Revolutionary War Rambles

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Fellow BWL author Kathy Fischer-Brown and I took several trips into the rich historical area of upstate New York and one into New Jersey. I had seen re-enactments before, but Kathy loved these events, and being with her and therefore in good company, it made these experiences even more fun than before. As Kathy is gone now, and taken all her knowledge and wit with her, I'm dedicating this blog to the fun we had -- not to mention all the discomforts of travel on a shoestring -- we shared together. 

If you are into the Revolutionary War, all these photos are of places and things that set a writer's historical spider-senses a-tingle. Re-enactors are an amazing source of period information. These are the kinds of touches that can truly flesh out a story, if only you take the time to ask questions and then listen while you trudge through roasting summer days, wondering at how our linen and wool-covered informants aren't fainting.

This is Kathy at the front door of the Schuyler Mansion in Albany, NY, where the Schuyler sisters grew up. I found those fascinating ladies back in the 90's when I wrote my Hamilton & Eliza story, a Master Passion.

Put brackets "" around mansion, though, as any number of modern monster McMansions are larger. Back in the 1770's though, this home was an outpost of Europe, with linoleum "rugs" over the wide board floors, as well as woolen carpets and ornate wallpaper imported from France. This house sat on the edge of a still truly primeval forest, filled with wolves, bears, beaver and many tribes of First Nation's people.    
 

We thought he was amazing! Anyone who writes novels in this time period, even with the slightest brush of the romantic, has imagined this fella and his well-behaved palomino. I will admit that we waved and called to him hoping he'd wait for us so that we could take his picture. He was most gracious, even though women had probably been harassing him all day.  :)

Here's an operation I wish I'd known about earlier, simply for the colorful language. These artillery people are engaged in a hither-to unknown (to me) operation called "puking the cannon." Cold water is poured down the hot barrel after a fight, to be sure it's clear inside and not accumulating gun powder residue. Sure enough, the cannon hisses and then "pukes" out a long jet of scalding water. Now the cannon is cleaned and we also know that it has not cracked. Cannons blowing up was part of the hazard of the artillery companies. As Hamilton spent the first years of the Revolutionary War as a humble artillery captain, this would have been a familiar duty. 

 

The inadvertent humor of re-enactment, present all the time, is in this juxtaposition of 2015 and 1776. The macadam, too, is often a reminder of where you really are, no matter how hard you are exercising your fantasy bone. 

 

Kathy and the surgeons, British camp. These gentlemen showed us their instruments and we talked about wound care and the damage a pistol's .54 caliber ball could do to a leg bone or a chest. 

Inside Fort Ticonderoga with an officer with whom we "held discourse." Another memorable horse, very patient and obviously used to this kind of all-day nonsense.  The green jacket on the officer makes me believe he was playing a Tory officer, a British loyalist, but Kathy can no longer tell me of  what regiment. She had all that kind of information on the tip of her tongue.  Her "The Serpent's Tooth" trilogy draws a great picture of the divided loyalties of American colonists of the time.

That's me, tactlessly wearing an Alexander Hamilton t-shirt into the grounds of Fort Ticonderoga's  "King's Garden." I got called on this a lot, especially when we were visiting the Royalist encampments.  

Magnificently terrifying Iroquois warriors, speaking with a soldier at the British market.  

Ticonderoga cannons, overlooking Lake Champlain. Both of us lugged our cameras and water bottles.

Here is Kathy with a friend. Jenna, a marvelous teacher, and is also an 18th Century seamstress, making period clothing for both men and women. She also made stays, which is, as it was then, an expensive clothing item, very difficult and time-consuming to make. Jenna's friends were also talented seamstresses and dedicated to the re-enactment life. I adored seeing their little ones, all dressed up and quite ready to join in the camp out game their adults were playing. 

Here, we got a talk on the progress of the battle--back at Saratoga again--which was a three day affair with weeks of skirmishes both before and after in the countryside near Albany. Some of the young men were,, in their modern lives, historians, teachers or in forestry. Others were employees of the the Park Service.

Here's Jenna again, playing another role, as sutler, vending produce to the army. Many of these veggies ended in a big pot at the fire for re-enactors' suppers.  Camping is a big part of the experience.  

Mom and a pair of siblings. Big sister is an invaluable help corraling the little one! Here the women are portraying "women of the army," soldier's wives and children, who always slogged along in the baggage train of 18th Century armies. Women had no other option than to follow their husbands. Any army of that period had children in the baggage train too. The women worked as laundresses and cooks for the troops. Wives got a soldier's half ration and the children were allotted quarter rations. You can imagine how hungry--and ready to join up--the teen boys were! 

Saratoga cannon appreciation.

Bullet making

Officer and wife have a confab. 

Below, we're at Monmouth, where young men were cooking in an earthen oven. They are also baking salt rising bread in this interesting construction, which was dug into the soft sandy soil of the site. The fire was in the largest hole with separate tunnels dug to direct heat onto other pots set above ground. Monmouth Battlefield that day was a period correct 90+ degrees.  Kathy and I were sweating in our t-shirts and shorts and constantly wondered about how the re-enactors were faring inside all that wool. More soldiers, I've read, died of heat stroke at The Battle of Monmouth than died from wounds. 

Here's Kathy, speaking with a charming doctor and surgeon at Fort Ticonderoga. Here's how I will remember her, asking questions, talking history and, if questioned, citing sources, holding her own with these equally history-drunk gentlemen.   

Kathy Fischer-Brown's author page

Indoor Dining and Other Joyous Occasions by Connie Vines

We have all been social distancing, staying home, and donning masks for the past year to prevent infection. Depending on the size of your "social bubble" (usually, immediate family members), you are able to interact with others. The vaccine availability seems to have lessened stress levels of many, and for that, I am grateful. 

However, here in southern California, we have been "closed" for almost and entire year. 

Historic Downtown Upland

Even outdoor dining was only a very recent and not very frequent option.

Being an Introvert by nature, and a writer with two dogs for company, life hasn't been intolerable for me. However, the days and weeks seem to blend into one another. 

And, while my dogs were able to visit the groomer--I was not.

I am not very good at do-it-your-self hair cuts. Still, I am ambidexterous, so my nails are presentable. (Not a good trade-off, but it is what it is.)

When we were given the okay for indoor dining, I realized I have not sat inside a restaurant since Jan. 2020. 

Wow.

My favorite restaurant (Souplantation) is shuttered for good.

This gave me a chance to re-define 2021 with a tentative baby-step.  Nothing profound, mind you, but a step back into normalcy.

I do love coffee but I also enjoy a cup of Earl Grey tea every afternoon, I realized, pondering a place to dine.

I visited my hairstylist.

I was able to make a reservation at a 'newly relocated'  English Tea Room.

The Magnolia Tea Room is only 6 miles from my home. It's also located in the Downtown Historical District in Upland, California. 

I thought I'd share my joyous occasion and '1st 2021 Adventure' with you :-).

The Outdoor Garden

The Afternoon Tea setting

The scone was delicious (I didn't snap a picture)

The Ladies' Room

 

Terry, "Me" and Michael (notice my lovely hairdo)
 All vegetables and fruit are harvested from one of their two local farms.
Farm to Table is their motto.
I brought home a jar of  'honey with a touch of lavender', too!

After I click the 'publish' button for this post, I'm back at my keyboard with a pup in my lap and a cup of hot tea within reach. 

Happy Reading! (remember to mention a favorite tea in any comment you leave for me.)

Next Release

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

WARRIOR WOMEN Part 1 - THE ANCIENT WORLD - by Vijaya Schartz

Find most of my BWL titles HERE

Ahhotep : Military Leader and Egyptian Pharaoh

  

Ahhotep’s burial equipment included a dagger and an inscribed ceremonial axe blade made of copper, gold, electrum and wood. The decorations were characteristically Minoan. Also found were three golden flies, badges of bravery awarded to people who served in the army.

Fu Hao: China’s First Female General:

One of the earliest records of female warriors in China comes from oracle bones found in a tomb. The bones told the forgotten story of a ruthless military general of the Shang Dynasty in 1200 BC. The warrior was Fu Hao, queen consort of King Wu Ding, high priestess, and military leader. She defended the Shang dynasty in several battles. 

At the time of her death, she was the first female Chinese soldier to be buried with the highest military honors.

Artemisia I Of Caria: Commander of Ancient Halicarnassus

According to Herodotus, Artemisia of Halicarnassus was a Greek queen in the 5th century BC, long before Alexander the Great. Artemisia wielded power during a time when Greek women couldn’t vote in Athens, the home of original democracy. She is described as a femme fatale, pirate queen, and played a role in the events of the 300 Spartans described in the movies. During the Greco-Persian wars, she fought for the Persians at Salamis and contributed her warships to the Persian Navy.

Zenobia, warrior queen of the Roman colony of Palmyra, in present-day Syria, from 267 or 268 to 272.

She was described as a conqueror. In 269-270, Zenobia and her general, Zabdeas, conquered Egypt, ruled by the Romans. When the Roman prefect of Egypt objected to Zenobia's takeover, Zenobia had him beheaded. Then she sent a declaration to the citizens of Alexandria, calling it "my ancestral city," claiming her Egyptian ancestry. Zenobia personally led her army as a "warrior queen." She conquered more territory, including Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, creating an empire independent of Rome. After winning and ruling these Roman provinces, she was subjugated by Emperor Aurelian. She died in captivity sometime after 274.

The Amazons:

The Amazons were not the stuff of legends.

Long believed to be purely imaginary, the Amazons were the warrior women described as the archenemies of the ancient Greeks. Recently, the remains of 300 warrior women were found in more than 1,000 excavations of Scythian kurgans (burial mounds), from Ukraine to Central Asia. This spectacular discovery gives credit to the myth of the amazon warriors.

They were reported in the Greek writings of Herodotus as women the Greeks encountered on their expeditions around the Black Sea. They rode horses, hunted, fought, used bows and arrows, just like men. They were fierce, nomadic, and refused to remain sedentary. They lived without men, whom they only frequented for procreation. They kept the baby girls but when the boys reached the age of five, they returned them to their fathers.

Other writings relate similar stories of Amazons by travelers from ancient Persia, Egypt, and as far as China.

Warrior women of Ancient Japan:

For thousands of years, certain upper-class Japanese women have learned martial skills and participated in battles right alongside the male warriors. They were skilled with sword, spear, and bow.

These include the legendary Empress Jingu, (169-269 A.D.) She ruled as a regent following her husband’s death in 200 AD. After seeking revenge on the people who murdered her husband, she invaded the Korean peninsula, the ancestral land of her mother, who was a descendant of a legendary Korean prince.

Empress Jingū became the first woman to be featured on a Japanese banknote however, since no actual images of this legendary figure are known to exist, the representation of Jingū was artistically contrived from the photograph of a 19th Century Japanese woman.

I write about all kinds of warrior women in my novels. But if you like ancient warrior women, you may want to check out these, available in eBook and paperback on my links below.

  

Vijaya Schartz, author
Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo - FB

Are diamonds really a girl’s best friend? Tricia McGill

 

Find all my books here on my BWL author page

Not this girl’s that is for sure. I have never understood the weird fascination some members of the human race possess for shiny objects brought up from beneath the earth’s crust. Personally, the only so called precious substance I have or have ever possessed is my wedding band made of gold, and a small pendant with an opal drop purchased for me by my husband in Broome where all the best pearls come from. I think pearls are ugly to be truthful—and feel sorry for the poor old oysters forced to grow them.

As for diamonds, the ugly truth of diamond mining is the horrendous tally of folk who died over the years while working in the mines. Two of my most treasured pieces of jewellery are a dainty marquisette watch and a ring given to me by my mother and a sister on my 21^st birthday a long time ago. The watch gave up working years ago as it is one of those wind up versions, but is still tucked away amongst my other pieces of memorabilia. Marquisette is practically useless these days but these pieces are more precious to me than all your diamonds or gold.

Right, don’t get me started on gold! I watched a program on gold being processed here in Australia. A small brick of it could not be picked up by a woman and was valued at some amazingly high amount. Similar to the diamond mining, so many gold crazed men—and women—died in their quest for this shiny substance. It is just a piece of shiny rock when all is said and done.

On our voyage from England to Australia years ago, we took an unforgettable side trip to Egypt, visiting Giza and the Cairo museum containing all of the artefacts from Tutankhamen’s tomb. So much gold, it is mind-boggling. The boy’s burial chamber contained his gold throne along with his mummy and his funerary mask, plus three golden coffins (said to contain 110 kilograms of pure gold). In the Valley of Kings, it is fact that 62 tombs had already been ransacked by the time they were discovered by archaeologists. It is difficult to imagine the amount of gold that must have been taken—and just where did it end up? Ancient Egyptians called gold ‘The flesh of the gods’ and thought it possessed special powers, so presumably that was why they hoarded it in such great quantities. A British Egyptologist has

found new evidence that Tutankhamen’s death mask was in fact made for his stepmother Queen Nefertiti. Using ground-penetrating radar to scan around Tutankhamun’s tomb archaeologist Mamdouh Eldamaty has reported that her tomb may be in a space behind his burial chamber.

Back to that Australian gold mania. Edward Hargraves first found payable goldfields near Bathurst NSW in 1851. News spread like wildfire not only around Australia but around the world and by 1852, 370,000 gold seekers arrived here.  So began a series of gold rushes, which transformed the colonies here as it did elsewhere in the world. Most people have heard of The Welcome Stranger, considered by authorities on the subject to be the largest gold nugget ever found. John Deason and Richard Oates found it at a place called Moliagul here in my home state of Victoria in 1869. The nugget weighed in at 2,520 troy ounces (over 78 Kgs) and had to be broken up so that it could be weighed. Then it was worth about 10,000 pounds and in today’s market would be worth about 4 million dollars. I wonder where all those pieces ended up.

I wear rings and earrings of course I do, but none of them are worth more than a few hundred dollars, if that, but mean a lot to me as they were given to me by special people in my life and are treasured. Fact is I would be scared to walk around with expensive objects on my person. My husband bought me a really nice ring with a topaz stone in Singapore and sad to say I lost it while on holiday at Broken Hill years ago—so it seems I am not to be trusted with expensive stuff anyway, and so avoid it.

Find excerpts from my books here on my web page