When gold was discovered at Cherry Creek, it sparked the Gold Rush of 1858. This location is better known by another name. Do you know what it is? Click here to find out if you guessed correctly.
Historical Nibbles
Conestoga Wagons
The first major highway built by the United States federal government was the National Road. Construction began in 1811 on the road also known as the Cumberland Road because it began in Cumberland, Maryland. By August 1, 1818, the road reached to Wheeling at the Ohio River. (Wheeling was then in Virginia but is now part of West Virginia.)
Settlers moving westward quickly utilized the road through Pennsylvania and Virginia to the new state of Ohio. Their wagons toted all their worldly goods to a new land.
Conestoga wagons were first built by Mennonite Germans near the Conestoga River area of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the early to mid-eighteenth century. Skilled craftsman created a unique curved bed, designed to prevent freight from shifting while climbing steep hills. Chains held the back gate in place while traveling.
Early wagon covers were hempen homespun. Canvas was used later. They soaked the canvas in linseed oil to waterproof the fabric. This covering was stretched over several wooden hoops.
The builders took great pride in their work. They painted the wagons blue, trimmed with red.
Built with broad wheels, four to six horses pulled five-ton loads over dangerous Pennsylvania roads. Conestoga wagons hauled products from the eastern states to settlers in Western Pennsylvania and the Ohio Valley and returned with frontier goods like flour, tobacco, coal, and whiskey.
Strong Conestoga horses bred in the Conestoga area of Pennsylvania could pull these loads about twelve miles per day.
Wagoners made their living by hauling freight from the east to the western frontier and back again. These colorful characters made a journey of 250 miles in about three weeks.
Drivers of Conestoga wagons didn’t sit on a bench and hold the horses’ reins. Wagoners rode the left rear horse or walked alongside the horses. When the wagoner tired of walking, he pulled out a lazy board—a wooden board attached to the side of the wagon—and sat on it.
Railroads had slowed the heavy traffic on the National Road by the 1850s. Conestoga wagons were no longer in demand. Wagoners found new ways to make a living.
But what stories they had to tell to their children and grandchildren.
-Sandra Merville Hart
Sources
“Conestoga Wagon,” History.com, 2017/04/19 http://www.history.com/topics/conestoga-wagon.
“Conestoga Wagon,” Smithsonian National Museum of American History, 2017/04/19 http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_842999.
“Conestoga wagon.” The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. . Encyclopedia.com. (April 18, 2017). http://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/conestoga-wagon.
Edited by Raitz, Karl. A Guide to The National Road, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996.
“National Road,” Wikipedia, 2017/04/20 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Road.
White, Roger B. “Covered Wagons and the American Frontier,” Smithsonian National Museum of American History, 2017/04/19 http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2012/10/conestoga-wagons-and-the-american-frontier.html.
Do You Know What I Know? by Becky Melby
Two women with the same name share the same OB/Gyn.
Bethany Schmidt is a single mother in a new relationship with her pastor, Jay Davidson. Bethany is falling in love with Jay but needs to decide whether to accept a new job in another city. She also has a secret to share before the dating relationship grows serious. Will Jay understand?
Elizabeth Schmidt can’t believe it. After all these years, she’s pregnant! At forty-one, she and her husband, James, have given up on having children. She arranges for her doctor’s office to call James with the surprising news.
The call goes to the wrong number.
This begins a whirlwind of misunderstandings for both couples that escalate as Christmas approaches.
I enjoyed reading the twists and turns that all began with one wrong number.
-Sandra Merville Hart
Tyrell’s Special Hot Chocolate Recipe
Today’s post is written by talented author and dear friend, Carole Brown. I’ve enjoyed reading her cozy mysteries and can’t wait to read this one!
I love a man who cooks!
No matter whether it’s from the past (historical) or present day, there’s something manly and mannerly about that person. Western men usually knew how to prepare the basics: just enough to keep him alive, at least. In the military, many service people know that being able to cook is a necessity and at times a life saver. Today, I know many men who cook and enjoy it.
In writing With Music in Their Hearts, giving my male protagonist the ability to cook foods like scrambled eggs and hot chocolate would be an intimate detail about him that branched the difference in the way Tyrell and Emma Jaine were brought up and also set up a cozy setting for the fun action in the scene. When they come in from being outside, Tyrell offers to make hot chocolate for them.
Tyrell’s Special Hot Chocolate Recipe
1 large cup milk or water
1 Tablespoon of honey
1 Tablespoon of dark syrup, such as maple syrup
A pinch of salt
4-9 chocolate kisses (or about the same size of chocolate bits)
Optional: a dab of peppermint or stir with a peppermint stick
Pour chocolate drink in cup after heating on low fire.
Enjoy!
-Carole Brown
About Carole Brown
Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?
Connect with Carole on her personal blog.
With Music in Their Hearts Blurb:
Angry at being rejected for military service, Minister Tyrell Walker accepts the call to serve as a civilian spy within his own country and searches for a murdering spy at the boarding house red-haired Emma Jaine Rayner runs. Sparks of jealousy and love fly between them even as they battle suspicions that one or the other is not on the up and up.
Will their love survive the danger and personal issues that arise to hinder the path of true love?
The Bounty Hunter’s Redemption by Janet Dean
Gnaw Bone’s resident seamstress, Carly Richards, isn’t exactly a grieving widow when her husband, Max, is killed by a bounty hunter. His verbal abuse and lately, physical abuse, prevented that. She’s finally prepared to run her seamstress shop to support her young son without fearing her husband’s return from his prolonged absences.
Then Nate Sergeant, the bounty hunter who killed Max, comes to Gnaw Bone. He claims that Max lost the deed to the seamstress shop in a poker game with Nate’s brother-in-law. Then Max killed him to get it back but couldn’t find the hidden deed.
That left Nate’s sister, Anna, as the rightful owner and Nate aimed to see she took over the shop.
Even if it meant taking Carly’s only means of supporting her son.
I enjoyed the twists and turns of this historical novel where an unlikely romance blossoms against all odds.
-Sandra Merville Hart
Three Ways to Develop Good Cooking Habits – Advice from Fannie Farmer
I recently ran across The Fannie Farmer Cookbook in an antique store. This book was originally published in 1896. Fannie Farmer’s name is still well-known today.
Fannie gave advice about cooking habits before giving any recipes in her cookbook. There may be some wisdom in that strategy. Here are three ways to develop good cooking habits that are still surprisingly relevant today.
Firstly, read the whole recipe before doing anything. This shows what you will do—think about the reasons why. Preparation and/or baking times are included in most modern recipes; give yourself plenty of time to prevent becoming flustered.
When making a complete meal, decide what dishes can be prepared ahead of time—such as dessert. Consider your menu. What dish will take longest to prepare? This will help decide when preparations for the meal should begin. Study any unfamiliar recipes ahead of time.
Secondly, think about the season of the year when planning meals. Produce and meat are at their flavorful peak when fresh. Shop at the market for ingredients that are in season or “on special.” Don’t get your heart set on a particular recipe before finding what’s available at the grocery store. Fresh products make more flavorful dishes, so learn to be flexible.
Thirdly, don’t scorn leftovers. Instead, use your imagination to make a new dish.
Fannie advises deliberately preparing twice the amount of meat required to feed your family. She used the example of pot roast. If there is a bone, use it to prepare soup another day along with leftover vegetables and a bit of the gravy.
Take a portion of the leftover pot roast the following day and ground it to make stuffed green peppers or stuffed eggplant. There should be enough to make a beef noodle casserole as well.
Don’t neglect to save the vegetables, sauce, and rice from meals. These ingredients may be used in omelets, salads, soups, and baked dishes. Be creative.
Great advice from the creative Fannie Farmer on developing great cooking habits!
-Sandra Merville Hart
Sources
Revised by Cunningham, Marion and Laber, Jeri. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Alfred A Knopf Inc., 1983.
Civil War Bugle Calls
Commands were often given musically during the Civil War. That is to say, by bugle or drum. A general’s voice only carried so far—especially over the din of battle. Soldiers soon learned specific bugle tunes signified that it was time to get up in the morning, for example.
John D. Billings, Union soldier, wrote about a typical day in camp in Hardtack & Coffee.
The first bugle call of the day was “Assembly of Buglers.” It came around 5 am in the summer and 6 am in the winter. Men knew it was time to roll out of their blankets. This unwelcome song always brought grumbling.
“Assembly” came fifteen minutes later. Unless ill or on guard duty, every enlisted man had to be present for his company’s roll call.
When everyone finally stood in line, the bugler played “Reveille.” Soldiers made up words to this song:
I can’t get ’em up, I can’t get ’em up,
I can’t get ’em up this morning;
I can’t get ’em up, I can’t get ’em up,
I can’t get ’em up today.
After this, “Stable Call” was played. Company drivers went to the picket ropes where they fed and groomed their horses.
“Breakfast Call” came next. Soldiers prepared and ate their breakfast or ate rations provided at the company cookhouse.
“Sick Call” sounded at 8 am. Men who were sick and required medicine proceeded to the surgeon’s tent. Quinine was given for many ailments including headache, stomachache, toothache, coughing, lameness, fever, and ague.
Next came the “Watering Call,” where cavalry and drivers watered their horses and mules. To learn more about the difficulties of watering thousands of animals, click here.
Soldiers cleaned camp, gathered wood and water, built stables, buried horses, and washed gun carriages for “Fatigue Call.”
Next, drum or bugle brought the “Drill Call” where men practiced artillery and other skills. This was practiced much more earlier in the war.
Cannoneers and drivers responded to “Boots and Saddles” as a battery drill.
“Dinner Call” sounded at noon.
Buglers played “Water Call” around 4 pm.
“Stable Call” was blown as a reminder to return horses to the stable.
“Attention” was blown at 5:45 pm, followed by “Assembly” where the soldiers fell in for “Retreat” roll call.
“Assembly of Guard” called soldiers to guard duty. A brass band or fife-and-drum-corps usually followed.
The bugler played “Attention” at 8:30 pm and then “Assembly.” Companies formed lines for the day’s final roll call, “Tattoo.”
Men then had thirty minutes to get ready for bed at 9 pm when “Taps” was played. A drummer then played to end the day.
Follow this link if you’d like to listen to a few of these.
-Sandra Merville Hart
Sources
Billings, John D. Hardtack & Coffee, University of Nebraska Press, 1993.
Villanueva, Jari. “Civil War Bugles Calls,” www/tapsbuglar.com, 2017/03/15 https://archive.org/details/CivilWarBugleCalls/20+Dan+Butterfield.mp3.
Villanueva, Jari. “Twenty Bugles Calls,” United States Air Force Band, 2017/03/14 http://www.usafband.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-150220-028.pdf.
Civil War: Confederate Remedy for Dysentery
As a writer of historical novels, I love to run across remedies used in past centuries. A wonderful book, Confederate Receipt Book, contains a few cures from the Civil War era.
A soldier’s remedy for dysentery (severe diarrhea) used only three everyday ingredients which were reported to be “efficacious” for these cases.
Dysentery killed more Civil War soldiers than any other diseases so it was a serious matter.
At that time, doctors often prescribed opium (paregoric, laudanum, or Dover’s powder) to treat dysentery.
Other medicines given to treat the disease were copper sulfate, oil of turpentine, lead acetate, and aromatic sulfuric acid. Surprisingly, laxatives were also used in the treatment—Epsom salts, calomel, ipecac, castor oil, and sulfate of magnesia. Calomel, also known as mercurous chloride, had terrible side effects: profuse salivation, loss of teeth, or—in severe cases—“mercurial gangrene.”
Strong medicines with unfortunate or fatal side effects could have led Confederate soldiers to search for a better cure. Or the lack of medical supplies might be the reason for trying a common cure. It’s also possible this simple cure had been around for years.
Whatever the case, the Confederate remedy for dysentery seems remarkably simple when compared to medicines listed above.
The instructions stipulate pure vinegar. The apple cider vinegar in my cabinet is diluted with water so that changes the experiment. This is merely a fun learning exercise since I’m not planning on treating dysentery, so this is not an issue.
I took a cup of apple cider vinegar and poured it into a salad dressing cruet. (Use any jar that can be tightly closed.) I then added salt, a teaspoon at time. The soldiers’ recipe advises to add as much salt as the vinegar can ferment and work clear.
My vinegar didn’t foam until shaking it. I used 6 teaspoons of salt, but it might have held more.
The soldiers corked the salty vinegar liquid and set it aside. When needed, they boiled a gill of water (4 ounces), added a large spoonful of the medicine, and drank it. It was supposed to be effective for cholic (colic) and dysentery.
As always, consult physicians before using this medicinally.
I use these old cures only in my historical writing. I made this recipe but will not be taking it. I’m not recommending it. This is merely meant to be fun and educational.
-Sandra Merville Hart
Sources
A Compilation of Over One Hundred Receipts, Adapted to the Times. Confederate Receipt Book, Applewood Books, 1863.
Oates, Stephen B. A Woman of Valor: Clara Barton and the Civil War, The Free Press, 1994.
Watering Thousands of Horses During the Civil War
According to John D. Billings, author of Hardtack & Coffee, one of the typical daily bugle calls was a Watering Call. Upon hearing this call, artillery drivers and all cavalry rank and file went to the picket rope to water their horses.
This was a simple task when the army camped near a river, which was often the case. When it wasn’t, thirsty horses were ridden a mile or two—sometimes longer—to find a pond or stream.
Finding a sufficient amount of water for thousands of animals was no small task.
General McClellan had about 38,800 horses and mules after the Battle of Antietam in September of 1862. 56,499 horses and mules were in the army’s care when they crossed the Rapidan River in 1864.
All animals weren’t taken to the same stream for watering because troops spread out for miles.
A drought in the summer of 1864 brought serious problems. No rain fell for several weeks. Soldiers were hard-pressed to find enough water for themselves. They’d find an old stream where only mud remained. Scooping out holes in the mud, soldiers patiently waited for “warm, milky-colored fluid to ooze from the clay.” The water came a drop at a time until it filled a dipper for the thirsty soldier.
Hundreds of men carried empty canteens through forests and valleys in search of water.
When the drought continued, Union soldiers dug wells. To their relief, they found an abundance of water 10-12 feet below ground. These wells met the needs of soldiers and their animals.
-Sandra Merville Hart
Sources
Billings, John D. Hardtack & Coffee, University of Nebraska Press, 1993.
Villanueva, Jari. “Twenty Bugles Calls,” The United States Air Force Band, 2017/03/14 http://www.usafband.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-150220-028.pdf.
Embrace an Angry Wind by Wiley Sword
This nonfiction resource book is about a key year in the American Civil War—1864. The subtitle “The Confederacy’s Last Hurrah: Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville” shows where the author concentrates but the story begins earlier in the year.
Sword weaves a true story in a way that captivates readers. Readers learn about what generals are feeling from both sides of the conflict. They also learn what privates think about what’s happening, as gleaned from private letters and diaries.
Sleet, snow, wind, and temperature all could play a part in battles—and certainly mattered to soldiers on the march. Road conditions and swollen rivers that stalled important crossings are details that transport readers back to turbulent times.
Great book for Civil War research and history lovers.
-Sandra Merville Hart
