died in 1768 in Loudoun County, Virginia.

View Larger Map

My descent from Ruth Palmer is:
Ruth Palmer + George Hulme, Jr.
|
Naomi Hulme + John Whitacre, Jr.
|
Caleb Whitacre + Phebe Gore
|
Sarah Whitacre + Edmund Hayes
|
David P. Hayes + Nancy Agnes Haddow
|
Lewis C. Hayes + Adda R. Seely
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

MFH: 17 September

Today is the 289th anniversary of the birth of my 6th great-grandfather, Jonas Seely. Jonas was born 17 September 1719 in New Canaan, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA to Ebenezer and Mercy (Dean) Seely.

View Larger Map

Jonas married Sarah Bartlett in 1740 and they had five children, four sons and a daughter. Jonas died 04 December 1757 in Goshen, Orange, New York, USA.

View Larger Map

My descent from Jonas Seely is:
Jonas Seely + Sarah Bartlett
|
Joseph Seely + Elizabeth Haines
|
William Gedney Seely + Hannah Ferris
|
Joseph Seely + Caroline S. Richards
|
Adda R. Seely + Lewis C. Hayes
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

Ex Libris: The Wordy Shipmates

I wrote previously that I had been contacted by Sarah Vowell's publisher about her latest book, The Wordy Shipmates. In addition to the marketing materials they sent me, they also sent me a review copy of the book. I was very much looking forward to reading Sarah's book when it is released in October, so I jumped at the chance to read it now. I was not disappointed.

I am not a fast reader. In fact, I read more slowly than everyone I know. When I was younger I took this as a sign that I wasn't very smart. No one told this, I just came to believe it. As, I got older, I began to understand that the reason that I have always read so slowly is because I'm dyslexic. Once I could put a name to it, the problem seemed less daunting and overwhelming. I still read quite slowly but at least now I know why and don't take it as sign of lack of intelligence. It also is comforting to know that I'm not intentionally mis-reading "dog" for "god," but just that the letters get scrambled between my eyes and my brain. The reason that I mention this is that it is often the case while I am reading fiction the pace of my reading increases somewhat as I progress through the book. This increase in reading speed almost never happens when I read non-fiction books. However, I am delighted to say that it did happen when I was reading The Wordy Shipmates. If my reading speed increased it can only mean that I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

As usually, Sarah's writing is engaging, witty, relevant, and humorous. It is obvious that she has painstakingly researched her subject and is extremely familiar with the primary source material. Rather than getting lost in the stale repetition of facts, dates, and events, Sarah brings the people and events of 17th-century New England to life; making them real and relevant to the reader. I have a very rudimentary knowledge of the history of the New England colonies in the 17th century. The Wordy Shipmates has made me hungry for more.

I will definitely purchase a copy of this book when it is released by the publisher next month and strongly encourage others to do likewise.

I will definitely be attending Sarah's reading and signing at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago on October 23. You can go to the This American Life web site to get a list of dates for Sarah's book tour.

Finally, I need to acknowledge my good friend, Chris C., "girl linguist," for not only introducing me to Sarah Vowell's work but also for assuring me that Sarah is in fact a real person. Thanks, Chris, you're a peach!

But wait there's more!
I actually finished reading The Wordy Shipmates on Monday. On my morning commute, which was about 20 minutes longer than usual due to flooding from last weekend's 8-12 inches of rain, I realized that I fast approaching the end of the book. Sadly, for me, I hadn't brought with me another book to read after finishing this one. So I decided to stop reading and save the rest for the train ride home. Of course, the ride home was about 30 minutes longer than usual, so I have plenty of time to read the rest of the book. With nothing but time on my hands I made short work of the Chicago Tribune crossword puzzle.

Then I recalled that I had put on my iPod a bunch of audio files that a friend from Ohio (Hi, Paul!) had sent me. These files were from the old CBS program, You Are There, one of my all time favorites. I decided to scroll through the files to see what was there. To my amazement, I found a file for the "Ann Hutchinson's Trial." If you read The Wordy Shipmates, you will become quite familiar with Mrs. Hutchinson and her trial. Since I had plenty of time to pass, I listened to the program and heard many of the words I had just read over the previous few days. It was a fitting ending for the book.

MFH: 12 September

Today is 209th anniversary of the birth of my 4th great-grandfather, Robert Haddow. Robert was born 12 September 1799 in Springfield, Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

View Larger Map

Robert married Jannette Ormiston and they had six children, three sons and three daughters. Robert and family emigrated to the USA; arriving in New York aboard the brig Portaferry on 06 June 1834. Robert died 16 February 1885 in Barlow Township, Washington County, Ohio.

View Larger Map

My descent from Robert is:
Robert Haddow + Jannette Ormiston
|
Nancy Agnes Haddow + David P. Hayes
|
Lewis C. Hayes + Adda R. Seely
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

Roster, Survivors, 36th Ohio Infantry, 1908

The 36th Regiment of the Ohio Infantry was organized at Marietta, Ohio, July 30-August 31, 1861. The 36th left Ohio for West Virginia September 10, 1861. They moved to Summerville, and duty there till May, 1862. They were attached to Cox's Kanawha Brigade, West Virginia, to October, 1861. District of the Kanawha, West Virginia, to March, 1862. 3rd Brigade, Kanawha Division, West Virginia, to September, 1862. 2nd Brigade, Kanawha Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to October, 1862. 2nd Brigade, Kanawha Division, District of West Virginia, Dept. of the Ohio, to February, 1863. Crook's Brigade, Baird's Division, Army of Kentucky, Dept. of the Cumberland, to June, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October, 1863. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 14th Army Corps, to April, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, West Virginia, to January, 1865. 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, West Virginia, to July, 1865. You can find more history of the regiment at the National Park Service's Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System.

I created a map showing all of the place names that I could identify. Click here to view the map. Please note that there are two pages of places. If you don't find a particular place on the first page then click over to the second page.

Please feel free to contact me with questions, comments, or corrections to the map or the transcription of the pamphlet below.

[Page 1] ROSTER SURVIVORS 36th OHIO INFANTRY 1908 Prepared by JEWETT PALMER Marietta, Ohio

[Page 2] Picture of MAJ. GEN. GEORGE CROOK (1st Col. 36th O. Infantry)

[Page 3] To My Comrades:       A year ago at an informal reunion of the regiment, held in this city, I made a proposition to the members present that if they would defray the expenses of the preparation of a roster of the survivors of the regiment I would do the work for my share. This they readily agreed to and I at once entered upon the undertaking.       In this little pamphlet you have as near as I have been able to accomplish it such a roster as was contemplated. It has been a more difficult task than I anticipated but it has been a work of love and I have greatly enjoyed it. I am aware that imperfections will be found in it but such things are inevitable in such undertakings. The names, company designations, with P. O. addresses of about 460 living members of our dear old command are contained in the following pages. An edition of 550 copies has been prepared so that the widows and children, even the grand-children, of some of the departed ones, who have asked for it may have a copy.       I do not know that this work will ever be revised but I earnestly request the members who receive a copy of it to report to me from time to time as they learn of it the death of any comrade. Also any errors or omissions found in the roll. [Page 4] Please notify me also of any changes in P. O. address of yourself or that of any comrade coming to your knowledge. So long as I live and am able I will publish annually, and mail to you, a statement of all changes for the year so that you may keep your copy of the roster corrected to date. The P. O. addresses where not otherwise designated are Ohio offices.       Trusting that you will appreciate this modest but priceless little roll of grizzled heroes and that it may prove of much help, satisfaction and solace to all of you.       I am as ever your devoted comrade and friend, JEWETT PALMER, (Late) Major 36th O. Infantry.

[Page 5] ROSTER SURVIVORS 36th O. VOL. INFANTRY FIELD AND STAFF

General Hiram F. Devol, Kansas City, Mo. Major Jewett Palmer, Marietta, O. Quarter Master T. M. Turner, Chicago, 35 Dearborn avenue Asst. Surg., Chas. E. Wachenschwanz, Chillicothe, O. Adjt., Jonathan N. Patton, Holtville, Calif. Adjt., David Montgomery, Nat. Mil. Home, O. Sergt. Major, R. C. J. Adney, San Francisco, Calif. Q. M. Sergt., Rev. R. A. Hoffman, D. D., Pueblo, Col., 329 Michigan avenue Prin. Mus., Rev. John Tenny, Broken Arrow, Okla.

[Page 6] COMPANY A

Captain, J. G. Barker, Marietta, O. Lieut., LaFayette Hawk, Marshfield, O. 1st Sergt., Theodore Hayt, Camanche, Iowa. 1st Sergt., Joel E. Stacy, Rainbow, O. Sergeant, Jeremiah Unger, Kansas City, Mo., 4412 Norledge Place. Sergeant, G. P. Smith, Spring Hill, Kas. Sergeant, John B. Sammons, Kearney, Neb. Corporal John Steed, Barlow. Corporal James R. Shaffer, Dwight, Kas. Corporal, Benjamin F. Clay, Jameson, Iowa. Corporal, Joseph Dyar, Beverly. Corporal, Arthur W. Barker, Girard, Kas. Corporal, Wm. C. Brown, Believed to be living. Anderson, William, Fort Scott, Kansas. Anderson, George, Galena, Kas. Bishop, W. H., Zanesville. Barnhart, Wm., McDonald, Kas. Carpenter, Geo. M., Marietta. Davis, C. C., Marietta. Devol, Wm., Marietta. Davis, Edmund F., Lowell. Devol, Stephen C., Zanesville. Davis, J. L., Palmer, Neb. Devol, Silas A., Walker, Iowa. DeWolfe, E. H., (Musician), Prairie Depot. Grubb, James, Jameson, Mo. Hughey, James, Lower Salem. Israel, Robert, Fairfield, Iowa. Ladd, Salathael, Marietta. Lancaster, Wm. A., Marietta. Lancaster, J. S., Bellaire. Morris, Allen D., Triadelphia. McEndry, Elijah, Archer, Neb. Nott, P. J., Believed to be living. [Page 7] Newton, Saml. B., Parsons, Kas. Owen, Oscar J., Stonington, Ill. Oliver, J. B., Hiram. Parsons, Hardison, Beverly. Perkins, Charles W., Bloomington, Ill. Ross, Rev. James M., Ravenswood, W. Va. Stowe, S. S., Marietta. Swords, Rev. James W., Marietta. Shockley, Henry, Marietta. Smith, John, 139 1/2 S. 19th St., Pittsburg, Pa. Stacy, Arius F., Natl. Mil. Home, O. Vincent, Marion, Waterford. Wooster, Jacob, Hastings, Neb. Wagner, John, Red House, W. Va.

COMPANY B

Lieut., Benjamin Brag, Malta. 1st Sergeant, S. S. Dent, 309 11th street, Greely, Colo. Sergeant, Edward L. Jones, Smithton, W. Va. Corporal Ezra Green, New England. Corporal, Jno. J. Pedan, Crow Summit, W. Va. Alderman, Ira K., Maryville, Mo. Atkinson, Chauncey, Independence, Kas. Brooks, Albert, Amesville. Butcher, John, Gallipolis. Beatty, James, Lancaster. Boatman, Aaron, Portsmouth. Coy, Wm. H., Omega. Caldwell, J. W., Rutland. Coy, C. C., Ewington. Denny, Randall, Wilkesville. Denny, Martin V., Believed to be living. Eaton, Hugh, Plymouth, Mo. Glenn, M. K., Vinton. Gilchrist, David, Pleasant Hill, Mo. Green, Charles E., Effingham, Kas. Gilson, Joseph, Fall River, Kas. Hammitt, Samuel, Long Beach, Cal. [Page 8] Hoffman, J. A., Chester Hill. Harris, Geo. K., Athens, R. F. D. Kent Delatus, Cottageville, W. Va. Linscott, T. B., Waterford. Linscott, Harvey, Trimble. Moler, David, Wayne, Neb. McClaskey, Thomas, Wellston. McClain, Andrew K., (Musician), Zaleski. McNabb, Thompson, Peculia, Mo. Noyes, George W., Mondamin, Iowa. Pedan, Henry D., Garfield, Washington, R. F. D. 2. Rumbold, B. F., Marietta, R. D. 5. Rumbold, Charles, Soldiers Home, Erie Co. Roush, John, Vinton. Rupe, LaFayette, Kyger. Spires, Jacob C., Ewington. Viers, Sanford, Ewington. Walters, J. Clay, Vinton. Wildman, Hiram, Waterloo, W. Va. Ward, Mitchel, Ewington. West, D. W., Metropolis City, Ill. Wyatt, Hiram C., Butler, Mo. Whaley, George W., Meriden, Kas. Walter, Ansel, Ashville.

COMPANY C

Captain, Benj. F. Stearns, Washington, D. C. Lieut., George W. Putnam, Charleston, W. Va. 1st Sergeant, J. P. Coe, Albany. Sergeant, J. S. Jennings, Lido, Colo. Sergeant, H. H. Kerr, New Rockford, North Dakota. Sergeant, Thos. C. Mann, Gravity, Iowa. Sergeant, Wm. H. H. McVay, Farnhamville, Iowa. Corporal, J. W. Hampton, Clare, Mich. Corporal, Geo. McKibben, Zaleski. Corporal, Charles McGonigle, Lakeport, Calif., Box 193. [Page 9] Corporal, Alex. V. Westfall, Bungtown. Arthur, David W., E. Liverpool. Brown, Edwin A., Albany. Bolen, Frank, Albany. Barnes, John, Albany. Campbell, James B., Radcliff. Crowell, John H., Fitzgerald, Ga., R. F. D. 1. Clark, James S., Forest City, Oregon. Dixon, Rev. James, Athens. Drake, Rev. Thomas H., South New Lyne. Davidson, John A., South Martin, Ind. Dever, James C., Day, Mo. Eutsler, Isaac, South Charleston. Foster, Wm. C., Mineral. Gorley, John, Zanesville. Hawk, Charles E., Wilkesville. Hudnell, John T., Red House, W. Va. Hale, Wm. O., Marietta. Hall, William P., Wilkesville. Hinton, Thomas J., Lancaster. Huston, George W., Richwood. Jennings, Wm., Mineral. Lewellen, Wm., Albany. Moore, Wm., Marietta. Martin, Geo. L., Council Bluffs, Iowa. Masters, Amos, Hebbardsville. Masheter, Wm. B., Stillwater, Okla. Masheter, Jno. J., Phoebus, Va. Martin, Andrew, Runnells, Iowa. McKibben, Wesley, Roxbury. McCoy, Angus, Middleport. McKibben, John, Stockport. McKibben, Wm. G., Zaleski. McCoy, Wm., Athens. McCoy, I. N., Fultonham. McKibben, Lewis A., Gallatin, Tenn. McVay, J. C., Farnhamville, Iowa. Rickey, John, Albany. Robinson, Jeff, Chase. Rinard, Richard, Masterton. Robinson, Aaron, New Plymouth. Robinette, Andrew G., Hertha, Kas. Robinette, Jeremiah, Parsons, Kas. [Page 10] Robinette, Thomas, Spokane, Wash. Sickles, Wm. A., Hartford, Kas. Shaw, John M., Newport. Saunders, Charles, Millfield. Skinnard, Edward, Lowell. Turner, George, Belpre. Thorn, Francis M., Carbon Hill. Watson, J. M., Louisville, Ky., 1607 Dumasnil street. Williams, Samuel L., Monroeville, Ind. Walker, Wm. H., Mitchellville, Iowa. Williams, John W., Strang, Neb.

COMPANY D

Captain, James Stanley, Lower Salem, (age 96.) Captain, Jesse C. Morrow, Marietta. Lieut., Saml. L. Grosvenor, Marietta. 1st Sergeant, Silas Shumate, Natl. Mil. Home, Leavenworth, Kas. Sergeant, Wm. Shumate, Oak Hill. Corporal, W. J. Radabaugh, Oak Hill. Corporal, Benjamin W. Seevers, Athens, R. D. 6. Corporal, Robert Snedegar, Huntington, W. Va. Corporal, J. B. Parks, Seymour, Iowa. Arthur, Silas M., Oak Hill. Britton, Thomas H., Caywood. Bolen, Wm., Albany. Colson, Daniel, Pittsburg, Kas. Comer, John, Sylva, Kas. Dowling, J. R., Glascow, Ky. Evans, George, Eifort. Grudier, Harmon, Monegraw Springs, Mo. Hall, Wm., Wilkesville. Horton, John H., Jackson. Havens, Henry, Warner's Store, Mo. Johnson, Gabriel, Jackson. [Page 11] Marsh, James, Oak Hill. Phillips, Milton, Portsmouth. Snedegar, Wm., Huntington, W. Va. Snedegar, Thos. B., St. Joseph, Mo. Yeager, Milton, Vermilion, S. Dak. Zearing, James, (Musician), Marietta, O.

COMPANY E

Lieut., W. K. Johnson, 1316 N. 59th Street, Philadelphia. Sergeant, Lewis D. Carlton, Jerusalem. Sergeant, J. H. Eller, Canton. Corporal, Wilson S. Ackley, ______ Minn. Corporal, W. H. Brown, Barnesville. Brown, S. S., Ord, Neb. Barker, W. H., Dillons. Bruce, Simon, Graysville. Bowen, Thomas, Sardis. Bolen, Jeptha J., Sardis. Cline, Jonathan, Flint's Mills. Dolman, John W., Belleville, Ark. Day, Francis, Masterton. Giffen, Robert, Latham. Hall, Simon, New Matamoras. Heck, John, Woodsfield. Heck, David, Hornick, Iowa. Holland, T. G., Harrisville, W. Va. Hayward, Ezekiel, Glens Ferry, Idaho. Kinney, Henry, Armstrong's Mills. LeBarron, Theo. H., Grand Valley, Pa. Morris, W. J., Kokomo, Ind. McCoy, Wm., Cambridge. McCarty, Henry, McArthur. McElroy, Edward R., Sydney, Ill. Pratt, Andrew, Mineral. Ray, Charles P., 311 Jeff Davis Avenue, Montgomery, Ala. Rodecker, Wm., Sedalia, Mo. Schaub, Henry, Newcastle. [Page 12] Sturgeon, Wm. A., Clarington. Saulsberry, Daniel, Graysville. Smith, Thomas W., Springfield, Mo. Walter, Jacob, Grand Valley, Pa. Wilson, John, Antioch. Yockey, Samuel, Barnesville.

COMPANY F

Captain, Thos. W. Moore, Marietta. Lieut., A. G. King, Barnesville. Lieut., Fred S. Wallace, Pacific Br. Natl. Mil. Home, Calif. Sergeant, Wm. W. Hanna, Marietta, R. F. D. Sergeant, Jno. L. Hollister, Silver Lake, Kas. Sergeant, John C. Southern, Believed to be living. Corporal, A. P. Beach, Barlow. Corporal, Henry Greene, Sedalia, Mo. Atkinson, George, Marietta. Atkinson, Chas., Spencer, W. Va. Bowie, Harvey, Newport. Beach, Cydnor T., Barlow. Bennett, Gordon, Dunbar. Bowie, Ely C., Goose Creek, W. Va. Bickford, Otis, Creston, Iowa. Brill, Benj. F., Cherryvale, Kas. Cooper, Reece, Parkersburg, W. Va., R. D. 6. Chapman, Ezra, Brown's Mills. Carpenter, Ezra J., Muscatine, Iowa. Cowee, Ferdinand P., Grand Island, Neb. Clark, Leander, Leads, Kas. Daniels, C. W., Kansas City, Kas. Deming, H. M., Derby, Kas. Faris, Samuel, Cherryvale, Kas. Graham, Finley, Urbana. Hale, A. S., (Musician), Marietta. Harvey, Wm., Natl. Mil. Home, Ohio. Henry, Arius, Waterford. Ingram, Randall, Cluster, W. Va. King, A. D., McConnelsville. [Page 13] King, John, Meigs. King, Nicholas, Stevens, W. Va. Miracle, Wm., Heslop. Malcomb, Andrew J., San Monica Sol. Home, Calif. McGirr, Wm. P., Soldiers' Home, St. James, Mo. Posey, Henry C., Marietta. Preston, Daniel L., Vincent. Doe, George, Fleming. Rogers, Sanderson H., ______ W. Va. Skipton, Samuel, Marietta. Steen, H. M., Haines City, Fla. Smith, Joseph, Heslop. Steen, Joseph, Natl. Mil. Home, O. Vandine, Geo. B., Kansas City, Kas. Wilson, Finley V., Pattens Mills. Wilson, J. P., Indianola, Iowa. Woodruff, Anson, Clyde, Ill. Zearing, John, (Musician), Belpre.

COMPANY G

Lieut., Amos Clark, Raccoon. Lieut., S. W. Harvey, Fleming. 1st Sergeant, Melvin C. True, Lower Salem. 1st Sergeant, David Rees, Dalzell. Sergeant, Jno T. Booth, Cincinnati, 3703 Eastern avenue. Sergeant, Henry C. West, Newport. Sergeant, David C. Hunter, Dell. Sergeant, Jno. R. Young, Caywood. Sergeant, Wm. Morrison, Chillicothe. Sergeant, Wilbur F. Morse, ______ Mo. Sergeant, Thos. H. North, Kist, Oregon. Corporal, Geo. Heckler, Dalton, Mo. Corporal, A. L. Kitts, Sutton, W. Va. Corporal, Carl W. Lindner, Anthony, Fla. Corporal, W. H. H. Lankford, Leon, Kas. Corporal, Jno. A. True, Chillicothe. Corporal, H. C. Roberts, Proctorsville. [Page 14] Adams, Harvey H., Macksburg. Alderman, Asahel H., 1361 E. Capitol street, Washington, D. C. Adams, George W., Wick, W. Va. Bush, William, Newell's Run. Beardmore, J. W., Graysville. Corey, Henry J., (Musician), Moulton, Iowa. Foster, Josephus, Cambridge. Foster, Albert, Lore City. Flanagan, T. J., Poe, Kas. Gray, Thomas, McConnelsville. Grudier, George, Newton, Mo. Hall, James, Flint's Mills. Hinton, Thos. J., Ellenboro, W. Va. Hanlin, Wm., Cairo, W. Va. Judd, L. P., Marietta. Kemp, Abram D., Stanleyville. Kitts, David, Proctorsville. Loyd, John, New Vienna. Lapham, Owen T., Lakewood, 61 Hird St. Lapham, Luther T., Cleveland, 164 98th St., N. W. Magruder, John, Cairo, Kas. Magruder, Nahum W., Alva, Okla. Murdick, Church, 314 N. Prospect street, Grand Rapids, Mich. Mead, Thomas, Broken Arrow, Okla., R. D. 1. Nicholas, David, Jackson. Poland, Zimery, Byesville. Perkins, Miles O., Beaumont, Texas. Rees, Thomas, Council Grove, Kas. Rhodes, Wm. T., Lower Salem. Stickrath, Lewis, Lower Salem. Schofield, Joseph, Newport. Selken, John, Smith City, Mo. Spear, David, Atwood, Kas. Schwartz, Martin, Columbus. Still, Martin L., Sedalia, Mo. Selken, James, Smith City, Mo. True, Heard A., Chillicothe. Tice, Phillip, Longton, Kas. Tice, Jacob, Howard, Kas.

[Page 15] COMPANY H

Lieut., John M. Hamlin, Chariton, Iowa. Lieut., Chas. L. Campbell, Cambridge. Lieut., Hugh T. Nibert, Eureka. Sergeant, Chas. L. Combs, Waverly. Sergeant, Jno. S. Holliday, Coldwater, Kas. Corporal, J. N. Bobo, Logan. Corporal, Oscar Groves, Harrisonville. Burchett, Wm. F., Vincent. Bradshaw, Elisha, Middleport. Bellows, Josephus, Believed to be living. Ball, Josephus, Believed to be living. Cook, Lutellus, (Musician), Columbus. Clemmens, John S., Parkersburg, W. Va. Chase, J. M., Rutland. Carpenter, Geo. W., Rutland. Chase, Hiram, Carpenter. Combs, Samuel, Buffalo, Ill. Combs, Henry V., Sacramento, Cal. Chapman, Joseph, Dyesville. Eaton, William, Believed to be living. Foreman, Samuel B., Lamar, Mo. Grimes, A. J., Rutland. Haberling, Phillip, Marietta. Hutzel, John, Watertown. Hendry, Wm. F., Nickerson, Kas. Holliday, A. W., Tarkio, Mo. Hashman, Hezekiah, Schultz, Wa. Va.. Jett, George A., Lakewood. Lynch, A. W., Athens. Misner, D. K., Middleport. Moore, M. K., Springfield, Ill., 835 Park Ave. Morris, T. C., Parsons, Kas. McGuire, Patrick, Marietta. McCurdy, John W. Wingett's Run. Noland, John, Cherryvale, Kas. Ollom, B. F., Columbus, E. State Street. Pugh, J. A., Watertown. Porter, Hiram F., Plaza, Spokane, Co., Wash. Pixley, Frank, Vincent. [Page 16] Pennybacker, Chas. H., Argonia, Kas. Reeves, Josiah W., Langdon, Okla. Riley, Abner, Waterford. Stiles, Austin, Harrisonville. Turner, Harvey, Woodsfield. Turner, Thomas E., Woodsfield. Thompson, C. L., Stockdale. Thorn, Elza L., Albany. Throckmorton, David, Natl. Mil. Home, Leavenworth, Kas. Throckmorton, Isaac, Albany.

COMPANY I

Captain, R. L. Nye, 1025 W. 25th St., Los Angeles, Cal. Lieut., Joshua M. Clark, Topeka, Kas. Lieut., Hezekiah Sleeth, DeLassus, Mo. Sergeant, H. B. Clark, Girard, Kas. Sergeant, Jno. J. Stout, Wellsville. Sergeant, Jno. D. Groves, Poe, W. Va. Sergeant, W. B. Marshall, Columbus. Sergeant, Edward M. Smith, Redwood, Minn. Corporal, Ephraim Earwood, Orville, Iowa. Corporal, John F. Gilmore, Bladen. Atkinson, Darius, Ironton. Buck, Robert, ______ Canada. Coats, Chas. F., Pomeroy. Drummond, Owen, (Musician), Natl. Mil. Home, Johnson City, Tenn. Duncan, Washington L., McAlester, Okla. Hartwick, John, Rock Camp. Hill, Isaac N., Marietta. Haworth, John, Gallipolis. Judd, James G., (Musician), Marietta. Johnson, Samuel, Aberdeen, S. Dak. James, Elias H., Marietta. Kerns, Ansel, Hilton. McClain, George W., Soldiers' Home, St. James, Mo. North, A. J., Amesville. [Page 17] Nowlin, Charles A., Ames, Iowa. Nowlin, Levi, 611 Fulton street, Brooklyn, N. Y. Price, Charles, Girard, Kas. Pierson, D. B., Milroy, Ind., R. D. 16. Raner, Philetus, Rio Grande. Snapp, John W., Knoxville, Tenn. Wright, John, Gallipolis. Wagner, Phillip, Waverly.

COMPANY K

Captain, L. M. Stephenson, Amorett, Mo. Lieut., Miles A. Stacy, Marietta. Lieut., Henry H. Aduey, Kendall, Kas. Sergeant, Daniel H. Darling, Coalton. Sergeant, J. F. Franklin, Buffalo, Okla. Sergeant, Jno. W. Laird, Jackson. Sergeant, Geo. M. Morton, Jackson. Corporal, Alpheus Beatty, Valley City, Ill. Corporal, Jno. Green, Oswego, Kas. Corporal, William Hilligass, Jackson. Corporal, James H. Langsdale, Pittsburg, 7516 Kelly street. Corporal, Alex. McColm, Hutchinson, Kas. Beatty, Richard, Jackson. Bell, George, Jerry City. Covey, Wm. M., Marietta. Congleton, James, Marietta. Cremeaux, Lindsey, Berlin Cross Roads. Cherrington, C. K., Decatur, Iowa. Crawford, John W., Rankin, Okla. Clayton, J. B. M., Cameron, Mo. Davis, John, Coalton. Evilsizer, Josiah, Marietta. Farrer, Henry, Jackson. Howe, William, Jackson. Howe, Alexander, Buena Vista. Hoover, J. N., Blue Mound, Kas. Hooten, Timothy, Bloomingburg. [Page 18] Kelley, James M., Carthage, Mo. Martin, Geo. M., Jackson. Mossman, Chas. E., Waterloo. O'Connor, John, Wellston. Rice, Samuel I., Jackson. Rose, Wm. H. H., Soldiers Home, St. James, Mo. Roberts, Ethan, (Musician), Sleeper, Mo., R. D. 1. Shreeves, James W. Sitka. Vandervoort, W. B., Americus, Kas. Wykle, Andrew N., Jackson. Yengur, Frederick, Jackson. Young, A. G., Albia, Iowa.

Transcribed by Rick Schoen 05 September 2008

MFH: 09 September

Today is the 157th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-grandmother, Adda R. Seely. Adda was born 09 September 1851 in Barlow Township, Washington County, Ohio.


View Larger Map

Adda was third daughter and third child (of six) born to Joseph and Caroline S. (Richards) Seely. On 04 February 1874, Adda married Lewis C. Hayes. Adda and Lewis had seven children: four daughters and three sons. Adda died 30 April 1907 in Vincent, Washington County, Ohio.

My descent from Adda is:
Adda R. Seely + Lewis C. Hayes
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

Also, a special happy birthday shout out to my nephew, Christopher.

Music: Martha Wainwright

I cannot sing. This is an immutable law of nature, like Newton's laws. It's quite possible that were I to sing some cosmic calamity would ensue. I used to be quite sad about this. I think singing by those gifted with beautiful voices is a sure sign that God exists.

One voice that I've been listening to a lot recently is Martha Wainwright. I first heard her signing with Snow Patrol on "Set Fire to the Third Bar."

After hearing this, I new I needed to hear more.

I bought Martha's EP, "I Will Internalize," and her two full length CDs, "Martha Wainwright" and "I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too." They did not disappoint. Here voice is rich and warm and brittle and vulnerable all at once. One of my favorite tracks is her song, "Factory."


Her rendition of "Stormy Weather" (from brother Rufus's Judy! show) is sublime.


Enjoy!

MFH: 08 September

Today is the 372nd anniversary of the birth of my 9th great-grandfather, Johann Reichmann. Johann was born 08 September 1636 in Germany to Vattin and Anna Reichmann. Johann died in Germany on 19 November 1710. My descent from Johann is:
Johann Reichmann + Elizabeth Unknown
|
Gertrud Reichmann + Johannes Hofmann
|
Johannes Hofmann + Maria Sabina Folg
|
Mary Huffman + John Hanback
|
Rosanna Hanback + James Lowe
|
Jonathan Lowe + Hannah Ayles
|
Elizabeth S. Lowe + Jonathan Walker
|
Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
|
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

Also, a very special happy birthday shout out to my sister, Mary, who turns 43 today! Happy Birthday, Mary Ice Cream!

MFH: 07 September

Today is the 249th anniversary of the birth of my 5th great-grandmother, Phebe Gore. Phebe was born 07 September 1759 in Loudoun County, Virginia. Phebe was the second daughter and fourth child (of ten) of Thomas and Sarah (Clowes) Gore. Phebe was married to Caleb Whitacre on 31 October 1776 at the Goose Creek Meeting house in Loudoun County, Virginia.


View Larger Map

Phebe and Caleb had 11 children: 7 sons and 4 daughters. Phebe died in Loudoun County on 23 February 1804.

My descent from Phebe is:
Phebe Gore + Caleb Whitacre
|
Sarah Whitacre + Edmund Hayes
|
David P. Hayes + Nancy Agnes Haddow
|
Lewis C. Hayes + Adda R. Seely
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

Also, a very special happy birthday shout out to my brother-in-law, Eric, who turns 44 today and to me as I turn 45!

My First Picture of Life, 07 September 1963


Other significant 07 September birthdays are Queen Elizabeth I of England (1533), Uncle Sam (1813, first appearance in Troy, NY newspaper), Grandma Moses (1860), Elia Kazan (1909), Buddy Holly (1936), Richard Roundtree (1942), Gloria Gaynor (1949), Julie Kavner (1951), Corbin Bernsen (1954), Michael Emerson (Benjamin Linus on "Lost," 1954), Michael Feinstein (1956), James Schamus (1959). You can find more here: http://www.imdb.com/OnThisDay?day=7&month=September and http://www.famousbirthdays.com/.

Coming Attractions: The Wordy Shipmates

I received some information from Sarah Vowell's publisher about her forthcoming book, The Wordy Shipmates (on sale in October).

The following information about the book and interview with Sarah was supplied to me by her publisher.


Once again, Sarah's travelling through America's past, this time to 17th century New England, where she finds that the Puritans are more interesting than their buckles and corn reputation would suggest.

Along the way she asks:

Q: Was Massachusetts governor John Winthrop a communitarian, Christ-like Christian or conformity's tyrannical enforcer?
A:Yes!

Q: Was Rhode Island's architect Roger Williams America's founding freak or the father of the first amendment?
A: Same difference.

Q: How come Henry Vane the Younger, who argued against beheading the English king was himself beheaded for helping behead said king?
A: Good question.

Q: What does it take to get that Jezebel Anne Hutchinson to shut up?
A: A hatchet.

Q: What was the Puritans' pet name for the Pope?
A: The Great Whore of Babylon.

A Conversation with Sarah Vowell, author of The Wordy Shipmates

1. Why did you decide to write a book about the New England Puritans?

I can probably pin it down to how I kept thinking about John Winthrop’s 1630 sermon “A Model of Christian Charity” during three events between 2001 and 2004—the terrorist attacks, the war in Iraq, and Ronald Reagan’s funeral. I write about how, as a New Yorker, I was so comforted by the part of Winthrop’s sermon in which he called upon his shipmates to rejoice and mourn and suffer together “as members of the same body.” Then, all of the rhetoric leading up to the war smacked of the American exceptionalism that derives from Puritan notions of New Englanders as God’s new chosen people, Winthrop’s idea and ideal that Massachusetts should be “as a city upon a hill.” And, since no one had adopted that phrase as a personal motto like Reagan, when Sandra Day O’Connor read part of Winthrop’s sermon at Reagan’s funeral, during a time when everyone in the world had Abu Ghraib on the brain, when she stood there in front of the current president and various members of his administration who got us into that whole mess, when she read the part where Winthrop warns that “the eyes of all people are upon us,” it hit home how much Winthrop and his fellows are still with us.


2. It’s commonplace to say that we’re a Puritan nation. But what do you think people
really mean by that, and is it in any way related to our actual Puritan heritage?

Generally, Americans call ourselves a Puritan nation as a lazy way of saying that as a culture we are sexually repressed. I think a more interesting, accurate, and important way we’re a Puritan nation is the legacy of Winthrop’s, and then Reagan’s, idea of America as city on a hill, as a beacon of hope, as God’s pet project. Namely, the idea that America is always “good.”


3. Were the Puritans really as sexually repressed as the stereotype would have it? Were they really such killjoys in general?

This book doesn’t particularly deal with that first question much. I do briefly mention the fact that the Puritans were bully for marital sex because they felt God invented it. And I discuss, also briefly, the marriages of my two main characters, John Winthrop and Roger Williams. As for the killjoy thing, these were not the most lighthearted figures in American history. My real answer to these two question is another question. Namely, who cares? What I’m interested in—and this probably makes me a killjoy, come to think of it—is the Puritans’ ideas about freedom and community. I’m interested in their writing on civics and law and religion, their love of learning, their thoughts on God and country. Also, to a person who loves not just ideas but ideas being hashed out and argued over and dissected, witnessing the Puritans of Boston bickering with and banishing each other is, I think, kind of a joy.

4. Why were the Puritans such a “wordy” or literary people?

The short answer is their absolute obsession with reading, dissecting, and discussing the Bible meant that a book was the center of their lives. The long answer is that the people who settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the so-called Great Migration between 1630 and 1640 were mostly highly educated, frequently scholarly people. Many of them had degrees from Cambridge. I call them “quill crazy.” Considering they had so many chores, what with building a society from scratch, they did an awful lot of writing—sermons, letters, diaries, religious tracts.

5. Were the Puritans anything like today’s evangelical Christians, to whom they’re often compared?

Some Puritans were like some evangelical Christians—and all dangerous people—in that they believed, they knew, they were right. Other than the obvious Protestant similarities between the two movements, one misconception is that today’s evangelicals are simply modern-day Puritans. This is not true. The Puritans were much more intellectual. Trust me, I just spent years trying to decipher their abstract and brainy theological texts. The Puritans privileged the text of the Bible and scholarly theological expertise and just education in general above all else, above religious emotion, above personal experience. I write in the book that there wasn’t any speaking in tongues going on in the Massachusetts Bay Colony unless you count classical Greek. In fact, part of my book is about the trial of Anne Hutchinson. The magistrates of Massachusetts Bay banish her from the colony for beliefs that are very similar to today’s evangelicals in terms of her personal relationship with God and the way she believed herself to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This was blasphemy to the Puritans—way too emotional. Plus, Hutchinson was just a homeschooled woman. To the Cambridge-educated patriarchy of Boston, the fact that Hutchinson was preaching in her home without any proper theological training was a travesty. And the fact that she was so influential, as well as witty and logical during her trial, made said patriarchs get cracking on building Harvard University so their sons (and future ministers) learned Latin, Greek, and Hebrew and were well grounded in proper theology so that if any more self-taught spiritual piedpipers came along, the sons and ministers could crush them in debate.


6. Where did Ronald Reagan get the phrase “a shining city on a hill,” which became so identified with him? And why do you write that the citizens of the United States not only elected and reelected Ronald Reagan, but that “we are Ronald Reagan”?

Reagan got his pet phrase from Winthrop’s “A Model of Christian Charity,” in which Winthrop, inspired by the Sermon on the Mount, called for New England to be “as a city on a hill.” Reagan interpreted this idea to mean that the United States is supposed to be a sparkly beacon of hope. But Reagan pretty much ignored the bulk of Winthrop’s sermon—the parts about sharing, about suffering together, the foreboding ending in which Winthrop worries that, come failure, he and his shipmates will suffer the wrath of God, that they’ll be a cautionary tale. Much of Winthrop’s sermon is Christlike and therefore tough—a call for charity and generosity and selflessness. But charity and generosity and selflessness were not what the Reagan years were about. Just the opposite of course. Reagan just chose to ignore the fine print—a very American thing to do. He chose to focus on Winthrop’s pretty, upbeat imagery and more or less ignored Winthrop’s sober call for communal responsibility. Americans tend to accentuate the positive. We get snowed by cheerful advertising.

7. How did the Puritans create the whole notion of American exceptionalism—the idea that we have been specially chosen and favored by God, and that other nations are eager for us to impose our way of life on them?

I think it all goes back to the official seal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the one they brought with them from England. It depicts an Indian saying, “Come over and help us.” That’s comically arrogant, ironic, and sad. Still, they meant well. We still do. The thing the United States got from Massachusetts Bay is the sleep of the just—however undeserved. For better or worse, we inherited the idea of ourselves as saviors and rescuers.

8. A continuing theme in your work is the way that we learn so much of our history from popular art. To wit, a lot of sitcoms have had episodes set in seventeenth-century New England. In fact, one inspired the first epiphany you ever had about colonial New England. Which one was that? And which was the only sitcom set entirely in Puritan New England?

It was a Thanksgiving episode of Happy Days I saw when I was around eight. There was a joke about the teenage daughter showing too much ankle or something which made the Pilgrims seem ludicrous. I hadn’t learned about critical thinking. I hadn’t learned to question historical figures. I was in elementary school. All we learned about seventeenth-century New England was that the winters were hard and the Pilgrims and Indians got along. As for the sitcom set in New England, that would be the short-lived CBS show Thanks about the Winthrop family’s first winter in New England. All the jokes were about how cold and hungry and crabby all the settlers were, and there was one guy named Winthrop spouting really hopeful ideals and all the other colonists thought he was insane. I thought it was brilliant.

9. Who were John Winthrop and John Cotton, and why do you devote so much attention to them?

I think of them as the architects of American exceptionalism. The notion that the English Puritans were divinely destined to save the world was floating around the British Isles in the early seventeenth century, but these two delivered two landmark sermons devoted to this idea, very possibly on the same occasion in 1630—Winthrop’s “A Model of Christian Charity” and Cotton’s “God’s Promise to His Plantation.” Plus, with Winthrop being the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s on-again, off-again governor and Cotton as the minister of the Boston church, they are the two most influential, powerful men in early New England.

10. How did Roger Williams come up with the idea of a “wall of separation” between church and state, long before Thomas Jefferson?

Williams was the most purist of New England Puritans. He didn’t want the state (with its accompanying state-sponsored violence) to corrupt the purity of Christianity, which is the exact opposite of Jefferson, who was worried about religion corrupting government. Williams also noticed how conflict was inherent in religion. Even though he was fanatical in his beliefs, he recognized others’ fanaticism and thought the only way for human beings to live together in peace was to allow freedom of worship. He thought people who disagreed with him were bound for hell, which he saw as punishment enough. He loved arguing about religion but he wanted wars of words, not bloodshed.

11. Why was Williams banished from Massachusetts?

For questioning the authority of the king of England and the magistrates of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He ranted that the king had no right to New England because he hadn’t received permission from the natives. Williams also condemned the Massachusetts government for punishing offenders who had broken those of the ten commandments involving worship. He believed an earthly government should have control over crimes against persons and property but had no right to regulate church attendance and the like.

12. How did Rhode Island become the first colony—in fact, the first place in the English-speaking world—with complete freedom of religion?

Williams established Providence and then the later colony of Rhode Island as a religious refuge. Ultimately, freedom of religion was codified by a charter from Charles II.

13. Who was Anne Hutchinson? Why was she so important, and why did she get kicked out of Massachusetts?

Hutchinson was a wife, mother, midwife, and groupie of John Cotton who followed the minister to Massachusetts. She hosted religious meetings in her home questioning the preaching of many of New England’s ministers. Her followers started disrupting church services around the colony and so she was hauled before the magistrates to repent both her beliefs and her influence. She believed she had heard the voice of God, which was heresy. Not backing down, the magistrates expelled her from Massachusetts. She went on to found a settlement in Rhode Island. I think, like Williams, she sticks out as having been born too early. Like him, she practiced freedom of speech before this right existed.

14. How did she die? Why do millions of residents of the New York City metropolitan area encounter her name every day without realizing it?

After her husband died in Rhode Island, she settled with her children in New Netherland in what is now the Bronx. The local Indians were at war with the Dutch, and Hutchinson and her family were attacked in their home. A nearby river was named after her and a highway, the Hutchinson River Parkway, was later named after her as well.

15. How do you see yourself as being like Hutchinson?

Like her, I have a penchant for yakking. It’s just way more legal for me.

16. Why did the Puritans commit a gruesome massacre of the Pequot Indians and set the blueprint for all future Indian wars?

And now, for my next trick, I’d like to explain genocide! I guess the Massachusetts militia commits mass murder for the same old reason everyone does—hate, resentment, anxiety, frustration, xenophobia. It’s also simple military ground-war tactics. The English commander understood that his men were about to get slaughtered in the ground-war mayhem, so he thought setting the enemy on fire en masse was the most logical, streamlined way to save his own troops’ lives. When Hannah Arendt was writing about the Holocaust, she pointed out that once something has happened, it is far more likely to happen again. That’s what happened after Mystic. Slaughter one group of Indian women, children, and old people and it’s probably going to happen again—and it does.

17. How did the Puritan bloodlines flow right down to the 2004 presidential election?

The Republican candidate, President Bush, is a descendant of Anne Hutchinson. The Democratic candidate, Senator Kerry, is a descendant of John Winthrop.

18. Why were the Puritans so fearless? What was the source of their strength?

They weren’t fearless. They were fearful. Like, chockfull of fear. Their big fear being God. God is also their source of strength, of course. But mostly they are terrified of disappointing God and suffering His wrath. They are scared of the sea, Indians, heretics and the King of England. They are afraid of eternal damnation. And yet, despite all this terror, they still get on the boats to Massachusetts. They decide that if King Charles sends a new governor to take over, they will fight him. All that is old-fashioned English stiff-upper-lip stuff. But the Bay Colony’s fears are also the source of their worse impulses. This is true of pretty much every society at any time or place. Their fears cause them to enact unfair laws, to crack down on dissent, to burn alive Indian children. Of course, their faith is also their source of strength, why they kept going, why they didn’t give up. They had a city on a hill to build and they built it.


19. What is the positive side of the Puritan legacy? Why is it so overlooked, and why are we Americans so reluctant to embrace it? What promise does it hold for us today?

I think their most endearing legacy is their obsession with education, especially founding the first university in what would become the United States. The way they privilege learning and words, exhort their children to read and write, is worth admiring. I think we’ve lost that as a culture, to some degree. The most admired, most powerful figures in early New England were the smartest—men like Winthrop, Cotton, and Williams. We certainly inherited New England’s collective self-esteem, their idea of themselves as the most divinely blessed. But I think we’ve lost their sense of collective responsibility, their fear that they would fail each other and their god.

American Prayer

From Dave Stewart (of Eurhythmics) with help from some friends.

Ex Libris: My Trip Down the Pink Carpet

My Trip Down the Pink Carpet (New York: Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2008; ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-5555-9) is the delightful memoir by Leslie Jordan, known to most people for his portrayal of Beverly Leslie on the TV series Will & Grace. This slim volume does not function as a typical Hollywood kiss-and-tell. To be sure there is the usual A-list name-dropping: George Clooney, Billy Bob Thornton, John Ritter, Luke Perry, etc. The point however, isn't to recount Mr. Jordan's sexual escapades, of which there are many hints but few details, but rather to document his long journey of coming out and coming to sobriety. How the two are intertwined makes for a compelling read. Of course, the book drips with Southern charm which makes even the most embarrassing moments more comfortable. This book was a quick, light summer diversion.

Ex Libris: Assassination Vacation

Assassination Vacation was the first book by Sarah Vowell (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005; ISBN: 0-7432-6003-1) that I had heard about. A couple of years ago, I was watching program on the History Channel about the assassination of President McKinley. Sarah was one of the talking heads on that show and when identifying her listed her as the author of Assassination Vacation. I was hooked. I knew that I would need to buy and read that book. Having read two of her other books (The Partly Cloudy Patriot and Take the Cannoli), I was certain I would enjoy this one. Frankly, I was fairly giddy with excitement at the prospect of reading this book. It did not fail.

Assassination Vacation tells of Sarah's obsession with the first three assassinated US presidents: Abraham Lincoln, James Abram Garfield, and William McKinley. Sarah and her varied cast of sidekicks/drivers travel to various locations associated with these presidential assassinations and their aftermaths. The tales are informative and engaging. She expertly draws you into her obsession wanting to know all the facts and minutiae that she knows. The fact that two of her subjects are from Ohio, my home state, only adds to my fascination with her and this book.

My only tiny quibble with the book is one particular phrase that she uses in describing a neighborhood in New York City: "The neighborhood of Gramercy Park, where Edwin [Booth, brother of Lincoln assassin, John Wilkes Booth] used to live, was built to look like London, which is to say that its considerable beauty is skin deep while its heart beats with the ugliness of monarchy." (Emphasis and note in brackets mine.) Being a fan of the monarchic principle, I cannot wrap my head around "the ugliness of monarchy." I guess I just can't conjure up the feeling that there is anything ugly about monarchy.

All told, I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to more of Sarah's writing.

MFH: 23 August

Today is the 188th anniversary of the birth my great-great-great-grandmother, Margaretha Bender, and the 165th anniversary of the marriage of my great-great-great-grandparents, Margaretha Bender and Johannes Schoen. Margaretha was born 23 August 1820 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Margaretha and Johannes were married on Margaretha's 23rd birthday, 23 August 1843, also in Altenkirchen. All four of their children were born in Altenkirchen and two died there. On 26 July 1856 they, along with their two living sons, Frederick and Karl, arrived in New York on board the ship Havre. By 1860 the family was living in Marietta, Washington, Ohio, USA. Margaretha died at the family home in Ludlow Township, Washington County, Ohio, USA on 15 May 1889.

My descent from Margaretha and Johannes is:
Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me