Historic Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine, Florida is a modern-day mixture of historical buildings and tourist focused attractions for which Florida is so well known. The city is located on the east coast or the north-central area of the peninsula and is approximately nine-and-a-half square miles.

Christmas in St. Augustine.

Boasting a Christmas illumination display that would make Clark Griswold proud, Saint Augustine’s Night of Light’s is one of the nation’s brightest with almost two-million lights. 

The restaurants styles range from exclusive gastronome to old fashioned empanada meat pies. Spooky nighttime tours of the haunted downtown and the striped, Saint Augustine Lighthouse are but a few fun things to fill your evenings.

The area is steeped in history from the early sixteenth-century, to the civil war, to WWII, and into the twenty-first century.

Here’s a bit of early history about Saint Augustine and the surrounding area.

In 1513, Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon lived in Puerto

Explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon

Rico. He left the islands to explore the northern continent on March 4 and arrived on the Florida coast on April 2. Along with three commissioned ships, the Santiago, the San Cristobal, and the Santa Maria de la Consolacion, the adventurer traveled the coastline of Florida from Mosquito Inlet to Charlotte Harbor. De Leon named his discovery, La Florida, in honor of the Easter Season and Pascua Florida, the Spanish festival of flowers. Legend says de Leon was in search of—not gold—but a fountain of youth the native population said existed in the area. Today, you can visit the mythological fountain in the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park near Saint Augustine.

1565, King Phillip II of Spain sent Pedro Menendez de Aviles to Florida after he learned the French had established a settlement near Jacksonville, Florida—an intrusion onto Spanish lands in the New World.

Pedro Menendez de Aviles arrived on the Florida coast with 10 ships and 1500 men around September 1565. His orders were to establish an outpost for Spain along the coast and eliminate the French settlements on Spanish land.

Coffin of Pedro Menendez de Aviles

He settled St. Augustine then immediately attacked Fort Caroline, a French settlement near Jacksonville, Florida. During the conquest, Menendez ordered some of the Frenchmen to be hung from trees. He carved a message into a tree trunk that read "Hanged Not as Frenchmen but as Lutherans."
Menendez continued his quest until he fulfilled his promise to the king to eliminate the French and establish St. Augustine for Spain.

Sir Francis Drake, English sea captain, privateer, naval officer, slave trader and explorer, attacked St. Augustine in 1586. His forces destroyed the wooden fort, San Juan de Pinillo.

An Italian artist who traveled with Drake, Boazio, rendered a map of the city during the siege. Boazio’s drawing is the earliest portrayal of the city of Saint Augustine and provides historians with important landmarks and information about the design of the city.

Carolina Charter of 1665 enlarged the original grant for the Carolina Colony. The new boundary extended into Spanish territory and was defined as 29° north latitude. The extension of the Charter encompassed Saint Augustine. The city had been controlled by the Spanish for over 100 years. A border dispute between the English and Spanish erupted in the Americas. The dispute wasn’t fully settled until the Georgia colony was formed.

The history of Saint Augustine is sometimes overlooked in the modern teaching of American history. We tend to focus on the Plymouth Colony and the Virginia Colony, forgetting the Spanish imprint on the New World. Though sometimes violent, the contribution of men like King Phillip II, Juan Ponce de Leon and Pedro Menendez de Aviles are huge and worthy of a place in America’s textbooks. Have you visited Florida or the Saint Augustine area? What did you think? Please, leave a comment below and let us know about your experiences in the historic city.



 

Multi award-winning author, Michele K. Morris’s love for historical fiction began when she first read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book series. She grew up riding horses and her free time in the woods of mid-Michigan.

Michele is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

How One Woman Changed the World.

1862, late October. The day started out as any other day in the life of Elizabeth W. Stiles. She had household chores to complete, and her three adopted children and her husband to care for. Everything seemed as normal and mundane as any other day until a gang of men arrived on the Stiles farm. 

The strangers, dressed in Union uniforms, approached Elizabeth’s husband, Jacob Stiles and his friend Mr. Becker (or Baker, records are not clear) while they worked in the yard. One of the “Union” soldiers, George Todd, stepped up to Mr. Stiles and asked him where his politics lay. Mr. Stiles answered the man—“Union”. Todd raised his gun and fatally shot Jacob Stiles. Then to be sure the deed was complete, a former neighbor of the Stiles’ stepped to Jacob’s prone body, placed the muzzle of his gun to his mouth, and pulled the trigger.

Elizabeth ran for the house and her children. The leader of the marauding gang, Charles Quantrill, and a few of his men, cornered Elizabeth in her home. As one of the men placed his pistol to her temple, Quantrill halted him, saying Elizabeth was too pretty to shoot. Quantrill’s gang left without any further killing.
  

Elizabeth Stiles 

Fearing for her children’s safety, Elizabeth moved her family to Fort Leavenworth. During her bereavement, she received a letter from General James H. Lane, Kansas Senator and friend of President Abraham Lincoln. The letter stated that President Lincoln had important work for Elizabeth to do. Elizabeth must have known that the president wanted her spy for the United States, because the grieving widow accepted. She and her three children moved to Washington D.C., where she put two of her children in boarding school, and took her daughter Clara (13) with her as she carried out her duties as a spy for the Union Army.

Dressed as a pipe-smoking elderly, Southern woman, Elizabeth Stiles, who was actually a nurse and teacher before her career as a spy, traveled throughout the South gathering information for the North. Part of her disguise included her daughter, Clara, playing the part of Elizabeth’s granddaughter. The pair where accepted into the folds of Confederate army because they played on the sympathies of the Southern men and claimed to be searching for Clara’s father, a wounded Confederate soldier.

Eventually, Elizabeth was arrested in Missouri on the suspicion of being a Union spy. In an ingenious plot, during her incarceration, she convinced General Sterling Price that she was a Confederate spy instead of a Union spy! He personally released the pair and equipped both Elizabeth and Clara with better horses, firearms, and supplies before he sent them on their way.
                          

General Sterling Price

Throughout the year and half that Elizabeth and Clara worked as spies, they collected valuable information that contributed to the victory of the North, but more than the contribution of the information, Elizabeth’s story shows how the strength, fortitude, and intelligence of one woman can help change the world.

Elizabeth and Clara retired in November of 1864 after the President decided the pair had become too well known to the “rebel sympathizers”.

Be the change the world needs. Thanks for joining me today at HHH and have a wonderful, safe, healthy and blessed month.

Michele

Multi award-winning author, Michele K. Morris’s love for historical fiction began when she first read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book series. She grew up riding horses and spending her free time in the woods of mid-Michigan. Michele now lives with her six children, three in-loves and ten grandchildren in the great Sunshine State. Michele loves to hear from readers on Facebook, Twitter, and here through the group blog, Heroes, Heroines, and History at HHHistory.com.

Michele is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Hard Times in the Neighborhood...

Hard times are a part of life. We endure family difficulties, financial hardships, emotional and spiritual dry times—we all have rough periods in life. But from 1929 to 1939, a particularly hard era fell over the United States that effected almost all Americans. This was the time of the Great Depression.

During the 1920’s, leading up to the Great Depression, the economy in the United States more than doubled. The U.S. went through a time of abundant expansion and prosperity, thus the term “the roaring twenties”. During this period, the stock market became the “gold rush” of the new century as everyone from the super-rich to the average working Joe invested in the market with the hope of multiplying their money without lifting a finger to do so. Unfortunately, it was too much too fast and the foundation of the economy—our working class, began to slow down. Eventually, an unbalanced economy led to the great stock market crash of 1929.

Following the market crash, the average American spiraled into

Great depression food line

economic hardship, and by 1932 over twenty percent of the U.S. population was unemployed. Many lost their homes and were forced to live in shantytowns, each cynically named Hooverville after the hugely unpopular president (President Herbert Hoover) blamed for the depression. Others became masters of frugality. Learning to save on electricity, food, fuel, and living expenses in general.

One way the typical, non-working housewife could help save a few dollars for her family was to create new recipes using common, less expensive items. These new dishes had fewer ingredients and were filling and nutritious. Even the 1932, newly elected President Roosevelt’s Whitehouse participated in frugal meals.

Though my parents were born long after the depression, many of the meals they prepare for us had roots in the depression era. One is a simple but favorite meal in my youth.


Fried potatoes and hotdogs. Also called The Poor Man’s Meal

Peel and slice thin, four russet potatoes.
Peel and slice thin, one yellow onion.
Slice six hotdogs into coin style pieces.

Fry potatoes and onions in oil until browned. Add hot dogs and cook until desired doneness. Serves four. (My dad would add a couple eggs to this mixture for a breakfast treat.)



Hotdogs were a cheap meat product and widely used in the 1930’s. This meal would feed a family for pennies.

We also often ate creamed peas. I’ve learned that during the depression this dish was served over toast for a lunchtime meal.


Creamed Peas                  

Heat one can of peas (including liquid) until hot but not boiling. Add two to four tablespoons of flour and stir until thick. Serves over toast or as a side dish. Serves four.


Plum pudding was served in the Whitehouse during FDR’s terms. Here is a recipe from my Grandma Whitham.


Plum Pudding

Pit and chop about a half pound of prunes. Place them in a sauce pan and cover (about an inch over) with water. Cover and bring prunes and water to a boil. Add about a half cup of sugar and a half teaspoon of cinnamon. Then gently simmer the mixture for about thirty minutes or until prunes are soft. Remove from heat. Lastly, mix three tablespoons of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water and add to slightly cooled prune mixture. Return to low heat for five minutes or until desired thickness is obtained. Eat warm or refrigerate to cool. Serves four.


People have a way for making due when times get tough and some of those habits die hard. In my case, the recipes shared here survived three generations and will probably go on to the fourth.

Do you have any family meals that have been handed down from generation to generation? Would you share them in the comments?


Thank you for joining me here at Heroes, Heroines and History today. Have a wonderful blessed month until we meet again.

____________________________________________________

Multi award-winning author, Michele K. Morris’s love for historical fiction began when she first read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book series. She grew up riding horses and spending her free time in the woods of mid-Michigan. Michele loves to hear from readers on Facebook, Twitter, and here through the group blog, Heroes, Heroines, and History at HHHistory.com.

Michele is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

What ever happened to Jeff Davis?

Jefferson Finis Davis was born in Kentucky, only eight months

Jefferson Davis

before and less than a hundred miles away from the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. Most of his childhood was spent on a cotton plantation in Mississippi with his ten siblings.

Davis had quite a prestigious military career before the start of the Civil War. In 1824, President Monroe appointed young Jefferson Davis to a cadetship at the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York. While at West Point, Davis was well liked and respected by his fellow cadets. He was known for his leadership skills and a high-toned and arrogant character. In 1828, he graduated 23rd in his class.

From 1828 to 1833, Jeff Davis served as second-lieutenant of the First Infantry. He fought in the Blackhawk Wars in 1831 and after Chief Blackhawk was captured, Davis, through his kindness and respect toward the Indian chief, won over the warrior.

Davis married his first wife, Sarah Knox Taylor, in June 1835. Sarah’s father, the future president of the US, Zachary Taylor, didn’t approve of the marriage. Because of this, Davis resigned his military post and began a civil career in cotton farming. Tragically, Sarah died of malaria September of the same year.

Ten years later in 1845, Jefferson Davis was elected to the

Jefferson and wife, Varina

House of Representatives and also remarried. His new wife Varina Howell, an upper-class woman from Mississippi.

After flipping back and forth of civilian life and military life, President Franklin Pierce appointed Davis secretary of war. 1857 he returned to the Senate. Although resistant to state secession, he defended the rights of Southern slave states. Davis served in the Senate until January 1861, when Mississippi left the Union.

  February 18, 1861 Jefferson Davis was named President of the brand-new Confederate States of America. He served this position throughout the Civil War. On May 10, 1865, Davis was captured by Northern Army and charged with treason, but was never charged. Davis spent two years at Monroe Prison where his mental and physical health greatly suffered, and ironically, was released after abolitionist Henry Greeley paid his bail.

After his release from jail, Jeff Davis led a dismal life. He and his family travel abroad a couple times but otherwise he lived a middle to lower class lifestyle. He worked for an insurance

Monroe Prison

company for a short time, but the company went bankrupt and Davis lost his job. He wrote a book about the history of the Confederacy, but the book did not sell well and brought no profit. The remainder of his life was spent financially struggling. He lived off family and friends until he died in 1889 at 81 years old in New Orleans.

Before his death, Jefferson Davis was offered restoration of United States citizenship that was stripped after the war, but he refused the offer. Though in the late 1970’s his citizenship was restored posthumously.

When I learn about characters of the past that I assume were bad or at the very least disreputable, I’m often surprised that they were not bad people at all. Often, their position is more a situation of bad choices than bad character. It makes me realize the importance of making good choices and surrounding myself with good mentors and friends to help guide me along the way.

Thank you for joining me here at HHH today and stay safe and continue to make good choices for your health, your family’s health and those around you.

Until next month, I wish you all health and happiness.

Michele

Multi award-winning author, Michele K. Morris’s love for historical fiction began when she first read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book series. She grew up riding horses and spending her free time in the woods of mid-Michigan. Michele now lives with her six children, three in-loves and ten grandchildren in the great Sunshine State. Michele loves to hear from readers on Facebook, Twitter, and here through the group blog, Heroes, Heroines, and History at HHHistory.com.

Michele is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Some things never change . . .

Welcome to H.H.H.

As we face a devastating new virus and learn a new way of life by social distancing and staying home more often, the natural world around us continues to move forward . . . Relatively unchanged. The sun rises and sets daily, the clouds bring shadows and rains, the breeze warms and cools us and the cherry blossom tress in Washington D.C. bloom as spring comes upon us.             

 

The history of the cherry blossom trees in Washington DC is wonderful of vision and kindness. The journey of the tress began in 1885 when the first woman board member of the National Geographic Society, Elizabeth Ruhamah Scidmore, requested cherry blossom trees be planted along the Potomac River.

According to the National Park Service, in 1885 Elizabeth returned to the U.S. from her first trip to Japan. She was taken by the beauty of the cherry blossom trees and had a vision of theses lovely trees lining the Potomac. She made an appeal to the U.S. Army superintendent of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, but her request went unheeded.

Never allowing her vision to die, in 1909 Elizabeth took it upon herself to begin raising the money to purchase the tress. As a part of her effort to fund raise, she wrote a letter to the first lady, Helen Herron Taft. Elizabeth outlined her vison and to her surprise, quickly heard back from the First Lady. . . Mrs. Taft ready to do what she could to help the cause.

Coincidentally, a few days later Dr. Jokichi Takamine, a Japanese chemist, was visiting Washington D.C. He and First Lady discussed the plan for the cherry trees, and he offered a donation of 2,000 trees. It seemed Elizabeth’s vision would be fulfilled. On December 10th the trees arrived in Seattle CA ten began their journey across the country. When they arrived in D.C. on January 6th, it was discovered the trees were infested with insects and had become diseased. Sadly, it was ordered the trees be burned. I’m sure First Lady Taft and Elizabeth Scidmore were brokenhearted.

Soon after the destruction of the original 2,000 trees, Japan proposed a second donation which was gladly accepted. March 26, 1920, 3,020 healthy cherry trees arrived in Washington D.C. and were quickly planted along the Tidal Basin. Mrs. Taft and the Japanese ambassador’s wife planted the first two trees. The trees still stand today and are marked with a small plaque to commemorate the event.

Then in 1965 the Japanese government made another donation. This time they donated 3,800 trees. First Lady-Lady Bird Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson accepted the donation. Most of the trees were planted on the grounds of the Washington Monument.   

                                                 

Today the beautiful trees are celebrated with a yearly festival each weekend from March to April. The first Cherry Blossom Festival took place in 1927 and has grown to attract more than 1.5 million visitors from around the world.

As each of us circumvent this new normal for our lives during this historical time of change, keep in mind that somethings will stay always stay the same. So, as you watch the news for daily updates take some time to look at the beautiful cherry blossoms and remember those who brought them to our great nation.

Stay safe and healthy my dear friends.

Until next month . . .

Michele

Multi award-winning author, Michele K. Morris’s love for historical fiction began 

when she first read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book series. She grew up riding horses and spending her free time in the woods of mid-Michigan. Michele now lives with her six children, three in-loves and ten grandchildren in the great Sunshine State. Michele loves to hear from readers on Facebook, Twitter, and here through the group blog, Heroes, Heroines, and History at HHHistory.com.

Michele is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Hard times during World War II

In the early 1940’s the United States was immersed in World War II. Despite the ravages of war on our country, Americans celebrated patriotism on the Homefront and the Frontlines.

My beloved Grandma Witham left me a wartime cookbook called Woman’s Home Companion Cook Book. Page, ix, is titled WARTIME POSTSCRIPT.

 

It reads:

As this edition goes to press our country is still at war. Rationing is in force and shortages of many foods have developed. In a fine spirit of patriotism American homemakers have adapted themselves to the changes. Their minds open to new ideas: foods they have never served before are now appearing on their tables.

There’s more, but I think you can see that America’s mealtime might have been slightly leaner in those years.

In the Woman’s Home Companion Cook Book, there are many wartime friendly recipes.

Here’s a recipe for Cabinet Pudding: (PLEASE, remember that food safety has changed GREATLY since WW2. Use caution when making vintage recipes.)

Milk, 1 pint

Sugar, 2 Tablespoons

Butter, 2 Tablespoons

Cake crumbs, 2 cups

Eggs, 2

Salt, ¼ teaspoon

Vanilla, ½ teaspoon

Scald milk with sugar and butter; cool slightly then add cake crumbs. Beat egg slightly; add salt and vanilla; stir slowly into first mixture.

Turn into a greased one-quart casserole and place into a pan containing warm water up to the level of the pudding.

Bake in a moderate oven (375 degrees F.) about 1 hour.


 

And another:

Pioneer Bread Pudding

Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 cups bread cubes

2 cups milk

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

dash of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Use day-old bread, crusts and all, cutting it to 1/4 - to 1/2 -inch cubes. Place these in a buttered 1-quart baking dish.

Scald the milk with the butter and sugar.

Beat eggs slightly; add salt, then stir in the warm milk and vanilla. Pour over the bread cubes.

Set baking dish in a pan containing warm water up to the level of the pudding and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) about 1 hour or until a small knife comes out clean when inserted in the center of the pudding. Makes 4 to 6 servings


On the Homefront, when store bought meat wasn’t available, perhaps home-grown chicken or fresh-caught fish served as the main dish. When cream or sugar ran low, recipes were adjusted to fit the shortages. People got by on what they had and did it with thankful hearts.

I’m thankful for my big, loud, obnoxious family, for the abundance of food on our table, and most of all the love that surrounds me. I hope, regardless of your circumstances, you are able to find reason to be thankful.

Multi award-winning author, Michele K. Morris’s love for historical fiction began
when she first read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book series. She grew up riding horses and spending her free time in the woods of mid-Michigan. Michele loves to hear from readers on Facebook, Twitter, and here through the group blog, Heroes, Heroines, and History at HHHistory.com. Michele is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Reach for the stars to change the world…

I recently watched the motion picture, Harriet. The movie was excellent. The writing, actors, and settings are some of the best I’ve seen as far as historical movies go. While I watched this emotional story unfold, I questioned what was real and what was contrived by Hollywood for my viewing pleasure. So, let’s take a look at this remarkable woman’s life.

The truth about Harriet Tubman is as amazing as the movie portrays.

Born sometime between 1820 and 1825 in Dorchester County Maryland, Araminta Harriet Ross (nicknamed Minty) had a clear sense of justice from a young age. Maybe because she carried scars from a whipping she received when she was five or six years old. Or maybe because of the daily violence she was subjected to on the plantation where she lived. Whatever the reason, the most severe injury Harriet received in slavery, happened while she was defending a fellow slave who had left the fields without permission. An overseer was threatening the man and threw a two-pound weight at him. Harriet moved in front of the slave and consequently the weight struck her in the head. For the remainder of her life, Tubman suffered severe headaches, bouts of narcolepsy, and vivid dreams she called visions from God.
 

Harriet Tubman

Stipulations in the will of the man who owned Harriet and her family stated that her family should have been freed after his death, but his son and wife chose not to carry out his wishes. Though Harriet’s father had been freed before their owner’s death.

Fear of being sold further south, Harriet escaped without a plan and then made the trip almost solely on foot from Maryland to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania completely alone. Her main focus…follow the North star. She crossed into the free state of Pennsylvania with liberation and reverence and later recollected: “When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven.” (Harriet Tubman, Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman By Sarah Hopkins Bradford.)

Harriet couldn’t live with the thought of her family still in bondage, so she made her first trip back into slave country about a year after her escape. It’s estimated she made a total of 19 trips and led many others to their freedom in the North. She was never caught and stated, “I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say — I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.” (Harriet Tubman at a suffrage convention, NY, 1896.)

The beginning of the Civil War gave Harriet another means to rescue more people. She first worked as a cook, then a nurse, then she began to scout and eventually spy for the Union. Harriet Tubman was the first woman—black or white—to lead an armed expedition in the war. The South Carolina, Combahee River Raid, liberated more than 750 people.
 

Harriet, her 2nd husband and family

                       
Harriet Tubman continued to serve others even after the war. She and her second husband, Nelson Davis (who was at least twenty years her younger) lived on a small farm in Auburn, NY where they ran a brick-making business and cared for Harriet’s family and aging former slaves.
 

Harriet Tubman

At the age of approximately 93, Harriet passed away from complications due to pneumonia. She was buried with full military honors at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York.
 

Harriet Tubman was a woman from whom we can all learn.

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Multi-award-winning author, Michele K. Morris’s love for historical fiction began

when she first read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book series. She grew up riding horses and spending her free time in the woods of mid-Michigan. Michele now lives with her six children, three in-loves and ten grandchildren in the great Sunshine State. Michele loves to hear from readers on Facebook, Twitter, and here through the group blog, Heroes, Heroines, and History at HHHistory.com.

Michele is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Merry Christmas to all . . .

Merry Christmas and Happy 2020 to each and every Heroes, Heroines and History reader.

I love this time of the year. People just seem happier—nicer. I’m not sure what it is that makes them that way.

I wish I knew.

I wish we could all get along as if it were Christmas every day of the year. But human nature keeps us at odds for an abundance of reason.

I pray one day that will change.

Throughout history there are examples of people coming together at Christmas and making amends—at least for a moment in time.

One of those Christmas miracles happened in 1914. During the first Christmas of WWI an unofficial truce took place in the middle of battle torn Europe.

One of the first known official, written accounts of a truce developing, was when an officer of the Royal Irish Rifles reported to headquarters that the Germans had “illuminated” their trenches, were singing Christmas songs, and wishing the opposing soldiers a happy Christmas. The British officers were guarded, but the soldiers were curious. And I’m sure desperate for a little Christmas spirit while they were away from family and friends.

Unrelated to this and a bit further down the battle lines, soldiers from both sides serenaded one another with Christmas carols. The German men sang Silent Night and the British, The First Noel. Soon, scouts were sent out to meet—very cautiously—in the shell-pocked, no-man’s land between the opposing sides’ trenches. These few brave men exchanged whisky, cigars, and a message saying, in short, if we don’t fire at them, neither would they fire at us. Then the real miracle happened. More men came out of the dank, dark, battle trenches and exchanged names, handshakes, hugs; traded gifts of cigarettes, candy and food; they played games together and sang. These men who were enemies just hours before—were having a Christmas party.     

                   
Spontaneously, in other areas, the same types of trues were taking place. No one organized these events. No one spread the word that troops could come together and observe the holiday. And in fact, many officers discouraged the truce. So, what made these men—who, might I remind you, only hours before where shooting at each other—come together to celebrate Christmas, as friends, chums, mates or comrades?

Was it nostalgia or a want for tradition that brought them together or, perhaps a longing for family or home . . . We may never be able to explain it.

It was truly miraculous.

So, my friends, during this week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could come together like these men in 1914 and forget our differences? Forget that we were recently “shooting” at one another. Forget the political mess our nation and world are in. Embrace the season and embrace unexplainable, unpredictable kindness.

Change begins with one person. I’m going to put forth an effort this year to be a person who makes change happen, who makes a difference.

Will you?

Make the impossible happen. Then make it Christmas all year long.

Blessings to each and every one of our amazing HHH readers, and may you all have a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. 

Multi award-winning author, Michele K. Morris’s love for historical fiction began when she first read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book series. She grew up riding horses and spending her free time in the woods of mid-Michigan. Michele loves to hear from readers on Facebook, Twitter, and here through the group blog, Heroes, Heroines, and History at HHHistory.com.

Michele is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Thomas Jefferson said “what?” about Thanksgiving? And a few more fun facts about Thanksgiving Day.

So, let’s get started . . .

1. Abraham Lincoln instituted the very first official Thanksgiving in 1863. This was only after Sarah Hale, the author of the nursery rhyme “Mary had a Little Lamb and editor of the woman’s magazine, Lady Godfrey’s Book, bombarded congress with letters and public outcry to make Thanksgiving a national holiday.

2. George Washington wanted a day of thanks, and while some of congress

Thomas Jefferson

supported the idea, Thomas Jefferson said something to effect that an official Thanksgiving Day was one of the stupidest things he’d ever heard of. Hmmm, I wonder what he’d think about it now?

3. On Thanksgiving Day, American’s eat enough to gain an average of 1.3 pounds. And speaking of the holiday feast, did you know that Ben Franklin wanted to make the turkey our national bird? I think we did well in choosing the bald eagle instead, don’t you?

4. The tradition of pardoning a turkey dates back to President Lincoln. When Abe’s son Thad befriended a turkey slated for the Whitehouse dinner table, his father, the most powerful man in the world…saved the critter from a fated demise. Thus, unwittingly pardoning the first turkey. Oh, and for an added layer of information, the turkey’s name was Jack. J

5. Though the tradition of playing football on Thanksgiving has been historically met with controversy from religious folks who want to keep the day dedicated to

giving thanks, football has had a strong hold in the traditions of the day. Thanksgiving Day Football’s popularity exploded when in 1876 Yale and Princeton played their first game in front of a crowd of nearly 40,000 people. Then, in 1934, the Detroit Lions began their Thanksgiving Day traditional game playing the Chicago Bears, followed by the Dallas Cowboys joining in the holiday tradition in 1966. I grew up in Michigan and my aunt, uncle and cousins never missed a Thanksgiving Day Lion’s game . . . regardless of how they played. (My Michigan people understand)

6. In 1924, the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was actually a Christmas Day Parade, and instead of balloons and floats, the event boasted live animals, clowns and cowboys. Created to draw attention to the New York City Macy's store, (AKA) the Macy’s Day Parade paid store employees to dress up in

Felix the Cat

costume and walk with the Central Park Zoo animals six miles from Herald Square to Harlem. The gimmick worked. 250,000 people attended the first parade and the tradition was born. Macy’s kept the same format for three more years. In 1927, Felix the Cat was the first gigantic balloon float . . . and the rest, as they say . . . is history.

7. When and where the actual first Thanksgiving took place is somewhat controversial, but the traditionally celebrated, Pilgrim and Wampanoag attended, Pilgrim Colony located, Thanksgiving feast of 1621, was a three-day feast. Both the Wampanoag and Pilgrims brought food to share. There was a variety of seafood, venison, waterfowl, berries, pumpkins, and wild turkey. Much of the same fair is served on today’s traditional Thanksgiving tables. In fact, it’s estimated that Americans eat 46,000,000 turkeys on Thanksgiving Day alone. Modern Americans have added the cornbread-sausage stuffing (or whatever your geographical area adds to their bread dressing) and gravy but pumpkin and apple pies and corn casserole have a long history of feeding Americans during our Thanksgiving feast.
 

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, I hope you take a moment to reflect on what fills your heart with thanks. As for me, I can’t help but remember my best friend who passed away a few months ago. On the same day she lost her battle with cancer, I won mine. Life is . . . funny. She made me a better person, and I’m so grateful for her part in my life. I’m also filled with gratitude for a new friend I’ve recently made, and I’m excited to see where our future might lead.

Thanks for joining me today here at Heroes, Heroines and History and I wish you all a very blessed and joyous Thanksgiving Day. 

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Multi award-winning author, Michele K. Morris’s love for historical fiction began when she first read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book series. She grew up riding horses and spending her free time in the woods of mid-Michigan. Married to her high school sweetheart, they are living happily-ever-after with their six children, three in-loves, and ten grandchildren in Florida, the sunshine state. Michele loves to hear from readers on Facebook, Twitter, and here through the group blog, Heroes, Heroines, and History at HHHistory.com. 

Michele is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Up, Up and Away!

Hot air balloons have a long and diverse history. Today they are used most

Early air balloons

often for fun or entertainment, but during the early history of hot air ballooning the floating device was used to spy on the enemy or cross over forbidden territory. Brave men and even a few women took their lives in their hands to float high over the land.

Scientist, Pilatre De Rozier launched the first hot air balloon flight on September

First flight

19, 1783. He named his contraption Aerostat Reveillon. His first attempted at flight wasn’t manned but instead he filled the basket with farm animals, specifically a duck, a sheep, and a rooster. Imagine the sight! The balloon stayed afloat for about 15 minutes.

A little over two months later, two brothers named Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier created a balloon out of paper and silk, then Francois Pilatrê de Rozier and Francois Laurent, Marquis of Arlanders set off in the Montgolfier’s balloon on the first manned hot air balloon flight. They took off from the center of Paris, France and flew for about twenty minutes. The pair hand-fed the fire to keep the balloon afloat as they stood on a suspended platform dangling from the expanded balloon. Reportedly, the balloon rose at least five hundred feet in the air and traveled about five and a half miles. Not a bad first flight.

Ten days after the first manned hot air balloon flight, the first gas balloon was launched. Though gas was much more volatile than hot air, soon it became the

Royal Vauxhall Balloon

preferred means to inflate the balloon since it needed no fire to expand. Until the Wright brothers flew their winged airplane in 1903, the gas balloon was the preferred means of air transportation. But because of the expense, only the elite wealthy or royalty traveled by gas balloon. The Royal Vauxhall Balloon was typical of the 1830 to 1840 style.

Tragically, in 1785 the first man to fly a hot air balloon, Pilatre de Rozier, was killed in a flying accident. He and a man named Romain attempted to cross the English Channel in a combination hot air and gas balloon. It was an experimental flight and due to using both hydrogen and hot air compartments, the volatile mixture of highly flammable hydrogen with fire to heat the air caused the balloon to explode only thirty minutes after liftoff. Both Rozier and Romain were killed.

As early as 1750, tethered balloons were used by the military for map making and espionage purposes. Abraham Lincoln appointed Thaddeus S.C. Lowe to the position of Chief Aeronaut to the Union Army Balloon Corps. His job was to simplify and streamline the use of air balloons. Lowe did this by creating generators which produced gas. Now the balloons could be filled anywhere the

Lowe's generators

wagons with carrying the generators could go.
 
Lowe and his second military balloon, Washington, were loaded onto a barge and towed down the Potomac. He was able to fly above the battlefield and observe as the fight moved inland to an area heavily forested. This would be the military’s first successful claim of an aircraft carrier.

Further aerial observations were made at the battles of Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Fair Oaks, and Vicksburg. Lowe was criticized by both Congress and the military and he was forced to resign April 1863. By August 1863, the Union Army Balloon Corps all but ceased to exist.

Ballooning during the Civil War

Today hot air ballooning is a fun pastime for both the flyers and observers. Metamora, Michigan, (a small town close to my hometown) has a balloon festival every year. It’s a beautiful sight to watch the balloons take off and float through the sky. It’s exciting and calming at the same time.

Thank you, for stopping by Heroes, Heroines and History today. I’ve enjoyed our time together and hope you have too. Until we meet again, be blessed.

Multi award-winning author, Michele K. Morris’s love for historical fiction began when she first read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book series. She grew up riding horses and spending her free time in the woods of mid-Michigan. Michele loves to hear from readers on Facebook, Twitter, and here through the group blog, Heroes, Heroines, and History at HHHistory.com.

Michele is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.