Wedding In "Nirvana"

Burton Holmes was a mega star of his day; for sixty years he was America's most famous travel showman. The Burton Holmes Lectures, based on the slides and his narrations for them, were presented at Carnegie Hall in excess of 450 times.


Autographed Photograph of Burton Holmes
Wearing His Favorite Attire, Kimono
In Possession Of The Author
Holmes' lectures at Carnegie Hall were accompanied by stereoscopic presentations operated by a young man named E. Jesse Greene (my grandfather). Jesse had joined Holmes and his group of travelers right out of high school. He could have received no better education. Holmes taught him everything he needed to know about photography and when Burton Holmes Inc. switched to film Jesse became a film editor (one of the films Jesse edited, Seeing London (ca. 1920s) can be found here).

E. Jesse Greene
Photograph In Possession Of The Author

Program Brochure Listing
Jesse as The Projectionist

Impressed with Jesse's work was the superintendent of Carnegie Hall, Louis Salter (my great grandfather). Salter spoke with Jesse about doing some work as a projectionist for Carnegie Hall while he was in New York with Burton Holmes. Salter must have been very impressed with Jesse, because he soon allowed the young man to begin courting his only child, Lillian (my grandmother).


Lillian Salter Greene
Photograph In Possession Of The Author

The courtship lasted three years. The Salter's announced the upcoming marriage of their daughter Lillian in the New York Times on June 2, 1919. Following the wedding, the formal announcement of the marriage was sent to friends and family.

Original N.Y. Times Clipping
In Possession Of The Author

Marriage Announcement
In Possession Of The Author

Weddings in New York City during the early 1900s were most often held in the home of the bride's parents. As the Salters lived in Carnegie Hall, other wedding arrangements had to be made for Jesse and Lillian.

Burton Holmes offered his New York Studio "Nirvana" to the young man of whom he had become so fond. This was a wonderful gift from Holmes to the young couple. "Nirvana" was a famous New York studio and gathering place for the elite that were Holmes' friends and associates. Of Nirvana, Holmes is quoted as saying, "I call this place Nirvana, my Oriental heaven in the center of New York. You haven't met Louise, our housekeeper. She calls it Budapest. She has to dust the place."

"Nirvana" was a duplex with fourteen rooms on the top two floors. The building faced West 67th Street, and commanded magnificent views over Central Park, especially at night when the tall buildings of New York City on the south side glowed with thousands of lights. This must have been a very exciting place in which to be married.


View of New York City At Night
From "Nirvana"
The decor was opulent and reflected Holmes' love of the Orient. The apartment was designed by a Japanese architect, filled with things Holmes had found on his travels. The drawing room had a 22 foot ceiling finished in gold leaf, supported by four columns with Japanese cloud capitals. Carpets from a Tibetan monastery covered the floor. One room contained more than one hundred buddhas, most of them finished in gold. (My mother told me that after visiting the studio as a child she was unable to sleep remembering the frightening statutes.)

The Drawing Room - "Nirvana"
Photograph In Possession Of The Author

It is believed that the wedding party photograph was taken by Holmes himself and was another generous gift to the bride and groom.

The Bride
Photograph In Possession Of The Author

The Wedding Party
Louis Salter, Julia Salter, E. Jesse Greene, Lillian Greene, Unknown
Photograph In Possession Of The Author

You can see the same fireplace pictured in the wedding photograph in this photograph of Holmes taken for a biography he had written about himself.

Photograph of Fireplace
Seen In Wedding Photograph

Following the wedding the bride and groom took several months to tour St. Louis and Chicago. It is believed the newlyweds visited Holmes in his Chicago studio during their honeymoon trip. Jesse and Lillian maintained a close friendship with Holmes until his death.

When the honeymoon was over the couple returned to New York to live with the bride's parents.

This is one of those missed opportunities I regret. I never spoke to my grandmother about her wedding. I wish I had. I am, however, fortunate enough to have some facts and photographs to be able to piece together the event.

*******

This article was written as a submission to the 33rd Edition of the Carnival Of Genealogy (COG), with the topic of "Family Wedding Stories & Traditions." This Carnival is hosted by Creative Gene.

SOURCES:
Books:
1. Holmes, Burton. The World Is Mine. Culver City, California: Murray & Gee, Inc., 1953.
2. Soule, Thayer. On the Road With Travelogues: 1935 - 1995 A Sixty-Year Romp. Authorhouse, 2003. Direct quote.
3. Stoddard, Lothrop. Burton Holmes and the Travelogue. Philadelphia: George F. Lasher Printing Company, 1939.
Websites:
1. Burton Holmes Extraordinary Traveler, The Traveler's Rest: Home at Nirvana and Topside, (http://www.burtonholmes.org/: 6 July 2007), unknown author entry.
2. Internet Archive, Seeing London (ca 1920), (http://www.archive.org/details/SeeingLo1920), Burton Holmes entry.
Photographs:
1. All photographs and documents in possession of the author.

HARP And What Can Be Accomplished!

Takuji Yamashita became a member of the Washington State Bar Association 99 years after he graduated from the University of Washington School of Law and passed what was then an oral bar exam.

In 1902 the state of Washington required that its attorneys be United State citizens. The interpretation of the federal law as it related to citizenship was that it was only available to people of Caucasian or African decent. Takuji Yamashita was an Asian born in Japan. The Washington State Supreme Court rejected his application to practice law.

Fresh out of law school Yamashita argued his case before our state's highest court where despite an excellent academic record, having passed the bar exam, having picked up his naturalization papers from the Pierce County Superior Court, and having given an impassioned argument, he lost. He was denied admission to the Washington State Bar.

Yamashita went on to become a strawberry farmer and hotel keeper. He continued to fight to make Asians eligible for naturalization. He challenged Washington State's Alien Land Law, which prohibited "ineligible aliens" (still Asians) from owning land, in the United States Supreme Court in 1922. Again he lost.

He was one of the 110,000 Japanese-Americans interned during World War II. He lost his income and his holdings.

In 2001, the Washington State Supreme Court corrected the wrong committed against Yamashita. In response to a petition from the Asian Bar Association of Washington, the University of Washington School of Law, and the Washington State Bar Association, Yamashita was inducted into the Washington State Bar Association, forty-two years after his death.

Yamashita's case is just one example of what can be accomplished today to correct the past. The vehicle available to us? HARP.

Craig Manson of GeneaBlogie, and one of our fellow GeneaBloggers, has created the Historical Appellate Review Project (HARP) to right past wrongs and injustices.

Craig describes the project this way:

"Using state-of-the-art genealogical and legal research techniques, HARP will investigate cases of allegedly ne'er-do-well ancestors and render an opinion as to whether they were likely guilty or not, whether they got a fair trial, and whether they might b eligible for a pardon. In certain select cases, HARP might actually go to court to clear the name of a wrongly accused or wrongly convicted ancestor.

The purposes are to educate and inform the present generation about the truth of their forebears. Often, it won't be pretty. Sometimes, it'll be historically miraculous! HARP might actually succeed in setting the record straight."

There are certain requirements:

(1) The case must be at least seventy-five years old. That is, seventy-five years must have passed since the last court order in the matter.

(2) The accused must be deceased. Anyone, not just relatives, may submit a case to HARP.

(3) There will be a fee--a reasonable one. HARP reserves the right to change the conditions at any time. Complete details are available by e-mailing HARP.

Do you have a case that needs to be reviewed? Present it to Craig at HARP.

Good luck Craig this is a wonderful endeavor!

*******

Goldsmith, Steven. "Takuji Yamashita." Washington State Bar News, March 2001, 22-23.

Washington State Bar News Cover. Photograph. 2001. Digital image. Privately held by footnoteMaven, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Preston, Washinton. 2007.

Ancestry Employees To Blog

The employees at Ancestry have started their own blog and have posted the following information. (No content has been added as the blog is still in the test mode.)

Welcome to the Ancestry Blog!
Here you will find informational, and sometimes fun, posts from the folks behind the scenes here at Ancestry. We hope you’ll notice just how passionate we are about family history and about the products we're building to help connect families over distance and time."

As of this date, Chris Lydiksen, Sr. Content Manager at MyFamily.com, and Mark Allen are listed as blog post authors, but it looks as if they will be adding more employees.

The categories of posts they will be blogging about are:

* Ancestry Press
* Ancesty.com Site
* Content
* Digitization
* DNA Ancestry
* Family Tree Maker
* Family Trees
* News
* Polls
* Press
* Products
* Publishing
* Site Features
* Site Status
* Tim Sullivan, CEO
* Uncategorized

So welcome to the world of GeneaBloggers Ancestry employees! We look forward to your insight and your contribution to the genealogical community.

footnoteMaven Cuts A Rug

Janice Brown of Cow Hampshire is at it again! This time she challenges all genealogists to prove we have inherited the humor gene by visiting JibJab and creating an hysterical masterpiece relating to genealogy or our family. So here's my masterpiece? The footnoteMaven is a proud Missourian, so see who my old flame might have been.

Hysterical, I'm not so sure, but after seeing myself dance I think I might be related to Britney Spears.


Other really hysterical genealogists:
-- Forgive Me Ancestors at The Oracle of OMcHodoy
-- Janice Brown's My Fam Can Can at Cow Hampshire
-- That Devil! Willie Puckerbrush is struck dumb.
-- Becky Wiseman at kinnexxions does Simpsonized and Cubed
-- Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings is the GeneaBlogger Committed
-- At Smoky Mountain Family Historian Levi and Stephen Do the Hula
-- John Cutter West Subterranean Homesick Blues - I love this one!

*******

Carnival and More

The 33rd Carnival of Genealogy has come to town and Susan Kitchens of the Family Oral History Using Digital Tools Blog has done a fantastic job of compiling all the articles that relate to our submissions on the war. They are arranged by war and Susan has added a whole host of comments and visuals. Great maps, photos, and comments, well done Susan!

The Ken Burns' Promo For
T H E W A R



Craig Manson at GeneaBlogie was so busy writing a legal opinion for the benefit of all Genea-Bloggers that he missed the Carnival. Take a look at the humours way Craig handled this in "Missed Bus."

Call for submissions!

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: Weddings! Is there a cultural or religious wedding tradition in your family? Do you have a funny family wedding story you’d care to share? Did your grandparents elope? Cousin marry cousin? Is there an especially touching wedding photo in your collection? Do you think your ancestor holds the record for the most times married? Write about a wedding(s) in your family and submit it for the next edition of the COG. The deadline for submissions is October 1st. You can submit your blog article for the next edition using the carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

See You At The Carnival!

Apology Accepted

I'm sorry, so sorry.
Please accept my apology!
Brenda Lee ~ 1960


1857

A-POL'O-GY, n.

An excuse, something said or written in defense or explanation of what appears to others wrong or unjustifiable, or of what may be liable to disapprobation. It may be an extenuation of what is not perfectly justifiable, or a vindication of what is or may be disapproved, but which the apologist deems to be right. A man makes an apology for not fulfilling an engagement, or for publishing a pamphlet. An apology, then, is a reason or reasons assigned for what is wrong or may appear to be wrong, and it may be either an extension or a justification of something that is or may be censured by those who are not acquainted with the reasons.

1947

a-pol-o-gy n.

1, something spoken, written, or offered in defense or explanation; 2, a formal acknowledgment, as of error or incivility; an explanation or expression of regret, offered by way of amends; 3, a temporary substitute; a makeshift. Syn. (See excuse).

2007

a-pol-o-gy n.

1, Amanuensis gives an explantion and expression of regret as a way of amends to the genea-blogging community for remarks made in the comments section of EOGN during the "late controversy," to the footnoteMaven. 2, Apology sincerely accepted.

Comment Controversy
R.I.P.

There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
It's easy.
All you need is love (all together now)
All you need is love (everybody)
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.

Wait! Stop! Hold Everything!

How about a Sense of Humor?

____________
Sources

Photograph
Theatrical, "Della Fox in "Fleur-de-Lis," no.10278. Weird, Strange, or Unusual. footnoteMaven Private Collection. Preston, Washington.

Books
Webster's An American Dictionary of The English Language. Revised edition. Springfield, Mass.: George and Charles Merriam, 1857.

Winston Dictionary. College edition. Philadelphia: The John C. Winston Company, 1946.

With thanks to Noah Webster, Janice Brown's 11th cousin, 7 times removed, for just another shameless justification of those many dictionaries!

******

The End!
(We All Hope)

Netiquette

Last night I received an email in which the subject line read "Your "Commenting on Commenting" post on your blog."

Just what does that mean? Are they commenting privately to me on my blog post by that name, or are they asking me to post their email on my blog.

The email was indeed a comment on my blog post, "Commenting on Commenting." Had the sender wanted to comment wouldn't they have gone to the comments section of that post and written?

Nowhere in the body of the email was there any mention of whether this was meant to be a comment or that it was intended to be a private email. The email wasn't signed. I had to make an assumption as to who had sent the email. Having made a few wrong assumptions in my life I will not rely on that alone.

I answered the email and asked for permission to post, but have received no reply. The non-reply could be based on different time zones, email not being read, etc., rather than an implied "do not make public."

When people send me email, I generally assume that they only intend for me to read it and I respect their privacy. When they post a comment to my blog it is obvious that they intend for it to be public.

I do not know if traditional netiquette frowns on making email communications public, but after much thought, I would if it was meant to be a private communication.

In this instance I can not definitively determine the sender's wishes and have decided not to post the comment/email. There are just too many unknowns, so I will err on the side of caution.

What do you think?

There's Nothing Good On eBay?

My husband is adamant - "There's nothing good on eBay." I disagree, and this post is my attempt to prove him wrong and to direct family historians with a connection to the 1898 Alaska Gold Rush to something for sale on eBay that may be of benefit to them, and that I WANT! It is, however, out of my financial league.

So, what is it? It is a previously unknown album of original photographs, illustrations, and captions of the 1898 Alaska Gold Rush compiled by a Boston Newspaper Correspondent named C. J. Messer. All of the information contained in the album could be used by the family historian to paint an historically accurate depiction of this place and time.

As of this post the latest bid is $3,500, as I said, out of my league.

The photograph of the typical miner's habitation is priceless. If you have an ancestor named Jackson, who was a mail carrier in Alaska in 1898, wouldn't you want to know he was "the wickedest man above parallel 60 degrees" and what the wickedest man looked like?

Hurry, the auction only has one day left! Go take a look, I think you will be as enthralled as I have been.

I have posted one of the photographs with biographical information under the "Fair Use" Doctrine, for educational purposes. The actual auction site can be found here.



The following is the description as posted by the seller:

Very rare and historically important, 1898 Alaska Gold Rush Album of original Photographs compiled by a Boston Newspaper Correspondent named C. J. Messer who traveled to the Klondike Gold Mining Region with Neal D. Benedict in March of 1898. This Album is a recently discovered variation of the Neal Benedict “Report” which is among the most important collections of photographs documenting the early days of the Klondike Gold Rush. The Album / Scrapbook measures approx. 12" x 10" and contains 86 interior pages. Sixty of those pages contain original photographs taken along the route of this historic expedition. There are 176 original photographs each measuring 3 3/4” square and mounted 4 to a page. All 176 photos are of the same format and each has a detailed, hand written title beneath the image. Besides the 176 images taken on the journey to the Gold Fields, the album also includes approx. 22 photographs of "Folk Art" type drawings of the Gold Region and of Gold Miners in camp which appear to be the work of one of the members of Messer's group or perhaps the work of someone they met along the way. There are also a number of photographs, in various formats, mounted on the final pages of views in the Gold Regions, views of Portland, Oregon, and a few miscellaneous images (including a candid snapshot of Theodore Roosevelt). Glued to the some of the early pages of the Album are a series of newspaper clippings that tell a story of a trip to the Gold Fields. It seems that this is a serialized "story" written by Messer and published in an unknown Newspaper (he was a correspondent for the Boston Telegram, the Eastern Syndicate and the Associated Press). The tale of the trip (titled “Existence’s Price” ) is told in the style of a novel rather than a typical newspaper or magazine report. It reads almost like something written by an aspiring "Jack London". The author plays the part of a newspaperman who manages to attach himself to a group of associates headed for the Klondike Gold Fields and seems to follow the path that the Benedict / Messer group traveled during this expedition.

The journey (and the Photos) begin in Seattle on March 10th, 1898 where C. J. Messer and Neal Benedict board the Connecticut & Alaska Mining and Trading Co.’s Schooner “Moonlight” which carries 32 passengers and 35 tons of equipment on the 4 week trip to Valdez, Alaska Territory. From Valdez (at this early date only a comparatively small collection of cabins and tents) the “Benedict Expedition” (including C.J. Messer) travels up and over the Valdez Glacier to the Klutena Valley. They reach a small encampment on the Klutena River called “Saw Mill”. From here Messer (and we assume Benedict) travel to “Copper Center” and follow “Millard’s Trail” to Drum Lake and the Sanford River. It appears that Messer and Benedict are not Gold Miners but rather “observers” of the “goings on” in the Region - C. J. Messer as a Newspaper Reporter and Neal Benedict as a budding "entrepreneur" reconnoitering the area in hopes of generating the interest of investors in developing the Copper River Area as a "tourist / resort destination" similar to the "Spas" and "Resorts" so popular with the upper class Victorian traveler of the late 19th century. This journey ended with their return to Seattle on August 27th, 1898.

Neal D. Benedict, a resident of Florida, was a member of the Connecticut and Alaska Mining and Trading Company, which prospected the Copper Basin in 1898. He drafted an account of the 1898 “Expedition”, which was illustrated with 158 original photographs. The manuscript (entitled The Valdes and Copper River Trail, Alaska) was never published but on April 7th, 1899 Benedict submitted 2 copies of the typescript manuscript to the United States Copyright Office. Both copies of the typescript were accompanied by 158 numbered and identified photographs taken during the journey. It appears that Benedict produced at least 1 other copy of his manuscript which also included the same 158 images. In 2007 one copy of the Typescript resides in the Library of Congress, one in the Alaska Historical Library (this is one of the 2 original copies deposited with the Copyright Office that was returned to Alaska at the request of Alaska’s US Senator) and the third which is owned by the preeminent Collector of Alaska Historical Material Candy Waugaman.

The (previously unknown) Album offered here appears to have been assembled by C. J. Messer using not only the 158 images included with the Benedict Manuscripts but with 18 additional images from the same group as the Benedict photos, 22 images of Alaska Gold Rush “Folk Art” paintings and approx. 15 other photographic views (some of larger size) taken along their route. Of special interest is the fact that under each photo in this album there is a neatly hand written description of the image. In most cases this description includes the title given to the photograph by Neal Benedict (as seen in the previously known typescript copies) but Messer goes on to elaborate on what is pictured in the image. Sometimes he adds important information not found in the Benedict titles. In some cases Benedict’s titles are actually a less than honest representation of what appears in the image and the descriptions written by Messer in the album offered here take great pains to tell “the whole truth”. An example of this is a photo of Neal Benedict with his foot on a large log holding an ax. In the Benedict typescript this photo is titled “The Artist and Author of this work, Cutting Wood in Solemn and Solitary Grandeur near Camp Valdes”, while in the Messer Album the title reads “N. D. Benedict. Never cut down a tree in his life though from the general appearance you’d think differently”. another example involves Benedict’s photo Number 24 which is titled in his monograph “A Tent at the Fourth Bench.”. in the Messer Album that image is described as “The Camp of the woman miner who was later Mrs. Jinkings. This is the roof that the soldier sewed in “Existence’s Price”.

There's Always Something Good On eBay!

The Campbells Enter The War Between The States

This is Chapter Five of the Campbell section of the chronicle of my family entitled Time and Chance. This chapter deals with the Campbells in the time leading up to the War Between The States and the background for Isaac's time in the service of the Confederacy.

John and Sarah Campbell are my GG-Grandparents, Isaac is my Great Grandfather.

**********

T I M E ~ A N D ~ C H A N C E
Happen To Them All

Again I saw that under the sun the race
is not to the swift,
nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise,
nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to men of skill
but time and chance happen to them all.

Ecclesiastes

Chapter Five

Behind the Counter
Campbell and Clinkscales

December 1854
John Campbell stood behind the counter sorting the day's mail. He had recently been appointed the postmaster for Carrollton, Missouri, and had established the post office in the mercantile he owned with John Clinkscales.

Selections for postmasters in 1853 were made by Congressmen under a complicated "advisor" system. John, as a would be postmaster, would have been required to gain the support of his Representative or Senator, then Presidential nomination to the Senate, and finally Senate confirmation. Senator David Atchison was the only Democrat from Missouri serving in the Congress in 1854 and as John was a loyal Democrate, Atchison would have made this nomination. John Campbell had made a political statement and was beginning his political career in Carrollton.

Everyone in town now had to pass through the doors of Campbell and Clinkscales to collect their mail and that had to be good for the mercantile business. Get the customer through the door and in the store; yes, John had a head for business.

Outgoing mail was John's responsibility as well. He collected 3 cents for a letter traveling under 3,000 miles and 6 cents for distances over 3000 miles (typically coast to coast). The Postal Service had just reduced the cost of a stamp and people coming into the store would have thought they were getting a bargain. More money saved would mean more money spent on store purchases.

John saw more people in the store each week than did the local lawyer, doctor, or the preacher. He dispensed the news of the day to all and sundry that entered the store. John had the opportunity to read all the periodicals and newspapers that came through the post office and that surely gave him a lot to talk about.

The mercantile was the obvious gathering place for the local farmers who brought their crops in to barter with John for goods and supplies, and for the townspeople who came for their mail and stayed to converse with John. He was an affable man and soon was affectionately referred to by everyone in the county as "Uncle John."

The appointment increased his income. A postmaster in a town the size of Carrollton could receive as much as a $1,000 per year. John, being an ambitious man, held on to his tobacco farm and acquired several slaves. The first slave was "old Aunt Martha" and the next, a male slave by the name of John Outcalt. The Campbell family Bible records the births of the children of "old Aunt Martha," but fails to note their father. Many have presumed it was the slave John Outcalt (also known as John Campbell), but there are no records to substantiate this. All of the children of Aunt Martha took the surname of Campbell.

Children of Aunt Martha

Joan Campbell - 14 July 1851
Harriet Ann Campbell - 8 December, 1853
Eliza Jane Campbell - 22 November 1856

The political tides in Missouri were changing rapidly. Early in April 1861, after having been pointed out as a Southern sympathizer, John was forced to submit to many indignities at the hands of the militia and the regular Federal troops. Realizing his position was tenuous and that his family was in jeopardy, John abandoned his merchandising business and position as postmaster and returned to the farm.

An Assistant Provost Marshall was assigned to the Carrollton area. Men and women who owned slaves or had southern sympathies were being required to sign an Oath of Allegiance to the Union. John had both slaves and southern sympathies, so he was required to sign, as were his wife Sarah and their children.

John's eldest son Isaac had been reported to the Provost Marshall. Charges and specifications for violation of his oath of allegiance were filed. Isaac was accused of joining the rebels after taking his oath. The Provost Marshall had the statement of William Grow, a resident of Carroll County, that he had seen Isaac with the rebels while Grow had been held prisoner.

Isaac, only nineteen years old, was indeed with the rebels. He had taken his horse and set off for Lexington to join General Sterling Price. John's family was convinced that it was their duty to defend the State of Missouri from invading Federal troops. Troops that meant to take away Missouri's right to make its own decisions for its own citizens.

The Federal troops were now actively looking for Isaac. John feared they would turn their attention to Isaac's fourteen-year-old brother James, forcing James to enlist in the Army as a show of good faith by the family that they supported the Union. In the dead of night, John stole away from the farm with James in tow, taking him to the safety of Louisville, Kentucky and the home of his sister Jenny Sproul.

John's wife Sarah had moved to the farm in Brunswick, Missouri, with her youngest son, three daughters, and the slaves. With John gone, the responsibility now fell to Sarah to maintain the crops and safeguard their home. A task she could not perform without the aid of the slaves Aunt Martha and John Outcalt.

Travel to Kentucky was long and dangerous and John knew he had to quickly return to Missouri to protect his family and property. Seeing James safely with his sister, John did not stop, but immediately returned to Missouri. A Missouri now deep in turmoil.

The Campbell family farm became a recruiting station. A place used to meet and solicit the men of Carroll and surrounding counties into the Confederate service. John was facilitated in these efforts by John L. Mirick.

John Mirick was a local boy, having attended high school in Carrollton. Upon graduation he commenced the reading of law with the Honorable R.D. Ray. He was admitted to the bar in 1859 and practiced as an attorney in Carrollton until the spring of 1861. Mirick aided in raising a company of infantry for the service of the State of Missouri under the first call of the Governor. Elected 2nd Lieutenant, Mirick took the company to Jefferson City to protect the capitol from the advance of General Lyon.

He was at the Lexington fight with John's son Isaac and took part in many engagements that summer in his service for the state. Mirick then joined the confederate army and was detailed on recruiting service, taking many into the army with the help of John Campbell.

Although John did not know it at the time, Mirick's ties to his family would be even closer following the end of the war, for in 1869 Mirick would marry John Campbell's daughter Mary William.



Chapter Six

Battle of Lexington
In and Around The City

September 18, 19, 20, 1861

The war will be over in ninety days. That's what Isaac thought, and his parents hoped.

T o B e C o n t i n u e d

Where Were You Six Years Ago Today?

This country's collective tragedy of 9/11 is far more vivid in my mind than where I was and what I was doing six years ago today. What happened to me that day blurs. The impressions of the events on the East Coast have taken over as my memory. While they are far more clear than what happened to me that day, I have tried to recount what was my personal experience six years ago today.

It was early in the morning here on the West Coast. I was in Portland. I was attending my masters of law program and was renting a house with three young men, all first year law students. I was still in bed when my daughter called. I was listening to her describe what was happening, when the young man from New York started banging on our bedroom doors. At the same time he was trying desperately to reach his family back home.

We all got up and gathered in the living room. No television, we were huddled around a small radio I took from my room. "Who would do this," one of the young men asked? "Osama Bin Laden would be my prime candidate," I answered. Then one of the other boys proceeded to explain how this was our fault based on our foreign policy.

A foreign policy lecture? This was not the time or the place. I went to my room to get dressed. My husband called, he was watching TV when the second plane hit. He wanted me to come home. I told him I'd drive on campus and see what the schedule was and let him know. My daughter called again. Her company was headquartered in the World Trade Center. There was no contact with the people she spoke to every day and it would be days before she knew the fate of several in the WTC who had been friends. She was shaken and wanted me to come home.

Everything seemed to be in fast motion that morning. People moved faster, talked faster. Not quite panic, but certainly not calm. By the time I arrived at the Dean's office I had heard about the Pentagon. The law school was hosting a federal judges conference that day and I recognized what were surely FBI agents.

Not a good day to have that many federal judges in one spot I thought. The conference was cancelled. By now, I just wanted to go home. The school left the decision to each student as to whether or not they would leave campus. I knew nothing would be accomplished in class and that my family needed my support and I theirs. I started for home.

Home was not just around the corner. Home was a three and a half hour drive. During the drive I heard from each of my children and my husband several times. About two hours into the drive I became ill. When I arrived in town I drove straight to the Emergency Room where my husband met me. I spent the night, probably the only person in the country who had not seen any of the coverage on television. Probably best, one of my nurses had assured me.

The next days would make up for that. Some of it vivid to this day. I have heard some people say they try to put those images out of their mind. I do not. I consciously try to remember them. I remember them often. The young girl holding up the photograph of her father pleading for help in finding him, exhausted rescuers covered in dust, those who chose to jump to their death, and the collapse of a landmark, a symbol, our security. I remember. I will always remember.

Games Magazine Cover Article on Forensic Genealogy Photo Quizzes

I just received an email from Colleen Fitzpatrick, the Forensic Genealogist, regarding the world of genealogy branching out into some new and interesting territory.

This month's Games Magazine cover article features Forensic Genealogy photo quizzes. Colleen's photo quizzes are like Lay's potato chips, you can't do just one.

The article includes photos and quotes submitted by friends and quizmasters: Mary Frazer, Gwen Upton, Joe Bott (of www.deadfred.com), Elaine Hebert, Emily Aulicino, Andy Yeiser, Paul and Carolyn Vermeulen, Beth D. Mendel, and David Adamovich (aka The Great Throwdini).

Games Magazine, the magazine for creative minds at play, is published by Kappa Publishing Co. and is available on magazine racks and bookstores everywhere. Including my favorites, Barnes and Noble and Borders.


Check it out and congratulations Colleen!

Part I & 2 of A Legal Analysis of the Late Controversy

Read Craig Manson's Legal Analysis
Ancestry Part 1
Ancestry Part 2

DearMyrtle's Family History Hour and fM

footnoteMaven had the honor of being a guest on DearMyrtle's Family History Hour for 28 August 2007.

Let me just say, Myrt is a joy to work with. She's also an absolute pro at putting her guests at ease and eliciting just the right information from those of us more accustomed to writing than to talking. In a matter of minutes she made me feel as if we had been friends forever.

We had a discussion about a blog post I wrote entitled “Get Organized: Store Information Directly In Your Photographs." Photographs are near and dear to the footnoteMaven's heart and keeping track of them is critical. As any good footnoteMaven would, I store the bibliographic information directly in the photograph as well. This way I never have to construct it twice. I hope it works for you.

So, to DearMyrtle, thank you for asking me to be a guest on your Family History Podcast. You are the "Queen of Genea-Bloggers."

DearMYRTLE’s blog post and links for the Family History Hour 28 Aug 2007 genealogy podcast can be found here. The actual podcast can be found here.

A Walk Around Lake Washington

Lorraine McConaghy, historian of the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle, my good friend, and my instructor at the University of Washington Certificate Program in Genealogy and Family History decided to make her project for the summer a walk. Not just any walk, Lorraine decided to circumnavigate metro Seattle's vast urban Lake Washington.

I loved and identified with her reasons for this urban odyssey:

“But in the end, I decided to walk around Lake Washington for a variety of reasons, not all particularly good ones. Personally, I just wanted to accomplish something, to actually finish something. Cheek had clocked in at about 75 miles — I thought I might be able to manage that in less than a week. And I'd just turned 60, which was a real shocker — I needed to test myself, this new person suddenly grown old. And I loved Lake Washington but couldn't afford to live on it; maybe encircling it, learning it, would let me truly see this urban lake and own it without ownership.”

Lorraine chronicled her journey in a four part series for Crosscut, the online guide to local and Northwest news that publishes news, commentary, news about commentary, commentary about news — just about anything that is non-fiction.

Lorraine is a genuine storyteller and a joy to read. So take a walk with her. Soak up a little sun and a little history without hurting your feet. Read the tale of the lake as told by a friend.: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

Commenting on Commenting

I comment daily on the blogs of genea-bloggers I read and enjoy, and rarely on what might be called “commercial blogs." Commenting for me enhances the sense of community I get from being a genea-blogger.

I know from experience it is difficult to dedicate a lot of time and effort to a posting and never know if anyone has read or enjoyed my efforts. Knowing how this feels, I let my fellow genea-bloggers know when something they have written has connected with me. My experience is that almost all genea-bloggers do the same.

I didn't get into blogging to be another Dick Eastman. He has the market cornered and does an admirable job. I wanted to blog for the pure enjoyment of creating with a group of people who didn't roll their eyes and yawn every time I started talking about my latest genealogy project. I wanted to learn with a group of people who had continually demonstrated they were willing to share their expertise. I wanted to benefit from their comments on my work.

A post on the Freakonomics Blog entitled "Who Comments on Blogs, and Why?" received, as you can guess, a lot of comments on why people do and do not comment. One reason people stated they didn't comment was the fear that they would be ridiculed. Others, like me, said they commented because they were looking for a sense of community and gravitated to blogs that offered community.

Chad Milliner, a Content Specialist for The Generations Network, Inc. (using the screen name Amanuensis), in a comment on "To Cache or Not to Cache: The Definitive Answer" wrote this about genea-bloggers:

"From the most recent posts that on the genealogical blogs right now, the genealogical blogging community appears to be an insular clique focused more on patting each other on the back than they are on actually creating something to benefit the genealogical community."

I personally think Chad is wrong. I think the genea-blogging community welcomes all comments and new genealogy bloggers into our community without reservation. Whether they are here to agree with us, compliment us, offer a differing opinion, or are looking for a sense of community, they are welcome. I have never known anyone to be ridiculed for commenting on a genea-blog.

On a daily basis I read posts and comments from genea-bloggers that are of benefit to me and to the entire genealogy community. I sincerely hope, I have written a few.

So if you are new to the genealogy blogs, welcome! And please leave a comment!

The Carnival Is In Town!

The 31st Carnival of Genealogy has come to town and it is extremely interesting this time. The twenty-two contributors worked diligently to Confirm or Debunk: Family Myths, Legends, and Lore, or not as the case may be.

Thanks to Craig Manson at GeneaBlogie for a terrific job of hosting and where you will find all the contributions.

The theme for the next Carnival of Genealogy ties in with a noteworthy documentary coming September 23 to PBS -- "The War," by Ken Burns. "The War" tells the story of World War II through the lives of ordinary men and women from four American cities. For the mid-September Carnival, tell any story about a wartime event or soldier in your family (no need to limit it to World War II or America). The deadline is September 15. The Carnival will be hosted by Susan Kitchens at Family Oral History Using Digital Tools.


See you at the next Carnival!

Bring Your Family Together - At A Genealogy Event Near You

Pages - House of Representatives - Raleigh, N.C. - 1903

Seattle, Washington - Western Washington

September 2007

Tuesday 4 September
South King County Genealogical Society
Board Meeting
Greater Kent Historical Society (Bereiter House) at 855 E Smith Street, Kent
Meeting from 7pm - 9pm
Visit the SKCGS Website for more information.

Wednesday 5 September
South King County Genealogical Society
Out to Lunch Bunch
Mitzels at 22244 8th So., Kent
Lunch 1:00 p.m.
Everyone is welcome to join this group.
For additional information please check the WA-SKGS-L mailing list.
Please e-mail jeanfish@netsplash.com or call Jean Fisher at 425-413-6953 if have any questions.
Please let Betty Jasbec know if you plan to come. We need to let the restaurant know how many to plan for. E-mail blj938@aol.com or call Betty at 253-631-0640.
Visit the SKCGS Website for more information.

Thursday 6 September
South King County Genealogical Society
The Legacy Users Group
Church of Latter-Day Saints at 24419-94th Ave. So., Kent
Meeting from 10.30am - 12 noon
Visit the SKCGS Website for more information.

Saturday 8 September
NARA
Finding Hidden Clues in Your Family Photographs
NARA-Pacific Alaska Region at 6125 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle
Bring your own photos with you and learn to analyze them for historical, family and other research purposes. There will also be a section on finding family photos published online.
Class runs from 10am to 12.30pm. Admission is $10.
Visit NARA's Pacific Alaska Region for more information.

Saturday 8 September
Seattle Genealogical Society
Lake City Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 12501 28th Ave. N.E., Seattle
COMPUTER INTEREST GROUP - TBA.
The CIG meets in the conference room at the north end of the library, which is wheelchair accessible. Free parking is available in their underground garage or on the street.
Meeting is 10.30am – 12.30pm
Visit the SGS Website for more information.

Saturday 8 September
NARA
Citing Primary Sources
NARA-Pacific Alaska Region at 6125 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle
An overview of ways to record sources, why you need to document and a presentation of the best manuals and articles online. Additionally, some of the problems in documentation will be presented with possible solutions.
Class runs from 1.30pm to 4pm. Admission is $10.
Visit NARA's Pacific Alaska Region for more information.

Monday September 10
Jewish Genealogical Society
Understanding and Preserving Your Old Photos - Nicolette Bromberg
Stroum JCC at 3801 East Mercer Way, Mercer Island
Who is that bearded man? When was this picture taken? We all encounter similar questions when we look at undocumented photos. Come join us as Nicolette teaches us how to date photographs by understanding historical formats, as well as learning about photographed clothing and backgrounds, the photographers and photographer stamps. She will also share the best way to preserve, care for and store photos. You will also be introduced to the Washington State Jewish Archives Photograph Collections Database at db.lib.washington.edu/wsja/, which contains more than 4000 photographs relating to the Jewish communities in Washington State.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER: Nicolette Bromberg is Visual Materials Curator for the University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, where she is in charge of historical photographs, films, architectural drawings, and the visual materials for the Washington State Jewish Historical Society. Her extensive professional background includes many years as photo-archivist at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Kansas. She holds an MA and MFA in photography.
Brick Walls Q&A: 7:00-7:30 pm
Do you have a research question or a success story to share? Bring it to the meeting. You will have an opportunity prior to the lecture to get fresh ideas or solve your problem! We are here to help you with your research.JGSWS library materials will be available for your research before and after the presentation.
Lecture 7pm. Admission is free for JGSWS members, $5 for nonmembers.
Visit Jewish Genealogical Society for more information.

Monday 10 September
Seattle Genealogical Society
SGS PROGRAM MEETING - Location to be announced.
SGS is pleased to present Friedrich Wragge from Reinbek near Hamburg, Germany. He will give a Power Point presentation (in English) on the Ortfamilienbuch (OFB) Berne, this is the family lineage book of a church community. The dates of entries in the birth, marriage and death registers of the church books spans a time period form 1641/1659 to 1900. These Berne books contain 2596 pages and lists 15459 families and 44029 persons. If you have any German ancestry this will be your opportunity to learn about a wonderful resource for genealogical information. All are welcome.
Meeting is 7pm – 9pm
Visit the SGS Website for more information.

Monday 12 September
Seattle Genealogical Society
STATE FOCUS GROUP: MARYLAND
SGS Library at 6200 Sand Point Way N.E. #101, Seattle
Meeting 1pm - 3pm
Visit the SGS Website for more information.

Monday 12 September
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society
Annual Show and Tell ~ Genealogical Discoveries This Summer
Olympic Room - Tacoma Public Library at 1102 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma
Meeting 6.45pm - 8.30pm. Social "cookies & coffee" time which begins at 6.30pm
Visit the TPCGS Website for more information.

Thursday 13 September
South King County Genealogical Society
TMG Users Group
Algona-Pacific Library at 255 Ellingson Rd, Pacific
Meeting from 1pm - 3pm
Visit the SKCGS Website for more information.

Thursday 13 September
South King County Genealogical Society
General Meeting
First Baptist Church of Kent at 11420 SE 248th St, Kent
Meeting topic: "Sharing" In this open forum meeting members are invited to share their summer experiences.
Meeting 9.30am - 12noon. Coffee & cookies at 9.30am meeting at 10am
Visit the SKCGS Website for more information.

Saturday 15 September
Heritage Quest Research Library
Passage Express - Jim Johnson
Heritage Quest Library at 909 Main Street, Suite 5
Sumner, WA 98390.
Class runs from 9am to 11am. Admission is $10.
Visit Heritage Quest Research Library for more information.

Tuesday 18 September
South King County Genealogical Society
Computer Interest Group.
Auburn Library at 1102 Auburn Way S., Auburn
Meeting 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Note SUMMER meeting.
Visit the SKCGS Website for more information.

Monday 24 September
South King County Genealogical Society
Heritage Photo Interest Group
Auburn Fire Department at 1101 D St NE, Auburn
Meeting 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Everyone welcome to join us
Visit the SKCGS Website for more information.

Saturday 29 September
Seattle Genealogical Society
2007 SGS FALL SEMINAR - "Henry Z. 'Hank' Jones"
Lake City Elks Club, 14540 Bothell Way N.E., Lake Forest Park, Washington.
$40 ($50 SGS nonmembers - extra $10 applicable to membership)
More information and a printable registration form here.
Lecture 8.15am - 4.30pm

The Tale Is Here To Tell

I was born and raised in Missouri. My family arrived there by way of Scotland, Ireland, Virginia, and Kentucky. Each of those spots are fodder for a good family tale. You know the ones I mean. We are related to William Wallace, the Duke of Argyle, Daniel Boone, Jesse James, and any number of Cherokee princesses.

The family tale I like the best doesn't connect me to anyone famous, infamous would be more like it. It is a story told essentially the same by all who have chosen to make it our legacy. Aunts and uncles alike have committed the story to writing and while they are no longer here to tell the tale, the tale is here to tell.

The Campbell men, it has often been lamented, didn't have the strength or conviction of the Campbell women. Drink was often their undoing. Drink, as the tale goes, was both the doing and undoing of my great grandfather, Issac Reed Campbell.

When my grandfather was a small boy, his father Issac moved the family from Carrollton, Missouri, to homestead two sections of land in Kansas. Issac knew a great deal about horse flesh, having served in the Confederate Calvary in the Civil War. He was very good at horse trading and was very proud of the wagon and matched set of white horses he had acquired.

Issac had taken the horses and wagon to cut logs to use to build a house and strayed too far into Indian Country. Issac, the horses, and the wagon went missing.

One month went by and still no sign of Issac. Several men residing in the area saw this as an opportunity to show up at the homestead and take the land and what few possessions Issac owned from his poor unprotected wife Molly.

Molly met them with the paperwork for the homestead and a shotgun. While they didn't find the paperwork to be thoroughly convincing, a few well placed blasts from her shotgun convinced the opportunists Molly was anything but a poor unprotected woman. They never returned.

Two more weeks went by and still no sign of Issac. Molly, and the mountain lion that howled outside the door of her sod house, had both given up on Issac's safe return.

Two months had now gone, when to everyone's amazement a very alive, well-fed, but inebriated Issac returned. It seems the Indians didn't like Issac's pilfering of their lumber, but they had heard he knew how to construct a still and they thought that knowledge was worth his life. So, they took Issac, the lumber, the wagon, and those beautiful white horses back to their camp.

You can't just build a still without sticking around to sample the product. Two months worth of sampling and one Thanksgiving celebration later the Indians escorted Issac out of Indian Country. Minus the wagons, lumber, and horses I might add.

While drink had saved his life it was to be his undoing. When Molly got the truth out of Issac, about his disappearance, she used her broom to break every bottle Issac had brought back with him. The bottles you should know, were in the pockets of his pants.

A tall tale? Perhaps, but what's the harm. There are some tales I'd rather enjoy as I've been told them, then go on a quest for the truth.

Blodging

"Blodging again?" my husband called out as he passed my office this morning.

"It's blogging," I responded. "B - l - o - g - g - i - n - g. Blogging."

He turned around and came back to stand in the office doorway. "I don't know what blogging is," he said. "But, I do know the definition of blodging."

"O.K., I'll bite," I answered. "What's blodging?"

"Blodging is dodging what you should be doing by blogging," he smiled.

Sigh. He's got me there. Another word enters the lexicon of the blogging world.

Pardon me; I need to get back to blodging.