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Susan Eberhart Was Sinned Against

Susan Eberhart Was Sinned Against On a gloomy day in May 1873 Susan wore a lovely white dress described as cambric-flushed. Susan was perfectly willing to die.   Susan wore a lovely white dress paid for by the sheriff. Susan was perfectly willing to die cheerful, confident and composed.   Paid for by the sheriff Susan wore a calico sun bonnet. Cheerful, confident and composed Susan was escorted to the gallows.   Susan wore a calico sun bonnet even though the day was gloomy. Susan was escorted to the gallows after making peace with God.   Even though the day

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Kinswomen Poem

Kinswomen Blood of kinswomen throbs through my veins twisting strands of shared DNA from women I’ve never known except when they whisper to me in my dreams. Oh, kinswomen, I’ve missed you. Welcome Home   Home is where kinswomen linger after they have left the Earth still embracing loved ones shared memories connecting their inner hearts, spirits, and souls remembering lifetimes together   Photo by Sandra Seitamaa on Unsplash

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Wells Waite Miller: Filling in the Gaps, Part 2

I continue my research into forgotten Civil War hero Wells Waite Miller thanks to a book titled Margaretta Township and Castalia Village: Past and Present (Cold Creek Girl Scouts, 1976). You can find part one here where I fill in some gaps in my knowledge. Here’s the next set. Wells Waite Miller: Short Teaching Career After being seriously wounded at Gettysburg in 1863, Wells served in the position of captain in the Veteran Reserve Corp, effective April 1, 1864. He wanted to return to the regular Army but was denied the opportunity during the rest of the Civil War and

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Wells Waite Miller: Filling in the Gaps, Part 1

Today, I headed to the library in Sandusky, Ohio to read a reference book titled Margaretta Township and Castalia Village: Past and Present (Cold Creek Girl Scouts, 1976). Thank you, Girl Scouts! In this slim volume of history, I hoped to find pieces of information to further fill out my understanding of Wells Waite Miller, a largely forgotten Civil War hero from Castalia—and I’m happy to report that I did. In this post and its sequels, I’ll link to previously written posts and add more details to the stories. More Details About the Castalia Massacre I’d previously written about a

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Redemption by the River

In this poem, I imagine encountering the ghosts of ancestors along the river bed.  Chilly mud dampens my knees as I kneel at the edge of the river. Relentless water ruts the earth, pummeling ancient boulders, stripping even grace bare.   I’m hammered by heartbreak with ghostly mist my only witness. When I finally lift my head, the moon is my lantern and I see you, standing silently by the riverbank.   My heart flutters, a tambourine, till I realize how long ago your tears fed this river in the opening by the pines. Your blood now flows in my

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Are You a Writer?

Wondering if You Are a Writer? Give yourself one point for each of these that sound like you: You love to read: Maybe you hide a flashlight under your bed so you can read under the covers, late at night. You probably tuck a book in your book bag, so you’re never without reading material. If without a book or magazine, you’ve been known to read ingredients on a can of food. You love to write: You might write poetry or essays or stories. You might keep a journal. We each have our own types of reading and writing that

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