Dana Vacca's Blog: Freedom Calling A Civil War Slave Escapes By Sea - Posts Tagged "dismal"
FREEDOM CALLING Book: The Great Dismal Swamp People
FREEDOM CALLING - Book Highlights
THE GREAT DISMAL SWAMP
During the American Civil War, many runaways took refuge in the Great Dismal Swamp that spans the border of Virginia and North Carolina. But the Dismal had been a used as a safe haven even long before 1861. Many Native Americans, African-Americans, and even Portuguese and English seamen, for various reasons, inhabited the swamp from as early as the 1600s. Some were outlaws, some fled bondage, some were born there.
The Dismal was millions of acres of thick vegetation and deep, soggy bogs. Much of it was wetland and mire, but the interior had large hummocks with higher ground that was solid and dry.
The swamp was also home to many species of poisonous rattlesnakes and cottonmouths, cougar, alligators and other dangerous animals. Most folks kept to the edges of the swamp, if they entered it at all, and even the brave ones who dared push further in ended up losing their way, sometimes for days, - and afterward would never consider venturing into it a second time!
SEE PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes By Sea
THE GREAT DISMAL SWAMP
During the American Civil War, many runaways took refuge in the Great Dismal Swamp that spans the border of Virginia and North Carolina. But the Dismal had been a used as a safe haven even long before 1861. Many Native Americans, African-Americans, and even Portuguese and English seamen, for various reasons, inhabited the swamp from as early as the 1600s. Some were outlaws, some fled bondage, some were born there.
The Dismal was millions of acres of thick vegetation and deep, soggy bogs. Much of it was wetland and mire, but the interior had large hummocks with higher ground that was solid and dry.
The swamp was also home to many species of poisonous rattlesnakes and cottonmouths, cougar, alligators and other dangerous animals. Most folks kept to the edges of the swamp, if they entered it at all, and even the brave ones who dared push further in ended up losing their way, sometimes for days, - and afterward would never consider venturing into it a second time!
SEE PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes By Sea
FREEDOM CALLING Book: The Great Dismal Swamp
FREEDOM CALLING - Book Highlights
By the 1800's the inhabitants of the Great Dismal Swamp were known by many names,... Melungeons, Outliers, Maroons, Swampers... Some lived their whole lives without ever leaving the swamp.
The term Melungeon means a person of mixed race,... a combination of African-American, Native American and European descent, but freed and fugitive African-Americans, Native Americans from various tribes and white Caucasians also lived in the Dismal.
Their shelters were simple and small and rather crude but serviceable, (like the one in the photo below), and often cobbled together from logs, scavenaged board planks and bark. Usually living in small groups, their little communities, tucked in the secluded thickets of dry hummocks, were scattered within the interior of the swamp. The Outliers were almost completely self-sufficient, and lived off the land by hunting, gathering and planting. To make tools they reworked whatever iron and metal they found, traded for, or brought with them.
The swamp was a rich hunting ground with a large fresh-water lake (Lake Drummond; see photo) at the center. The water in Lake Drummond, though amber colored, is especially pure because of the tannic acids of the juniper, cypree and gum trees forests in the swamp. Kegs of the Dismal's swampwater was sold as drinking water for sailing ships since the water stayed fresh for a very long time! It was also thought to have magical qualities - that if regularly drunk would prevent illness and ensure long life!
SEE COOL PHOTOS of Dismal Swamp ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes By Sea
By the 1800's the inhabitants of the Great Dismal Swamp were known by many names,... Melungeons, Outliers, Maroons, Swampers... Some lived their whole lives without ever leaving the swamp.
The term Melungeon means a person of mixed race,... a combination of African-American, Native American and European descent, but freed and fugitive African-Americans, Native Americans from various tribes and white Caucasians also lived in the Dismal.
Their shelters were simple and small and rather crude but serviceable, (like the one in the photo below), and often cobbled together from logs, scavenaged board planks and bark. Usually living in small groups, their little communities, tucked in the secluded thickets of dry hummocks, were scattered within the interior of the swamp. The Outliers were almost completely self-sufficient, and lived off the land by hunting, gathering and planting. To make tools they reworked whatever iron and metal they found, traded for, or brought with them.
The swamp was a rich hunting ground with a large fresh-water lake (Lake Drummond; see photo) at the center. The water in Lake Drummond, though amber colored, is especially pure because of the tannic acids of the juniper, cypree and gum trees forests in the swamp. Kegs of the Dismal's swampwater was sold as drinking water for sailing ships since the water stayed fresh for a very long time! It was also thought to have magical qualities - that if regularly drunk would prevent illness and ensure long life!
SEE COOL PHOTOS of Dismal Swamp ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes By Sea
Freedom Calling - Dismal Swamp Legends - BIG JAKE
FREEDOM CALLING - Book Highlights
Character - "Big Jake"
The Great Dismal Swamp on the Virginia - North Carolina border has been surrounded with legend and myth as long as anyone can remember, and the stories run the gamut from the divine to the demonic. It had once been thought to be the miraculous and elusive Fountain of Youth, as its water was very pure and thought to have healing properties. It also was thought to be the dwelling place of cannibal witches and red-eyed demons, and that hidden somewhere in its murky, wet expanse, was a portal to hell.
The earliest known legend was handed down from the Native American Nottoway and Meherrin tribes and describes how the swamp was created. The legend tells about a Great Phoenix, the firebird. Its eyes like hot coals and its fiery wings big enough to blot out the sun. It flew low to the earth and its wings set fire to the land. Where the great bird nested, a hole was burned into the ground. That deep bowl became Lake Drummond, at the center of the swamp. The area cooled, and the scorched depression that remained around the lake became the Great Dismal Swamp.
There is another tale of the Dismal originating from the early antebellum era preceding the Civil War. It is the legend of Big Jake, giant of a man who stood seven foot-two and weighed over three hundred and fifty pounds. No one knew where Big Jake came from. It is supposed that he was born in the swamp to an escaped slave who had sought refuge there. Jake worked for the logging company and lived in the swamp. He had no last name and could not read or write, but he had a heart that was bigger than he was. He most always had a smile on his face.
Jake loved three things, Jesus, cutting timber, and making wood carvings of all the creatures that dwelt in the swamp. He was a very gifted artist and his carvings were exquisite! He would spend hours whittling scrap cedar and cypress into bear, raccoons, deer, cougar and other native wildlife. He captured every nuance and detail,… including the spirit of each animal. He gave his creations to friends and neighbors. After he died, woodsmen who went into the swamp to cut timber would sometimes find a little wooden statue at the base of a tree, - placed where they would certain to see it. To this day, it is said that campers and hikers continue to find similar wooden carvings on the paths around the outer rim of the swamp.
The legend of “Big Jake” was an inspiration in the development of one of the characters in Freedom Calling.
SEE PICS on FACEBOOK BOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
BUY BOOK NOW at AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes By Sea
Character - "Big Jake"
The Great Dismal Swamp on the Virginia - North Carolina border has been surrounded with legend and myth as long as anyone can remember, and the stories run the gamut from the divine to the demonic. It had once been thought to be the miraculous and elusive Fountain of Youth, as its water was very pure and thought to have healing properties. It also was thought to be the dwelling place of cannibal witches and red-eyed demons, and that hidden somewhere in its murky, wet expanse, was a portal to hell.
The earliest known legend was handed down from the Native American Nottoway and Meherrin tribes and describes how the swamp was created. The legend tells about a Great Phoenix, the firebird. Its eyes like hot coals and its fiery wings big enough to blot out the sun. It flew low to the earth and its wings set fire to the land. Where the great bird nested, a hole was burned into the ground. That deep bowl became Lake Drummond, at the center of the swamp. The area cooled, and the scorched depression that remained around the lake became the Great Dismal Swamp.
There is another tale of the Dismal originating from the early antebellum era preceding the Civil War. It is the legend of Big Jake, giant of a man who stood seven foot-two and weighed over three hundred and fifty pounds. No one knew where Big Jake came from. It is supposed that he was born in the swamp to an escaped slave who had sought refuge there. Jake worked for the logging company and lived in the swamp. He had no last name and could not read or write, but he had a heart that was bigger than he was. He most always had a smile on his face.
Jake loved three things, Jesus, cutting timber, and making wood carvings of all the creatures that dwelt in the swamp. He was a very gifted artist and his carvings were exquisite! He would spend hours whittling scrap cedar and cypress into bear, raccoons, deer, cougar and other native wildlife. He captured every nuance and detail,… including the spirit of each animal. He gave his creations to friends and neighbors. After he died, woodsmen who went into the swamp to cut timber would sometimes find a little wooden statue at the base of a tree, - placed where they would certain to see it. To this day, it is said that campers and hikers continue to find similar wooden carvings on the paths around the outer rim of the swamp.
The legend of “Big Jake” was an inspiration in the development of one of the characters in Freedom Calling.
SEE PICS on FACEBOOK BOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
BUY BOOK NOW at AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes By Sea
Freedom Calling - Civil War - Lee's Surrender & Lincoln's Death Only 6 Days Apart!
FREEDOM CALLING - Book Highlights
PRESIDENT LINCOLN was shot just 6 DAYS after GENERAL LEE'S surrender at Appomattox!
Did John Wilkes Booth figure to put America into chaos? Give the Confederates a chance to rally in the turmoil?
Even though Vice President Andrew Johnson was sworn in the morning after Lincoln's death, Johnson's ideas were not completely in alignment with those of President Lincoln.
With Lincoln dead would the whole of the Confederacy even honor Lee's surrender? Remember Lee said he was surrendering the Army of Northern Virginia. Confederate General Johnston was still down south, and still fighting!
See Pics: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
BOOK Link: https://amzn.to/2M9iPNb
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
PRESIDENT LINCOLN was shot just 6 DAYS after GENERAL LEE'S surrender at Appomattox!
Did John Wilkes Booth figure to put America into chaos? Give the Confederates a chance to rally in the turmoil?
Even though Vice President Andrew Johnson was sworn in the morning after Lincoln's death, Johnson's ideas were not completely in alignment with those of President Lincoln.
With Lincoln dead would the whole of the Confederacy even honor Lee's surrender? Remember Lee said he was surrendering the Army of Northern Virginia. Confederate General Johnston was still down south, and still fighting!
See Pics: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
BOOK Link: https://amzn.to/2M9iPNb
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
Freedom Calling - The Lady Grey Asea
Sailing on a tall ship is a wonderful experience. There is no feeling like it! The ship has a presence all her own, from the way her bow cuts the sea, the feel of her deck under your feet, the music of her rigging in the wind, the way she shrugs a rough sea off her beam... Some ships have a spirit, a soul, and to be aboard one like that is to know majesty.
The Lady Grey is such a ship.
Book Excerpts - The Lady Grey
"The ship pressed on towards New Bedford with all canvas up - at full sail. Close-hauled, we were making good speed. Always present, like my own breath, was the sound of the blue-violet sea whishing along the sides of the great wooden ship like liquid silk, as heeled over with the wind on her quarter, the Lady Grey softly cut her path north."
See pics on Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
Book http://amzn.to/2MfiMiW
Paperback and Kindle
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
The Lady Grey is such a ship.
Book Excerpts - The Lady Grey
"The ship pressed on towards New Bedford with all canvas up - at full sail. Close-hauled, we were making good speed. Always present, like my own breath, was the sound of the blue-violet sea whishing along the sides of the great wooden ship like liquid silk, as heeled over with the wind on her quarter, the Lady Grey softly cut her path north."
See pics on Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
Book http://amzn.to/2MfiMiW
Paperback and Kindle
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
Freedom Calling - FOLLOW US ON TWITTER!
You can now follow FREEDOM CALLING on TWITTER!
Lots more pics and stories!
Link: https://twitter.com/CivilWarEscape
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
Lots more pics and stories!
Link: https://twitter.com/CivilWarEscape
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
Freedom Calling - Celia - Inner Journey to Truth
FREEDOM CALLING: A Civil War Slave Escapes By Sea -Dana Vacca
Celia's dangerous trek to FREEDOM becomes an inner journey to truth.
When Celia escapes she is suddenly tossed into a unknown world filled with new and perilous dangers, but there is no turning back. Her faith in God and in her mother’s words are all that keep her alive. Her journey is long and laced with unforeseen hazards and snares that test her spirit and threaten her life. As the days toll past, her spirit grows stronger; it blooms with courage and fortitude she never imagined she possessed. No longer “the one who waits”, she is now “the one who acts”. She has come of age in the forest, - with purpose, with desire, with resolve. No longer does she merely react to fear, she dominates it, - She has taken up the reins to steer her life toward her own destiny,… to a better life, - a life of freedom.
Notes to Self:
There is a quote I have always handy near my desk. It is by Mark Twain: "Courage is not the absence of fear, it is acting in spite of it."
I often find myself striving to overcome myself,... my fears. We all have them; I don't think I am alone. But fear can be crippling, not easy to quell, - and courage so hard to muster. That little quote is a continual reminder to me that I may not always be able to erase my fears, but I can face them, and stop them from paralyzing me by learning to move forward in spite of them. It is a continual process, I know. I keep trying.
PICS: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
Book https://amzn.to/2MfiMiW
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
Celia's dangerous trek to FREEDOM becomes an inner journey to truth.
When Celia escapes she is suddenly tossed into a unknown world filled with new and perilous dangers, but there is no turning back. Her faith in God and in her mother’s words are all that keep her alive. Her journey is long and laced with unforeseen hazards and snares that test her spirit and threaten her life. As the days toll past, her spirit grows stronger; it blooms with courage and fortitude she never imagined she possessed. No longer “the one who waits”, she is now “the one who acts”. She has come of age in the forest, - with purpose, with desire, with resolve. No longer does she merely react to fear, she dominates it, - She has taken up the reins to steer her life toward her own destiny,… to a better life, - a life of freedom.
Notes to Self:
There is a quote I have always handy near my desk. It is by Mark Twain: "Courage is not the absence of fear, it is acting in spite of it."
I often find myself striving to overcome myself,... my fears. We all have them; I don't think I am alone. But fear can be crippling, not easy to quell, - and courage so hard to muster. That little quote is a continual reminder to me that I may not always be able to erase my fears, but I can face them, and stop them from paralyzing me by learning to move forward in spite of them. It is a continual process, I know. I keep trying.
PICS: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
Book https://amzn.to/2MfiMiW
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
freedom Calling - Does your dog "READ" too?
One of my favorite things is to curl up on the couch with a good book. And guess, what,… it is my little dachshund’s favorite thing, too!
At day’s end, after being bumped, muddied and rubbed raw by the world, after all the day’s work is complete,
the anticipation of drifting away into the comfort of that magic hour quickens and revives me.
Even if it is Monday, I drive home with that Friday night “it’s not a school night” feeling. Though it may be June, I get the quiet the quiet thrill I remember from third grade when a blizzard guaranteed the announcement of a “snow day”.
I imagine slipping away, as if easing into a lover’s embrace, to my magic place, my secret space, that exists between the tick and tock of the clock,… where once again, I am in my little piece of heaven.
My dog, Nicholas, has a similar feeling about reading. When that evening time nears, he waits to hear, “Let’s go read”; - he has learned the words. His eyes brighten. He grabs a chew-toy and hops up onto the couch. Although his definition of reading may be a little askew, to him “reading” is total contentment. I haven’t got the heart to tell him that, for humans, “reading” doesn’t involve a chew-toy.
PICS You've got to see these!
https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
Book Link:
https://amzn.to/2M9iPNb
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
At day’s end, after being bumped, muddied and rubbed raw by the world, after all the day’s work is complete,
the anticipation of drifting away into the comfort of that magic hour quickens and revives me.
Even if it is Monday, I drive home with that Friday night “it’s not a school night” feeling. Though it may be June, I get the quiet the quiet thrill I remember from third grade when a blizzard guaranteed the announcement of a “snow day”.
I imagine slipping away, as if easing into a lover’s embrace, to my magic place, my secret space, that exists between the tick and tock of the clock,… where once again, I am in my little piece of heaven.
My dog, Nicholas, has a similar feeling about reading. When that evening time nears, he waits to hear, “Let’s go read”; - he has learned the words. His eyes brighten. He grabs a chew-toy and hops up onto the couch. Although his definition of reading may be a little askew, to him “reading” is total contentment. I haven’t got the heart to tell him that, for humans, “reading” doesn’t involve a chew-toy.
PICS You've got to see these!
https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
Book Link:
https://amzn.to/2M9iPNb
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
Freedom Calling - Sea-faring Folk Art & Folklore - Scrimshaw & More
FREEDOM CALLING - SEA FOLKLORE & Folk Art
MERMAID CRIMPER or pie jagger of ivory c. 1860-70
Seamen on whaling ships carved beautiful objects like this c1860s ivory pie-crimper during the long hours of their off-watches.
NOTE: Hunting whales in the 1800s was grueling and extremely dangerous work, and whales were plentiful then. It wasn't until the mid-1900s, when means of hunting them became high-tech, and gave humans a very unfair advantage. Far too many whales were then taken with new methods, and we realized the population of whales was quickly dwindling.
Not what we like to see done with whales, but it is a part of our history; and the artistry of some of these pieces, though, is amazing.
See beautiful pic & more: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! https://twitter.com/CivilWarEscape
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
MERMAID CRIMPER or pie jagger of ivory c. 1860-70
Seamen on whaling ships carved beautiful objects like this c1860s ivory pie-crimper during the long hours of their off-watches.
NOTE: Hunting whales in the 1800s was grueling and extremely dangerous work, and whales were plentiful then. It wasn't until the mid-1900s, when means of hunting them became high-tech, and gave humans a very unfair advantage. Far too many whales were then taken with new methods, and we realized the population of whales was quickly dwindling.
Not what we like to see done with whales, but it is a part of our history; and the artistry of some of these pieces, though, is amazing.
See beautiful pic & more: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! https://twitter.com/CivilWarEscape
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
Freedom Calling - The Captain's Domain, The Quarterdeck - The Lady Grey
The Captain's Domain - The Quarterdeck
Book Excerpt
"For a short time each morning and evening, the captain walked the starboard stretch of the sternmost upper deck that was his private retreat. Most of his time, though, was spent on the quarterdeck, just behind the main mast of the ship. That was his domain, his throne, where he reigned supreme. There, he knew the real meaning of freedom that most landsmen can only imagine."
The quarterdeck of a ship is the area of the ship immediately behind the enormous, trunk-like main mast and is the location of the helm, the huge ship's wheels that control the massive rudder that steers the ship.
The quarterdeck is almost a "sacred" space. Only men on duty are understood to be present there, and it is not a place for casual conversation, loitering or horse-play. It is a place governed by strict adherence to protocol that has been ordained for centuries; a always to be a place of absolute order and smartly conduct.
See pics & MORE:
https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
Book LINK:
http://amzn.to/2MfiMiW
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
Book Excerpt
"For a short time each morning and evening, the captain walked the starboard stretch of the sternmost upper deck that was his private retreat. Most of his time, though, was spent on the quarterdeck, just behind the main mast of the ship. That was his domain, his throne, where he reigned supreme. There, he knew the real meaning of freedom that most landsmen can only imagine."
The quarterdeck of a ship is the area of the ship immediately behind the enormous, trunk-like main mast and is the location of the helm, the huge ship's wheels that control the massive rudder that steers the ship.
The quarterdeck is almost a "sacred" space. Only men on duty are understood to be present there, and it is not a place for casual conversation, loitering or horse-play. It is a place governed by strict adherence to protocol that has been ordained for centuries; a always to be a place of absolute order and smartly conduct.
See pics & MORE:
https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarHist...
Book LINK:
http://amzn.to/2MfiMiW
Freedom Calling: A Civil War Slave Escapes by Sea
Freedom Calling A Civil War Slave Escapes By Sea
FREEDOM CALLING is a page-turner packed with action, emotion, romance and adventure - vibrantly painted with powerful characters, vivid imagery and factual details of the Civil War era.
Runaway slaves ...more
Runaway slaves ...more
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