The second battle of Kings Mountain

From Gaston Gazette: The second battle of Kings Mountain In Cleveland County, livermush is a staple, barbecue is nearly sacred and the region has a distinctive history marked by several key Revolutionary War battles fought in the area. Advocates in North and South Carolina are fighting to have a region made up of 58 counties recognized as a national heritage area, specifically focusing on the contributions made by the Carolinas during the American Revolution. The national heritage designation is a way to celebrate, protect and preserve what makes a region unique and can be used as a tool for tourism. Examples of places with a national heritage designation include the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Iowa’s Silo and Smokestacks National Heritage Area. A recent National Park Service study was completed, and the counties were told they did not meet the necessary criteria for the designation. In the published results, one reason cited was that there is a lack of distinctive cultural traditions in North and South Carolina from the 18th century that have carried over into today’s everyday life. These distinctive characteristics must be readily apparent to an outside observer. The results sparked so much opposition from Cleveland County residents and local lawmakers that additional time was given for the public to add comments before it will again be reviewed. The time for comments will be closed on Sunday. In one of the final steps toward achieving the designation, the secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior will make a recommendation for or against the designation, and the U.S. Congress will make the final decision. Local historian outraged Marti Mongiello, who operates the Inn of the Patriots in Grover with his wife, Stormy, didn’t grow up in the South, but he is passionate about preserving the region’s unique history and culture. When the opportunity arose to be a part of a process to designate Cleveland County and other Southern counties as a national heritage area, he jumped at the chance. Mongiello is outraged by the study’s conclusion. He said in 2008, when the study was already underway, he was appointed as a delegate for Cleveland County to represent the Chamber of Commerce. “At that time, Cleveland County was not on the initial mapping to be recognized,” Mongiello said. “We actually proved several things about Cleveland County that it should have included.” Mongiello said Cleveland County has led the fight for the designation for both Carolinas. “We have been the most active and have sent the most interesting letters,” he said. Over the course of the study, which took several years, a committee was formed that was representative of the Carolinas. Mongiello said the region being studied passed six of the 10 criteria and failed four. “Criteria two talks about something that is evident to an outsider,” he said. “What they’re trying to say is a person from San Francisco can’t figure out they’re in North Carolina.” Mongiello said he has lived all over the world and has never seen such a concentration of Highland games as what he has seen in the Carolinas. Highland games provide Scottish culture in the forms of athletics, music, dance and demonstrations. “Fried pickles, the barbecue, the livermush. We’re just getting started,” he said. “Brunswick stew, hushpuppies, all from the 1700s, that’s still alive today.” He said Southern streets, towns and even counties have been named after Revolutionary War heroes. Taking the fight to Congress After Feb. 19 when the comments are closed, all the information, comments and materials will be reviewed, and the secretary of the Interior Department will make a recommendation to Congress. Mongiello said he is expecting a negative recommendation, but he doesn’t plan to give up on the designation. “That will be the end, and then we’ll have to take our fight to Congress,” he said. “We’ll take the battle directly to congressmen.” Michael Chrisawn, president of the Cleveland County Chamber of Commerce, urged people to read the study and take time to comment, either online or by mail. “What are mainly needed are comments that would support criterion two: That customs, traditions and influences of the Revolutionary War period can still be found in everyday life in the Carolinas,” Chrisawn wrote in a chamber newsletter. “The other areas that were found to be deficient have been addressed by others in the region. Your input is invaluable, and I urge you to respond as soon as possible.” Chrisawn said that if the area was recognized as a Southern campaign of the Revolutionary War heritage area, it would be another avenue to increase travel and tourism. “Heritage tourism is a big thing with the tourist today,” he said. “They’re going back and looking for their roots, so to speak. People get excited about the Revolutionary War, so they go to these heritage areas where battles took place and see what it was like in the area. It would just be a very, very positive thing for us.” With Cleveland County’s close proximity to the Kings Mountain National Military Park in Blacksburg, S.C., site of the Battle of Kings Mountain in October 1780, Chrisawn said the designation would draw more interest to the area. It could also bring in some additional funding. “It funnels in some federal funds to highlight historical areas,” Chrisawn said. “I’m sure the Kings Mountain battleground would be in line for some additional funding.” Mongiello also worries the results of the study could have a negative impact on the region. He said if the designation is denied, the results of the study would be made final and would be quoted “over the next 100 years.” “It could affect developers and corporations,” he said.

City Council reapproves street theater program

From the Flat Hat: City Council reapproves street theater program
The American Revolution will be expanding into more of Williamsburg with the Williamsburg City Council’s passage of a resolution Thursday to extend the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s permit for the street theater program Revolutionary City.

The program, started in 2006, allows the audience to take part in historic re-enactment of the lifestyles and issues of the colonial era.

“Over these last five years the program’s story lines have evolved, technological support has improved and staging has been designed to maximize the impact on the audience,” Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Senior Vice President John Bacon said. “It’s very clear to us from all the research that we do that the way people learn and engage is through interactivity, through participation, through feeling like they are … part of the story, and this program tries to put them in that place.”

Since the program takes place on Duke of Gloucester Street, the road must be blocked off for two and a half hours daily. Bacon was joined by re-enactor Richard Schumann, who advocated for the program’s impact in encouraging audience members to apply civics lessons from the re-nactment.

“This is not regular outdoor theater such as you might see in other places; it’s not so much for the purpose of amusement or entertainment. … The overall message that people walk away from is, ‘No, I should pay more attention,’” Schumann said. “I think Colonial Williamsburg gets that message across to a lot of our visitors, if not all of them, that the future can and must learn from the past.”

The council approved the permit extension, which will allow Revolutionary City to begin again on March 12. Several council members expressed their appreciation for Revolutionary City’s innovative execution and contribution to tourism.

“One of the things I have looked at about tourism is that people … want active participation. They’re not interested in passive ‘looking at things’ anymore; they want to be part of it, and I have not heard one bad thing from anybody about Revolutionary City,” council member Judith Knudson said. “We’ve gotten great publicity from it, so I think this is a well-deserved extension.”

The council also approved a number resolutions dealing with city business and appointments during the meeting. An amendment to the city’s lease agreement with AT&T included provisions for the construction of three new antennae to support AT&T’s 4G technology, which will increase annual rental fees from $29,000 to $37,540. Among the appointments was that of planning commissioner Demetrios Florakis to serve as the commission’s representative to the city Architectural Review Board.

The council adjourned before going into closed session to discuss a legal matter regarding personnel.

William Simpson: local pioneer’s story told in new book

From Carmi Times: William Simpson: local pioneer’s story told in new book Los Angeles, Calif. — A new book has been released about one of southern Illinois' early pioneers, William Simpson.

Simpson's story is now the subject of the book William Simpson: Citizen Soldier, written by Dr. M. Kent Gregory, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California and a leader in the Sons of the American Revolution.

The book tells the story of William Simpson, who as a young man joined the Virginia Militia to serve as a patriot during the Revolutionary War. During his military service, he served under individuals whose names would reverberate in American history: George Washington, Henry Lee II, Thomas Nelson, Baron Von Steuben and the Marquis de Lafayette.

Following the war, William Simpson became part of America's expansion westward. He moved from the tidewater area of the Potomac to southwestern Virginia, then to Tennessee, becoming part of a mass migration of over 200,000 settlers going west. In 1816, he moved his family into the Illinois Territory and homesteaded in the frontier, becoming one of the earliest settlers north of Burnt Prairie.

By the end of William Simpson's life, he was well-known in Wayne and White counties. He was revered as a Revolutionary War veteran, an early pioneer, a church founder, and was acclaimed by his neighbors for his honesty and integrity.

He was friends with Alexander Campbell, an early representative to the Illinois Legislature, and with Judge William Wilson of Carmi, the chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court from 1825 until 1848. His children and descendants became respected citizens throughout the area.

Copies of William Simpson: Citizen Soldier can be purchased from the author, M. Kent Gregory, for $30 (shipping included). The author can be contacted at drkentgregory@earthlink.net.

Payne AME to honor black veterans

From WFC Courier: Payne AME to honor black veterans WATERLOO, Iowa --- Ordinary people doing extraordinary things. That's who, and what, Payne AME Church plans to recognize Saturday with a special tribute to African-American veterans of the U.S. military. "African-Americans have served in every conflict this nation has ever had," said Dorothy Simpson-Taylor, formerly of Waterloo, a Vietnam-era U.S. Air Force veteran and retired University of Iowa psychology faculty member now living in Indianapolis. That dates back to Crispus Attucks, a black dock worker who was the first casualty of the American Revolution, killed in the "Boston Massacre" of 1770. Black Iowans have served in every conflict since the Civil War. "We continue to serve. We serve our communities, We serve our country, and we serve our families," said Simpson-Taylor, a 1962 graduate of East High School. Simpson-Taylor also is a co-organizer of Sister Soldiers, a fledgling organization of black women veterans started in Waterloo a few years ago. A mental health counselor and psychotherapist, she has been involved in a number of activities supporting returning veterans and their families. As is the case with the community at large, multiple members and generations of many black families have served in the military, Simpson-Taylor said. That includes veterans such as Johnnie Berry, who served in the U.S. Army Air Force in the China-Burma-India theater of operations during World War II, and his grandson, Emmanuel Berry, part of the Waterloo-based U.S. Marine Reserve Delta Battery, 1st Battalion, 14th Marines that helped liberate Kuwait during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Veterans are at or near the heart of many volunteer efforts in the community, Simpson-Taylor said. "People do not see the way they volunteer," she said, and the role the play in caring for one another --- like U.S. Navy veteran Sharina Sallis, who serves on the Waterloo Human Rights Commission and the Black Hawk County Veteran Affairs Commission. "This isn't a service. It's a celebration," Simpson-Taylor said of the Saturday event. "We know where to go to get benefits. We know where to go to get information about what's available. "This is an opportunity to say, 'Let's come together. Let's just be proud of who we are. Let's let our community, our children know.' " The event begins a 11 a.m. at Payne, 1044 Mobile St. A meal is planned, as well as a presentation of colors and a "fallen soldier" ceremony. The East High Junior ROTC is the color guard. U.S. Marine veteran Michael Kates, a historian and executive director of the Fort Des Moines Museum, will speak. Veterans who have displayed exemplary community service will be recognized. Master of ceremonies will Anthony Tisdale of Waterloo. The decorated Vietnam combat veteran is former local chapter and past state commander of Military Order of the Purple Heart. Simpson-Taylor said those who have served in the military in any capacity are invited to participate in Saturday's event. "We have unique experiences because we've been in the military," Simpson-Taylor said. "And that binds us. It creates a sisterhood and a brotherhood." They're there for each other and their com munities. Very often, she said, it's veterans who organize and "give form and function" to community service endeavors. "Let's celebrate the sacrifices we have made and the contributions we continue to make," Simpson-Taylor said. "They're contributing to our society and to our country, contributing to the well being of the Cedar Valley and the state of Iowa. This notion of celebrating veterans is my way of saying, let's bring our community together and let's let our community celebrate one another."

Noted women's historian Susan Klepp speaks during Women's History Month

From Examiner.com: Noted women's historian Susan Klepp speaks during Women's History Month Local students of history and lifelong learners will find opportunity to hone their applied thinking skills at intriguing lectures offered by the David Library of the American Revolution, a specialized research library dedicated to the study of American history circa 1750 to 1800. In a lecture series entitled, “Revolutionary Implications: Social and Cultural Change During the Struggle for American Independence,” noted experts from the tristate and northeast area will speak on topics designed to spark reflection on both history and current times. In observation of Women’s History Month On Sunday, March 4th, 2012, at 3 P.M., Susan Klepp, Professor of Colonial America and American Women’s History at Temple University, speaks on “A Family in Fragments: The Life and Times of Alice, a Bucks County Slave.” March is Women’s History Month, and in observation, Professor Susan Klepp will tell the story of Alice, a slave who ran Dunk’s Ferry on the Delaware River just south of Bristol, Pennsylvania. Building on a short biography of Alice published in 1802, Professor Klepp will put Alice’s life in context, and will examine how Alice’s experiences in slavery and her anti-slavery beliefs inform our knowledge of race and slavery in Early America. History made timely Current events demand historical insights into patterns that can influence personal understanding. The David Library series, designed to explore key moments in the Revolutionary era where seemingly minor developments impacted the future course of the struggle, and the fate of the new nation, holds timely relevance in light of today’s global conflicts. Ideas are opportunities Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once indicated, “Man’s mind stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." These lectures bring history into the arena of fresh ideas through exposure and scholarly perspectives. The David Library’s lecture series brings relevant opportunities to inquiring minds, young and old. The David Library emphasizes concentration and convenience to distinguish itself from every other research institution that has materials on the American Revolution. Without sacrificing historical scholarship, The David Library seeks to bring opportunities for historical research and exploration into its local communities. Opportunities for applied learning and analytical thought do abound in the lecture series. And, all are presented within the convenience of the David Library’s location near both Trenton, New Jersey, and Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. Lecture in Stone Hall followed by reception in the Rose Gallery The David Library lectures are held in Stone Hall of the Feinstone Conference Center on the David Library campus. After each lecture series event, a reception is held in the Rose Gallery. The reception provides for a further time of interaction and the networking of curious minds. Lectures are free to attend, but reservations are necessary The David Library lectures are provided without admission fee and are open to the public. However, it is necessary to make reservations. A reservation to “The Hamiltonian Moment and the Specter of Democracy” can be made by calling 215 493 2233, ext. 100. Full series concludes with talks given by professors from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, DC. Upcoming topics and presenters include Michael W. Zuckerman, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Pennsylvania, speaking on “Manners and the Making of the American Revolution: Dr. Hamilton’s Itineraries” as well as author Brendan J. McConville, Professor of History at Boston University, speaking on “Anti-Popery and the Fall of Royal America, and David J. Silverman, Professor of History at George Washington University, demonstrating that muskets and rifles went far beyond the military dimension, changing key aspects of Native American society and culture. More information on the entire lecture series can be found online. Location and logistics The David Library of the American Revolution is located at 1201 River Road, Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. The library is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM. For further information on getting to the library, directions are offered online at the David Library of the American Revolution’s website. Nearby restaurants include the Washington Crossing Inn at 1295 General Washington Memorial Boulevard, Washington PA and Francisco’s Restaurant on the River at 1251 River Road, Washington Crossing, PA. On the New Jersey side, Erini Restaurant at 1140 River Road, Ewing, New Jersey is nearby.

Aiken, SC: Daughters of Revolution to honor area author

From the Aiken Standard: Daughters of Revolution to honor area author A program honoring Women's History Month will be presented by Brenda McCabe at the Houndslake Guest House on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 10 a.m. The Daughter's of the American Revolution, Henry Middleton Chapter in Aiken, will be honoring Idella Bodie.

Bodie has been writing for young readers for nearly 40 years and writes about historical places in South Carolina.

Her first book, "The Secret of Telfair Inn," published in 1971 by Sandlapper Publishing is still in print and in demand. The Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution honored her for the Heroes and Heroines of the American Revolution series.

Bodie was born in Ridge Spring and holds a degree in English from Columbia College. Bodie has been a contributor to Highlights, Mature Living and to Guideposts Magazine to name just a few. She has been the recipient of many honors and awards to include the honored "Pickens-Salley Southern Women of Distinction" by USC Aiken. South Aiken High School has a writing award in her honor.

Hostesses will be Maureen Quinn, Sandy Harris and Zee Homoki.

The D.A.R. works to perpetuate the memory and spirit of men and women who achieved American Independence and promote the development of an enlightened public opinion and to foster patriotic citizenship.

The Henry Middleton Chapter meets throughout the year and welcomes the public inquiry for membership requirements. For more information, call Judi Romeo at 514-2582.

Rejoicing 175 years: Local black Catholics marking historic anniversary of St. Patrick’s

From the Post and Courier: Rejoicing 175 years: Local black Catholics marking historic anniversary of St. Patrick’s Before the American Revolution, when South Carolina and Eastern Georgia were still Colonies subject to the king and Church of England, Catholics were not much welcomed, and black Catholics were the most unusual of aberrations. “(A)ll Christians which now are, or hereafter may be, in the province (Papists only excepted), shall enjoy the full, free, and undisturbed liberty of their consciences,” states a colonial act of 1696-97. But Catholicism could not be shut out, and a minority of blacks soon embraced it. The history of black Catholicism will be celebrated beginning today at Charleston’s St. Patrick’s Church, which is turning 175. It is marking its anniversary with a special Mass and series of events extending through 2012. The Most Rev. Robert E. Guglielmone, bishop of the Diocese of Charleston, will be principal celebrant at this morning’s Mass. The church building (and its predecessors) will be acknowledged on March 17. A homecoming weekend in June will pay tribute to the 1967 merger of St. Peter’s and St. Patrick’s parishes. An anniversary gala is slated for October. And a final celebration is planned for Dec. 2. The theme “Remember, Renew and Rejoice” sums up the congregation’s intent, said longtime parishioner Joan Mack. What church members likely will discuss is a fascinating combination of cultures and religious practices that produced a unique expression of Catholicism in the Lowcountry. European slave traders introduced their religion to African slave merchants and captives, thus Catholicism trickled into the Lowcountry. A few white planter families, especially those along the Ashepoo River in Colleton County, west of Walterboro, had converted to Catholicism by the late 1700s and early 1800s, influencing the slaves who worked the rice fields, according to Suzanne Krebsbach, author of the 2002 essay “Catholic, Black and Proud.” The presence of Spanish settlers in the Southeast also helped introduce the religion to the region, and it’s likely that black Catholics from parts of the Caribbean came to the Charleston area because of the slave trade, Krebsbach writes. Once revolution resulted in an independent United States, government-sponsored religion, as well as sanctioned religious suppression, mostly came to an end (at least officially). St. James the Greater Catholic Church was built in the Colleton County town of Ritter in 1835, but caught fire in 1856. Eventually, it was rebuilt, and the area’s black Catholics clung to their tradition tenaciously. The area is known as Catholic Hill. When the Civil War came, it changed everything in the South, including Catholicism. Inexorable change On Monday, a handful of members, along with the Rev. Henry N. Kulah, pastor of St. Patrick’s, unfurled a newly minted anniversary banner and contemplated how to mount it to the front of the building on St. Philip Street. The groundskeeper was on hand to make the landscaping trim and neat. A carpet cleaner had just finished his work in the parish hall beneath the sanctuary. Photo Gallery St.Patrick's Catholic Church gallery photo St.Patrick's Catholic Church, at 134 St.Philip St. in downtown Charleston, is celebrating its 175th anniversary. The parish has come a long way from its early days. It was founded in 1837 by a small group of blacks and whites when Catholics living outside the city limits requested a parish toward the Neck Area. They didn’t want to travel downtown to St. Mary’s on Hasell Street, the first Catholic parish of Charleston, established in 1789, or to the Cathedral of St. Finbar on Broad Street (now St. John the Baptist), which opened in 1821, Krebsbach writes in her essay. Bishop John England, the first leader appointed by the Vatican to the fledgling diocese in 1820, was forced to navigate both anti-Catholic prejudice and racial discrimination. When he opened a school for free blacks, it quickly attracted 80 students, writes Krebsbach, but the bishop was forced to shut it down under threat of lynching. That interest in education persisted, however, and years later, in 1904, the diocese opened Immaculate Conception School on Coming Street, a parochial day school for blacks. In 1961, then-Bishop Paul Hallinan announced the diocese’s Catholic schools would be integrated. The parochial school system was instrumental in making and sustaining black Catholics, according to Mack. Non-Catholic students often were admitted, then converted, sometimes bringing their parents and other family members with them into the faith. Predominantly black parishes were beneficiaries of this process, drawing a growing number of worshippers during the course of the 20th century. For most of its existence, St. Patrick’s drew white worshippers. Its sister parish, St. Peter’s on Wentworth Street, was home to the peninsula’s black Catholics. In 1967, under the leadership of Bishop Ernest Unterkoefler, the diocese was restructured. Several smaller parishes were closed. St. Peter’s was merged with St. Patrick’s, and many in its congregation moved up the peninsula to become part of the white church. “The whole membership of St. Peter’s had a place to go,” Mack said. The change at St. Patrick’s in 1967, as legal segregation came to an end in the South, was eerily reminiscent of what happened after the Civil War emancipated the slaves. The infusion of black worshippers drove many whites away, church leaders said. Soon, the diocese’s first black priest, Fr. Egbert Figaro, took the reins of St. Patrick’s. The following year, Immaculate Conception School and Bishop England High School were integrated. Reaching out Today, St. Patrick’s sanctuary fills up with about 250 people on any given Sunday morning, according to Kulah. As many as 80 show up for the Saturday evening Mass. White regulars number 15-20.

If you go All events are at St. Patrick's Church, 134 St. Philip St. Today: Anniversary Mass, 10 a.m., with Bishop Robert Guglielmone. Reception and program to follow. March 17, St. Patrick's Day: Mass and reception, 6 p.m. June 23-24: Homecoming weekend, celebrating 1967 merger of St. Patrick's and St. Peter's, with procession to site of former St. Peter's, 34 Wentworth St. Oct. 19: Anniversary gala, details to follow. Dec. 2: Finale celebration Mass and reception, details to follow. For more information, call 723-6066, email stpat@bellsouth.net or visit catholic-doc.org/stpatrick.

Guglielmone called St. Patrick’s “a vibrant church doing wonderful things.” Because of its proximity to the College of Charleston, it hosts the diocese’s campus ministry, showing “tremendous hospitality,” he said. “It’s certainly a testimony to the black Catholic presence and the diocese’s commitment to supporting that presence,” Guglielmone said. Marcus Cox, a professor of history at The Citadel and co-chairman of the 175th anniversary committee, said he appreciates the sense of family at St. Patrick’s, where members refer to one another as “brother” and “sister.” “One of the things I really love about Father is that he really stresses fellowship,” Cox said. Though the congregation mostly consists of older parishioners, the church is making an effort to reach young people, Mack said. St. Patrick’s has a junior choir, altar servers and junior daughters who assist with services. A health fair, Easter egg hunt and parish picnic attract children and adults alike. Its community outreach, too, is pronounced, Mack said. It includes a Women’s Guild affiliated with the National Council of Catholic Women; support of Our Lady of Mercy Outreach on Johns Island which, in turn, assists migrant workers; and a Christmas basket initiative that provides a full meal to families in need. Music in church is important, often incorporating aspects of the gospel tradition. The Mass is utterly Catholic, Mack and Kulah said, but the singing derives from a long history of black church music. The choir of about 15 is directed by Charlton Singleton, a noted pianist and trumpet player who’s a fixture of the jazz scene in Charleston. “The congregation loves to sing,” Mack said. “And visitors often say they really loved the music.” Clapping is common. “The church encourages its own culture.” And unity in Christ. “It’s a family,” Kulah said, “it’s really just a family.”