I have been asked to present this short story at an Appleseed shoot in two weeks, but I have found very little information on it. Does anyone have some info about this story that they would like to pass on? Any good tips for telling it? Notes?
Anything would be appreciated! :)
Thanks,
Evenstar
Contact NorCal22Gal, she did this presentation Sunday at the Sacramento California Appleseed.
I don't think there was a dry eye in the audiance. Must have been a lot of dust in the air...
I wish I'd thought to keep the author's name on this but I didn't. Anyway, here ya go.
Quote"Let me tell you a quick story, but one which brings to life some of the impact of the Rev War on people who were there, that first day.
"We heard about Dr Samuel Prescott, how he was returning home that young spring night, full of the spirit of youth, from courting his fiancee, Miss Lydia Mullikin, when he ran into Revere and Dawes, and agreed to help them alarm Concord. About how he escaped, and was in fact the one rider to get thru to alarm Concord.
"His plans, of course, included a wedding in his future. Because of the War, that wedding never took place.
"Let's look at what happened to some of the people who would have been at that wedding. Maybe there would even have been a portrait, showing the new bride, her new husband, her brother, his brother (the Best Man), and the preacher who officiated.
"At the end of the War, there was only person in that portrait who was alive.
"Dr. Samuel Prescott initially served in the militia, then joined the crew of a privateer, and was captured, dying in miserable conditions on a British prison ship in Halifax harbor. To our knowledge, Lydia never heard his fate. To her, he simply disappeared. She waited until the end of the war, and, when he did not return, eventually married someone else.
"Prescott's brother, the future Best Man, was returning from carrying the alarm to farther towns when he was shot by the British at the South Bridge in Concord. He lingered until August, before dying of the wound.
"Lydia's brother signed up with the milita, and died of camp fever.
"The Rev Emerson, a stout soul on April 19th, scurrying amongst his parishioners with musket, powder horn, his black clerical garb flapping, offering encouragement, also joined the militia, and died of 'camp fever'.
"If all that wasn't enough - no wedding, bridegroom dead, brother dead, minister dead - Lydia's house was one of the three Lexington houses burnt by Lord Percy that day.
"She lost her house, her husband-to-be, and her brother...
"Worse, she lost her future, all her plans and dreams, shattered by the War.
"Truly, few of us moderns understand the impact the War had on our founding generation."
ES, try Old Glory! and Trisha for tips and stuff. Or SS. ;)
Dwarven, That one would be Fred's...
Quote from: dwarven1 on August 23, 2010, 03:29:10 PM
I wish I'd thought to keep the author's name on this but I didn't. Anyway, here ya go.
I'm gonna send Evenstar what I did....If you would like i can post it here too. Just give me some time to type it up.
NorCal22Gal
Thanks, eaglescouter; I sent her a message.
Thank you too, Dwarven. O0
Quote from: Western Rose on August 23, 2010, 04:00:17 PM
ES, try Old Glory! and Trisha for tips and stuff. Or SS. ;)
SS already gave me what she had on it. Which turned out to be the same as Fred's.
Quote from: NorCal22Gal on August 23, 2010, 04:08:59 PM
I'm gonna send Evenstar what I did....If you would like i can post it here too. Just give me some time to type it up.
NorCal22Gal
That's probably a good idea so other people can reference it.
If anyone else has something on this, or tips for the presentation, please feel free to share.
~ES
Please do post - I'm always looking for new material.
I'm weaving this into my presentation at the Campaign for liberty meeting tonight. If it goes well, It'll be my standard stump speech. Feel free to comment or use as you'd like.
I'm xxxxxxxx, an instructor with The Appleseed Project.
How many of you have heard of it?
How many of you have heard of Paul Revere? (1/4 of Americans don't even know who we fought to gain our independence.)
How many of you have heard of Dr Samuel Prescott?
"Let me tell you a quick story, but one which brings to life some of the impact of the Rev War on people who were there, that first day.
"Dr Samuel Prescott, a young, gifted, patriot was returning home that young spring night, full of the spirit of youth, from courting his fiancee, Miss Lydia Mullikin, when he ran into Revere and Dawes, and agreed to help them alarm Concord. He escaped, and was in fact the one rider to get thru to alarm Concord.
"His plans, of course, included a wedding in his future. Because of the War, that wedding never took place.
"Let's look at what happened to some of the people who would have been at that wedding. Maybe there would even have been a portrait, showing the new bride, her new husband, her brother, his brother (the Best Man), and the preacher who officiated.
"At the end of the War, there was only one person in that portrait who was alive.
"Dr. Samuel Prescott initially served in the militia, then joined the crew of a privateer, and was captured, dying in miserable conditions on a British prison ship in Halifax harbor. To our knowledge, Lydia never heard his fate. To her, he simply disappeared. She waited until the end of the war, and, when he did not return, eventually married someone else.
"Prescott's brother, the future Best Man, was returning from carrying the alarm to farther towns when he was shot by the British at the South Bridge in Concord. He lingered until August, before dying of the wound.
"Lydia's brother signed up with the milita, and died of camp fever.
"The Rev Emerson, a stout soul on April 19th, scurrying amongst his parishioners with musket, powder horn, his black clerical garb flapping, offering encouragement, also joined the militia, and died of 'camp fever'.
"If all that wasn't enough - no wedding, bridegroom dead, brother dead, minister dead - Lydia's house was one of the three Lexington houses burnt by Lord Percy that day.
"She lost her house, her husband-to-be, and her brother...
"Worse, she lost her future, all her plans and dreams, shattered by the War.
"Truly, few of us moderns understand the impact the War had on our founding generation."
What they did was give us a choice. Their choice was fight or submit. One or the other. They chose to fight so that we could have a third choice. We can be citizens and get involved in the civic process and hold our representatives accountable.
One other thing about our founders that let them beat the best, most feared army in the world was that they were marksmen.
The Appleseed Project has been called by some, "A history lesson disguised as a marksmanship clinic."
We are an apolitical, all volunteer org that conducts two day marksmanship clinics nationwide. We also talk about the sacrifices our founders made so that we can have the liberties we enjoy today.
Our marksmanship goal is to teach you to take a rack grade rifle and surplus ammo and shoot 4moa from field positions. In other words, hit a milk jug at 250 yds from field positions. Just you, the rifle and a sling. No benches or sandbag rests.
If you can score a 210 or better on the AQT, you will earn a Rifleman's patch and be invited back as an instructor in training.
Our heritage goal is to help you understand the sacrifices made by our founders so that you can enjoy the freedoms you have today and to 'get you off the couch' and get involved in running your country.
We will have 1000 events and 20,000 attendees this year alone. We even train active duty military to give those soldiers a better chance of making it home. We are doubling every year. Under 21, women, active duty military and elected officials are free. We charge others $70 for both days just to cover costs.
We have been covered by the NYT, the WAPO and Fox News, some as hit pieces and others fair and balanced. We have links to these at our website.
Remember, our heritage is a country of riflemen. Nothing is more distasteful to tyranny than an informed and armed electorate. Maybe that why they were listed as the first and second amendments.
We have our next clinic on September 25-26 and I hope to see you there. Bring someone or send someone. Help us once again become a nation of riflemen.
Quote from: Evenstar on August 23, 2010, 04:12:42 PMIf anyone else has something on this, or tips for the presentation, please feel free to share.
~ES
Tell it from your heart. Tell it like
you are Lydia, and let the audience experience your pain. The rest takes care of itself. And don't be afraid to get emotional - that's what our job is, to get our students to truly understand the sacrifices and choices that were made for us.
MJA
Quote from: Another D.O.M. on August 23, 2010, 05:12:23 PM
Quote from: Evenstar on August 23, 2010, 04:12:42 PMIf anyone else has something on this, or tips for the presentation, please feel free to share.
~ES
Tell it from your heart. Tell it like you are Lydia, and let the audience experience your pain. The rest takes care of itself. And don't be afraid to get emotional - that's what our job is, to get our students to truly understand the sacrifices and choices that were made for us.
MJA
NorCal22Gal told the story in the First Person, she was Lydia. As for the rest, I'll let her tell it her way so you can hear it correctly.
QuoteTell it from your heart. Tell it like you are Lydia, and let the audience experience your pain.
If they ain't crying when you get done :'( you didn't do it right !
there were several with "dust in their eyes...." :D
I'll get it typed up after i do my aar....
:D
Thank you all. Every little bit helps as I find it very hard to speak in front of a crowd.
NorCal... AARs are important. ~~:) ;) ;) 'Dust in their eyes'? Good; I don't want my mom and sis to out-do me. They make everyone cry with the strikes!
I'll send you the letter from Hannah Wintrop to Mercy Warren too.......the last paragraph i can't read it with out crying.....
NCG,
Please send them to me, too.
Here are my notes on the people of the wedding portrait:
Lydia's brother, Nathaniel Mulliken, survived the skirmish on the Green only to die of Camp fever at age 24 while with the army in Boston.
Dr. Samuel Prescott joined the Continental Army and was later captured and died miserably in prison. Lydia waited for him for eight years, but never knew his fate.
Dr. Abel Prescott carried the alarm to Farmingham and Sudbury. He was shot at the South Bridge as he returned to Concord, and was forced to hide in Mrs. Heywood's house to escape. He died of his wounds, but not until August of 1775 at age 26, suffering from his wounds for four months.
Rev. William Emerson was Chaplain to the Provincial Congress when it met in Concord in 1774. On the morning of april 19, he lent courage to men who took up arms, strengthening their resolve by assuring them that their cause was just and God would bless them. He died of Camp fever while serving with the Continental Army in 1776.
I usually try to include the students when telling the story by picking volunteers to stand in the "portrait". Then have them step out of the picture as I tell their demise. I am not sure this is as effective as telling the story in the first person, but it does involve the students which is a good thing.
"The Wedding Portrait that Never Was: The True Cost of the Revolutionary War".
OG
Quote from: NorCal22Gal on August 23, 2010, 05:51:07 PM
I'll send you the letter from Hannah Wintrop to Mercy Warren too.......the last paragraph i can't read it with out crying.....
NCG,
Even though ES is in the same home as I am and thus I'll be able to read what you send her, please post here too. It will be a great help to others.
TruT.
Ok here it is. Sorry it took a while.
The Wedding Portrait that Never Happened....Lydia Mulliken's story
I set this up by having instructors stand up with me as Samuel Prescott, Able Prescott, Nathaniel Mulliken, and Rev. Emerson. As you tell of each one going off to the war and dying, they walk away from you, until you are left standing alone.
You really need to feel this one. It's ok if your voice breaks or tears fall.
"Hello, my name is Lydia Mulliken. You've probably never hear of me before, but I'd like to tell you about the wedding portrait that never happened.
You may not know my name, but you are familiar with my fiancé, Dr. Samuel Prescott. (look at the person playing Dr. Prescott). We were planning our wedding and our future that night of April 18, 1775. When he left, it was early morning on the 19th. If you remember he road with Paul Revere and William Dawes. Samuel got away and was able to warn Concord that the Regulars were coming. He and his family warned many others. That was the last I saw of him. I waited 8 years to find out what happened to him. He was captured in 1777 and died on a British prison ship in Halifax. ("Samuel" should leave now)
My future Brother-in-Law Able Prescott (Look at Able) was one of the express riders who helped alarm the countryside. He was wounded later in April, then died in August from his wounds. ("Able should leave now)
My brother Nathaniel, left with the militia and joined the army. (look at brother) He died later of Camp Fever. (Nathaniel should leave)
Reverend Emerson would have married us. He went with the militia to minister to his men. He too died of the awful camp fever. (Rev. Emerson leaves)
My house was one of the three that Lord Percy decided to burn to "teach us a lesson"!
So I stand here alone. No fiancé, no brother-in-law, no brother, Rev. Emerson gone. My house gone.
BUT I STAND HERE FREE!!!
The men in my life had two choices; to fight maybe to die for our liberties or to be slaves. They chose to fight. They made their choice.
You may not remember my name, but remember them and the sacrifice they made for you so you could have a 3rd choice.
Use it and don't forget."
Hope this works. I know the detail are in the back section of Paul Revere's Ride.
Here is the other story. I forgot that i posted it elsewhere. It's another one that is a tear jerker...especially to me the last couple line.
Letter from a book called "The Women of the American Revolution" by Elizabeth Fries Ellet. Written in 1848. Dedicated to her mother Sarah Maxwell Lummis, the daughter of a revolutionary officer, this work is respectfully and affectionately inscribed.
Excerpt from a letter from Hannah Winthrop to her very good friend Mercy Warren (wife of Colonel James Warren)
"Nor can I ever forget, nor will old time ever erase the horrors of that midnight cry, preceding the bloody massacre at Lexington, when we were roused from the benign slumbers of the season, by beat of drum and ringing of bells, with the dire alarm that a thousand of the troops of George the Third had gone forth to murder the peaceful inhabitants of the surrounding villages. A few hrs, with the dawning day, convinced us the bloody purpose was executing; the platoon firing assuring us the rising sun must witness the bloody carnage. Not knowing what the even would be at Cambridge, at the return of these bloody ruffians, and seeing another brigade dispatched to the assistance of the former, looking with the ferocity of barbarians, it seemed necessary to retire to some place of safety, till the calamity was passed. After dinner we set out, not knowing whiter we went. We were directed to a place called Fresh-pond, about a mile from the town; but what a distressed house did we find it, filled with women whose husbands had gone forth to meet the assailants, 70 or 80 of these (with numberless infant children) weeping and agonizing for the fate of their husbands. In addition to this scene of distress, we were for sometime in sight of the battle; the glittering instrument of death proclaiming by an incessant fire that much blood must be shed; that many widowed and orphaned ones must be left as monuments of British barbarity. Another uncomfortable night we passed; some nodding off in their chairs, some resting their weary limbs on the floor. The welcome harbingers of day gave notice of its dawning light. It brings no news. It is unsafe to return to Cambridge, as the enemy were advancing up the river, and fixing on the town to stay in.
"Thus with precipitancy we were driven to the town of Anderson, following some of our acquaintance-five of us to be conveyed with one poor tired horse and chaise; thus we began our pilgrimage, alternately walking and riding, the roads filled with frightened women and children; some in carts with their tattered furniture, others on foot fleeing into the woods. But what added greatly to the horrors of the scene, was our passing through the bloody field at Monotong, which was strewed with the mangled bodies. We met one affectionate father with a cart, looking for his murdered son, and picking up his neighbors who had fallen in battle, in order for their burial."
Lydia's shop was also part of her house so she also lost her livelyhood.
I challenge you to imagine being engaged, thinking every day of your wedding day that is soon to come. With that, comes 'your' telling of the story.
My hubby, eaglescouter, was Samuel.....Thinking about sending him off to war that way.... :'(
Thanks, NorCal and kyjam. Time to put notes together. :cool2:
Best of luck. Have fun and enjoy. Feel it from the heart. Don't know if you have a boyfriend. if not imagine sending your dad or brother off.....
Hope it brings tears.
NorCal22Gal
Quote from: NorCal22Gal on August 26, 2010, 02:20:04 AM
Ok here it is. Sorry it took a while.
Samuel got away and was able to warn Concord that the Regulars were coming. He and his family warned many others. That was the last I saw of him. I waited 8 years to find out what happened to him. He was captured in 1777 and died on a British prison ship in Halifax.
Since we care very much in this program to "get the facts straight" the part in bold is an overstatement.
I doubt not that Prescott was able to see Lydia again - prob within a day or two of 4/19, if only to assure himself of her safety, after her house had been burned.
If not then, before he marched off with the milita unit he later joined.
If not then, certainly before he left to go to sea on the privateer.
Only after he sailed on the privateer is it likely they never saw each other again...
It's a minor point, but we need to keep to minor points. It's part of our respect for the history of those days.
Quote from: kyjam on August 26, 2010, 07:38:51 AM
I challenge you to imagine being engaged, thinking every day of your wedding day that is soon to come. With that, comes 'your' telling of the story.
KYJAM knows her stuff. She hammered this story at Knob creek earlier this summer.
When she told us about the expectations of a bride to be, looking forward to wearing the dress, being a bride, and losing all of that on top of losing her fiance, house, her protector and her future plans, it was personal.
She finished up and I saw several people look from her to her husband swallow deeply and look away.
It was a moment of somber reflection for all of us.
I took notes.
What a compliment. Thank you.
With the way you write, I can't wait to hear you do history, TBE. I bet I'll be so taken back I'll ignore that northern accent. O0
In case anyone is curious like me... I'll save you the google time.
Camp fever is typhus.
Nice job.
Paul Revere's Ride
page 287
"Dr. Samuel Prescott, who carried Revere's message to Concord, became a surgeon in the Continental Army, and later joined the crew of a New England privateer. He was captured by the Royal Navy and held prisoner in Halifax, where he died miserably in 1777, as did many thousands of America prisoners in British hands. His fiance' Lydia Mulliken had no word of him and waited faithfully until peace came in 1783."
Man, where else can you go on the 'net to debate the timing of 200-year-old issues? :)
The quote is no doubt accurate, but it does not specify the "from when" did she not have word. In other words, when would she have last seen or heard from him?
It makes sense when he left militia service for him to make a visit home, possibly to decide on his next course of action. If he came home, he saw Lydia (we all know that, right?).
Maybe some internet research will turn up something more concrete, but there's so many of these unanswered (and now pretty much unanswerable) questions that we have to fill in with the likely probabilities.
It's possible Prescott heard about a great opportunity to sign on and make the big bucks on a privateer, got "a wild hair", instantly quit the militia, and sailed without ever returning home, and seeing Lydia.
Possible, but probably not as likely as a more deliberate course of events as I first outlined above.
Family was very important in those days. Also, there being a war on, the future very uncertain. I'd think he want to see his family, and most certainly, Lydia, before he embarked on his nautical adventure. He'd want to see her, one last time, if his new course proved to be a bad choice, as indeed it did.
It doesn't detract from the story in any way to allow for the probabilities. And maybe some internet research would narrow down some of those probabilities...
I'm curious: do we know anything about Lydia's father? ???
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Prescott (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Prescott). Under the heading Early Life the second paragraph indicates Lydia's father was a Lexington clockmaker who had died in 1767. You may need to take a trip to the Lexington records dept. to find out more - if any records still exist.
Here's an interesting side note: It seems that Lydia was married in March of 1783 (http://www.rays-place.com/marrage/lexington-mar.htm (http://www.rays-place.com/marrage/lexington-mar.htm)) to a fellow named Joseph Burrill... Our SC's last name is Burrell - an erie coincidence.
Quote from: Another D.O.M. on September 01, 2010, 03:04:09 PM
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Prescott (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Prescott). Under the heading Early Life the second paragraph indicates Lydia's father was a Lexington clockmaker who had died in 1767. You may need to take a trip to the Lexington records dept. to find out more - if any records still exist.
Here's an interesting side note: It seems that Lydia was married in March of 1783 (http://www.rays-place.com/marrage/lexington-mar.htm (http://www.rays-place.com/marrage/lexington-mar.htm)) to a fellow named Joseph Burrill... Our SC's last name is Burrell - an erie coincidence.
So since her father was already dead, he wouldn't have been in the portrait anyway.
That list of the marriages is really interesting!
Thanks for your help! O0 I'll be presenting the story this weekend.
~ES
I cannot remember if it was the father or her brother Nathanial's clock we saw in Lexington...at either Buckman's Tavern or the Clarke-Hancock House. Shoot, may have seen one from each.
You will do great, ES!!
Darn it!!! :wb: That last post was from me. :( Hate it when I post under hubby's name.
Ok, Evenstar...we all want to know how you do with the story....PLEASE?????PLEASE????? ;)
Next weekend I'm gonna tell the 2nd strike as Hannah Davis..... :)
NorCal22Gal
Quote from: NorCal22Gal on September 02, 2010, 05:26:01 PM
Ok, Evenstar...we all want to know how you do with the story....PLEASE?????PLEASE????? ;)
Next weekend I'm gonna tell the 2nd strike as Hannah Davis..... :)
NorCal22Gal
Ok, I'll post here to let ya'll know how it went... AS LONG as you, NorCal, PM me how your 2nd strike goes, and read our AARs to get other's perspectives on how I did. ;)
You got it!!!! ;D
Well... I told the story. I thought it went really well. I don't know if anyone cried, cause I was to busy blinking. :) I didn't tell it in first person, but with my sister's help, made some changes to the original notes. Here are the notes I went by if anyone is interested. Thanks to ALL for your help, tips, and notes. :bow: :cool2:
The Wedding Portrait That Never Was
"Yesterday we heard about Dr. Samuel Prescott. About how he was returning home that April night from courting his fiancee. We heard how he ran into Revere and Dawes and agreed to help them alarm Concord. In fact, he was the only rider to get through to Concord.
"He had many plans for his future. He had a promising career as a doctor, and, in his near future, a wedding to his fiancee, Miss Lydia Mullikin. Because of the War, that wedding never took place.
"Let's fast-forward a few months and pretend that the war never happened. We are standing in the doorway to a church. Down the aisle, at the altar, we see a bride, her groom, her brother, his brother, and the minister who officiated.
"Now we must rewind, because the war did, in fact, take place.
"Lydia's brother, Nathanial, survived the skirmish on the Green, but died later of camp fever.
"Rev. William Emerson died of camp fever while with the Continental Army in 1776.
"Dr. Abel Prescott carried the alarm from Concord to Sudbury and Farmingham on April 19th. As he was returning, he was shot by the Regulars at the South Bridge outside of Concord. He died of those wounds in August. Think about it. For four months he lingered, before finally dying of those wounds.
"Dr. Samuel Prescott served in the militia, then joined the crew of a privateer. He was captured, dying in miserable conditions on a British prison ship.
"Lydia never heard of his fate. To her, he simply disappeared. She waited 8 years for him. Never hearing a word. When he didn't return, she married someone else.
"If all that wasn't enough - no wedding, groom dead, brother dead, minister dead - Lydia's house was one of the three houses burnt by Lord Percy that April day.
"I think that few of us truly understand the impact the war had on our founding generation.
"Here was a girl who lost her house, her husband-to-be, and her brother. Worse, she lost her future... All her plans and dreams, shattered by the war.
"Lydia also lost her security. When we are little girls, our dad is our security. We know he won't let anything happen to us. As we grow up, our brothers help keep watch over us when our father can't. And then, when we meet that special man, he becomes our protector and provider for the rest of our life. Lydia lost that. She lost her father before the war... her brother and husband-to-be, during the war.
"Every woman, especially once she's engaged, hopes for that unmistakable look on her fiance's face when he sees her in her wedding dress. But Lydia never got to see that look on Samuel's face."
Glad to hear it went well! I knew it would.
I've been checking , hoping you'd post. ;)
Good job! O0
We had enough male instructors for me to have them stand up during the portrait. I think it made a difference. I did it first person this time which put an interesting twist, too. Glad to gather from you guys, thanks.
Good Job!!
We had enough male instructors that they stand up with me...My husband eaglescouter is Dr. Prescott. Makes it more personal to me to have to think of sending someone i love off....then not hearing what happened to him for years.....
I told 2nd strike as Hannah Davis.....as if she was sitting down that evening and writing the days events in her diary. I started "April 19, 1775....They brought Isaac home today......"
There was a lot of "dust" in the air this weekend.
One lady told me that next time I got up to tell a story she was going to take a walk so she wouldn't cry....
There's a compliment...To touch the hearts of the shooters and make them feel what the people must have felt at that time.
One of our instructors called it "devastating"....cause i made him cry too....
It's a good feeling to know that everyone you are telling the story too feels it as much as you do.
NorCal22Gal.
Quote from: NorCal22Gal on September 13, 2010, 11:31:26 PM
I told 2nd strike as Hannah Davis.....as if she was sitting down that evening and writing the days events in her diary. I started "April 19, 1775....They brought Isaac home today......"
NorCal22Gal,
I'd be grateful if you'd share your story/notes for your 2nd strike presentation here or on the Instructor Core Board. Please?
TruT.
Going to make me try to remember what i said? ooookkkkkaaaayyy....give me a couple days to get it typed up and i'd be happy to share.
NorCal22Gal
Alright...you asked for it... Hope it works for whoever uses it.
NorCal22Gal
2nd Strike Told as Hannah Davis
I did this as if she was sitting down at the end of the day writing in a journal or diary.
"April 19, 1775
They brought Isaac home today. He lays in our bed until the funeral. His face is serene, as if even in death he knows the cause he fought for is just and right.
It seems like days ago since the alarm early this morning. We'd been up with the children, all 4 of them, 3 are sick with the canker rash. I hope they are strong and survive what has been a deadly disease.
The Robbin's boy brought the alarm early this morning. We could hear the alarm bells and the alarm shots being fired.
It was a different feeling to watch my husband change from just Isaac, to Captain Isaac Davis. The men in his unit began gathering in my kitchen. Because Isaac was a gunsmith, his men were well equipped with bayonet and cartridge boxes. Well trained too, for Isaac asked them to train twice a week as payment for the bayonets. I helped them get ready, even powdered their hair so they might be presentable when they met the Regulars.
Finally, they were ready and they marched away. I stood at the door and watched. Suddenly, they stopped and Isaac came back. He stood before me for a while as if he had much to say but couldn't decide what to say.. Finally he said goodbye, then said "Hannah, take good care of the children." Then he turned and went back to the men and they left.
The men told me that Concord was warned by Dr. Samuel Prescott.."
(at this point I told the main body of the strike still using the tone of Hannah getting the story from the men who went with Isaac and who surely talked to the other men there)
"Col. Smith & his men left Concord under the watchful eyes of Col Barrett and the rest of the militia at the North Bridge.
I know that I will tell my children about their brave father, and I would hope that they would tell their children so his sacrifice isn't forgotten."
Thus end the 2nd strike of the match, flaring brightly, but not quite ready to catch and fully blaze yet......
Quote from: NorCal22Gal on September 17, 2010, 12:33:40 PM
Alright...you asked for it... Hope it works for whoever uses it.
NorCal22Gal
2nd Strike Told as Hannah Davis
I did this as if she was sitting down at the end of the day writing in a journal or diary.
"April 19, 1775
They brought Isaac home today. He lays in our bed until the funeral. His face is serene, as if even in death he knows the cause he fought for is just and right.
It seems like days ago since the alarm early this morning. We'd been up with the children, all 4 of them, 3 are sick with the canker rash. I hope they are strong and survive what has been a deadly disease.
The Robbin's boy brought the alarm early this morning. We could hear the alarm bells and the alarm shots being fired.
It was a different feeling to watch my husband change from just Isaac, to Captain Isaac Davis. The men in his unit began gathering in my kitchen. Because Isaac was a gunsmith, his men were well equipped with bayonet and cartridge boxes. Well trained too, for Isaac asked them to train twice a week as payment for the bayonets. I helped them get ready, even powdered their hair so they might be presentable when they met the Regulars.
Finally, they were ready and they marched away. I stood at the door and watched. Suddenly, they stopped and Isaac came back. He stood before me for a while as if he had much to say but couldn't decide what to say.. Finally he said goodbye, then said "Hannah, take good care of the children." Then he turned and went back to the men and they left.
The men told me that Concord was warned by Dr. Samuel Prescott.."
(at this point I told the main body of the strike still using the tone of Hannah getting the story from the men who went with Isaac and who surely talked to the other men there)
"Col. Smith & his men left Concord under the watchful eyes of Col Barrett and the rest of the militia at the North Bridge.
I know that I will tell my children about their brave father, and I would hope that they would tell their children so his sacrifice isn't forgotten."
Thus end the 2nd strike of the match, flaring brightly, but not quite ready to catch and fully blaze yet......
Wow, that sounds really good. I'd love to hear you tell this some day. O0
Bring a box of kleenex...I made almost all our instructors "have some dust in their eyes". One lady informed me that the next time i get up to tell a story she's leaving....i made her cry both days.
You're welcome to California any time!
NorCal22Gal
OK i'm going to give this a try this sunday at our shoot in Tuscaloosa, AL. I've used everyones stories and some other info I've found and hope to make it my own. Will let you know how it goes. I would love to do the Hannah Davis one when I have to do the other.
Quote from: NorCal22Gal on September 17, 2010, 12:57:34 PM
Bring a box of kleenex...I made almost all our instructors "have some dust in their eyes". One lady informed me that the next time i get up to tell a story she's leaving....i made her cry both days.
You're welcome to California any time!
NorCal22Gal
Thanks for posting your notes, NorCal. No kidding with the need for kleenex!
Here are my notes.
I first introduce the 2nd strike with Samuel Prescott escaping and arriving in Concord to sound the alarm. Then I talk about Concord's militia response and Concord's townfolks response. Then comes the introduction of Isaac Davis and Acton:
(The notes on my cards)
-5 miles west of Concord was the town of Acton
-In Acton minutemen appointed Isaac Davis, a farmer & gunsmith to be Captain
-Outfitted his men and trained with them twice a week
-When the alarm sounded in Acton minutemen congregate at Isaac's home
-"Hannah, Isaac's wife, wrote in her diary: Acton minutemen trampled into my kitchen and filled that small feminine space with the strong masculine presence of their muskets, bayonets, tomahawks, and powder hrns."
-Commotion woke Davis' four children, youngest 15 months old
-Children suffering from Canker Rash
-Ready to head out - Isaac last to leave
-Approached door - turned
-Knowing he's about to enter danger
-Face is somber - serious - yet lined with courage and conviction
-Locked eyes with beloved wife
-Much he wants to say ... much she wants to say
-Finds his voice ... can only get out, "Take good care of the children"
-Turns and is gone
-"Hannah, struggling with her womanly intuition that she'll never see her husband, her protector, the father of her children again, is overwhelmed with the agony of emptiness and the unknown BUT she says a prayer for Isaac, and then tends to the needs of her children"
-She understood the high cost of liberty.
Then I move on to Redcoats in Concord, Activity of the Gathering Minutemen, At the North Bridge, Events after the North Bridge, and then an Epilogue:
-4:30 in the afternoon
-Hannah in kitchen preparing broth for children
-Two running high fevers
-Fears they won't live to see another day
-Mixed w/her concern for her little ones is a concern for her husband
-Getting late. Where's Isaac? What's happening in Concord?
-Is he on his way home? When will he return?
-While mulling over these thoughts she hears a wagon pull up outside.
-Finally! He's home!!!
-She stands stone still without breathing ... door swings open
-She senses the men that opened the door are struggling with the burden they're carrying in
-She looks upon Isaac
-Aside from the blood soaked shirt, his countenance has not changed much
-the man beside her is saying something
-She can't hear him. Her eyes are riveted on the man she loves.
-All else seems so far away. She can't hear a thing.
-She finally turns and sees the word "Where?" form on the man's lips.
-She gestures toward the bedroom
-The men carefully carry Isaac into the room and gently lay him on the bed ... Isaac's bed ... their bed, and then quietly leave
-Hannah is alone in her home ... their home ... with her dead husband and four grievously sick children
-What is the cost of freedom? Hanna knew what the cost was.
-Is that cost too high? Is it?
Courage: That quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness; or without fear or depression of spirits; valor; boldness; resolution
Courage - that word sums up the character of the Colonists. Does that word characterize you?
The second match has been struck, but as can happen, this match sputters and goes out like the first. Is there a third?
Bamanurse, let the story grow on you, get inside the Colonists heads at every turn and you'll do just fine. Please do let us know how it goes.
TruT
Some tidbits -
When 13 yr old John Robbins, son of the Acton militia captiain, banged on the Davis door, Isaac got up, musket in hand. He got the warning and shut the door. He turned and locked eyes with Hanna whose arms were crossed. she was trying to hold herself together.
Canker rash is similar to scarlet fever.
While the men were there, they started joiking about getting a hit at Gage. Isaac rebuked them,saying it was an eventful crisis for the colonies. Blood would be shed. they didn't know whose or for how long. But they shouldn't worry, God is on their side.
Men went outside and Isaac gave teh command to march. Hanna was at the door watching. He halted his men and went back to her. So imagine what she was feeling watching him walk away at first without saying anything. After he said "Take good..." she was proud but human, despair overwhelmed her. ( I put in the proud part, but I know she was, had to be). They regularly discused politics
HIs men get to the Concord town line. He paused and gave them the chance to turn back. Noone did.Isaac came up off the ground whent eh musket ball tore through his heart. He was holding on to his musket so tight, they had to pry it from his hands later.
Hanna had gone into Acton to check for news during the day but there was none.
After the men left she was alone in the house with her dead husband and sick children.. She was low on money, grain, supplies. she sunk down on the hearthstone and cried uncontrollably.
I then deatil the risk - treson, wounds, no life insurance.
Isaac knew this risk when he headed out the door. So did Hanna. Did she run after him? No. Was she proud of him? You bet she was.
Sorry for the typing. Doing this quickly and I can't see my cursor. :(
My copy of PRR always seems to fall open to page 166.
"Other women shared that feeling as they watched their husbands march away. After the men were gone these individual emotions flowed into one another like little streams into a river of fear that flooded the rural towns of Massachusetts. "
While many looked for a place of safety during the calamity, and amidst intense uncertainty, courageous women from Pepperell and the surrounding countryside bravely vowed to let no foe to freedom pass through their town.
Oh, what it must have been like for the women.
Amen....
All I have to do is picture sending my husband or brother off to war...knowing i might not see them again.... :'( Getting ready to tell the stories again this coming weekend in Red Bluff at my home range. maybe i'll buy some boxes of tissue to place on the tables....... :P
There is a letter I've posted somewhere....written by Hannah Winthrop to Mercy Warren. In it she describes the women in a house where she and her ill husband stayed the night...
"but what a distressed house did we find it, filled with women whose husbands had gone forth to meet the assailants, some 70 or 80 of these ( with numberless infant children), weeping and agonizing for the fate of their husbands. In addition to this scene of distress, we were for sometime in sight of the battle; the glittering instruments of death proclaiming by an incessant fire that much blood must be shed; that many widowed and orphaned ones must be left as monuments of British barbarity....."
To remember is to honor.....
NorCal22Gal
Laurie
Funny... I just read that section of PRR yesterday... :-[
Quote from: NorCal22Gal on September 28, 2010, 10:55:18 PM
There is a letter I've posted somewhere....written by Hannah Winthrop to Mercy Warren. In it she describes the women in a house where she and her ill husband stayed the night...
"but what a distressed house did we find it, filled with women whose husbands had gone forth to meet the assailants, some 70 or 80 of these ( with numberless infant children), weeping and agonizing for the fate of their husbands. In addition to this scene of distress, we were for sometime in sight of the battle; the glittering instruments of death proclaiming by an incessant fire that much blood must be shed; that many widowed and orphaned ones must be left as monuments of British barbarity....."
Found the whole thing here.... http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=13630.0
After I posted it of course....sigh....
oh well.
Enjoy all.
Laurie
Hey Gals (and guys)!
A random thought, but one that has to do with this story. Try dropping the word "portrait". To most people portrait is something ancient....not alive...still....something that happened a long time ago.... something they can't connect to... Just a picture on the wall.
I dropped the word "portrait" completely from the story at the last shoot I told this story at. Instead of having them imagine a portrait of the wedding, have them imagine that they are there... in the doorway of the church. I believe it made a difference and really brought it home to some people.
Just a suggestion....
Awesome idea!!! I will certainly try it......
NorCal22Gal