Made some new friends this week!*

 

Just to add something visual and a bit lighter to the post!

Well, Lads and Lasses, it's been a heckuva week.  Indeed the heckuvest week I've had in quite some time.

Started  out in the usual fashion, reading and answering comments on last week's post (deeply appreciated I must add).  Then Mrs J blew the work horn and we migrated to the old house to continue the process to bring it on line as a 4 bedroom BnB.  Bring in some more income as well as increase salability when the property is put up for sale.  Soon we hope.

It's progressing nicely, except the weather hasn't cooperated quite enough to have made any progress on the front porch.  So, I performed step'n fetchit duties for Mrs J.  Life is good!

Then, the you know what hits the oscillating room cooling device.  We have a quarterly checkup with our GP.  Since they're pretty much routine, Mrs J and I both go to the same appointment and the Doc does the usual stuff on each of us.

I go first.  First procedure is listen to the heart.  Stethoscope up.  A bit of moving around, a bit more, a bit more and finally he puts it down and says, "Well, juvat!  Seems you need to go to the ER! Like right now!"

Oh?

"Yeah, your heart rate is about 150 and AFIB is all over the place.  Now get over there!"

Well, his office is about a quarter mile from the ER.  We drive up and are met at the door by a nurse and a wheel chair.  I am in an exam room in about a minute.  The Doc and Nurse are standing by.  Shortly, (very shortly) thereafter, I have an IV in my arm and meds are going in.  About a half hour later, my cardiologist is there and looking at things.

I'm getting a bit concerned about this process which does nothing good for my BP.  Fortunately, the Doc's a pretty good guy and explains it like it is.  They're going to up the meds in the IV to bring the AFIB back down.  If that doesn't work they're going to do a Cardiac ablation (that's what the Docs called it, the link calls it Catheter Ablation).  Basically, zap my heart and see if it comes back to normal heart beats.

NOW, they've got my undivided attention!

So, while the IV is going on, I'm busy thinking calming, pleasant thoughts.  And, yes, there might have been a bit of discussion with the Big Guy Upstairs about how good I'll be if he gets me through this mess.  

Or several of those discussions.

Fortunately, that evening, my heart rate is back down to normal range.  The Doc's say I can go home if I want to, but their body language, convinced me to stay overnight.  I don't think I slept more than several 30 minute naps all night.  Lot's of beeping going on,  warning bells going off, low lights on all night, all lights on when the bells went off.  Oh, and that's just in my single bed room. In short an ICU normal night, I suspect.

Doc comes by about 0700.  Didn't know Cardiologists knew about that time of day.  Looks at the files and charts and displays and said "Looks like you're back to normal, juvat!  Wanna go home?"

"Why yes, Doctor, yes I do!"

About the time you're reading this, I'll be at the Cardiologist's office getting an Electrocardiogram to see the effects of a 50% increase in the level of one of the heart medications I take.  Hopefully, that level makes the results good.

The interesting thing about this was I didn't feel all that bad at any point.  I also learned there's quite a bit of Heart Rate data automatically recorded with an  Apple watch.  Didn't know that was even there until my cardiologist mentioned that I should get an  Apple watch.  Since I had one on my wrist at the time, I showed it to him.  He asked for my iPhone.  I logged in and gave it to him.  A couple of minutes later, he handed it back to me and there was all my above the line heart rates. A bunch of high readings, many more than I thought. Suffice it to say, that app is getting a LOT more use!

Well, wadda ya know? You can teach an old fighter pilot new things!

An educational week fer shure!

Peace out, y'all! 

PS: Sorry for the paucity of pictures, but this is a family blog.  Pictures of me in a hospital gown unfastened in back to facilitate access to the stuff in front could cause trauma as well as be used by some of you out there as blackmail material! You know who you are!  ;-)*

* Lifesavers most likely. Thanks to all y’all!

1861: Garrison Duty

Men of the 22nd New York Infantry
Source

Chère maman,

We arrived in camp on the second of July, Washington is a filthy place, full of soldiers, people trying to take your money, and lots of folk who seem to have no other purpose than to try and separate a man from his belongings.

We went through Baltimore a couple of days ago and the regiment was attacked by a mob. A fellow in Company I was killed, I don't know his name, nor did I know him personally, but it was a dangerous episode. We fired on the crowd and I know a number of civilians were hit, probably killed I think.

The local police came in and settled things down. I swear, that city is a fetid hive of secessionists.

It's awfully hot and sticky down here, I miss home already, but I do believe what we're doing here is right and proper.

Votre fils, Joseph¹

"Goodrich!"

"Oui, Sergent Foy?"

"English, we speak English in this country, Frenchie. And the name is Foy, like 'boy,' but with an 'F,' not fwaa."

"Sorry, Sergeant, I am learning."

"Not fast enough, get your gear, you and Dignan² are on sentry duty tonight. Report to Corporal Murry over at the orderly room."

"Yes, Sergeant."

Goodrich, as he was called now, that being easier for les Anglais to pronounce he supposed, still thought of himself as "Gaudry." But he readily answered to his new name as he supposed that name, like his equipment, had been issued to him by the army. He picked up his pack and his rifle, shaking his head at the absurdity of it.

Making sure that his uniform was straight, he headed towards where the company had its orderly room. For now it was a small shack in this miserable collection of huts near the edge of the capital. Rumor had it they'd be moving out soon and be under canvas again. These miserable quarters were loaded with filth and fleas! He could hardly wait.

Some thirty miles from where the 22nd was encamped, two armies were moving into position. The Army of Northeastern Virginia under Brigadier General Irvin McDowell was probing cautiously, looking for the rebel army under Joseph Johnston or Pierre Beauregard, intelligence reports were unclear as to who was actually in command at that point.

The President wanted the rebellion crushed before things drifted further out of control. The fall of Fort Sumter some months earlier still stung. McDowell's orders were clear. Find the enemy and crush them. From there it was thought a march on Richmond would bring the chastened secessionists back in to the fold.

Events were to prove that to be a false hope.

The 22nd moved over the Potomac over the Long Bridge and set up camp in Arlington, Virginia, around a small eminence called Upton's Hill. The weather was starting to moderate from the extreme heat and humidity of summer to the cooler temperatures Joseph was used to back home. But compared to Vermont, it was still hot.

Joseph had made the acquaintance of an interesting fellow in the neighborhood, it seems that prior to secession, this area had been very pro-North in its sympathies. A number of residents had been overjoyed when the Union Army had taken up positions here.

The man, named Henderson, seemed overly friendly and liked to talk. Joseph tried to avoid him, others in Company K weren't so reticent.

"Come on, Frenchie, Henderson's a good fellow. Talks too much, but heck, he's friendly, unlike a lot of the folks around here."

"I don't know, Thomas. He's always asking about the army. I don't trust him."

Ever since the thrashing McDowell's army had taken at Bull Run in late July, rumors were rife of southern spies and informants. A lot of the men in the 22nd, as yet unblooded, were still naive about this conflict and thought it would all be over by Christmas.

"Well, you should loosen up, Frenchie. You Vermonters sure are a suspicious lot."

"Just don't tell him anything important, Thomas. You never know."

Thomas Dignan shook his head.

The winter passed slowly, garrison duty was boring, but safe, no one was shooting at them. Joseph's misgivings about Henderson had been proven correct when the man had been caught by a roving patrol with papers detailing the strength and locations of Union units in Arlington and Alexandria.

The man had been tried by a military tribunal across the Potomac in the capital.

"Hey Frenchie, you were right about Henderson. I heard from a fellow in A Company that he was caught passing secrets to the secesh."

"I never trusted the man. I told you he was suspicious."

"Well, you don't have to worry about him anymore, seems the provosts hanged him last Friday."

"Really?"

"Yes indeed, by the neck until he was dead."

"Mon Dieu!"

"You betcha, Frenchie. My God indeed."

Orders came down for the regiment to join the rest of the army in a march on Manassas. The 22nd was now part of Augur’s 1st Brigade, in King’s 3rd Division, of McDowell’s 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac, which was now under George McClellan.

The men marched out, then back again and were back on Upton's Hill by mid-March. In April they were back under McDowell in the Department of the Rappahannock, still in the same brigade and division, but apparently no longer under McClellan.

In April of 1862, orders came down, the 22nd was advancing deeper into Virginia. Down to Fredericksburg with the goal of advancing on Richmond from there.

The men in the 22nd were excited and nervous at the same time, garrison duty was boring but like 1st Sergeant Kelly warned them, "a fellow could get killed chasing secesh on their native soil!"

Few concerned themselves with that.

Chère maman,

We march soon and will be taking the fight to the enemy. I am nervous but not particularly frightened, the 22nd is a good outfit.

I'm not sure when I will be able to write again but do not worry, I am in good company and if it is God's will, I will come home to you in His own time.

Votre fils, Joseph

¹ I have no doubt that Joseph would have written his mother in French, not just the opening and ending, but to put the entire thing in French could prove tedious to the reader.

² I have taken the liberty of using the actual names from the 22nd's muster roll as it was in 1861. No doubt as casualties occur, I will have to make up names from that point on. You can see that roll here.

The First Iron Brigade

Source

While doing research for a possible fictional account of the Civil War, I happened to look up my great grandfather's regiment, the 22nd New York Infantry Regiment. Curiosity, perhaps looking for a connection to the story of that regiment which I could use in my fictional account.

Little did I know that his regiment was part of the Iron Brigade, no, not the "black hat boys" of the West, but a regiment composed of Eastern units. These regiments:

• the 22nd New York,
• the 24th New York,
• the 30th New York,
• the 14th Regiment (New York State Militia, also known as the 14th Brooklyn), and the
• 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters (sometimes known as Berdan's Sharpshooters).

This Iron Brigade, sometimes known as the Eastern Iron Brigade or the First Iron Brigade had gained their moniker after a march from Catlett's Station to Falmouth, Virginia (29 miles) when Brigadier General Marsena R. Patrick remarked to their brigade commander:

"Your men must be made of iron to make such marches."

Of course, the troops quickly adopted that nickname. (Who wouldn't?) If you chase down the source of the opening photo, you'll see that the Union army had at least three "Iron Brigades," and the Confederacy had one as well. I mean, it is an awesome nickname.

Now my great grandfather is listed on the muster rolls as being 18 years old. (You can read those rolls here. Great-Grandpa Joseph was in Company K.) As the regiment was mustered into service on the 6th of June, 1861, that would mean my ancestor was born in 1843. Family records indicate that he was born in 1840, thus he was actually 21 years old at the time. If the records are accurate.

Now Great Grandpa Joseph was born in Quebec and grew up speaking French. Many of my grandfather's siblings also spoke French (as did my grandfather) and some had no English at all. Perhaps there was a language issue at the time of his enlistment, he wasn't born "Goodrich," according to this (and other sources) -

Joseph Gaudry, alias Goodrich

 

One of the veterans of the civil war in the person of Joseph Gaudry, alias Goodrich, died on the 12th inst. at the St. Johnsbury Hospital at the age of 64 years and six months, after an illness of over three months, which he bore in a truly edifying spirit of Christian resignation and patience. At the opening of the civil war in 1861 Mr. Gaudry enlisted in the 22nd regiment of New York and took part in ten of the principal battles of the war, among them that of Bull Run. He was one of the war pensioners. On his return to Vermont he made his home in Danville. He leaves a wife and seven children, three sons and four daughters, two of whom are married: Mrs. Patrick Demanche and Mrs. Paquin, both of St. Johnsbury. The funeral was held Friday morning from Notre Dame des Victoires church, Rev. J. A. Boissonault officiating.

 

[The Caledonian, St. Johnsbury, Vermont, Wednesday, April 19, 1905, transcribed by Mary Kay Krogman]. Source

It wasn't uncommon for the French to have another sobriquet other than their actual family name. While we see here "Gaudry, alias Goodrich," in French we would see "Gaudry, dit Goodrich." In other words, "Gaudry, called Goodrich." Family tradition has it that perhaps he grew tired of the English speakers mispronouncing his name. (My grandfather, when in his cups, would tell us of our "real" name. He also knew a number of rude songs in French which would cause my mother and grandmother to quickly chase my brothers and me from the room.)

One family legend holds that my great-grandfather was captured at Second Bull Run, very plausible as the 22nd New York suffered the following casualties at that battle -

The regiment lost 10 officers and 42 men killed or mortally wounded, 9 officers and 55 men wounded, and 4 officers and 60 men missing out of 379 engaged. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas was mortally wounded and Captain George Clendon of Company E was wounded. Source

Prisoner exchanges were still being held at this time, so I'm guessing he was either exchanged or turned up a few days after the battle. Missing sometimes means just that, the unit doesn't know where everybody is after a battle, so they're listed as "Missing" unless someone can actually verify that they were seen to be killed or wounded. Battles are messy, confusing affairs, it wasn't unusual for men to be separated from the colors for any number of reasons.

As the record above indicates Great-Grandpa Joseph participated in "ten of the principal battles of the war," he must have been at Antietam, where again the 22nd New York had a rough time -

Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel McKie, the regiment lost 1 officer and 6 men killed or mortally wounded, and 1 officer and 22 men wounded out of 100 engaged while advancing through the Cornfield in the early morning. Source

The muster roll for the 22nd New York shows that Great-Grandpa Joseph was a two-year enlistee. The 22nd went back to New York in June of 1863 (before Gettysburg) and was mustered out of service. The men who had enlisted for three years were sent to the 93rd New York Infantry Regiment. The 93rd was at Gettysburg but was held back as a provost guard. (Minding the baggage, guarding the headquarters, rounding up stragglers, and the like.)

I'm not sure if he mustered out in June 0f 1863 and went home to Vermont, or if he continued in service. I do know that there is a grave marker in St. Johnsbury, Vermont which looks like this -

Source

The tombstone says "Co.K. 22nd N.Y.INF." which is correct, it was the unit he went to war with, was it his only unit? Did he muster out or did he go on to fight in other battles? Based on personal experience, relatives go through papers and the like after a family member dies and glean what information they can from the available records.

Perhaps they had a copy of the 22nd's muster roll from 1861, perhaps everyone just knew that was the unit he served in. Perhaps Great-Grandpa Joseph told tales of that unit and when he served in it.

I wish I knew.

It is interesting to note that he was with the regiment when it marched through Baltimore on its way to Washington DC -

While transferring between train stations in Baltimore, Private Edward Burge of Company I was shot and killed by a mob. The regiment returned fire, wounding several civilians, before Baltimore police intervened. Source

There was a riot in Baltimore during that time period, Union troops were attacked and there was violence. (Maryland was a very divided state in the Civil War, regiments from Maryland fought on both sides!)

Interestingly, the 1861 muster roll shows no Private Edward Burge as being a member of the 22nd's I Company. However, this source has this to say -

Co. I. Edward Burge, Private. Baltimore Killed June 30, '61

Also this

The Court of Investigation and Inquest connected with the Baltimore affair have, as yet, made no formal report, but upon consultation with a majority of its members, I learn that the preponderance of evidence goes largely to show that private Burge of the Adirondack Rangers was killed by a shot from above; and I have just learned to-day for the first that the word was passed along the left flank, "they are firing on us from the roof." It is, I know, the prevailing belief in Camp, that Burge was killed by a Baltimorean, and furthermore that his death was not unavenged.

Some sources indicate that he was killed by friendly fire, the accounts given in the source above would seem to indicate otherwise. (The source has newspaper accounts and letters from the men of the 22nd during its time in service.)

History leaves behind many mysteries. It's amazing what one might find when you start digging.

Back to my research!

Remembering ...

Looking south from Cemetery Ridge
OAFS Photo

When I was on Cemetery Ridge last week, I had a thought to look towards the south. Much has been made of the way the Round Tops dominate the battlefield. Do you see the Copse of Trees, just to the left, centered between the trees and the obelisk? That's Big Round Top. To its left is Little Round Top.

Here's a close up -

OAFS Photo

If you look closely, just to the right of the obelisk, you can see the monuments atop Little Round Top, put a couple of Confederate batteries up there and they could have swept the entire Union line.

Here's a view from Little Round Top¹ -

OAFS Photo

Look closely to the left of the monument, recognize the obelisk near the Copse of Trees? Yup, Little Round Top dominated the field.

My visit to Gettysburg has very much dominated my thoughts ever since. My brother (a Civil War reenactor and student of that war, he's been there) had told me before I left, "I'm happy that you are going to Gettysburg. Joshua Chamberlain was right. Something does happen inside you when you visit that battlefield."

Left its mark it did. Hallowed ground.

Here's something I wrote a while back about Gettysburg ...

Little Round Top
Google Street View

In the middle of June in the year 1863, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia crossed into the state of Maryland, beginning the Confederacy's second, and last, invasion of the United States. On the first day of July, near the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the Confederate States Army of Northern Virginia, under the command of Robert E. Lee, and the United States Army of the Potomac, under the command of George G. Meade, met in battle.

The Army of the Potomac numbered 93,921 men, that of the Army of Northern Virginia numbered 71,699. At the end of three days of fighting, 28,063 men from the South and 23,049 men from the North became casualties, dead, wounded, or missing. One in four of those wearing Northern blue, two in five of those wearing Southern gray had shed their blood on that field, in the largest battle ever fought on American soil. 51,118 Americans paid the price.

For what?

The political differences which caused the southern states to leave the Union had existed long before Confederate cannon opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor in April of 1861. I don't pretend to understand the full extent of those differences. There were many.

The balance of power between the Southern states and the Northern states in Congress was a key concern in the South. As Northern population grew, they would gain seats proportionally in the House of Representatives, however, as long as the number of states was equal, or leaned towards Southern interests, the Senate would favor the South. Or at the least not favor the North.

It boiled down, in many minds, to the issue of slavery. As new states entered the union the South wanted a balance of "free" and "slave" states. Figuring, quite rightly I suppose, that a "slave" state would lean more towards Southern interests and not Northern. While slavery was not "the" issue which led to the war, it played a major part. In reality, it was a struggle for power in the Nation's capital which led to the war.

What should we call this war in North America from April of 1861 to April of 1865? Some have argued that "Civil War" is inaccurate as the South did not wish to displace or change the existing system of government, they simply wanted no further part in that government. (An idea which I have only recently accepted, with thanks to Borepatch in his post.)

I don't like the term "War of Northern Aggression," for various reasons. The main one being is that the South wished to dissolve the Union and many in the North refused to accept that. They saw their cause as putting down an unlawful rebellion. Right or wrong, that's how it was perceived in the North by many.

The South's cause was tainted by the issue of slavery, as many Southerners of the time acknowledged. While it is possible that the "Peculiar Institution" may have eventually "gone away" of its own accord, I highly doubt it. Exploitation of the common laborer in the North didn't go away until the early years of the 20th Century and didn't happen without a great deal of violence. To think that slavery would have eventually withered away, on its own, is, perhaps, problematic. Greed never goes away. Eventually those held in thrall would have risen up and started trying to free themselves. No doubt with Northern help. No doubt with great violence as well.

As for the "War for Southern Independence"? Sure, why not, but as it failed, I prefer "The Rebellion." But that's just me. (Just don't call it the "Second American Revolution," that glorifies a somewhat tawdry cause.)

So Gettysburg. Why Gettysburg?

By 1863 it was obvious to the South that the North wasn't just going to quit, not without a huge effort on the part of the various Confederate armies in the field. The most important of those armies was Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. While I'm sure the Confederate armies in the West might dispute that, their string of defeats at the hands of Northern armies weakens their arguments for being "most important." The Army of Northern Virginia had gone from victory to victory for quite some time, Antietam (their first invasion of the North) being the sole "bump in the road" of their dominance of the Army of the Potomac.

Lee moved north for various reasons: (1) supply issues, northern Virginia, where most of the fighting took place, was devastated, (2) depress Northern morale, which may have actually worked had CNN been in operation back then, (3) a quest for foreign recognition. While the idea of Great Britain or France recognizing the Confederacy was something of a pipe dream, the British did support the South for their own economic reasons. But support a regime supported, in part, by slavery, the British would have never been able to stomach that.

So Lee moved north as his cavalry leader Stuart galloped off to make headlines. The Army of Northern Virginia went north without its eyes. They stumbled into the fight, thinking they were facing militia. Actually they were facing very good cavalrymen under John Buford. Buford's men held the ground long enough for the rest of the Army of the Potomac to coalesce. Oddly enough, the Army of the Potomac moved into the area around Gettysburg from the south (advancing up from the Washington DC area) and Lee's army moved in from the north and the west.

The first day's fighting was brutal and see-sawed back and forth, though Lee's often ragged and barefoot men eventually drove the Federals back in some disarray. But Meade's army gathered and occupied the ridge and hills south of the town and awaited Lee's attacks.

On this particular day, the 2nd of July, 156 years ago, an obscure colonel by the name of Chamberlain, commanding the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, stood atop² that outcrop in the opening photo, along with his men, and drove back every attack thrown at them.

The position had been chosen by this man -

Brigadier General Gouverneur Kemble Warren,
US Army Corps of Engineers

While Chamberlain receives most of the glory for the Union stand atop Little Round Top, and rightly so, most do not remember that it was General Warren who recognized the importance of the position and got the troops there to do the job. (The general was later unjustly disgraced on the field of another battle by Phil Sheridan, a general I have never cared for, but that is a story for another time.)

Statue of Brigadier General G.K. Warren atop Little Round Top

Lee's failure to turn the Union left flank at the Round Tops led him to throw the dice in a different place on the 3rd of July. Tested on their right, then tested on their left, the Federals had held their ground, barely.

Surely they must be weak in their center? So Lee may have thought. Pickett's division discovered that they had not been weakened in the center. That charge collapsed in red ruin, and with it the hopes and dreams of Southern Independence.

Though in reality, that dream had been struck a mortal blow in May of that very year, when Lieutenant General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson died of his wounds after the Battle of Chancellorsville. Shot down by his own men when his party had been mistaken for Union cavalrymen.

Just a few thoughts, occasioned by the anniversary of one of the most eventful battles in American history ...

To which I added a few more thoughts, occasioned by my visit last week.

OAFS Photo

Let us remember those folks and the price they paid. Forgetting would be a dishonor to them and to our own posterity. For there are those who would like to see it all happen again.

And yes, there is a special place in Hell for people like that.

I've been rereading this book ...

Source

... I highly recommend it.

¹ Yes, I should have stepped a couple of paces to my left, but I wanted to get the monument in the picture and the kids were yelling from the car that the grandkids were "anxious" to get out of the wind. There was quite a stiff breeze up there that day, chilled me to the bone. Well, that along with thoughts of the ground I was standing on.

² Actually, and this surprised the heck out of me, the 20th Maine was nowhere near the top of Little Round Top, they were positioned near the southern foot of Little Round Top covering the little valley between it and Big Round Top. A most important position as it prevented a Confederate force from getting behind and flanking the men on top of Little Round Top. (Big Round Top, then and now, is too heavily wooded to provide a quick and easy way into the Federal rear.)

Yup, Short Rations Again ...

OAFS Photo

The view from our Airbnb looking north. The place is three and a half miles west by south of downtown Gettysburg. Place was just refurbished, the outside wasn't that pretty, but the inside was very nice. You can see hay on the ground in the foreground where new grass seed has been put down. The front had the same. It's a work in progress but very comfortable and very convenient to the battlefield.

The Airbnb was the kids' idea, after all, staying in a hotel/motel with two very active young boys would have been a "treat" for the other guests. This way, they can scream and carry on to their hearts content. Save the parental units stepping in to provide riot control.

It was a nice mini-vacation and just the thing for me - not too far away, grandkids present, and a trip to a battlefield. Fun for me, I dunno about The Missus Herself, for a non-historian I think she's had her fill of battlefields.

I'm still recovering from the drive, seems the older I get the less my body likes sitting in one place for eight hours at a time and having to remain ever alert for the idiots in this country who somehow manage to obtain a driver's license.

I sure hope some of you noticed Dakota Viking's historical fiction snippets in the comments of the past couple of posts. He's got a right knack for setting the scene and putting you in the midst of the action. Seeing as how the action was on the banks of the Little Big Horn, it was a bit scary as well.

DV - I want more!

That's all for today, my butt is plumb tuckered out. Maybe I'll rewatch The Killer Angels, I still need to find my well-worn copy of the book.

Be seeing you.

Tired, I'm Tired Boss ...

PxHere

Long drive, Your Humble Scribe and The Missus Herself are exhausted.

Traffic through Baltimore and New Jersey was not bad at all.

Then we hit the GW bridge in New York - absolute suckage. Four lanes go down to two, why? Who knows? There are construction signs everywhere, roads are ripped up, barriers are in place but not a sign of, ya know, actual people working.

Want to know just how badly that city is run, just drive through it (actually just near it, the suckage is like a black hole).

But the Connecticut Highway Department makes NYC look like an efficient Swiss watch!

We're heading up I-95 and hit ten miles of bumper to bumper traffic. No signs to indicate what's going on, the GPS said there was a "lane closure ahead." No indication of where though.

Then we came upon it. One truck with a big flashing arrow pointing to the left is driving about two feet into the travel lane. About a half mile ahead is another similarly accoutered truck, this one is half in the travel lane and half on the shoulder.

Finally, there is a third truck, completely blocking the travel lane. In front of that truck is a street sweeper, cleaning the shoulder. Mind you, all of this equipment is traveling at about five to ten miles an hour.

Sarge, what's the big deal? They need to clean those shoulders dontcha know?

Yes, perhaps they should visit freaking New Jersey, where we saw three, yes three, street sweepers all on a similar mission. These all had one truck behind them (one!) with the flashing arrow thing. No traffic pretty much stopped for ten freaking miles, no sir. Things flowed.

Mind you, I've seen Connecticut shut down parts of I-95 so they could cut the one yard wide freaking grass strip in the center of the road adjacent to the concrete barriers dividing the highway. Yes, an entire section knocked down to one lane. Hey, here's an idea, pave that freaking strip. Save the state money that would.

Man, there are times when I think Rhode Island is poorly run then all I have to do is drive over to Connecticut to restore my faith in Rhode Island government.

Rant over, I'm going to bed.

It was a LONG day.

What's Next?

Heading out of town
Gettysburg, PA
OAFS Photo

It was a nice vacation, but as all things must, it has ended. We're back on the road to head north to see what springtime always brings ...

Work in the yard.

Dead branches to be bundled, pond to be cleaned, and preparing the yard for summer - and all that entails.

It's the first year since I was nobbut a youth that there is nowhere I have to be, nothing I have to do for someone else, and all the time in the world to do what we want/need to do.

I'm sure The Missus Herself has some very firm ideas as to what needs doing, after all, they're her gardens and yard - I just live here. But whatever she wants done, she'll be doing the bulk of the work, she always does. Me?

Well, it's a living ...

After the trip to Gettysburg, I feel the need to scribble some historical fiction. I'm pretty certain it will be set in the years 1861 to 1865, on the North American continent, and having something to do with that war.

How not to be political? Well, tell soldiers' tales, leave the politicians and the generals out of it. I have some thoughts on the matter, but why ruin a good story?

We shall see. Long drive today, stuff that needs doing on the morrow, we'll see how it goes.

Until then ...

Settling back into the routine

 Well, campers, as you are probably aware, we had a little bit of technical difficulties publishing last week's post.

Sunset in Tasman Sea off Shore New Zealand

 

Apparently, the highly vaunted internet connectivity of airliners is a bit overstated when in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  The interface used by Blogger to write and post a blog commentary is not apparently compatible with the interface used to connect the airliner’s internet connection with the internet itself.  Thankfully, I was able to send an SOS to Sarge asking for a bit of a respite which he acquiesced to, although I believe Single Malt Scotch was discussed.  

In any case, we are back in the Good Ole U.S of A and the internet is functioning normally.  I think.  I mean I haven't hit the publish button on this post yet, so who knows.

If you don't recognize this, well???

 

ANY how, the cruise was a lot of fun and having the Kids and Grandkids all together was  fabulous!

 

Sydney is a great port and, Oh, My Lord!  New Zealand is unbelievably beautiful even when viewed by a cruise ship drive by.

And had a bit of US History attached to it, Rest in peace, Marines! Job well done!

Yeah, we were supposed to have 5 days at sea, two days each way to and from Australia and 1 day around the southern tip of the North Island.  Unfortunately, Poseidon decided that he would add to the excitement by adding a bit of roller coaster activity.  I'm not a Sea Captain, nor have I played one on TV, but when the actual Captain said putting into port because of the swells might not be a wise move, I was willing to trust his judgement.  So we had a total of 7 days at Sea and only 3 ports of call.  Fortunately, the stock of Single Malt Scotch was sufficient to need!

Interestingly, as heavy as the seas were, the ship rode pretty well and none of my crew seemed to be adversely affected medically.  Which is a good thing.

However....(You knew this was coming dincha?)

On arrival back at Rancho Juvat, Mrs J and I both developed a rather severe problem which required extended time in the bathroom.  Not going into gory details, but it was a bit of an unpleasant way to lose those excess calories that we had consumed.

We're both still a bit queasy at meals.

Ok, juvat, enough gory details.  You've been back for a week.  What have you accomplished productively?

Well, Sarge,  Mrs J, like most wives, is quick to notice when I am not being overly productive, so she has outlined two projects for us (AKA me) to work on.  As I think I've mentioned, we are looking at selling the property and moving to College Station.  A lot of different reasons, among which are age, health and Grand Kids.  

So, we've been prepping the property.  Our two guest houses are in great shape, so no biggie there.  Our current house needs a bit of tidying up.  4 dogs chewing on things like windowsills which now require a bit of rehab,  a couple of door latches need work and then, of course, a bit (OK quite a bit) of cleaning out the Texas Sand from the nooks and crannies is required.  

No big deal there.

The major deal is our old house where we lived for the first 20 years out here.  It's not in bad shape, but does need some touching up as well as off loading quite a few "things" that we acquired in that time but are  no longer needed.  Our plan is to market that as a 4 bedroom B and B for larger groups of guests.  Seems that "Hen Party's" are a big deal on weekends around here.  8-10 paying guests/night should be an attractive  factor in selling the property.

So, my major project now is the refurbishing of the front deck.  Made a bit of progress last week, but Texas Spring Winds (AKA Gales) shut me down for a bit.  Mrs J, want's the deck to be pet friendly/escape proof, so cattle panels and 1 x 6's are coming into play.  Once the wind stops.

Trial run of one panel, just to discover any unplanned hiccups!

But since it hasn't, I've also been assigned the refurbishing of some dining room chairs.  Nice leather seated chairs, but a bit wobbly, so a lot of glue inserted into joints and a lot of clamping while glue drying is taking place.  I've got one ready to be refinished, only 5 more to go.

So, as I mentioned, I'm pretty busy and certainly not bored while kinda enjoying the challenges

Hope y'all are doing well and staying out of trouble (Beans!).

Peace out y'all!

juvat 

P.S. Glad you had a well deserved break, Sarge.  Excellent pics and descriptions of Gettysburg!

 

Our Second Day

West of Gettysburg, looking west along the old Cashtown Pike
OAFS Photo

Today's photos aren't presented in the order they were taken, rather they're in the order matching the timeline of Gettysburg. Today's post will also be a bit "jumbled and confused," if you will. Being on the battlefield has rather overwhelmed my senses and my thoughts. I've waited sixty something years to see this and frankly,

... it's all a bit much.

Statue of Brigadier General John Buford
Commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac
OAFS Photo

The photo above was taken near the spot of the opening photo. I walked away from the road wanting a picture of Buford as he might have stood watching Harry Heth's division of the Army of Northern Virginia advancing towards Gettysburg.

Buford's boys "opened the ball" as it were, firing the first shots of the battle. Heth's boys deployed and tried to brush the cavalry aside, thinking they were facing militia. Nope, they had found the Army of the Potomac.

Buford's cavalry held the Confederates long enough for John Reynold's I Corps to come up.

Statue of Major General John Reynolds
Commanding I Corps of the Army of the Potomac
OAFS Photo

Closer view of General Reynolds monument
OAFS Photo

General Reynolds was Killed in Action early in the fight as he was deploying his corps on the field.

A sobering thought, even generals took their chances in those days.

Another stop we made on the second day was Culp's Hill. Again, I was stunned at the terrain the Confederates fought through on their way up a wooded hill, against breastworks, under heavy cannon and rifle fire.

Gun emplacement atop Culp's Hill
OAFS Photo

The photo describes itself ...
OAFS Photo

We did make it up to the top of Cemetery Ridge, near the Copse of Trees. On the way to that spot, I rather lost control of my emotions. Looking out the right side of the car, The Nuke said, "Look Dad, a Vermont regiment."

And so it was ...

Source

"Dad? Do you want to stop?"

"No, head up to that stand of trees."

A monument to guys from my home state. Men who had stood on this ground nearly 162 years before and attacked the flank of Pickett's attack as it climbed the ridge. They had shed blood for this place, and here I was, a tourist. I felt a bit humbled.

The Copse of Trees
OAFS Photo

The ground crossed by Pickett's Charge
OAFS Photo

Seeing that long stretch of ground I paused atop that wind-swept ridge. The grandkids were getting fussy so I dismounted and took a few photos.

And stood in awe of what those men did over a century ago.

Dear Lord, was it worth it?

Artillery limbers, Army of the Potomac, atop Cemetery Ridge
OAFS Photo

My sleep was restless Friday night, strange place, strange bed, a normal thing with me. But at around 0300 I jerked awake, sat up in a cold sweat. Voices in the night ...

Was it a dream, was this place haunted? Though our Airbnb lies some three miles west of Gettysburg, it was perhaps close enough to feel the spirits of those who died there.

Left me unsettled it did. Seeing that Vermont monument was the straw that broke the camel's back, I suppose.

We quit the field early so the grandkids could have some respite from Grandpa's strange obsession. I made no protest, I was quite ready to quit the field.

I have much to think about, and perhaps a story to tell.

We shall see ...

Gettysburg National Military Park Museum
OAFS Photo

Gettysburg National Military Park Museum
OAFS Photo

More to come, be well my friends.