132 Civil War Ancestors

Civil War Ancestors

Since I have frequently shared my interest in Civil War history, you can guess that I would want to know all about my Civil War soldier ancestors.

So far I have located one great-great-great grandfather who was a Union soldier from Indiana. I was content with that--pretty exciting. Then I saw a posting from Ancestry that made me wonder:

Since my mother's parents were immigrants from England and Germany, that leaves my father's side.  Most of his ancestors go back at least to the American Revolution so potentially, I could have 7 more who fought in the Civil War! I have much more research to do!

In the meanwhile, I would like to introduce you to Samuel Druley, my great-great-grandfather. I do not have a photograph of him in uniform, but I treasure the one I do have in which he is holding my father.

Samuel was born in 1840 in Marion, Indiana. He enlisted August 4, 1862, in the 12th Indiana Infantry Regiment, Company C. According to the company descriptive book, he was a farmer, 21 years old, 5 ft. 9 inches, with a light complexion, blue eyes, and dark hair.

His pension files are voluminous because his health was poor after the war and he requested increases to his original pension of $12 per month due to illnesses and injuries contracted during the war. The Pension Office was bureaucracy at its fineness and Samuel supplied many forms, certifications from physicians, and sworn statements from neighbors and other men in his military unit. 

It is a shame that he had such an ordeal filing for pension increases, but to my research, it is wonderful because it provides multiple accounts of his time in the war.

After he enlisted, Druley's Regiment headed south where 6,500 inexperienced Federal troops fought a Confederate force of 19,000 at the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky. Just 26 days after he joined the army, Samuel was captured--along with an estimated 4,144 other Union soldiers. 

In his pension filing, he states that they slept on the wet ground and he contracted a sore throat and cough. The federal forces were paroled, but Samuel was so sick that he had to be left behind with a friendly farmer while the rest of the troops marched to Cincinnati. He eventually rejoined his unit. By June 1863, the regiment was in Mississipi and participated in the blockage of Vicksburg.

Druley was part of General William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea. In his pension filing, he stated that he was in 28 battles. The testimony of his comrades was that his throat troubles continued throughout and that he frequently sought treatment from the unit's doctors but sickness did not stop him from his duty. 

The captain of his company, Edward Lenfesky, testified that "He was always ready to do his share of duty. He was a good faithful soldier. He never shirked his duties. .. He was a splendid soldier, temperate in his habits, and always ready for duty at all times unless wholly incapacitated."

Lenfesky qualified that description, saying that was before Druley's injury.  

The unit captured a Confederate munitions manufacturing operation near Cheraw, South Carolina. When retreating, the Southern forces threw a great deal of powder and shot into a ravine. The infantry was resting near the ravine when it exploded. A number of men were killed and many injured. Druley received head and back injuries. Although he was in significant pain, he remained with the unit until the grand parade in Washington, D.C. where the regiment was mustered out June 8, 1865.

Druley returned home to Indiana, where he married Jane Kem, who lived on the farm next to his father's farm. They moved to Peru, Kansas in 1884, which is where my father lived.

In 1924, Samuel Druley requested that the Pension Office physician examine him at home because he was too ill to come to him. He died at age 84 on Dec. 15, 1924, before the pension examination could take place.

His story is not unique. Many more soldiers died of disease than from wounds of war. A federal bureaucracy trying to deal fairly (and often failing) with huge numbers of soldiers is a story that sadly exists today. 

Trish     

131 Proustian Christmas??

Contemplating Christmas 2017

Dear Readers, I hope you had a happy Christmas.

Somehow December 25 arrived before I was ready for it – again this year! As a “type A” list maker, this should not be. This said I do find that a good book, a new free online computer game, holiday catalogs, and hot topics on the internet take up more of my time than they should. 

What I enjoy most not only at Christmas but all year are Proustian-type conversations with family and friends. Marcel Proust, a French novelist and essayist, devised a list of questions as a parlor game which he posited could give one real insight into people. My favorite magazine, Vanity Fair, interviews a notable person with some of Proust’s questions on the last page of each edition. 

These conversations (Proust questions), however, are what my Mother used to call “sophomoric conversations.” 

What she meant was let’s get on with what we SHOULD be doing and not sitting around “talking fool talk.” Sophomore does not just mean the second year of high school or college but also immature wisdom. Some of the high schoolers with whom I often substitute call it “conversating.” 

Anyway, since there are no relatives or friends here today, I made a list of some questions and challenge you to think about some of these – with a friend, a cousin, or just in your own head.

Here’s a list of some “sophomoric” conversation starters (or finishers).

• Complete this sentence: This Christmas I hoped . . . but . . . . 

• What person do you most admire? 

• Would Christmas be the same at your house if you did not decorate or put up a Christmas tree? 

• Suppose President Trump issued an executive order that December 25 would no longer be a holiday from work. What would you say to him?

• Of all the gifts you can purchase, what is the one gift that you would give to every child in the world?

• Would you rather have Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or Frosty the Snowman be real? Explain.

• What is your favorite holiday song or hymn? Explain.

• What is your idea of perfect happiness?

• What did you wish you had done this holiday season that you did NOT get done?

• Why do we tell “white” lies?

• If someone asked you what your greatest accomplishment was, how would you answer?

• According to a Pew Research survey, 79% of shoppers did some or all their shopping online or by phone app. How did you shop? 

• Who are your heroes? In real life? In fiction?

• What is your life’s motto?

Thankfully, I have good friends with whom I have great conversations. With one of them, we still have questions for the members of the Nicene Council (or, more properly, the Council of Nicea) and what’s included or not included the Bible. 

With another, we often talk/argue/discuss politics. With family, it is often wonderful old stories or embarrassing tales. So, while you are doing the dishes, cleaning up the wrapping paper, or curled up in front of the fire, think about some of these questions. I hope they give you a little relaxation from the frantic side of the holiday.

And, by the way, it’s time to 

decide how you plan to watch 

the ball fall on New Year’s Eve!

Best wishes to all for a healthy, happy 2018. 

Glenne

130 Check one--bucket list

A check mark on the bucket list

I don’t know why but I have wanted to transverse the Panama Canal for several years now. My husband did not share my interest in this adventure. But for some reason this summer, he gave in, and the trip became a reality as well as a check mark on the bucket list.

The trip did not disappoint even for my husband as we went from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean in 8 to 10 hours. (about 50 miles) on a small cruise ship. The weather was amazing and the views spectacular. 

From one lock to another, we rose and fell in a rhythmic pattern until we reached a huge lake. We had no idea the canal was part freshwater lake. We crossed Gatun Lake which is 85 feet above sea level to reach the locks to take us to the Pacific.

The guide that joined us on the cruise ship to cross the canal was extremely knowledgeable and so informative. There was no facet of the operation that he did not explain or report.

Also, special pilots come aboard the ship to take over from the regular ship’s pilots to ensure a safe and successful crossing. Machines with ropes reaching to the ship on each side appear to pull or guide up and down the locks – the machines are on a track that runs along the locks on each side.

From 13,000 to 14,000 ships pass through the canal yearly with 35 to 40 a day. So there is plenty to see and observe on the deck as the journey takes place. The locks fill up quickly and also empty fast so the ship can reach its destination.

We were as close to the large cargo ships as we are to trucks hauling goods on the interstate highways. But the pace is much slower so you have time to guess what is in the huge containers and where the cargo is headed.

We began the journey by land in Panama City and drove to the Atlantic side. We boarded the ship and crossed the canal to the Pacific so we landed back in Panama City. A very unusual strip of land enables the crossing to be so much shorter than going around Cape Horn. The United States accomplished the construction of the marvel more than 100 years ago after others had suffered defeat.

As the guide pointed out sites along the trip, one stood out as the prison where dictator and drug trafficker Manuel Noriega was kept. He ultimately died in a Panama hospital. The guide remarked as the prisoners waved to the passing ships – how often would this happen anywhere else in the world.

A few more interesting facts about the area--Panama City is thriving with amazing high-rise buildings dotting the landscape. The guides told us the population was close to two million in the city and surrounding area. It was a bustling metropolis with the atmosphere similar to any large city in the U.S.

Also, we learned that a Panama hat is made in Ecuador. There are many stories about the origin of the popular headpieces. In 1906, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt gave the hats a boost when a photo was taken of him looking over the construction of the canal.

My husband agrees the canal is amazing and definitely worth the trip. In addition, the Panama beaches, as well as those in Costa Rica, were gorgeous. The monkeys, sloths, lizards, birds, and various other wildlife did not disappoint.

My favorite visit was to a chocolate farm with refreshments, made from the crop and offered at the end of the tour. The fresh fruits were also spectacular, cut from the vines and trees and served on the spot.

A special bonus was meeting many interesting travelers who were also intent on crossing the canal. The trip must be appealing to a certain generation that is not of the younger variety.
Don’t hesitate to see these amazing places and enjoy the people, foods, and wildlife.

129 Supermarkets

Supermarket Savvy

As I was dodging a determine male grocery-cart pusher in the supermarket the other day, I thought about the different styles of supermarket shopping.

He-Man Buy Food Fast!

This guy with whom I was playing dodge-cart has the same style as my husband:

Rather than chase him down the aisles, I try to send him on a specific quest and meet him at checkout, but since he shopped so fast, I can only send him to find the usual things. If not, I will find him speeding down the wrong aisle, nowhere close to the desired item!

When I do by myself, I usually go down almost every aisle. It is fun to see the new stuff,  read the ingredients on new products, and then usually reject it for too much sugar or salt. By the way, did you know the average supermarket has over 38,900 different products? That is a 2016 number from the Food Marketing Institute. In 2014, there were 35,372.

I believe! Today I counted 27 different Oreo cookie types (excluding Oreo candy and family versus regular-size packages). There are minis, thins, regular and double stuffed in an amazing variety of flavors. I don't eat Oreos, but if I did, I would have to buy a lot of different ones 



It seems everything is like that. I don't dare send Harry to find something so mundane as Triscuits ("Honey, the aisle with the sign that says, Cookie and Crackers.") ("You know the signs up above at the end of the aisles?") ("Don't bother, I'll go.") because there are so many flavors of them!

Maybe that is why the average shopper buys 270 different products in a year--a whole year! That is 1.7% of what is available. But everyone's 1.7% is different. Advertising works very hard to be one of your 270 products. When you think of it that way, how discouraging it must be to bring out an entirely new product line--a new salsa, a new line of cleaning products, etc.

Another statistic from the Food Marketing Institute: In 2106 the net profit, after taxes, for supermarkets was 1.1%. That is not just the difference between what the store paid for the product and what we pay for it. but it includes all the costs of running the supermarket. And yet, 1.1% seems low; the margin for department stores is 3.2%. Supermarkets rely on volume to achieve their profit.

I cannot figure out why the stores within the same supermarket chain and in the same city arrange the stores so differently: produce on the left, produce on the right, cosmetics and sundry at the entrance or the middle, etc. Do they hope you will buy something different by serendipity? I make my grocery list in the order that you find items in the store so I have to know which one I am visiting before I make the list. I find myself heading directly to the wrong spot (the right one for the other store) when I am trying for a quick in and out.

The average shopper spends 41 minutes in the grocery store and visits 1.5 times per week. Remember when mom used to go once every two weeks? I Think I average 3 times a week. We always forget something! I knew someone who had an office in an awful out-of-the-way place. When I commiserated with her about her office, she told me she tried to imagine that she was on a top-secret mission and was eluding pursuers. 

Guess I will be crossing treacherous territory when I go to the deepest, darkest supermarket to snag my wild groceries!

Trish                     

119 Reflections--1917

1917--Reflections--One Hundred Years Ago

This has not been one of the better years at our house. Seems like every appliance that could be replaced has been replaced. A water leak in the upstairs guest bath took out part of the kitchen ceiling and played havoc with the electrical wiring. Wiring fixed in the kitchen but shorted out other areas. This happened in May. It is December. Once the hall light was rewired so that it no longer continued to turn off the computer, printer, and calculator in the adjoining office, we find we have no front porch light. Fingers crossed that by the new year it is all sorted out. I got tired of hearing myself whining and decided to look back 100 years. What was it like then? 

Here a few interesting facts about 1917 that made me decide I’ll take today’s problems.

• WW I--America enters the war sending 14,000 men to France; the Selective Service Act passed for compulsory enlistment – over 200,000 go overseas.

• Woodrow Wilson was president.
• The British Royal family because of its ties to German adopts the name, Windsor.
• First tank use as Britain breaks through German lines. 

• Average life expectancy--47 years.
• If you had a car, you bought the fuel at the drugstore.
• Maximum speed limit--10 mph. 
• Some things don’t change: Tesla v. Edison and Converse All Stars. 

• 14% of homes had a bathtub.
• 8% had telephones; today 80% have smartphones.
• The average wage was 25 cents per hour, thus making about $300/year
• 95% of all births took place at home.
• Sugar was 4 cents/pound and eggs were 14 cents/dozen.
• First class mail saw an increase from 2 to 3 cents; now, just buy “Forever” stamps.
• The leading causes of death were pneumonia, TB, heart disease, and stroke. (The big influenza outbreak did not make epidemic proportions until 1918.)
• The population in Las Vegas was 30!
• Summer race riots--in Texas, Illinois, and Missouri; a “silent parade” of 10,000 led by James Weldon Johnson in NYC protested lynchings of African-American.
• Suffragettes picketed the White House and were arrested.
• 1 in 5 adults could not read or write and only 6% of Americans graduated from high school (today’s literacy rate--about 86%).

• Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available at the corner drugstore as well as asbestos.

• The murder rate was 230 TOTAL for the whole country. Hmmmm

• The Russian Revolution saw the end of Tsar Nicolas; the Duma is established as the government--along with Lenin. 

• London to New York--5 days aboard ship (today--about 8 hours by plane).
• Babe Ruth was playing for the Red Sox! Humpf!
• The average price of a home was $5000 = about $112,000 in today’s dollars (in 2010 the average price of a home was $275,000).

• White Castle sold its hamburger patties on a bun! We also got Moon Pies. 

• Some other products from 1917 are still staples: 

• A car was about $400 = $9000 in today’s money; 2017--average car price is $35,000.
• June 15, 1917--the first Boeing aircraft flew; today there are about 25,000 planes in commercial service.
• July 1, Coca-Cola introduced its current formula; today over 1.9 billion servings of Coke are enjoyed.
• The first “super” market was PigglyWiggly in Memphis, TN. Today there are about 38,000 supermarkets with sales of about $650 billion.
• John D Rockefeller was stated to be the world’s first billionaire on Sept. 29, 1917 (in today’s numbers his net worth was about $340 billion. Bill Gates is worth about $84 billion.
• The major technological inventions in 1917 were the toggle light switch and the zipper Today we’re are learning about CRISPR – gene editing technology.

• Mata Hari, the Dutch dancer, was executed by a firing squad for spying for Germany

• Three of the top 10 songs of 1917 were versions of “Over There” with Dixieland Jazz Band’s “At the Darktown Strutter’s Ball” and “For Me & My Gal” following. 

• The 18th Amendment is passed and sent to the states for ratification (War and NO ALCOHOL! – great timing, huh?).
• The following famous folks were born: John Kennedy, Ella Fitzgerald, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Dean Martin, and Desi Arnaz.

• Fashion changed - notice the ankles showing.

• And children, during this year, were reading (if they could read) Anne of Green Gables and the Wizard of Oz; at school, students began getting lessons in patriotism to “awaken their feelings”--written by the National Education Association with Wilson’s backing.

• As 1917 rolled to an end, ads for the holidays began to appear:

Apologies, readers, if you think I got too long winded with the list! I love creating them. Seems some things are so very different and so many things – sadly – have not changed very much. Hope you enjoyed a few tidbits, and, please, think good thoughts for holiday lights for Savvy Glenne. (At least on the front porch.)

To the Readers who may inquire where I get my information: My research methods are erratic. I make a list of what I want to know, then type "Google - the word (e.g. ads 1917) - images." This is where I get the pictures. Information for 1917 came from some 15 sources, much of which was so repetitive that it fell into the "common knowledge" domain. One fun source for almost everything is www.answers.com which is where I found many of the known companies and inventions. Wikipedia, of course, was a starting point with some 25 plus entries about 1917. Www.singularityhub.com also is a great starting point for any topic as is www.onthisday.com. You may enjoy these sites for fun information.

Glenne