Bryan Strawser

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Bryan Strawser

Was it not as in the old days?

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I just finished re-watching Ken Burn’s incredible series The Civil War – only appropriate since I’m slogging my way through Shelby Foote’s deep series on the war as well.

This quote, read by Shelby Foote at the end of The Civil War, is a fitting end:

“In time, even death itself might be abolished; who knows but it may be given to us after this life to meet again in the old quarters, to play chess and draughts, to get up soon to answer the morning role call, to fall in at the tap of the drum for drill and dress parade, and again to hastily don our war gear while the monotonous patter of the long roll summons to battle.

Who knows but again the old flags, ragged and torn, snapping in the wind, may face each other and flutter, pursuing and pursued, while the cries of victory fill a summer day? And after the battle, then the slain and wounded will arise, and all will meet together under the two flags, all sound and well, and there will be talking and laughter and cheers, and all will say, Did it not seem real? Was it not as in the old days?”

— Sergeant Berry Benson, Army of Northern Virginia, 1880

The Woods are Calling Me

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It’s the first real day over 50 degrees here in Boston. My mountain bike is calling my name silently from the basement – Massasoiet State Park is haunting me.. I can hear the crunch of tires across snow, leaf, and twig..

I cannot resist.

Off for a couple hours of pure torture – and incredible beauty.

So?

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Where, indeed, does life begin?

Somewhere, out there, between what is, and what will be… is that it?

Or is it somewhere between the wild pregnant worlds between what is, what was, and what willl be?

Sure I am, I am not.

But thus, challenged, am I. Today, tonight, this morning,….

Grinding the Last Week Out

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Back on Northwest flying from Providence to Minneapolis. It’s my third such trip in the last five weeks – in fact, it was a month ago today that I flew up to Minneapolis for the start of this six week long period of commuting. Seems to be going well so far, the travel hasn’t grated on me too much yet.

After this week, it’s back home for five days, then off to LA for five days, and then home to prepare the house for sale and take some well-needed vacation time. Sorta of looking forward to that work.. but just being home will be nice.

Listening to some BB King:

I bought you a ten dollar dinner, you said thanks for the slap

I let you live in my pimphouse, you said it was just a shack.

I gave you seven children, and now you want to give them back….

Those were the days anyway… John Lee Hooker is next…

It’s going to be tax week for me – with Turbotax loaded on my laptop and plenty of work yet to do along those lines. Certainly not looking to doing that work, but the refund should be nice after all

Lex has started posting again, and that makes me happy. Welcome back!

I’m about flesh out of things to write about – and that’s been one of the reasons for the quiet here. Been busy with real life and work projects and that’s never a good mix if you’re looking for time to blog.. I’ll see if I can do better in the coming weeks…

Off to Jam to John Lee Hooker… One bourbon, one scotch, one beer…. well, my baby, she gone. She been gone tonight. I ain’t seen my baby one night of her life.. one bourbon, one scotch, one beer…. and I sit there, getting high, getting mellow, knocked out, feeling good, and I look down the bar, at the bartender.. I say hey Mr. bartender.. he say, whatddy want Johnny.. I say come down here, and he got down here, and he ask me… whaddy want… one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer…

Can’t top that..

Unconditional Surrender

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Headquarters, Army in the Field

Camp near Donelson, February 16th

General S. B. Buckner
Confederate Army

Sir:

Yours of this date proposing Armistice, and appointment of Commissioners, to settle terms of Capitulation is just received.

No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted.

I propose to move immediately upon your works.

I am sir: very respectfully
Your obedient servant
U.S. Grant
Brig. General

The Civil War: Fort Sumter to Perryville, by Shelby Foote [p. 213]

Shelby Foote’s The Civil War

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I’ve begun reading Shelby Foote’s incredible three volume series on the Civil War. I’m about 200 pages into the first volume Fort Sumter to Perryville. Foote, as you may know, is one of the preeminent historians of that age, and became famous for his commentary on Ken Burn’s Civil War series on PBS.

Of Abraham Lincoln’s departure from Illinois on the eve of his assuming the Presidency, Lincoln says – and is quoted by Foote:

“My friends, no one not in my situation can appreciate any feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place and the kidness of these people I owe everything. Here I have lived for a quarter of a century, and have passed from a young to an old man. Here my children have been born, and one is buried. I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of the Divine Being who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance I cannot fail. Trusting in Him who can go with me and remain with you and be everywhere for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well. To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell.”

The train pulled out and the people stood and watched it go, some with tears on their faces. Four years and two months later, still down in Coles County, Sally Bush Lincoln was to say: “I knowed when he went away he wasn’t ever coming back alive.”