Sandra Merville Hart's Blog, page 84

Hazelelponah Wood: A Noteworthy Puritan Woman

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Today’s post is written by fellow author, Donna B. Gawell. Her debut historical novel, In the Shadow of Salem, releases this month. Congratulations on the new release, Donna!

Hazelelponah, Haselelponah or Haselepony?  How did Hazelelponah really spell her name or did she even care? This remarkable woman is the bearer of a unique name but has an equally amazing life story from the early years of New England.

Hazelelponah’s unique name is shared by a woman in the Old Testament in the genealogies of Judah. You can find it in 1 Chronicles 4:”These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi.” Feel free to use her name to quiz your pastor or rabbi.

[image error]In the Shadow of Salem features Hazelelponah as a proprietor of an ordinary or tavern. This real Puritan woman was born in 1636 in Exeter, NH and was the oldest daughter of Balthazar and Hannah Willix. In 1648, her mother was attacked, robbed, murdered on the road leading from Dover to Exeter,  and her body was thrown into the river. Balthazar became despondent and moved the family to Salisbury.

Soon after, Hazelelponah was sent into service, a typical practice in Puritan times for many young women and men.  She met and married John Gee, fisherman, but he was lost at sea on December 27, 1669.

The widow Hazelelponah moved with her five children to Boston for several years.  There Hazelelponah met Obadiah Wood, a widower with ten children who lived on East Street in Ipswich and was a “biskett baker.” Obadiah and Hazelelponah married and were proprietors of an ordinary or tavern in Ipswich. The couple added another ten children during their years of marriage.

Hazelelponah experienced so much tragedy in her early life, and we can only hope she was revered by her twenty-five children and stepchildren! This impressive woman survived her second husband and died in Ipswich in 1714 at the age of 79.  Her grave is located in the Old North Burying Ground in Ipswich, MA.

-Donna B. Gawell

About the author:

Donna is a writer and genealogist who enjoys writing novels about her infamous and more humble ancestors. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband Mark. Her website  features history and travel articles.

  Back Cover Blurb

In the Shadow of Salem is a historical novel about the life of Mehitabel Braybrooke, a Puritan woman born in 1652 in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Mehitabel is accused of crimes−the first for arson and the second for witchcraft. History has not been kind to Mehitabel, but what was the real story behind her scurrilous reputation? Would she ever be redeemed from her lifelong curse? Or was Mehitabel as wicked as her numerous Essex Court Records imply?

Amazon

Her Lonely Heart by Cynthia Hickey

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The Pony Express Romance Collection

Widow Sadie Mathewson raises her two children at a Pony Express Station that had been her husband’s dream. She fears for the safety of her twelve-year-old son who longs to become a rider. There has also been danger to riders from the Native Americans in the area. Sadie has a good relationship with local Kickapoo and hopes for the best.

Dr. Luke Stetson chases after his young brother after receiving a note that he’d joined the Pony Express. He finds his injured brother at Sadie’s station. Though the courageous mother captures his interest, his father has drilled into him not to marry beneath him.

I love reading historical romances where I feel as if I’ve gone back in time. The romance and adventure of the Pony Express in this story escalates to show the danger of those lonely Pony Express stations—and the courage of the young riders.

I enjoyed this story and others in this collection.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

Apple Meringue Pie Recipe from 1877

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While searching for a dessert to make for a family gathering, I ran across a recipe for apple meringue pie in my 1877 cookbook. Intrigued by a dessert I’d never heard of, I decided to try it.

[image error]The recipe calls for tart apples so I used Granny Smith. For apple pies that I’ve made in the past, three large apples made one pie. Since these apples would be “stewed” before going into the pie shell, I used twice that amount. This made enough filling for a large 9” pie.

Peel and slice the apples. Place them in a large saucepan and add water but don’t cover the apples. Cook over a medium heat until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. The aroma took me back to childhood memories of my grandmother’s cooking.

[image error]Remove from heat. Drain excess water. Mash the cooked apples. Add a teaspoon of nutmeg. After tasting the mixture with a spoon, I felt it needed a teaspoon of cinnamon so I added that. It gave the apples a nice flavor.

Hint: To prevent fruit juices from soaking into the pie crust, beat an egg and lightly brush a little onto the unbaked shell. 1877 cooks dipped a cloth into the egg mixture, but I used a pastry brush.

Poor the apple mixture into a prepared unbaked pie crust and bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes or until the shell is done and the apples are set.

[image error]For the meringue: Beat 3 egg whites, 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla until “it will stand alone.”

Allow the baked pie to cool about ten minutes then cover the pie with the meringue. Increase the oven temperature to 400 and return the pie to the oven just until the meringue is lightly browned. This may take five minutes but keep watching so as not to burn it.

Refrigerate after the pie cools and serve cold.

None of my guests had heard of an apple meringue pie. The novelty and the taste appealed to everyone. The dessert took me back to my grandmother’s cooking. I liked it. I had always used sugar as opposed to powdered sugar for meringues and was a little nervous about how it would work. The powdered sugar took a little longer to whip but tasted good.

The cook advises that peaches can be substituted for apples when in season. That sounds really delicious so I plan to make it with peaches.

I’d love to hear if you try it.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Compiled from Original Recipes. Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, Applewood Books, 1877.

 

 

Brig. Gen. Wofford Surrenders Department of North Georgia

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William T. Wofford served as a captain in the Mexican War. After the war, he was in the Georgia state legislature. As a member of the state convention in 1861, he voted against secession. When Georgia seceded, he joined the 18th Georgia Infantry as colonel.

His regiment was later assigned to General John Bell Hood’s Texas Brigade. As part of this brigade, Wofford and his men fought at Yorktown, Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Sharpsburg, and Antietam.

In November of 1862, 18th Georgia was transferred to the Georgia Brigade. Wofford was promoted to brigadier general on January 17, 1863.

He served with the Army of Northern Virginia until Georgia Governor Joseph E. Brown asked him to assume command of the Department of North Georgia around the end of 1864.

Georgia’s citizens needed protection from guerrilla attacks. Wofford strengthened his forces with stragglers, deserters—any available men. He commanded this department until May 12, 1865.

Lee and others had already surrendered when letters between Union Brigadier General Henry M. Judah and Wofford were exchanged. Union Colonel Louis Merrill believed there to be about 10,000 soldiers in Wofford’s command.

About a third of this number surrendered—the rest deserted.

A sign in Kingston, Georgia, located at the intersection of Church Street and West Main Street, marks where the surrender occurred.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

“Conclusion of the American Civil War,” Wikipedia.com, 2018/03/21 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conclusion_of_the_American_Civil_War.

“Conclusion of the American Civil War,” Wikiwand.com, 2018/03/22 http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Conclusion_of_the_American_Civil_War.

Long, E.B. and Long, Barbara. The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac 1861-1865, A Da Capo Paperback, 1971.

Plante, Trevor K. “Ending the Bloodshed,” National Archives, 2018/03/21

https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2015/spring/cw-surrenders.html.

“W.T. Wofford (1824-1884),” New Georgia Encyclopedia, 2018/04/21 https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/w-t-wofford-1824-1884.

The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright

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1906—Ivy Thorpe is chilled by the discovery of a dead woman near the home at Foster Hill. Her father, the medical examiner on the case, reports that the woman recently had a baby. The sheriff and Joel Cunningham, the detective Ivy hasn’t seen since her brother died, can’t find the infant. The baby can’t survive long so Ivy decides to search, placing herself in danger.

Current day—Kaine Prescott can’t convince the police that her husband’s death was no accident. Nor can she can convince them that someone is now stalking her. Longing to escape the danger, she buys a historic home, sight unseen, on Foster Hill and moves to Wisconsin to fix it up.

But the house is far more dilapidated than the realtor’s photos showed … and sinister. When the stalker finds her again, she’s terrified. Can she really trust her new neighbor, Grant Jesse?

Riveting!

Both women face danger that involves the house at Foster Hill. Their stories are woven together in a way that escalates with every turn of the page. Suspenseful, dramatic, heart-wrenching. I wasn’t able to put it down!

Spellbound by this well-written story.

Looking forward to reading other books by this author!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

Ambrosia Recipe from 1877

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I leafed through my 1877 cookbook for a dish to take to a family Easter meal and stumbled across this recipe for ambrosia. A little different from the modern version, fruity—it was perfect.

For this dish, you can peel and slice one pineapple. Mrs. Theo Brown, the original cook, advised that the canned pineapple was equally as good, so I used that. The pineapple chunks were sliced in half.

Peel six to seven sweet oranges, removing the seeds and core. Slice the larger sections in two.

Combine the oranges and pineapple and mix them well.

[image error]Choose a deep, round serving bowl to allow for 2 or 3 layers. Start with a layer of fruit then top it with grated coconut. (I used packaged sweetened coconut because that was all that was available at the grocery store.) Sprinkle powdered sugar over the coconut. (Mrs. Brown called this “pulverized sugar.”) You don’t need a lot, especially when using sweetened coconut.

Then add another layer of fruit and coconut and top it with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. My serving dish held 2 layers and it was plenty.

Guests found this citrus dish refreshing—much lighter than modern versions that can call for sour cream, heavy cream, and mini marshmallows.

I liked it very much. The powdered sugar gives the dish a sweet flavor. I plan to make it again.

I’d love to hear if you try it.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Compiled from Original Recipes. Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, Applewood Books, 1877.

 

 

“Swamp Fox of the Confederacy” Surrenders at Chalk Bluff, Arkansas

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In 1857, M. Jeff Thompson was elected mayor of St. Joseph, Missouri. He gave a speech about the importance of the Pony Express in a ceremony on April 3, 1860, before the first rider left St. Joseph.

Thompson supported secession in writings and speeches while mayor. After the war began, he commanded the First Division of the Missouri State as brigadier general. Located in the “boot heel” of Missouri, he and his troops caused trouble for the Union forces and won their admiration. Then Colonel Ulysses S. Grant called him “Swamp Fox.” He soon became known as the “Swamp Fox of the Confederacy.”

After suffering some defeats, Thompson was assigned to the Confederate riverine navy defending Memphis. This navy was destroyed and Thompson was sent back to Arkansas where he and his men raided into Missouri for the next few months.

Thompson was captured at Pocahontas on August 24, 1863. He spent the next year as a prisoner first at the St. Louis Gratiot Street Prison, then Johnson’s Island, Ohio, and then Fort Delaware. He was paroled in August of 1864.

He rejoined the fighting in Missouri. He had command of the Iron Brigade in Brigadier General Jo Shelby’s division and commanded the Sub-District of Northwest Arkansas beginning in March, 1865.

Union Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Davis, 51st Illinois Infantry, requested a conference with Thompson. They discussed surrender terms on May 9th at Chalk Bluff, Arkansas. Thompson asked for two days to consult with his officers.

Thompson surrendered on May 11, 1865. The paroles took place at two Arkansas locations, Wittsburg and Jacksonport. Though some of Thompson’s men had already deserted, about 7,500 officers and enlisted men surrendered and were paroled.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

“Conclusion of the American Civil War,” Wikipedia.com, 2018/03/21 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conclusion_of_the_American_Civil_War.

“Conclusion of the American Civil War,” Wikiwand.com, 2018/03/22 http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Conclusion_of_the_American_Civil_War.

“’Great Race Against Time,’ First Run: April 3, 1860,” National Park Service, 2018/04/21 https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/poex/hrs/hrs2e.htm.

“M. Jeff Thompson,” Wikipedia.com, 2018/04/21 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Jeff_Thompson.

Long, E.B. and Long, Barbara. The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac 1861-1865, A Da Capo Paperback, 1971.

Perkins, Russell S. “Thompson, M. Jeff,” The Kansas City Public Library, 2018/04/21  http://www.civilwaronthewesternborder.org/encyclopedia/thompson-m-jeff.

Plante, Trevor K. “Ending the Bloodshed,” National Archives, 2018/03/21

https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2015/spring/cw-surrenders.html.

I’ll Pass for Your Comrade by Anita Silvey

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Women Soldiers in the Civil War

This nonfiction resource book talks about the many women who wanted to be soldiers or became soldiers.

A group of over twenty Virginia women wanted to organize a volunteer regiment. They wrote to the Confederate Secretary of War and he rejected their offer.

Black women in Northern cities offered to be “nurses, seamstresses, and warriors if need be.” Local officials refused.

But some women did muster into the army. Fanny Wilson and Nellie Graves wanted to be near their boyfriends.

Malinda Pritchard Blalock served both the Union and the Confederacy as a soldier.

Women cut their hair short and dressed in soldier’s uniforms, often escaping detection simply because no one expected it.

Great book for Civil War research and history lovers.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Celery Sauce for Boiled Fowls

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To my knowledge, I had never eaten celery sauce. This looked like an easy recipe from an 1841 cookbook.

Take a tablespoon of butter and knead it into about a teaspoon of flour. The flour quickly works into the butter—if it’s not really cold.

[image error]Wash 2 celery stalks. Cut the stalks into 2-inch sections and then slice them lengthwise.

In a small saucepan, cook the celery in a little water until tender. (The 1841 cook advises that week gravy can be substituted for water. I used water.)

Once the celery is the desired tenderness, drain out a bit of the water until about 1/3 to ½ cup of water remains. Then, while still in the pot, add the kneaded butter. Stir as the butter melts. If it doesn’t thicken to the consistency of gravy, add more kneaded butter.

Add ¼ teaspoon of mace, a pinch of salt, and pepper to taste.

This is a tasty sauce on chicken. I think it would also be good on turkey.

[image error]Adding juice from a lemon was optional so I tried it first without it. There is tangy flavor from the seasonings that is really good.

Then I added juice from a lemon. The strong zesty flavor is good, but it overpowered the other seasonings. So, it comes down to personal preference.

I’d love to hear if you try it.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Hale, Sarah Josepha. Early American Cookery, Dover Publications, Inc., 1996.

 

 

General Kirby Smith Surrenders Trans-Mississippi Department

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Confederate Lt. General Edmund Kirby Smith commanded the Trans-Mississippi Department, which included Arkansas, Indian Territory, Texas, and most of Louisiana.

After the Union army took control of the Mississippi River, Smith’s army was cut off from the Confederacy. He stayed west of the Mississippi until the war ended.

By May 5, 1865, Smith’s force of 43,000 men was the last major army remaining in the Confederacy.

General Grant had turned his attention toward the Trans-Mississippi Department by May 8th.

Smith sent Lieutenant General Buckner to New Orleans for a meeting with Union Major General Peter Osterhaus on May 26th. They discussed terms of surrender similar to those agreed-upon at Appomattox.

Aboard the U.S.S. Fort Jackson just outside Galveston Harbor, Smith signed the surrender on June 2nd.

Some troops, refusing the surrender, fled to Mexico or to the Far West.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

“Conclusion of the American Civil War,” Wikipedia.com, 2018/03/21 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conclusion_of_the_American_Civil_War.

“Conclusion of the American Civil War,” Wikiwand.com, 2018/03/22 http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Conclusion_of_the_American_Civil_War.

Long, E.B. and Long, Barbara. The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac 1861-1865, A Da Capo Paperback, 1971.

Plante, Trevor K. “Ending the Bloodshed,” National Archives, 2018/03/21

https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2015/spring/cw-surrenders.html.