Slip Into Something Victorian Blog

The Morman Pioneer Trail

2011-02-02T16:16:00.000-08:00

The Mormon Pioneer Trail is the 1,300 mile (2,092 km) route that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traveled from 1846 to 1868. Today the Mormon Trail is a part of the United States National Trails System, as the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail.

The Mormon Trail extends from Nauvoo, Illinois, which was the principal settlement of the Latter Day Saints from 1839 to 1846, to Salt Lake City, Utah, which was settled by Brigham Young and his followers beginning in 1847. From Council Bluffs, Iowa to Fort Bridger in Wyoming, the trail follows much the same route as the Oregon Trail and the California Trail; these trails are collectively known as the Emigrant Trail.

The Mormon pioneer movement began in 1846 when, in the face of conflicts with neighbors, Young decided to abandon Nauvoo and to establish a new home for the church in the Great Basin. That year Young's followers crossed Iowa. Along their way, some were assigned to establish settlements and to plant and harvest crops for later emigrants. During the winter of 1846–47, the emigrants wintered in Iowa, other nearby states, and the unorganized territory that later became Nebraska, with the largest group residing in Winter Quarters, Nebraska. In the spring of 1847, Young led the vanguard company to the Salt Lake Valley, which was then outside the boundaries of the United States and later became Utah. During the first few years, the emigrants were mostly former occupants of Nauvoo who were following Young to Utah. Later, the emigrants increasingly comprised converts from the British Isles and Europe.

The trail was used for more than 20 years, until the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869. Among the emigrants were the Mormon handcart pioneers of 1856–1860. Two of the handcart companies, led by James G. Willie and Edward Martin, met disaster on the trail when they departed late and were caught by heavy snowstorms in Wyoming.

The importance of this accounting to my family is that my great-great grandfather, Charles Kirkpatrick, a doctor, took two of the ailing members of the group heading toward Salt Lake City and kept them with him and his party of travelers. Once they were healed, they rejoined Brigham Young. We have a copy of the letter from Brigham Young thanking Grandpa for saving their lives.

Legendary Trendsetter Elizabeth "Baby Doe" Tabor

2010-12-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

Baby Doe Tabor was not always a Tabor. She was born and baptized Elizabeth Bonduel McCourt to Irish Catholic parents in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1854. Her years in the frontier boomtown of Oshkosh gave her the beginnings of a dream she would live to see come true.

Colorado socialite Elizabeth Tabor had golden hair, blue eyes, porcelain skin, and a sense of style that rivaled that of any woman in Leadville. She arrived married to a struggling miner but dressed like she was the belle of the ball. She paraded down the main street of town wearing a sapphire-blue costume with dyed-to-match shoes. Her stunning style caught the attention not only of neighbors and storekeepers, but also millionaire Horace Tabor.

Horace and Elizabeth scandalized the community by falling in love, divorcing their spouses, and marrying one another. Horace showered his new bride with jewels and the finest outfits from Boston and Paris. She wore one-of-a-kind outfits to opening nights at the opera house he had built for her.

All eyes were on the young Mrs. Tabor as Horace escorted his young bridge into the theatre. Her dresses were made of Damasse silk, complete with a flowing train made of brocaded satin. The material around the arms was fringed with amber beads. The look was topped off with an ermine opera cloak and muff. Pictures of the Tabors appeared in the most-red newspapers, and soon women from San Francisco to New York copied the outfit. The only part of the costume admirers were unable to reproduce to their satisfaction was Mrs. Tabor’s $90,000 diamond necklace.

Despite wealth that allowed her to live a lifestyle that was beyond lavish, Elizabeth died penniless and alone in Leadville, Colorado. She froze to death while living in a mine shack of the famous Matchless Mine, which in its heyday produced $10,000 worth of silver ore per day.

Elizabeth and Horace Tabor are the subject of an American opera titled, "The Ballad of Baby Doe".

How the West Was Worn, by Chris Enss

Allan Pinkerton

2010-11-03T19:28:00.000-07:00

Allan Pinkerton (1819-1884) was the father of many American police detection techniques and founder of America's most famous detective agency.

Allan Pinkerton was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 25, 1819, the son of a police sergeant who was later wounded during the Chartist riots. Pinkerton himself became a Chartist and, fearing for his safety after participating in the turmoil, emigrated to the United States in 1842. He settled in a Scottish community at Dundee, III. He became an outspoken abolitionist, serving as the local conductor on the Underground Railroad.

While working as a cooper in Dundee, Pinkerton was instrumental in capturing a group of counterfeiters. After several private commissions in detective work, he was named deputy sheriff of Kane County in 1846. In 1850 he became the first detective on the reorganized police department of Chicago. He simultaneously organized a private agency and left public service not long after.

Pinkerton's agency, unlike the typical agency of the day, was run with strict propriety. He would not, for example, undertake investigations of the morals of a woman, the stock-in-trade of most private detectives, except in connection with some other crime. Nor did he set his fees according to how much money he regained in a theft case, a practice which frequently tied detectives to the underworld. Pinkerton's operatives received uniform fees, set in advance, plus expenses. Pinkerton quickly developed a national reputation as a result of work for the U.S. Post Office, the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, and the Illinois Central Railroad (through which he developed a valuable friendship with its president, George McClellan).

In 1861 Pinkerton was investigating alleged Confederate sabotage of a railroad in Maryland when he claimed to have unearthed a scheme to assassinate the president-elect, Abraham Lincoln, then on his way to his inauguration. Pinkerton convinced Lincoln to revise his plans for entering Washington, D.C., and he supervised Lincoln's secret journey. Pinkerton later discussed the organization of a national secret service with the President but, when nothing developed, joined his old client, now Gen. McClellan, as head of intelligence in the Army's Ohio Department. When McClellan left the Army in 1862, Pinkerton resigned his post and spent the rest of the war investigating cotton speculation frauds in the Mississippi Valley.
Following the war, Pinkerton turned active direction of his flourishing agency over to his two sons, although he continued to take an interest in agency affairs and kept control of central policy. He supervised the agency's growth in its chief fields of endeavor, the pursuit and capture of train robbers like the James gang; the supplying of a private corps of armed guards to industries and special events such as county fairs; and the breaking of labor unions. He became a vociferous enemy of labor unions.

Pinkerton had a penchant for self-celebration, writing some 20 books about his and his detectives' exploits. He died on July 1, 1884.

WE'VE MOVED!

2008-11-23T10:21:00.000-08:00

Please change your bookmarks and come visit us at our new location:

http://slipintosomethingvictorian.wordpress.com/

Of course you can always type in:

www.sliptintosomethingvictorian.com

Here you'll find not only our regular historical posts, but polls (and eventually surveys) and more information about the Scandalous Victorians, if the mood strikes you. We also have all the old posts from this blogger site as well, so nothing is lost!

We look forward to seeing you in our new home.

The Scandalous Victorians.

Nevada's First Woman Sheriff

2008-11-06T09:45:00.000-08:00

In 1919 Clara Dunham Crowell, a former waitress at the Two Bit House, was the law in Lander County, Nevada.

Clara Dunham married George Crowell, a teamster who drove a stage coach, in 1898. The Crowell family flourished with the addition of two children. George, who was highly regarded for his honesty and “can do” attitude, was elected sheriff of Lander County.

He tackled the job with the same enthusiasm he used to drive his old six-horse stage. Clara learned much from her husband about the qualities of a good sheriff – how to anticipate trouble, how to keep calm, and how to use a gun.

Clara herself was not in the habit of running from trouble. During his stage-driving days George often returned late and if he was carrying company money he would keep it safe at home until the bank opened the next morning. One night Clara and her niece were in the house alone when a strange man knocked on the door. “I know there’s money in there,” he said. “Open up or you’ll be sorry.”

Clara opened the door in his face and demanded, “What will I be sorry for?” Then she chased him out the gate.

As sheriff George Crowell was highly respected, but when he was struck down by illness and died in 1919 the local lawmen and women circulated a petition calling for Clara to become the first woman sheriff in Nevada history. There were several male aspirants for the job, but none made a formal application after the petition was circulated and presented to the county commissioners. They unanimously selected 42 year old Clara Crowell to be sheriff for the remaining two years of her husband’s term.

Clara proved that she could handle any situation. She was involved in the apprehension of cattle rustlers, horse thieves, robbers, and other criminals. As sheriff she demanded respect for the law in Lander. She and her deputy, Thomas White, even enforced the new Dry Law, which among other things prevented people from transporting bottles of liquor.

On several occasions she even entered saloons and broke up brawls. In an administrative overhaul, she removed Deputy White who had served under four sheriffs. She earned a reputation throughout the West as a tough law officer. When her term came to an end many people encouraged her to run for election. But she was respected also for her nursing skills and she decided to take the job of matron, or administrator, of the county hospital, a position she held for the next 20 years.

Posted from “The Historical Nevada Magazine.”

Test blog

2008-11-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Testing this to see how things transfer to word press. This is a test. It is only a test. In the case of a real emergency. . .

Trick Or Treat?

2008-10-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

As Halloween fast approaches, the holiday here in the US seems to get bigger each year. I had to wonder, how and when did this holiday take hold in this country? After all, America was founded by Puritans who would’ve banned such holidays. But as other cultures emigrated to the United States, they brought along their own customs.

It seems Irish and Scottish immigrants, who arrived between 1840 and 1870, were responsible for bringing their traditions, including Halloween to the United States. The origins of modern-day Halloween came from a pre-existing autumn festival of the dead, called Samhain.

Scottish and Irish-Americans held dinners and balls, celebrating their heritage and legends. Children’s Halloween activities included bobbing for apples and divination games. Pranks and mischief were also common.

So, like Christmas traditions, many of our modern-day Halloween celebrations originated during the Victorian era.

For more info on the origins of Halloween, visit these History Channel sites: http://www.history.com/minisites/halloween/
http://www.history.com/video.do?name=halloween

Enriching Victorian Age Noble Characters: Not Just for Authors

2008-10-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

Beyond fairy tales, the Victorian Age happenings provide opportunistic contrasts for noble and royal characters, and possible fodder for story conflicts. Often missed opportunities as I often perceive authors to underutilize this category of characters.

I’ve been a professional editor and writer off and on for some time; occasionally I’ve been asked to do so while in an emeritus capacity with the USSS to guard against the possible endangerment of protected bloodlines by unwitting revelations about said bloodlines.

While reading, I’ve noted a tendency for the sometimes gratuitously placed royal or noble characters within a manuscript (or a galley) to be, well, cardboard cutouts or paper-thin. Part of background rather than major influencers that they were, still. Although my job is perpetually to keep such bloodlines safe, I’ll be the first to say that much of their popular lore is underutilized and certainly would harm none to enhance storylines with more of their, well, ‘real’ natures.

I’ll explain a few ways to maximize upon typical nobiliary traits for characters.

1) Most queens were in Queen Victoria’s shadow during her imperialism. However, they were as active as usual in spheres of influence. Most appear in history books. But do your readers know that queens are historically known to be animal rights activists, or very nearly so? Their role somehow engenders great love of pets and animals. Can your readers see a queen defending horses being whipped along the roadside without stopping the atrocity? Or going after illegal hunting by poachers on her neighbor’s estate or even public parklands? Or befriending an injured wild animal that can stay in her menagerie if it can’t be returned to its habitat? A queen’s entourage member might also make a good solid story character and would tend to follow her lead or act in her behalf on such matters. Such instances would not only be tolerated but expected, therefore. Realizing that women were still often considered by many to be merely a higher level of chattel still helps to understand why those at the top echelons developed human-like reverence for mounts, hunting dogs, cats who moused their barns, and lap dogs. And then there were the exotic pets, topiaries, preserves, and safaris that had started becoming artistic rather than monetary. Household pets were appearing in Masters-styled artwork preserved for future generations during this rapidly changing era. Authors can utilize their nobiliary female characters for more than their well-publicized fashion sense, or lack of.

2) Hiding royal families typically sought out civil or clerical positions during the Victorian era. Their heritages taught them to seek leadership responsibilities even while hiding from the sunset of the French Reign of Terror. To flesh out such a typified noble character recently or still in hiding, it might take adding in depth by adding extremes to behaviors that were not negative traits such as a noble son being an ethical vegetarian. A higher echelon trend did fascinate Society, and wasn’t unexpected amongst clergy well-traveled and often the unlanded nobility or gentry. Many a lady’s journal interlopes into the dietary habits of monks or other clergy frequenting parties and soirees. Imagine the difficulties and story conflicts while such a displaced noble character travels throughout the Wild West. Extreme customs were individually tolerated during this Era and made good parlor talk.

3) Not every princess during the Victorian Era shopped at the House of Worth. Even when they could afford the price tag and could dawdle in the waiting rooms while perched on elegant chairs gazing at reflections in strategically angled mirrors encircling the exclusive invitation-only shops. The influential princesses understood that they started trends, just as ancient ones did and even modern ones today. But princesses were handy with a needle and were known to design and sew their own attire, even for official State functions. There was no looking down on a creation by-hand. In fact, they were lauded for preserving state coffers, or their own purse strings. Rather than be embarrassed by a financial need to sew when they couldn’t use a haute couture fashion house, this generation of princesses excelled at being fashion-forward with their own creations. The license allowed these princesses freed up ladies in lower echelons to remain proud of their own household designed wardrobe pieces. Such princesses were known to draw on their historical accoutrements such as heraldic embroidery and laces. Ironically, perhaps, the fashion designers rising in fame were not on the invitation lists of the same socialites and aristocrats that they dressed. Even though a trip to their shops was considered the height of Society trekking. But Society could speak freely in front of the haute couture designers of this era. Gossip disallowed in the typical drawing room was encouraged over pink champagne in the designers’ show rooms, after all. Even in the company of princesses.

4) Madame Guillotine still drove many a royal son into the military decades later. Speaking of this type of hero, he wouldn’t have given up his heritage. The Armed Services worldwide were (and still are) known to accommodate hiding royal lines within their ranks. With accommodations. Such an officer might have many a secret to hide, beyond the brooding hero’s clandestine needs of the Dark Ages. He would be trying to take care of loyal pensioners from a lost estate, support dependent female family members unable to work, and yet still maintain a show on the surface equal to his military counterparts so that he didn’t give anyone away. He would forgo luxuries, maximize gifts, become a martyr due to perceived need, and woo a heroine with charm rather than expensive gifts. Although in the end her reward might be a title should she prove worthy of his noble household. Plenty of room to demonstrate his nobler-than-thou character that was nonetheless expected by his pressuring social peers. All about adding depth to even the smallest kind gesture, beyond mere formalities, for story characters.

5) Writing in a noble character’s active participation in reviving a trend can expose their inner-motives and set up story conflicts to an advantage. For example, the Victorian Era was known for self-imposed or directly dictated decorum, reflected on the surface with aforementioned Morality Laws. It was a matter of taste. Renewed, at that. Nude horsewomen riding through central parks were no longer tolerated. But artistic visions promoted by noble patrons of the arts would still find nudity in plays far above the saloon hall patronage. Especially during the Renaissance revival that spiked in between revolutions and wars worldwide. Although Victorians were not underdressed, they were not shocked by nudity in its artistic form. As in the Renaissance, a top noble lady would be expected to play the part of an upper echelon Shakespearean heroine in the buff. Albeit, at that level, the plays were by private invitation and tickets were not on the market for a general public, per se. A character with a vested interest in hiding, or exposing, such artistic venues would only add depth to motivations, for example, and give plenty of valid reasons for secrecy between characters. Not all aspects of such trends were potentially scandalous or to be misunderstood. This flirtation with the Renaissance that even revived blackwork embroidery that spread like wildfire across the Wild West.

Merely a smattering of ideas for Victorian Age authors of any genre to consider, as they are the types of elements I would love to read or watch more about, myself. Go ahead and come up with your own ideas on how to more deeply motivate your noble household members and their ilk. I promise you'll be pleased with the responses.

Victorian Ladies Used Economy in Fashion

2008-09-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

The trend-sensitive Victorians spent much time and effort on their wardrobes, sometimes due to matters of economy, as well as to keep fashionable. Dressing suitably for each occasion was most admired, because of one of the new trends coming in from Great Britain. That of tailored and conservatively constructed clothing, something which British attire is still noted for today and considered untrendy and classic.

Fashionistas, though, were most concerned with keeping up with the offerings from the House of Worth. Or, appearing to. In reality, very few ladies could actually afford to do so, even from the higher echelon societies around the globe.

Frivolity was kept to a minimum, although there were notable ladies who would only wear a gown once. It was perfectly acceptable for them to wear the same gown to more than one occasion on their social circuit during any given season. In fact, in respectable society they could also attend the same echelon of soirees in past season’s fashions as a statement of their household’s economic condition without losing status or eliciting comment.

Remarking negatively upon another’s economy was considered a low-class behaviour but did become more commonly heard post-Civil War for a variety of reasons that would bear too long an explanation for this brief article.

Of interest to authors and researchers trying to capture the Victorian era lady and her society would be understanding how she handled her attire with challenged incomes. Also, how the characters viewed wardrobe and utilized one can be a subtle but poignant method of layering their emotional experiences in a Victorian era story. A layer beyond the mere weight of a fabric on a heroine.

In my Civil War short story manuscript, Silver Linings, the heroine at the beginning of the story in New Orleans wears highly decorative brocades and silks which befits her station as an opera star. Although she is actually a spy from an impoverished noble household, she expresses the flamboyance expected in her role with tastes from her background.

By the end of the story, the heroine is bereft of incomes and hiding in an exotic port of call waiting to enter the Mexican Imperial Court II. Her fashion sense takes an approach that many Victorian ladies increasingly utilized, that of mixing unmatched skirts and jackets and blouses. In fact, jackets were considered an economical and respectable approach to adding life to a fading wardrobe. Even the princesses abroad under constant scrutiny were known to use such fashionable tactics.

It was the fact that a lady had put concerted thought and planning into her wardrobe to breath life into it that was admired and noted and kept her fitting into her society.

A Brand New Cover

2008-09-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show off my brand new cover for my Civil War romance, Confederate Rose, just contracted by The Wild Rose Press.

Isn't it gorgeous?

Here's the blurb:

Disguised as a man to serve with her husband as a soldier in the Confederate Army, Irish immigrant, Katie Rose O'Reilly, vows to remain in the ranks and seek revenge on Yankees after her husband is killed at Sharpsburg. As she's transporting mail from Richmond back to camp, a stranger startles her, causing her to fall and almost drown in a swollen stream.

Southerner Alexander Hart, a Yankee spy, saves Katie from drowning, then nurses her through a resulting fever. He must keep his identity secret from the beautiful Rebel soldier even as he finds himself falling in love with her.

Katie falls in love with the caring gentlemen stranger, only to later discover he's the enemy. Heartbroken, she turns him in to the Confederates, but then questions her goals and beliefs. Is it possible to put aside her quest for revenge to save the man she loves?

2008-09-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

It is Election time in both Canada and the United States, so I thought I’d take a look at what elections were like during Victoria’s reign.

Less than a decade before Victoria ascended the throne, the electoral situation in England (Wales, Scotland and Ireland too, but I’m not focusing on them) was badly in need of updating. The rules for who could vote changed with every borough--some ruled that every male householder who could boil a pot on his own hearth got a vote, while in other boroughs only those with a burgage property (basically, someone renting in some specific tenement blocks) could vote. There was also a problem in the size of the different constituencies. The largest borough had 12,000 voters, while the smallest had between 6 and 13 at any given election. Six! Six men’s vote was equal to the votes of 12,000! And of course, these were by no means secret ballots. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that many of these smaller constituencies were ripe for the votes being bought. Hence the term ‘pocket burough’, a borough in a (rich) politician's pocket.

Other problems included the fact that if you owned property in more than one county or borough, you got two votes (or three or more). Then there was the fact that some areas got no vote at all.

At her death, uniform voting rules were practiced throughout England, allowing almost all adult males the vote. Most of the smaller or ‘rotten’ boroughs were done away with to make way for new boroughs, and the composition of voting constituencies were roughly equal--or at least closer in size. In addition, they now used secret ballots.

About the only thing Victoria didn’t live to see was the successful culmination of Women’s Suffrage. And surprisingly, to me at least, Victoria was against the idea. She said,

“The Queen is most anxious to enlist every one who can speak or write to join in checking this mad, wicked folly of "Woman's Rights", with all its attendant horrors, on which her poor feeble sex is bent, forgetting every sense of womanly feeling and propriety.”

With all due respect Your Majesty, we've come a long way since then. Sarah Palin, Elizabeth May, Hillary Clinton, Kim Campbell, Margaret Thatcher . . .

http://history-world.org/england.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_Act_1867
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_Act_1832
http://womenshistory.about.com/library/qu/blquvict.htm

The Alienist

2008-09-10T05:21:00.000-07:00

This is not Tuesday and I'm not writing ten things. At least I'm getting a post in, though!

This book was a best seller ages ago, but I only got to reading it this last summer. It's setting is New York City, 1896 putting it comfortably in the Victorian period. I imagine many people have already read it, so I won't go into a long summary. Besides you can find them all over the web. Basically it's a book about a Victorian serial killer in New York City. The main characters of the book are trying to hunt down and catch the killer using profiling techniques used today--only they haven't been invented yet. Enter a psychiatrist (an alienist they were called back then, so we are told) who introduces the team to his thoughts on the workings of the human brain. That's it in a nutshell and if you're interested in this sort of thing, like I am, it is absolutely fascinating. If not, you may find parts of it a little draggy.

My point mentioning it on the blog, however, is of course the Victorian aspect. Caleb Carr is a historian, and brings the flavor and setting of the period to life, vividly. When reading the book you are walking down the streets of New York in the 1890's. Some of what I've posted on this blog--a discussion of Delmonico's and Jesse Pomeroy--is in this book. Of course I loved that. Some of the history I wasn't 100% certain about--I'm taking his word for it. I wasn't particularly pleased with his view of Boston in the 19th century either, but I could be a little biased, coming from that area as I do.

Of course these people are "regular" people for the most part. We aren't talking about Society or balls and such, which is what I tend to like to write about. This is the nitty gritty kind of background, delving into New York City gangs, prostitution and Five Points (which I knew nothing about before reading this). Since it's late in the era there are telephones and other conveniences, most of which aren't really found in many cities until the 20th century. Regardless, if you want to know what this city was like--and I suspect a few other Eastern cities at the time, this is a wonderful book to get the feel.

Anyone else read any good Victorian books lately?

Tuesday Ten: Victorian Etiquette

2008-09-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

As a writer, I’m usually leery of challenging myself, but there are times when it turns out to be fun. And I don’t merely mean making the leap from historical writing to contemporary and back again. I’m talking about moving outside of my comfort zone.

To put it quite simply: my heroes have always been cowboys. *G* Well, cowboys, gunfighters, lawmen, range detectives—in other words, men who don’t have “purty” manners and are basically take-me-as-I-am kind of guys. And pairing them with a heroine who will at least pretend to be offended when he cusses, spits or smokes is a lot of fun. But the hero in my WIP this time around is different. He’s a gambler, a con artist, a snake oil salesman—and he’s the kind of guy who wants to make a good impression. So if he wants to move in certain social circles, proper manners and etiquette are a must for him.

And that’s what has led me out of my comfort zone into the land of the unknown, LOL. Sure I knew the basic customs of the era, but I’ve never had a character that had to adhere to them. But here, for a late Tuesday Ten, (sorry, my internal calendar is a day off this week) are some of the more interesting “rules” I’ve learned along the way, some I knew and have had fun breaking, others were no-brainers (it’s bad manners to pick one’s teeth at the table. LOL. I’ll bet even my most trail-weary cowboy knows that one) but they were all fun.

It was not considered appropriate for a young man to approach a young lady. Even if they had already met, he must still be introduced by a mutual friend a second time before he can speak to her freely.

In a stage of courtship, the couple always walked apart - the only contact allowed was for him to offer her his hand over rough spots while walking

Women never rode alone in a closed carriage with a man who was not a relative

Women did not call on an unmarried gentleman at his home

Men could not be received into the home if a woman was there alone, a family member must be present at all times.

A true gentleman always tips his hat when greeting a lady, opens doors and always walks on the outside. (Sigh.)

When introduced to a man, a lady should never offer her hand, merely bow politely and say “I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

A gentleman may delicately kiss a lady’s hand, forehead or at most, her cheek. (I suspect my heroes’ have broken this rule a time or two. *G*)

A lady should never be neglected. A gentlemen should help her with her cloak, shawl or any other outer garment she may wish to remove. (A safe bet to say my heroes are quite capable in this area.)

When ascending a staircase with a lady, a gentleman is to go at her side or before her.

Happy Writing!

Tuesday Ten: Victorian Fashion

2008-08-19T08:11:00.001-07:00

I came across this article by Kris Lindquist in my Civil War reenactor magazine on fashion during the Victorian era and thought the info would be of interest here.

1) Demin trousers were introduced in the 1850s by the Levi Strauss Company. They made the first ones from brown tent canvas. Blue colored fabric and rivets were introduced later.

2) In 1865, John B. Stetson opened his first hat factory in Philadelphia. His family was in the hat making business and he designed a hat especially for prospecting gold. It had a big air pocket between the head and the crown, creating a cushion of air to keep the head warm, along with a wide brim to keep out the elements. The inside lining was waterproof and could double as a water bucket.

3) Between 1859 and 1860, 100 tons of hair was imported by the United States for wig making. Snow white hair purchased from poor, elderly women was most prized, because of the ease with which it could be dyed.

4) James Smith and Sons opened the first umbrella shop in London, England in 1830. The first umbrellas were constructed of wood or whalebone and covered with alpaca or oiled canvas. Artisans carved ornate handles from hard woods and were well paid for their efforts. Umbrellas were viewed as a women's accessory, but this implied the woman was too poor to own a carriage. Men who carried them were ridiculed by passersby.

5) The U.S. imported silk fabric until 1839, when silk was produced on a large scale in Patterson, New Jersey. By 1880, Patterson was nicknamed Silk City.

6) Americans purchased over 100,000 sewing machines by 1860. Ebenezer Butterick, a tailor, and his wife Ellen Augusta Pollard Butterick, invented the tissue paper pattern in 1863. This changed the face of home sewing forever.

7) Charles Worth, an Englishman, in the mid-nineteenth century, put his name on the label of the clothes he made. He changed his approach from having a client tell him what to create for them to producing ready made clothing from which a client could view, and approve or disapprove. His approach set a new standard for the clothing industry.

8) Jet was used in the manufacture of jewelry, particularly for mourning. Jet is a form of coal.

9) Wooden hangers didn't come into use until the 1880s. Prior to that, clothing was hung on pegs in wardrobes or on walls.

10) Flatirons were used to press clothing in the 1860s. They were a heavy mass of metal weighing up to 15 pounds. They were used several at a time and heated on the top of a stove.

Source: Kris Lindquist, Life As They Knew It: Fashion, The Citizens' Companion, August 2008

Tuesday 10: What I learned at RWA National

2008-08-05T10:13:00.001-07:00

As you may or may not know, I went to San Fran recently for the RWA National Conference. This is what I learned from my 4 days there. You may already know this, but it's worth a Tuesday 10.

1) Always check weather.com for the 10 day forecast. Seriously, you might not think so, but there's nothing like getting there and FREEZING because you didn't bother to check weather. I did check weather.com, so dressed accordingly for the unexpected 60 degree weather.

2) Pack comfy shoes! Forget the heels, no matter how business-like you think they are. You're walking, baby. Walk in comfortable shoes. It's a must.

3) Like your roommate. Seriously. I LIKE the woman I roomed with but was so ready to murder her about 1 am when the TV was still on, she was sound asleep, and I couldn't find the remote. Talk about things like this in advance. She may think the TV was low, but once it's quiet, that light's off, and you're ready for some zzzzzzz's, it's as loud as a disco.

4) Schedule in advance. You want workshops in Sierra J and Golden Gate Hall C1? You're walking. They're far apart (like 2 floors and a block or so), they're crowded and you're most likely sitting on the floor. You really, REALLY want that workshop of dialog? Get there early. Don't dawdle, don't talk, if you must use the ladies, grab a seat then go.

5) Take notes. I can't stress this enough. Sure, you can always buy the CDs later, but there's always that right now you'll lose if you don't take notes on everything you're thinking and they're saying. Think that line about tags just helped you cure your problem? Jot it down (and don't lose the paper!) It's invaluable alter when you're going over your story and think, "Hmm, wasn't there something...?"

6) White Space. Now we're into what I really learned while I was there. Readers no longer like long pages of 1 paragraph worth of NOTHING. Break it up, especially with dialog. Using dialog is the best way to move the story along. If your character has no one to talk to, and she won't look stupid talking to herself, do that. Make it into thoughts (italicized). Cut any back story that isn't needed in the info dump and can be sprinkled later.

7) Arc-ing. I went to a wonderful workshop given by Susan Mallory called The Arc of the Trilogy. Yeah, it was on writing a trilogy, but it can work in any story, single, duo, triplets, or more. Plus, she's hysterical and a great speaker.

So...arc-ing. Pick a Big Bad and make him relevant in each story but also have 3 other baddies you get at the end of each of the 3 books. This makes it a closed story a reader can enjoy without being pissed off she came in the middle and has no idea what's going on. If you're writing a story about a commonality (rather than a baddie) it's also a good idea to make sure your H/H from books 1 & 2 are in 3. Not overwhelmingly, but enough so the reader can reconnect with beloved characters. It's why series are so popular, after all.

8) Plotting. Again by Susan Mallory and her critique/plotting group. They use others to plot aloud. This helps with holes, gaps, walls, ad corners. Sure, another opinion might not be what you're looking for, or not to your taste but it's something you haven't thought of and that's what counts.

Trapped in a hotel twice a year, each of the 5 member team gets 2 90 minute sessions to plot two entire books. You're supposed to send ideas/outlines beforehand, but for the pantsers amongst us it can be as little as "I wanted my heroine to find a baby in a life-sized Nativity." [Maureen Child's Some Kind of Wonderful St. Martin's Paperbacks December 30, 2003 this was a actual example she was kind enough to share.] It's then up to the group to blurt ideas, but you to say what you do and don't like. If you don't want your heroine looking like an idiot for the sake of plot, just say no. No matter how much everyone else likes the idea, it's your story.

9) Hooks. Took 2 workshops on this. The best, by far, was given by...it'll come to me later. I'm still sleep-deprived and not nearly at my best. Anyway, hooks. Each sentence builds on the previous one. So, if your first sentence is "I'm going insane." Then your 2nd sentence shouldn't be "Three days ago I was walking along the path by the water when I noticed the pretty fall foliage." No, it should build on the insanity sentence. Why are you insane? Who are you talking to? What's their response to this sentence?

If you need all that previous info, you're not starting your story in the right place. If the catchiest line is on page 6, cut pages 1-5. Don't eve think about the prologue, though Hilary Sayers seemed to be OK with them if they were relevant to the story and didn't introduce a character in dire straits then go into chapter 1 of the 'real' story. Big no-no there.

Ending hooks. Always end our chapter on either a hook or wretched emotional drama. If you have a 3 page chapter, so be it. The goal is to keep the reader wanting more. And by wanting more, they always want to read the next sentence/page/chapter.

10) Historicals. We've all heard the 'they're hot'...'they're not' bit but frankly they're still selling. It's all about the writing. OK, and marketing. But if the story's good they will come. So, what's the best way to write the hot historical? Research. Sure, you may not think that they'll never notice you used a sub in April 1861, but trust me...they will. And you'll get nasty emails about it.

Have a crazy tidbit from the past you think would make a great story? Go with it...but don't forget the research. Not 3/4 of every page steeped in historical fact. Sprinkled throughout. Clothes, words, accents, scents (very important), sights. Political gossip. It's the little things that make the story, not a dissertation on Dracula. (If you ever read The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova you'll know what I mean. Sure it was a great story but in serious need of cutting.)

Tuesday not quite Ten--Divorce in Victorian America

2008-07-29T06:03:00.001-07:00

After doing Tuesday ten for lo these many years, we have decided to cut ourselves a little slack. Mostly because it's darned hard to come up with ten of anything, never mind ten Victorian things. I am much relieved. So this week for my blog, I'm doing Divorce in Victorian America and not actually counting how many little tidbits I can put down.

All of this information comes, by the way, from The Road to Reno, Nelson Manfred Blake. This book fascinates me, mostly because I had believed for many years that divorce in America was strictly a 20th century phenomena, mostly late 20th century. When I was growing up (I'm dating myself here) divorce was still one of those things people whispered about. No one knew anyone who was divorced, and if you were, well, there was something wrong with you. Considering that one of Yale's Presidents, Timothy Dwight was appalled at the rate of divorce in his state--estimated at 1% of marriages over a period of 5 years--the stigma was much worse back then. But consider again--1 in 100 divorces in five years. As much as we often think differently, you could get divorced in the 19th century, you could in fact get divorced in the U.S. in the 18th century, and people did. Thus my fascination.

The book is not written in a time line, so coming up with information along those lines is hard. But I've seen a few things both interesting and puzzling, and I'll do my best to get the dates straight.

1.) It appears that at the time of the revolution, divorce was obtained based upon English common law. That is to say if a couple wanted a divorce, they had to apply to the ruling body, not the court system. Thus at the start of the 19th century the colonies-turned-states were in transition. The northern states seem to be the first to change the application of divorce from applying to the legislature, who would have to create a separate bill, to the court system. It took some time to do this, and often for a period of years a couple could obtain a divorce either way. However, by 1867, 33 0f 37 stares had prohibited legislative divorces. Why? Too much time, too little consistency. One year the legislature made up of a,b, and c, might decided to grant a divorce to one couple based upon these ground. The next year, the legislature made up of x,y and z, would not.

2.) There was such a thing as partial divorce. This was basically separation of bed and board, and was often, in the earlier years the answer to "extreme cruelty." Eventually this sort of thing went out the door, often because it seemed to cause more lapses in morality than corrected--if you couldn't marry, well many people were still going to get their lovin' somewhere, maybe several somewheres. Better to allow these people to divorce and remarry with the hope that they'd stay faithful to once person, than risk the souls of all those others, right? Right.

3.) In the beginning of the period, many states provided quite a number of grounds for divorce. Some of them, such as consanguinity (marrying a relative) seems just logical. The often sighted bigamy gives me pause (if the person has been married before, than you can't be married to them now, right? So how would divorce apply?) others seem well thought out and not something I'd have considered the "very conservative Victorians" to have allowed--desertion, imprisonment, former criminal charges (unknown at the time of marriage), intemperance (aka alcoholism) and extreme cruelty. Granted, at a time when women were just beginning to have some legal standing in the country, "extreme cruelty" often referred to behavior that was hazardous to life, but still. . . if you thought no one could divorce, this seems almost kind and compassionate.

4.) Not all states were kind and compassionate. In South Carolina there was no divorce (it was the only state that stood by this). Period. None. Not for adultery, not for desertion, not for imprisonment. Be sure you know whom your marrying, baby, 'cuz you're stuck with them.

5.) The second strictest state was--hold onto your hats--New York. Who would've thought it of the state that had New York City in it? What with Five Points Gangs, and contraception readily available even after the Comstock Laws. But yes, New York was strict. Divorce was only allowed for adultery and then for many years only the injured party was allowed to remarry. People could and sometimes did, however, manage to get annulments. You could do this based upon many factors, the best one being "fraud". The judges decided what "fraud" was, and sometimes it was a simple as "He said he was honest. But I found out he operates a poolroom". Annulment granted.

In 1879, New York finally passed a law allowing remarriages for both parties--as long as they were not divorced before 1879. If so, they would have to do what everyone else appeared to do--leave the state to remarry.

Which brings me to my 6th and final interesting fact:

6.) Divorce colonies. What if you could not get a divorce in your state? What if you desperately needed one--we'll take, for example a woman whose husband drank so much he could not support her or her children, and even if she was able to work, he stole her money and spent it on alcohol. How to cope?

Go to another state.

Granted this would not have been much of an option for our poor example (being poor that is) but for many it was an option. The procedure--establish a temporary residence, then sue for divorce. States whose residence laws were lax would often become "divorce colonies". Eventually they would correct for that, of course. But for awhile, people took advantage of the situation. In the eastern states a year's residence was required, still for true misery, it was deemed worth it (Connecticut, however, even with pretty liberal divorce laws, required 3 years). Some known divorce colonies: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois (Chicago was "the place to go" during the Civil War) and the Dakotas. Indiana had virtually no residence requirement until 1859. The Dakota's had a 3 month residence requirement through much of the period.

So, when you're thinking of the good ole' days when everyone stayed married--well they didn't. And many traveled great distances to get that divorce. And for those who didn't do that--well here's another option. Remember there were no Social Security numbers, very little way of keeping track of people back then. What was to stop anyone from abandoning his/her spouse, running away with a lover to another state and "marrying" there and starting a new life? Who would know?

Taking a (day) Trip Back in Time

2008-07-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my family and I took a little day trip back in time. Not far from where I live in Rochester, NY, there is a jewel known as the Genesee Country Museum. Situated on 600 acres of beautiful farm land in Genesee County, NY, it’s a collection of the art and architecture of a long-ago era—beautiful old houses that have been moved and lovingly restored, right down to the last detail, complete with furniture and accessories accurate to the period in which the structure was built.

Think Williamsburg VA on a smaller scale. Or, as I like to think of it, Disney World for the history buff, LOL.

Since the gates first opened to the public in 1976, it has been my favorite place in the whole world. It’s like stepping into another time.

Once inside the gates you’re greeted by the great meadow, a curving slope complete with bandstand that serves as an amphitheater for events held at the museum throughout the year, from a Highlanders Bagpipe march, to a nineteenth century circus or Fourth of July celebration. This day it would serve as the battlegrounds of Gettysburg for a Civil War reenactment. (Never mind that little person scaling the barrier—he’s with me.)

But the first order of business was to visit the 19th century village—sixty-eight restored and fully furnished buildings (the oldest home was built in 1797). An old country store; a ladies dressmaking shop, doctor’s office, a law office, a pharmacist, bookseller, printer, a blacksmith, tinsmith, cooper, a gunsmith, wagon maker and opera house are all part of the village. For most of the businesses, you can walk right in and browse, others have a waist-high Plexiglas door to keep you from going inside.

My favorite, by far, has always been the Livingston-Bacchus house.

This beautiful Greek revival structure (and I regret that I didn’t take any pictures of the inside; I wasn’t thinking about a blog, just enjoying a day with my family and thinking how much my Victorian sisters would love this place!) always seems to set my imagination wild. The gardens as well make me think about the hero and heroine who might slip outside on a warm summer evening for a romantic embrace in the gazebo.

I know what my hero and heroine would be doing out here!

To read more about the Livingston Bacchus house,

click http://www.gcv.org/attractions/historicVillage/villageHomes/Livingston.shtml

Not far from this beautiful home is another favorite, the Hamilton House. (below)

This is one of the few homes where you can actually head upstairs and look around. Again, I wish I’d had my head on straight, LOL, I’d have taken more pictures. These homes are every bit as breathtaking on the inside as they are on the out. For more information on the Hamilton House, click here http://www.gcv.org/attractions/historicVillage/villageHomes/Hamilton.shtml

The Octagon house scared my kids, LOL. They thought it looked creepy. But I think it’s a stroke of genius in architecture and wouldn’t mind living in one myself. http://www.gcv.org/attractions/historicVillage/villageHomes/Octagon.shtml

After a folk music revival at St. Feehan’s Catholic Church we watched Confederate troops march into the village and returned to the grassy meadow for a picnic lunch and re-enactment of Pickett’s Charge in the round. By the end of the day, I think a true interest in history was sparked in both my young sons—the oldest was impressed with the soldiers and battle, the youngest with how people lived in “the olden days.” They both want to know when we can go back again.

All in all, despite weather that switched from skin-soaking rain, to heat and humidity that had sweat dripping down our backs, it was a great day for a trip back in time.

For more information on Genesee Country Museum, visit http://www.gcv.org/index.shtml

Tuesday 10: To Knight or not to Knight

2008-07-15T05:22:00.000-07:00

What makes Dame Judie Dench or Sir Paul McCarthy worthy of being knighted and er…damed? I have no idea. Sure, I like some of her movies and some of his songs, but knighted?

But here are 10 people knighted (ok, MEN considering the time) for various contributions to the crown. You be the judge.

Rowland Hill, a schoolmaster, invented the adhesive postage stamp in 1837
George Williams, President of the Young Men's Christian Association in 1894
Isaac Pitman, inventor of the Pitman Phonetic System of Shorthand in 1894
Joseph Hickson, manager of the Grand Trunk Railroad 1890
Dr. J.E. Bourinot, clerk of the Dominion House of Commons
Pryce Pryce Jones, owner of the first mail-order business (he supplied Queen Victorian with her unmentionables), 1887
John A. Macdonald, first Prime Minister of Canada, 1867 (on July 1, Canada Day!)
James Simpson, a member of her Majesty’s Physicians [no date given]
William Venner, introduced matches to Canada, c. 1870 [based on circumstantial evidence]
Mayor of Wrexham (you find his name, I swear they struck it from the records!) for…drum roll please…pomp & circumstance in honor of a visit from Queen Victoria, 1889.

1. inventors.about.com/od/mstartinventions/a/mail.htm
2-3.http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9E01E5D71F39E033A25750C2A9639C94659ED7CF&oref=slogin
4-5. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C0DE6D81539E033A25750C0A9679C94619ED7CF
6. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/3595420.stm
7. www.suite101.com/reference/queen_victoria
8. http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/st_simons/cr9905.htm
9. http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.venner/1/mb.ashx
10. http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/heritage/victorian_values/loyalty_hierarchy.htm

Tuesday ten, Victorian Slang

2008-07-08T09:45:00.001-07:00

From Random House Dictionary of American Slang, by J. E. Lighter. I have the first two editions, up to the letter O. The last one was never published, which irritates me to no end because these are really awesome books.

I'm choosing these sayings randomly, not to pun or anything. Okay, I did mean to pun. I just can't help it.

1.)bed rock, down to bed rock. Probably started as miners slang in the Rocky Mountains. First written reference (which I always assume means it was being used in speech 5-10 years earlier) is 1869. It means down to the essentials. Or, in this reference (the way I've used it in my writing) the heart of the matter--"and your poet has brought the matter down to bedrock."

2.)eat up-- to administer a decisive or ruinous defeat. From 1830 or so, and there are tons of references for this one. 1874: He seemed to determined to draw. . . .(him) into a fight and. . . ."Eat him up without salt."

3.)chain lightning--cheap potent whiskey or rum. 1837 on

4.)chalk--something that is genuine truth 1843. I've personally used this phrase a few times, just 'cuz I like it. not by a long chalk. 1841 by any mean. 1859--He can't do it by a long chalk.

5.) foofoo--a soft, weak or effeminate fellow, a sissy. from 1848 on. Seems to be originally out of mostly in New York, but I would imagine since it started in 1848, it migrated west some.

6.)Jim dandy--excellent, or an extraordinary person. also, Jim Hickey. 1887 on. Seems to have originated with baseball. "Whereas on Wednesday night they were proclaimed 'Jim Dandy' players, they were on Thursday proclaimed to be 'no good'."

7) love--fondle, caress, engage in sexual activity. I've used this a few times, because I've yet to come up with other Victorian euphemisms for sex. From 1876 (I expect it was much earlier, though).

8.)on one's own hook--on ones own initiative. 1812 on. There are quite a few references, which I think means it was pretty standard slang pretty quickly. from 1845 "She told me she was very economical. . .since she was. . .going upon her own hook. "

9.)out of sight--wonderfully good or impressive. Yeah, and you thought it was 1960's slang. Nope, originated around 1876 (remember, probably earlier in speech) and there are quite a few references after that. In Buffalo Bill "For ye see our beans an' crackers 'an our pork were outen sight."

10.)hell on wheels--most formidable, savage, aggressive. 1843 on. My reference here is from 1868--It is a most aggravated specimen of the border town of America, not inaptly called 'Hell on Wheels'

The End of the East Indian Company

2008-07-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

Commonly known for its vast interests world-wide, and for being richer than many monarchs, the EIC was formed by English Royal Charter by Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600. Their goal was to favor trade privileges in India, with a 21 year monopoly on all trade in the East Indies. The Company transformed from a commercial trading venture to one that virtually ruled India and other Asian colonies as it acquired auxiliary governmental and military functions. What brought the demise of this company?

The Indian Mutiny of 1857, also known as The Sepoy Rebellion of 1857.

Deprived of its trade monopoly in 1813, the company was now a trading enterprise.
Following the 1857 war/rebellion, the Company was nationalised and lost all administrative functions and all Indian possessions in the Government of India Act 1858. It managed the Britishtea trade until the East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act and the Company was dissolved on January 1, 1874. The Times reported, "It accomplished a work such as in the whole history of the human race no other company ever attempted and as such is ever likely to attempt in the years to come."

It'd take a dissertation to really explain the rebellion but suffice it to say that:

It started as a mutiny of sepoys of British East India Company's army on May 10, 1857, in the town of Meerut. It quickly erupted into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India.
This uprising posed a considerable threat to Company power in that region and it was contained only with the fall of Gwalior on 20 June 1858.

Grievances over the issue of promotions, based on seniority, as well as the increasing number of European officers in the battalions which made promotion difficult.
Controversy over the new Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle. To load the new rifle, the sepoys had to bite the cartridge open. It was believed that the paper cartridges that were standard issue with the rifle were greased with lard (pork fat) which was regarded as unclean by Muslims, or tallow (beef fat), regarded as sacred to Hindus.

The civilian rebellion where there were three groups: feudal nobility, rural landlords called taluqdars, and the peasants.

The nobility, many of whom had lost titles and domains under the Doctrine of Lapse, which refused to recognise adopted children of princes as legal heirs. They felt the Company interfered with their traditional system of inheritance.

The taluqdars lost half their landed estates to peasant farmers as a result of the land reforms that came in the wake of annexation of Oudh. As the rebellion gained ground, the taluqdars reoccupied their lands, and, in part due to ties of kinship and feudal loyalty, didn't experience significant opposition from peasant farmers, many of whom joined the rebellion to the great dismay of the British.

Money lenders, as a result of reorganization by the Company of lads caused a great may farmers to go into debt. So they, in addition to the EIC, were particular objects of the rebels' animosity.

And that's not all. Areas where the rebellion began stayed calm while other areas where it spread did not. Some landowners stayed loyal, others even prosperous ones, did not.

For more:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/indian_rebellion_01.shtml
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEnglish/imperial/india/mutiny.htm
http://www.historynet.com/indian-mutiny-of-1857-siege-of-delhi.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Rebellion_of_1857#Causes_of_the_rebellion

Battle of Gettysburg

2008-07-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

Today is July 2nd. In the year 1863, one of the bloodiest battles lasting three days was happening in the little town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

The battle began on July 1st and ended on July 3rd with a Union victory. Before this battle, the Confederate Army had been winning most of the battles, likely why they tried to go so far north.

It's hard to imagine how it must have felt for the inhabitants of that sleepy Pennsylvania town. The closest the war had come to them had been the battle of Antietam at Sharpsburg, Maryland.

I've visited Gettysburg and heard the story of Jenny Wade, the only civilian killed in that battle. And the site where General Reynolds was taken after he'd been shot on the battlefield. Ghost stories abound of the many who died during those three days. There are also stories of the horrors the townspeople witnessed and how they rallied to try to nurse wounded and bury so many dead. Just the sounds of shelling and horrible smells had to be terrible.

Gettysburg is a fascinating site with loads of history. It's a place I like to visit again and again.

Tuesday Ten: Fascinating Fourth Facts

2008-07-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

I really debated which way to go with this week's Tuesday Ten; I thought about doing a blog on the time line of events leading up to the Signing of the Declaration of Independence; and I considered doing some Fourth of July trivia. Neither one really fit into the Victorian era, both were interesting but the one about the Declaration of Independence didn't really fit for a Tuesday Ten (though it may show up on my personal blog one day this week). As for the other .... do we really care how many hot dogs are consumed every year on the Fourth??

Ever the indecisive one, I scrapped both ideas and came up with this instead. *G*

1781 – The first official celebration of the Fourth occurred in Massachusetts.

1801 – The first public Fourth of July reception at the White House occurred.

1804 – The first Fourth of July celebration west of the Mississippi occurred at Independence Creek and was celebrated by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

1805 – Boston has its first fireworks display.

1866 – General George G. Meade watches 10,000 war veterans parade in Philadelphia. In an editorial, the Nashville Banner urges its citizens not to celebrate the Fourth.

1876 – Centennial celebrations occurred throughout the United States, many of them three-day affairs celebrated from July 3-5

1884 – formal presentation of the Statue of Liberty takes place in Paris

1887 – The first Fourth of July celebration in Yellowstone National Park takes place.

1912 – The new national flag with 48 stars is formally and officially endowed.

1926 – The 150^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is celebrated throughout the nation.

1960 –the American flag with 50 stars is flown for the first time after Hawaii is given statehood.

1976 – the nation’s Bicentennial is celebrated.

Happy Coronation Day!

2008-06-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

“Queen Victoria was crowned at Westminster Abbey about a year after her accession, -- June the 28th, 1838. It would be easy to fill many of these pages with accounts of a ceremonial which has increased in splendor as it has diminished in significance. The whole ceremony was founded upon the belief that the Sovereign represented the Majesty, and wielded the power, of the great God of heaven and earth. So long as this belief was real and universal, the ceremony of the coronation, and all the complicated state and etiquette of royal life, was not altogether wanting in propriety. It was the attempt of rude and barbarous men to express their rude and barbarous conceptions of the divine government, and the sacredness and awfulness of even its poor human representative. But people no longer believe that any special divinity resides in, or is represented by, the convenient ducal houses of Germany, from which England borrows a monarch upon occasion. We need not dwell therefore upon the extremely laborious and expensive way in which the English of modern times get the crown placed for a few seconds upon a sovereign's head.
She was queen, then, at length.”
James Porter, 1868 http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/bl_eminent_victoria_i.htm

Way to go, James! What, a little jealous, are we? At least you knew men were ‘rude and barbarous’ even as you wrote the most rude, belittling, irrelevant piece on a royal coronation.
Now this is more like it!

”I was awoke at four o'clock by the guns in the Park and could not get much sleep afterwards on account of the noise of the people, bands, etc., etc. Got up at seven, feeling strong and well; the Park presented a curious spectacle, crowds of people up to Constitution Hill, soldiers, bands, etc. I dressed, having taken a little breakfast before I dressed, and a little after. At half-past nine I went into the next room, dressed exactly in my House of Lords costume..."

"At 10 I got into the State Coach with the Duchess of Sutherland and Lord Albemarle and we began our progress... It was a fine day, and the crowds of people exceeded what I have ever seen; Their good humour and excessive loyalty was beyond everything, and I really cannot say how proud I feel to be the Queen of such a nation."

"I was alarmed at times for fear that the people would be crushed and squeezed on account of the tremendous rush and pressure. I reached the Abbey amid deafening cheers at a little after half-past eleven; I first went into a robing room quite close to the entrance where I found my eight train-bearers Lady Caroline Lennox, Lady Adelaide Paget, Lady Mary Talbot, Lady Fanny Cowper, Lady Wilhelmina Stanhope, Lady Anne Fitzwilliam, Lady Mary Grimston, and Lady Louisa Jenkinson, all dressed alike and beautifully in white satin and silver tissue with wreaths of silver corn ears in front, and a small one of pink roses round the plait behind, and pink roses in the trimming of the dresses."

"After putting on my mantles and the young ladies having properly got hold of it and Lord Conyngham holding the end of it, I left the robing room and the Procession began… The sight was splendid, the bank of Peeresses quite beautiful all in their robes, and the Peers on the other side. My young trainbearers were always near me, and helped me whenever I wanted anything. The Bishop of Durham stood on the side near me, but he was, as Lord Melbourne told me, remarkably maladroit and never could tell me what was to take place."

"At the beginning of the Anthem I retired to St. Edward's Chapel, a small dark place immediately behind the Altar, with my ladies and trainbearers took off my crimson robe and kirtle, and put on the supertunica of cloth of gold, also in the shape of a kirtle, which was put over a singular sort of little gown of linen trimmed with lace; I also took off my circlet of diamonds and then proceeded bareheaded into the Abbey; I was then seated upon St. Edward's chair where the Dalmatic robe was clasped round me by the Lord Great Chamberlain."

"Then followed all the various things; and last (of those things) the crown being placed on my head which was I must own a most beautiful impressive moment; all the Peers and Peeresses put on their coronets at the same instant..."

"The Enthronisation and the Homage of, first, all the Bishops, and then my Uncles, and lastly of all the Peers, in their respective order was very fine."

"Poor old Lord Rollo, who is 82 and dreadfully infirm, in attempting to ascend the steps fell and rolled quite down, but was not the least hurt; when he attempted to re-ascend them I got up and advanced to the 'end of the steps, in order to prevent another fall…"

"I then again descended from the Throne and repaired with all the Peers, bearing the Regalia, my Ladies and Train-bearers, to St. Edward's Chapel. The Procession being formed I replaced my Crown (which I had taken off for a few minutes), took the Orb in my left hand and the Sceptre in my right, and thus loaded, proceeded through the Abbey, which resounded with cheers, to the first robing-room; where I found the Duchess of Gloucester, Mamma, and the Duchess of Cambridge with their ladies. And here we waited for at least an hour, with all my ladies and trainbearers."

"The Archbishop had (most awkwardly) put the ring on the wrong finger, and the consequence was that I had the greatest difficulty to take it off again, which I at last did with great pain..."

"At about half-past four I re-entered my carriage, the Crown on my head and the Sceptre and Orb in my hands, and we proceeded the same way as we came-the crowds if possible having increased. The enthusiasm, affection, and loyalty were really touching, and I shall ever remember this day as the PROUDEST of my life! I came home a little after six, really not feeling tired. At eight we dined..."
from Queen Victoria’s diary

http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/bl_eminent_victoria_i.htm

Jenn

Tuesday 10: Qing China

2008-06-24T04:36:00.000-07:00

10 Events (of dozens) in Qing China that led to the 1911 Revolution:

1. First Opium War 1839: For decades the Chinese desperately tried to stop the illegal opium smuggling conducted by foreign (mainly British) ships at Canton. Millions were addicted and corruption was rife among customs officials. Smuggling also drained the cash silver from the country, making it too poor to survive and open to invasion.

2. Treaty of Nanjing: Unequal Treat 1842: An Unequal Treaty (and China considers many they were forced to sign as such) is just what it implies – the stronger West forced horrible concessions on the weaker Qing Dynasty, as well as late Tokugawa Japan, and late Joseon Korea. The Nanjing (or Nanking) Treaty was signed aboard the British warship HMS Cornwallis by British representative Sir Henry Pottinger and Qing representatives, Qiying, Ilibu and Niujian. It consisted of thirteen articles and was ratified by Queen Victoria and the Daoguang Emperor ten months later.

3. Treaty of Wanghia 1844: A diplomatic agreement between the Dynasty and the US. Dispatched by President John Tyler under pressure from American merchants concerned about the British dominance in Chinese trade, Caleb Cussing was sent to force the Chinese into concessions much like the Treaty of Nanking. A physician and missionary, Peter Parker (I swear and had to include it because of the name), served as Cushing's Chinese interpreter. However, this one was slightly (very slightly) more favorable to the Chinese. Terms included declaring the Opium Trade illegal and handing over all offenders.

4. Taiping Rebellion 1851-1864: Led by by Christian convert Hong Xiuquanan this rebellion was against the Dynasty and included both the army and civil administration. He established the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace with capital Nanjing (Nanking) and gained control of significant parts of southern China, at one time ruling about 30 million people.

5. Third Pandemic of Bubonic plague 1855-1959: The Plague had been prevalent for centuries, since it was found in rodents in central Asia. However, due to political conflicts and global trade an influx of new people in new areas, led to the distribution of this disease throughout the world.

6. Second Opium War 1856-1860: Britain demanded a renegotiation of their Treaty of Nanjing (1850) citing their Most Favored Nation status, and wanting better terms than the Americans (Wangxia Treaty) and French (Treaty of Huangpu). Their new demands included:
a. Opening all of China to British merchants
b. Legalizing the opium trade
c. Exempting foreign imports from internal transit duties
d. Suppression of piracy
e. Regulation of the coolie trade
f. Permission for a British ambassador to reside in Beijing
g. The English-language version of all treaties to take precedence over the Chinese.

7. Burning the Old Summer Palace by British & French 1860: The destruction of the Gardens of Perfect Brightness is still regarded as a symbol of foreign aggression and humiliation in China. During the 2nd Opium War, French units diverted from the main attack force towards to the Old Summer Palace. Although the French commander, Montauban, assured the British commander, Grant, that "nothing had been touched", extensive looting, also undertaken by British and Chinese, took place. The Old Summer Palace was only now occupied by a few eunuchs, the Emperor Xianfeng having run away. There was no significant resistance to the looting from the Chinese, even though many Chinese Imperial soldiers were in the surrounding country.

8. Chefoo Convention 1876: An excuse for Great Britain to press for more concessions from China. The official reason for the treaty was to resolve the "Margary Affair", but the final treaty included a number of items that had no direct relation to the killing of Margary the year earlier. It was really Margary's own fault for traveling through semi-lawless provinces in a time when foreigners were all hated and reviled.

9. Sino-French War 1884-1885: It was fought to decide whether France should replace China in control of Tonkin (northern Vietnam). On one had, the French achieved their war goals, so are are usually considered the victors. But the French triumph was marred by a number of defeats, and the Chinese armies performed quite well and far superior to their other 19th century conflicts. This war saw the emergence of a strong Chinese nationalist movement, and some Chinese scholars hail it as ‘the Qing dynasty’s sole victory in arms against a foreign opponent'.

10. Hundred Days' Reform 1898: Between June 11 and September 21 Emperor Guangxu and his reform-minded supporters led by Kang Youwei undertook a failed 104-day national cultural, political and educational reform. The movement proved to be short-lived, ending in a coup d'état "The Coup of 1898" by powerful conservative opponents led by Empress Dowager Cixi. The movement aimed at making sweeping social and institutional changes in response to weaknesses exposed by China's defeat by Japan in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95). The defeat was a major shock to the Chinese as Japan had been a tributary state, was much smaller than China, and was regarded as inferior. Moreover, the defeat of China by Japan led to a scramble of 'privileges' in China by other foreign powers, notably the German Empire and Russia, further awakening the stubborn conservatives.

And we wonder why China still harbors such ill-will towards the West. Can’t blame them when they were treated so horribly in the past.

Public reading

2008-06-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight I’ll be giving another public reading at my library. Let’s recap prior experiences, shall we?

Reading number one: Although practice had me a minute under time, apparently I went over during the actual reading. The moderator of the evening, while without a giant hook, did cover the microphone just as I finished. This was a low-tech event, but the lights would have been turned off and the orchestra would have played louder if we’d had those things.

Reading number two: I followed a heart-breaking story from the reader ahead of me. No one else in the room seemed affected, but I was sobbing my eyes out. I couldn’t see the page to read from it, and my voice quavered and tightened to the point that I basically stood there and sniffled.

Reading number three: I made sure my practices had me at half the time allotted. I also asked to go first. It went great, I felt I was finally getting the hang of it. Until I finished reading, then spilled coffee all over everything.

What will happen this time? Perhaps I’ll set fire to the building, or maybe just drop my papers in a puddle on the way inside. Will I knock the podium over? Anything’s possible.

Wish me luck!

Viewing the Civil War, Under Water

2008-06-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Victorian era, my Muse whispers, while I draft scenes about a 19th Century submarine for my anthology story with other co-bloggers. So I let my Muse teleport me back to when an enthusiastic child-cousin raced up to me at a café near dawn one day -- because of a Civil War submarine … not in the military but for sale somewhere....

I was fully expecting that his new hobby as a Civil War buff was the reason. True to form, it was about wartime tools and weapons and most of all submersibles. The youthful cousins, it seemed, had honed in on an innovative wooden submersible from the Civil War ingenuity. (Many inventors were drafted or otherwise pressed into service, but not all.)

A wooden submersible was the aim of an open-water dive in Hawaii for myself and a few cousins. They missed the fact that I was the babysitter-slash-chaperone for the day while playing with a Civil War invention they’d located somewhere. I still to this day don’t know who invented it, because the sites for the U.S. Navy and similar track their projects. I presume many other records were lost or otherwise secreted during the Civil War aka, War of Aggression to the Confederates.

Sharing my alternator mouthpiece and air tank with the enthusiastic young cousin killed two proverbial birds with one stone as we practiced underwater lifesaving techniques and also descended to 19th Century underwater craft.

As the bubbles cleared, it came into view. The coral beds and schools of vibrantly tinted fish parted in the luminescent waters. A wooden cylindrical object with a paddle wheel attached was the target of the dive. Yes, the cousins had located a one-manned invention that utilized not a hand-cranked propeller but a one-man pedal-activated-paddle-wheeled-submersible. Needless to say, the dive guides monitoring decided to have a gander, too. Peddling it around a tropical bay was about as much fun as I’ve ever had in the Deep Blue.

Privateers and smugglers – sometimes from the most surprising quadrants and echelons – utilized underwater submersibles during the Civil War. Contraband as well as weaponry were secreted aboard the underwater crafts, in active use since the American Revolution.

Easily the most popularized Civil War submarine is familiar to readers and American audiences, the HL Hunley. I won’t belabor by repeating.

A few sites about the known history of Civil War submersibles appear on the Internet and on the popular YouTube.com. Enjoy the viewing.

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/history/subhistory.html
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/history/chrono.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pxZ3vUfpKs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snOEj5T81Tk
http://www.didyouknow.cd/submarine.htm

Tuesday Ten, Famous Victorian Women

2008-06-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I’d talk about famous women in the 19th century. Many of the names on the list you’ll know; I hope to add some information you may not know about them, as they are only names of women you (and I) remember from our early education. Some you many not know at all. I’ll start with one woman I never heard of until today, who I found fascinating. If only she were born 10 years earlier, my women’s right’s advocate heroine would have loved her.

Nellie Bly—Born Elizabeth Jane Cochrane in 1864, she was nicknamed Pink because her mother had her christened in a pink gown. Her father died when she was quite young and her mother, following one of the few choices for women of the time period, remarried. The man, apparently, was abusive. It may what have made Nellie so passionate about women’s rights.

At all events, at the age of 18 she read an editorial in the Pittsburg Dispatch that was blatantly sexist (but I imagine pretty “normal” for the time). She wrote a rebuttal piece to the whole concept of the “women’s sphere” which, along with showing up at the newspaper office itself, landed her a job as a journalist. Because at the time journalism was not a proper occupation for a woman, she was given the pen name Nellie Bly. Nellie was not happy just writing “fluff” however, and dug deep into the sociological disparities of the era as an investigative reporter. In 1887 working for the New York World, she had herself committed to an insane asylum for purposes of an expose on that. It was this piece that threw her into the journalistic limelight.

Still, it wasn’t enough for Nellie. When the World considered sending a man around the world in less than 80 days, like the Jules Verne Novel, Nellie volunteered—whatever a man could do, she could do just as well, if not better! They took her on and she made it in 72 days. It gave her fame world wide fame, and spawned a board game, trading cards and even a song.

Florence Nightingale: Born in May 12 1820, in yes, Florence Italy. We know her for her work in the Crimean war, and we all have heard of the Florence Nigthtingale effect. What I didn’t know was that she was born to wealth, was considered attractive and expected to marry well. Instead, as well all know, she developed a keen interest in nursing even though it was not at that time considered an honorable profession for a woman, not that there were many proper professions for a woman of means. Regardless, she eventually under went 3 months of training as a nurse in Germany. Which eventually qualified her for a job as Superindetend of the Establishment at 1 Harley street in London. When the Crimean War broke out in 1854, an acquaintenance of her, knowing her background asked her to oversee the introduction of female nurses at Britains military hospitals where the condtions were considered deplorable. Her actions, specifically in relation to cleanliness, reduced the mortality rates from 40% to 2%!

Like Nelly Bly, however, this was not enough for her. Florence returned home after the war with a purpose. Despite ill health which eventually made her an invalid, she founded the the Nightingale School and Home for Nurses at St. Thomas's Hospital and a year later, another school at Kings College for Midwives. Bascially her efforts raised the level of respectability for nurses, who in her school now studied for a full year. It may not seem like much to the 21st century mind, but consider that women still have very few basic rights at this time.
Florence was also an extensive researcher and stistichian, publishing over 200 books report and pamphlets. Finally we this amazing woman to thank (or curse) for the creation of the Pie Graph. All of which brings us naturally to :

Clara Barton—Famous civil war nurse, this woman’s “work” began when she was in her 40’s. She is totally all right by me! Although considered “shy” she opened her own school in New Jersey after teaching 10 years previously. When (not sure how this happened if it was her won school) the board hired a man to lead it, she moved to Washington D.C. where she worked in a U.S. Patent Office, as a clerk, rare for women in those days. Following these studies, Barton opened a free school in New Jersey. The attendance under her leadership grew to 600 but instead of hiring Barton to head the school, the board hired a man instead. Frustrated, she moved to Washington D.C. and began work as a clerk in the U.S. Patent Office; this was the first time a woman had received a substantial clerkship in the federal government.
When the Civil War started, Clara, devoted to the Union cause, decided she wanted to volunteer her help. But women had never been allowed to work in hospitals, camps or battle fields before, and she met resistance. Eventually though, she gained their trust and worked so diligently that she became known as the “Angel of the Battlefield” and was promoted to superintendent of Union nurses

In 1869 after the war ended she traveld to Europe and learned about the Red Cross. The more she learned, the more she liked, which at this point was basically a twelve nation treaty. Upon returning to the U.S. she worked to have the US. Join the treaty thus creating the US Red Cross, which she expanded to include assistance and aid in national disasters.

Lucy Stone—Born in Massachusetts 1818, she was “first” in oh so many things. First woman in the state to earn a college degree, a degree that she pretty much saved up for and paid for herself. She earned it in Oberlin college Ohio, the first college to admit both men and women. Dedicated to women’s rights, she was determined never to marry. But eventually she could not resist the courtship of Henry Blackwell, a fellow abolitionist. Still, she refused to forfeit her freedom and so upon marriage she kept her name (which is why she is Lucy Stone and not Blackwell). They married in 1855 and the couple issued a statement, which the reverend not only read, but passed around. You can read it here:
http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/bl_marriage_stone_blackwell.htm

Basically it says that a wife is not the property of her husband, a very radical idea back then.
When Lucy Stone died in 1893, sadly many years before women finally did get the vote, she was the first woman in New England to be cremated.

Lucy Stone’s sister-in-law was also an activist in her way:

Elizabeth Blackwell--born in England in 1821, she was the first US female to graduate from medical school. Her father brought the family to the U.S. in 1832. When years later her father died, leaving the family to fend for themselves, the women opened a school. Here, Elizabeth became a teacher and learned something about medical study. Eventually medicine became not only a calling but receiving and education “assumed the aspect of a great moral struggle,” In 1847 she started searching for a college that would admit her. She was rejected over and over again (writers everywhere can commiserate with her!). At the Geneva Medical school, however, the faculty put it to the students to vote. Believing that it was a joke, they voted to accept her. She graduated in 1849, first in her class. A huge accomplishment, I would expect, because I can’t imagine they made it very easy for her.

In 1868, after studying abroad, she and her sister opened the Women’s Medical College in New York in 1868, a plan worked on with Florence Nightingale, whom she met and became friends with in England. Eventually, though, Elizabeth returned to England where she became a professor of gynecology at the London School of Medicine for Children.

Susan B. Anthony—You can’t really talk about Lucy Stone, Elizabeth Blackwell etc, without mentioning this woman. Of course we’ve read tons about her, had a coin minted with her on it, etc. She worked alongside Elizabeth Cady Stanton to found the National Woman’s Suffrage Association. I’m not going to write much about her here. If I did then I would be remiss in not mentioning Amelia Bloomer and a whole host of other activist-type women. Let us suffice to say there were lots of women working in this arena during this era, many of whom I’ve already talked about.

Mary Cassat—born May 22 1844. Mostly when I think of impressionists I think of Degas and Monet. But did you know there was this female impressionist too? She was the daughter of a Pittsburgh businessman, she studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. In 1874 she went to Europe to continue her studies and settled in Paris. There, at the beginning of the impressionist movement she became close friends with many of those artists including Degas. She participated in the exhibitions of 1879, 1880, 1881 and 1886. She offered financial support and encouragement to her fellow painters, and helped them to establish their work in America as well. Her own paintings were also displayed in her homeland, to much acclaim. Although she did not take up the suffrage movement until much later in life, the fact that she was a female in a typically male profession is pretty remarkable. She never married, but spent many hours studying family life, which is what is reflected in her paintings.

Marie Curie—Born 1867 Poland. You just can’t talk about famous 19th century women without mentioning her. Granted most of her work and acclaim came in the early 20th century, but she did get a Nobel prize for Physics, alongside her husband, in 1903, which was technically still the Victorian Era. The prize was awarded for the study of spontaneous radiation, which honestly I cannot begin to understand. I just think it was so cool at by the end of the era we had come to a point where a woman could not only attend college but get a Nobel prize. She was also the first woman to teach at Sorbonne. She went on to get another Nobel prize after her husband died, making her the only person to ever win Nobel prizes in two different sciences, physics and Chemistry. Of course all of this took place in Europe, not America which is where all my books (currently) take place but still, oh so cool.

Emmeline Pankhurst—Born England 1858. Okay so one more suffragette, but this one on the other side of the pond! She was one of the British suffragettes, founding the Women’s Franchise League. Her father was an active anti-slavery man, her mother a staunch women’s rights advocate, who started taking her daughter to meetings in the 1870’s, Much like Lucy Stone, she married a man as committed to the cause as she was, Richard Pankhurst. He was main person responsible for drafting a women’s property bill that Parliament passed in 1870. She grew up reading abolitionist literature like Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which brings me to my final famous woman. . . .

Harriet Beecher Stowe—June 14th 1811. She published her first book at 22 under her sister Catherine’s name. She helped support her family by writing many different kinds of literature, but we know her mostly for Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Although she didn’t live in the south she apparently lived fairly close to Kentucky and used the knowledge that she gained from that and the underground railroad to write the book, which was originally published in installments. It brought her great fame, as we know. Other than that much of her work was Christian in nature and about family life. Which only made sense as her father was a preacher, her husband a biblical scholar and many of her brothers went on to become preachers also, the most famous one Henry Ward Beecher. Famous (or in this case infamous as he was a well known preacher that became involved in a sex scandal—and you only thought that happened in the modern era, huh?) men however, are for another blog.

Tuesday Ten: Unsung Heroes of Gettysburg

2008-06-10T09:52:00.001-07:00

With the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg just a couple of weeks away, as I’m working on polishing up the final draft of Northern Temptress, the Civil War historical (set in and around the Battle of Gettysburg) I have under contract with The Wild Rose Press, it’s not surprising that my thoughts these days keep returning to that historic battle. Not the battle fought by soldiers in blue and grey, but the one forged by some incredibly brave people. The civilians of Gettysburg. (Little wonder I decided to make my heroine in Northern Temptress, a civilian of that little town,)

Some fast facts before we meet our Tuesday Ten heroes:

The town of Gettysburg consisted of 2,400 civilians in 1863.

When the armies moved out, they left behind 22,000 wounded men.

In all 51,000 men were reported killed or missing.

And let’s not forget the hundreds of horses, mules and livestock killed during the battle.

While John Burns and Jennie Wade (see below) are arguably the most famous civilians of Gettysburg, there are other unsung heroes and heroines who quietly did what needed to be done.

Elizabeth Thorn. German immigrant who was acting as caretaker of Evergreen Cemetery, a job normally performed by her husband, Peter. But Peter was with the 138^th Pennsylvania, and during the Battle of Gettysburg, he was stationed at Harper’s Ferry and Washington, D.C. Elizabeth moved her family, which consisted of her elderly parents and three sons ages 7, 5 and 2 from their little gatehouse out of harm’s way and back again more than once during the three-day battle. She also dug graves for more than 90 dead soldiers during those three days. She did all of this while six months pregnant.

Salome Myers. Salome “Sally” Myers was a schoolteacher and assistant to the principal in Gettysburg. She lived at home with her family during the battle. Her father was a justice of the peace and the Myers’ were one of the wealthier families in town. She admitted to being squeamish at the sight of blood, yet got over this quickly and cared for many wounded men from both sides of the battle. She risked her life many times by traveling back and forth from her home to makeshift hospitals. In the early days of the battle she cared for a badly wounded soldier by the name of Alexander Stuart, sitting with him for days until he succumbed to his injuries. In late July of 1863 she received a thank you letter from his mother. A year later Stuart’s mother—along with his brother Henry—traveled to Gettysburg to personally thank Miss Myers. A romance developed between Sally and Henry and they married in 1867.

Matilda “Tillie” Pierce. Tillie was only 15 years old at the time of the battle. Her parents sent her to a neighbor’s farm to wait out the battle. The farm sat behind what we now call “Little Round Top” and Tillie became an eyewitness to some of the fiercest fighting of the Battle of Gettysburg. Tillie provided food and water for the wounded and assisted surgeons and nurses caring for the wounded. Twenty six years later she wrote of her experiences during those three days in July, 1863.

Virginia “Jennie” Wade. Jenny, as most people know, was the only civilian killed during the battle. On the third day of the battle, the twenty-year-old was baking bread to feed the Union soldiers when she was struck by a single bullet that traveled through two doors.

John Burns. Much like Jennie Wade’s story, Mr. Burns’ story has been told and retold so many times it’s hard to separate fact from fiction. Nearly 70 years old at the time of the battle, John Burns was a veteran of the War of 1812. When the rebels invaded his hometown, the elder patriot took up his trusty musket and joined the Union soldiers in battle. He fired 18 of his 25 rounds of ammunition before he was wounded, and claimed to have killed three rebels.

Elizabeth Butler, AKA “Old Liz”. 53 year old Elizabeth Butler was a washerwoman in Gettysburg. Her husband Samuel was a wagon maker. They owned their own home and enjoyed a comfortable standard of living compared to most African-Americans in 1863. In the earliest days of the battle Old Liz was taken captive by the Confederate army, who planned to send her South to be sold into slavery. She escaped her captors and returned home the day after the Confederate army retreated.

Daniel Skelly. Daniel was a teenager during the battle. While confederate troops camped in the street outside his home on Baltimore Street, Daniel and his mother hid union soldiers in their cellars and outbuildings. Later during the battle he helped his mother care for wounded soldiers.
Daniel also went on to write about his experiences.

Catherine Garlach. Catherine and her 12-year-old son, Will also lived on Baltimore Street. Since their house was in direct line of fire for Union sharpshooters, they hid in their basement. Several times Confederate soldiers tried to commandeer the Garlach home –and each time they were driven back by Mrs. Garlach herself.

Albertus McCreary. First young Albertus was nearly killed by Confederate sharpshooters while peeking out a rooftop door of his home. Then a short while later, while standing on the porch of his family home, wearing a Union kepi given to him by a solider, a Confederate officer tried to take him captive, assuming he was a soldier. It was only over the protest of his father, and after questioning several neighbors as to whether or not the boy actually lived in town, that the officer let him go.

Agnes Barr. While other townspeople hid inside their homes on July 3, avoiding the fetid smell of decaying men and animals, Mrs. Barr left her home on Baltimore Street—darting between buildings to avoid the sharpshooters—many times in order to take food and supplies to the makeshift hospitals and care for wounded soldiers.

Source: When the Smoke Cleared at Gettysburg, George Sheldon; Days of Darkness: The Gettysburg Civilians, William G. Williams; What A Girl Saw and Heard by Tillie Pierce Allman; A Boy’s Experiences During the Battle of Gettysburg by Daniel Skelly.

10 Communication Discoveries 1839-1901

2008-06-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

I could do my Tuesday 10 from now through next year on scientific discoveries, but these are all on communication.

1. Fax Machine 1843 (Fig. 1) The first fax machine was invented by Alexander Bain. In 1843, Bain received a British patent for “improvements in producing and regulating electric currents and improvements in timepieces and in electric printing and signal telegraphs”, in laymen's terms a fax machine.

2. Rotary Printing Press 1846 Made by Richard M. Hoe, a prolific New York City inventor of presses and press components, this new press fastened lead type around the circumference of a very large cylinder in the center of the press. By rotating the cylinder, he created a rotary press that turned constantly in one direction. The number of pages printed per hour now depended on how fast this large cylinder turned--and on how many impression cylinders were fitted around its circumference.

3. Kinematoscope, 1861 The invention aimed to present the illusion of motion. The patent was filed by Coleman Sellers of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as an "improvement in exhibiting stereoscopic pictures". Coleman applied stereoscopy to the existing principle of toy phantasmascopes using rotating discs.

4. Linotype, 1884 This machine enabled one operator to be machinist, type-setter, justifier, typefounder, and type-distributor all at once. HUH? Basically, now a printer could easily and quickly set movable type. Prior to Ottmar Mergenthaler's invention, no newspaper in the world had more than eight pages.

5. Mimeograph, 1887 The image transfer medium is waxed mulberry paper, backed by a sheet of stiff card stock, with the sheets bound at the top. This "stencil" assemblage is placed in a typewriter to create the original, although the typewriter ribbon has to be disabled so that the bare, sharp type element strikes the stencil directly - "cutting a stencil." Edison didn’t coin the word "mimeograph", which was first used by Albert Blake Dick when he licensed Edison's patents in 1887.

6. Electromechanial Television System, 1884(See fig. 2 left) Paul Nipkow devised the notion of dissecting the image and transmitting it sequentially. To do this he designed the first television scanning device.

7. Paper, 1866 I know you’re probably thinking I’ve lost my mind, but no. Seriously, paper – from wood pulp. Benjamin Chew Tilghman refined the sulfite method of fiber reduction for paper production.

8. Three color camera, 1892 Not much on this invention by Frederick Eugene Ives, but according to the Smithsonian, he patented his ideas, but didn’t license them. Go figure.

9. Practical Mechanical Typewriter, 1867 This one, invented by Christopher Sholes, Carlos Glidden and Samuel W. Soule in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the first commercially successful one. The patent was sold for $12,000 to Densmore and Yost, who made an agreement with E. Remington and Sons to commercialize the Sholes and Glidden Type-Writer. (Contradicting claims: In 1861, Father Francisco João de Azevedo, a Brazilian priest, made his own typewriter with basic materials and tools, such as wood and knives. Don Pedro I, the Brazilian emperor, in that same year,o presented a gold medal to Father Azevedo for this invention. Many Brazilian people as well as the Brazilian federal government recognize Fr. Azevedo as the real inventor of the typewriter, a claim that has been the subject of some controversy.)

10. Wireless telegraphy, 1896 (fig. 3 below) Guglielmo Marconi invented early radio telegraph originally used to describe electrical signaling without the electric wires to connect the end points. They wanted to distinguish it from the conventional electric telegraph signaling of the day that required wire connection between the end points.

Archaeology

2008-05-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

Went to see the new Indiana Jones movie last night, and LOVED it! OK, nothing compares to Raiders of the Lost Arc, and it’s hard to compare Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to Last Crusade, but it was really, really good despite my 2 small problems with it.

That said, what was archaeology like in Victorian times? Much like in the Indiana Jones movies, the emphasis was more on putting pretty things in a museum than preserving them for the local peoples. It’s why the British Museum and Smithsonian have such extensive collections.

During the Victorian Era, archaeology was closely related to history and anthropology. Basically, it was the systematic study of the past through its physical remains.

Two early and important people stand out:

Lieutenant-General Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers (1827-1900) was an English army officer who developed an interest in ethnology, and archaeology while in the field. The estates that he inherited in 1880 contained archaeological material from the Romans and Saxons. He excavated these over seventeen years, beginning in the mid-1880s and ending with his death in 1900. His approach was highly methodical by the standards of the time, and he is widely regarded as the first scientific archaeologist to work in Britain.

His most important methodological innovation was his insistence that all artifacts, not just the beautiful or unique ones, be collected and cataloged. This focus on everyday objects as the key to understanding the past broke decisively with current archaeological practice, which often verged on treasure hunting. It is Pitt Rivers' most important, and most lasting scientific legacy. Moreover his work inspired 20th century archaeologist, Mortimer Wheeler, among others to add to the scientific approach of archaeological excavation techniques.

Professor Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie, FRS, (1853-1942) was an English Egyptologist and a pioneer of systematic methodology in archaeology. He excavated at many of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt such as Abydos and Amarna. Some consider his most famous discovery to be that of the Merneptah Stele.

He cut out the role of foreman on his excavations, taking complete overall control and removing pressure on the workmen from the foreman to find finds quickly but sloppily. Though regarded as an amateur by more established Egyptologists, that made him popular with his workers, who found several small but significant finds that would have been lost under the old system.

http://www.petrie.ucl.ac.uk/william_flanders_petrie.php
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/rivers_augustus.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeology
http://archaeology.about.com/od/historyofarchaeology/a/history_series.htm

TIPS FOR STAGECOACH TRAVELERS

2008-05-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

The best seat inside a stage is the one next to the driver. Even if you have a tendency to sea-sickness when riding backwards...you’ll get over it and will get less jolts and jostling. Don’t let any “sly elph” trade you his mid-seat.

In cold weather don’t ride with tight-fitting boots, shoes, or gloves. When the driver asks you to get off and walk do so without grumbling, he won’t request it unless absolutely necessary. If the team runs away…sit still and take your chances. If you jump, nine out of ten times you will get hurt. In very cold weather abstain entirely from liquor when on the road, because you will freeze twice as quickly when under its influence.

Don’t growl at the food received at the station…stage companies generally provide the best they can get.

Don’t keep the stage waiting. Don’t smoke a strong pipe inside the coach. Spit on the leeward side. If you have anything to drink in a bottle pass it around. Procure your stimulants before starting, a “ranch” (stage depot) whiskey is not “Nectar.”

Don’t lean or lop over neighbors when sleeping. Take small change to pay expenses. Never shoot on the road, as the noise might frighten the horses. Don’t discuss politics or religion.

Don’t point out where murders have been committed especially if there are women passengers.

Don’t lag at the washbasin. Don’t grease your hair because travel is dusty. Don’t imagine for a moment that you are going on a picnic. Expect annoyances, discomfort, and some hardships.

Omaha Herald, 1877
From the Historical Museum
June, 1988

Tuesday Ten--ten things I don't know.

2008-05-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Generally our blog is about what we know and what we’ve learned about the Victorian Era. Today’s Tuesday Ten is about things I want to learn. Maybe there’s a reader out there who can help me out? Or maybe you’ve got questions too about the era you’d like to add. I’ll try to answer the ones I know—We can use today’s Tuesday Ten as a way to share information.

1.)Train Travel—I have a lot of questions on this. First one is baggage. I know there were baggage compartments. How did people get their baggage in the compartment? How did they get the baggage out of the compartment? And if they were switching trains, did the bagged automatically switch with them, or did they have to move it themselves.

2.) Train maps—These can be difficult to find. I want to know which stations my characters go through, where they grab a train at any given time. I know that pretty much after the first transcontinental railroad was established, a LOT of traffic went through Union Station in Chicago. I know that many people switched trains in Chicago. But what about other places?

3.) Condoms—Okay jumping out of strictly family friendly here for nitpicky questions. We know they had them and that mid-century they were readily available in NYC, and that they were called “French safes” among other things. We know that in 1873 or such they were outlawed with the Comstock Laws. We know people could still get them, however. I know that their manufacture could sometimes be iffy because people could make them in basements and such to sell illegally but that didn’t mean they understood how to work with rubber. Thus breakage with cheaper, lower quality condoms would have been much more likely. But my real question is, what did they look like? How did they come? Did you buy packages, boxes? Right now I’m just making it up as I go along, but I sure would like to know the truth. It’s not an easy thing to learn.

4.) Prisons—I haven’t actually done a lot of research on it, but I’m curious. What were prisons like in the continental U.S.?

5.) Hanging—I’ve read anecdotal information about women being hanged. But I’ve also read that capital punishment for women was pretty much frowned on. So if a woman murdered someone, was she generally hanged, or sent to prison? And, back to question 4, if she went to prison, what was it like?

6.) Electricity—I know it was being used in the late part of the era. But where? How widely available? And just because they had electricity in the city, who actually had it in their living areas? Was it mostly for public buildings and the very rich? Or did it move quickly so that even the middle class had electricity in their homes?

7.) Gas lighting—like electricity, I don’t know when it hit certain cities, although I imagine by around 1860 or so (I’m just throwing a date out there) it was widely available in major cities. But again—who had gas lighting? Did the middle class have it? Or was it really just the upper middle class? And since electric lighting came in late century, if you didn’t have gas lighting, but were “moving up” and upgrading your home, did you go with gas lighting, or electric lighting. Did both exist at the same time?

8.) Hot water—I’ve been able to place running water in Boston in the 1850’s and I’m pretty sure most cities have pipes etc by mid 1860’s. But at what point was it hot and cold running water? Did everyone have it? When was it “standard” in a house in a city? I’ve actually toured a museum in Boston circa 1860. It had a tub, it had hot and cold running water. But I’m not at all certain it was authentic although they said it was. I know the house was built at that point, but it was not turned into a museum until much later, so I’m not sure if it was upgraded later or not.

9.) Pumps—if you lived in the rural areas or even outside of major cities, did you have a pump in your house to pump in water? Or did you go out to a well? Did they have pumps in the lower-class homes of city dwellers?

10.) Dance cards—this one is something I think I can find fairly easily, though. I know they used dance cards at balls. I know that people filled them in. I know that it was frowned on to dance with a person more than twice at a ball and that husbands and wives weren’t supposed to dance together (because they were there to be with other people, not each other). But how did this work? Did a man walk up to a woman at the beginning of the ball and ask to have his name put on her card? Did she fill up all the dances? Did a man write in his card at the same time? Did a man have a card? And did he feel obligated to have a partner for every dance, or did he leave his card empty if he wasn’t in the mood?

Well those are my questions. This was my easiest Tuesday Ten ever. I guess I have a lot more questions than I have knowledge, even after all these years. If anyone has any answers, I’ve LOVE them. Otherwise, as I’ll post answers myself as time goes by.

Decoration Day

2008-05-26T05:44:00.000-07:00

This will just be a short blog. I'm having major problems with my computer, so I'm forced to share my husband's for the duration. But I wanted to touch on the origins of today's American holiday, Memorial Day.

It was originally called Decoration Day and, although there are many stories of its actual start, the American Civil War seems to have spurred on the tradition of honoring war dead.

During the Victorian era, at least in America, visiting the graves of loved one's was a popular activity and they decorated those graves. Thus the name Decoration Day.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed by General John Logan on May 5, 1868. Flowers were laid on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

By 1890 all of the northern states recognized Memorial Day, but the South refused to acknowledge it, and honored their war dead on alternate days until after the first World War, when the holiday changed to honoring all war dead, rather than just those who fought in the Civil War.

So, take a few moments today to reflect on all the men and women who've fought for our country and say thanks.

http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyseneca/memorial.htm

http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjhol/a/memorial.htm

Tuesday Ten: Soiled Doves

2008-05-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

In recent weeks my Old West research has taken me right where I like to be. In town. And as much as I love the general stores, hotels and saloons, it’s a fact that no old west town was complete without a brothel and the ladies who worked there.

In general there were four classes of houses of ill repute, from the parlor houses with the most beautiful girls, finest foods and liquors and elegant décor. A tryst there might cost up to $100 a visit. Next would be the houses typically run by a madam, where the surroundings were somewhat less lush and the beautiful women weren’t as plentiful. An establishment such as this might charge anywhere from $2 to $100 per visit, depending on the competition. Then there were “cribs”, a one or two room shack where a single prostitute plied her trade for as little as $.50; she sometimes had a male companion who helped find her clients—but she still had the option of refusing a client. At the bottom of the list were the women who worked out of the back rooms of a saloon for $1-$2 a tumble.

Depressing as all that is, the names applied to these women and their occupation were quite colorful. Here for our Tuesday Ten, is a list of some of the them.

Painted cat
Girl of the night
Scarlet ladies
Fallen angel
Calico queen
Fair belles
Sporting woman
Painted ladies
Street nymph
Soiled dove

Source: Everyday Life in the Old West –Candy Moulton; Soiled Doves: Prostitution in the Early West - Anne Seagraves; Saloons of the Old West, Richard Erdoes

NYC Cholera spidemic 1848-1849

2008-05-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

In May 1849 New York City finally established a hospital for cholera victims. Before the epidemic ended, more than 5,000 died. The rapidly growing city was ripe for an epidemic; poor sanitary conditions, eve poor hygiene, in addition to immigrants poorly quarantined all contributed to the outbreak.

On December 1, 1848, the New York arrived in New York from France. Seven passengers had died from cholera on the voyage, and the surviving passengers were quarantined at a Staten Island customs warehouse to contain the outbreak. Within a month, 60 experienced cholera symptoms and 30 died.

The healthy ones, afraid of catching the disease and dying, made a break for it and escaped quarantine. Soon enough isolated outbreaks occurred around New York, often in the city’s dirtiest and poorest areas. Pigs and dogs roamed the streets eating garbage, which also contributed to unsanitary conditions and the spreading of the disease.

Many city residents didn’t want a cholera hospital built near them for fear of catching the disease themselves. Finally, on May 16, the city’s Board of Health started a hospital on the second floor of a building on Orange Street above a tavern. However, the death toll rose and public schools were drafted into use as hospitals.

The disposal of bodies was a serious problem; a mass grave was established on Randall’s Island, in the East River east of Manhattan. Anyone with a horse was expected to assist with the removal of dead bodies.

Because of this epidemic, New York City’s first street-cleaning plan was implemented. An estimated 40 percent of the epidemic’s victims were Irish immigrants. Precise totals are impossible because the wealthy were often able to alter death certificates to avoid the stigma of their loved ones having died of cholera.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=593

Tuesday 10 - Victorian films

2008-05-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

I’ve done this before, a list of things I want to read/watch, but since I’m sick and have had no sleep this past weekend, here’s a list of Victorian movies I find interesting. So this 10 isn’t going to be the best I’ve ever done – fast and easy this week!

On a side note, if anyone knows of a book/movie from the early 1850s, can you pass it along?

10 Victorian films (in no particular order) I want to watch …should I ever find the time again.

1. The Inheritance - loosely based upon Louisa May Alcott's novella
2. Berkeley Square – British miniseries where three young nannies find jobs in well-to-do London households and get to know each other
3. The Buccaneers - Based on Edith Wharton's unfinished novel
4. Wives and Daughters – BBC production of Elizabeth Gaskell’s book
5. North & South – not that one, though I’ve seen it and have enjoyed it, but another Elizabeth Gaskell’s book
6. The Barchester Chronicles - Alan Rickman is in it, need I say more? OK, based on the Anthony Trollope book.
7. The Crown Prince - I’ve been meaning to watch this for a while, I love Austrian history. Hopefully soon I’ll get to it.
8. Disraeli - look at the political and personal lives of PM Benjamin Disraeli
9. The Way We Live Now – I don’t mean to be on an Anthony Trollope kick, but he did write a lot of books BBC enjoys making into movies!
10. The Woman in White – based on the Wilkie Collins novel (also wrote The Moonstone)

Victorians Went A-Calling…And Left A Card

2008-05-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

Social life in the 19th Century was inseparable from most areas of a Victorian’s lifestyle. And so the calling card evolved into a key item for visiting.

The compact size of the card was disproportionate with its import. Bigger wasn’t better and a little went a long way in graphics. Armed Services worldwide often still remain rigid with the historically popular sizing of 1 and a half inches and 3 and a quarter inches.

Multi-layered in purpose, calling cards were good for everything ranging from casual visits to formal functions. They were considered as the person having been there in attendance if delivered by another. They were a formalized and efficient means of replying and reserving spots, invited or not. They were the forerunner to modern business cards but with more breadth of meaning.

Calling-cards were typically delivered or left often in haste at residences for open social call timeframes. Many a manor house left open their foyer for an hour or so in the afternoon for a possible stream of visitors or their servants or attendants to deposit a card into their receiving dish. Or if the person themselves wasn’t received for a proper quarter of an hour audience or casual visit, then they would leave their card.

All calling cards demanded a requisite response in kind. If one was visited, then an obligatory return visit was in order, or something in lieu of. In prior generations, they’d held even more nuances of meaning and import but with massive growth and immigrations that lead to a growing middle class and upper class. Formal details of the calling card were often not known. Or were kept proverbially close-to-the-cuff as one means of determining who was within which society.

Some calling cards were regionally specific, with both sides of the cards being printed so that any corner could be turned over dog-eared to have its message read. Not all corners were the same meaning, though, depending upon any number of reasons. Some were not printed at all and so the recipient would already be apprised of the inherent meaning.

Amusements or limericks were occasionally printed or tolerated on calling cards if they were true to the character or persona of the owner. Most calling cards were a fine heavy white stock paper and simply bore a name in fine script with occasionally an additional message in calligraphic style scrawled across it depending upon the occasion. Other traditions again were localized or within specific societies in use.

Tuesday Ten, Firearms and Weapons

2008-05-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

the interest of blogging about research I'm doing--one of the main reasons we all started this blog--I decided to do my Tuesday Ten on 19th century firearms. I realized the other day that my hero in Chasing Star (formerly Stalking Star) is a gun collector. That being the case, it will be pretty useful for me to have a modicum of information on guns. So here goes!

1.) Winchester--My hero is a Colorado rancher, so we'll start with one of the most common weapons of that time, the Winchester 1866, with that cool lever that we are all so familiar with. It was made by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company of New Haven Connecticut, which was originally the New Haven Arms Company, which was, before Oliver F. Winchester took over, the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company.

Bullets were inserted into the side of the rifle. It could take as many as 17 rounds at a time but was rarely loaded that much to prevent strain on the magazine. It took a .44 caliber bullet and weighed about 9 lbs. It was a Magazine Arm, according to my book A History of Arms by William Reid, but what that means I don't know. I think this book was written for people who understand guns a LOT.
http://casguns.homestead.com/Winchester1866.html

2.) Winchester, 1873--the new and improved Winchester! This was the rifle that won the West, apparently. It was strengthened according to this book, so that it could take a .44 caliber center-fire cartridge. According to this website:

http://aaa-webs.com/aaa/webs/homestead/courses/1873/history-1873.htm

It could take a more powerful .44-40 caliber cartridge. What this means, and if they mean the same thing is beyond me. But it sure made a difference to the purchases, who could purchase the rifle in different styles with different barell lengths. Apparently people really cared a lot--720,610 of these guns were sold. Certainly we saw them enough on the old Westerns!

It sold, in 1899 for about 20 bucks and was still selling even after the newly re-designed 1892 Winchester came out.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_1_51/ai_n7581227

The Winchester 1892, by the way, was the rifle used in the television series The Rifleman, which I did not know. I always sort of thought that series was placed in an earlier time than the late 19th century when I thought the West was pretty much tamed. Shows you what I know!
http://www.riflemansrifle.com/the_riflemans_rifle.htm

3.) Springfield Rifle Musket--Civil War era. Susan may have already talked about weapons of the Civil War elsewhere, but I need 10 weapons for my Tuesday Ten, so I'm mentioning it again.

The Springfield Rifle Musket, 1861, was the most popular rifle of the war. It used a paper cartridge containing gunpowder and a bullet (am I getting this right, Susan?) and was developed in Springfield MA. ( Hey, that's not far from where I live!--I wonder if there's a museum?). According to my Arms book, 850,549 were made between 1858 and 1865, which sort of blows away the 1861 date I have from this other site. It had a 58 caliber cartridge, and was a one shot deal, unlike the previous Winchesters. You can see, then, why they were so loved. It had a range as far as 500 yards.
http://www.hackman-adams.com/guns/58musket.htm

4.) Remington Flintlock Musket: Before all that came the Remington Musket, which might have been used by soldiers at the beginning of the war, before the Springfield Rifle Musket became more available. I can't seem to find a whole lot about this gun. I know it was produced in the Northeast (this seems to be a running theme, probably because the Northeast is where manufacturing in the U.S. was for many years). It was first produced in 1816, and then was redesigned in 1840 to become a percussion musket?? Remington, however was better know for it's revolvers.
http://members.tripod.com/~vet5/musket.html

5.) Gatling gun--Before we go onto revolvers we really have to talk about this, because it fascinates me. It was the first machine gun every made, 1860-1861. It was a hand cranked gun, i f you could call it a gun, had 6 barrels and could fire 600 58 caliber rounds a minute. DEADLY. Fortunately (since 600,000 men already died in the Civil War) it was not used much during the war. It was new, and had quite a few problems.
http://www.civilwarhome.com/gatlinggun.htm

6.) Bowie Knife--Attributed to, if not originally designed by James Bowie. Also known as the Arkansas Toothpick. He was killed with it at the Alamo in 1836, so it's almost Victorian. It does appear to be, for what I've read, a pretty endemic knife throughout the frontier, namely the Old West. It was certainly used in the Civil War.

http://www.civilwar.si.edu/weapons_bowie.html
http://users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/bowie.html

7.) Remington Rifle Cane--Oh! I just saw this in my book, and it is the coolest thing! Apparently cane guns were popular in the 1850's, among city folk, I suspect (I can't imagine a cowboy with a cane). The ad I'm looking at from the Ohio State Gazetter 1860, says it weighed 160z, was "protection against dogs and highwaymen" and cost about $19. Wow, now if I'd known this when I wrote Wicked Woman my hero would have had one for sure! Now I am absolutely going to have to write another 1850's era book just so I can use the gun!

I'm looking at pictures, but I can't quite see how you would load the thing. But I want one! Hmmm, my Colorado rancher goes back East in Chasing Star. He's certainly not going to walk around Newport RI with his six-shooters strapped on. Maybe he will have a cane gun! Oh I do love research!

http://www.aaawt.com/html/firearms/f186.html wt.com/html/firearms/f186.html
http://www.remingtonsociety.com/questions/Canes.htm

8) The Derringer--I'm moving into pistols now. The derringer is my favorite of all weapons, although I'm far from a gun aficionado (just in case you hadn't noticed). They are so darned cute, that is if a gun that killed a president can be cute(Booth killed Lincoln with a derringer). Created by Henry Derringer (1786-1868) in Philadelphia. Obviously it could fit into a pocket, very useful for women (like a heroine in one of my books) or gamblers. It was first produced in 1825, and manufactured by both Colt and Remington (see, told you they were good with hand guns!).

http://www.iar-arms.com/1872_derringer.html

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WWderringerP.htm

9.)Remington 1858 Army revolver. This was the name for the New Model Army .44 revolver in 1863, which was improved over the 1860, '61 and '62. It was an improved version of the earlier Remington-Beals and Remington Army revolvers of 1860, 1861 and 1862. It was called the 1858 revolver because that was when the patten was issue.

Although during the war the Colt was more common, it was said to have been preferred over the colt.

10.) Colt 45--the Peacemaker. Army revolver which was used by many lawmen in the old West--Wild Bill Hickcock, Bat Masterson and the like. Many different kinds produced from 1872 on, probably the gun that brought the phrase, God made men, Sam Colt made them all equal.

http://www.swordsofhonor.com/co45pe.html

Okay, this has taken me most of the day, and blogger as always has driven me nuts. Putting pictures on a post with blogger can give you a migraine! Wish I had more, but I do have to attend things like writing and Tylenol. In fact, I'm so aggravated, I'm not checking the spelling until tomorrow!

Mary Ann Webber Interview

2008-05-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Why do you write historical?
For me, a story is not escapism - it’s not even romance – unless it’s historical!
Why not escape high gas prices, faltering economy, war, and political races by entering a beautiful period in our past. Give me long skirts, fine manners, and the clip-clop of carriage horses on cobblestone streets.
Actually, I’ve always loved any period of history. I’ve even played around with stories set in the age of stone circles and dolmens. (Yes, there are dolmens in New England.)
What part of the Victorian era/setting do you write in?
My favorite era in history is the thirty-five year period between the end of the American Civil War and 1900. It’s often called the Gilded Age, and what sounds more romantic than that?
The Americas are my setting. There are thousands of untold events in American history which make wonderful settings for romances. I don’t understand why writers in this country look so often to Europe.
What is it about the era that most intrigues you?
After the Civil War, Americans changed the world forever by believing in the legend of the self-made man. Young entrepreneurs like Astor, Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, Andrew Carnegie, J. P. Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller saw no boundaries. While they became the first millionaires, and eventually billionaires, they carried the American people along on a great adventure. They “Won the West” from their New York offices and made the United States a world powerhouse. What they started lasted throughout the twentieth century.
Where do you get your information?
Books about history are my greatest source. I have a collection of non-fiction books that zero in on specific events, people and groups. I use the internet to browse by topics – and find a lot of good information – but I usually end up ordering these reference books online – used, if possible.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a science fiction romance set in Texas in 1897. There are no cowboys in it. It concerns townspeople in a small community north of Fort Worth who try to cope with extraordinary events. The heroine is a school teacher who struggles to deny her love for the handsome son of the town’s banking family.
How many books have you written?
I’ve written two books. The first was a paranormal historical, A SPANIARD DEPARTS. Set in 1542, it follows the afterlife of Captain Rodrigo Romo, one of explorer Hernando De Soto’s minor officers. The book rambles all over the place and was well over 100,000 words in length when I stopped working on it. (I can’t truthfully call it finished.) I loved writing it - but I don’t see it ever being published. Actually, it would make a great video game!
My second book, A MAN AT THE DOOR, is a Victorian romance set in the mid 1880’s. The hero is a Manhattan stoneworker of Irish descent who improbably falls in love with a wealthy, shy spinster. This also grew into a whopping tome of over 100,000 words. I’m presently working to trim the fat and a few characters, and make it publishable. There’s enough left over for at least one sequel.
Do you write outside of the Victorian era, genre?
Yes. I hope to write a romance set in Jamestown in the 1680’s, and my short stories are, oddly enough, mostly contemporary.
What challenges have you faced in your career?
Like all writers, life itself is my biggest challenge. I wanted to have it all – home, children, grandchildren, teaching career – and this left little time for writing before I retired. I’m a late starter – but I’ve amassed many life experiences which, I hope, give depth to my characters.
What is your writing schedule like?
Hmmm. Hap-hazard is the word that comes to mind. My ideal schedule would be to write all night and sleep all day. Of course that doesn’t work in the real world.
Every now and then I make a reasonable and ambitious writing schedule. I work hard to follow it. Then I’m bumped out of bed by my undisciplined muse who whispers in my ear, “You won’t remember this great idea in the morning. Get up right now and write!”
The next thing I know, the morning paper is being tossed against my front door – and I’m needing sleep. How can I get a better muse?

I’ve enjoyed answering your questions. They’ve been thought-provoking and have made me reassess my work. Thank you.

My Civil War Weekend

2008-05-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

I spent last weekend in the 1860s in a Civil War camp. In reality, it was the 28th Pennsylvania's annual Civil War reenactment at Neshaminy State Park just north of Philadelphia, PA.

The biggest challenge after not doing any reenactments for nearly a year was finding all my reenacting stuff. But being the super organized person that I am, I was able to locate all my dresses, underthings, shawls, wool cape, bonnets, hairnets and other essential things in a hurry. Meanwhile, my husband was going around the house saying, "Have you seen my brogans?"

Not only did I have all my stuff ready and packed by Thur day night, but I even baked a batch of muffins to take with.

We got to the campsite late Friday morning to set up our camp. The worst part was loading and unloading the truck. We have a large A-tent, a tarp we use as a canopy, and long wooden poles for both. Also wooden tables and chairs, a cast iron grill we set up for cooking over the firepit, buckets, a wooden box full of dishes, cast iron pans, utensils and other camp stuff, and two cots.

We also have to bring modern things that we hide in the tent, like a large plastic container to keep food in and the all essential cooler, as well as a modern sleeping bag for me. My husband, trooper that he is, just rolls up in a bunch of wool blankets.

Once our camp was set up, we went home so my husband could attend his bowling tournament. Modern life always seems to intervene. We went back early Saturday morning, changed into our reenactor clothes and started living life in a Civil War camp.

Our youngest son came out for the day to play soldier, as well as my husband's brother and nephew. I wore my hoop dress and best bonnet to go watch the battle and support all my men.

When I came back I wanted to change into another shorter day dress, so I could take off the hoop, and to my horror realized I'd forgotten to wear my under petticoat for modesty. So, every time I shifted my hoop, everyone got a view of my ankles, calves and the hem of my drawers. Oh my!

Once the sun went down it got downright chilly. But there was plenty of wood, so my husband built a bonfire to warm us up and hung two candle lanterns in the tent to take the chill off. I brought a warm, cuddly pair of jammies. I kept my cotton chemise on, though, a trick I learned from another reenactor. When you get up in the morning in a very cold tent, you not only have a head start on getting dressed, but you have a nice, warm chemise against your skin. My husband also made sure I had a winter weight sleeping bag to curl into. I snuggled inside and threw it over my head and stayed nice and warm despite the cold temps outside.

It rained overnight, but stopped just about the time we had to get up. When I stuck my nose out of the sleeping bag, I couldn't believe how cold it was in that tent. I pulled on my scruffy camp dress and apron to start the day. Because of the rain, morning camp events were cancelled, so we had a nice leisurely breakfast of bacon and eggs cooked over an open campfire. Yum!

I decided to change back into my 21st century clothing before the afternoon battle, so we could get packed up and home quicker. Of course, when I got undressed, I realized I'd forgotten to wear that petticoat again. Must be a mental block. I also didn't wear my corset, but that was on purpose. I'd had enough of that on Saturday.

I packed up all my clothing and gear except for what we needed for lunch. After the men formed up, I went with my husband's sister-in-law and his two nieces and a few of their friends to watch our men fight it out again.

We had a lot of fun and caught up with reenactor friends we hadn't seen in a long while. But, as always, it felt good to get home and into the shower. Although a weekend in Civil War camp is great, I wouldn't want to live there.

THE HANGMAN'S TREE

2008-04-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

Sitting on a bar stool on the very spot over 1,000 hangings took place in the 1800’s might spook the average person, but for the hearty customers of the Hangman’s Tree Lounge, it’s a reminder of the gold rush era when the town overflowed with prospectors and unfortunates. Not all those hung were guilty of a crime; some were put to death just in case.

In 1849 Placerville, California, was called Hangtown and was considered one of the major camps in the gold country. Originally known as Old Dry Diggin’s, the town’s notorious and frequent hangings accounted for the name change. It still hovers today in the form of disembodied spirits that haunt the town, the cemeteries, the old buildings and surrounding mountains and hills. Miners, weary of the crowds in Coloma, came looking for fertile ground in which to pan and placer mine. Old Dry Diggin’s proved to be a rich find.

Unfortunately as news spread, Hangtown became overrun with prospectors, the ever hopefuls, and as always, the element of greed and deceit. Claim jumping, murders and lawlessness became commonplace. The question was no longer who to hang, but how many at a time.

Justice was quick. A trial and hanging often happened on the same day – sometimes for trivial offenses as patience was no sanctity in those days. Kicking a man’s dog could cost you your neck and touching his gold could cost you 39 lashes before the hanging.

In 1849 three desperados were hung at the same time. Rumor has it they were given 39 lashes and were close to death from the beatings. Townsfolk hung them anyway. History has conflicting stories as to what their crime was. Some accounts say robbery, others say cheating at cards and a nasty fight afterwards that ended in a murder. Their remains were apparently not worth the trek to boot hill because they were buried behind the tree, now a parking lot beside Highway 50. A memorial is now in place. It reads:

“Somewhere here lies the remains of the three unfortunates hanged in late 1849 from the oak tree in the feed corral. After a fair trial by the vigilantes, this incident changed the name of Dry Diggin’s to Hangtown. Let us not judge too harshly, for those were rough days of the Great Gold Rush. “

The Hangman’s Tree Lounge sits directly over the spot of the official hangman’s tree. Folks at the lounge see a ghost downstairs and sometimes floating above, which would be at the height of the scaffolds. In front of the lounge is a yellow Historical Marker, No. 141. Everyone knows once you enter this old building, you’ll feel the ominous, the aura of another time.

A patron mentioned that she had come in for a beer. When she went to the restroom, she saw a man coming out of the ladies room and thought it was odd, but assumed the men’s room was out of order. He was dressed in black with a top hat so she assumed he was dressed in costume. A few years ago a workman was startled to see a tall man in black walk through the wall from the Hangman’s Tree part of the building, stand in front of him and silently disappear. He quickly left the building and didn’t return until the next day when there was sunlight.

Staff members say the most startling thing is the shot glasses. They put them on the shelf and then find them in with the ice. If they had fallen, they would have landed on the counter. To get into the ice they would have had to fly.

Hanging from his neck from the second story of the building is “George,” a mannequin dressed in 1800 attire, his hands tied behind his back. He adds to the mystique of Placerville and the aura of the area. He’s been hanging there for about 55 years now.

I worked in an art gallery just down the street and always waved to George on the way to work in the morning. One day he was gone. My heart caught in my throat. How could he not be there for me to greet? Later I found out it’s customary to take George down every so often and give him a new set of clothes and clean him up. Much to my relief, in a few days he was back.

This information was taken from The Incredible World of GOLD RUSH GHOSTS, Written by Nancy Bradley and Robert Reppert. Photo by Marlene Urso.

Tuesday Ten: Civil War Trivia

2008-04-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

I thought I’d go for a total change of pace this time around and post a Tuesday Ten about my second favorite subject… the Civil War. I know this is usually Susan’s territory, but my husband just brought home the greatest book the other day, and I’ve had my nose stuck in it every chance I get. It has lots of short, interesting facts about things to do with the Civil War—the kind of facts that writers like us just love because you never know what will spark an idea for a story.

Anyway, here I thought I’d share some of the more interesting ones I’ve come across for our Tuesday Ten.

The two warring capitals, Washington D.C. and Richmond Virginia, were less than 100 miles apart.
Jesse Grant, father of General Ulysses S. Grant at one time worked for Owen Brown—father of the notorious abolitionist John Brown.
While not an excellent student –he was 21 in his class of 39 at West Point- Grant was one of the academy’s most skilled riders ever.
Union General Winfield Scott served under every president from Jefferson to Lincoln and was on active duty as a general from 1808 – 1861. Longer than any other person in American history.
Southerners called the Reconstruction period in the south “Yankee Rule.”
The surrender terms at Appomattox in 1865 permitted that every Confederate cavalry soldier take his horse home with him. This provision was requested by Lee (and accepted by Grant). Both men realized that once the former soldiers returned to civilian life they wouldn’t be able to work their farms without a horse.
According to some analysts, the most significant single federal operation of the war was the blockade of Southern ports.
Among the many names for the Civil War: The War Between the States; Mr. Lincoln’s War; The War Against Northern Aggression; The Second American Revolution; The Lost Cause; The War of the Rebellion; the Brothers’ War; the Late Unpleasantness; The Uncivil War, the War of the Southrons; the Great Rebellion; the War for Southern Independence; the Second War for Independence (hey, I could have done my whole Tuesday Ten on just those!)
General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was featured on the highest denomination bill issued by the Richmond government. He was the only general to be pictured on its currency.
During the war James Butler Hickcock, a.k.a. “Wild Bill” was a Union spy in Missouri.

Source: Civil War: Untold Tales of the Blue and Gray by Westside Publishing.

Today's the Day!

2008-04-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

Release day! The day I've long been waiting for ... The Wild Rose Press released my short vampire romance story, Eternity Waits.

Here's an excerpt that I hope whets your appetite.

Alexandra Ivanov gazed with longing at the tall, manly soldier before her. His musky, masculine scent caused her to shiver with desire. Sandy-colored hair fell in waves on both sides of his tanned face. Alexandra had spied him on her forays through the outskirts of the army camp. Each time she'd seen him, he'd been alone, but she'd waited until tonight to approach him.

Since the war began, she'd not lacked for fresh blood. These lonely, young soldiers, so far from home, were all too willing to allow a strange, loose woman to wrap her arms around them. The army blamed the deaths on a vicious, nocturnal animal roaming the woods at night.

But this man carried the essence of her long lost love. Alexandra felt drawn to him, like to no other. Centuries ago, she'd lost the one and only man she'd ever truly loved.

She moved closer to the soldier, his long, lean-muscled form not unlike Dimitri's. He gulped, but lowered his rifle and didn't back away.

"Why are you here?" He clawed absently at his collar while his gaze locked on hers.

Heat swept through her at the sight of his throbbing pulse. Although hungry, she wouldn't take too much from him. She didn't want to kill him. Yet.

For more info on Eternity Waits click here.

Tuesday 10 - Russia

2008-04-22T04:23:00.000-07:00

10 Key Russian Events 1839-1901

The Victorian Era was a time of expansion. With expansion inevitably comes war. Russia was no exception. Her history of expansion was ancient, and by 1839, her boarders reached to the Pacific, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, and Arctic . She tried reform – failed – tried again – endured revolution, revolution, revolution, and held tightly to her land. Everything that happened here directly resulted in both WWI and in the 1917 Revolution. 50 years of policies, rebellions, reforms, setbacks, and power plays reshaped the world as they knew it into what we do today.

1. Crimean War 1853-1586 between Imperial Russia (and the Bulgarian volunteers) and the United Kingdom, Ottoman Empire, France, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Really, it was all France’s fault…in 1851, a coup d'état put Napoleon III in power who then instructed his ambassador to the Ottoman Empire to force the Ottomans to recognize France as the "sovereign authority" in the Holy Land.

The Russians didn't like this, made counterclaims, and reminded the Ottomans of two treaties, 1757 and 1774. The Ottomans then reversed their earlier decision, renounced the French treaty, and insisted Russia was the protector of the Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire. Napoleon III responded with a show of force. England joined. France bribed Sultan Abdülmecid I. Russia eventually lost. It was a crushing blow to their moral, country spirit, and people.

2. The Treaty of Aigun 1858. Established the modern borders of the Russian Far East. Its provisions were confirmed by the Beijing Treaty of 1860. Significantly, the Treaty was never approved by the Xianfeng Emperor.

3. Emancipation reform of 1861. "It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below.” Though he carefully guarded his autocratic rights and privileges, Alexander II reformed. This particular one amounted to ending the serf dependence previously suffered by Russian peasants. The legal basis of the reform was the Tsar's Emancipation Manifesto of March 3, 1861 (February 19, 1861 (O.S.)). The Manifesto granted full rights of free citizens to serfs and prescribed that peasants would be able to buy land from the landlords. It didn't totally work.

4. Judicial reform of Alexander II 1864. Generally considered one of the most successful and the most consistent (along with the military reform), it created a completely new order of legal proceedings. The main results were the introduction of a unified court system instead of the cumbersome set of Estate-of-the-realm courts, and fundamental changes in criminal trials. The latter included establishment of the principle of equality of the parties involved, introduction of public hearings, jury trial and the institution of a professional advocate.

5. Alaska purchase 1867. Russia was in financial straits and feared losing their Alaskan territory without compensation in some future conflict, especially to their rivals, Britain. Therefore, Alexander II decided to sell the territory to the US. The purchase price was $7.2 million (about 1.9¢ per acre). American public opinion was generally positive, but some newspaper writers and editors had negative feelings about. Don’t they always? Can’t please everyone…but Washington approved it. After all, Russia had been a valuable ally of the Union during the Civil War, while Britain had been a nearly open enemy. It seemed wise to help Russia while sticking it to the British.

6. April Uprising 1876. Insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire, the indirect result of which was the establishment of Bulgaria as an independent nation in 1878. What did this have to do with Russia? On July 8, 1876, a secret treaty prepared for the division of the Balkans between Russia and Austria-Hungary, depending on the outcome of local revolutionary movements. Almost makes you think of WWI, doesn't it.

7. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. With a rise in nationalism in Balkans, the Russians used that unrest to see its goal of reversing territorial losses suffered during the Crimean War and reestablishing itself in the Black Sea. Russia annexed Southern Bessarabia and the Kars region.

8. Alexander II assassinated 1881. Ignacy Hryniewiecki of the Narodnaya Volya, or the People's Will was responsible. Though he hesitated between strengthening the hands of executive power and making concessions to the widespread political aspirations of the educated classes, he tried, which was more than any tsar or tsarina had since Catherine the Great. (And she needed the support of the nobility, so her reforms were minor.)

9. Alexander III became tsar. Finally a man of self-control. Unfortunately, he had no intention of limiting or weakening the autocratic power he inherited. He knew what changes he wanted to implement before he became tsar, and let it be known. He wanted national principles in all spheres of official activity; a homogeneous Russia—homogeneous in language, administration and religion. He died in 1884…his son, Nicholas II became tsar, and we all know how that ended up.

10. Russification of Finland 1889-1905. Aimed at the termination of Finland’s autonomy. It was a part of a larger policy of Russification pursued by late 19th-early 20th century Russian governments which tried to abolish cultural and administrative autonomy of non-Russian minorities within the empire. Finland and Russia had several skirmishes throughout the beginning of the 20th century, even while both fought the Nazi’s in WWII.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1113655.stm
www.pbs.org/weta/faceofrussia/timeline-index.html
www.infoplease.com/spot/russiatime1.html

Tuesday Ten--Food

2008-04-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

Shoot! It’s my turn for Tuesday Ten. I totally forgot until this morning. So I’m pulling stuff out of my bag and came up with food. Food is always fun. So lets explore what our Victorian ancestors liked to eat, particularly Americans. I’m going through books and menus to come up with this list.

1.) Champagne. Lots of it for the aristocrats anyway and I suspect for some of the upper middle class as well. I’m not sure why it was so prevalent, (mostly in the latter part of the century) but it was so much that I believe Ned Greenway, who was to San Franciscan society what Ward McAllister was to New York Society, was originally a champagne importer. At the very least he was much admired for the amount of champagne he could drink.

There was, interestingly, a nasty disease that killed many European grapes and thus destroyed whole vineyards during the Victorian era. Whether or not this had something to do with the love of champagne, though, I don’t know. That's something that will require some more in-depth research.

2.)Duck. This is on pretty much every menu I’ve come across.

3.) Tarrapin—turtle. Lots and lots of turtle eaten at this period of time. The big kinds, not the little snapping turtle that we most of us are familiar with. It was a delicacy, don’t ask me why. As I recall they found the turtles off the North Carolina coast. I suspect this is when people started creating Mock Turtle soup.

4.)Ices—Again, on every menu. Often served at balls too. You couldn’t go anywhere social without coming across ices. I assume the term “ices” referred to fruit ice, but you find a lot of ice cream as well.

5.) Oysters—I’ve talked about oysters in other blogs. They were everywhere, probably because they were cheap and filling. There were oyster houses all over New York.

6.) French—not a food I know, but I thought I’d point out that a LOT of the menus I see from the era are in French. And these are from several different books. What I have found to be especially annoying is that when I try to translate them using an internet translator, they don’t translate. I honestly don’t know how any of these people figured out what they were eating. Which of course, comes across in my books. . .

7.)Celery—yeah that veggie that you eat when you’re dieting. My husband’s grandmother called it rabbit food. It was a delicacy to Victorians, given prominence on the table. It even had its own holders. No, I totally do not understand it. You can find a Victorian celery holder for the bargain price of $995 here:

http://pages.showcaseantiquecenter.com/11540/PictPage/1922920121.html

8.) Beer—It didn’t come into prominence really until after 1850 or so with the influx of German immigrants according to Savory Suppers and Fashionable Feasts. But according to this site there were a few breweries before mid-century:

http://www.beerhistory.com/library/holdings/chronology.shtml.

It does seem, though, breweries did start popping up all over the mid-west in mid-century. As we moved west, breweries started popping up out there too—San Francisco in 1849, Colorado in 1859. Still, beer came in kegs and barrels. It was later in the century before you could get a bottle of beer.

9.)Beef/pork. From what I’ve read, Americans ate quite a bit of pork at the beginning of the century. It was pretty much a staple. But by mid-century we start seeing more and more beef, and much, more more after the Civil War. I suspect this is due to the combination of canning, refridgeration (as in rail road cars and ice boxes) and of course the Texas long horn, all of which gave us the cowboy era too. After the Civil War, the East could not get enough.

10.)Chocolate—all right this isn’t really a “Victorian food” per se. But romance writers are often addicted to chocolate—it’s the serotonin thing, I think. So when I started writing this, I believed that chocolate during most of the Victorian era was a flavoring, and for cocoa. But as I research I see that “modern” chocolate came into play in England in 1840ish. The 1851 Expostion in London exhibited bon bons and chocolate creams! Yay, I could have survived as a Victorian after all. I also find this very comforting as I have a Civil War era heroine addicted to chocolate. Now I see this is possible (it would have to be imported but she’s rich) so it works. Yay!
http://www.chocolatemonthclub.com/chocolatehistory.htm

Ghiradelli, by the way, started making chocolate in San Fransisco around 1865 or so. Those lucky Califorians!
http://www.ghirardelli.com/about/history.aspx

So that's my 10. A lot of this, by the way, is off the top of my head from having done this research for so many years. If I get a chance, I'll add some more sources later. Along with the blog on TB I was going to do, and the one on the Sultana too. . .

Oscar the Ghost

2008-04-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

During the Gold Rush days the American River Inn, built in 1853, was known as the American Hotel. This historical landmark, located in Georgetown, California, is known for its hospitality and loneliness...and its ghost. A gruff old miner haunts Room 5. He abruptly makes his presence known on a whim, but despite his disheveled appearance, he rarely frightens the guests. A man of tender nature, he loves three things – honeymooners or happy lovers, Room 5 of the Inn, and his long-dead girlfriend for whom he’s still pining. Rumor is that he last saw her in Room 5.

The American Hotel was constructed over a productive lode known as the Woodside Mine. It’s been told at one point as much as $90,000 worth of gold was pulled from the earth within a two-week period. Then, as if in retribution the mine claimed the lives of many of the hardworking men by trapping them within its confines. The ground slowly sucked the air out of the trapped miners, but did not spit them out. A basement wall hides their grim story.

Oscar, the ghost, survived the disaster. He was a hearty soul of the 1800’s. He must have made an impact on the townsfolk as his name is synonymous with Georgetown even to this day. He is remembered by stories passed down through generations as a gruff old poke, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, ambitious and anxious to find his fortune. If there was a gold strike, he was the first to pick up a shovel. He was fearless in the rickety mine shafts and tapped off river channels.

Oscar had a romantic heart and foolishly lost it to a nameless “woman of the evening.” Many years her senior, he was smitten enough to dream of making her his wife. They had long talks before and after lovemaking. She told of missing her family in the east and of making enough money to return there.

Just above the Woodside Mine that he’d once worked, his death came quickly. When he wasn’t searching for gold, he worked as a carpenter on the hotel property to be near his love. History shows he was quite jealous of her. A heckler, who was a former client of his girlfriend, insisted on belittling her name. After words were spoken between the two men, a scuffle prevailed and in the heated moments that followed, the aggressor shot Oscar dead on the steps of the American Hotel. His body died, but his spirit remained.

The ghostly activity seems to center around the top of the stairs and in Room 5. When new owners started renovating Room 5,
they felt very uncomfortable in the room. On a hot day they felt chilled when something would brush past them. They could physically feel it, but no one was there. What’s interesting to note is that none of the guests have been terrified of Oscar. Even though he is gruff looking, he’s a friendly ghost and smiles at the lovers as he walks through the rooms as if he belongs there. He especially takes pride in appearing to honeymooners as if he wants to be a part of their happiness.

A statesman and his wife checked into Room 5. At 3:00 a.m. a man dressed in old, tattered clothes walked through the closed door. (Oscar always enters through the door that opens onto the balcony and leaves through the door at the top of the stairs. It makes no difference if the door is open or shut, he doesn’t take time to fiddle with it.) Their light switched on for no reason and the ghost smiled as he continued walking through the closed door to the hall. They both heard Oscar’s footsteps seemingly go down the stairs to the main part of the house, but admitted neither of them got out of bed to check. Their light then went off. When the statesman turned the light knob, it went back on because the lamp had been turned off the entire time. Electricians were brought to check out the problem, but found no possible electrical reason for the annoying fiasco.

Because a woman’s voice is sometimes heard from the depths of the unknown inside the Inn, it’s interesting to learn that soon after Oscar’s death a beautiful woman of the evening attired herself in her finest negligee and, with liquor in hand, leaped to her death from the balcony of the American Hotel. The doctor noted that her neck was broken instantly. Could it have been preceded by a broken heart?

Tuesday Ten: Victorians & Vampires

2008-04-08T06:26:00.000-07:00

I'm completing research on a new short vampire story set during the Civil War and bought a book on the origins of vampire lore.

Although I knew Dracula was published during the Victorian era, I hadn't realized how many novels and stories during the period revolved around vampires. Aside from Dracula, though, these vampires weren't your classic blood-suckers. There were a lot of variations as there is in vampire legends and folklore around the world.

1) Edgar Allen Poe's story "Ligeia" (1838) is the tale of a dead woman who brings back the corpse of her husband's second wife.

2) Smyth Upton's novel, The Last of the Vampires (1845) held that vampirism was a special form of magic.

3) G. M. W. Reynold's Faust (1847) reflected the same theme where vampires used sacrifice to obtain life, pleasure and power.

4)W. Harrison Ainworth's Auriol (1850) is a tale of immortality gained through human sacrifice.

5) In 1853, the first English language novel, Spiritual Vampirism was a story about energy draining vampires who could be men or women.

6) Two more novels in 1890 and two in 1897 also featured energy draining vampires.

7) Vampires by Julian Gordon (1891) used vampirism as a metaphor for the destructive relationship between the characters.

8) In 1892, in The Lost Stradavarius, a sorcerer drains energy from musicians who play a certain violin.

9) In a story by W. L. Alden in 1894, a teacher's talents are absorbed by one of her students.

10) And of course, the king of all vampire novels, Dracula, by Bram Stoker came out in 1897.

Source: The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters by Rosemary Ellen Guiley: Checkmark Books, 2005.

Scandalous Victorian, Caroline Clemmons

2008-04-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

It's interview day! I keep forgetting! Here she is, Caroline Clemmons.

Why do you write historical?

I love history. When I was a child, my favorite time was when my dad would tell stories about his family coming to Texas and the adventures they encountered in daily life. It seemed exciting to me, plus that time with my dad was special. That probably made history special. As a small child, I had loved Roy Rogers, so learning one of our ancestors was a Texas Ranger for a short time and another a sheriff impressed me. The first novels I read were historicals--Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain. Then I spent a time reading all the Nancy Drew mysteries with an occasional historical thrown in, but history remained important to me. After I had my fill of Nancy Drew, I always chose historicals over contemporary stories. Now, I read all over the industry, but I prefer writing historicals.

What part of the Victorian era/setting do you write in?

I love the entire nineteenth century and read voraciously from Regencies to Victorians. I especially love writing post- Reconstruction Texas, though, particularly the 1880's.

What is it about the era that most intrigues you?

It's less controversial to deal with because there was no slavery and the Civil War was over. At the same time, it was before telephones and autos so people on ranches and in small towns were still somewhat isolated. The stiff rules of city life back East didn't apply as stringently. People were judged more by their character than their lineage. Families often had no one but themselves on whom they could rely. It was a difficult time, but one with considerable opportunity for those willing to work. It bred strong personalities and close-knit families.

Where do you get your information?

I've done extensive research, and have my favorite books to consult. I especially like a Texas book titled LONE STAR. It's not as dry as many research books. Ha. In our area of Texas, I was fortunate enough to visit a ranch which has been in the same family since 1859 and have the book written by the current owner, THE PAINTED POST. This is about that ranch in North Central Texas, and the ranch house includes the original cabin structure which now is used as the home's bathroom. There's another family, the Kemp family, in our area who have an open house each spring when the bluebonnets are in bloom. They have the cabin built by the Shaw ancestor, and have moved in other homes representing each era up to a Craftsman type brick on the hill above the little village they've arranged. It's like a little tour through the area's history. The owner has furnished them with appropriate antiques for each home. I take every tour of antique homes in our area, visit ranches, do whatever I can to immerse myself in the history of Texas. Whenever I've travelled around the state, I've visited sites I've considered for a book. My family history has also helped me. When I've visited other areas in which my family lived, I've toured early structures, touched the hand-hewn planks, listened to the stories told by the surviving family members. History inspires me.

What are you working on now?

I'm currently working on a book about an unusual heroine [aren't we all?] who believes herself to be a klutz with no skills, but who learns she is an amazing woman who can adapt and defend herself. While her stepfather was alive, he protected her from his two sons, but now he's died. Her two worthless stepbrothers have used her as collateral in a high stakes poker game and lost her to an evil man, and she's on the run. She encounters the hero, obviously, or there'd be no romance. His past and hers are intertwined to add lots of complications.

How many books have you written?

Written or sold? LOL Different numbers.
I've sold three historical romances and one novella. I have another book on an editor's desk awaiting her decision. I have several "under the bed" which will never see the light of day and several others I hope will sell eventually.

Do you write outside of the Victorian era, genre?

Yes, I've written the first of a series of contemporary cozy mysteries about a woman who manages her family's garden center and landscape center, and have completed the first three chapters of the second book in that series. I also have the first of a second series about an eccentric mystery writer [pf course there's no connection to me] who sees crimes everywhere and hope that will also be a series. I am plotting my marketing strategy now for those.
.
What challenges have you faced in your career?

The most damaging thing for my career was a really bad agent who almost killed my career. She talked a good story to me, but was not doing what she promised. She's no longer approved by RWA, by the way.

I've also had periods of poor health, like the four month bout with pneumonia and bronchitis I went through this winter. For years, my mom depended on me for transportation and assistance and that required a lot of my time, but--sadly--she died last year.

One of the greatest challenges currently is the difficulty of breaking back in to publishing. There are so many good writers now, that it's really tough for anyone who's not sold recently and didn't have a best seller or huge fan base to make a sale. I'm not giving up, though.
Conversely, my husband is very supportive, so he doesn't mind when I desert housekeeping for the computer, and he's a great help.

What is you writing schedule like?

It varies. Some days I can write ten pages, some days none. The most I've written is thirty, but it's rare to have the stamina and uninterrupted time to get that many pages done. I like Merline Lovelace's plan to do five pages a day. That's doable.

Tuesday Ten: Luck of the Draw

2008-04-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

With The Model Man released and my work load gradually easing up, I’m finally able to get back to the historical research I’ve started—and abandoned—and started again—so many times.

My hero is a sometime-snake-oil salesman, not above taking money from innocent farmers who are convinced he can make it rain or selling the odd elixir guaranteed to cure all ills. But more often than not he makes his living as a gambler (just so long as he’s not making an honest living, this guy is happy. Some hero, huh?). And like most gamblers from the old west, he’s not above using gadgets and gizmos to eliminate chance and tilt the scales in his favor.

Here are some of the things I’ve come across in my research that he –and other cardsharps like him--might have used to ply his trade.

Blue tinted spectacles. This one threw me. I never dreamed they had anything this advanced in the Old West. These enable the wearer to detect the phosphorescent ink on marked cards—which is invisible to the naked eye.

Card Trimmer. This could be used to mend the frayed edges of an old deck—or to shave a tiny portion from certain cards to make them easy to find in the deck.

Corner rounder. The companion to the card trimmer. Used to cut new corners on an entire deck, or to mark particular cards by slightly altering the corners.

Card pricker. This little brass plunger would drive a needle into the face of the card and raise a tiny mark on the back—think Braille—the dealer could tell by the positions of the bumps which cards were sliding through his fingers.

Marked Cards. The most popular and the thing that first came to my mind. Special markings on the cards reveal their value to the dealer, usually by a symbol innocently hidden in the design on the back of the deck. This symbol would rotate clockwise depending on the face value of the card. (Suits were less important than number cards in many games, so they were often left unmarked.)

Holdouts were ingenious devices designed to let the gambler "hold out" certain cards and play them when the time was right and the pot was full:

Sleeve holdout. This device featured an extra wide cuff that buckled around the wearer’s upper arm and extended a playing card into his palm when he bent his elbow.

Breastplate hold out. This was sewn inside the gambler’s coat and attached by a long cord to his boot. He could conceal or produce an entire hand of cards simply by stretching or bending his leg.

Hold out vest. This vest had a single strip of elastic sewn into it to hold a card or two—and included an additional loop for a small pencil used to mark cards.

Fanny pack hold out? LOL. Not sure what this one was called. But a pouch that looks amazingly like a fanny pack was strapped about the waist under the gambler’s vest. It contained a spring-loaded frame that would hold several cards or an entire deck in reserve for just the right moment. Like the breastplate holdout, it was manipulated by the wearer’s leg.

The Kepplinger holdout. The finest of its class and undoubtedly the most famous of the holdout devices. This harness of pulleys, cords and telescoping silver-plated tubes reached from a man’s forearms down to his knees. The gambler would activate this device by simply spreading his knees ever so slightly and the claw like “sneak” hidden beneath two layers of a special double shirt sleeve moved the cards into his hand. For a description and a drawing http://cardshark.us/holdouts_frs.shtml

Source: The Old West Time Life Series: The Gamblers.

And http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holdout

And the Winner Is....

2008-03-28T04:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who left a comment here on the Slip Into Something Victorian blogsite as part of my contest to win a free e-copy of The Model Man.

Release day is finally here and my five-year-old son is all set to draw a name from the basket as we speak.

And the winner is... Delilah Marvelle!

Congratulations, Delilah! Please contact me at nmccaffreyauthor@yahoo.com and let me know where to send it!

Last Chance to Enter!

2008-03-27T05:21:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe release day is almost here! This is the last excerpt I'll be posting from The Model Man. Tomorrow I'll draw a name from all those who have commented here for the past three weeks to see who will be the winner of a free e-copy.

~*~

For a moment he stood there, watching her watch him. Electricity arced across the short distance separating them.

She lowered her gaze. Even though the shadows hid her face, she didn’t want to risk him reading anything in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

“No, that’s not your style.”

If he only knew her style. The one that had her secretly ogling his body whenever possible.

Okay, that was it. She was out of here. Uncurling her legs, she rose. “I was just going inside.”

“You don’t have to go because of me.”

Oh, yes I do. “I should get back to work. I do my best writing this time of night.”

He folded his arms over his chest. “It’s past midnight.”

“This is when I write. Usually until around two. And I’m near deadline.” She glanced down at his bare, masculine feet. Damn the man, even his toes were sexy.

“I won’t see you until tomorrow night so you should have plenty of time to write. I have an early tee time in the morning. Then I have to take care of some family business.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “With a last name like Calavicci, ‘family business’ sounds ominous.”

He laughed. “We’d be more likely to make a pizza for someone than break their thumbs.”

Thumbs. She refused to give into temptation and look.

“I’ll leave the limo in case you want to go somewhere.”

“I won’t. I really should spend the day working.”

He smiled. “I always had this image of you holed up in a cabin in the woods somewhere with an old typewriter.”

Derek had always had an image of her? The thought warmed her just a little. “No cabin, no typewriter. Just a golden retriever at my feet.” Sweet, lovable Barney. She hoped he wasn’t giving her mom too much trouble. “Are you getting ready to go out somewhere?”

He slid his hands into his pockets and stepped closer. “Where would I go?”

“I don’t know, out to a club or something.”

“When the whole world thinks I’m here making love to you?”

Heat flooded her cheeks, but then she suspected that was his intention. “I’m sorry. You’re doing this for me and here you are stuck in this hotel room.”

“I thought I was doing it so I wouldn’t get sued.” He closed the distance between them. Instead of sitting on the love seat or one of the other chairs, he sat on the table directly in front of her. The position brought his naked chest to her eye level, and she had to force her gaze to settle elsewhere. It flitted up, over his abdomen, his lips, his eyes before finally landing on the balcony railing over his shoulder.

“I had no idea what M.J. was up to. I didn’t know about any of it.”

“I know that.” His voice took on a gentle tone. “And I wouldn’t have agreed if I hadn’t wanted to do it.”

She pulled her gaze back to his and found the fire simmering there. “Because you didn’t want to get sued?”

He smiled almost boyishly. “No.” He reached out, capturing her wrist to pull her forward between his open legs. “Hell, no.” He brushed his fingertips from her cheek to her chin, his thumb tugging at her lower lip.

His gaze darkened, focused on her mouth. He bent toward her, and she tilted her head for his kiss. But he stopped and lifted his gaze, eyes locked onto hers. The thumb on her lip slipped lower, knuckles slowly brushing down her throat to follow the deep vee of her sweater.

She caught her breath as he grazed the hollow between her breasts. The touch sent a shockwave of pleasure straight through her.

“Am I still moving too fast for you?”

Tuesday 10 Easter!

2008-03-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

How many sound familiar to you?

10 Victorian Easter traditions:

Decorate Easter eggs – not from a kit, more’s the pity, but by using cranberries, beets, spinach greens and orange and lemon peels.
Greeting cards – bunnies, chicks, or a cross printed with a simple “Happy Easter” or spiritual greeting

Church – um…pretty self explanatory there.

Lilies – the flower of the holiday, according to the language of flowers, Lily (white) - Virginity; purity; majesty; it's heavenly to be with you

Panorama sugar egg – They look like they’ll rot your teeth in a second. Or break them. Can you eat these?

Easter bonnets – a traditional start to spring, any Easter bonnet would be guaranteed to be fashionable, flirty, and fun. And in the newest colors of spring.

Easter parades - The first public Easter parade in America occurred in 1860 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, when families strolled along the Boardwalk in their new spring finery after the Sunday service.

Chocolate eggs (and bunnies) - bunnies were symbols of fertility (you’ve heard the saying?), and chocolate eggs abound during the late 1800s.

Maundy Money - could be ordered from the bank or mint by anyone. The tradition dates to King Edward I or II, when the monarch washed the poor’s feet (not all of them obviously) and gave them money. This explains it much better than I could: Maundy Money an Easter Tradition

Easter Baskets – where else would you fit all the goodies in?

The latest style

2008-03-20T04:24:00.000-07:00

I just got my hair cut. Ok, not just, 2 weeks ago, but am still getting used to it. I donated 13 inches of hair to Locks of Love, and regret only that last inch. I’ve never had hair this short…except possibly back in the day that whole Dorothy Hamill ‘do. But it’s best not to reminisce on styles better left to the history books.

During the long era of Victoria, there were many popular styles, you can’t have one last 60 some years, it just isn’t done.

But let’s talk about inventions. Crimping for instance. I know, I know, it harkens back to that ‘80s best left to the history books style. It was the rage for nearly 30 years.

Invented in 1872, by Parisian hairdresser M. Marcel Grateau, crimping pulled the hair over a hot iron, making it wave. The "Marcel wave" consisted of loose waves arranged around the head. Since there was no spring action on the curling iron/heating tongs, it was opened and closed by hand. The Marcel wave remained popular for almost half a century, and helped usher in a new era of women's waved and curled hairpieces, which were mixed with the natural hair.

The hot irons damaged hair, burning it with that nasty burnt hair smell. Since hair was never cut, heavy perfumes were used to mask the odor.

Pearson's Soda Works

2008-03-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

Built in 1859 Pearson’s Soda Works was used as a brewery, soda works, and ice cream parlor in the Gold Rush days. More often than not, ice blocks, beer, soda, butter and other perishables were stored in the 155 foot tunnel cut into the hill behind the place. The narrow mine tunnel at that time extended in a u-shape through the mountain, ending near the Empire Theatre down the street.

It’s rumored a second mine tunnel was started in an old house behind the Empire Theatre and ran under Placerville, California, coming out somewhere in the vicinity of what is now Coloma Street. Several years ago I had occasion to go into that old house. The shape of the roof makes it look Asian.
While I was inside, the owner started telling me about the history of the place. He took me into a back room and showed me a hole cut into a rock wall. As I remember it, the space was about two feet wide and maybe five feet long. He said the tunnel coming from the Soda Works was used by men who didn’t want to be seen coming in and out of the Chinese run bordello. There were several of these holes cut in the building and they were used by the prostitutes as their “beds” when the men would come for their “comfort.” It amazed me that anyone could be so desperate as to use the small, uncomfortable space.

An upper floor was added to the soda works building in 1897 and, although some restoration was inevitable, the majority of the original building is still the same along with fixtures and keepsakes. The beautiful stained glass doors were brought from a gambling hall in Montana, the hanging globes from the old San Francisco library, and marble bathroom fixtures from the ancient Tahoe Tavern.

The building is damp, it’s drippy, and from sunset to sunrise, it’s also dark. Shadows glide effortless through the old place. Spirits whisk by in the reflection as employees clean store mirrors and windows. Labored breathing is heard permeating the thick rock walls of the empty old mine shaft inside the structure. Stories about ghosts have been told for years.

There’s a burly man with a bald head in the mineshaft at the back of the main part of the building. He ordered psychic Nancy Bradley out of the tunnel. He told her women were not welcome past that particular point. She determined it was not a ghost, but a spirit. Two women spirits from the 1800’s sat in old chairs in the alcove to the right of the tunnel. They seemed to get a kick out of the old codger getting his comings up when Bradley told him he had no authority anymore. As it turned out, the spirit’s name was Charley and he was about 40 years old, but looked much older. He’d been a victim of a cave in. Several large rocks came down and hit him in the back of the head. Even though the wound was severe, he didn’t die immediately. Afraid to move him, the miners left him in the mine shaft as they ran to get the doctor. He told her he was dead before the doctor returned with the men. Bradley asked him why he stayed in the place where he died. “I am not always here,” he said, irritated. “I come and go when I want. I am here to protect people from the mine, but also because of THEM!” He pointed to the two women in the alcove.

Bradley inched her way past the spirit to the two women. “What are you doing here?” she asked. They were dressed in frills, full skirts and ragged stockings. One had a blouse that fell off one shoulder. They were clearly not washerwomen or wives. “We stay for the money,” the one that called herself Louise said. “And he’s one of our best customers.”

Information taken from “The Incredible World of Gold Rush Ghosts, by Nancy Bradley and Robert Repppert.

Tuesday Ten—Victorian Disasters

2008-03-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

In one of my manuscripts, my hero is haunted by a past in which he seems to be constantly surrounded by disaster (in truth, he subconsciously seeks them out). This required me to actually research disasters in the 19th century. Yes, there is actually a book about the history of disasters titled The Pessimist’s Guide to History by Stuart Flexner with Doris Flexner. It chronicles disasters from The Big Bang until 1991, along with some very, very funny commentary. There’s even a timeline of disasters in the back of the book broken out by the kind of disaster. For those of us with a wry sense of humor, this is pretty amusing.

So, without further ado, here are the 10 I chose from the Victorian period. I tried to stay within the boundaries of North America because that’s the area I write about.
I’m putting them in the order more of personal interest than anything else.

1.) 1883, Krakatoa Erupts—August 26th and 27. So explosive was the eruption that it shook houses a hundred miles away, and the most spectacular of the explosions were her 2,900 miles away. Worse, the ferocity of Krakatoa’s eruption induced another 15 volcanoes in the area to erupt. 50 square miles of land sank into the sea, along with 2/3 of the island of Krakatoa. And you know what happens then—a tsunami traveling as far as South America. In the end the volcanoes sent 5 cubic miles of debris into the area for a period of about 2 years, blocking out the sunlight. It was blamed for a drop in temperature in North America during the 19th century.

2.) 1878 Yellow Fever Epidemic in Memphis Tennessee. It broke out in mid-august. 25000 people fled the city. 20,000 stayed behind, of which 5,000 died. Public disorder, resulted. It finally ended in October.

3) Ohio train wreck--1876. A blizzard hit on the night of December 29th, slowing the progress of the Pacific Express, carrying 150 passengers. For all that, it still left Ashtabula Ohio. Around 8:00 pm it crossed a bridge, 160 feet long. The bridge collapsed, plunging the train into Ashtabula Creek. The fall turned over heating stoves, which set parts of the train on fire. The passengers that managed to survive the fall, the fires, the freezing and crawl to safety then had to face the snow storm. 92 people died.

4.) Peshtigo Fire, 1871—The same winds that caused the Great Chicago Fire stirred this one up too. Drought had already caused tiny fires to spring up in the woods and grasslands surrounding Peshtigo Wisconsin. The winds hit, turning the tiny fires into walls of flame, of which the 2000 residents of the city had not warning. Worse, Peshtigo was surrounded by swamp—and swamp gas, methane. When the fire hit the swamp the gas exploded, making the air so hot that anything that was combustible burst into flames. In the end Peshtigo was destroy and about 1400 people died.

5.) Great Chicago Fire, 1871—There are sites and books dedicated to this. It was the most destructive fire in American history, basically burning Chicago to the ground on October 8th and 9th. 90,000 of the city’s 335,000 were left homeless. 17,500 buildings were destroyed.

6.) Explosion of the Sultana 1865—Susan Macatee might know more about this, since the Sultana was a steamboat transporting Union soldiers up the Mississippi after peace was declared. I actually have a book about this and hope someday to blog about it (don’t hold your breath, though—I’ve got quite a few blogs I’ve never done J). Anyway, the Sultana was carrying 2134 soldiers, although it only had a capacity of 376. It left Vicksburg for Cairo Illinois on April 24th. A leak in one of the boilers was repaired at
Memphis. To no avail. It blew on April 27th, 8 miles north of Memphis. Men were crushed under steam stacks, burned or drowned in the water after jumping over board or being pushed. It’s estimated 1,547 died. Ironically many of the passengers had survived as inmates of the infamous Andersonville prison, only to be subjected to this.

7.) 1851-1855 Tuberculosis Epidemic in Britain—I’ve blogged about TB before, the scourge of the 19th century. During this period it killed approximately 250,000 people.

Here’s an interesting fact that I discovered while checking out tuberculosis—Thoreau died of TB at the age of 44. But that’s not really part of the Tuesday Ten.

8.) 1848, The Voyage of the Omega—Lots of ship deaths on the list of disasters. In this specific case the ship, a British emigrant ship, lost its sails during a storm. The passengers were transferred to three other passing ships. One of those sank killing 115 people. Another ran out of water killing 70 of the Omega’s passengers. Interestingly enough, the Omega made it back to port safely.

9.) 1845 Quebec Fire—This is for Jenn who writes about Victorian Canada. On May 28th, a nasty wind whipped up a fire that started in a tanner, spreading it through parts of Quebec. The fire destroyed approximately 1,500 buildings, and killed some people, but exactly how many is not known.

10.) 1841, Hurricane in Saint Jo, Florida—Just because we can’t forget weather as a natural disaster. This one struck in September, destroying all the buildings and killing 4000 people. The town no longer exists.

And just because I found another natural disaster (so this is 11) a couple tornadoes destroyed Natchez Mississippi. One hit in May 1840, killing 317 people. The second one hit on June 16th 1842, killing another 500 people. I guess the 1840’s were not a good time to be living in Natchez.

Other interesting books:

Diesease and History Frederick F Cartwright, Michael D. Biddiss

Viruses, Plagues & History, Michael B.A. Oldstone

Living in the Shadow of Death, Sheila M. Rothman

The Sultana Saga, Rex T. Jackson

Braving the elements, The Stormy History of American Weather, David Laskin

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T03:34:00.000-07:00

I’d like to wish everyone a very happy St. Patrick’s Day. And since this is the Scandalous Victorians blog, I’d like to tell you a little bit about Canada’s historical connection to my favorite country in Victorian times.

During the Great Famine of 1845-1850, thousands of starving Irish refugees fled to Canada, as well as the United States and Australia.

The conditions on the so-called “coffin ships” were brutal. Typhoid, dysentery, and other diseases ran rampant, and many died on the voyage that was supposed to take these people to a new and better life. Hundreds of children were orphaned, either on the ship, or later, at the quarantine station called Grosse Ile, not far from Quebec City.

But these children, as lost and bewildered as they must have felt, were not entirely alone. At that period in history, Quebec was mostly populated by French Catholics, who were eager to take in these children of their own faith. Not only were they welcomed with open arms, but most were able to keep their Irish surnames. So a little bit of Ireland survives in Montreal today.

It’s seen today in the Black Rock, also known as the Irish Stone, which stands at the approach of Montreal’s Victoria Bridge. During the construction of that bridge, the first bridge to span the mighty St. Lawrence River, workmen discovered human remains of Irish immigrants to Canada. They decided to erect a large stone that bears this inscription:

To preserve from desecration the remains of 6000 immigrants who died of ship fever A.D. 1847-8, this stone is erected by the workmen of Messrs. Peto, Brassey and Betts employed in the construction of the Victoria Bridge A.D. 1859

The Model Man - excerpt

2008-03-15T04:54:00.000-07:00

Come celebrate with me!

To celebrate my first full length contemporary release, anyone who leaves a comment on our blog site between now and my release date, March 28^th, will be entered into a drawing to win a free e-copy of The Model Man. If you’ve got the late winter blahs, this is just the story to heat up your nights!

~*~

Here is an excerpt from the opening scene of The Model Man:

Derek Calavicci opened the door to his penthouse apartment and stepped inside. Home, although it never really felt that way. At one time the navy and pewter color scheme, so carefully chosen by the designer, the expensive but tasteful furniture and state-of-the-art gadgets had soothed him. But not lately. He set his keys on the kitchen counter and picked up a stack of personal mail waiting there.

Gabrielle, his younger sister and personal assistant, strolled into the room. Dressed in her robe and fuzzy pink slippers, she had a toothbrush sticking out of one side of her mouth and a towel wrapped around her head. She often stayed at his place when he was gone, and judging from the clothes, shoes and magazines strewn about, she had done so this past week.

“So, how was Tokyo?” she asked around the toothbrush.

“Fine.” He put his hands to his hips and glanced around the apartment. “It’s a good thing I pay the cleaning lady so well.”

She moved to the kitchen sink to spit out a mouthful of toothpaste. “How did the bourbon commercial go?”

“It was fine.”

“Did you get lucky?”

He didn’t answer her, merely shook his head in wonder.

“Okay, for other guys it’s getting lucky. For you it’s par for the course. So… did you?”

“Would I tell you if I did?”

“You’re always so grumpy when you get home from these things.”

He headed for the sofa and flopped down, finally allowing the exhaustion of the long flight and the time change to overtake him. “There’s a fourteen-hour time difference between here and Tokyo. I’m beat.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, grateful that he was no longer in motion. Not in a plane, not in a limo, just sitting still.

“Hope you aren’t too jet lagged, you’ve got an early flight in the morning.”

He raised his head just enough to look at her. “Where the hell to now?”

She laughed and headed toward his desk. “You really are out of it. The Romantic Moments conference starts this weekend.”

“Christ.” He dropped his head back down. “Little wonder I’m more comfortable in hotels than in my own home.”

“You’re never here,” she agreed, holding out a note pad for his inspection.

“What am I supposed to do with that?”

“It’s your messages. Your voice mail filled up twice so I had to write everything down.”

“I’m too tired to read them. Anything important?”

“Mmm, depends on what you call important. Or who.”

“I’m afraid to ask.”

“Let’s see… Megan called. She’ll be at the conference in Florida; she’s really looking forward to ‘hooking up’. She’ll be in room eight-twelve. Amber, also going to the conference, is in five-seventeen. Oh, and Shannon is going to be in New York next weekend and she’d like to … well, I’m not about to repeat it. Is she double jointed or something?”

“Damned if I can remember.”

“Anyway, there’s another page and a half of these.”

“I’ll look at them later.”

“Good idea. Oh, and Frankie called. About nine times.”

“What the hell did she want?”

“You. Under her tiny, little thumb. When are you going to fire her and get a new manager? One who doesn’t want to run your life.”

“Why bother when I can just avoid this one as much as possible?”

“She wants to make sure you two are on the same flight tomorrow so she can go over a few things with you on the way down,” Gabby spoke over her shoulder as she headed to the kitchen. “Something about the ‘Flawless’ campaign. You know, that new line of men’s cologne and skin care products you’re promoting.”

He raised his head again. “And?”

She returned, holding out a bottle of water and gave him a triumphant smile. “And I made sure to book you on a different flight.”

“Good girl.” He unscrewed the cap and took a long drag. “What do I have going on today?”

“I canceled everything when I realized you were getting back so late. Thought you might want a little break.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t forget Anthony’s engagement party is tonight.”

“I can’t believe my kid brother is getting married. Did I buy them something nice?”

“Besides paying for the wedding? Crystal. Expensive and impractical, just your style.”

“I’m such a nice guy.”

“Well, you’d better be prepared to answer the inevitable from the relatives tonight.”

“You mean the ‘and when are you going to settle down’ stuff?” Now that he’d turned thirty, that was all anyone wanted to know. His younger brother’s engagement had only made it worse.

“Exactly. At this point, I’m beginning to think you’re commitment-phobic myself.”

“I’ve got nothing against commitment.” He raised his feet to set them on the coffee table. “But whenever the urge strikes, I lie down until it passes.”

“Yeah, I know. Preferably with a blonde or a redhead.”

1860s Cosmetics

2008-03-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

Although no respectable woman of the 1860s would be seen wearing "face paints", they did use some form of cosmetics.

Creams and lotions were used to soften skin as well as bleaching lotions to give the desired lily white appearance.

Moisturizers also were used to combat the effects of lye soap and cleaning chemicals, as well as other abrasives.

They used oil to dress their hair and keep it in place in the confined styles popular in that time period. Herbal rinses softened and brightened hair and henna and dyes were used for coloring.

Cologne and perfume in scents of Lavender, Rose, Orange Blossom and Gardenia were used lavishly.

They used powder beneath the clothing for comfort and to keep them dry and also used it on their face and hands to keep their skin pale, especially for evening events.

Rouge was the only color they applied and was used sparingly. Just a small circle beneath the outer corner of the eyes and a touch to the center of the lips. Full lips were not considered fashionable.

Source: 'Helpful Hints & Timely Tips', Fanny & Vera
The Citizens' Companion, Oct.- Nov., 2006, p. 43.

The Bathing Machine

2008-03-12T05:06:00.001-07:00

I’m on vacation in Puerto Rico this week, a working vacation – seriously! I am writing! 20 poages so far! Still, I thought I’d share a short cultural history of the beach while I’m enjoying the 80 degree sun and hiding from the cold winter the Northeast is experiencing.

You may now throw tomatoes at me, I’m ready.

Victorian beach goers typically wore a bathing costume that covered far, far more than it revealed, yet the outfit was still considered immodest. They exposed their legs, after all. I can only laugh at the image of a proper Victorian seeing a modern beach filled with skimpily clad people baking under the hot sun.

While researching the costumes, I came across the Bathing Machine, which I’d always heard of but never really understood what it did. I mean sure, they had to change someplace, but would they call it a machine?

Er, no, not exactly.

The picture is c1829 but not much changed between then and a century later.

I’m sweaty just looking at those outfits! Nothing refreshing about them.

In fact a Bathing Machine was a carriage you could stand up in. You entered it as you would a carriage, but then changed within its confines. Their clothing was stored high up to avoid getting wet, because it was then rolled into the water. I mean that quite seriously, since traipsing about the beach in your costume was scandalous.

So was traipsing about with a member of the opposite sex, since men and women enjoyed the ocean is separate areas. Hence the need for the machine, I guess, even though if they really were in different parts of the beach, you’d think it wouldn’t matter. Apparently, it did. This practice was mostly in Britain and her colonies, but popular in other Western countries as well.

By the 1920s the Bathing Machine was extinct, since frolicking in the water with your husband or wife - or, heaven forbid, a suitor - was more socially acceptable.

http://century.guardian.co.uk/1899-1909/Story/0,6051,126381,00.html
http://www.victoriana.com/Etiquette/bathingmachine.htm
http://www.jasa.net.au/seaside/Bathing.htm

Scandalous Victorian, Cynthia Owens

2008-03-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Why do you write historicals?

I love history. I think it would be great to go back in time and experience it first-hand. There’s a story in my family that one of my ancestors on my dad’s side sailed up the St. Lawrence River and discovered Canada some 26 years before Jacques Cartier. Of course, Cartier got the credit! Another ancestor, this one on my mother’s side, was one of the Filles du Roi, a “king’s girl” sent from France to marry one of the habitants (settlers) in New France (now Quebec) in the 17th Century. So I guess it’s inevitable that I love history.

It’s the people in history that interest me. Ordinary people going through what were some pretty extraordinary times. My first novel, In Sunshine or in Shadow (Highland Press, December 2006), is set in Ireland, just as the country was beginning to recover from the Famine. I took a cast of characters, all ordinary people, and plunged them into the extraordinary situation of trying to bring their little village of Ballycashel back to life after starvation, tyranny and betrayal had nearly destroyed it.

Ordinary people…

What part of the Victorian era/setting do you write in?

I’ve written two stories, In Sunshine or in Shadow and its sequel, Coming Home, that are set in post-Famine Ireland, 1850 and 1867 respectively. Playing for Keeps, a second sequel to In Sunshine or in Shadow, is set in 1860 Baltimore and Philadelphia.

After that, I’m planning a series of novels set mostly in Victorian-era New York City, just after the Civil War. They’ll still have an Irish theme, though, since the heroes are veterans of the Irish Brigade.

What is it about the era that most intrigues you?

Again, it’s the people. The ordinary people struggling to survive, the extraordinary people rushing through their social whirl. What went on behind the closed doors? What were their lives like, their hopes and dreams, their passions? That’s what I love to discover.

Where do you get your information?

Everywhere! Books, movies, magazines, and of course, the Internet. As far as the Irish part is concerned, it helps that my mother-in-law is Irish. While I’ve been writing Playing For Keeps, my current work-in-progress, I had an actor friend help me with research for the hero, who is also an actor.

What are you working on now?

Well, let’s see. Coming Home, a sequel to In Sunshine or in Shadow, is under consideration with my editor right now, and I’m revising the second sequel, Playing For Keeps.

I’ve starting researching a new five book series. The books will all be stand-alone stories, but will be interconnected by the heroes, who met as boys on a coffin ship to America from famished Ireland. They grew up together in New York, and fought together during the American Civil War in Thomas Francis Meagher’s Irish Brigade. Now that the war is over, the real stories begin. The first book, Deceptive Hearts, features an ex-boxer/cop and a wealthy society lady who seems to be running a high-class brothel.

How many books have you written?

In Sunshine or in Shadow is my first published novel, but it was the fourth full-length manuscript I’d written. Since then, I’ve completed a second and am working on the final draft of a third.

Do you write outside the Victorian era, genre?

No. I like the time, the glamour, and the excitement of new discoveries. It was a fascinating era.

What challenges have you faced in your career?

Probably a lot of the same challenges most writers face. Enough rejections to paper the walls of my office (or “creative corner,” as I like to call it.) Writer’s block. The busyness of a home life with a husband and kids. And self-doubt. Is my writing good enough? Will anyone want to read what I write?

What is your writing schedule like?

Total insanity! I’m an early riser, so I try to be at my computer by 5:30 a.m. I check e-mail, update my Myspace account, do promotional stuff – anything business related until about 7:30 or so, when my kids get up and get ready for school.

Once the kids are gone, I’ll get to the serious business of writing. I spend a few hours each morning, and at least one or two hours in the afternoon, either writing, re-writing, or researching, depending on what I’m working on.

Read my reviews:
http://bookcovereviews.com/cynthiaowens.aspx
http://thebestreviews.com/review36554
http://tcm-ca.com/reviews/1512.html

Visit my website:
http://pages.videotron.com/cowens/index.html

I'm Celebrating!

2008-03-07T04:33:00.000-08:00

Come celebrate with me!

Single mom and romance novelist Kelly Michaels has no time for a man in her life. But when mega-famous cover model Derek Calavicci puts the moves on her at a romance writers’ conference, she succumbs to temptation. Common sense prevails, however, and after a few passionate kisses she turns him down; she has impressionable teenagers at home, after all, she doesn’t need a one-night-stand with a much younger man, no matter how hot he is. When photos of their passionate moonlight kiss hit the tabloids, her agent has to do some fast footwork to save her reputation. Will the notorious bad boy go along with her scheme?

Derek rarely hears a woman say “no” – it’s been that way his entire life. If Kelly isn’t interested, he’s not going to push her-- even if she does melt like ice cream on a hot sidewalk every time he touches her. But when an unexpected opportunity falls into his lap by way of Kelly’s scheming agent, he jumps at the chance. Pretend he’s in love with Kelly Michaels for two weeks? No problem. After all, the lady may say she’s never going to sleep with him... but he's got two weeks to convince her otherwise.

~*~

When Derek tipped her back in his arms and again took her lips, Kelly didn’t resist. Was it the champagne, the unreal feel of this night or had she completely lost her mind?

For a moment, she indulged herself. She tangled her fingers into his silken mane of hair and gave herself up to the ferocity of his kiss.

Somehow they had become entangled, his thigh between hers, her skirt hiked nearly to her hips.

He stiffened suddenly in her arms and pulled back from the kiss. “Did you hear that?”

The only sound she had heard was the blood rushing in her head. “I didn’t hear a thing.”

“Goddammit.” He rolled away from her.

A second later he lunged from the chaise and took off on a run. It was only when he rounded the corner that she saw he was in pursuit of a man with a camera.

From the hotel parking lot came the screeching of tires and moments later, a very frustrated-looking Derek returned. He latched onto her hand, pulled her from the chaise and urged her toward the doors. “Let’s get inside.”

“What was that all about?”

He darted a glance over his shoulder. “Just get inside; there are probably more of them.”

“More of who?” She stopped in the shadows cast by the awning hanging over the patio door to peek around him.

“Miz Michaels,” called an unfamiliar voice. “Over here.”

Derek stepped in front of her as a flash went off. “Will you just do what I asked?” Yanking on the doors, he scooted her through.

“Who was that man? How did he know my name?”

He had yet to let go of her arm, and she had to double her steps to match his as they passed party-goers and bar patrons on their way to the elevators.

When he stopped to press the call button, she wrenched her arm from his grasp. “What the hell is going on?”

“You don’t know what that was?”

“Would I be asking if I did? Photographers, obviously. But why would they—” Realization hit. “Paparazzi? You’re their favorite poster boy.”

“That’s putting it mildly.”

The elevator doors slid open, and she entered. “My God, you did it again.”

“Did what?”

“Made it look like we were—is that why you wanted to meet me someplace public?”

“You think I set that up?”

She placed a hand to her forehead. Between the kissing, the champagne, and the run through the lobby, she was almost dizzy. “I don’t know.”

The car dinged as it reached her floor, and she moved forward. Derek smacked a hand over the “close door” button.

“You’re the one who didn’t trust yourself alone with me.”

“Trust myself?” She squeezed her purse when she would have rather tightened her hands around his arrogant neck.

“We met there to make you more comfortable, remember?”

“Trust myself?”

“Sweetheart, the sparks were flying from both sides. If we’d been in a room instead of the patio, we’d be in bed right now.”

“What did—you self-centered, pompous—I can’t even think of a name bad enough to call you!” She slapped his hand away from the elevator button. The doors opened, and she stormed past him, right into a startled Sharon.

“Hey, there you are, Kel.”

Ignoring her friend, she turned and faced Derek. “I was wrong to think you could embody the heroes I create. You aren’t fit to wear Captain Connery’s leather pants!” Turning to Sharon, she said, “You and every other woman on the planet can have him.”

Derek shoved his hands in his pockets, bracing the elevator door open with his shoulder. He watched Kelly until she reached her room, wincing as the door closed behind her with a bang that echoed down the empty hallway.

The redhead turned and gave him a wide-eyed look. “What did you do to her?”

“I kissed her.” He heaved a sigh. “Things sort of went downhill from there.”

She stepped on the elevator and took his arm, giving it a sympathetic pat. “Come on, big guy, lemme buy you a beer.”

Tuesday Ten: More Cowboy Slang

2008-03-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

I’ve done some blogs on unique words cowboys used, but here are some phrases that are just as colorful!

Short:

She wasn’t ankle high to a June bug.

Looked like he’d been sawed off at the pockets

He couldn’t brag without a box to stand on.

Tall:

So tall he couldn’t tell when his feet were cold

He sprung up like a spring toadstool

Built like a snake on stilts

Skinny:

If he’d a closed one eye, he’d look like a needle

So think you couldn’t a hit him with a fistu full of gravel

He had to stand twice in the same place just to cast a shadow

Fat:

He was fat in the middle and pore at each end

Another twenty pounds and she could a joined a sideshow

Beef plumb to the hocks

Talkative

He ain’t zactly tongue tied when it comes to makin’ chin music

As full of verbal lathers as a shavin’ mug

They ought to hire him to keep the windmill goin’

Quiet:

As quiet as a thief in a hencoop

So quiet yuh could hear daylight comin’

Quiet as a hoss thief after a hangin’

Happy:

Grinnin’ like a jackass eatin’ cactus

He’s steppin’ as high as a blind dog in tall grass

Grinnin’ like a weasel peekin’ in a henhouse door

Unhappy:

Looked as sad as a bloodhound’s eye

Happy as a hog bein’ dragged away from a feed trough

His luck was runnin’ kinda muddy

Hanged:

His neck was so short they took him out and stretched it

He climbed the golden stair on a rope

A case of a stiff neck an’ a short drop

Dude or Drugstore Cowboy:

One of them stall-fed tenderfeet

Never been closer to a cow than a milk wagon

He’s shore pea green if I ever saw one

Tuesday Ten - Financial Fiction

2008-02-26T04:22:00.000-08:00

The 1800s saw some of the worst financial crises ever. Banks failed with alarming frequency, entire populations lost everything (India, Ireland, South America), and bankers and bank practices were scrutinized as never before – some even prosecuted.
Here are a couple failed banks and financial crises:
Anglo-Indian Bundelcund Banking Company 1833
Royal British Bank 1855
Irish Tipperary Bank 1857
The Inter-Oceanic Railway of Honduras 1872

Here are 10 (mostly) Victorian authors who wrote about finance. Some were affected by their banks folding and losing everything (William Thackeray). Some merely knew how to research and had never used a bank in their lives (Emile Zola). But they all wrote what today would be called the financial-fiction genre.

Marie-Henri Beyle, generally known as Stendhal, Lucien Leuwen (1894), published 52 years after his death.

Honoré de Balzac The Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau and The House of Nucingen selections from La Comédie humaine (various dates).

Harriet Martineau Illustrations of Political Economy(1832-1834) in 25 volumes. Poor Laws and Paupers Illustrated (1833) in 10 volumes, and Illustrations of Taxation (1834) in 5 volumes. When Lord Brougham sent Martineau government reports to use in constructing her stories she replied "I certainly never before met with materials so fit for the purposes of fiction."

William Makepeace Thackeray Vanity Fair (1847-1848), Samuel Titmarsh and the Great Hoggarty Diamond (1849) and The Newcomes (1854).

Charles Dickens Little Dorrit (1855 and 1857).

David Morier Evans, editor Bankers' Magazine (1857) and The Banker's Daughter (1870-1873).

Gustav Freytag Soll und Haben (1855) meaning, debit and credit was the most successful German novel of the century.

Anthony Trollope The Way We Live Now(1875).

George Gissing The Whirlpool (1897).

Emile Zola L'Argent or Money (1891).

http://www.projects.ex.ac.uk/RDavies/bankfiction/victorian.html

Another Book Cover

2008-02-24T15:49:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd show off my latest book cover. This is for my Civil War time travel romance, Erin's Rebel.

This story features the Victorian hair brooch described in my last post as the catalyst that transports the heroine back through time. The brooch contains a lock of the hero's hair.

This story will also be a release from The Wild Rose Press.

Godly intervention?

2008-02-23T13:07:00.000-08:00

I love stories like this. Paranormal is so interesting and you just never know, do you?

This is from history.com, This Day in History February 23, 1885

A remarkable reprieve for a man sent to the gallows

On this day in 1885, a 19-year-old man named John Lee is sent to the gallows in Exeter, England, for the murder of Ellen Keyse, a rich older woman for whom he had worked. Although he insisted he was innocent, Lee had been convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. However, after the noose was put around his neck and the lever that would release the floor beneath his feet was pulled, something malfunctioned and Lee was not dropped. Strangely, the equipment had been tested and found to be in working order. In facts, weights used in a test run plunged to the ground as expected. The hanging was attempted two more times, but when Lee stood on the trap door, and the lever was pulled, nothing happened. He was then sent back to prison.On November 15, 1884, Keyse, who had been a maid to Queen Victoria, was found dead in a pantry next to Lee's room. Her head was severely battered and her throat cut. There was no direct evidence of Lee's guilt; the case was made solely on circumstantial evidence. The alleged motive was Lee's resentment at Keyse's mean treatment.

The authorities, mystified at the gallows' inexplicable malfunction, decided to ascribe it to an act of God. Lee was removed from death row, his sentence commuted, and he spent the next 22 years in prison. After he was released, he emigrated to America. The cause of Lee's remarkable reprieve was never discovered.

Condemned prisoners no longer have a chance at such reprieves. Even when there are mishaps in carrying out an execution (in one case, an executioner failed to properly find a vein for a lethal injection), authorities follow through until the prisoner has been put to death.

Victorian Hair Jewelry

2008-02-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

The Victorian period was a very sentimental time. This was evidenced in the popularity of jewelry made from human hair. Often, upon a loved one's death, a lock of the deceased's hair was taken and preserved by being chemically treated. The braided or woven lock was then set in a metal frame.

The American Civil War increased the popularity of this type of jewelry. A soldier going off to war could have a lock of his hair woven into a brooch or other piece of jewelry for his wife or sweetheart, so she could keep a part of him with her. Likewise, a woman could send a piece of her hair off with her husband or beau.

Beside brooches, hair was woven into rings, watch chains, necklaces, fobs or charms.

"Hair was boiled in soda water, then sorted by lengths and divided into working groups of about 20-30 strands. Palette work was done on an artist's palette... When the piece was finished it was sent to a jewelers for mounting." The Citizen's Companion, August 2006, p. 54.

'Godey's Ladies Book' and 'Peterson's Magazine' ran ads for hair jewelry.

Sources: Who Wore What? Women's Wear 1861-1865 by Juanita Leisch
'Jewelry: What should a Reenactor Know?' by Anita Lauramore, The Citizen's Companion, August 2006. p. 54

Here are some links where you can view photos of Victorian hair jewelry:

http://www.morbidoutlook.com/fashion/historical/2001_03_victorianmourn.html
http://www.morninggloryantiques.com/JewelChatVictJwl.html
http://victorianhairartists.com/HairworkTechniques.html

Tuesday Ten--Funny Etiquette Rules

2008-02-19T05:48:00.000-08:00

Ever wake up in the morning, growl at the sun, snarl at your cup of coffee and then suddenly remember you've got Tuesday Ten looming over your head too? Okay, probably not unless you are Christine or Nic or me.

I had a good plan for Tuesday Ten. I live in New England and there are some really pretty, pretty Victorian homes in the area. I was going to take my digital camera around and photograph ten of them and put them on the blog. How great would that be? Trust me it would be really great. Make-it-your-computer-background great. Okay, maybe not quite that great.

Anyway, I never did do that whole photography thing. I do have one Victorian home photo from a year or two ago in Newport. I had more but the computer died, and now I've only got the one. It's Tuesday Ten, not Tuesday one--there isn't even a day of the week that alliterates with "one" (yes, I know alliterates is not a word. Call it poetic license, even though I'm not a poet and this is not a poem). I'm dragging my ten out of The Essential Handbook of Victorian Etiquette, originally published by Professor Thomas E Hill between 1873 and 1890. There is no rule, by the way, for murdering your beagle for chewing on your pen while you're trying to work. Just thought I'd throw that in, in case you were wondering.

So after that rambling pre-amble, here is it, the 10 funniest rules I found in this book:

1.)Never wantonly frighten others

2.)Never read letters which you may find addressed to others.

3.) When speaking to a boy under fifteen years of age, outside ot the circle of relatives, among comparative strangers call him by his Christian name.

If you don't know his age, do you ask him first? If you don't know his name do you just refer to him as "boy"?

4.) Do not always commence a conversation by an allusion to weather.

5.) Do not make a pretense of gentility, nor parade the face that you are a descendant of any notable family. Wear a sign instead. Okay, I added the last.

What should be avoided when calling.

6.) Do not take a dog or small child. Take the silverware.

7.) Do not continue the call longer when conversation begins to lag. I suspect if you broke rule number 4, this will happen very quickly.

Behavior to be avoided at the table.

8.) Never make noises with the mouth or throat. But you may pound on the table with your fist, or your utensils. Oh shoot, it says too, "Never permit yourself to use gestures, nor illustrations made with a knife or fork on the tablecloth". All right, scratch the utensils--just go for the fist.

Other stuff:

9.) Ladies should avoid walking rapidly upon the street, as it is ungraceful and unbecoming. running across he street in front of carriages is dangerous, and shows want of dignity. Can't believe how he buried the whole "dangerous" thing in the middle of that sentence.

10.) Swinging the arms when walking, eating upon the street, sucking the parasol handles. . . .are all evidences of illbreeding in ladies. Excuse me? Sucking the parasol handles? I think that's more than illbreeding. . . .

So there's my laugh for the day, with my twisted and often not funny sense of humor. By all means, if you know some funny rules, feel free to share! Oh and the spell check on Blogger doesn't work for me, so you can feel free to correct my spelling too!

2008-02-17T15:43:00.000-08:00

During the Victorian era, men’s fashions moved away from the past. Prominent men such as the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli were held up as icons of how gentlemen should not dress. He received criticisms for wearing historically prevalent shades including purple suits, but that was the sign of the times in menswear.

Menswear began to take a backseat in focus to women’s attire, and today’s ideas of traditional and classic menswear colors derive from the changes that happened in men’s styles during the Victorian era. Bright and liveried shades were replaced by the socially equalizing daily business suits in demure browns, dark blues, grays and blacks. A good charcoal suit, for example, could see a man through more than one event, from the office with the abacus to the evening charity meetings at church on his stroll home.

As social customs met political climates, the idea that all men were equal had changed the fashion scene once dominated by men’s apparel for many centuries. Once the peacocks, men of proper and aspiring societies became content to take a back seat to women’s flair and stopped wearing the diamonds, so to speak. Although pockets sprung up everywhere of regional styles, overall the gentleman of sensitivity utilized either the new clothing retail catalogs or his cherished tailor to fit in, in more ways than one. Most evidently by his choice of non-descript color schemes.

Scandalous Victorian--Christine Koehler

2008-02-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry. I slipped on getting this month's interview out on the first Friday of the month. Or the second, for that matter. But here it is--welcome to Scandalous Victorian, Christine Koehler.

Why do you write historical?

Because there are so many fascinating eras out there that I love, and love learning more about. Plus there are all sorts of restrictions, whenever the time was. Who could do what, when, and with whom. I enjoy writing them, then breaking every mold I can find. I also have a ‘news’ problem – I hear a story and must write something about it. It makes for infinite plot ideas, but makes it hard to focus on one time period or story.

What part of the Victorian era/setting do you write in?

Right now, it’s late Victorian England, 1882. I plan on expanding that within the loosely connected series to include Philadelphia, Egypt, and other parts of the world. Apparently I’m antsy and can’t enjoy one era for long.

What is it about the era that most intrigues you?

The clothes, the traveling, the sarcastic politeness – really enjoy that! The changing mores, the new enlightenment so to speak of social concerns. Plus there’s all that technology we take for granted today but was new and shiny to them, and as exciting as the internet was to us back in the day.

Where do you get your information?

Books, web, wikipedia. I really like that last, it’s easy to use, fast and you can get pinpointed information in a flash. On the other hand, it’s best to double check those facts before putting them in your story. As for the web, I love Googling something and then inevitably get lost in some tangent or another. I work in a library, so I have a lot of books at my fingertips, and can easily order more from elsewhere whenever I need them. This has its downfall, as I also have way more books than is normal stacking high in my house.

What are you working on now?

Erm…the better question here is what am I not working on? Philadelphia and Egypt 1882, a turn of the century story in Australia, Germany 1934, a contemporary or 2, toying with a Rome story, Russia 1917 and contemporary – they’re connected in the one story.

How many books have you written?

Finished? Three. Nearly so? Three more.

Do you write outside of the Victorian era, genre?

Oh yeah, but I do adore this era because of all the changes in society.

What challenges have you faced in your career?

The time it takes publishing houses to return an email. I don’t think that’s a ‘challenge’ per se, so much as a frustration. Also, finding time to write, plot, research, write, query, research publishers and agents.

What is you writing schedule like?

Every chance I get, I try to write something. Even if it’s a note or 2 for a plot idea, or to tinker with a plot, or random dialog for something already started. I have little enough time to sit and start from scratch, so my theory is that if I have something to work with, it’ll go smoother.

Perseverance Pays Off

2008-02-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to announce I just got a contract for my Civil War time travel romance, Erin's Rebel, from The Wild Rose Press.

When I looked over my submission file for this manuscript, I realized I'd been sending it out for five years and getting nothing but rejections.

I actually wrote this story before joining RWA. This was the first novel I'd written entirely on my own. With my YA novel, I was in a writer's workshop with two published authors looking over my shoulder every step of the way. After I joined RWA, I started submitting ER, and was also entering it in RWA chapter contests as well as taking workshops. What I found was that the story and characters had problems. By this time, I'd starting work on another Civil War romance, Katie Rose. I thought maybe I should put Erin's Rebel aside and finish KR, but I couldn't get my mind off how to fix ER.

Since Erin's Rebel is the book of my heart and my biggest wish was for it to be published so everyone would have a chance to read it, I decided, whatever it took, I had to fix it to make it publishable. I went back to plot level, and taking what I'd learned in my workshops, I started from scratch with both character motivation and plot development coming up with a new and better version of the story. I then realized half the manuscript had to go, it no longer fit the new plot. I also had to move chapters around and write a lot of new material. My critique partners, all members of this blog, were a great help in getting my characters and those opening chapters right. After completing the revision, I submitted a partial to one publisher and got a request for the full. But in the end they didn't want it.

After yet another rejection, I decided to submit to The Wild Rose Press because I thought a small e-publisher might be the place for this story. With a lot of the bigger publishers, your story might be great, but if they feel they can't market it, because of the time period or setting, they'll pass on it without giving you a reason.

And The Wild Rose Press wants Civil War. Most publishers seem to shy away from it. The important thing is, this story will finally have the chance to be read by lots of readers and won't languish in my desk drawer. That's all I can ask.

At long last, my story's found a home.

Quaker Woman Saves Washington's Army

2008-02-13T11:29:00.000-08:00

She was dead for 38 years before the world learned of Lydia Darragh, the heroic woman who saved George Washington’s revolutionary army 231 years ago.

The archives of the University of California at Berkeley show only a few references to the incident in besieged Philadelphia during the bitter winter of 1777 when a delicate, righteous Quaker lady became one of the most unlikely spies of the Revolutionary War.

Philadelphia was in enemy hands the night of December 2. Washington and his ragged, starving men were shivering at Valley Forge when the Irish-born woman was called before the British officer who had requisitioned her house. Sternly, the unnamed adjutant general confronted the 48-year old woman who was known in the community as a skillful and tender nurse and midwife. But she had another reputation. Mrs. Darragh was under a cloud in the Society of Friends for her membership in the Fighting Quakers, a group which rejected the sect’s strict requirement of pacifism. The adjutant general informed her that she and her family were under orders to retire early that night because he and his staff were to have a council.

Accordingly, she and the family went to bed at 7 o’clock. Her curiosity aroused by the urgency of the general’s orders, Mrs. Darragh could not sleep. The minutes dragged by. Finally she slipped downstairs and pressed her ear to the keyhole of the council chamber. She overheard an order for all British troops to march two nights later and attack General Washington’s despairing army. She rushed back to her bedroom in turmoil over the threat she had overheard.

A militant believer in the American fight for independence, she decided on a desperate course of action. General Washington must learn of the British plan. The morning of December 4, she told her family they needed flour, and with this story she succeeded in getting a pass to go through British lines to Frankford. Not daring to tell even her husband of her mission, she went to the mill at Frankford, got the flour, then pressed on deep into American-held territory, where she met an officer she happened to know, Lt. Col. Thomas Craig of the Light Horse.

Taking him aside, the woman confided the momentous secret gleaned at the keyhole, after extracting a promise that her identity be kept secret. The startled officer sped off to Washington’s freezing encampment and told the commander in chief the British were planning a surprise attack.

That evening, General Sir William Howe marched out of Philadelphia with a strong force to destroy the American revolutionary army. As reported in the American Quarterly Review of March, 1827 from narrative accounts by Mrs. Darragh, a thoroughly confounded adjutant general later confronted her in her house. The woman’s blood ran cold with terror, fearing her secret was out.

Said the British general “...When we arrived near Whitemarsh, we found all their cannons mounted and the troops prepared to receive us. We marched back like a parcel of fools.”

Mrs. Darragh waited for the blow to fall, perhaps an order for her execution. As if in response to her unspoken thought, the general earnestly inquired whether any of her family was up the night he and the other officers had their meeting. Then he added: “I know YOU were asleep, for I knocked at your chamber door…I am entirely at a loss to imagine who gave General Washington information of our intended attack, unless the walls of the house could speak.”

The petite Quakeress went back to her kitchen, a tight smile on her lips.

Written by Jack Schreibman, Associated Press writer, 1938

Tuesday Ten: Cowboy Clothes

2008-02-12T07:17:00.000-08:00

Yippee-ki-yi-o! Get along li'l doggies, it's another cowboy blog!

I’ve always believed that the clothes make the man—and when it came to cowboys, that’s the absolute truth. Here are ten things that made the man so easy to recognize:

* Stetson, John B., Sombrero. There’s an old saying that most folks get dressed from the bottom up, but the cowboy dressed from the top down. No matter what he called it, this was the first thing he put on upon wakening. It was a “Stetson” whether or not it truly was, and it was more likely to be called a sombrero in the southwest, and a hat in the Northwest.

* Boots. From the top to the bottom—no, I don’t really know if this is what he put on next, but this would be the thing, next to his hat and his horse, he cherished most. At least two months salary would go into his boots, and no matter how uncomfortable they might have been, he wore them with pride. Boots made with pull-on straps at the tops were called “mule ears”, shorter boots that came up to the ankle were called “peewees.” But mostly he just called them “custom mades.”

* Spurs. Necessary when riding a horse—and practically a social requirement when not. They were as essential to controlling the horse as the reins. They were held in place by a chain passing under the instep and a broad, crescent-shaped strip of leather called spur leather. Also known as hooks, gut hooks, galves, grappling irons – or tin belly, if they were of inferior quality. Pear-shaped pendants knows as danglers or jingle-bobs were added to the spur rowel (a curved piece added to the frame of the spur) and gave him that musical sound when he walked.

* Chaps (or chivarras). An abbreviated version of the Spanish word chaparejos, which means leather breeches or overalls. These protected legs from injury when thrown or dragged through brush, and also provided protection from rain and snow.

* Britches. They were never pants, or trousers. Always britches. California pants were also common on the range—also known as Levis’ after the San Francisco overall manufacturer, Levi Strauss.

* Plunder and poke. He carried his personal effects in his “war bag”, or as it was known in the Northwest, his poke. Also known as parfleshes or “porfleshes”, a version of the word “parfleche.” The personal belongings in the bag—his "doo dads" and "ditties"—were called plunder.

* Slicker. This oil skin coat was sometimes called a “fish” and was usually found rolled in a bundle behind the cantle of the saddle. Sometimes he also wore a “poncha” – a covering made by cutting a hole for his head through the middle of a blanket.

* Wipes. Also known as his neckerchief.

* Gloves. These were worn as protection against the cold, from rope burns and from injury. But many cowboys turned their noses up at gloves, claiming it was “cheaper to grow skin” than to buy it.

My Cover for Eternity Waits

2008-02-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

I just got my cover art for my short vampire story, Eternity Waits, to be a future release from The Wild Rose Press.

I don't have an official blurb yet, but the story is set in a Civil War Confederate camp. My vampire, Alexandra, goes after a Rebel soldier she thinks is the reincarnation of her lover who died on a battlefield in Siberia in the 16th century.

I don't have a release date yet, but the cover is so gorgeous I just had to show it off to all my Victorian friends.

What do you think?

Modern News Article on Queen Victoria

2008-02-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

While randomly surfing the Internet, an article about Queen Victoria caught my eye.

Kristin-Marie

10 Things I wouldn't be able to live without in the Victorian Era

2008-02-05T06:15:00.000-08:00

This is an almost continuation of Dee's 10 thing she loves/hates about the era. I shamelessly add to it because I have nothing else planned.

1. TV - I don't even watch a lot of it, but it's interesting and sometimes just plain frivolous. It's a good way to pass the time while cleaning, too...or procrastinate an afternoon away.

2. Computers - I can't even imagine not having them around now. I know the majority of people out there don't use them like I do (even read an article on how one executive went without for a whole week. Can't even imagine!) But there's no way I can do the research I want, or find the curious tidbits of information I'm interested in without it. The mere thought of sloughing through a gazillion books for 3 facts makes me want to whimper and hide. I email constantly, it’s so much better than writing letters to old friends.

3. Antibiotics - I have the worst immune system. I have a cold several times a season, sinus infections all the time, and need those antibiotics. Don't stand between me and the pharmacy. It's bad.

4. Allergy medicine - Granted, this goes with #3, but in a slightly different way. I have allergies and need both eye drops and prescription allergy medicine. I have nasal spray, and an unending supply of tissues. What did Victorians use? You know, I'm not even sure. But if it was just chicken soup, I'd need more. And I'd hope I was smart enough not to fall for the snake oil doctor's lines. But then desperate times and all...

5. Contacts - It's purely vain, true, but not the point. I wouldn't be able to live without my contacts 100+ years ago. I only wear glasses at night when I'm home, locked in tight, and ready for bed. I mentioned it was a vanity thing, right?

6. Planes, trains, and automobiles - Trains, well not so much. And they had rail then, and put it to better use than we do today. (Though I just heard a report this morning about Western Europe adding electric trains as competition to airlines.) But without a car I'd be lost. I'd probably hibernate away and never do much of anything, then die at a pathetically young age from boredom. I love to see new things, even if it's in my own state, let alone a quick trip across the country.

7. Telephones - today's use of them, not their original use. They're cheaper to use, more accessible, with less nosy people listening in on them and transferring you places. I can call New York AND Texas at the same time on 3-way, call the next town and the next state with a simple hit of the redial.

8. Microwave – I don’t cook. I reheat, I take out, I zap things. Without that handy little machine, I doubt I’d have moved out of my parents’ house.

9. Equal Rights – I’m way too outspoken not to have been a part of the Suffrage movement. Here’s hoping that I would’ve been then, too.

10. RWA – not the entity per se, but (you can tell I didn’t have 10 things, can’t you) by joining it, I met my fellow Victorians. And without them, I’m not certain I’d be as far with my writing as I am.

Bandit Built Store

2008-02-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

The following accounting was obtained from Roscoe Wyatt, Oscar John and Walter Ray. Oscar and Walter both remember the Younger brothers in person. Wyatt was a conscientious historian. Personal interviews included two of my family members: Emma John Weeks and Percy Weeks. Oscar John (87 at the time of the interview) worked on the Bandit Built Store. He knew the Younger brothers from when they hid out on his La Honda ranch.

Among the men hired to build John Sears’ store, referred to as the “Bandit-Built Store” in 1877 were the Younger brothers from Forsyth, Kansas. At that time no one in La Honda, California, knew them as the Younger brothers, because they were posing as cousins to Oscar John and Walter Ray. Jim Younger actually lived behind the Redwood City Court House for one year using the name of Joe Hardin.

Cole, Jim, Bob and John Younger lived in Forsyth, Kansas on their father’s ranch in May, 1861, when the Civil War broke out. Cole, the youngest son, joined the Confederate Army and became a colonel. In November of that year, a short leave gave him a chance to visit his parents. As he approached the ranch, he found the place engulfed in flames. A band of Union troops and local Northern sympathizers reached the ranch before him and stole all of the stock before burning the grain, corn, and feed. They also threw his youngest sister, who suffered from tuberculosis, out on the cold ground, causing her death. When their father discovered what had happened and put up a fight, they hung him from a tree on the ranch. This left their mother, oldest sister, Molly, and three younger brothers homeless.

Within hours Cole, along with a friend, organized local Southern sympathizers and within a few hours they started wiping out their enemies. It’s reported that Cole alone killed one hundred men that he knew had something to do with his father’s and sister’s death. By the end of the war, Cole had a price on his head for desertion, killing for revenge, and a long list of other charges. He left his family in the care of his cousin, John Jarret’s, parents. He, John Jarret and a few friends left for California where they hoped to find sanctuary at his uncle’s ranch in San Jose, but ended up using a ranch in La Honda as their hideout.

Oscar John and his stepfather met the gang as they rode onto the ranch. Oscar was ten years old at the time. He recalls unsaddling ten horses. Everyone but Cole Younger and John Jarret left the ranch. They helped build the lakeside Ray ranch into a large two-story building. Cole and John traveled back to Kansas to bring the rest of their family west. They learned their mother had died and that Jim and Bob Younger had been accomplices to the James gang robberies. Cole was convinced the Ray ranch was the best place for the remainder of his family until everything blew over.

They arrived back in La Honda August, 1876, when big changes were happening. A new sawmill belonging to R.J. Weeks (my ancestor) opened and John Sears just started clearing an old bear pit site for his store and hotel. At last luck was with the Younger family. Oscar John talked John Sears into hiring his cousins from the east, no questions asked. The three brothers and John Jarret went to work on the store. Oscar John recalls seeing Cole shingling the roof of the store. When the store was finished, the men returned to the Ray ranch to work the harvest.

John Jarret spent that season at the Ray ranch, one season in Redwood City and then went back east. He returned the next year and started work on my family’s ranch. While there, he married Molly Younger, thereby becoming Cole’s brother-in-law as well as cousin.

The James Brothers were planning to rob the Northfield Bank in Minnesota. They couldn’t pull the job by themselves and no longer trusted their gang. They sent a message to Cole by a man named Giles. Since the Youngers knew Northfield, they expected them to participate in the robbery. Frank and Jesse James sent a message stating that if the Youngers refused to come, they would have them exposed to the law. Cole decided to participate to save his sister and brother-in-law. He left a rare set of pearl handled pistols with Jarret at the Weeks Ranch. He realized if he got caught with them, they’d be a dead giveaway as to his identity.

Cole had an agreement with Jesse James that this bank robbery would be their last appearance in the mid-west. Jesse assured Cole that after this job, they would never have to worry about money again. Unfortunately, the robbery went wrong. During their escape Jim Younger was shot in the jaw. Jesse wanted to kill Jim because it would hinder to their escape. Cole absolutely refused. So, while Jim lay bleeding in a wet creek bottom, the James brothers made a clean getaway. The Younger brothers gave themselves up to the law to save Jim from bleeding to death. Cole, Jim and Bob Younger were sentenced to serve terms in the Minnesota Penitentiary.

When John Jarret learned what had happened to his brothers-in-law, he happened to be working away from the Weeks ranch and only coming home on the weekends. Giles showed up at the ranch with a forged note from Cole. Molly wasn’t home so he gave the note to their housekeeper. It was written to Molly and asked that she give Giles the two rare guns. The note stated that Cole’s prison term was just about up and that he wanted to sell the guns so he could get a new start in life. The housekeeper, remembering Giles from his first trip, thought he was on the level and handed over the guns. Jarret, for some unknown reason, came home that night and found Giles there with the guns in his possession. After he read the letter, he knew it was forged because Cole always wrote in of care of him, not Molly. Giles confessed that he had a chance to sell the guns to an Illinois museum.

Jim Bartley, La Honda rancher and teamster, visited the Younger brothers at the Northfield, Minnesota Penitentiary. He learned that an old sweetheart of Jim Younger visited him regularly. She promised to marry him when he got out of prison. Jim looked forward to that day, planning once more to start life anew. However, the woman turned him down when he got out. His heart was broken. Having nothing to live for, he rented a room at a cheap boarding house and shot himself through the head.

Cole and Bob dropped into obscurity after serving their terms.

Brother Against Brother

2008-01-31T08:12:00.000-08:00

The preceding blogs about genealogy on this site got me thinking how little I know about my own family's roots. But several years ago, my huband did a search of his family to try to find an ancestor who'd fought during the American Civil War on the Union side and came up with very interesting information.

It all started about 12 years ago when my family visited Gettysburg, where we met a few Civil War reenactors. My husband was fascinated and set about finding a reenacting group he could join. He toyed with joining his co-worker's Confederate group based in New Jersey, but didn't want to go that far for meetings. He continued his search and found a local Union group, the 28th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment.

One of the requirements for male members of the group was to join the Sons of Union Veterans. Although members didn't have to have an ancestor who actually fought for the Union, it certainly was a perk. I think he got a special ribbon to wear.

My husband started research and found two uncles who'd fought for the Confederacy.

Wrong side. No perks there.

Besides, these Confederate soldiers weren't direct ancestors anyway. Continuing his research, he found Samuel Joseph Macateee, who not only fought for the Union, but was a direct ancestor. Ironically, Samuel was the younger brother of the two uncles who'd fought for the Confederacy.

He was sixteen when the Civil War broke out and living in Maryland with his family. After his older brothers joined the Confederate Army, his parents sent him north to York, Pennsylvania to live with an aunt, to keep him out of the war. Toward the end of the war, he joined the Union Army as part of Hampton's Battery.

So, while the American Civil War was said to have been a war of brother against brother, in my huband's family, it turned out to be the literal truth.

Ten things I love/hate about the Victorian Era

2008-01-29T05:13:00.000-08:00

Morning, everyone,

Today is my turn for Tuesday ten. I am, however, sick with yet another cold and my computer died last week. The new one I have has a super-sensitive touch pad that makes writing difficult. Of course I'll have to fix it, but it may take some time. Between those two things, I am not going to be as good a Tuesday-tenner as I would like. No references this time. This is more discussion time than information.

All right, on to ten things I love/hate about the era.

1.)Clothes--I love the clothes, from the beginning to the end of the era, most especially the ones for formal affairs. Silks and satins and velvets. . . .long dresses and lace. People dressed differently for different occasions, unlike today where unless someone specifically says "semi-formal attire" jeans and sandals are acceptable.

2.) Manners--People actually had them. Granted the U.S. has always been a little more, um, we'll call it independent in the manner category. In other words, we tend to dis things that are viewed as "prissy". I'm pretty certain that in the Old West, this occurred a lot more often than in the cities. Still, people said please and thank you, and held doors open and in most cases tried to be more polite.

3.) Furniture--I admit I wouldn't have it in my house, but I still love the furniture of the time, with all the swirls and roses carved in it. In my house though, which is constantly in chaos, it would just get lost in the mess.

4.) Wallpaper--These days our walls are generally painted--it's just easier. But in the Victorian period wallpaper was cheaper and everyone used it. Again, it was pretty intricate and in my chaotic house would just make the mess look messier. But if I could afford someone to clean my house--or could somehow learn to love cleaning it myself--I would have lots of Victorian wallpaper.

5.) Formality--In the Victorian era people said ma'am or sir, and used Mr and Mrs, even when referring to their own spouses. (I recently read something--don't remember where though--in which a woman was berate for not calling her husband Mr.). The only time people these days say Mr. or Mrs is when referring to an old friends' parents. Sometimes that's not even true. In the town we lived in when my kids were born, everyone referred to their friends' parents by their first name. Me, I like the formality. Yes, it does create distance, but it also shows immediately how close people are. I like it.

This may, by the way, be different in other sections of the U.S. (and other countries, of course). I believe people in the South are far more likely to use formalities, but I suspect even there it's relaxing.

6.)Dancing--Yes, we do still dance, but not nearly as much as I believe they did back then. In the Victorian era dancing, specifically the waltz, was the best way for a man to "get close" to a woman. Thus men were far more inclined to want to dance. And dancing was "easier" in that there were set dances, The Cotillion, the Waltz, The Quadrille, etc. You learned the steps, and you could dance. Today, it's mostly free-style, and those of us without rhythm (me!) do not dance. It's far too embarrassing. I would have back then, though!

7.) Food--The Victorians liked to eat. A lot. And, as I have blogged on before (I think) as the era progressed and the eating became more ritual, the fashions changed to allow for extra weight. By the end of the era women who had a good 10-15 extra pounds on them were envied. I have an extra 10 pounds on me. No one envies me for it.

8.)Travel--yes is took much longer, was expensive and often filthy, and uncomfortable for people without a certain financial means. But for others if wasn't--just look at the steamships being built at the time! All manner of luxury! I think slower travel allowed people to see more, and forced them to talk more to each other, to compel people to get to know people from different backgrounds. Today we take cruises for the purposes of vacation, which duplicates Victorian overseas travel to some extent. As for land travel, thought, well it's all about the plane or the car, isn't it? Few people take overnight trains. I think it's a real shame.

Two things I hate:

9.) Corsets--While they sort of "equalized" women, allowing the larger ones to squish their waists so that they too, looked wasp-waisted, I think they did women a great deal of damage. From what I've read women started wearing them in the early teen years, and I suspect they created the same sort of malformation that binding feet did in Chinese women. This sort of malformation would have created, I believe, a great deal if difficulty during child-bearing years. I wonder how many women might not have suffered or died in childbirth if they hadn't been forced by society to wear these things.

10.)Treatement of women--Of course I've discussed this a number of times, and how the laws were so unfair to women, even to the point that were a wife to divorce her husband (assuming she could actually get a divorce) she lost everything, including her children. Even if those children were from another marriage. The laws, though, were not special to the era, they were just more obvious because of the women who fought against them.

Well that's it. What about you? What do you love or hate about the era?

New Year's reads

2008-01-27T16:45:00.000-08:00

After Christmas each year, I get a ‘to be read’ pile, but the new year brings no time to read them. Nevertheless I’ve managed to read two.

I won Cynthia Owens’ Christmas contest, and in addition to a beautiful book bag, candles, bath salt and other great stuff, I finally got my hands on her book.

Sure, and she can write a fine tale that has one seeing the green, smelling the peat fires and hearing the pipes and fiddles of Ireland. As someone said to me recently, it is the emotions that are key in romance writing, and this book has it in spades! The characters feelings were just dripping off the pages in the last three or four chapters--no, those were the constant tears pouring from my eyes. Made it hard to read, but such a satisfying finish.

The other book I’ve read this year I feel a bit guilty about. I didn’t have time to read, you see, and I meant just to take a quick peek at the first page. But Denise Eagan hooked me immediately and never let me go. What a fantastic story, and funny and action-packed to boot. While it kept me up all night, the lack of sleep was well worth it. With apologies to my critique partners for my tardiness.

So, IN SUNSHINE AND IN SHADOW and WICKED WOMAN will go on my keeper shelf, right beside THE MOST UNSUITABLE HUSBAND by Caroline Clemmons. What a talented bunch I blog with!

Alternate Histories

2008-01-25T06:16:00.000-08:00

One of the most famous alternate history writers is the Sci Fi guru Harry Turtledove. I'm currently reading (listening to) the first in his series, How Few Remain. In this, a key point during the Civil War changed - Lee's Special Order 191 wasn't lost as happened in the 'real' war, but was found before the Union Army could recover it. As a result, the South won the war and succeeded from the Union creating 2 countries; The Untied States of America and the Confederate States of America.

I think it's fascinating to read these changes, and to hear Mr. Turtledove's take on what could've happened. It has also had the effect of making me question what I know about history, and spend several hours looking up what really happened to key characters in the aftermath of the war, and what was going on 'here' in this timeline.

If you get the chance, give How Few Remain a try, or at least skim through it.

The year is 1881:

Abraham Lincoln wasn't assassinated and is a for-the-workers speaker with leanings towards Marx and socialism. He's widely reviled by the north for losing the war.
Stonewall Jackson lived to become the General-in-Chief of the Confederate Army. He's widely hated by the north for being such an excellent general, his reputation well deserved.
General J.E.B. Stuart is now stationed in El Paso and commands a large garrison to protect the west and newly acquired Mexican territories bought from Emperor Maximilian.
Colonel George A. Custer, is a cavalryman serving on the Great Plains far from Dakota Territory.
Theodore Roosevelt is a young, brash Montana Rancher who formed Roosevelt's Unauthorized Regiment in response to a 2nd war between the north and south.
Fredrick Douglass travels throughout the country witnessing the ongoing plight of the negro in the north and hoping to bring attention to the even worse plight of the slave in the south.
Colonel Alfred Graf von Schlieffen is the military attache to the German Ambassador to the United States.
Samuel Clemens is a newspaper editor in San Francisco.
General Grant is a homeless drunkard who wanders the USA but is friends with Frederick Douglass.
James G. Blane is now the president of the USA, while James Longstreet is president of the CSA.
Germany supports the USA, while England and France are allied with the CSA.