Holidays on the Homefront

by Cara Putman

Christmas 1943 was a slog up the boot of Italy for Allied soldiers. Knee deep in mud, the fighting couldn’t have been more intense or miserable. The Germans had the high ground, and the Allies had to slog up hill, after hill, after hill in their slow march from Sicily.

 by Cara Putman

As I studied the Italian campaign, I realized just how much I had overlooked. You see, I’ve long been a World War II history buff. There’s something about that generation that Tom Brokaw dubbed the Greatest Generation that resonates with me. My grandparents and their generation did what needed to be done, with no thought to an alternative. They just did what it took.

On the homefront, that meant rationing was in full effect. Sugar cookies disappeared to be replaced by sweeteners like molasses. Still ladies in North Platte, Nebraska, and surrounding towns, saved their precious sugar so that the boys going through on the Union Pacific troop trains could have birthday cakes. If there wasn’t a birthday, then the ladies would select some young man in uniform and offer him the cake.

Women would knit socks and scarves for the boys slogging around Europe. Children conducted scrap drives, hauling their wagons throughout neighborhoods. War bonds were bought with every spare penny…all in an effort to win this all-encompassing war.

In the spring of 1944, things would slowly begin to change in Italy. The Allies would begin to make progress after some blunders like the bombing of Monte Cassino. Now, Monuments Men would work alongside the fighting forces to preserve Western civilization from this first war with widespread aerial bombardment. In Rome, the Germans left without bombing the cathedrals while in Florence they destroyed priceless bridges and buildings during their exit.

In June the day after Rome was liberated, D-Day occurred on the beaches of Normandy. Attention shifted to the European mainland as the battle continued. Everyone hoped this meant the war was near an end. But as winter and another Christmas approached, the Allied troops slogged through yet another harsh season of fighting. The Battle of the Bulge was another brutal fight through blizzards and fierce cold in the forests leading to Germany.

Yet on they fought.

On the homefront continued.

Every forward. The commitment was total and complete.

As the calendar turns to 2014, I pray we never forget. So many of the 70^th anniversaries in WWII are occurring right now. May we remember the destruction at Monte Cassino in February. May we rejoice at the peaceful liberation of Rome in June even as we honor those who died valiantly on the beaches of Normandy. May we celebrate the art recovered in the hills of Tuscany as we mourn the destruction of those bridges in Florence.

And may we never forget the sacrifices the Greatest Generation made so that we could enjoy the freedom we have today.

_______________

Cara C. Putman graduated high school at 16, college at 20, and completed her law degree at 27. An award-winning author of seventeen books with more on the way, she is active in women's ministry at her church and is a lecturer on business and employment law to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. Putman is currently pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration at Krannert. She serves on the executive board of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization she has served in various roles since 2007. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana. You can connect with her online at:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/caraputman

Twitter: www.twitter.com/cara_putman

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/caraputman

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/CaraPutman

Purchase links:

Christianbook.com: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&p=1141766&item_no=681783

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadowed-by-grace-cara-putman/1115951174?ean=9781433681783

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433681781/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1433681781&linkCode=as2&tag=carput-20

About the book:

Rachel Justice is desperate to save her dying mother. She doesn’t want to leave her, but she accepts her newspaper’s assignment to travel to Italy and photograph war images. No one knows her photography is a cover and that Rachel is really seeking to find the father she never knew, hopeful to get some help with her failing mother. Dedicated to her mission, Rachel is focused on completing it. Soon, though, she finds her priorities and plans changing when she is assigned to Lt. Scott Lindstrom, on mission as a Monument Man. Their meeting will have far-reaching consequences. Will this derail her plans? Will she ever find her father? Is her faith enough to carry her through?

People can read the first chapter here: http://caraputman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Shadowed-by-Grace-chapter-excerpt.pdf

Tidbits from Plattsburg

If you're like me you have probably never heard of Plattsburg—unless you have family move in or near the area. A couple weeks back I had the opportunity to visit the area and stumbled upon a great find. On September 11, 1814 (Ironic date) the Battle of Plattsburg was fought during the War of 1812. The city goes all out for this event, and now they are gearing up for next year when it will be the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Plattsburg. In summary, the Battle of Plattsburg was fought on two fronts, land and sea. The land battle held off the invading English troops. The Americans did not win, but they did what was necessary to hold off the English while the sea battle was being implemented. The battle at sea was won by the Americans and helped turn the tide of the War of 1812.

There's a great little museum in Plattsburg depicting the war, and includes period costumes for kids to try on, relics from the war and great info about life in the area at that time.

Below are some pictures from the reenactment:
This image is some of the American's as they step back to line up for the next round of shooting they used a Napoleon style of fighting, which the British were used to because of the war with France.

Lining up to fire against the British

British Marching toward the Americans

French Canadian Troops fighting with the British

Below is a picture of the type of ship used during the Naval Attack. There was a much larger war ship involved as well, but these were some of the ships the locals used to help with the attack on the British ship that surrendered.

Inside the ship looking toward the bow

The City of Plattsburg has many other historical tidbits but this is the one I concentrated on during my recent visit. If you're ever in the North Country you might want to take the time to stop by. And if you can experience next year's 200th anniversary you'll be in for a real treat.

This month, Courting Holly was released and I"m happy to be giving away a free book to the winner of a drawing for the book. The winner will be taken from those who post a comment from today's blog. I am traveling from New England to Florida today, so I'll be in touch with the winner in a couple days.

If you're interested in historical tidbits you might want to check out my 19th Century Historical Tidbits Blog

The Florida Wars

Anyone who has taken American history in school or watched a western movie probably knows that the United States spent a lot of time, money, and manpower on “subduing the savages” during Westward Expansion. But long before some of the most infamous western battles like Custer’s Last Stand, the longest, costliest, and most deadly of Indian wars occurred in Florida.

Let me set the stage. It was the early 1800’s, and Spain still owned Florida, although their grip was weakening. Americans had settled on both sides of the Florida/Georgia border. Seminoles Indians inhabited the territory only a little further south. Some lawless Americans took forays into Seminole areas to steal cattle and horses from the Indians. In retaliation, the Seminoles crossed the border into Georgia to commit raids on settlers there. In addition, a good number of slaves, escaped from southern plantations, lived among the Seminoles, and slave catchers often ventured into Florida's wilds to pursue them. Pirates and British opportunists would also traverse the Florida peninsula, causing whatever trouble they could between Americans and Seminoles.

This was the exact recipe that created the tensions leading to the Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars. The Seminole Wars consisted of three periods of fighting, the second one being the longest, costliest, and most deadly Indian war I alluded to above. But let’s look at them in order.

Andrew Jackson
State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
http://floridamemory.com/items/show/128711

The First Seminole War erupted when American General Edmund Gaines took the Miccosukee chief Neamathla captive in 1817 in order to stop the Indians from offering safe haven to escaped slaves. To avenge his capture, the Miccosukee, Seminole, and Creek tribes banded together to attack a military transport traveling along the Apalachicola River. Thirty-five soldiers and six women died in the attack. President James Monroe tapped war hero Gen. Andrew Jackson to go in and subdue the Indian forces, and in eleven weeks in the Spring of 1818, Jackson and his 3500 men did just that. They destroyed many Indian settlements west of the Suwanee River and captured the only two Spanish settlements in West Florida—St. Marks and Pensacola. After all of this, the fighting began to calm. Spain saw the truth that they were no longer able to hold onto Florida and ceded the land to the United States through a treaty in 1821. The Indians were shuffled off to a reservation in Central Florida where conditions were less than ideal.

Andrew Jackson became President in 1829, and the next year, he signed the Indian Removal Act, which said that all Indians living east of the Mississippi must move to the new Indian Territory (current day Oklahoma). The Seminoles were later forced to sign the Treaty of Payne’s Landing in 1832, giving up their claim to their Florida homes, and taking up residence in Indian Territory. They were given three years to comply. When the American military returned to enforce the treaty in 1835, the Seminoles were ready to defend their homes.


Sorrow of the Seminoles--Banished from Florida
 State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

 http://floridamemory.com/items/show/28652

In December of 1835, Seminole and black warriors burned sugar plantations along the St. Johns River. On December 28th, Seminole leader Osceola killed a government Indian agent and his associate outside of Ft. King (Ocala) at the same time a band of warriors massacred a column of 108 soldiers traveling between Ft. Brooke (Tampa) and Ft. King. The Second Seminole War had begun.

This war lasted from 1835 until 1842, and it pitted some 3000 Seminole and black warriors against four U.S. Generals and 30,000 troops. The Seminoles were masters of guerilla fighting and used the thick scrub and Florida swamps to their advantage. In addition, the heat, insects, and disease prevalent during Florida summers prolonged the fighting for years because the U.S. troops would pull out of the fight until weather conditions became more tolerable in the fall. But this pull-out each year gave the Seminoles time to recuperate and regroup, so when the forces returned, they were ready for more fighting. The war finally ground to an end when American forces began to employ captured black and Seminole warriors as guides to hidden Seminole encampments where they killed or captured many of the Indian forces. No treaty was ever signed, but peace was called in August 1842 when over 4000 Seminoles were forcibly removed to the Indian Territory. More than 1500 soldiers lost their lives, most to disease. Some 30,000 citizen soldiers also perished in the fighting. The final price tag for the war was $30 million. (To put that in perspective, the proposed budget for the federal government in 1836 was $25 million).

This hugely costly war wasn’t the last of the Seminole uprisings. Chief Billy Bowlegs led one more war starting in 1855. It was a two-and-a-half year conflict that pitted the remaining 350 Seminoles against the American settlers and military. But in the end, Billy Bowlegs realized he couldn’t stop the tide of settlers and accepted $8000 to move to Indian Territory with 165 of his people. At the last war’s end, less than 200 Seminoles remained in Florida.



Seminole Chickee
State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
http://floridamemory.com/items/show/159015

Today, Florida is home to the descendants of those brave few who stayed behind, unwilling to give up their homeland. The Seminoles live as a sovereign nation on six reservations throughout the state. Depending on the reservations you visit, you might find upscale hotels and nightlife in the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, or you might find more traditional Seminole attractions such as rodeos, powwows, and even the Billie Swamp Safari, where you can sleep in a traditional chickee, watch Alligator feedings, poisonous snake shows, and take airboat and eco-tour rides.

Let’s hear from you. Have you ever visited an Indian reservation? Which reservation? What was your experience like?

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has won the 2012 CWOW Phoenix Rattler, 2012 ACFW First Impressions, and 2013 FCWC contests, all in the historical category. She is also the winner of the 2013 Central Florida ACFW chapter's "Prompt Response" contest. In addition to writing, she has been a schoolteacher of English, literature, and history, as well as a marketing director. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenaged son, and four fur children.

GOING COMMANDO

                    GOING COMMANDO

What is worn under those Scottish kilts?

Anne Greene here. Last month I wrote a bit of history pertaining to the World War II era. This month I’m writing about another passion, 18^th Century Scotland.

The age-old question of what is worn under a Scotsman’s kilt has a simple answer...usually nothing!

Historically Scottish Highlanders wore a tunic under their kilts, and nothing else. Considering the rugged nature of their existence, underwear was not a necessary part of their attire.  

Scottish regiments traditionally went without under-garments. This is likely origin of the phrase going commando!

To the proud and patriotic Highlanders, the kilt was much more than a versatile piece of clothing, it was a cherished symbol of their heritage. In 1746, after the Scots lost the Battle of Culloden – which is the exact time setting of my Scottish Historical Series, Masquerade Marriage, Marriage by Arrangement, and the yet to be released Marriage To A Rogue, begins, King George II outlawed the kilt.

King George passed this law in a British government attempt to subdue the independent Scottish Highlanders. Along with the kilt, the wide leather belt, the fur or leather sporran, the kilt knife, the kilt pin, the knee hose and the Ghillie shoes were all prohibited. Ironically this law forged the Kilt into a symbol of Scottish culture and national pride, rather than just the traditional Scottish clothing worn by Highland clans.

The Jacobite defeat at Culloden was the last battle on British soil, the exhiled Prince Charles fled the country he had hoped to rule. His supporters, the Highlanders, suffered terribly from ‘Butcher Cumberland’ who ordered death to all Highland participants. To further punish Scotland, Parliament issued Acts to destroy their clans, their identities and their economic structures.

New laws abolished heritable jurisdictions, claimed estates for the crown, banned the playing of bagpipes, the wearing of tartans and Highland dress for all except government troops, and restricted the possession of weapons. Read of these momentous events in my Scottish Historical series. 

            How many of you have traced your heritage back to Scotland or to another place of origin?

            Leave a comment. This month Anne is offering her commenters a chance to win her choice of any one of Anne's three published books. Leave a comment about your own heritage below for a chance to win and to speak with Anne. 

ANNE GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won numerous writing awards. The sequel Marriage By Arrangement releases in April.  A Texas Christmas Mystery also won awards. In 2014, her World War II novel, Angel With Steel Wings, about WASPs, women test pilots will release. She makes her home in McKinney, Texas. 

Visit with Anne and view her other books, her blog, travel pictures, and art work at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com. Anne’s never too busy to talk with her fans.

Her highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to an awesome new world and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. Buy Anne’s books at http://www.Amazon.com.

Visit with Anne every 14^th day of each month here at Christian Fiction Historical Society. Join her in May for SINGING IN THE RAIN, plus another great giveway.