I don’t know about you, but I love me some totally random facts! And even more so, I love me a totally random battle that not many people have heard about! So today, we are going to look at what many say is the actual first battle of the War Between the States!

1| Where and When. This battle took place on June 10th, 1861, 160 years ago! The battle took place in Big Bethel Virginia and is one of the lesser-known battles of the war.

2| It All Happened Here. Many people refer to either Ft. Sumter or First Manassas when talking of the first battle of the War Between the States. But Big Bethel is actually the first.

3| Looking at the Numbers… As with most battles of the war, the Confederate Soldiers were outnumbered. They had under 1,500 men while the Union invaders had around 3,500. But you know us, that makes the odds about even! *halo*

4| The Men Behind the Moment. Two lesser-known Generals were in command of the opposing armies. For the federals, Brigadier General Ebenezer W. Peirce led them into battle. For the Confederacy, it was Colonel John B. Magruder.

5| Confederate Gold Star Family. This battle saw the death of the very first Confederate soldier in the field. Private Henry Wyatt was the sole Confederate soldier killed in the battle, the only fatality of 8 Southern soldiers injured.

6| How did he Die? Being the first enlisted casualty of battle, it’s no wonder we know how it happened. Colonel D. H. Hill requested 4 volunteers to set fire to a house federal troops had commandeered and were using to pin down the Southern troops with their firepower. Henry was one of them. They never made it to the house, and Henry died in the line of fire.

7| The Fate of the House. After Henry’s death, the volunteers were recalled and the house was taken out by artillery fire.

8| Why Here? Confederate Forces hoped to dislodge troops from Ft. Monroe, reclaiming it for the Confederacy. Unfortunately, the same fort where Custis Lee (Robert E. Lee’s son) was born at remained the only Southern Fort in Virginia to remain in federal control through the entire war.

9| Tar Heel Legacy. North Carolina has often been known as the state that was “First at Big Bethel and Last at Palmito Ranch.” We lost more soldiers than any other state and sent the most men to the Confederate Army. As usual, we had a big hand in the events at the battle of Big Bethel.

10| The Victorious Victors *Halo* The Confederacy of course. They couldn’t let the first battle at home be won by the opposing army!


Have you heard of this battle before today? Is this the first time? I encourage you to do some research and share some of your findings in the comments below!

Have a Blessed Day and God Bless America!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello! I’m happy to be back with another post for y’all today! Our church’s theme this year is “On Bended Knee,” emphasizing the importance and power of prayer. So I thought it would be appropriate for us to rejoice in the blessings of a conversation with our Heavenly Father (for those who are Born Again! Not sure what this means? Please contact us!)!

Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Jeremiah 33:3

1| Praise
Sometimes I’m afraid we forget about this portion of prayer time. I’m just as guilty as the next person, but I try to make a point and praise God for something about Him. His goodness. His love. For good weather. For a roof over my head. For just about anything you can think of. Give it a try! It’s an excellent way to start the day 😉

2| Confess
This cannot be overstated. Even as Christians, that doesn’t mean we won’t still sin. And as soon as you have, confession must be made. It’s hard sometimes. It’s humbling. But that’s the only way we can come before God, in humility. And believe me, there is no better feeling than getting the obstacles out from between you and the Father.

3| Request
When nothing is standing in the way of your relationship with God, it’s time to make your requests known unto Him. Whether it’s for wisdom, health, a request for you, or for a friend, know that He is ready and eager for you to share with Him whatever is on your heart, even though He already knows.

4| Talk
Ever just talked to God? Like, just told Him about your life and your plans? Asked Him for advice? Just had a conversation? And don’t tell me that’s weird, ‘cause you know you talk to yourself *halo* If you’ve never done it, just try it. Trust me. It’s one of the best feelings in the world. Sure, He knows it all. But that doesn’t change the fact that He cares. Just do it 😉
 
Sorry, this isn’t an intense theological discussion, but who said prayer has to be complicated? I definitely want to study more about prayer, but sometimes, it’s nice to just get back to the basics!
 
What is something about Prayer that God has taught you recently?? Please share them with us below!

Have a Blessed Day, and God Bless America!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

This series has seriously got swept under the rug! It’s time for a new episode, and today’s is on Cold Harbor! I hope you enjoy!

1| Fickle Federals. The command of Col. Elisha Strong Kellogg couldn’t decide what they thought of him. One moment, they would be complaining he was too strict, and the next, they would be pooling their resources to get him a better horse! Col. Kellogg’s first and last fight would be the opening day of Cold Harbor.

2| Bloodiest? Many battles of the War Between the States claim some sort of “Bloodiest” title, and Cold Harbor (May 31st-June 12th, 1864) is no exception. Its claim to fame is in have the bloodiest single hour of the entire war. Nearly 7,000 federal troops fell in that space, most, it is claimed, within 10 minutes! (Source: HistoryNet)

3| A New Weapon. While some might not think of it as such, the spade was the real weapon of the Battle of Cold Harbor. The Confederates spent hours digging trenches that stood chest-deep, with head logs to shield their heads, leaving a slit for them to fire from. The federals never stood a chance.

4| Go Back! My favorite story from Cold Harbor is that of a flag bearer in the Union army. He boldly marched forward, zoned in on the Confederate lines, heedless of the fact that he was the only man left from his company advancing; the others had fallen in the fight. Southern troops ceased fire and shouted for him to turn around, unwilling to knowingly shoot an unarmed man. When he realized he was alone, he calmly stood at attention, saluted smartly to his enemies, did an about-face, and withdrew. The Confederates honored him with a Rebel Yell and thunderous applause.

5| Victory No Matter the Cost. Grant didn’t care about wasting time getting ready. He threw tired, travel-weary men straight into the fight at Cold Harbor and ordered a multitude of deadly charges on their fortified works, reminiscent of the Federals’ foolish charges at Fredericksburg and the Confederates’ at Pickett’s Charge.

6| The Only Union Successes. Grant only had two victories over the battle of Cold Harbor. Confederate troops lost ground the first day, and on the second day of fighting, they lost nearly 200 men prisoner to General Francis Barlow. Confederate losses stood at 788 killed, 3, 376 wounded, and 1,123 missing or captured for a total of 5,287 men. Federal Casualty rates were much higher, with 1,845 killed, 9,077 wounded, and 1,816 missing or captured for a total of 12,738.

7| Wrong Guys! Lines were so tangled during this particular campaign (the Overland Campaign) that multiple times during the fighting, officers of one side could successfully, though unintentionally, give orders to men of the opposite side and be obeyed! And because of several visibility issues, one Confederate officer watered his horse very close to a group of federal soldiers who paid him no heed!

8| What’s in a Name? Cold Harbor was named after a tavern in the area that wouldn’t serve hot meals. It was neither cold nor anywhere near the water.

9| A New Nickname.  Following multiple senseless and fruitless charges, Grant was no longer touted as Unconditional Surrender Grant, but Butcher Grant.

10| Stubborn as a Mule. Grant waited for days to officially admit defeat on the field by calling for an official truce. He didn’t want to accept yet another failure to his superior on the field, Robert E. Lee. His pride cost many disabled wounded their lives.  

And as usual, here is an excerpt from my Series from the Battle of Cold Harbor!

Jordan surveyed the ingenious trenches built during the day of silence. They were deep enough to conceal most of a soldier’s body. Forked branches anchored into the mounds to hold a “head log,” gave the Confederate forces full protection. The Union troops wouldn’t have time to aim between the headspace.

That night it rained cats and dogs. Jordan cramped together with his fellow soldiers in small tents, tried to keep dry. The longer the war lasted, the tinier the replacement tents got. Economizing, some called it.

From the next tent came fiddle music, slow and gentle. Jordan frowned as he drifted back to sleep, hearing the last verse in his mind…
 
We’ve been fighting today on the old campground.
Many are lying near.
 Some are dead, some are dying.
Many are in tears.
Many are the hearts that are weary tonight,
Wishing for the war to cease.
Many are the hearts looking for the right,
To see the dawn of peace.
 
Dying tonight, dying tonight.
Dying on the old campground.
 
««««1864««««
 
June 3rd, 1864
Confederate Encampment
Cold Harbor, Va.
 
June 3rd was hot and muggy. Southern soldiers shed their coats and jackets, opting to fight in their shirt sleeves. Richard checked the line of men. They leaned up against their trenches, rifles ready and fingers on the trigger.

“They’re coming,” Burdy whispered to him.

Richard nodded, squinting at the regimental colors.

“There are enough men here, put your unit farther down the line,” an officer shouted to Richard.

The men in Richard’s rag-tag unit hurried down the line, loading their pistols and checking their sabers as they went.

The flank was the weakest link in the Confederate lines. Union Gen. Francis Barlow[1] knew this and decided this would be the perfect place to advance his military career. He organized his men and ordered the attack.

No sooner had the 32:7 Boys arrived than Federals raced out of the woods. Burdy took a step back, stunned at the sudden appearance of the enemy, shouting like banshees. “Get back!” Titus ordered, pushing the boy behind him.

It was a battle like Burdy had never seen before. He stood rooted to the ground, blinking in disbelief. The Union soldiers seemed like beasts rather than humans to the lad. They beat Confederate soldiers to the ground with their rifles, then using the bayonet to finish the job. Some were taken prisoner.

[1] Overly ambitious, Francis Channing Barlow was young, but eager. He started out as a lieutenant and made his way up to Brevet Major General.

And to find out more, you'll have to buy the book! :)
That’s it for now! God Bless!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello again! This week should hopefully make up for me not posting all month ? Today I have a few new things to share about A Song of Home!

So what do I mean by a few new things? Well, these are things I have never done in published work before. There are three new things total for us to discuss, so let’s dive in!

When writing A Song of Home, I realized that part of my story needed to dip back into 1863. I had no idea how to pull this off until I remembered a lovely little technique called a Prologue. For those who don’t know, this is a “chapter before chapter 1”, which generally shares information that is important, but that takes place before your actual story starts. For me, I used it to transport the reader into the end of December 1863 and the very beginning of January 1864. The information is important, so don’t skip reading it before you jump into Chapter 1!

I’ve mentioned here before that I have many Confederate ancestors. One of them makes an appearance in A Song of Home! His name is Joshua Bowman. He served in the 37th, N.C. Regiment under Gen. A.P. Hill and had quite the exhausting career in the military in his three years of service. But you’ll have to read the book to learn about that!

It’s no secret that in general I do not like people tampering with history to accommodate their stories. You should never sacrifice historical fact for a good plot twist. You make your story fit history, or you’ve deceived your readers. (You can read more about this here.) My opinion has not changed. However, I got an amazing and unique opportunity to tweak my story to accommodate a sad, but little known bit of history by inserting one of my characters into the shoes of a real person. The catch? No one knows the rank or identity of this historical hero. His name is lost to history. All we know is that he was a Confederate officer. Nothing more. I consulted others who shared my view to make sure I wasn’t taking too much liberty in having one of my characters represent him and they all encouraged me to go for it. A note about this is included in the back of the book.
 
Today’s Blog Stops
Laura Guenot@ beautifulthingsbylaura.com
Natalie Claire@ kenmorepines.wordpress.com
 
And don’t forget to enter for a chance to win 4 eBooks!

And feel free to pre-order your copy of A Song of Home today! $14.00 + $3.00 S/H. Upon receiving your payment, a copy will be reserved for you! And if you would like to begin reading as soon as your payment is processed, I will gladly send you an eCopy of the story for you to enjoy until I receive my print copies!

That’s all for now! See you tomorrow!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello and welcome back to Life of Heritage Corner. I hope each of you is having a blessed Memorial Day. It’s definitely gonna be different, not going to the parade, but my family is amazing, making sure I have an awesome Memorial Day Birthday!

And as you can see from the title…A SONG OF HOME IS HERE!!!

*cough*

Well, not exactly.

Let me explain.

So, the original plan was to release A Song of Home on Memorial Day. My timeline was perfect. Everything was falling into place. Then I got sick for three days with allergies. Three days that would have ensured that this book was already at the press by now. So, yeah, my timetable was upset.

I also got the opportunity to visit with my sister’s family over the past week. I was able to get progress done on my final polishing edits while there, thank God, but who wants to stay on a laptop all day when you have adorable little people asking you to play with them, hold them and randomly telling you they love you? Not me! I had a blast, loving on my littles and helping my sister and just getting an overall change of pace. It’s actually helped my editing.

So, one of the things I got finished while there was the cover for A Song of Home. The little tweaks to the back cover and all. Would you like to see it?

While I know a lot of authors have more glamorous covers, I have to admit, I really like the look of this cover. My sister was a huge help and my mom helped me settle on the right plantation house picture. Thanks, y’all!

Above, I mentioned something about a blog tour…

Yes, I decided to do one. And yes, I realize this is in the middle of a series…actually past the middle, but who’s counting? Anyway, some lovely friends of mine talked me into going ahead with it, so over the next five days, I will be posting their links here along with some something about A Song of Home here on the blog. Oh and did I mention there is a giveaway? One recipient will be gifted a set of all four of the books in The Battle for Heritage Series in eBook format! International friends are welcome! You can enter here!

So that wraps it up for the day!
Have a lovely day in the Lord!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

PS. In Honor of this Most Blessed Holiday (that came about because of Southern Ladies following the War Between the States) I have linked my previous Memorial Day post below! Don’t forget to thank a Veteran!

Happy Memorial Day! (2018)