The Gallivanting Ledets: Oct. 20-21

Two lovely days! We spent Tuesday hanging out at the farm. David Ferrell, our host, showed off some of his "toys" and split some wood. We took the four wheeler out to explore the trails around the cabin. Some of the trails were blocked because the loggers hadn't quite finished with their work. Up and down and over and around. Lots of dusty fun.

View from David Ferrall's front porch. David is Tena's brother.

A toy David would like to have!

Tena, David, and David splitting wood.

This was the school house for the black children in the valley in the early 1900's. David hopes to restore it.

David,s house from the bottom of the hill.

Tom & Tena

A walking stick!

David in another toy that he would like to have.

A view of David's house from the side.

David, Tom and Journey

Journey is one sweet dog!

Wednesday morning with the mist rising from the valley.

We left the Ferrell farm this morning to travel to Williamsburg, VA. We met up with Joe and Darlene here tonight and are going to Colonial Williamsburg tomorrow. We're going to squeeze in tours of Jamestown and Yorktown while we're here.

I drove the Jeep for a while this morning before we hooked it to the motor home. It was a beautiful drive.

We stopped at Appomattox Court House National Historic Site where Lee surrendered to Grant to end the Civil War. We really enjoyed this stop and wish that we had planned to spend more time here. Besides the buildings, most original but some recreated, they had period actors. We went to one with Dr. ???? (neither of us can remember his name). He talked to us as if it was October 21, 1865, about six months after the war ended. He lived with his wife and six children about 5 miles north of Appomattox Court House (all the county seats were named after the county and "Court House" at that time). He and his family were large tobacco farmers before the war and owned 43 slaves. He went to school 6 years to become a doctor in the 1830's (I was surprised that it took that much time back then). The Confederate dollar went from being worth 98 cents in gold at the beginning of the war to just 1.5 cents at the end of the war.

As you would expect, given the circumstances that he was portraying, he was bitter about what the war had brought to him and his family. He did a really good job and I wish we'd had time to hear the other period actor that was there today. Unfortunately, we had "miles to go before we sleep" and just didn't give ourselves enough time.

Appomattox Court House in the town of Appomattox Court House. The surrender didn't actually happen here, but in the McLean home a short distance away.

Printing presses that were set up in the Court House to print pardons for the Confederate soldiers.

The McLean House

Reproduction of table where Lee signed the surrender papers. There wasn't a peace treaty as a treaty is between two nations and the Union government was very careful not to do anything that would acknowledge the Confederacy as a separate nation.