Hi everybody! Hopefully, all is well with everyone! Buckle up and hang on tight because this new rambling is a civil war love story between a southern girl and a union young man. This week is entitled: Tennessee Travelers.
O.K. friends, I must explain a little background. Why did many settlers in our county support the confederacy? Simple: many of our early families came from southern states. For example: in Tennessee, the people harvested all of the wildlife and tilled the soil until it was worn out. Remember: no commercial fertilizer to restore the land or stores to buy food. When these options were no longer possible, then many moved west and came to Missouri.
Now that we are up to speed, let’s get to know our southern family traveling to our county. We begin as our Tennessee family is riding the horse-drawn wagon down the trail hour after hour, struggling to reach the new land of promise and hope. Music and singing were very common for our future new neighbors.
One popular song they sang to pass the time was: “The south is the place where my heart lives: forever more you see. We left Tennessee to see what we can be in ole Missoureee. The south is the place where my heart lives forever more you see. Our kids got TB as we crossed the Mississippi: What do we do as we enter this land of new. Lookin’ fer our farm near Fort Sand Springs”.
Suddenly: sixteen-year-old Mary Lou starts to cry, “Momma, will our new farm bring us happiness and a better life?
Piney says, {Mary Lou’smother} “my dear Mary Lou: Yes! I have faith! We are getting very close after 70 days of traveling”.
Suddenly: {horses and riders come riding up fast!-A union army captain from Fort Sand Springs,} “I’m Captain Herd of the Sand Springs Home guard, and this is Sergeant Wommack and my son Johnny.”
{Ollie Rimzy introduces his family} “We’re the Rimzys from Tennessee. Meet my daughter Mary Lou and wife Piney. You wouldn’t know where the old Saler farm is located? It’s ours, and we plan on settling down when we locate it:”
Captain Herd, “Well—we’re going to be neighbors. Your new farm is one-half mile down the road from ours. You, folks, are only two miles away from your new home. {Captain Herd motions for his 16-year-old son Johnny to show the Rimzy’s their new place.}
“I’d be happy to Pa” {as he eyes Mary Lou}
Captain Herd: “Glad to meet you folks. We must ride, we are on patrol for bushwackers. If there’s anything else we can help you with, just let us know.”
My friends: we stop at this point.
Next week our rambling becomes very heated! The true nature of our new family is exposed, and enemies are created between the Rimzys and other southern settlers against the union
soldiers and their supporters. Our next chapter is: Trouble at Sand Springs.
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