Service Without Question

Here we are in the month of September anticipating the splendid changes within nature's landscapes...the season when crispness of the air infiltrates our nostrils while visions of majestic changes in color mesmerize our senses. Yet, it has not always been this way during the autumnal season. Nor is it so pleasant for all everywhere at this time. While peace exists on this earth, somewhere there is war.

Our history and ancestry are filled with times of war. Biblical war. Civil war. World war. Cold war. Unnecessary war. War is WAR! War is hell. So many lives taken. Young. Old. Age knows no boundaries when it comes to war. The visions of war are woven with bloody images and broken bone. Within battlefields reside ghosts of our ancestry.

Today let's embrace the past taking steps back to the American Civil War ...

Footsteps of History

While the American Revolutionary War created America, the Civil war of 1861-1865 determined the kind of nation America would be. There is difficulty in fathoming a war where father is pitted against son, brother against brother, but it happened. In America. This Civil War was America's deadliest war, World War II its bloodiest.

The [Civil] war resolved two fundamental questions left unresolved by the revolution: whether the United States was to be a dissolvable confederation of sovereign states or an indivisible nation with a sovereign national government; and whether this nation, born of a declaration that all men were created with an equal right to liberty, would continue to exist as the largest slaveholding country in the world. (Source: A Brief Overview of the American Civil War)

The Importance of Letters

As with any war, contact from home was invaluable becoming on many occasions the highlight of day. One must remember these were times before the development of rapid communications, such as those prevalent in the 21st century. Letters from the homefront were such a delight and to think these were hand written, painstakingly hand written. They spoke of times back home, bleak times, where women and children were left alone to fend for themselves. As soldiers fought on the battle field, wives and loved ones fought their own battles of survival. 

The reverse is also equally as painstaking (if not more so): the letters home from the soldiers. These serve as footnotes of history for many were written in the shadows of a battlefield. The poignant words did not find their way easily onto paper presenting a vivid picture of what was happening on a daily basis, not a very pretty picture. Then, the day finally came...the journey home. There were no luxury buses, no direct flights, no waiting trains, no plush limousines...just two feet and a vision.

Walk Among the Wild Flowers

A soldier’s life far from home is a lonely life in the sense of family ties and times. It encompasses dreams of one day returning to the life and loved ones left behind.

My journey home was a walk alone
A knapsack upon my back—
My only companion

Days were long and nights were cold
Tattered clothes, laceless boots—
My wardrobe companion

Memories kept my will alive
Belief in my only rightful love—
My true companion

Plans remained deep-rooted in my mind
Clear visions of future anticipations—
My crystal companion

Darkness succumbed to daylight
Dawn of a new day for me—
My faithful companion

Wounds were deep, blood visible
Faith in a better tomorrow—
My healing companion

Desire to live and see you again subsisted
Hope to walk among the wild flowers—
My constant companion

  ©2013 Awakenings

 Sharla Lee Shults

"There is no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending."

~Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865)
 

From Perilous Seas to Western Journalese

Today's History Lesson...across the sea & into the frontier

With each day comes the opportunity to relive from whence we came by stepping back in time and turning the pages of history. WAIT! Don't you dare yawn and don't touch that dial! Do not leave this page simply because of a misconception that history is boring. History is who you are and what you are yet to become. It is your yesterday, today and tomorrow.

This Day in History: September 16

Two of many events that occurred on this day in history are today's focus of attention. The first represents the crossing of hostile seas as ferocious winds and sickness befell a journey to the New World. Another signifies the frontier movement from the east coast to an area once considered worthless desert in the territory of Oklahoma.

The year: 1620

Aboard the Mayflower, 1620

Close your eyes and let your mind venture away from the modern amenities of the 21st century. Become totally absorbed in the despair of the 17th century that has its roots in London, England. Focus on America being discovered but not colonized. Plague, tuberculosis along with other urban pestilences, lethargy, fear and sadness ruled daily life. Heads were turned, eyes opened wide with visions of the virgin soil of America becoming the images of hope and promise. 

With ships already having sailed to the New World, the time had come for permanent settlements in America. The ships of this day and age to set sail across the Atlantic were merchant ships whose cargo was normally wine and dry goods, not people traveling as passengers. However, time had come for travelers to venture beyond the shores of England. On September 16, 1620, the Mayflower is finally on its way after two failed attempts sailing along with the Speedwell. On this journey, the ship carried 102 men, women and children passengers. This would be its only trip to New England. Since the cargo was the passengers they all had to live in the dark, cold cargo decks below the crew’s quarters. They all carried the same visions in their hearts and minds: beginning a new life on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

The distance from the departure point in Southampton, England to Boston, MA, is 3236 statute miles (equal to 2812 nautical miles). The entire sea journey for the Pilgrims took 66 days. There are 1584 hours in 66 days. The ship, therefore traveled at a speed of 2 miles an hour. An average person can walk 4 miles an hour. Distance at sea is designated in nautical miles. One nautical mile is approximately 1 1/2 statute miles. Sea speed is designated in knots. One knot equals 1 nautical mile per hour. Using sea terms, the average speed of the Mayflower, traveling across the cold, wet Atlantic, was 1.77 knots. [Excerpted from The Mayflower at Sea: 1620]

The Mayflower battered by Atlantic storms. Painting by Mike Haywood

 Could you have survived Sixty-six Days at Sea under such grueling conditions?

The year: 1893

Now, jump ahead in time to the year 1893. It has been 273 years since the Mayflower set sail for America. Settlements flourishing in New England now had heads turning and eyes focusing on not crossing the Atlantic Ocean but venturing westward cross country to stake their claims to the best acres of land once belonging to Native Americans. By this time, America was in the grip of the worst economic depression it had ever experienced becoming one of the factors that swelled the number of expectant land-seekers that day. News had traveled fast for the communication capabilities and journalese of the day painting lush green pictures of the American West. Many would be disappointed. There were only 42,000 parcels of land available - far too few to satisfy the hopes of all those who raced for land on this day in history.

Feel the rush! 

Close your eyes and void your mind of any mode of travel other than by foot, on horseback, by carriage or covered wagon. That's it! Nothing more, nothing less. Hone in on the excitement of venturing into a new frontier where land was waiting for the taking. All you have to do is stake a claim...the hard part is getting there...alive! Time is counting down as last minute preparations are made with everything being checked and double checked right down to the last wheel and axle. Ten minutes. Five minutes. Three minutes...two...one...At precisely 12 noon on September 16, 1893, a single gunshot (some sources report a cannon's boom) signals the beginning of a mad dash as more than 100,000 land-hungry pioneers on horseback, in carriages and covered wagons race into the Cherokee strip of Oklahoma. This would become the largest land run in history.

Painting by Robert Lindneux in 1942 commemorating
the suffering of the Cherokee people under forced removal.
(Image Credit: The Granger Collection, New York)

While excitement abounded on this day and while you walk among the footsteps of history, there is also sadness that taints the images portrayed on this day. Stripped of their dignity, the Cherokee people became victims in one of the saddest episodes of our brief history. Whether man, woman, infant, or young child, all were taken from their land, herded like cattle into makeshift living quarters with minimal facilities and food, then forced to march overland to a destination neither of their choice nor free will. This led to the death of 4,000 Cherokee who died during the brutal overland march known appropriately as the "Trail of Tears."

The American Indians are a spiritual and proud people who did not deserve the treatment they received. They suffered at the greed of the 'white' man. Savages? Maybe so to a certain degree. All in how you perceive what one should do in order to preserve a way of life. Savagery remains existent today as the cruelties of terrorism and war still permeate our planet.

On Trail of Tears:

But their land, located in parts of Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee, was valuable, and it grew to be more coveted as white settlers flooded the region.

 

“I fought through the Civil War and have seen

men shot to pieces and slaughtered by thousands
but the Cherokee removal was the cruelest work I ever knew.”

—Georgia militiaman who participated in the “roundup” of the Cherokee Indians

Footsteps of History & Trail of Tears

Today's History Lesson...America's Footsteps

From one year to the next, historical events fill the calendar...from the past to the present into the future. Some are remembered on a annual basis, even to having their own day of celebration being designated as a special calendar event. Others are remembered only when reminded of their significance in America's poignant history. 

On this day, June 25, first reflect on historical footprints, tears follow...

It took war for America to win its independence in 1776; then, civil war almost tore a nation apart!

On this day in history. . . 

June 25, 1864: Pennsylvania troops begin digging a tunnel toward the Rebels at Petersburg, Virginia, in order to blow a hole in the Confederate lines and break the stalemate. . .

American Civil War

Footsteps of History

It is a sad day when events provoke attacks

that set brother against brother and father against son.

How heart rendering that must be;

yet, it is a decisive turning point in America’s history.

Take a myriad of steps back in time

When brother fought against brother

An era that terrified the country

Every father, every mother

Unimaginable circumstances

Sent sons of one nation into battle

Internal war raging unmercifully

Bore conflicts that to this day still rattle

Family, friends, loved ones

Separated or parted forever

Thousands suffered and died

All on behalf of freedom’s endeavor

Soldiers hungry, ragged and dirty

Fell exhausted from heavy artillery

Freezing, drizzling, miserable rains

Contributed to life’s daily misery

Away from the battlefields

A sense of calm lulled

Within panoramic views

Thoughts lingered and mulled

In the wake of faint dawn

Soldiers shared last desires

Snuggling close to stay warm

Beside the bivouac fires

Walk in the footsteps of history

Relive vivid stories that do declare

Tales of morbid pain and suffering

As well as humor in times of despair

 ©2013 Awakenings
Sharla Lee Shults

Connecting the past to the present…

"I am passionately interested in understanding how my country works.
And if you want to know about this thing called the United States of America
you have to know about the Civil War."
—Ken Burns (1953-Present)

Also on this day in history. . .

June 25, 1876: Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeat the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana's Little Bighorn River. . .

 The Battle of Little Bighorn

George Armstrong Custer

Sitting Bull



Custer and his troops in 1864

Custer's Last Stand

 Prelude to Indian Uprising

Painting by Robert Lindneux in 1942 commemorating
the suffering of the Cherokee people under forced removal.
(Image Credit: The Granger Collection, New York)

There are many events leading up to the defeat of Custer but none any more devastating to the native American Indian than the Trail of Tears. What did they do that was so wrong to provoke brutally closing the curtain on their native American culture?

Stripped of their dignity, the Cherokee people became victims in one of the saddest episodes of our brief history. Whether man, woman, infant, or young child, all were taken from their land, herded like cattle into makeshift living quarters with minimal facilities and food, then forced to march overland to a destination neither of their choice nor free will.

Amazing Grace in Cherokee -Native American

Trail of Tears
(The Trail Where They Cried)

The forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation stemmed from
tensions between Georgia (not yet a state) and the United States.
One of the saddest moves in American history
forced the Cherokee to march one thousand miles
under horrible conditions to the Western United States.

the Cherokee Nation

gave up its epic lands

not solely of free will

but government demands

coerced to march overland

sadness loomed, many died

Indians hailed the journey

"the trail where they cried"

hungry, cold and exhausted
they lumbered onward

saying nothing, feeling lost

heads tilted downward

images of the old nation

give way to somber wails

bodies of family and friends

lay buried near the trail

men, women, and children all cry

as many, many days pass

from the Mississippi River

to Oklahoma, alas

for one to picture

such a dismal plight

it would have to be

the darkest of night

visions of desolation

were endlessly seen

only memories remained

of their native scene

©2013 Awakenings
Sharla Lee Shults

On Trail of Tears:

But their land, located in parts of Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee, was valuable, and it grew to be more coveted as white settlers flooded the region.

 

“I fought through the Civil War and have seen

men shot to pieces and slaughtered by thousands
but the Cherokee removal was the cruelest work I ever knew.”

—Georgia militiaman who participated in the “roundup” of the Cherokee Indians

Legendary Warrior

Click image for powerpoint.

Throughout American history lies legend after legend, story after story, event after event surrounding the Native Americans. At many historical points, Indian/white-man relations were more hostile than peaceful. Westward Expansion led the white-man on a quest toward acquiring more and more territory leaving the Native Americans on the losing end of the deal...Displaced as new settlers moved in, they lost their traditional way of life and were relocated to reservations some leaving behind a Trail of Tears.

The event today focuses on a brave leader and his warriors who refused surrender in spite of starvation and severe illness. 

This Day in History: January 8, 1877 

Alleged photo of Crazy Horse in 1877
en.wikipedia.org

Crazy Horse led his warriors into their final battle against the U.S. Cavalry: the Battle of Wolf Mountain in the Montana territory. Even amid harsh winter weather, outnumbered, weak, starving, low on ammunition, using outdated weapons to defend themselves, the warriors continued into battle.

"Although a draw in many aspects, in effect the battle was a strategic victory for the U.S. Army, as it demonstrated that the Indians were not safe from the army even in winter and harsh conditions. Many individuals began slipping away and returning to their reservations. By May, Crazy Horse had led his surviving band into Camp Robinson to surrender." [Source: en.wikipedia.org]
 
Crazy Horse, legendary warrior and leader of the Lakota Sioux, will long be remembered for his ferocity in battle. His determination to preserve Native American traditions and way of life will always be remembered and revered.

The 'end' of the story...

Crazy Horse did not die in battle as one might think considering his warrior background and status. After surrendering to federal troops in May, 1877, Crazy Horse was killed on September 7 amid rumors of a planned escape. Within the annals of history is record of Crazy Horse's need to take his sick wife to her parents but the problem was that he left the reservation without authorization. General George Crook ordered Crazy Horse arrested for fear he was plotting a return to battle. Crazy Horse did not resist arrest at first. However, when he realized he was being led to a guardhouse, he began to struggle. It was during that struggle the great warrior lost his life. While his arms were held by one of the arresting officers, a soldier ran him through with a bayonet. A death unbefitting to an Indian chief, a great warrior who had proven himself mighty in battle.

Crazy Horse Memorial

A model of the planned statue,
with the Crazy Horse Memorial in the background.
Source: en.wikipedia.org

With construction having begun in 1948, the Crazy Horse Memorial is a work-in-progress. Amid much controversy and opposition, progress is slow. Upon completion, the memorial will consist of the mountain carving (monument), the Indian Museum of North America, and the Native American Cultural Center. If completed, it stands to possibly be the world's largest sculpture.