With ice and snow covering the ground here at Mole Church, I see little reason for gettin' out and about (at least until it is time to pick Mayme up from school) lol...

So with no pressing plans for the day, I sat out early goin' through the first of 10 large plastic containers filled with family history on my Mommas' side. I inherited  one half of  my aunts geneological works that she spent over 60 years compiling and  which produced two books and many various publications.  My sister received an equal number of the same large containers. I am talkin' literally thousands of of handwritten and typed pages, photos, etc.  In an amongst the first two files I pulled this AM were Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and WBTS pension papers of several ancestors Robinsons, Johnstons, Arbuckles, Skinners, and Smiths.  It was like Christmas came early in the form of family history.

After goin' through the pension papers and such I came across a old yellowed envelope inside were the remenants of what was a letter. Ratty , torn, weathered and worn I knew it was way older than the envelope  post marked 1941 that held it. I sat the envelope down and went and got my white cotton officers gloves (only been to one real ball) so they were like spotless.  So feelin' like some kind of museum curator lol, I most carefully took the paper out of the envelope. It was  one sheet,folded in half  dogeared and missing portions .It appeared to me to be very similar to butcher paper, I suppose it could have been stationary if so, low quality, I am not really all that familar with paper stock.  In the right hand corner was the date, week of Christmas 1863. Under the date was 7 Gables Tavern. The writing is in very faded pencil, I suppose pencil written letters would be quite common from a Confederate private  and thats what the author was . I know that for a fact as he was my gg grandfather.

This was not the first time I had heard of 7 Gables Tavern. I had heard my aunt mention it years and years ago. I had read other family correspondence about three years past where the tavern was mentioned. In that correspondence the term copperheads was used it was not in reference to snakes either. Although, I'm sure ole Abe thought of them in that manner. 

There were fragmented sentences and the writing so faded, few lines were legible.  However, a word here and there was quite clear.

I did get the jest that it was a place of meeting and that my gg grandaddy had not traveled there alone. The name Donly was mentioned and checking my ancestors' Co's muster I found a Donnely, I would leave  me to believe to the conclusion that poor spellin' runs in my family lol.

I put the slip of paper back in the envelope, back into the folder I found it in , and sealed the container once again.  I could have looked for hours upon hours and never read every word that the one container held. That is no exaggeration at all.........there must be a hundred manila file folders in the one box alone.

I remembered back in the early 1960's when my aunt travelled to Ohio to meet with her brother who lived out there, and how she had spent the better part of a day searchin' for the tavern in hopes that it still existed and that someone would be able to better inform her in regards to it.  That trip led her to believe that the tavern was nothin' more than a pile of rubble, she might have been correct that the collapsed building she saw was 7 Gables Tavern, after considerable research today, I am not so sure that is the case.

After searchin' several pages on the net today simply typing in "7 Gables Tavern  in Richland Co. Ohio" I came across a description that led to another link "haunted places in Ohio" and there low and behold was photographs inside and outside alike ,of  what had been a tavern built in 1847 with 7 gables and 5 fireplaces, and is now a bed and breakfast beautifully restored complete with all its original furnishings.  It is no longer called 7 Gables and hasn't been for as long as I could discover. (I do plan to call the owner and see if he or she can confirm that I have found the correct place.)

I do know this, my gg grandaddy was born in that county and lived there as a child prior to movin' to Indiana, and several family members of that pioneer family stayed in that county . I have  near a dozen  first and second cousins that reside within a half hours drive of the place. I have only met three first cousins  from out there( my Mommas' brothers children)  they moved from Illinois in the early 50's  but, they visited us many times in my youth. Unfortunately  my uncle passed away last year

I have high hopes that the place now known as "Oak Hill Cottage" is in truth the 7 Gables Tavern, for if so I wish to visit it, ( even though it  be in in Yankee land  . For if it is 7 Gables Tavern, then I shall be able to retrace one more Copperhead pathway  that my gg grandaddy walked and rode. One more connection to why I stay in this God forsaken state, and fight his battle in my own way. I have been to two actual sites where he was on raids, but I have traveled hundreds of the same miles he rode. 

The idea of staying even overnite in a place where copperheads gathered,  where hushed conversations of strategy and war finances were discussed ,and where one day or night during the week of Christmas 1863 my  Confederate Hoosier ancestor took pencil to paper and wrote some  message to be delivered by some means unknown to me to  either his family in Indiana or perhaps to  kin he still  had in Ohio. I have ruled out that it was written to family that remained in VA. and NC. , for I don't believe the letter would be in my possession at this time. It most likely was intended for sympathetic kin in Ohio, or back to love ones in Indiana. Obviously by whatever means it was  delivered . Now ,findin' it today, especially at this time of the year it is a most special "Early Christmas Gift " to say the least. It is to me like it was delivered once again,  passed  along hand to hand mysteriously........... with  purpose. A few simple faded lines from a  Confederate soldier travelin' behind enemy lines to his family  who they themselves were trapped behind the lines. And, all this at Christmas time.

There is a most familar ring to this, almost too familar. I've heard it said many times that "history repeats itself" Indian teachins' say that "life is but a circle" I can't help but feel that these statements are most true at least in regards to my family, and the Cause and the Charge.

May all here have a most Blessed Christmas, from a Copperhead sired from fine ConfederateStock, and his family still behind enemy lines.

God Bless,

T.