…officially began today in 1864, and ended a day or two later, when the Confederates abandoned the city.  The siege had been going on for four months.  The Union Army arrived at the out-skirts of Atlanta on August 31.

It resulted in a Union victory, and led to the eventual surrender and destruction of the Southern Confederacy.  As decisive as Getteysburg, the Battle for Atlanta cut the supply lines to the Southern branch of the Confederate army, and paved the way for Sherman’s March to the Sea.

Rhett stole a horse, took Scarlett, Melanie and the baby to Tara, you know the story.  It’s a pretty big deal here. 

Historians from all over are writing about it, celebrating it, talking about it, and remembering it.

Confederate Generals John Bell Hood and William J. Hardee abandoned Atlanta a few days later, and the city was destroyed by the Confederate fires from buring supplies and by Sherman’s men.  The city was occupied by the Union Army for the rest of the war,  and of course on through The Reconstruction.

Cyclorama's depiction of the Battle of Atlanta

But, history aside, Atlanta, ever the Pheonix, rose from the ashes and became the beautiful city it is today.

Atlanta today.

So, celebrate what you want, I’m celebrating what we have.

That’s one of those things Mother used to say, even though she was pretty good at sizing people UP on sight!

I will have to admit, I do.

Judge books by their covers, that is.

I’ve bought several books just because I thought the title would look good on the book shelf.  Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady and The Secret Life of Eva Hathaway come to mind.  They are both funny, funny books, and always start a conversation when someone sees them.

So, while on my last trip to Border’s, again darn that kindle, I saw a book that had a tacky, tacky cover.  I didn’t like to title, I assumed it was a romance novel, and I walked on by.  But, as luck would have it, I came back that way and realized that it was written by Robert Hicks.  Hicks wrote The Widow of The South, a great read about the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee in the War Between The States, and the woman who buried over a thousand soldiers in her front yard after the battle.

Hicks is a “tad” obsessed with Confederate General John Bell Hood.  And he’d have to be to write this well about him.  Hood was known as “the butcher of Franklin” and was a rush to judgement kind of guy, so he’d probably be ok with my not picking the book UP the first time around. 

Hicks’ new book, A Separate County is surprisingly good.  The sophomore work of a writer is generally a big let down, but A Separate County may actually be better than the first book.

It’s sort of a sequel, but you don’t have to read the first one to get the second one.  So, I guess it’s really not a sequel, just some of the characters are the same.

A Separate Country is about Hood’s life after “The War”.  He moved to New Orleans hoping to blend in, be an unknown, and make a new life for himself.  Well, he had to settle for one out of three. 

He had a new life.  Battered and maimed from “The War”, (he lost the use of his left arm at Gettysburg, and, at the Battle of Chickamauga, his right leg was amputated. )  he marries a young white creole named Anna Marie Hennen and they proceed to go forth and multiply.  Eleven kids in ten years, three sets of twins, and I’m guessin’ he was making UP for lost time during the war.

The book is written from three points of view.  Eli Griffin, the main narator is given a charge by the dying Hood, and sets off to do for the man what he could never do for himself.  The rest of the book is from the writings of Hood and his wife.  Hood’s are diaries, Anna Marie’s are letters to her oldest daughter. 

There were nights when I could not stop reading, and as the action progressed, I found myself not wanting it to end.  The characters are great, seedy, merciless, complicated and conflicted.  There’s even a dwarf!  And who doesn’t love a dwarf?

So, don’t let the tacky Belva Plain cover fool you, the Miami Herald reviewer said it was “marvelous”, and they were right!  It’s on my list of “re-reads”.

You can find out more about Robert Hicks and his work at www.robert-hicks.com

Unique means, just that, unique.

One of a kind, the only one, nothing else like it.

Dictionary dot com says that it is an adjective, and lists a few definitions. 

1.   existing as the only one or as the sole example; single; solitary in type or characteristics.  

2.  having no like or equal; unparalleled; incomparable.

3.  limited in occurrence to a given class. 

4.  not typical, or unusual.

Something, or someone, can’t be “very” unique, or “rather” unique, or even “kinda” unique.

And it drives me crazy when I hear it!

It’s either unique or it isn’t!

Which brings me back to Germantown, and its covered bridge.

There are many unique things about Germantown, Ohio, but the main attraction in that category is the Historic Covered Bridge.  The covered bridge spans the Little Twin Creek on East Center Street. 

It is the only covered bridge of its kind in the world.

Therefore, it is unique.

It’s also really pretty, very historic, and something of which the tiny town is very proud.

Many just know it’s there, they may not know its history.

It was restored in 1963, I was there when the dedication took place.  Most of the town was. 

It was 93 years old when the town finally got its act together and fixed it UP.  A couple of idiots had tried to drive a truck across it, falling in the creek, and nearly destroying the bridge.

You can’t drive over it any longer.

And that’s a good thing.

It’s just too important.

For the first 41 years of its existance, it spanned the Little Twin Creek a few hundred yards away on Old Dayton Pike.  When the new bridge was built, the old one was moved to East Center Street.  I for one am really happy that the city fathers had the forethought and wherewithall to move it.

That was back in 1911.  I wasn’t around then, and I can’t find out much about the  ”who, what, when , and where” of  the decision.  But, again, I’m glad it happened.

Its inverted bow design is a symbol of American engineering and a reminder of our early history.  It was built in 1870.

In 1963, Mayor Ross Brewer appointed a committee of 12 angry men citizens to plan, organize, and complete the restoration.  Many businesses in the area, some from Dayton and many from Germantown donated money, time, matierials and effort to the project.  Not one dime of city money was used.  It was all civic spirit!

And, it’s unique.

Now, some will say that the bow bridge on the campus of Ohio University’s Lancaster Campus in Fairfield County keeps the Germantown bridge from being unique.  But, alas, they are wrong.  The bow on that bridge goes the other way, and Germantown’s bridge is the only one that has no additional support, unlike those posers over in Fairfield!

Germantown would not be Germantown without the Covered Bridge.  It’s the ‘poster child’ for the town, appearing on post cards, city emblems and many year books.  Wedding pictures, art projects, and family portraits are taken there.  And one of my readers who is from Germantown and lives in NYC has one of two watercolors of the bridge  painted by her Aunt.  She said that when she was a child she was fascinated with the bridge, but her parents wouldn’t allow her to play there.  We all were fascinated with the bridge, it’s just part of the town.  And it’s a symbol of the city’s pride in its history. 

So thanks, Mayor Brewer for your insight, vision, and decision to save the one thing that we all know makes Germantown, Germantown.

Some people are so UPtight!

A small Lutheran Kansas college golf team wanted to do something different on team picture day, but their creative minds have landed them in agua caliente!  Their nude team photo got them suspended for the next three tournaments.

When did the Lutherans get so stuffy?

“We all have our shirts off, our shorts to ankles and we are holding golf clubs in front covering up our, um, male parts,” said team captain Jack Hiscock.

Yes, we can see that, and I did not make that name UP!

Mr. Hiscock (I can’t type that without laughing) said the team was just trying to copy a similar picture taken by the UCLA team.

Once again, it’s all Hollywood’s fault, darn that California!

An apparently UPtight Bethany College golf coach and athletic director, Jon Daniels, says that he was “shocked” when he saw the picture.

“My stomach dropped, and I thought, ‘This can’t be good’”.

Shocked?

Really?

Shocked?

There may be outrage in Lindsborg, Kansas, the home of the “Swedes”, but the rest of the world is having a good laugh.

Well, at least I am!

The team of course thinks the suspensions are a “bit harsh”.  But, I’m sure that’s nothing compared to the harsh treatment the moron team member who posted it on Facebook is getting!

Can you say, “Dumbass!”?

Mr. Hiscock…again laughter…said that the shoot started off normal enough, but then one thing led to another.  Well, I suppose that’s how it usually goes.  One guy drops trou, then the rest follow? 

I mean, really, if all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?

At any rate, the picture looks as though it was taken from the tee while the team stood on the green, and they did use clubs to cover UP their johnsons.

I just feel sorry for the poor guy who had to use the putter!

Have a great Saturday!