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“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”
― Aristotle
6
Paul Revere Sounds the Alarm ‘The British are coming!’ 13 Paul Revere’s Ride
14 Lt. Frederick Mackenzie: “These fellows were generally good marksmen”
22 A Turkey ‘tween the River 26 Winter Photo Gallery
Nancy Shukaitis, Her Legacy Lives On
Choosing the Right Pet
The Scent of Rain
Tricks to Find the Right House 50 Valentine’s Day Date Ideas
By Dave Sandt
By John L. Moore
Listen up! Paul Revere had plenty to say about his famous night-long ride across the Massachusetts countryside on the 19th of April in 1775. Sam Adams, John Hancock and other patriots at Lexington and Concord needed to know that the British were coming.
Between midnight and sunrise, British soldiers on horseback chased Revere twice. The first time he escaped, but hours later another patrol captured him as he rode toward Concord after leaving Lexington. The redcoats insulted him, took his horse, and threatened to shoot him.
At one point a British officer “clapped his pistol to my head, and said he was going to ask me some questions. If I did not tell him the truth, he would blow my brains out,” Revere reported in a written account a year or so later.
Despite these difficulties, Revere and two other riders–William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott–managed to alert the Massachusetts militia throughout the region. So many minutemen responded to their alarm that the British abandoned their search for military supplies at Concord. Nor did they arrest Hancock and Adams, leaders of the radical Whigs, at Lexington. Instead, the redcoats hurriedly retreated to Boston.
Headquartered in Boston, Gen. Thomas Gage, the colony’s military governor, had tried to keep plans for the raid under wraps, but on the night of April 18, Dr. Joseph Warren, an influential Whig leader, learned that the redcoats were preparing to leave the city. It was after 10 o’clock when he told Revere to ride to Lexington and Concord and sound the alarm that the British were on the march.
Things happened quickly after that. As Revere himself said “Two friends rowed me across Charles River…They landed me on the Charlestown side.” There “I met Colonel (William) Conant and several others. They said they had seen our signals.”
Several days earlier, the 40-year-old Revere and the colonel had agreed that if the redcoats moved against Lexington and Concord, rebels in Boston would place lanterns in the steeple of the old North Church. One lantern would mean that the soldiers were leaving Boston by land, marching across Boston Neck to Roxbury. Two lanterns would signify that they were coming by water, crossing the Charles River from Boston to Charlestown.
Before Revere ever left Boston, British patrols had been sent out to detain travelers headed inland to prevent them from inadvertently tipping off rebel leaders at Concord and Lexington. At Charlestown, he encountered a patriot, Richard Devens, who “told me that he came down the road from Lexington, after sundown, that evening; that he met ten British
EDITOR’S NOTE:
The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation. Compared to other countries that have been around for thousands of years, we have come a long way in a relatively short period of time. That is a testimony to the strength, courage and self-determination of our people. Get ready for a super 4th of July celebration in 2026!
officers, all well mounted and armed, going up the road.”
Undaunted, Revere borrowed a horse, left Charlestown at about 11 p.m., and headed northwest toward Lexington, a dozen miles away. Concord was another six miles beyond that.
A short distance west of Charlestown, Revere encountered two British soldiers sitting on their horses under a tree and watching the road. The moon was bright, and Revere got close enough to see their holsters and the cockades on their hats. He stopped, turned his horse around, and took off at a gallop. One soldier started after him, but Revere’s horse was faster. The redcoat gave up when Revere pulled 300 yards ahead of him.
Revere soon came to Medford, a town roughly a third of the way to Lexington. “I awaked the captain of the minutemen,” he said, “and after that, I alarmed almost every house, till I got to Lexington.”
At Lexington, Revere found Hancock and Adams at the home of the Rev. Jonas Clark, a relative of Hancock’s. He warned that British infantry soldiers were on the march, and took a break. Soon after, Dawes arrived, and he and Dawes left for Concord.
Along the way, they fell in with Prescott, who lived in Concord and was headed home after visiting a woman.
“I had alarmed the country all the way up” from Boston, and that “I should have 500 men there soon.”
The three riders were midway between Lexington and Concord, with Revere some 200 yards in front of Dawes and Prescott. Suddenly a British patrol turned up. “Four of them…rode up to me, with their pistols in their hands, (and) said, ‘G-d d–n you! Stop! If you go an inch further, you are a dead man!’”
Just then, “Mr. Prescott came up. We attempted to get through them, but they kept before us.” The soldiers told Revere and Prescott to leave the road and ride into an adjacent pasture. They ”swore if we did not turn into that pasture, they would blow our brains out,” Revere said.
But Prescott jumped his horse over a stone wall along the road and escaped, racing for home.
Revere rode into the pasture. Suddenly he started racing toward a woods at the end of the field. He decided that when he got to the edge of the woods, he would jump off his horse and run into the trees. But “just as I reached it, out started six officers, seized my bridle, put their pistols to my breast, (and) ordered me to dismount, which I did.”
The officer in charge of the patrol quizzed Revere. At one point, “he…said, ‘Sir, may I have your name.’
“I answered my name is Revere. “‘What?’ said he, ‘Paul Revere?’ “I answered yes.”
Although the other soldiers gave Revere considerable abuse, the officer, whom Revere described as “much of a gentleman,” “told me not to be afraid, no one should hurt me.”
Revere told the officer that “I had alarmed the country all the way up” from Boston, and that “I should have 500 men there soon.”
Presently, Revere found himself in the custody of a much gruffer officer, a Major Mitchell of the 5th Regiment of Foot. This officer
> British troops march toward Lexington after fighting with minutemen at Concord. In foreground, minutemen shoot at redcoats from behind a stone wall. 1775 engraving by Amos Doolittle
“clapped his pistol to my head, and said he was going to ask me some questions. If I did not tell him the truth, he would blow my brains out.”
Revere refused to be intimidated. “I told him I esteemed myself a man of truth, that he had stopped me on the highway, and made me a prisoner, I knew not by what right. I would tell him the truth; I was not afraid.”
At one point, Revere had dismounted, and the soldiers “searched me for pistols.” He was ordered to get back on his horse. “When I was mounted, the major took the reins out of my hand, and said, ‘By G-d, Sir. You are not to ride with reins, I assure you.” The major then “gave them to an officer on my right, to lead me.”
The soldiers intended to take Revere and four other prisoners–“countrymen whom they had stopped, who were going home”–toward Lexington. The major “said to me, ‘We are now going towards your friends, and if you attempt to run, … we will blow your brains out.”
Redcoats and prisoners rode across the pasture away from the woods. “When we had got into the road, they formed a circle,
and ordered the prisoners in the center, and to lead me in the front,” Revere said.
The soldiers and prisoners headed towards Lexington at a fast pace. “They very often insulted me calling me rebel…After we had got about a mile, I was given to the sergeant to lead. He was ordered to take out his pistol,… and if I ran, to execute the major’s sentence.” In other words, he was to shoot Revere in the head.
When they were about a half mile from Lexington, “we heard a gun fired. The major asked me what it was for. I told him to alarm the country. He ordered the four prisoners to dismount. They did, then one of the officers dismounted and cut the bridles, and saddles off the horses, and drove them away, and told the men they might go about their business.”
Revere asked the major to release him as well, but the officer refused. “He said he would carry me, let the consequence be what it will. He then ordered us to march. When we got within sight of the (Lexington) Meeting House, we heard a volley of guns fired, as I supposed, at the tavern as an alarm.
“The major ordered us to halt…He asked the sergeant if his horse was tired. He said yes. He ordered him to take my horse.
> Messengers rode throughout Massachusetts and called out the minutemen. Drawing by Felix O.C, Darley.
I dismounted, the sergeant mounted my horse. They cut the bridles and saddle of the sergeant’s horse, and rode off down the road.”
Revere made his way on foot to the Jonas Clark house. Adams and Hancock were still there, and Revere “told them what had happened.”
Hancock and Adams quickly moved to a safer location. Before the British arrived and took control of the village, Revere and another man, John Lowell, “went into the (Buckman) Tavern to get a trunk of papers belonging to Colonel Hancock,” Revere said later.
As they were leaving, Revere looked out a window and saw the British approaching. He knew that the minutemen were then forming on the village green.
“We made haste, and had to pass through our militia, who were on a green behind the meeting house, to the number, as I supposed, (of) about 50 or 60,” Revere said. “I went through them. As I passed, I heard the commanding officer speak to his men…‘Let the troops pass by, and don’t molest them’ ” unless they fire first.
> National Park Service map of eastern Massachusetts shows movements of messengers Paul Revere and William Dawes as well as route taken by British soldiers to Lexington and Concord.
The redcoats soon “appeared in sight, behind the Meeting House. They made a short halt.” Someone fired a gun. “I heard the report, turned my head, and saw the smoke in front of the (British) troops. They immediately gave a great shout, ran a few paces, and then the whole fired.
“I could first distinguish irregular firing, which I supposed was the advance guard, and then platoons.”
Revere said he looked down the street to see what the minutemen were doing, but “at this time I could not see our militia.” His view was blocked “by a house at the bottom of the Street.”
One of the minutemen in Lexington that day, Sylvanus Wood, said years later that he distinctly heard a British officer give the command to fire. He quoted the officer as saying first to the minutemen, “Lay down your arms, you damned rebels! Or you will all be dead men!” And then to the redcoats, “Fire!”
The redcoats shot into the minutemen standing on the green. “In those few minutes of fire, eight Massachusetts men had been killed and ten wounded. One (British) regular had suffered a slight leg wound,” George F. Scheer and Hugh F. Rankin wrote in their 1957 classic, “Rebels and Redcoats.”
The minutemen didn’t shoot back. “There was not a gun fired by any of Captain (John) Parker’s company within my knowledge,” said Wood. He insisted that because of his position
among the men on the green he would have known had any of his comrades fired. When the smoke cleared, Wood helped carry the dead and wounded off the green.
The redcoats marched on to Concord. Dr. Prescott had already arrived at the village and told everyone that the redcoats were coming. News soon arrived that British soldiers had fired into the formation of minutemen at Lexington.
By now, swarms of minutemen from nearby villages and farms were coming into Concord. As British troops advanced toward the village, the locals withdrew to a hilltop nearby. The Concord River ran between the hill and the village. There were two bridges over the river: the North Bridge and the South Bridge. British troops were posted at each.
Mistakenly thinking that smoke rising above the village meant that the British had set fire to houses in the town, the minutemen surged down the hill toward the village. As they approached the North Bridge, they saw redcoats ripping up planks in the bridge floor.
“When we had got near the bridge, they fired on our men first,” John Hoar and seven other minutemen said later in an affidavit. “…We fired upon the regulars, and they retreated.”
Three redcoats were killed and several were wounded. Surprised that the colonists were shooting back, Lt. Col. Frances Smith, the British commander, saw that his men were outnumbered. Soon the British were retreating. As they headed east toward Lexington, the minutemen pursued them.
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five: Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year. He said to his friend, “If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry-arch
Of the North-Church-tower, as a signal-light,—
One if by land, and two if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country-folk to be up and to arm.”
Then he said “Good night!” and with muffled oar Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore, Just as the moon rose over the bay, Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war:
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar Across the moon, like a prison-bar, And a huge black hulk, that was magnified By its own reflection in the tide.
Meanwhile, his friend, through alley and street Wanders and watches with eager ears, Till in the silence around him he hears The muster of men at the barrack door, The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet, And the measured tread of the grenadiers Marching down to their boats on the shore.
Then he climbed to the tower of the church, Up the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread, To the belfry-chamber overhead, And startled the pigeons from their perch On the somber rafters, that round him made Masses and moving shapes of shade,— By the trembling ladder, steep and tall, To the highest window in the wall, Where he paused to listen and look down A moment on the roofs of the town, And the moonlight flowing over all.
Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead, In their night-encampment on the hill, Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel’s tread, The watchful night-wind, as it went Creeping along from tent to tent, And seeming to whisper, “All is well!”
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead; For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away, Where the river widens to meet the bay,—
A line of black, that bends and floats
On the rising tide, like a bridge of boats.
Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride, Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride, On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere. Now he patted his horse’s side, Now gazed on the landscape far and near, Then impetuous stamped the earth, And turned and tightened his saddle-girth; But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry-tower of the old North Church, As it rose above the graves on the hill, Lonely and spectral and somber and still. And lo! as he looks, on the belfry’s height,
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light! He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns, But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns!
A hurry of hoofs in a village-street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark, And beneath from the pebbles, in passing, a spark Struck out by a steed that flies fearless and fleet: That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light, The fate of a nation was riding that night; And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight, Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep, And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep, Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides; And under the alders, that skirt its edge, Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge, Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.
It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town. He heard the crowing of the cock, And the barking of the farmer’s dog, And felt the damp of the river-fog, That rises when the sun goes down.
It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington. He saw the gilded weathercock Swim in the moonlight as he passed, And the meeting-house windows, blank and bare, Gaze at him with a spectral glare, As if they already stood aghast At the bloody work they would look upon.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
It was two by the village clock, When he came to the bridge in Concord town. He heard the bleating of the flock, And the twitter of birds among the trees, And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadows brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall, Who that day would be lying dead, Pierced by a British musket-ball.
You know the rest. In the books you have read, How the British Regulars fired and fled,— How the farmers gave them ball for ball, From behind each fence and farmyard-wall, Chasing the red-coats down the lane, Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road, And only pausing to fire and load.
So through the night rode Paul Revere; And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,—
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door, And a word that shall echo forevermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last, In the hour of darkness and peril and need, The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed, And the midnight message of Paul Revere.
By John L. Moore
Even as Paul Revere saddled his horse for his historic ride on the night of April 18, Lt. Frederick Mackenzie and other British soldiers got ready for a nearly 20-mile march to Lexington and Concord. Military intelligence reported that rebellious colonists had stashed military supplies near Concord The troops had orders to seize the materials.
Like Revere, the middle-aged Mackenzie wrote a riveting account of the dangers he faced on the 19th of April. Only the lieutenant detailed the drubbing that British soldiers took as they retreated after skirmishing with Massachusetts minutemen at Concord.
An officer of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Mackenzie had spent much of 1773 and most of 1774 in New York, before his infantry regiment was transferred to Boston as part of the British crackdown on rebellious colonists. He arrived there as political tensions were turning the Massachusetts Bay colony into an explosive powder keg.
In 1774, Gen. Thomas Gage had arrived in Boston, sent by England as military governor of the colony. To aid in suppressing political dissent, Gage brought some 4,000 redcoats with him.
Although the raid against Lexington and Concord marked the first time that the rebels had shot at the redcoats, the episode was hardly the first conflict between Gage and his subjects.
In late 1774 the general had dissolved the colonial legislature. Defiant colonists responded by organizing the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts. John Hancock and Sam Adams were among the leaders of the new congress.
As 1775 began, General Gage controlled Boston, but the Provincial Congress had seized control of the rest of Massachusetts. Although Gage managed to send his soldiers on occasional marches into the countryside around Boston without interference, rebel agents watched their movements closely.
Nor was the raid against Lexington and Concord the general’s first. On Feb. 26, some 300 Boston-based redcoats traveled 20 miles north to Salem to seize cannons and gunpowder that colonists had stored there. Angry townspeople turned out in force to stop them. The incident ended in a standoff. No gunshots were fired, and the soldiers left at nightfall without confiscating any munitions or guns.
“Six rounds per man at each time is usually allotted for this practice.”
As 1775 progressed, Gage’s soldiers regularly devoted time to improving their shooting skills. As Lieutenant Mackenzie reported, the general required his troops to participate in target practice. “Six rounds per man at each time is usually allotted for this practice.”
Mackenzie’s journal entry for January 15 noted that his own “regiment is quartered on a wharf which projects into part of the (Boston) harbor.” Beyond the wharf, the harbor provided a “very considerable range without any obstruction.” It was here that Mackenzie’s men practiced shooting. For targets, “we have fixed figures of men as large as life, made of thin boards on small (floating platforms), which are anchored at a proper distance from the end of the wharf.”
The targets bobbed up and down with the current, which made them difficult to hit. “Premiums are sometimes given for the best shots,” Mackenzie said. “…some of our men have become excellent marksmen.”
On February 3, the lieutenant reported that his regiment left Boston, presumably by way of the Boston Neck, and marched towards Cambridge on the western shore of the Charles River. Nobody attempted to interfere with the soldiers, but “there are always some persons appointed to watch the motions and direction of the troops.”
Back in Boston, over a period of weeks, authorities accused a number of colonists of buying or trying to buy gun parts from individual British soldiers. On March 8, for example, “a country fellow was detected this day in buying arms from a soldier of the 47th Regiment.” The men “immediately secured him, and… stripped, and then tarred and feathered him, and… paraded him in the afternoon through most parts of the town,” the lieutenant said.
The incident “gave great offense to the people· of the town, and was much disapproved of by General Gage,” Mackenzie said. Even so, “arms of all kinds are so much sought after by the country people that they use every means of procuring them, and have been successful amongst the soldiers.”
The soldiers manned checkpoints at entrances to the city. Civilians who wanted to pass through the lines were stopped, quizzed, and sometimes searched. On March 18, “a country man was stopped at the lines, going out of town with 19,000 ball cartridges, which were taken from him,” Mackenzie said. The man insisted that “they were for his own use.” When the soldiers refused to give them back, the man remarked that “they were the last parcel of a large quantity which he had carried out at different times.”
Mackenzie commented that “great numbers of arms have been carried out of town during the winter.” Had soldiers been more efficient in inspecting travelers for contraband, “much ammunition might have been seized.”
On March 28, the lieutenant remarked, “Whenever the weather is fine, some of the regiments…continue the practice of marching into the country to the distance of from four to eight miles, with arms, knapsacks, etc., and return before dinner.”
It seemed to Mackenzie that people living outside of Boston were “extremely jealous of these movements.” They followed the patrols wherever they went, “apparently to observe if there is any particular object in view, and to convey intelligence if necessary.”
On April 7, every regiment was ordered to have cooked pork ready for men going on long marches. They were to carry the meat "in their knapsacks or haversacks, with bread in proportion." Mackenzie remarked in his journal that “from this order, and several other circumstances,” he suspected that General Gage wanted “to familiarize the people of the country with the appearance of troops among them for longer time than usual, without creating an alarm.”
At 8 p.m. on April 18, Mackenzie learned that regimental commanders were instructed to have their “grenadier and light infantry companies on the beach near the magazine guard exactly at 10 o’clock this night, with one day's provisions.”
To avoid unwanted attention, they were “to parade quietly” and “to march to the place of rendezvous in small parties.”
When Mackenzie’s regiment reached its designated place, sailors and boats from British naval ships in the harbor were waiting. By midnight, the sailors had rowed many of them
across the Charles to Phip’s Farm in Cambridge. Within hours, they would be on the way to Lexington and Concord.
Mackenzie’s regiment, however, didn’t leave the city until morning when it marched out of Boston as part of a brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Earl Percy.
Percy’s force approached Lexington in early afternoon. “About 2 o’clock we heard some straggling shots fired about a mile in our front,” Mackenzie said. “As we advanced, we heard the firing plainer and more frequent.”
The gunfire was coming from Colonel Smith’s column as it withdrew from Concord. Percy’s relief column formed a defensive line, but the stone walls lining the road kept it from being “formed in so regular a manner as it should have been,” Mackenzie said.
The retreating soldiers weren’t yet aware that Lord Percy was approaching. “The grenadiers and light infantry were at this time retiring towards Lexington, fired upon by the rebels, who took every advantage the face of the country afforded them,”
Mackenzie said. As soon as Smith’s men “perceived the 1st Brigade drawn up for their support, they shouted repeatedly, and the firing ceased for a short time.”
Mackenzie could see the village of Lexington in the distance. There were “a considerable number of the rebels, but they were much scattered, and not above 50 of them to be seen in a body in any place,” he said. “Many lay concealed behind the stone walls and fences. They appeared most numerous in the road near the church, and in a wood in the front.”
Percy’s artillerymen fired several cannon shots at them “near the road, which dispersed them,” he said.
At one point, “the rebels endeavored to gain our flanks, and crept into the covered ground on either side, and as close as they could in front, firing now and then in perfect security,” the lieutenant said. “We also advanced a few of our best marksmen who fired at those who showed themselves.”
Around 3:15, Percy decided to return to Boston, and “our regiment received orders to form the rear guard.”
More and more minutemen were still arriving from neighboring towns. “Numbers of armed men on foot and on horseback were continually coming from all parts guided by the (gun)fire,” Mackenzie said. “Before the column had advanced a mile on the road, we were fired at from all quarters, but particularly from the houses on the roadside, and the adjacent stone walls.”
The rebels harassed the retreating redcoats for the rest of the afternoon. From Lexington to Charlestown, “the firing continued without intermission,” Mackenzie said.
“Those rebels who came in from the flanks during the march always posted themselves in the houses and behind the walls by the roadside, and there waited the approach of the column,
when they fired at it.
“Numbers of them were mounted, and when they had fastened their horses at some little distance from the road, they crept down near enough to have a shot. As soon as the column had passed, they mounted again, and rode round until they got ahead of the column, and found some convenient place from whence they might fire again.”
Mackenzie expressed a grudging respect to the minutemen:
“These fellows were generally good marksmen, and many of them used long guns made for duck-shooting.
The day had been deadly for both sides. The authors of “Rebels and Redcoats” noted that nobody knows for certain how many minutemen had turned out. The British, however, had fielded a force of 1,800. Of the Americans, 49 were dead, and 46 were either wounded or missing. The British had 73 killed and 200 wounded or missing.
Looking back, one thing was clear: the American Revolutionary War had begun.
John L. Moore continues to pursue his lifelong interests in Pennsylvania’s colonial history and archaeology. The Northumberland writer has published 15 nonfiction books about Pennsylvania during the 17th and 18th centuries. His most recent book, “Border War,” is the seventh volume in his ongoing Revolutionary Pennsylvania Series. It is available in bookstores and online at the Sunbury Press Bookstore. Over the years John has participated in archaeological excavations of Native American sites along the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. A professional storyteller, he specializes in telling historically-accurate stories about real people and actual events in Pennsylvania history. These include the true story of Frances Slocum, a 5-year-old girl who lived as a Native American after being kidnapped by Indians during the American Revolution. Frances Slocum State Park near WilkesBarre was named for her.
Thursday, March 6, 2025
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By Brad Becker
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“TAD”!!! His mother’s commanding voice caught him twenty feet outside the cabin door and briefly silenced the morning birdsongs. “Don’t forget to be back by noon. Your father will need your help unloading the wagon.” “I will Ma”. Tad answered. Even though the huge family Bible listed him as Thaddeus, he had been known as Tad since the day the entry had been made just over twelve years ago. It had been his father’s idea that he go out this morning. Yesterday, while they mended harness and prepared for spring plowing, the gobble of a tom turkey had sounded from the hillside to the east; soon echoed by one from the north. After a winter of smoked, dried, salted and otherwise preserved meat the idea of fresh roasted turkey seemed mighty good. Tad’s father’s service in the militia had resulted in a limp from a British fusilier’s bayonet. Although he could handle about everything he needed to do around the farm, the steep slopes of the surrounding hills were too much. “I have to pick up some things in town tomorrow morning. While I’m gone, why don’t you take the musket out and see if you can quiet one of those noisy birds” he had joked. “I won’t need your help until I get back,” he had added. Tad did a man’s work around the farm and his father took opportunities like this to reward his efforts.
The musket was a British smoothbore known as a Brown Bess that, along with the limp, his father had brought back from his service under General Wayne. He never talked about how he had acquired it, nor the limp for that matter. It was used for shooting chores that did not require the use of his father’s fine, Lancaster made, Meylin rifle. Tad studied the musket as he strode across last year’s corn field. Stamped into the steel were the crown and “GR” that said it was the property of King George the III. “Well” Tad mused. “King George didn’t own it anymore. There were a lot of things that he no longer owned including Pennsylvania and all the other colonies.”
Tad continued to wend his way up the south side of the mountain toward the area where they had heard the birds yesterday. He paused on a level area to listen and enjoy the cool morning air. A rapid series of melodic thuds sounded from up the valley. The cadence was repeated twice more and Tad smiled upon hearing it. Mister McIntire, the drummer, was
beating a drum call. A few years before, he had heard some older boys talking about the man. They had referred to him as that “crazy old drummer”. Impressionable, Tad had used the same reference in front of his father who proceeded to give him one of the sternest lectures he had ever received. His father had firmly informed him that MISTER McIntire was neither old nor crazy. “He and dozens of other drummers and fifers,” his father had said, “relayed the signals and kept up the morale of General Sullivan’s thousands of troops on a march half way across New York State back in ’79.” He went on to explain how Mister McIntire and others like him had made it possible for them to now farm here in peace. McIntire, now and then, would strap on his drum and run through some of the familiar calls. Such men were due the utmost respect his father had told him.
“He and dozens of other drummers and fifers,” his father had said, “relayed the signals and kept up the morale of General Sullivan’s thousands of troops on a march half way across New York State back in ’79.”
Tad had never been to New York or anywhere else outside of this area between the rivers in Pennsylvania. And that was just fine since he figured that being inside Pennsylvania was about as good a situation as anyone could hope for. A loud gobble, close at hand, broke his reverie and brought him back to his current errand.
“About twenty pounds” his father noted as he admired the supper-to-be. “How many shots did you take?” He grinned, knowing full well that Tad rarely needed more than one. The joke was to mask his great pride in how his son was maturing. “I checked the fields on my way back and it looks like it will still be a few days before it’s dry enough to plow,” his father continued. Now it was Tad’s turn to grin. “Well,” he said, “if it’s too wet to plow and you can spare me, well, I saw another tom that was nearly twice the size of this one.”
I am a native Pennsylvanian, now retired from a career in manufacturing management. I have two children, two grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
I like to say that “There is no such thing as boring history”. I have an interest in almost any era. In my retirement I’ve taken up drumming from the American Revolution and have given presentations on the subject for a number of years.
I also give live fire demonstrations and historical background on a half-scale Civil War mortar and a late 1700s navel cannon.
I serve as chaplain of my local Sons of the American Legion squadron, and of the legion’s honor guard. Recently I have begun volunteering on a neighboring hospital’s spiritual care team
The idea of writing a short story, or any story, was not a planned event, but rather something that germinated on its own.
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“Her opposition was a key to preventing construction of a dam at Tocks Island with a 37 mile-long reservoir on the Delaware River.”
By David Pierce
As we approach the 100th anniversary of her birth on March 3, Nancy Shukaitis’s legacy lives on in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
Her opposition was a key to preventing construction of a dam at Tocks Island with a 37 mile-long reservoir on the Delaware River. She and, eventually, hundreds of other anti-dam activists stopped the dam despite approvals from Congress and the governors of the four river basin states. In the reservoir’s place is today’s expanded, 70,000-acre National Recreation Area.
The recreation area along the middle Delaware River Basin encompasses parts of five counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It is a popular destination for hiking, viewing waterfalls, canoeing and kayaking, taking in historic buildings and sites, or enjoying treelined views from high vistas.
But the Recreation Area was created through forced sales to the government of more than 7,000 properties. Gone are family farms, residences, cottages, camps, a few inns and small resorts.
In 1971, Nancy Shukaitis and her immediate family lost their three-bedroom home on Mosier’s Knob in Middle Smithfield Township to
government acquisition. Her father, J. Blanchard Michael, was forced to sell an adjoining 100-acre farm that the family had owned for six generations.
Congress approved the Tocks Island dam in 1962 as a source for urban potable water, flood control, hydroelectricity and recreation. A surrounding recreation area was approved in 1965.
In late 1963, Nancy joined anti-dam activists for a rally at today’s Smithfield Beach. By early 1964, Shukaitis was the only anti-dam activist to consistently attend hearings on reservoir projects, usually held outside the region in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia or New York.
She repeatedly pointed out that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – ordered by Congress to oversee the project –conducted a study in the early 1940s that called Tocks Island an unsafe dam location due to poor geology. Corps officials expressed confidence that more extensive study would identify a safe location near Tocks, while creating more reservoir storage than other sites.
In 1965, Nancy launched a successful local petition drive that convinced a U.S. House subcommittee to hold a public hearing in the Tocks region – at East Stroudsburg – before any approval of a Tocks recreation area. Nancy also formed an anti-dam group called the Delaware Valley Conservation Association.
Despite her efforts, Congress eventually approved a recreation area.
In 1966, Nancy helped organize door-to-door canvassers who convinced more than 500 people slated to lose their property to join the DVCA. The Delaware Valley Conservation Association also collected anti-dam petitions sent to President Lyndon B. Johnson and members of Congress.
The DVCA filed a lawsuit to reverse the land acquisitions on grounds the federal government didn’t provide enough funding to pay owners just compensation, as required by the U.S. Constitution. The court ruled in 1967 that the Constitution enabled the government to purchase any private property it deemed to serve a greater public good.
Also in 1967, Shukaitis became the first woman ever elected a Monroe County commissioner. She used her elective office to lobby against building the dam.
In 1972, Monroe County and Warren County voters rejected the dam in non-binding election referendums.
In 1974, Nancy and other elected officials from the five Tocks
counties organized an antidam coalition. Shukaitis made lobbying trips to Washington against the dam.
In July 1975, the Delaware River Basin’s four state governors voted 3-1 not to build the dam. The federal government agreed to abide by the states’ wishes. Weeks later, the governors called for deferring the project – rather than an outright rejection – in case a need for reservoir waters surfaced in the future. The project was finally shelved in 1992.
It was a bittersweet victory for Nancy -- and for other former property owners who lost their homes, farms, camps or businesses. Hundreds of structures are slowly rotting away today because the National Park Service, which operates the National Recreation Area, hasn’t funding to restore them.
But many believe that by blocking the dam, the region has avoided a a dam burst and/or loss of countless plant and animal species.
The Friends of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area will present a program this March on Nancy Shukaitis. Check the group’s website for details.
David Pierce is a journalist and author of the book, Tocks Island: Dammed If You Do, available on Amazon. He serves on the board of Friends of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. His journalism career has included reporting for the Kodiak (Alaska) Daily Mirror, the Alaska Public Radio Network and the Pocono Record. He served 12 years as editor of the Springville Journal in suburban Buffalo. He has won awards for news stories, editorials and opinion columns. In 2004, Pierce received the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association’s “most prestigious honor,” the G. Richard Dew Award for journalistic service.
“Having a pet makes kids more mature, but your kids need to have achieved a certain level of maturity in the first place before they’re ready to take care of one.”
By Tanni Haas, Ph.D.
Few things are as exciting to kids as having their own pet, and it has its benefits too: research shows that having pets make kids more compassionate and teaches them important lessons about care and concern for others. But how do you choose the right pet for your kids? Experts advise parents to consider the following seven factors:
Having a pet makes kids more mature, but your kids need to have achieved a certain level of maturity in the first place before they’re ready to take care of one. Nicole Larocco-Skeehan, an expert on animal behavior and training, says that kids aren’t ready for pet ownership before they have learned to follow directions, since one of the main elements of being a pet owner is teaching pets how to follow directions. Pediatrician Dr. Hannah King adds that one of the most telling signs that your kids are ready for a pet is that they complete household chores willingly and without any fuss. “If it’s a constant fight to get your child to do a chore,” Dr. King says, “it’s likely going to be similar when you’re trying to get them to walk the dog in the rain or when they’re in the middle of a video game.” Typically, kids will have achieved the necessary level of maturity to take care of a pet by the time they turn 6 years old.
Pets for younger versus older kids: Guinea pigs are a great choice for younger, less mature kids. They’re in the same family as hamsters, but are gentler and less likely to bite. Dogs are a great choice if your kids are older and more mature. They are generally high maintenance and require daily feeding, walking, and attention as well as regular baths and visits to the veterinarian.
Also consider your family’s daily schedule. “If your family has a jam packed schedule,” Ms. Larocco-Skeehan says, “you may want to think about getting an adult animal that’s easier to take care of and requires less of a time commitment.” The truth is that even though your kids may promise to take responsibility for the pet, you and your spouse will inevitably be quite involved in its care. As Dr. King puts it, “Regardless of a child's age, parents must understand that this is a family pet and ultimately the pet is their responsibility.”
Pets that require little vs. lots of care: Bearded dragons are great for families with busy schedules as they’re super mellow and only require little care. However, they do eat live bugs, so you’ll have to make trips to your local pet store for their food. Cats require less attention than dogs but still need to be fed and cared for on a daily basis.
The lifespan of pets vary widely and therefore your family’s commitment to it. “Depending on the age of your child,” says veterinary technician Saleema Lookman, “you may be responsible for the pet’s care if they become bored with the pet or leave the house.” Before you select a pet for kids, consider whether you’re ready to continue to take care of the pet once you’re kids are off to college, or whether you want a pet that’ll only be around for part of their childhood and adolescence.
Pets with short versus long lifespans: Hamsters are cute but only live on average 1.5 -3 years. Turtles, on the other hand, can easily live 20-30 years in captivity – some much longer.
When people buy pets, they often consider the upfront costs but forget to factor in the costs of upkeep. That’s a big mistake as the costs of pet care vary widely and can include, in addition to food, regular check-ups at the vet as well as emergency care.
“Be prepared to spend money on the pet,” says Ms. LaroccoSkeehan, “and don’t select a pet you don’t think you can afford to maintain and take care of.”
Pets that are inexpensive versus expensive to take care of: Parakeets are not only inexpensive to buy, they’re inexpensive to take care of. In fact, you can feed them leftover fruits and vegetables from the refrigerator. Rabbits, on the other hand, can easily set you back $500-$1,000 a year for litter, hay, and food pellets.
The pet’s sleep cycle
The same is true of pets’ sleep cycle. Sometimes, people forget that not all pets are awake during the day and sleep at night. Ms. Lookman reminds parents that many small pets are nocturnal and may asleep during the day when your kids want to play with them and are up at night (making a lot of noise) when everyone in your household is trying to get some much-needed sleep.
Pets that are nocturnal versus diurnal: If you don’t mind having a nocturnal pet, gerbils are a great choice. They’re cute and highly sociable but be aware that they’re often active at night and can be noisy. Guinea pigs, on the other hand, are up during the day and sleep during the night.
The risk of disease
Pets carry different risks of disease which is yet another factor to consider when selecting a pet for your kids. For example, Ms. Lookman says, amphibians and reptiles carry the Salmonella bacteria in their gut which can infect humans if you don’t maintain a high level of hygiene. Similarly, cats and dogs can spread diseases like worms. “Proper preventive measures significantly reduce these risks,” Ms. Lookman says, “but they’re something to be aware of when researching pets.”
Pets with low versus high risks of disease: Frogs are a great choice for kids who’re into reptiles but be aware that they do carry the Salmonella bacteria and can infect humans If you’re afraid of catching disease from your pet, any kind of aquarium fish would be a good choice.
The amount of space needed
Finally, consider how much space you have or are willing to
make available for your kids’ pet in your home. “Assess how much space the pet requires,” says Ms. Lookman, “and whether your home can accommodate it.”
Pets that require little versus lots of space: Birds like parakeets and finches require very little space and are happy in small cages. If, on the other hand, you have lots of space, perhaps even some outdoor space, chicken make for fun pets. They’re full of personality and can even be trained to come when you call them. And, as Kate Loweth of Tiny Beans, a major parenting site, puts it: “What better way to teach kids where their eggs come from than having a henhouse in the back yard?”
I“The tiniest of droplets defy gravity, stubbornly refusing to fall to earth.”
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By Roseanne Bottone
’m luxuriating in a decadent, late morning “laze about.” Truly, is there anything more wonderful than perching on fluffy pillows surrounded by “I’ve-been-meaning-to-read-theseforever” books; a deck of tarot cards promising great fortune; a crumb-less, zero-calorie snack; and a laptop running on battery? Alexa plays jazz on Pandora – perhaps a tune by the sultry Nora Jones or by the smooth and emotive Chris Botti on trumpet. I hear raindrops pelting the roof. A syncopated and insistent tap, tap, tap. I’m unmotivated to go anywhere, to do anything, to get out from under my cloud-like comforter. Heaven on Earth. A special name exists to describe what I’m doing; to “hurkledurkle” is to lie in bed well after one should have risen to tackle the day. The term comes from 17th century southern Scotland. Hurkle-durkle! What a great word!
The downpour abates. A mist remains hanging sullen and gray. The tiniest of droplets defy gravity, stubbornly refusing to fall to earth. Looking through the window tells me that out there – out of my warm, toasty cocoon – is the kind of weather that chills to the bone. It is a yukky spring day refusing to shake off winter. Yukky? Is that the best I can do when the English language boasts 4,800 adjectives? How about “dreich.”
Pronounced dreesh, it rolls off the tongue with overt contempt to suggest depressing, miserable, and cold. Of Germanic origin, the letters in this middle English word are worth twelve points in Scrabble.
I'm thinking in bed, Cause I can't get out Till I learn how to think What I'm thinking about…*
Later, should the sun emerge victorious, I will go outside to breathe in the scent of rain. Have you smelled rain? I’m reminded of the movie “City of Angels” when Meg Ryan’s character, Maggie, describes the taste of a pear to Seth, an Angel who does not possess the human sense of taste:
Seth: What's that like? What's it taste like? Describe it like Hemingway.
Maggie: Well, it tastes like a pear. You don't know what a pear tastes like?
Seth: I don't know what a pear tastes like to you.
Maggie: Sweet, juicy, soft on your tongue, grainy like a sugary sand that dissolves in your mouth. How's that?
Seth: It's perfect.
Likewise, it is difficult to describe the scent of rain. It is often detectible even before the first drops have fallen. Lightning produces ozone – a gas with a pungent odor – ahead of a thunderstorm. The earthy, damp soil-like, musky scent of rain is called “petrichor.” It’s mostly pleasant even with a hint of the chemicals geosmin (a compound produced by microorganisms in the soil), ozone, and certain plant oils permeating the air. The après storm petrichor is surprisingly intoxicating.
Once up and about, I may venture forth beyond my front porch. One step in front of the other. To where it will lead, I do not know. I’ll “coddiwomple” through the woods or into town. The Urban Dictionary defines this whimsical word as embarking on a journey with a sense of adventure, embracing the unknown, and allowing oneself to be guided by serendipity.
…I'll never get up If I lie here all day; But I still haven't thought, So, I'll just have to stay…*
Shall I set off on a coddiwomple and inhale the scent of rain now? No! Not yet! I am feeling poetic… Five more minutes. Or maybe ten. I’m not quite done with my hurkle-durkle then.
* Excerpts from the poem “Thinking in Bed” by Dennis Lee
Roseanne Bottone is a regulatory compliance training instructor, former Peace Corps Volunteer, cancer survivor, grandmother, MBA, and freelance writer. She travels the country teaching business people about environmental and transportation safety regulations, and is a newspaper columnist. She’s a homeowner in East Stroudsburg and lives with her daughter, grandchildren, two cats and a Rottweiler.
For those beginning the process of home buying, there are many factors to consider. Keep these ideas in mind as you conduct your search – whether it’s online or at a series of open houses.
Because life is always evolving, it’s important to move into a home that has enough space for your family’s anticipated changes. While features and space are always prime considerations, don’t forget to, look into the area schools, day care options, parks and other kid-friendly amenities if you plan to grow your family in your next home.
Seek homes that offer rooms with multiple functions. For example, an office area may be suitable for a small child’s room, or a sunroom may be converted to a laundry area down the road. Unfinished basements are also blank canvases that can be customized to meet your family’s wants and needs.
The purchase of a home goes well beyond the property line. Be sure to examine the neighborhood in which the house is situated. From the condition of the neighbors’ houses to highway access and the proximity of necessities like grocery stores and gas stations, be sure to take every factor into account to help ensure you’re selecting the right location.
Find more tips to aid you in your home search at eLivingtoday.com.
“Be sure to examine the neighborhood in which the house is situated.”
Courtesy of Family Features
If you’re feeling pressure to plan the perfect Valentine’s Day date, it may be time to veer away from tradition. While flowers, chocolates and dinner for two is a classic, thinking outside the box can make for just as romantic of an experience.
Consider these simple date ideas to reduce stress and make your day extra special.
Learning something new together can be a great way to bond with your significant other. Research dance studios in your area and book a lesson for a night out. Many studios offer new or first-time discounts and typically have a variety of lessons available from ballroom to salsa, cha cha and more. If dancing isn’t really your thing, consider another skill-building class you can do together like pottery, cooking or painting, for example.
Take a trip down memory lane and go back to the beginning of your relationship by recreating your first – or a favorite – date. Whether you went bowling, mini golfing, to dinner and a movie or something else entirely, reliving the past can be a special way to connect and show your partner how much you care.
It’s not just a day of shopping here in the Pocono Mountains—it’s an experience. Wander our historic streets. Explore our art galleries. Find unique local goods. And stop for a bite at one of our top-rated neighborhood restaurants along the way. Discover all of our shopping and sights now at PoconoMountains.com.
“Become tourists in town by booking a night at a nearby hotel and visiting some local landmarks you’ve been wanting to check out”
If it’s too cold outside for an actual picnic, clear some space in your living room and throw down a blanket. Pack a basket of finger foods like sandwiches, cheese and crackers, fruit, a bottle of wine and dessert for a romantic meal for two in the comfort of home.
A getaway doesn’t have to mean going far from home. Become tourists in town by booking a night at a nearby hotel and visiting some local landmarks you’ve been wanting to check out or haven’t experienced in a while. A simple break from routine can make for an enjoyable escape, even if you’re only a few miles from home.
If the last time you had your photo professionally taken was on your wedding day or a family vacation, hire a photographer for a couples photo session, and use it as an opportunity to create fun memories together. Many photographers offer mini sessions, which only take 15-30 minutes, leaving time for a
night out afterward. For an inexpensive option, have a friend take a few casual pictures or use a selfie stick to help documen your date.
Restaurants are often booked up on Valentine’s Day, so try something different this year and make a special home-cooked meal together. Whether you make a tried-and-true favorite or whip up something new, like a heart-shaped dish, you’ll bond over the experience while creating a tangible (and hopefully tasty) reward once the oven timer dings. Then dim the lights, play some soft music and light some candles to create a romantic ambience while enjoying dinner together.
Take a day – or a weekend – and venture to a destination you haven’t been before on a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway. Even if traveling far away isn’t possible right now, exploring a town or two over allows you to check out new restaurants, stores or other attractions and get out of your comfort zones.
Find more ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day at eLivingtoday.com.
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