Ten Years to the Day!

Last night as I shut things down and went to bed, a storm rolled through. Turns out, it wasn’t just any storm. It was a tornado. Now such events don’t happen often around here. According to the weather service it’s every 10 to 20 years. Well, our event occurred exactly ten years to the day from the last tornado to hit our neighborhood…only it hit about six hours later than the one ten years ago.

Of course, in places where there are not many tornados, you don’t have a very good warning system. If you happen to be watching TV, listening to local radio or have “Desktop Weather” from the Weather Channel on your computer, you have a chance of being warned. If not, then you might be screwed. We got lucky again. For us, just some downed dead tree limbs…limbs I was planning on pruning anyway.

Some neighbors got it worse…trees uprooted…and I mean BIG oaks that were about 150 to 200 years old. Yet our immediate neighborhood got off relatively light this time, unlike ten years ago. The tornado was on an “up skip” when it passed. Just west of us across the Yadkin river in Davie County, the tornado had touched down. Early reports are at least seven houses destroyed and cars and trucks that were on Interstate 40 in that area were tossed, so they are still notifying next-of-kin and assessing those injuries. As of this writing, I-40 West is still closed due to the tractor trailer jammed up under the overpass.

But hey! Starbucks is open for business this morning. Seems they have a generator. Everything else is closed due to lack of power. Oh yeah, I’m writing this to post later, currently on battery power. We got our youngest off to school…the school also has generators.

After skipping over our neighborhood, the tornado touched down briefly in Winston-Salem between the two hospitals. The next touchdown was in Kernersville and Greensboro. And that is where the most damage occurred. Luckily, the area was primarily businesses that were closed at the time it hit. Radio reports are sketchy at this time, but the area was pretty much flattened. Once the power comes back on and I can power things up, I’ll have a better idea of things.

The temptation is to get in the car and go take pictures, but I’ve got some minor messes to clean up and it isn’t wise to interfere with emergency crews.

After a pause here, the power came back on at 8 AM, so we only had to endure ten hours without power. This was very important since Demon Dog otherwise had to be confined to the house. No power meant no electric containment system which meant Demon Dog only had to penetrate two instead of three layers of obstacles to “breach containment”, which he did first thing this morning while it was still dark.

Oh well, time to do the minor cleanup outside…before it warms up too much.

I'm Working on it Already!

Honestly, I am working on it. Been busy...real busy...but tomorrow looks like it will be a good day for writing. Thanks to all those who wondered and asked. But right now I'm going to bed!

Melancholy Perspective

I was going through some old letters from my grandfather’s family. For some reason this one always draws me. I reproduced the content here, complete with spelling and punctuation errors. Actually, this style of writing was very common during the Civil War. Punctuation, when used, seems to have been the purview of the officers.

Camp Near Vicksburg Miss
July 1st /63

Dear Friends

As I am still spared & in good health I will write to let you know how we stand here at this time Since I last wrote our Regt has had another man killed he belonged to Co. B. I dont know his name that makes in all four men killed and two wounded in the 53rd since we are here The fighting still continues day & night we have got so ust to the sound of canon that we sleep sound under the heaviest fire I will now give you a little about the sanity stores Last week the fifty third got some for the first time amongst the lot was a fine lot of comforters that would be a nice present for some sick or wounded soldiers But what was done with them the officers of the 53rd divided them between them selves some of them has as much as three nice comforters well there was a lot of potatoes that was rotten so the men got them if they had been sound they would have done the officers so you see these sanitary stores are got up with good intentions but you see what becomes of them So my advice is as it has been before to not give a cent to any of them for the men that get big wages are the ones that get the Benefit – if there is any thing spoiled or of no account – the men get it – the sanitary comiseners may do there duty for all I know But there is too many government robbers for such things to get where they are intended to go
I have nothing of importance to write about June has been a very pleasant month as far as the weather is concerned the army is in good spirits as ever & I think surely Vicksburg will surender before many days if they dont I think we will throw a few shell into them on the fourth of July the Company is all on picket duty but a few Leiche Stumph is sitting behind me patching his britches & whistling so you may know he is all right – Give my best Respects to James Hayes no more but you needent be surprised to hear of the 4th Division Being at Memphis in a few Weeks again

G C Poundstone
Near Vicksburg
Miss
4th Div
53rd Regt Ill Infantry
Co C

As it turns out, this was the last letter written by George C. Poundstone, Corporal and Color Sergeant, 53rd Illinois Infantry. He was mortally wounded on 12 July 1863 during the assault on the Confederate works at Jackson Mississippi. He died eleven days later.
The Leiche Stumph of whom he speaks, Elijah Stumph, survived the war and married George’s sister Elizabeth.

From the 53rd Illinois Regimental History:

On July 5, moved with General Sherman's army against Jackson, Miss., and on the 12th, while closing the lines around that place, the Brigade was ordered to charge the rebel works. The Fifty-third participated in this gallant but disastrous charge, going into the fight with 250 men and officers, and coming out with but 66. Colonel Earl fell near the rebel breast-works, pierced with four canister shot. Lieutenant Colonel McClanahan was severely wounded. Captain Michael Leahey and Lieutenant George W. Hemstreet were killed. Captain J. E. Hudson, mortally wounded. Captains Potter and King were wounded. Lieutenant J. B. Smith lost an arm and was taken prisoner. Captain George R. Lodge, Lieutenants Mark M. Bassett and John D. Hatfield, and a number of the enlisted men, were taken prisoners. The color guard and bearers were all either killed or wounded. The colors were captured, saturated with the life-blood of Sergeant George Poundstone, the color bearer.

When thinking of casualties in the current war, it is always wise to use some perspective. The 250 men of the 53rd Regiment were mostly farmers from an area called Farm Ridge, located between Grand Ridge, Illinois and Ottawa, Illinois. Stephen Parrish knows the area well. The house he lived in while in high school was located on property that once belonged to my grandfather’s family. To this day, the area is mostly farms.

Think about the impact of losing 184 men all from one small community in a single engagement that lasted about fifteen minutes. It puts things in perspective.