Study the way this place changed from forest to farmland and resort area, and pretty soon you will find yourself up to your eyebrows in Civil War veterans. Men and boys—so many boys—who enlisted or were drafted, who lost a limb or languished from disease, who came home broken in some indefinable way. . . women who wrested survival […]
The wind piles dry leaves against a fencepost. Branches cracked away from old oaks and beeches litter the ground. Deer trails disappear into the woods. Wild turkeys come here for the beechnuts and acorns. Coyotes come for the wild turkeys. I’ve come for the stories. I spent a cold gray afternoon last week at Bayview Cemetery, listening. […]
The Cowboy, unclear on the concept and fresh from a scolding, felt that he was pretty good at vexing and volunteered for the job. However, a vexillologist, I have learned, is a flag expert, and that’s what I need. I have turned from puzzling over George Martin to puzzling over the design and provenance of […]
Last night I found George Martin, the Civil War soldier for whom Post 227 G.A.R. in Eastport was named, and whose name is stenciled on our Mystery Flag. Here’s what I’ve pieced together so far. [August 5, 2012: I’ve learned a thing or two in the last three years and am adding some updates.] The farm […]
I dropped by the Wilkinson Homestead on Sunday afternoon to get a last look at the Halfaker/Sparks quilt collection and stumbled on a new treasure. Loraine Mottern was there, showing people through the quilt exhibit. “Have you seen our latest acquisition?” she asked, and showed me this flag. Who was George Martin? What was Post […]
March 15, 2010
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