Sensical Approach to Cultural War

 

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Sensical Approach to Cultural War

Stop Moaning

“This country was born in turmoil and conflict.”

 I’ve done a lot of soul searching since the pandemic when the world seemed to be turned upside down. In May 2021, my own neighborhood was invaded The Black Lives Matter organization. It was disturbing and thought provoking. I spent time wondering what I have missed and how maybe my own perspective is distorted. Then I found an article written from an interview with Annette Gordon-Reed. Annette is a Pulitzer Prize winning writer. This article was about her book The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family.  I think she covers it quite nicely.

As a child Annette loved to read, more specifically biographies. She read about George Washington Carver, George Washinton, Thomas Jefferson, Dolley Madison, etc. Jefferson was the most interesting to her because he loved to read, and he wrote the Declaration of Independence…but he was a slave owner. Sally Hemings’ children were fathered by Jefferson. Annette says that though they were enslaved people, bound by the institution of slavery, they were also mothers, fathers, sisters, aunts, friends, etc. They had different personalities, different ways of going through the world. Their opportunities were severely circumscribed because of slavery but she wants to view them as individual human beings.

She understands why people would not want to name something after Jefferson, but “we have to grapple with him, because he embodies the contradictions of this country, the good things and the bad things.” Members of the founding generation of our nation must be a part of the conversation. The statues and things named for them present an opportunity to talk about the way this country was born. Annette believes that we can’t take out those parts of history because they are less favorable, yet they make us who we are today.

Annette is optimistic about the young people today because they have grown up thinking there is a problem, and it’s a problem we must deal with. She believes that some don’t want to talk about history, and she thinks young people are resisting that. She plans to write more books about the Black progress that has been made.

In 1964, Annette Gordon-Reed was a child growing up in Conroe, Texas. She was part of the generation, just as I was, that lived during the integration of schools. It was intense because it was a big deal for a Black child to go to a white school. We lived during a time where we had separate waiting rooms at the doctor’s office and Blacks were seated in the balcony at theaters. We were part of breaking those barriers.

Today, we name things also for ALL people who have made a difference in communities, state, and nation. There are no barriers. The walls have crumbled, and we must be aware how much we have grown as a nation. A new school in Conroe was recently named Annette Gordon-Reed Elementary School. Let’s celebrate our successes and stop groaning about the history which led us to this place today.

KUOW - In 'On Juneteenth' Annette Gordon-Reed chronicles hardship and joy on the path to Black freedom

Our Baby Brother

 TROY ROBERT LONG

1961 - 2019

We lost our baby brother on 20 May 2019. Oh, how my heart hurts for what could have been. We had recently been reunited with him and were looking so forward to him coming to join us on the mountain on May 28 when his son Isaac got out of school. (we had fallen out of his favor when we purchased the mountain property in 2008) It was going to be the start of what I had dreamed about! I loved Troy as the little brother that I never had. He was one of the two people that I always thought would be there for me. That wasn't in God's plans. 

We had just gotten to the mountains on May 15, had settled in when a heavy snow began to fall. We had gone out to play in the snow when we got a call from his son Michael that Troy had been found deceased in his home, earlier that morning. Nightmares are created from this type of call. We were frantic to make arrangements to get off the mountain and head back home, and we were trying to support Michael long distance. The snow had begun to melt, but we only had a window of time to get out on the road. More snow was on the way. I think we were packed and ready to leave by 1 pm. Our journey out was a bit dicey, but we got off the mountain. What lay ahead of us was to be the heaviest snowfall that Colorado had seen that late in the year since 1898. Another nightmare. We altered our route and made it home safely, but there were days and weeks of mourning the loss of one of my soulmates. He guarded and protected me through many occasions, and I miss him just as much or more today as I did on the day we lost him.

History Sheet Sarah Henderson- wife of Mack McNair

 
                                History Sheet
                        Sarah Henderson
                        compiled by Nancy Quillin Long
                        1991- for my 1st McNair booklet
 
 
     Sarah Henderson was born around 1858 to the parents of
James Henderson and Susan (Sewell) Henderson.  She married
Mack McNair 1 Oct 1873, and they had 12 children.
 
     Sarah and Mack moved their family to Texas around 1896
and settled near Waco, Texas.  From there they moved to Jones
County, Texas between Leuders and Avoca.
 
     Sarah was a very small person.  She was real quiet and
suffered greatly from asthma of which she eventually became
an invalid.  She smoked a corn cob pipe with jimsonweed to
relieve her asthma
 
     The following letter was written from Lessie (McNair)
Rawlins to Ova Kerr and explains Sarah McNair well.
 
          "If I have left out anything--Something you think I
          may know.  Martha Jane died bowel trouble.  Like to
          have lost your dad (Frank McNair) when he was
          young.  Dr. said he could not seem to do enough.
          An old man traveling through town came and spent
          the night with Dad and Mom (Mack and Sarah).  He
          told them he could cure their baby (Frank).  Here's
          what he did.  Fried bacon crisp and that is all
          Frank ate for three days and he was well.  Mom and
          Dad (Mack and Sarah) said he really ate that bacon.
          Mama (Sarah) went to Dallas.  Sister's baby was
          with summer complaint and the Dr. had told them the
          baby would die.  Mama (Sarah) said 'If I could get
          to the baby I could cure it.'  She was in bed with
          asthma.  Alf and Ethel, Thelma and Lee put her in
          buggy and took her to where the baby was and bacon
          is what she fed the baby.  Dr. came by next day and
          said, 'O, I finally found a cure for the baby.'
          It's mother said, 'You did nothing.  Mrs. Mcnair
          took over the day he gave up.'  Dr. got mad told
          them to just call Mrs. McNair when they need a Dr.
          My arm is about to play out and this is on the
          family record I forgot about that
                        Love you much
                              L T R    "
 
     Sarah died at the age of 64 on 6 Oct 1922.  She is
buried in Bethel Cemetery near Avoca, Texas.
 
 

Mack's Older Brother - Lee Bruce McNair

                                                 

I have had communication with Lee Bruce McNair’s great grandson, Lee Doyle McNair. He just celebrated his 94^th birthday. Here is the information that I have gathered about Lee Bruce and his wife, Virginia Estelle Ratliff.

Lee Bruce McNair was born on 26 Aug 1840 in Bradley Co., Tennessee.  He was the eleventh child of John and Mary Ann McNair.

1840 census

His father, John “Jack” McNair, had committed his life to the military. When he finally married, John was 18 years older than his wife, Mary Ann Sherertz. After the death of John, Mary Ann moved the family to Searcy Co. Arkansas to be near her eldest son James Claiborn McNair. This move would have been sometime around 1852. 

Lee B. enlisted in the Confederate Army, Company G, 27th Regiment Arkansas Infantry on June 19, 1862. Lee remained with the 27th for the duration of the Civil War. After the War,

Lee B. roamed through Oklahoma and finally settled in the 'Forks of the River' area, 8 miles Northwest of Trenton, Grundy County, Missouri.

After marrying Virginia 'Jennie' Ratliff in April 1878, Lee B. seldom left his farm, dying there at the age of 93. He and his wife, Jennie, are buried in the Salem Church Cemetery in the 'Forks of the River'.

 Attach 1880 and 1900 censuses

U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865. “L.B. McNair,” Film # M376, Roll 16; National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, online <http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/>, acquired 2007. [online database: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007]

Webpage of family historian Lee Doyle McNair

https://mcnare.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=mcnare&view=0&pid=1135&ver=6346#moreinfo_

THIS Baby Girl

 My niece, part of my heart and soul, was born on 15 May 1981. We spent many hours together, probably more than she can even remember. She was a huge part of my life from the day she was born. I cherish every moment that we were afforded together. Thank you, Lord, for bringing her into my life and I pray that your divine guidance will shine a light on her path forward.

McNair Brothers in the Civil War

 

James Claiborne McNair – refused to take oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, resigned his local offices and took refuge in the mountains. See attached story

John William McNair – private in 2^nd regiment Cherokee Mounted Volunteers from Arkansas

David Howell McNair – private in 1^st Cherokee Mounted Volunteers; killed in action

Nicholas Neely McNair – died fighting for the Confederacy in the Arkansas regiment 20 Sept 1863 at Chickamauga Georgia

Lee Bruce McNair – served 4 years in Confederate Army in many engagements

Josiah McNair – served in the Confederate Army, was captured by the Federals and later joined the northern forces

Testimony of Peter Tyler on the Peace Society

Among other documents found was a court case brought before the Honorable Kelly Featherston Justice of the Peace for Carroll County Arkansas.  The case was titled “The State of Arkansas vs. Knowledge of & Identity with Secret Treasonable Society” with testimony by Peter Tyler and Isaiah Ezell.  It detailed their knowledge of a secret society held together by certain oaths and signs and tokens and pass words. P.A. Tyler claims that he was a member of this society and could receive the punishment of death for revealing his knowledge of said group. He had been initiated 3 weeks prior, swearing that he was not from the north and that now he would be given home protection. He was given the oath by ? Long and D. Jamison. He was also given the signs, tokens and passwords. The first sign was placing the three fingers of the left hand angling across the nose. The answer was carelessly feeling under the chin with one of the hands. The next sign was to place one finger in the shirt collar with the left hand and the answer was to put the right hand on the left breast. The next was to raise the hat with one hand and place it back on the head. The answer was to turn the back to the person moving the hat. Once sign was to hang a piece of red ribbon, calico, or flannel on the front door

of the house. Another token was if they were separated and in order to get together was to Hoot like an Owl, and the answer was to howl like a wolf. Peter’s testimony included that once he was initiated, he rode his horse around and initiated more men. He gave a list of men and he included the name of James Claiborne McNair and Claiborne Manes.

 P. A. Tyler was Sworn and subscribed to before the J.P. on this 18th day of Decr. 1861

Signed Kelly Featherston J P