CAROLINA RAMBLING

2012-05-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

It is Not A Sale,or A Day at the Beach

    For retailers,it is a day to host sales, to make a little money.
     For many, it is the arrival of summer beach trips, and vacations.

     For those who have lost a loved one on in the mountains of Afghanistan, or the jungles of Viet Nam, or in a snowy hedge row in France, it is a day of somber reflection. Find the cost of freedom, look in the eyes of those left behind.

     Many who returned from untold wars, really never returned. The evidence of this I can remember, in the cries from the nightmares that my uncle gave in the night,in his dreams from fighting the Japs in WWII. He never returned, for all his days for the most part were spent with a bottle of booze, and his sleeping hours with the ghosts of war.

     Today we know a little bit about those who went to do battle to preserve our freedoms. They were white farm boys, and city boys, and they were black men, who were not allowed to vote, or to drink from any water fountain. They were also native born Cherokee, and Lumbee, and of many tribes. They all heard the call to defend our freedom, and way of life. They went, they served, and they spilled their blood, and their spirit in their duty they served us so well.

     At the county war memorial in front of the old county courthouse, the name of Jacob Levy still bears the fresh marks left by the granite workers tool. A sober thought, this young man has been added to the list of those who paid the heavy price of freedom. On this Memorial Day let us remember him, and his brothers at arms. Let us not disappoint them for their sacrifice, but let us always remember them all for what they did for us.

The Little Church That Could

2012-04-26T10:06:00.004-07:00

Food Pantry in Level Cross A Help To Families

The Level Cross United Methodist Church, has a small congregation. What is not small is their dedication to help families in need. Since 2004,Susan and Larry Haver have headed up the food pantry at the church. This small church has donated 13,000 pounds of food in 2011 alone.

This ministry operates mainly on donations from the church membership,and on occasion they receive additional support from a few local businesses who just happen to know they have a food pantry. With unemployment being high, and people being out of work for extended periods of time, the ministry has been a lifesaver for families in need.

"We have served as many as 90 families before",says Larry Haver. Families receive a box of staples equally divided according to what they happen to have in the pantry. Donations are accepted on a weekly basis, and distributed the 2nd Saturday of each month at the church from 8AM-10AM.

The need is great, and the Level Cross congregation would welcome donations from businesses, and individuals, as the need far exceeds their means to meet them;however no one is ever turned away. I would urge everyone to pitch in and give a hand in this project. The church serves people from our area,but even some from other communities come looking for help, and they are helped, no one is turned away.

If you would like to help, give Larry or Susan a call at (336)498-4742. If you need some groceries to get you by, the Food Pantry is open the 2nd Saturday of the month from 8-10AM and the pantry is at the Level Cross United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall at 10462 Hwy 220 N. Randleman,NC 27317 in the Level Cross Community.

The Oldest Murder Ballad in US History - A True Story

2012-04-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Naomi WHO?

You know who she was right? The one the street in Randleman is named after. The same one as "Poor Omie", that the song was written for. "Omie Wise" is a murder ballad, and said to be the oldest murder ballad in US history.

The traditional folk song has been performed by lots of people, including Bob Dylan.

The song was written about her death, and it is her death that she is remembered for. According to the historical accounts, Naomi Wise was a servant girl, who had been orphaned, and lived with the Adam's in New Salem.

Being somewhat interested in the local history of that period, I like to pin down these places, and imagine what it looked like in their day. I can almost trace in my mind how Jonathan Lewis might have traveled by my house, en route to date, and seduce Naomi Wise.

While the account in history says she was a young servant girl, that was orphaned at young age,there are historical documents that say she actually had more than one child all born out of wedlock;and therefore would not be married, as she was marked, and had bastard bonds that paid her for her children's upkeep.

I would also keep in mind that The Adams family were good Quaker people, and Quakers were opposed to slavery, and servitude in all its forms. As a result I would also doubt that she were a servant, and Jonathan Lewis certainly did not treat her as a servant.

Jonathan Lewis, her accused murderer,lived on Polecat Creek within spitting distance of Centre Friends Meeting, in Guilford County. (That would be just off Hwy 62.)

Adams Springs, in the song was the meeting spot, the spring house for the Adams Plantation, just off New Salem Rd.

So the song says poor Omie was expecting to be taken to Asheboro to be married,but instead was taken to Deep River, just off Naomi Street, and drowned with her skirt tied over her head, and beaten.

Jonathan Lewis was the suspected killer; but evaded capture. He was however eventually captured, but he of course denied killing her. After being held in the jail in Asheboro awaiting trial he escaped. During this time period, the other Lewis family members moved to Kentucky. Jonathan left the settlement, and fled the state to go and live with his relatives in Kentucky for a number of years. before being brought back for trial by bounty hunters. He was acquitted of charges in his trial at Guilford Courthouse. He returned to Kentucky, and admitted on his deathbed to his father, that he had indeed killed her.

Naomi was buried at Providence Friends Meeting, (another historic landmark from the late 1760s), in 1808.

That is the short short story of Naomi Wise, but I invite you to read about it for yourself. Everyone should know the story of Naomi Wise.

The Way It Was, And PR Moore

2012-04-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

In thinking back to my childhood days;I was remembering how much better food taste then now...
(How can that be, remembering anything like that ? )

It was the cold war back then,we drilled in school filing to the hall ways and kneeling down and tucking our head and covering our eyes, in the case the Russians bombed us. (like that was going to save us.) It was overall an innocent time.

Life was very different then,not at all like it is today. Kids had no TV games, there were no FaceBook, and kids had chores to do. We would go outside and play our games were "Army", "Cowboys, and Indians", "Hopscotch","Hide and Seek","Red Rover", "Baseball", and "Football".

We rode our bikes, and we rode our skateboards. Skateboards back then were not the fancy fiberglass ones with flashy graphics like now;but instead they were home made with a piece of wood (2x4, or 4x8) with roller skate wheels nailed on underneath.

My earliest memories from those times were when my Dad had his "payday" usually on Thursdays, we would all be loaded up in one of his cars, and we would go to town.

Dad was a Buick man, he had two of them, a 1949 Buick Roadmaster, and a 1951 Buick Special. The Roadmaster was my favorite car, it was so huge it was like riding in a bus.

So all loaded up in the car, we would go about Dad;s appointed rounds. In the mid 1950s, no one had credit cards, in fact they had not been invented yet. Everything was for the most part paid in full at the time of the sale.

Checking accounts were around then, as my mother and father had one, and they did pay some accounts by check. They paid utilities by either cash, or check. Dad would make his rounds, squaring up with everyone that he owed money to on those Thursday trips.

Usually, one of the first stops we would make was to the service station, to fill up on gasoline. Hey! I remember when the first gas price came along in years. The price rose from 25 cents a gallon, to 29.9 cents a gallon, and a few years later it rose to 35 cents a gallon where it stayed untill well up into the 1960s.

At the service station, we would all pile out and run inside the station, where we would get a 6 cent coke, and a pack of nabs, or candy, while the service station attendants checked the air pressure, and up under the hood, oil and coolant, wash the windows, and fill the car tank with gasoline. Dad would pay the attendant for the gasoline, and our soft drinks, and goodies.

At some point in our long day, we would wind up at the grocery market. In those days, the market was a small neighborhood store, much like todays' convenience stores.

Mom and Dad had a basic list, which the usually added to when they got to the market. Instead of going about and picking the food out from the shelves; the list was handed to the store clerk, who had the order pulled, and later delivered to the house by a man on a bicycle, or sometimes a small panel truck, if the order was large enough. The market kept a running tab, for the Strader Family, and on payday, Dad would pay his tab, and deliver the weeks grocery order.

The food we had back then was farm fresh, and if it was out of the growing season it came in the form of frozen in small wax paper cartons. Meats were always fresh, and came rolled up by the pound in waxed paper, or sometimes news paper (fish was packed that way).

Our milk was delivered to our door by a milk man, driving a delivery truck, and in the 1950s, the milk, and butter would be placed on the doorstep in a galvanized steel small box cooler.

The milk came in a thick glass bottle with a cardboard cover over the top, and the bottle held one quart, and we usually got two quarts. on Monday, and Thursday morning early before daybreak.

When I was a child, no one had air conditioning, and summers we always had all the windows, and doors open, day and night. In the 1950s in Winston-Salem, no one even bothered to lock a door, they were just left open, and the only lock was that of a hook that held the screen door in place, so that the insects could not get into the house.

In the beginning of the post I made mention of how much better the food tasted, and it is true. This was because foods were grown fresh, without growth hormones, and brought to the market as the food came in season. Everything was ripe, and fresh. Folks went to the market once or twice a week and picked up fresh produce and prepared it right away.

I was reminded of this when I stumbled on a Produce Stand in the small town of Biscoe a few years back, PR Moore Produce.

From their Facebook Page I am delivering their message,as they say it better than I can:

PR. Moore’s Produce, located at 24/27 W Main Hwy, Biscoe, NC 27209,(910)428-1266 open 7 days a week.... is one of the best places in North Carolina to find fresh, local produce. Family owned since 1985!!!

We carry jams, jellies, relishes, chow chows, cured pork, hoop cheese, grits, peanuts, old fashioned candies, live ornamental plants, garden ornaments and antiques. P.R. Moore’s is part produce stand, part old country store, part nursery and part… well just a little bit of everything good. We also carry hard to find sodas in the bottle, like Blenheim Ginger Ale. Be sure to try the "Fried Apple Pies", homemade pies by daughter Karen, using a 100 year old recipe.

What really sets P.R. Moore’s Produce apart from grocery stores is two fold. The first, and most obvious, are the prices. You’ll save money shopping at P.R. Moore’s. However, that is not the most important reason. The main reason to visit P.R. Moore’s is the selection and quality of the produce. Depending on the season, you’ll find dozens of varieties of peas and beans, corn, all sorts of both hot and sweet peppers, greens, cucumbers in all sizes, squash, apples, peaches, tomatoes, etc., etc. P.R. Moore’s takes the time to do things that commercial chains cannot or will not do. For instance, they don’t receive shipment after shipment of unripe peaches and sell them to the public. When peaches are in season, they go out to the orchards and hand-pick only the best peaches at the perfect stage of ripeness . :

The food really is everything they say it is, and I so wish that everyone could have the quality of food that they have in their market. In fact, with Four Dollar a gallon gasoline,I will not be able to go there often to buy from them, I wish they had a market closer to me.

I know that time does not stand still, and we can not go back to those simpler times in our lives, but somehow, we must return those things that were the best from those days, and I am in hopes that somehow the PR Moores of this world will grow and prosper in this day of Big Box Super Markets, where everything in boxed up, or laid out, with lots of additives, and hormones, and food colorings, and pesticides, and all the rest that makes us so fat, and unsatisfied.

A Block Buster Movie Is Made Here in North Carolina

2012-03-31T13:58:00.002-07:00

This post is a reprint from my column in the Randleman Free Bee

This week the talk everywhere has been about the movie,"The Hunger Games", a film from Lions Gate, and filmed right here in North Carolina.
With all the talk, and excitement about; I decided to take a little trip to one of the many locations from the movie. Right outside the tiny town of Hildebran, is the deserted community called "Henry River Mill Village". This was one major location that served as "District 12", the home of the heroine "Katness Everdean".

The movie employed a lot of local folks to be in and work in the movie. Jennifer McCollom, is a local, and make up artist, and she was on of the many special effects/ make up artists that worked on the project.

I have been aware that North Carolina has given major tax incentives for movie studios to come to North Carolina to do films. So why not Randleman, or New Market, or how about Sophia, or Asheboro? We have some great locations that would be a great venue to use for a movie.

How do we get the attention of movie producers? Perhaps Randleman should start our own film commission.

More Photos from Historic Hillboro, NC

2012-02-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

A while back I posted an introduction to the Battle of the Regulators, and its place in history. This post I am dropping a lot more photos of modern day Hillsboro. Enjoy!

St Paul Church Museum

2012-02-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

More Things To See and Do In Randleman

With gasoline prices soaring, I think we should discover other things to see and do right here at home, for low cost alternatives of entertainment.

Here is another activity to consider in the upcoming days and months ahead:

Visit St Paul Museum. St. Paul M. E. Church, South was organized in 1855. In 1879, the present hand-made brick building was erected through the generous funding of John H. Ferree and John Banner Randleman. In 1948, St. Paul merged with Naomi Methodist Church to become First Methodist Church. The last religious service was held in 1951. The church became St. Paul Museum in 1968. (description is from the Northern Randolph Historical Society Web Page.)

Take a trip into our rich past with a visit to St Paul Church/Museum. There you will see artifacts from the past specific to Randleman, and Northern Randolph County. The few remaining artifacts of the first County seat of Johnstonville are here, along with a horse drawn hearse, uniforms, many many more items as well.

While the museum is currently closed, you can still visit the grounds, and even call for an appointment to see it. Later on in the year starting in March there will be certain times that the museum is open. Here is a copy of their schedule:

2011 - January & February

Open by appointment only.

2011 - March 18th

Open House from 2:30-4:30 PM.

2011 - April 15th Open House from 2:30-4:30 PM.

2011 - May 20th Open House from 2:30-4:30 PM.

2011 - June 24th Open House from 2:30-4:30 PM.

2011 - July 15th Open House from 2:30-4:30 PM.

2011 - August 19th Open House from 2:30-4:30 PM.

2011 - September 16th Open House from 2:30-4:30 PM.

2011 - October - Open on NASCAR Day TBA

2011 - November 18th Open House from 2:30-4:30 PM.

2011 - December 9th TBA

for more info visit their website:http://www.stpaulmuseum.org/

2012-02-16T19:32:00.001-08:00

The Randolph County 2012 Spelling Bee was held Tuesday,February 7,2012 at 7:00PM at the Randleman Elementary School. The spelling bee was sponsored by the Randolph County School System.

Prizes were awarded with trophies to champion, and also to each school winner by Randolph Bank & Trust Company. A cash prize of $25.00 went to the champion,donated by The Courier-Tribune. A Merriam Webster Dictionary/Thesaurus was awarded to the champion, and a Webster Dictionary was also awarded to the runner up,by Community One Bank.

The Contestants were as follows: Archdale Elem. Aditi Shah, Archdale-Trinity MS, Sydney Brinkley. From Braxton Craven MS Jeffery Pereria,from Coleridge, Zoe Patrick. Representing Farmer Elem, Caeley Laine Price,Franklinville, Taylor Wallace. From Grays Chapel,Avery Browder,Hopewell School Madeline Underwood, from John R Lawrence Preston Forst,Level Cross was represented by Callie Wood. Liberty,Sierra Faith Hunt,New Market was represented by Adam Hall, Northeastern Middle School, Stephanie Eller,Ramseur Elem. School by Olesia Headen, Randleman Elem School,Hannah Hook,Randleman Middle School, Alec Poupore,Seagrove,Karaline Nelson,Southeastern Middle School,Emmanuelle Garcia,Southmont, Owen York,Southwestern Middle School Alexis Byrd,Tabernacle by Katherine Allison,Trindale School,Hunter Batten, Trinity Elem. Olivia Gillaspie,Uwharrie Middle School, Shelby Westbrook.

Olivia Gillaspie of Trinity Elementary won the spelling Bee by spelling the word" behemoth". Alec Poupore from Randleman Middle School was runner up.

2012-02-16T18:44:00.000-08:00

Frank and Larry's Breakfast and Lunch

Frank&Larry's Breakfast and Lunch is legendary for having the best food of it's kind anywhere around.
I will say in fact that no one anywhere makes better hot dogs, and burgers than they do. I have been known to drive from the other side of Greensboro, all the way to the county line just to have lunch at Frank & Larry's. If I am not having a big cheese burger all the way, or a couple of hot dogs ; I am having a hamburger steak, complete with grilled onions, and slaw. They make their own hush-puppies too, and they are good with anything. I could make a meal off nothing but their hush-puppies.

The decor some would say leaves a lot to be desired. If you are a race fan, or a fan of the past, then you will love the decor. The walls are adorned with many photos from not only the King's, (Richard Petty) NASCAR career, but also other notable racing legends. There's some artist depictions too of the old Pavilion at Myrtle Beach, and the Castle Drive In from the 50s and early 60s. I enjoy always looking at these monuments from the past, and never tire from seeing them. After 36 years, I have yet to tire from having lunch at Frank & Larry's.

One little side note about Frank & Larry's that few know about. There was a movie filmed in the late 1960s, and released in 1972, called "43 The Richard Petty Story". That movie was mostly filmed in Level Cross, and around Randolph County. There was a fight scene in which Richard, and Maurice tangle with a fictitious driver and they teach the man a lesson in manners. That fight scene was filmed at Frank & Larry's back in the day when it was a bar. SO if you go eat at Frank^Larry's you will be having Breakfast, or Lunch in the same place where a movie was made. You owe it to yourself to eat at Frank & Larry's.

Remembering My Childhood Christmas In Salem

2011-12-22T10:52:00.000-08:00

Today is my Birthday, and I am thinking of my childhood, and what Christmas was like for me in those days.

I was born in the town of Winston-Salem in North Carolina on Dec 22,1950. Growing up in a community known as "West Salem", which was just west of the historic village known as Old Salem.

My grandmother passed away before I was born,however she was a Moravian, and is buried in Gods' Acre Cemetery the graveyard for Home Moravian Church, and the site of their world famous Sunrise Service, where people from all over the world come to attend.

My grandfather I think had been a Moravian as well, but by the time I had come along he had remarried and had since joined the faith of my step grandmother who was a Baptist.

Home Moravian Church and Candletea.

The traditions of the Moravian Church were kept alive however for at each Christmas, any those boyhood memories are what I am remembering today.
You see, it was at Christmas that magic filled the air, and I am sure the magic we shared was a little different from what most of you remember.

Santa Claus was coming, to be sure;but what fills my memories are rather the smells of Christmas, and sights of Christmas. That is the vivid dreams that my boyhood (now 61 years advanced) remembers.

You see to live in Salem at Christmas to were a part of a living tradition that dates back more than five hundred years, a tradition that began in Germany. It was memories of Moravian Sugar Cakes,(I can still smell them fresh and hot as they came from the oven), also the wafer thin Moravian cookies cut in shapes, and made of Gingerbread, and Sugar Cookies, with raisins and candy sprinkles on them.

Those cookies were all cut into shapes like stars, and bells, and were not only eaten, but often were used to decorate the Christmas Tree, with Fresh Popped Pop Corn strung together to make garland to wrap the tree in.

Not only did the smells include those of sweets, but also the candles that were made and used for the Candle Tea, which is another Moravian Tradition. The candles are hand poured, mad of Bees Wax, and Tallow (tallow is a animal fat boiled off from either beef or pork). The scent of those candles is rather strong, but very pleasant. It kind of reminds me of the smell or potpourri.

To go along with the smells, were the sights of Christmas also. In addition to the lovely glow of those candles, were the sight of the Christmas Tree, with the strung pop corn, and Moravian Cookies on the tree. In addition was the Moravian Advent Star, seen at almost every home in Salem. You will see it from time to time in other communities, but no where will you find it in abundance as in Salem.

NC Vietnam War Veterans Memorial

2011-11-27T12:14:00.001-08:00

With nothing much happening right now, I thought to myself;"Where could I go and do some shooting one afternoon, late in November?

My camera was packed and I was already driving off in my truck,it comes to me at once:The Vietnam Memorial.

Tucked away along side a rest stop off Interstate 85 in Davidson County the NC Vietnam Veterans Memorial site is almost invisible from view. Only road signs alert you that is here , and you do not see it from the highway, or the rest stop.

The Memorial is surrounded by earthen works that remind you of military earthworks from the many forts of battles from ages past. This one however houses the names of those who have fought their last battle,

Dedicated to the 216,000 from North Carolina that went to Vietnam, and to the more than 1600 who never returned, either killed in action, or MIA. Gone but not forgotten.

This plaque stands at the entrance to the memorial site.

The memorial was an effort to remember those that not only went, and did not come back, but also for all Vets from the Vietnam War.

The vets of Vietnam were never welcomed home from the War, as other vets from other wars were. This was due to the enormous opposition to the war in the mid-late 1960s, and early 1970s.

The Memorial Wall has bricks with the names of all servicemen who served from North Carolina.

The backside of the memorial contains a brick walkway, and is decorated with shrubs, trees and brick benches.

The design of the memorial is simple, and yet one can feel reverence while at the site. Looking at the rows of names on the wall.

As a subject to photograph, the memorial is not much to look at, or even be creative with, so no photographer would probably take much time to shoot photos here...

That is not the reason I came here, the reason I came was to capture the story that it tells.

The story it tells is of those who sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice even now for some, they can never return home, not completely.

As you can see, there were still names being added under the "Addenda" Brick at the far end of the wall.

How many ways can you shoot a brick wall?

These were the most creative shots that I could come up with. It was after all a War Memorial, and war memorials are not supposed to be seen in an artful, creative way.

A War Memorial is supposed to give honor and remembrance to those to gave of themselves.

This memorial is no different, it does give honor and remembrance to those who gave from North Carolina.

The Photo Shoot, and this blog was my part of giving thanks during Thanksgiving, for those Vets, who have never been properly thanked before.

Should you happen to read this at some point in the future,please remember those who have served our nation. If you happen to know a vet from the Vietnam war, go to them and say a simple "thank you". You will be surprised at how much it will mean to them.

"I Am On God's Time"

2011-11-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

Today's date is November 6th, 2011, and it is the day when the time changes from Daylight Savings Time to in my case Eastern Standard Time. When I awoke this morning, as is almost always the case my clocks are off by exactly one hour.

I never ever seem to have the foresight to "spring forward", or to "fall back", when the time changes. Now why is that? Perhaps I am just lazy, perhaps it just matters little what time the clock says it is when on a Sunday morning, things are so laid back at my home that I just do not worry about what the time is. The one thing I did know was that it was time to brew a pot of my freshly ground coffee!

Now while sipping on the morning brew, I checked the weather report on the TV, and as I had suspected it was a delightful, but somewhat cool morning in the heart of North Carolina. As soon as I had finished my coffee I quickly dressed, and pulled my Nikon D7000 Camera body, and attached a wide angle lens, and put my camera strap on it. All prepared, I went out into the early morning light to capture the show.

Cool and brisk, the sun cast its warm glow down on me, and the brightly colored leaves on the trees. The thought came to me that it was a gloriously beautiful morning, and it felt great to not only be alive, but to be witness to the beauty that was about me. It seemed to me to be a real sin to have 5 or more cameras, (if I do not count those that I do not even use, or cell phone cameras), and to not make good use of one of them on this morning.

As I began to snap away at the scene that was before me, I remembered the words of my deceased father-in-law had once told me perhaps twenty-five or more years ago. You see, I once had asked him about daylight savings time, and I asked him if DST really helped him as he was a farmer.

The words that he said were simple, and elegant "I am on God's time!"

You see he had been a farmer most all his life, and as such, under normal circumstances he would arise early, before daylight, and as soon as the sun started to rise, he would already be at his job. He had animals to feed, he called them his "dumb brutes". After the feeding of the cattle, and the hogs, and chickens, he had hay to cut, and rake, or bail, corn to plant, or soybeans, or wheat to plant. He had farm equipment to repair, or to maintain.

He always kept to the same schedule, up before dawn, and work until it was too dark to see anymore. This schedule he kept seven days a week, 365 days a year. The fact that Congress enacted a law that sprang forward the clock by an hour in the spring, and fall back an hour in the autumn, was without meaning to him, for he worked from daybreak, till dark.

Those words rang out in my head on this morning, as I too no longer care what time it is. I do not punch a time clock anymore, and as I will soon be 61, it dawned on me on this morning that I too, was on God's time.

New Book

2011-08-27T08:19:00.001-07:00

Gary Strader/A Portfolio by Gary Strader | Make Your Own Book

Newest Project:2012 Wall Calendar

2011-07-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

Last Year we were published as the illustrator for Connie Arnold's newest book,"ABUNDANT COMFORT AND GRACE". This year I am pleased to report that Connie and I teamed up to produce a most beautiful calendar called "Glimpses of Grace". This calendar is in my opinion just beautiful, and well thought out.

I hope that you would consider purchase one for your homes, and several for friends.

Back Cover:

Here is a link to the Calendar on Amazon, in case you wanted to order a copy.

To Order Your Copy Go Here:

Who Was Martha Bell?

2011-03-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

In order to understand Martha Bell, and for that matter the people of northern Randolph County one must get a feeling for what they did in their daily lives.

Martha McFarland was born in 1735 in Alamance County, North Carolina. In 1759, Martha married Colonel John McGee, a farmer and trader who came to North Carolina in 1750. John McGee ran a Trading Post called McGee's Ordinary in the Southeastern Corner of Guilford County near what is known as Climax North Carolina. John McGee and Martha had five children: Jane (1760-1835), Susannah (1761-1843), John (1763-1836), William (1768-1817) and Andrew McGee (d. 1819).

John McGee died in 1773, but left his family well provided for. Martha carried on his business and farming, just as he had been doing.

When he wanted a supply of goods he took his produce to Petersburg in wagons; and with a little money in addition, he obtained his supplies. After loading his own wagons, he rode along with them on horseback, keeping with the wagons through the day, and lodging in some house at night.

Having learned from him the route and the names of all his lodging places on the road, Martha set off on her first trading expedition and found no difficulty either on her way or in making her purchases. But after leaving Petersburg, it began snowing early in the day, and and she decided to leave the wagons and get out of the snow as soon as possible.

For a whole day's journey, there was not a house of any description, and the only growth of timber was pine. The snow was whirling about in every direction, driving in her face and blinding her until she became completely lost. But having learned that the largest limbs of the pine tree grow on the south side, she used that as her guide, and arrived at her destination, where she rested for the night.

On May 6, 1779, Martha McGee married William Bell, who was also quite wealthy, and moved to his home on Deep River, in Randolph County, North Carolina, where he operated a mill and store. Bell was the first sheriff of Randolph County. There were no children from this marriage.

Martha was characterized as a "woman of strong mind, ardent temperament, and remarkably firm resolution." Martha was also a midwife, and often traveled about the countryside to attend the births of children and to care the sick. She was known to set out in the middle of the night at imes to go to a neighbors home to help with a birth dressed in her husbands' Militia Uniform coat, and armed with two pistols and a knife.


Portions of the old Mill Dam Wall lay scattered in Deep River, and some are still intact behind the brige supports that crossed the river.


Close up view of the remains of the Mill Dam of Bells Mill.

She was a devoted Presbyterian Christian and an ardent Patriot during the Revolutionary War.

The area where the Bells lived was divided between Patriots and Tories (American colonists loyal to the British), and there was a great deal of violence on and off the battlefield. William Bell, was a Capitan in the North Carolina Militia, and the Quartermaster for General Greene's Army.

He was a well-known business and political figure, had taken so active a part against the Tories. that he knew if he fell into their hands they would take his life. Capt Bell was also the first officer of the new Rebel County of Randolph, the Sheriff, who's duty it was to keep the peace, and to preside over the Court. In fact that for the first few years Court was held at Capt. Bell's Home until a courthouse could be built in the first county seat of Johnstonville which was only three miles west of the Bell Plantation.

So, for those reasons it was too dangerous for Capt Bell to even sleep at home, he spent most nights encamped away from home, lest he be found by the Tories that carried on nightly raids to homes all over the county.

After The Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Chapter Two

2011-03-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

So Then Cornwallis having made his way south down into the newly formed county of Randolph, having sent his baggage wagons ahead, arrives at Bell's Mill.

Taken from: Revolutionary incidents and sketches of

character chiefly in the "Old North State" : volumes 1 and

2 Stmnt.Resp.: by E. W. Caruthers ; typed and indexed

by Ruth F. Thompson. Authors: Caruthers, Eli W ,

1799-1865 (Main Author) Thompson, Ruth F (Added

Author)

General Gray, of the NC Militia writs in a letter to Caruthers about most of what was known of the Whigs of Randolph County, and of the Bells, and most of the information in which I am giving you. He was quite old at the time that he wrote the letter, but he was personally acquainted with the Bells, and with the Whigs of Randolph having fought along side of them in the war.

General Gray writes:

“I removed to

Randolph Court House in the Spring of 1792, in the

immediate vicinity of which Mrs. Bell, and the most of the

Whigs of that county who had taken part in the war,

resided; and from them I received all the information I

am able to give you. Those who lived in the south and

eastern parts of the county were mostly Tories, under the

control of Colonel Fanning, or remained neutral from fear

of him. Mr. Bell and his lady were both true friends to the

cause of their country, and treated those who were

engaged in its defense with the greatest kindness,

friendship and hospitality."

So then, you get a sense of the divisions of the people who lived here at the time of the battle. You had the Whigs, who were for Independence from England, patriots all who fought as citizen soldiers. You had religious groups who were opposed to war, like the Quakers, among others. You had the Tories, (loyalists), who were as opposed to Independence, as the Whigs were to British rule.

After the Guilford battle, when the British army was on its

way to Wilmington, it encamped, for about two days, at

and near her house. Her house stood on the north side of

the river, and the van of the army arrived there, it is said,

about the middle of the afternoon, the main body remaining

at John Clarke’s, who lived on the adjoining plantation

above.

Lord Cornwallis, according to his custom, took

possession of her house, but he had been well informed in

regard to her character, and treated her with much

respect.

During this time, as might be expected, a number

of little incidents occurred, which are perhaps worth

recording; and we cannot do otherwise than feel some

curiosity to know how his lordship would treat a lady of her

standing, of whose house he had taken possession, without

leave or license, and whose courage and firmness were at

least equal to his own; but only a few items, of a reliable

kind, have been preserved.

Here we will take General

Gray’s account of the manner in which Cornwallis introduced

himself; and for this purpose, we give from the letter

already quoted, the following extract, which accords

substantially with the statements of others in that

neighborhood.


The remains of this historic area is now under the waters of the Randleman Dam. This was the road that passed by the old mill, and the home of Martha and Capt William Bell.

“A few days after the battle of Guilford Court House, Cornwallis and his army arrived at Bell’s mill, where his lordship called upon the old lady, and inquired of her where her husband was, to which she replied, ‘In Greene's camp.’“‘Is he an officer or a soldier in the army?’“

‘He is not; but thought it better to go to his friends, than to stay and fall into the hands of his enemies.’

“‘Madam, I must make your house my headquarters, and have the use of your mill for a few days, to grind for my army while I remain here.

“Sir, you posses the power, and, of course, will do as you please without my consent; but, after using our mill, do you intend to burn it before you leave?"

‘Madam, why do you ask that question?

“‘Sir, answer my question first, and then I will answer yours in a short time.’

‘His lordship then assured her that the mill should not be burnt or injured; but that he must use it to prepare provisions for his army, and further added, “that by making her house his head-quarters, he would be a protection to herself, her house, and every thing that was in or about it; for,’ said he, ‘no soldier of mine will dare to plunder, or commit depredations near my quarters.’

“To which she replied: ‘Now, sir, you have done me a favor by giving me a satisfactory answer to my question, and I will answer yours. Had your lordship said that you intended to burn our mill, I had intended to save you the trouble by burning it myself before you derived much benefit from it; but as you assure me that the mill shall not be burned, and that you will be a protection to me, and to the property about the house, I will make no further objections to your using our mill, and making my house your headquarters while you stay, which, I think you said, would be only for a few days.’’

These preliminaries being settled and strictly adhered to, by both parties, occasioned his lordship and Mrs. Bell to part on better terms than they met.

Lord Cornwallis could not be more zealous in the service of King George and his monarchical government, than Mrs. Bell was in the cause of freedom and Independence; nor could he remain there for two days, with his army, without occasioning a number of sad or amusing incidents.

A few years ago, two or three aged men, who still recollected the scenes of the revolution, and who, from having lived all the time in her neighborhood, had been well acquainted with Mrs. Bell from the time she took that name until her death, related to me several additional facts, all of which were about as illustrative of her character as the above,and some of which were, on other accounts, even more interesting and important to the patriot or the historian.

Soon after entering the house, he told Mrs. Bell that he had annihilated Greene’s army, and he could never do him any more harm, but this was mere bravado, as he virtually admitted in the course of a few minutes. It was about the vernal equinox, and the day being cold and blustering, the back or north door, which opened on the road leading from Martinsville to Fayetteville, was kept shut on account of the wind.

His lordship soon opened the back door and stood in it for some minutes, looking up the road, and then returned to his seat leaving it open. She went and shut it, but, after a few minutes, he opened it again and did as before.

He was evidently in trouble and restless, for he could not remain, for five minutes at a time, in the same position;for he was sometimes sitting, sometimes walking across the floor, and appeared to be in a deep study.

After shutting the door again he told her that he wanted that door to stand open, and, when she asked him for the reason, he said he didn’t know but General Greene might be coming down the road. Why, sir,’ said she, “I thought you told me a little while ago that you had annihilated his army, and that he could do you no more harm.’

On this, his lordship heaved a sigh and replied: “Well, madam, to tell you the truth, I never saw such fighting since God made me, and another such victory would annihilate me.” If a few hundred Whigs, at that juncture, had promptly and resolutely offered their services to General Greene, as would be done now in a similar case, so that he could have attacked the enemy again with sufficient numbers, there can be no doubt that the whole army would have surrendered with very little resistance, and an almost bloodless victory would have been gained.For it is well known, or has been all along believed, that their ammunition was becoming scarce,that their money chest was getting low, and they were encumbered with a great many wounded officers and men.

It was very annoying to Mrs. Bell to have such haughty and profane men in her house and such a rude soldiery round about it; but the presence of Lord Cornwallis protected her from any gross insult, and, in fact, none of them seemed disposed to treat her with as much rudeness even as they had treated Mrs. Caldwell and some others only a week before; for they were much mortified by the results of the last conflict and were more occupied with thoughts about their own safety than any thing else.

They took her grain,cattle, provisions, and whatever else they wanted, so far as I have learned, without compensation, and without any care for the distress it might occasion her family.

Cornwallis treated her with courtesy and, no doubt, tried to prevent any unnecessary depredations on her property; but he could not be everywhere, and soldiers are not apt to inform on each other. She could sometimes hear the soldiers and subaltern officers at a distance cursing her for a rebel and uttering their denunciations; but all this she could bear in view of the certain and glorious triumph which she anticipated.

Confident of ultimate success, she could neither be bribed nor frightened into an abandonment of her principles; and if her life had been at stake, she would have maintained her dignity and her firmness to the last.

As one of the men was riding, at a rapid gait by the door in which she was standing for the purpose of watering his horse in the river, he uttered some profane or insulting language; and she said she did wish the horse would throw him and break his neck. In two or three minutes she had her wish, for as he was recklessly dashing down the hill to the river, the horse stumbled and fell, which threw the rider over his neck, head foremost on some rocks, and he was killed on the spot.


The pipe protrudes from what was the root cellar of the plantation home of Martha and Capt. Bell.

This is the rock outcropping where the British Redcoat fell to his death from his horse, right below the front of the Bell house that faced Muddy Creek.

Having been duly apprised of their coming, and being well aware of their rapacity and recklessness, she had taken what measures she could to secure such articles as she deemed of most value and could not remove to any great distance, particularly her cash and her bacon.

The latter of which articles she had taken over the river and hid among some rocks where it was supposed no body would ever think of looking, or could find it without a guide. The money she hid under a large rock about the house.

This was all in specie—mostly In guineas and half Jos, and this being of more value than any thing else that they would be likely to get, was the object of her greatest solicitude. This she had hid under a large rock which formed the bottom step to the door.

The rock was so large that she could just pry up one side of it; and, having made a small hole in the ground in which she deposited her treasure, she let the rock down again in its former position. Then she did not expect that the army or any portion of it would be so near to the house; but to her great surprise they were all the time passing over it.

It had been for some time a common expedient with the people over the country, especially with the Whigs, to hide their treasure under rocks or to bury it in the ground, and, as she was well aware the British had not only learned this fact from the Tories, but how to search for it. By some means or other, accident or design,the rock would probably be removed; and then all her cash, the earnings of a laborious practice for years, would not only be lost to her, but would go to feed and clothe her mortal enemies.

By a woman of her spirit, this could not be borne with patience; and she was resolved that it should not be lost without an effort to place it out of danger. For this purpose, she went deliberately into the camp, under the pretext of making some request, or of lodging a complaint for misdemeanors on the part of the soldiers; and, having transacted that matter, whatever it was, she walked about in a careless manner, as if to gratify an idle curiosity, in looking at the tents, until they all became engaged in some other way, and their attention was turned to something else. Then, going up to the place, she raised a side of the rock, took out her money, and returned into the house, without attracting their notice, or exciting the least suspicion.

The above was from General Gray's letter describing in detail the visit of Cornwallis to Bell's Mill, and about the manner and character of Martha Mcfarlane McGee Bell. General Gray had much more to say about the Bells, and about events of the Revolution as it applied on a local level. These will be discussed in the next Blog entry. For now, I think I should mention that reading of this account only made mr hungry for more about this event.

I found it curious that such an important encounter should be marked somewhere on the landscape. There should be a state historic marker, or something marking where this happened. To my surprise there was no such marker, or nothing really around that showed the location where it happened. I spent over ten years talking to old timers and inquiring if they knew where this might have happened, and where was Bells Mill. I got at best only very sketchy possible locations, but usually they would say, only that it happened down on the river.

It was later in my research that I read some old pension statements from soldiers from the war that gave very detailed accounts of their actions in the war to collect their pension. Often in the accounts they gave names of who they were with and where they were, and what they did. One such account gave me a location.

I should go there and search, about a mile from what was the first county seat. That place was called Johnstonville, and it was a town that was no longer a real town, but just a empty pasture, with a TV station tower located on the property of WGHP Television. I went there and followed the modern road right by the location. I was in luck for that road must have been only a paved over wagon road from Revolutionary war times. The distance given in the account led me right to where Bells Mill, and Plantation was.

I had been on this road many times, and I always has my suspicions that it was indeed the place. I found an odd old white country store building so old in fact it was fallen in. In those earlier days it sit right on top of the road, only perhaps a foot or two off the roadway proper. I thought it strange that a building would be allowed to be so close to the road. It turns out that it was an old store that at one time was actually a part of the operation of the mill, and set on part of the old foundation of the mill.

Many years went by from the first time that I happened to suspect that this was the location of Bells Mill. I never investigated the location because the land was clearly marked "Posted" "No Trespassing" signs abound everywhere. I waited until the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority began to clear the land for the lake that would one day be here.

There it was, just off the road, just as I suspected, the remains of Bells Mill.

North Wall of Bells Mill.

So What Happened after Guilford Courthouse?

2011-03-09T19:35:00.000-08:00

So What Happened after Guilford Courthouse?

This is the part that most historians have let go by the wayside. Yet I think it is the part that best describes the sacrifice and determination of the patriot cause.

Right after the battle was fought, Greene retreated in order to preserve his army, and the losses. He went northward toward Virginia, encamping at Ninety-Six where he rearmed, and re supplied, then moved north to Virginia.

Cornwallis did go to Virginia as well, but it took him some time to get there. He first went to the Quaker Settlement known then as New Garden, just down the road from the battlefield, he left the most direly wounded in the care of the Quakers to care for them, and made his way down south following The Deep River. It was said that the injured that were able to travel straggled along behind making their way as best they were able, but that some of them did not make it to the next encampment in Randolph County at Bell's Mill. There were dead, and dying strewn all along the way.Lord Cornwallis actually had planned to encamp here even before the battle was fought, and had sent the baggage wagons carrying his personal effects, and those effects of his officers ahead with an armed detachment.

I need to state here that this information I gleaned from a lot of sources. Most is taken from: Revolutionary incidents and sketches of character chiefly in the "Old North State" : volumes 1 and 2 Statement.Resp.: by E. W. Caruthers ; typed and indexed
by Ruth F. Thompson. Authors: Caruthers, Eli W Caruthers 1799-1865 (Main Author) Thompson, Ruth F (Added Author)

Other sources came from Rev War Pension Records Statements from those who had served, or from their survivors. Additional material gathered from The Randolph Room of the Asheboro Public Library, and from the Book of Jennifer Welborn," Martha McFarlane McGee Bell, The Case for Caruthers. Her book was her mission statement to cement the honor and place in history for Matha Mc Farlane McGee Bell, of whom Jennifer is a direct descendant.

I had several interviews with Jennifer about Martha, and together we applied for Registry for the grave yard containing Martha McGee Bell, and the remains of her husband in an unmarked grave, along with those of Thomas Dougan, Rev War Soldier, and his parents, and children. Though we were unsuccessful in doing so, we feel that we generated enough interest in the graveyards preservation that it will remain undisturbed at least for a long while we hope.

It is here that I will begin to transition from the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, and cover not only what happened in the days after the battle, but I will endeavor to introduce you to the main characters those people who fought in the Battle, and were true heroes of the Revolution in every way. People who went on to develop their homeland, and make it the great nation that it would eventually become. I hold these people as my true life heroes, I have the utmost respect for them. I have walked in the dirt where they walked, and I have wiped the dirt off their tombstones. I even stood by them and made a promise that I would do all that I could possibly do to preserve their memory, and tell their story so that their efforts would not be forgotten.

Why Did Corwallis Fare So Badly At Guilford Courthouse?

2011-03-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

Why did Cornwallis fare so badly at Guilford Courthouse?

For the answer you must look to the facts:

His professional soldiers were for the first time, outnumbered. Granted the force were not for the most part well trained, or as well equipped, but they were to be reckoned with in any event. This army of Cornwallis was tired, and hungry, and wanted to go home.

For an in depth look, one must get perspective into the life and times of those people that lived in the colonial south. In North Carolina there were for the most part people who were either farmers, or people who lived in coastal communities that fished, or supported the sea trade with England.

Further inland, you were a farmer, or you were probably a shop keeper in towns like Greensboro, or Hillsboro; or you belonged to a religious sect like the Quakers, or Moravian s.

Moravian Woman, carries baked goods from the bakery at Old Salem.

The Moravian s settled in Forsyth County around the villages of Salem, and Bathabara. The Quakers, were more numerous, and were prevalent in and around Greensboro;and newly formed Randolph County at the time of the Battle.

Salem Square Old Salem

Both sects, were considered to be neutral in the War, but if you look deeper, the fact is they settled here so that they might be able to worship in peace. That peaceful living arrangement might come to an end if the Crown were successful in restoring order in the colonies.

One example of this might be that of William Millikan, who was a Quaker that lived in Northern Randolph County. There were several Quaker settlements in Northern Randolph County, notably Centre Friends near the Guilford /Randolph Border, Springfield Friends west just south of what would be High Point, Providence Friends to the Southeast in Randolph County.

William Millikan, would not take part in any warfare with the British, but he just happened to be elected as an officer of the newly formed government of Randolph County. He was the County's first tax collector. Those tax funds, in the short term were going to help supply the militia.

Because of this,William Millikan was a target for elimination, and after the Battle of Guilford Court House, his farm was raided by Tory David Fanning, who was an officer in the British Army.More about David Fanning later, but I wanted to mention this because such a relationship must have figured into the problems of Cornwallis in this part of North Carolina.

So there were basically three groups that played into the War at the time of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. The Patriots (Whigs) who lived here, the Loyalists,(Tory s), and The Quakers who were opposed to War as a matter of religious principal. If you lived here you were in one of the three camps, and you had to make a choice on where you stood.

What were his problems you might ask? It is a fairly simple case to be made here. The problems Cornwallis had were that the was on a long sustained drive into a land that he was unfamiliar with, and that being the case could not count on resupply from England. Even getting to the coast was no simple task, as there were few roads leading to Wilmington, or any other coastal town in order to be resupplied.

To move food and the other necessary items for a Two Thousand Man force through a hostile country with few roads would mean that you would have to have a sizable force to maintain the coming and going of supply wagons, that had to traverse rough terrain.

Old Mill of Guilford, where Cornwallis came to grind corn meal for the troops before the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

To add to this crippling problem, was that his men, were weary from such a long absence from their homes. The war had been going on for many years, and they had been forced to live in the open, exposed to the elements in an untamed land for much of that time.

From reading the dairy of Cornwallis, he was counting on the support of Loyalists that lived in the colonies. While he did receive assistance from the loyalist population, it was more or less in the form of armed raiding parties. Very little in the way of food, and other material assistance, and it was re-supply that Cornwallis needed most.

So then Cornwallis on the move, with little supplies , found it necessary to forage to feed the army. To forage it meant that he could not move as fast as he would have liked. It meant he would have to procure needed rations from the populace.

Plaque at the Old Mill of Guilford, marking it's part in history.

Cornwallis sent out raiding "foraging parties", to the various farms, and plantations scattered about. The drawback is that no one farm would have enough grain, and food stuffs to feed such a large force. That being the case, it was a constant struggle finding food. There is plenty of evidence that Cornwallis had to do this, often encamping for two to three days time while gathering provisions.

The Battle of Guilford Courthouse: The Beginning of the End

2011-03-02T21:21:00.000-08:00

On March 1, 1781 Maj. General Nathanael Greene's army came back across the Dan River into North Carolina. After two weeks of maneuvering, Greene led his army to Guilford Courthouse and prepared for battle. On March 15, 1781, British Lt. General Charles Cornwallis marched to meet Greene for the confrontation that he desired. The battle began with a skirmish of advance guard led by Lt. Colonel Henry Lee. Lee withdrew and the British advanced the final three miles to Guilford Courthouse.

General Greene had divided his force of roughly 4,400 men into three lines. The first two lines were made up of militia from North Carolina (1st line) and Virginia (2nd line), most of whom were untrained and inexperienced. The first line's left flank was supported by Lt. Colonel Lee's Legion and Colonel William Campbell's Riflemen. The right flank was supported by Lt. Colonel William Washington's calvary and Colonel Charles Lynch's Riflemen. Greene's third line was made up of Continental regulars. General Cornwallis led 2,000 veteran British troops.

The British attacked and, although suffering many casualties, were able to break the center of the first line relatively quickly, although the right and left sides of the line held battle a bit longer. The second line inflicted more casualties upon the British, but these militia also withdrew to the rear under the pressure of the battle-hardened British forces. The British now attempted to engage the third and final American line, but their advance was slowed in the center by the rough terrain between the second and third lines. Meanwhile, the right and left portions of the American line engaged the British advance. The left side of the line repelled the British here, while the right side, with the support of a cavalry charge by Lt. Colonel Washington, decimated the British forces that it engaged.

At this point, the British artillery had finally made its way through the rough terrain and were in position to attack the American line. General Greene considered the fact that he had suffered few casualties up to this point, while having inflicted extensive casualties on the British. He decided that one final equally balanced attack by his remaining line would benefit the British more than he. He thus chose to withdraw from the field of battle allowing his adversary to claim victory, but with his own forces still fully capable to engage in immediate action.

The keys to General Greene's success over the actual winner Cornwallis in this Battle were as follows:

1. General Greene used the untrained NC Militia to first soften up the highly trained soldiers of Cornwallis's Army.

It has been said that the NC Militia were cowards and would not hold their ranks. While it is true in that the main line of the Militia did not hold their ground there were good reasons for this.

First The type warfare the Armies of Europe conducted was to form ranks, and the first line would fire, then kneel down to reload, while the second line stepped forward to fire, with the third line right behind. When this second line fired their weapon, they in turn would kneel to reload, while the third, and first line stepped forward.

This would continue until the opposing sides closed to a few yards, at which time the three ranks would discharge their weapons, and go in a running charge with bayonets affixed to their muskets.

The Militia had no such formal training, and had no bayonets. They usually fought with their own weapons that they brought from home. It would be suicide to engage a well trained, and well armed army to fight in the way they were accustomed to.

The militia were more inclined to ambush the Brits from behind hedgerows, and trees, from the woods. Hit hard, hit fast, and run away, was their style, and General Greene used their style to help to win this battle.

By using the Militia first, the VA militia next, and the Continental Army, who were professional soldiers last, they were assured victory by using the land and surprise.

2. Because Greene did this, it forced Cornwallis's Army to be surprised by the Regular Army waiting for them , guns blazing as they came to the last clearing before the woods.

Greene's Regulars were well trained and fresh, and had been waiting, as Cornwallis's troops had been fighting for some time, and had been chasing the militia who were leading them into the trap.

3.Another factor that figured into the fight was that Cornwallis's Troops had been basically relying on Loyalists to keep them supplied with food, and supplies, as well as by raiding the local farmers farm stores of meat, and grain. It was reported that his troops had not had anything to eat for three days prior to the Battle. Everyone knows a Army marches on it's stomach.

In fact, it was that Cornwallis could not sustain and press the fight for sustained periods because of a lack of supply, that had much to do with his ultimate defeat. He and his army must have just been weary from battle, and from hunger, wanting to go home.

The Battle of Guilford Courthouse only took about 90 minutes to fight; however it was what went on after the Battle that really caught my attention. The days, weeks, months, and even years after; deeply affected the people of this part of North Carolina.

In my next installment, I will go into detail of what went on. Events of which you will not know about, unless you are a student of this history. You do not know the drama that unfolded.

To me it was what happened after the epic battle that made the biggest impression on me.

I will go into much greater detail, and I will introduce you to actual people who played a part of history. It is these people are to me the real heroes. For the most part these people are for the most part lost to history.

I will tell you about the place in which they lived, and about my efforts to save something of their past for future generations. I will share with you what went on when I tried to save this legacy. It is my hope that when I am finished that you too will have the same respect for them that I have for them. I also hope that it will inspire you to delve deeply into the history of where you live, so that you too might know the background from which you came, and get direction for where we are going.

Remembering The Past, to Move Forward

2011-03-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

Growing up in North Carolina, we are gifted to live in a place that was around from the beginning of this great nation. We too have taken part in making the nation what it is.

Just as my earlier posts have shown, the earliest times of our nation, was shaped in large part by the people who have settled it. The Swiss,came to New Bern and settled it, the French Huguenots came and settled Bath, English settlers came south from Jamestown colony, along with Scottish, and Irish immigrants. Yes, North Carolina, as the nation was becoming a melting pot of people and ideas.

The main idea was to live in freedom, to worship, as they pleased without some King, or ruler interfering. The idea and expectation was that they might be able to make a living off the land, to grow crops to feed their families, and have enough left over to sell to make a little money for the things they could not make on their own.

The Royal Governor William Tryon had enacted aggressive taxes to pay for his lavish mansion in New Bern. He was the symbol of the rule of the Crown in the American Colony, and therefore his home should reflect his status.

When the tax collectors levied their taxes by forcing the farmers to buy Tax Stamps on their crops, the people revolted as the Governor was taking the lion's share of what they had worked hard for, in some cases they did not keep even enough to feed their families through the winter. What did Tryon's house look like? Some said that it look more like a Palace than a home.

The Mob gave themselves a name they were called "Regulators", and they had determined to fight rather than submit to unjust and illegal taxation in their eyes.

For a thorough read on the Battle at Alamance, I recommend reading up on the War of the Regulators The War of the Regulation.

Marker in Hillsborough where Tryon had Six of the Ringleaders hanged.

Hillsborough Courthouse

The thing to remember about this rebellion is that it was but the beginning of unsettling events that would lead to the War in just five more years. The same people who fought at Alamance, were some of the same farmers who would become known as Minutemen, citizen soldiers, joining the Militia in North Carolina to expel Cornwallis on his Southern Campaign. They would also do battle with the many Tories that lived here, loyal to the King.

I am Published

2010-05-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that I am being published. I was selected by poet Connie Arnold to illustrate her newest collection of inspirational poems.

Her new book is currently being published, and is at the printer. The book is titled "Abundant Comfort and Grace". Here is a link to the publisher's web page. Abundant Comfort and Grace

The book is being published by RPJ and Company, Inc. and will be out in June.

I encourage all my friends, and followers to pick up this book.

Pineview Medical Center

2010-04-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

I have long noticed when one is in the Doctor's office there is nothing to do but wait. That is especially bad if you are not feeling well.. Worse yet, You are sitting in the doctor's exam room, and hurting, and anxious.

I was just moved to let my photo art translate God's Love, and Healing power to the sick. I know through personal experience that the healing powers of God's Love can do wonders, and something as simple as a photo of a peaceful scene, can work wonders.

This series that I did for Pineview Medical Center was designed for just that, to get the patient's focus off what hurts, and instead to focus on the wonders of God's Creation.

Each work has deep meaning for me personally, and came about in a very special way, that came through deep prayer, and meditation on the personal issues that I had brought to God's table for Him to deal with me about.

God's Love is so wonderful, so special it is to have a relationship with Him. For the Creator of all things that is, and are, and was, and those that will be, He is the Master of. For Him to take time to spend with me, I cherish most of all. For Him to take me in His Wings, and embrace me His Creation, I am most blessed, by His healing touch.

That is the best that I can explain what it is to me these works, so I know that they hold special healing properties, and in that I share them.

This is the direction that I hope for with my works, that they might specially touch them that view them, and that they be blessed, even as I were blessed when I captured the images when they happened.

Beauty In The Little Things

2010-03-03T22:52:00.000-08:00

Tonight I hear from an old friend that someone close to them is about to depart this world. Their time for life is nearing the end.

That about sums it up, does it not? The end of a life, for ourselves, or for someone we hold dear is what most people dread. For many of us however, we know that life will go on. We know there is eternal life awaiting us.

I have renewed my interest in photography in recent years, because I want to capture as best I can the wonderful beauty in life for us all. "For God so loved the world..." The scriptures read of God's love for us. Few realize that love, or can even comprehend the vastness of that love.

Perhaps, death, and the vastness of God are two heavy subjects to be discussing, for sure most of us find ourselves inadequate to talk about. Perhaps we can open our eyes to the little things, the little blessings that God gives us each and every day.

God indeed does give us many blessings, and most of them go by unnoticed, until one day we awaken to it, or it hits us over the head.

So I try my best to bring to you, through my photography a moment of my life in which I was able to capture those little things that display the vastness of God grace, and love for us , in the beauty that surrounds us in nature, and in everyday life.

Sure, it is easy to get such inspiration on a tropical Island, or a scenic view from a mountain overlook. How about in everyday life?

I give you such clues here in these photos, for they were taken in a parking lot, in a busy business district in town.

So the next time you go out, take a deep breath, and pause, look around you. We are not promised our next breath, it could well be our last, before we are called home. Till that time comes, be awake, and always look for the beautiful blessings that God has left for us to partake.

It can be found in a glorious evening sunset, or in the song of a Bluebird in the tree. Perhaps in a gentle breeze of a summer evening, or perhaps in the reflections in a building in the middle of town. Where ever you look, His love is found, you have but to look to see it.

What I Came For: The New Bern Photo Shoot

2010-01-31T15:28:00.000-08:00

It was getting late into the day, and I had returned to the Hotel. I took a short rest after spending the day at Tryon Palace. Then I peered out my Hotel Room, and noticed that the time had come to capture those photos that I had come here for.

This was that moment! This is the reason I had came to New Bern.

It is truly special, when those rare times happen...when you get into your zone...when magic happens in your viewfinder. This was one of those times, and as a seasoned photographer I had sensed it.

This was that moment I could feel it, sense it...taste it. I grabbed my camera, loaded a new card into the Nikon, and headed for the door, and down the hall, making for the steps to the Lobby, stopping to peek out the hall window, and snapping this shot for the front of the Hotel parking lot.

Around the corner, and out the pool entrance to the marina I went, and I was taking light readings and setting up my camera as I went. Here are the photos that I took, and I am sure that you will agree, this was reason enough to come to New Bern.

Welcome To Tryon's Palace

2009-12-22T19:44:00.000-08:00

After a late Brunch, I collected my thoughts, and pondered my next move. I have been to Tryons Palace before, but years ago it was, and I do not remember where my photos were of that visit, and I was quite sure that new shots would be better than the old film shots I had .

For those of you that do not know, Tryon's Palace is a nickname for the residence built by colonial Governor Tryon. The house was in every sense a wonderful mansion, built by monies taken from the poor colonists. The house was so opulent it was given this nickname, by the colonists of North Carolina who resented having so much of their money taken from them in order to build .

When I arrived at the site of the mansion, I was made aware by the guard on duty, that my paid admission would allow me to photograph the outside gardens, and buildings, but no interrior shots would be allowed. (understood, but not happy with this)... I did however fall in love with the wrought iron gate, and fence that protected the front entrance. The stool that you see is where the guard stood.

The Coat of Arms on the gate, and the main house is that of King George III, and was featured to cement the fact that North Carolina was the Royal Property of the King, and that all the land and people were subject to the rule of the Crown.

The beautiful place that you see today is a restoration of the original that burned to the ground in 1798.

The building on the right, the Stable Offices is the only original building that has survived the many years since it was built.

The Stable Office.

Since I am unable to show you interior photos perhaps you will enjoy a few random photos of some of the beautiful old homes that were nearby, neighboring the Palace grounds.

The "Widow's Walk" is a catwalk that sits on the roof of many old homes on this coastal town, and served as a lookout for the wives of sea captains to look for their ship to return to port.

The building on the right of the main house is the kitchen, and it also housed the office of the secretary to Gov William Tryon.

Typical of most homes from the colonial days, the cooking was carried out in a kitchen apart from the living quarters, due to the danger of fire.

The meals were prepared by servants,(slaves), and carried to the dining room of the main house.

Sitting atop the front of the house the Coat of Arms of King George III.

There are shady paths leading to lovely old gardens behind the Palace. A good place to sit and cool off in the hot humid days of summer.

The house sits on top of a hill overlooking the Trent River.