It rained today and it rained yesterday!!! Hooray! We reall, really, really needed it. Hopefully, we will get some more :)
No, I don't keep a diary...this here blog is the closest you're going to get out of me! I've tried, you know, but it never seemed to be interesting. Probably because I didn't have an audience...(I should blush here or something, but I won't.) Don't worry, I won't spill my innermost heart onto these pages...that's reserved for only certain people (only one of whom gets it on paper.)
However, I do want to talk about a diary. A young fella's diary. No, I don't know him. I can't, you see. Thomas Ellis lived over a 100 years ago, being a young man about my own age during the War Between the States. Anyway, I have read quotes out of his diary throughout my Cow Cav research and when I found out where the diary was...well, that's the really exciting part.
Yesterday, I contacted the curator of the University of Florida library (that being where the diary is kept). In a very short amount of time (much shorter than I expected!), he sent me an e-mail requesting my mailing address. Happily, I obliged with his request and was further thrilled by the information that a typescript copy would be mailed this morning! I hope to get it tomorrow. (UF is only in Gainsville...)
I forgot to mention (although you have probably already guessed) that T.B. Ellis was a member of the Cow Cavalry. He was one of the pickets during the Brooksville Raid and it is mainly for that that I wanted to read his diary-- for the eye-witness account of the incident. Quotes are likely to be forth coming and end up in the documentary.
Thrills! Research is fun! (Until you get overloaded.) It is also addictive. I probably will continue to file stuff away in my mental "Cow Cavalry" folder even after the documentary is completed! I'm like that.
Racheal
Sooo, the meeting with Mr. Hendry was pretty successful, even though we didn't set a date for the actual interview. Instead, he sent me home with another stack of stuff to read (about 1/2 inch thick!), a few pictures, and an impression that this man is excited! Good. My 'job' this week is going to have to be: 1) reading the stack of stuff (some of it is on Hendry, some on the Battle of Fort Myers--Mr. H's specialty, some of it on blockade running, some of it on miscellaneous related stuff); and 2) transcribing the audio I recorded. (It's easier than writing it all down on the fly. I can't write that fast and listen at the same time.) While Mr. Hendry was xeroxing copies of stuff for me, I had Daddy sit in as a proxy and got two short room shots.
My impression of Mr. Hendry: other than the fact that he is fairly tall (I'd guess around 6 feet), and obviously has a job where he sits a lot--he is nice, is excited about history (at least this part of it), he has a sense of humor (probably some of which I missed--I'm a bit dull sometimes), and that he was enjoying himself. He helped me out on a few things--like how to spell Captain Hendry's wife's first name, and how to pronounce her maiden name :) Oh, and another thing, he enjoys telling stories...and he is very expressive with his hands. He waves them about as he talks, or drums on the table. He had a couple of rubber bands that he kept twisting around too. (I found that amusing for some reason.)
One of the pictures he gave for me was my favorite picture of Captain Hendry that I've seen. It is clearer than this copy.
Captain Hendry
In addition, I got a name or two and a recommendation to track down this book or that. I also got regaled with mosquito horror stories from both gentlemen present. (Makes me itch just thinking about it!) And then when Mr. Hendry remarked that the Cow Cavalry probably ate grits and salt pork, I got a hankering for a big ol' plate of buttery grits. (Which I can't have on the GAPS diet.)
Hmmm, that reminds me of a story about a legendary local cowhunter. Following, I quote from a book about him (however, I will leave out the name of both town and county--simply for security reasons):
'Bone was a frequent boarder at the [Town] House, a popular meetin place for [the]County cattlemen. One morning, having finished off a plate of grits topped with a quarter-pound of homemade butter, he ordered another helping of the same. His waitress became concerned about his eating so much high-priced butter. "Mr. Mizell, did you know that butter costs sixty-five cents a pound?" she asked. "Yes ma'am," replied Bone, "and wuff ever cent of it." '
Anyway, to get back on track, Mr. Hendry was quite helpful and I have work to do! See you later!
Racheal
I found out this morning that those pictures I picked up off the internet (they were royalty-free!) won't work in my documentary, because the quality is too poor! *Pout* Not really, but it almost made me cry. Anyway, I know that there are a few of the pictures in books that we actually own...like this one of Uncle Streaty:
I can scan these in and use them. (By the way, that is an extremely grainy picture of my great-great-great uncle to begin with.) Others I will have to purchase a copy of them (particularly the maps--you have to have maps for historical documentaries, don't you!?) Mom also suggested going to the local library and see what they have. Good idea.
I got the opening quotation and title finished today. There is of course the possibilty that it will have to be changed :) Anyway, I had to re-do part of it again. Something wasn't working right. I also created an Premeire Pro project--where all the After Effects compositions (like slides in Powerpoint--only way more fancy) will go, along with the footage. I need to get my camera back out and shoot some cow footage. I also thought I might take the Zoom and record the squeak of the saddle. (Even if I don't use it in the end.)
Racheal
...is really fun in my estimation. I have started to build visuals for the Cow Cavalry documentary. So far I have had to re-do the one composition in After Effects twice. I hope I don't have to do it again :) I do know that I need to tweak a part of it some...the scrolling words are a tad too slow.
I spent probably a good hour sitting out in the RV this morning talking to Grandpa about the Civil War. His folks up his mother's mother's side were Virginian's...but they were neutral. He also said that they freed their slave in 1850 (or there abouts). Anyhow, I did my usual touting of the Southern view, but I also tried not to be too hard on the Yankee's. At one point he asked me with a kind of grin if I knew what a Yankee was. Of course I do! To a foreigner (that is not meant to be derogatory) any American is a Yankee. To Southerners all Northerners are Yankees. To Mid-western types, Yankees are those of the Eastern states. And to those in the lower part of the New England area, those farther north are Yankees. (Grandpa told me this last; I think it is probably true.) Technically, a 'true' Yankee is from New England. Anyway, it was just kind of funny :)
My conversation with Grandpa (admittedly I did most of the talking) ranged from Florida's economy during the War to Andersonville Prison to Northern POW prisons, to Abe Lincoln to New Hampshire's threat to succeed in the mid 1850's (if I remember correctly) to abolishionists to Radical Republicans. (That is a looong sentence.)
The following are a few pictures of that horse I'm constantly yammering about...
Sleepy Baby...
Racheal
(and Snip)
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