Mormon Historical Movie: Only a Stone Cutter

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-07-140-only-a-stonecutter

This presentation tells the story of John Rowe Moyle.  Brother Moyle and his family were handcart pioneers with the Ellsworth Company of 1856, the first handcart company.  He settled in Alpine, UT on a small farm.  He was called by Brigham Young as a stone cutter on the Salt Lake Temple.  The animals were needed for the farm, so he walked 22 miles every Monday, leaving at 2 a.m. To be to the temple by 8 a.m. He walked home every Friday arriving at midnight, and did all the household chores on Saturday.   He did this in all kinds of weather.  He did this for over 20 years.  He stopped for a time after he was kicked by a cow and his leg broke.  It had to be amputated.  However he fashioned a wood leg for himself, and after teaching himself to walk, continued his duty at the temple. He explained some calls are not convenient. This is a story of duty, and then doing your duty. 

The History of Christmas in the U.S.

http://www.thehistoryofchristmas.com/ch/in_america.htm

Christmas was not always a popular holiday in America as pointed out by the above link on the history of Christmas.  In fact it was not declared a federal holiday until 1870.  Some of the early Puritanical forces in America outlawed Christmas, and showing Christmas spirit was subject to a fine in Boston.  However other areas celebrated Christmas. 
Christmas went through a reformation in America.  In Europe it was often a raucous holiday, with merriment and a carnival type atmosphere.  Washington Irving did much to rewrite Christmas tradition.  He published a series of stories in the early 1800s redefining Christmas and making it a day to reach out and extend love between classes.  Children's stories and books played an important part in Christmas tradition.  "A Night Before Christmas" written by Clement Clarke Moore was published in 1822. 
Christmas, interestingly, was more embraced in the South then the North.  However, after the Civil War Christmas spread throughout the country, becoming a family oriented holiday and a time of peace.  Harper's magazine began published pictures of Santa every year in 1863.  The story of Virginia O'Hanlan took place in 1897.  The CocaCola Santa pictures were introduced in 1931.
Of note in recent years is the commercialization of Christmas in recent years, and attempts to remove Jesus from the celebration. 

St Louis World's Fair

The St. Louis World's Fair was also known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.  It was originally scheduled for the centennial 1903, but was moved back a year to allow more countries and states to participate.  43 of the 45 states at the time participated.  As did many territories, including new territories as a result of the Spanish American war such as the Philippines and Guam.  62 foreign nations participated.  The fair had almost 20 million visitors.
The original land used for the fair is now part of Washington University and Forest Park.  This was the biggest fair up to that time, with 1500 buildings, 1200 acres and 45 miles of roads and trails.  They said you couldn't see it all in a week.
Noted exhibits included Geronimo, ragtime music and Scot Joplin, Helen Keller, 24, lectured, John Phillip Sousa and his band played.  T.S. Elliot also visited.  Many foods were popularized including the waffle cone, peanut butter, iced tea, cotton candy, and even to an extent hot dogs and hamburgers were popularized.
The 1904 Summer Olympic Games were held as part of the fair and went on for a drawn out period.  However they were overshadowed by the fair.  Source Wikipedia
The fair is the backdrop to the 1944 movie, "Meet me in St. Louis."
http://mmboebillywardle.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-musical-movie-review-meet-me.html
The stamps show Robert Livingston, French negotiator, Thomas Jefferson U.S. President who ordered the Lewis and Clark expedition, James Monroe U.S. negotiator, William McKinley proponent of the exposition, and a map of the Louisiana Purchase.  They were issued April 30, 1904.

President Monson Biography: On the Lord's Errand

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2009-09-01-on-the-lords-errand-the-life-of-thomas-s-monson?category=feature-films

I guess those words, on the Lord's errand exemplify the life of Thomas Monson.  The other half of this is being sensitive to the spirit, and obedient to the spirit.  President Monson talks of a time he didn't head the spirit, and then arrived too late.  He made a commitment to always head the spirit after this, and as a result has had some marvelous experiences.  Some of the stories told are astounding, and talk of the preparation of a prophet, but also after being called, of taking the mantle of the prophet.  This movie is highly motivational, and very touching.  I had tears in my eyes on several occasions. 

Civil War: Trent Affair

As early as 1861 it must have been clear to many of the leaders of the Confederacy that victory would be difficult, unless someone in Europe intervened on their behalf.  The Union had started effecting the blockade of the South, establishing a base of operations at Point Royal which the Confederacy was helpless to oppose without a much greater presence in the sea.
The best chance for Great Britain was the Trent Affair.  The Confederacy was sending diplomats to Europe to seek recognition.  However the U.S. Navy intervened.  The USS San Jacinto under command of Captain Charles Wilkes, stopped the British mail packet RMS Trent and removed the diplomats by force, James Mason and John Slidell. 
The initial reactions of the citizenry of Great Britain was very different.  In the U.S. Captain Wilkes was seen as a hero, while in Britain the stopping of a British ship was seen as an act of war, which could have lead to open hostilities.  Those in the know found hope in the prospects of a British/American war.
The time it took to communicate in those days allowed for both sides to rethink their initial reactions.  The British demanded an apology and the release of the diplomats.  The U.S. rethought their position, knowing that a war on two fronts would have been disastrous.  The U.S. did not issue a formal apology, but explained the move as the removal of contraband which was within the laws of the sea.  The U.S. explained that Captain Wilkes acted without orders, and released the men.  They continued their journey to England, but could never win recognition of the Confederacy which had been their goal.

Holocaust Survivor Misha Defonseca

This story is from Readers Digest: Incredible Journeys.  This is an incredible story in survival and perseverance about Mila Defonseca who was a six year old Jewish girl in Nazi occupied Belgium.  When the Nazis occupied Belgium in 1940, the family went into hiding.  While she was at school, her parents were taken by the Nazis, to the "East" she was told.  She was one of 5000 Belgium children rescued by the underground.  Initially she was able to see relatives, but as Nazi control increased this was harder.  Rather than stay with a caretaker who was mean to her, she decided to go and find her parents, after all, they didn't look very far away on the map.  And so she ran away, and headed east.  She had a compass, and a knapsack with a little food.  What are the chances of a six-year-old Jewish girl surviving in Nazi occupied territory with little or nothing to eat. She at worms, berries, leaves, dirt, whatever she could.  She also relied on carcasses of animals she would find by watching the crows fly around.  She made it to Poland (over 800 miles), having traveled through Germany.  Sometimes she would join with other children in a street gang, but mostly she traveled by herself, keeping to the woods.  She was surprised while raiding a home, and someone threw a brick at her, hitting her in the back, breaking a vertebrae.  She was in pain, and a wolf took care of her.  The wolf was shot by a man, and then she lived with a pack of wolves for a time.  She eventually walked back to Belgium, thinking perhaps her parents had returned.  They never returned as they were Hitler Holocaust victims.  For some time she was weary of people, preferring isolation or animals.  She had difficulty reintegrating into society, but eventually did, marrying and coming to America. 

The Story of Gladys Alward, Missionary to China

Gladys Aylward came to China to work with a fellow missionary, Jeannie Dawson.  However when Dawson passed away she was left to tend to affairs.  This included running an inn where they hoped to teach mule drivers about Christ.  This was hard to do in a rural area where everyone referred to you as the foreign devil.  However she persevered and won the confidence of the people, but in 1937 there was war.  War internally, and war against the invading Japanese.  Aylward found herself taking care of more and more orphans, and an ever increasingly dangerous situation.  By 1940 there were over 200 orphans.  Aylward decided the best course of action would be to send the children to Sian, a city still controlled by Nationalist.  She sent half.  However the push forward by the Japanese forced her hand, and she decided to walk out with the remaining orphans.  She took 96 orphans, mostly between ages four and eight with a few older children to help, over the mountains to Sian.  They reached the Yellow River in twelve days.  The older children had scavenged for food, but they were all hungry.  It took three days before the encountered Nationalist troops who let them use a small boat to ferry the small children.  Aylward was sick and in a blur for the remainder of the trip.  However they finally made it to Sian, still singing and holding hands.
This story is from Reader's Digest: Incredible Journeys. 

Another Look at Robert E. Lee

The information in the post is taken from an article in U.S. News Secrets of the Civil War.  The present and interview with an historian, Elizabeth Brown Pryor, who wrote a book based on Lee papers discovered in 2003.  She sees Lee as an enigma.  A stoic military man, but also a family man who swims with his children and studied parenting books.  He flirted with women, but was faithful to his wife Mary Anna Custis Lee.  He inherited slaves from his father-in-law with the legal stipulation that the be freed at a certain time.  Lee saw slaves as property.  He petitioned the court to extend the time he could keep his slaves.  However the court ruled against him and he released his slaves.
Lee had the view that he had to join the Confederacy because he couldn't fight against his family and friends.  In truth Lee had family and friends who fought for the North as well as the South.  Lee agonized over his decision for some time. 
Lee could not self appraise his performance after the war, it was too close.  He wrote in some papers a bitter attitude, but showed forbearance in public.  His wife lost her properties which became part of Arlington Cemetery.  He was a disappointed and heartsick man in his old age.

Mormon Movie Review: The Long Awaited Day

This movie tells two stories which are related.  It tells the story of Joseph Johnson and a small group of believers in Ghana, Africa.  That had petitioned for missionaries, but the church was not yet ready to move into Africa.
The movie then turns to President Hinckley who talked of the revelation to extend the power of the priesthood to all male Saints, and the blessings of the priesthood to all worthy members.  This revelation came to President Kimball.  He talked of the feeling of confirmation that this was a revelation of the Lord.  Proclamation 2 in the Doctrine and Covenants also relates the story. 

 On September 30, 1978, at the 148th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President N. Eldon Tanner, First Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church was asked to read this letter:

To all general and local priesthood officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the world:

Dear Brethren:

 As we have witnessed the expansion of the work of the Lord over the earth, we have been grateful that people of many nations have responded to the message of the restored gospel, and have joined the Church in ever-increasing numbers. This, in turn, has inspired us with a desire to extend to every worthy member of the Church all of the privileges and blessings which the gospel affords.
 Aware of the promises made by the prophets and presidents of the Church who have preceded us that at some time, in God’s eternal plan, all of our brethren who are worthy may receive the priesthood, and witnessing the faithfulness of those from whom the priesthood has been withheld, we have pleaded long and earnestly in behalf of these, our faithful brethren, spending many hours in the Upper Room of the Temple supplicating the Lord for divine guidance.
He has heard our prayers, and by revelation has confirmed that the long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood, with power to exercise its divine authority, and enjoy with his loved ones every blessing that flows therefrom, including the blessings of the temple. Accordingly, all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color. Priesthood leaders are instructed to follow the policy of carefully interviewing all candidates for ordination to either the Aaronic or the Melchizedek Priesthood to insure that they meet the established standards for worthiness.
 We declare with soberness that the Lord has now made known his will for the blessing of all his children throughout the earth who will hearken to the voice of his authorized servants, and prepare themselves to receive every blessing of the gospel.
 

Sincerely yours,

Spencer W. Kimball

N. Eldon Tanner

Marion G. Romney

The First Presidency

 Recognizing Spencer W. Kimball as the prophet, seer, and revelator, and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is proposed that we as a constituent assembly accept this revelation as the word and will of the Lord. All in favor please signify by raising your right hand. Any opposed by the same sign.
 The vote to sustain the foregoing motion was unanimous in the affirmative.


The movie then moves back to a much older Brother Johnson.  On a night when he was discouraged he felt impressed to turn on his radio, and happened to hear the announcement that the Church had extended the priesthood to all worthy males.  It wasn't long after this that the group of believers had been contacted by missionaries.

Movie Brigham Young from a Historical Perspective

This movie is not very historically accurate from the beginning to the end.  It starts with Joseph Smith being convicted of treason at Carthage by a trumped up jury.  In truth, though arraigned many times, Joseph Smith was never convicted of anything.  He was accused of treason not for fighting back in the Nauvoo War, but for destroying a printing press that insisted on printing false rumors.  It was destroyed under the pretext of being a nuisance in the community.  While waiting trial, and with the promise of protection from the governor of Illinois, Joseph Smith and his  brother Hyrum were murdered in jail.  This movie shows Brigham Young close at hand, but he wasn't in Nauvoo at the time as he was serving a mission.  Upon returning, Brigham knew that the control of the church fell to the Quorum of twelve apostles of which he was president.  There were splinter groups, but for most Saints they received a spiritual manifestation of Brigham Young's right to follow Joseph Smith at a meeting in Nauvoo where he spoke with the voice of Joseph Smith.  This movie has Brigham Young doubtful of his call to be the prophet from start to finish.  It has the crossing of the river as a one night decision, when in fact it was planned for many months with wagons being built and preparations being made.  It is true, because of the persecution they left more quickly than planned,, but it wasn't a spur of the moment decision. It has Brigham not knowing where he was going to take the people, even though he had this in his mind from the beginning.  Even Joseph Smith had a vision of the Saints going West, and Brigham Young carried out that vision. Sam Brannan who had gone to California was the one who came to convince Brigham to go there.  This was before the discovery of gold.  Brigham knew through the spirit where they were to go.
Lastly, this movie ends with the crickets and the seagulls.  This event really happened.  However Brigham Young was not in Salt Lake at the time, being in Iowa where the bulk of the Saints still resided.  It was the stake president who remembered to pray, which prayer brought the seagulls and saved the crops from the crickets. 

William Tecumsah Sherman

Civil War General William Tecumsah Sherman was an interesting man.  After the Civil War he was vilified by the South and adored by the North.  Whatever else can be said about him, it is that he did what he thought needed to be done to end the war.  He is most famously quoted as saying "War is hell."  The actual quote given in 1880 at a Grand Army Reunion, cited in Time Magazine Secrets of the Civil War "Sherman's Trail of Tears" is "There is man a boy here today who looks on war as all glory but, boys, it's all hell."  Sherman and Ulysses Grant were closely tied.  They both were from Ohio, and Sherman always insisted on serving under Grant.  He knew what their roles should be.  When Grant was summoned to take control over all the U.S. Army, and then stationed himself with George Meade in the East, Sherman took command of the forces in the West.  Sherman set his eyes on Atlanta.  It was Atlanta's fall that provided enough spark for President Lincoln to win reelection against George McClellan.  Sherman did not stay in Atlanta, but executed his infamous march to the sea to Savannah, Georgia.  He left supply lines behind, subsisting on the wealth of the land.  After reaching the coast, he took his army North to punish the South Carolinians for their role in starting the war.  In this march collateral damage caused by his troops truly got out of hand, inflicting retribution.  Many were left hungry and suffered greatly.  Sherman's goal of making the South howl, and to show them their government was hollow and could not protect them were accomplished.  The war was won probably before he entered South Carolina, but he went north anyway.
Sherman new what it would take to in the war.  Although he was a man who disliked war, he was willing to extract and pay the price.
A summary of the total cost of war shows its devastating effect on the South.   66 percent of the wealth in the South was lost, a quarter of the white fighting age men were killed.  About that many more were left permanently injured.  In 1866 20 percent of the Mississippi state revenue was earmarked for artificial limbs.  500,000 plantations and farms in the South were destroyed.  Most of the railroads in the South were unworkable, and most of the railroad companies bankrupt.

Thanksgiving History

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.  (History Chanel)
More than one year we made silly hats out of paper, the boys a black hat and the girls white hats, and one year also made paper buckles for my shoes.  It was part of the Puritan look.  We also made decorations of Native Americans.
But what about fact or fictions:
  http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving-quiz
A couple spoilers, domestic turkeys can't fly, but wild turkeys can fly up to 55 miles per hour.
Although Thanksgiving day became a National Holiday when Lincoln was president, previous presidents had proclaimed national days of thanksgiving.

Story: Rabbit Proof Fence--Aboriginal People of Australia

I came across a story I had never heard anything about before.  It is in a book "Reader's Digest: Incredible Journeys." There was a book "The Rabbit Proof Fence", and a movie with the same title about the aboriginal people of Australia in 1931.  As a general policy in Australia, there was a move to integrate aboriginal people.  One way of doing this was to take their children, and have them raised in white homes or schools, with the hopes they would behave more white.  The women could become domestics, and the men farm hands.  This is the story of three young women/ girls, two sisters and a cousin.  They were taken from their community, and placed in a boarding home.  The escaped the next day, determined to return to their own home, 1000 miles away.  As a guide they used a fence, and thus the book’s name. 

Being that young, and walking that far is not easy.  It is harder if people are looking for you with the goal of returning you to the boarding school.  Someone they were outside the law wanting to live with their parents.  The cousin was the youngest, and she had injured herself on thorns and her legs were infected.  She heard her parents had moved closer, and when she went to find them she was caught.  The other two girls continued to their homes, and finally made it.  The families decided to move, because the authorities would come looking for the girls.  They were able to stay with their families, but one of the girls, when she became an adult, her children were taken away and they were raised by others.  In the name of progress, and doing good, sometimes we as humans do some stupid things.

 

The Only Mormon in Johnston's Army

Curtis R. Allen wrote a story about my great-great-great grandfather.  I have copied it in its entirety.

WILLIAM ASHTON: HANDCART PIONEER AND FIVE-YEAR
FOOT SOLDIER
Curtis R. Allen1

“We continued on our journey as quick as we possibly
could. The cold increasing upon us. … Our provisions
are running out very fast, so that our rations are reduced
to 12 ounces of flour per day. … we are also being pretty
nigh wore out, with fatigue and hunger, a great many died.”
- Samuel Openshaw, Martin Handcart Company, just as
the company was leaving Fort Laramie.2
William Ashton, a 33-year-old LDS convert from Stockport, Cheshire, England was experiencing the same feelings as Openshaw but with tragedy and sorrow piled on top of them. William had lost his wife and two daughters on the easy part of the journey. Fortyfive
others of the company had also died on the way. He and his three remaining motherless girls were now faced with worsening conditions and a dismal forecast. At a camp near Fort Laramie, in Nebraska Territory (now Wyoming) in early October, 1856, William faced a decision almost beyond thinking, and with small hope of success in any of the few options.
He and his family had left Liverpool May 22, 1856 on the ship “Horizon” for the journey to America and Utah. The company was about 800 Saints; their leader was to be Captain Edward Martin. The Ashton family, like many on the ship, was traveling under the
auspices of the Perpetual Emigration Fund and would be pulling handcarts across the prairies. William’s family consisted of himself, 33; his wife Sarah Ann (nee Barlow), also 33; daughters Betsy, 11; Sarah Ellen, 7; Mary; 5, and Elizabeth, age 2.3
The ship docked in Boston the last day of June. While the company was waiting to board the train cars to Iowa City, little Elizabeth Ashton died.4 Many of the company had suffered of illness and several had died aboard ship. Perhaps Elizabeth had been sick on the sea journey. A crowded and uncomfortable train took them to Iowa City where they struggled with the delay in preparing handcarts and eventually left for the westward journey July 28th, later than hoped. Although they struggled with poorly constructed handcarts and other challenges, the company had a fairly comfortable haul to Florence
before starting across Nebraska. In Iowa, before crossing the Missouri River, Sarah Ann gave birth to another daughter. The baby, named after her mother, died fourteen days later at Florence. The difficult birth left the mother feeble and she soon passed on. A grieving and surely distraught William continued on the 1,000 mile trail toward Salt Lake
Valley with his three surviving daughters.
By October, as the Martin Company neared Fort Laramie, it became apparent the late departure, limited food supply, and lack of warm clothing would threaten the company.5  On October 9th, some of the Martin Company people gathered their valuables – watches
and the like, to trade for provisions at the fort. The commander, Major William Hoffman, 6 sympathized with the immigrants and allowed them to purchase from the commissary storehouse. The prices were reasonable: biscuits at 15 ½ cents, bacon at 15 cents a pound and rice at 17 cents a pound. Some purchased from the Sutler’s but the prices were higher.7
On this same day, October 9th, William enlisted in Company G of the 6th United States Infantry. He was surely influenced by the willingness of the army to aid the pioneers and saw in it an opportunity to help his own family to endure the remaining journey. But it was a decision that would probably trouble him for the rest of his life. Some analysis is
required to fill in around the known facts. Often, when a regiment’s ranks were depleted by desertions and other causes, the army offered cash and other inducements to enlistees.
The new men also became eligible to draw on the commissary and sutler’s stores against future pay. Three other men from the Martin Company enlisted with William, so this was probably the case then. Recruits were few in the wilderness. William was probably able
to supplement his children’s diet and possibly also help with blankets by enlisting. Also, he would not be along to receive an adult ration, also leaving that to others of the company. 
There was a Barlow family with the company that seems almost surely to have been his deceased wife’s relatives. John Barlow, an 18 year old son of that family also joined the army the same day as William. The Barlow family and William’s family lived less than fifteen miles apart in England. Although no exact genealogical link has been found, it
seems reasonable the Barlows took the girls to travel with them. Whatever the details, William must have been heartbroken and the little girls terrified at the parting. William had committed himself to five years of service in an unfamiliar situation and to repay some indebtedness to a government foreign to him.
The first several months of army life for William Ashton were uneventful. The Martin handcart company recruits in the 6th Infantry troops stationed at Fort Laramie surely Fort Laramie in the 1850’s 8
went through the adjustment necessary for any civilian introduced to military life but they were not called upon to participate in any arduous campaigns that winter. The local Indian tribes were generally not troublesome. But change was in the wind. By the spring of 1857, the Cheyenne were chafing at the encroachments on their tribal domain by settlers and the army and were raiding immigrant trains and settlements wherever they could. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis ordered Colonel Edwin (“Bull”) Sumner to mount an expedition of chastisement against the Cheyenne. Sumner’s 1st Cavalry was chosen as the spearhead with elements of the 6th Infantry, Company G included, in support.9  This included William as well as the others that had enlisted with him.10 During this expedition, the infantry suffered not only great fatigue but deprivation of food and shelter, as the expedition commander, Colonel Edwin V. “Bull” Sumner chased the
Indians with his cavalry, requiring exhausting forced marches by the foot soldiers in an attempt to keep up. The marches took them into what is now Southeastern Colorado, into central Kansas and on to Fort Leavenworth in northeastern Kansas. In Kansas, Company
G was involved in the battle of Solomon’s Fork where numerous Cheyenne were killed or wounded, but William escaped harm. Food ran short and the soldiers subsisted on scrawny beef and went days without nourishing food. At one point, the men were reduced
to eating coyotes, skunks and buzzards.11 Many soldiers deserted, perhaps justifiably, including two recruits from the Martin Company, Aaron Harrison and Samuel Blackham. 12 William stayed the course, perhaps because of commitments he had made to the sutler’s store as mentioned earlier.13 As the campaign ended, Company G was in the
vicinity of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
In May, 1858, William’s regiment was ordered from Kansas to Utah Territory to reinforce the army sent there the previous fall to put down the “Mormon Rebellion”. The regiment was to become part of General Albert Sidney Johnston’s Army of Utah. By July 31, 1858, the regiment, including William’s Company G, had arrived at Fort Bridger, Utah Territory14. William was then in the unique position of being the only Mormon to be a part of what is known as “Johnston’s Army,” which was to march into the Salt Lake Valley to ensure Brigham Young and the Mormons would comply with federal law.
William was likely to be able to make contact with his daughters, if they had survived.
However, circumstances prevented this. In July, 1858, General Johnston was ordered by Headquarters, U.S. Army, to select one of two regiments to add to the force already at Camp Floyd in Utah County, the other to be sent to the Department of the West,
headquartered at Benicia, California. Johnston selected the 7th Infantry for Camp Floyd service and ordered William’s regiment to California. For a short time, William was within 130 miles of his two surviving daughters, but he was not aware that two of his daughters had survived.15
“Johnston’s Army” marched from the Fort Bridger area on June 13, 1858, taking companies, B and C, of the 6th Infantry into the Salt Lake Valley. William Ashton’s company G and the remainder of the 6th Infantry remained at Fort Bridger until companies B and C returned from the valley and on August 31st, the entire regiment began their march to California. That march, combined with the just completed march from Fort Leavenworth totaled 2,147 miles. Adding to this the marches associated with the Cheyenne Expedition, we see Company G marching more than 2,500 miles over a few months. The route from Fort Bridger was westward to the Bear River, near present day
Evanston, Wyoming, then avoiding Echo Canyon and the Salt Lake Valley altogether, north following Bear river past Bear Lake to Soda Springs and then along the Portneuf River to Fort Hall and then following Hudspeth’s cutoff past the City of Rocks and there connecting to the California Trail to Carson’s Pass over the Sierras. In spite of strenuous effort to beat the winter snows, they slogged through two feet of snow at the summit.
By October, 1858 they were encamped in California, moving then to Benicia Barracks in the Oakland area. At this point, the regiment was fragmented and sent to wherever they were needed to suppress Indian depredations or deal with other problems. William and Company G saw most of California during the next three years.
In October, 1861, the regiment received orders to sail to Washington D.C. for Civil War service. Company G was at Benicia Barracks and William’s five year enlistment was completed. On October 9, 1861, Private William Ashton was honorably discharged and from there, his trail goes cold. We do know he received several months back pay upon
discharge, with possibly additional funds held in his account.16 This would have given him some resources to travel to his next destination, wherever that might have been. He may have even been able to travel on the ship with the regiment to Washington, D.C. down the West Coast to Panama and across the isthmus by railroad and up the East Coast to the Capital.
No record tells us of the next several years of William’s life. It appears he found his way back to England, as he, or someone with the same name and circumstances, is found in census records. At some point he learned there were survivors in the Martin Company and in 1888 placed the following ad in the Millennial Star:
“Elder William Ashton is very anxious to learn the address of any one or all of his daughters, Betsy, Sarah, and Mary, who emigrated from Stockport, England, on the 18th of May, 1856. They crossed the plains in one of the ‘Handcart Companies’.”17
Betsy had died on the plains; Mary had died in childbirth in 1869 in West Jordan; and Sarah Ellen, who had lost the sight of one eye from the cold on the handcart trail, was in Whitney, Idaho, having gone there with her husband, Thomas Wesley Beckstead, a Canadian convert and early pioneer to South Jordan. A silent witness of Sarah Ellen’s
feelings toward her father, of whose whereabouts she then knew nothing, is the fact that she named one of her sons “William Albert Beckstead”, even using William’s seldom mentioned middle name. The name “William” is still popular among his descendants. She
also named a daughter that died as an infant “Sarah Alberta”, perhaps honoring both her parents.
Someone brought a copy of the Millennial Star to Sarah. We can hardly imagine Sarah’s emotions on getting this news of her father after thirty-two years. But she must have been anxious to see him as she and her husband sent him means to come to Idaho, which he did. He spent his remaining years with Sarah Ellen and her husband in Whitney and became known as “Grandpa Ashton.” An indication of Grandpa Ashton’s acceptance by the community was his giving a speech at the 1889 Fourth of July celebration in Whitney.
William shared the rostrum with several of his grandchildren who sang, gave talks and otherwise entertained the crowd. Like so many wishes when we study individual history, we hope someone might be digging into an old trunk and find a journal that included some notes of  that speech.
William died October 21, 1891 and is buried in the Whitney cemetery. Sarah Ellen lived until 1912 and is remembered in family histories as a grand old lady. Certainly her posterity is large and has achieved much in the way of service to their communities and country. One of her descendants, presumably gathering memories from the older
generation wrote: “She probably believed that having only one eye was no handicap. She churned butter, sold eggs, served as a midwife, and helped in the community wherever and whenever she was called upon.” She is also buried in the Whitney cemetery.
Epilogue
When, in an incident of more than fifteen years of researching the soldiers of the Utah War I first learned of the military experience of William, I knew nothing of his family connection to the Becksteads and Whitney, Idaho but that information soon surfaced. It turns out I was in high school in Preston, Idaho with at least a dozen of William’s
descendants. In contacting some of them, I found few were aware of his exemplary military service or of the details that, to me at least, provide a different view of his decision to enlist at Fort Laramie. I have since made my concept of his motives and circumstances available to some. Unfortunately, he may still be unkindly remembered by others.

1 This article is an expansion of an article titled “Soldiers into Saints: Saints into Solders” published in the Utah Genealogical Association’s quarterly publication Crossroads, December 2008 issue, pages 171-178.
2 Lynne Slater Turner, Emigrating Journals of the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies and the Hunt and Hodgett Wagon Trains, n. p.: 1996), 115.
3 Ibid, 81, 88, 141.
4 Ibid, 141. (Some accounts indicate Elizabeth was buried at sea.)
5 Ibid, 115.
6 Major Hoffman was a New Yorker and a West Point graduate of 1829. He had served in the Mexican War and was promoted for gallant and meritorious conduct in two battles. He would lead a large wagon train of emergency supplies to Utah Territory in 1858 to supplement the meager rations of the snowbound troops of General Johnston near Fort Bridger. He served as commissary of prisoners during the Civil War and was brevetted Major General in 1865. He retired in 1870.
7 Turner, Journals, 115.
8 Fort Laramie is not near the Wyoming city of Laramie. It is about 100 miles northeast on the Overland
Trail.
9 William’s military experience from Fort Laramie until his discharge at Benicia, California in 1861 is taken from the monthly regimental returns of the 6th Infantry, NARA, Microfilm 665, Roll 68, FHL#
1579299.
10 William, Samuel Blackham, 22; Aaron Harrison, 19; and John Barlow, 18, all joined the army on the same day. Barlow’s enlistment appears to have been as a contract laborer. William’s enlistment is found in Adjutant General’s Office, War Department, Register of Enlistments, U.S. Army, NARA, Microfilm M233, Roll 25, p. 2, line 83. FHL# 350331. The records of the other enlistees are found on this film.
11 Clifford L. Swanson, The Sixth United States Infantry Regiment, 1855 to Reconstruction, (Jefferson, NC, McFarland & Company, Inc., 2001),8-11.
12 It is a popular belief among many interested parties that Aaron Harrison did not desert but came into the Salt Lake Valley with “Johnston’s Army” in June 1858. The military records are clear that Harrison deserted October 27, 1857. It is also clear that only companies B and C came into the valley while the other companies, including company G stayed at Fort Bridger until they left on the long march to Benicia, California in August, 1858. Available records of the Blackham families lives have no mention of Samuel’s military service. They settled in San Pete County, Utah but Samuel, after his marriage to Mary Ann Lamb of Manchester, England, took his family to Evanston, Wyoming after the town was established as a railroad division point. He died there in 1910.
13
14 6th Infantry Regimental Return for July, 1858. NARA microfilm M665, Roll 68, FHL# 1579299. In 1858, Fort Bridger was within the boundaries of Utah Territory. Before Utah’s statehood, chunks of Utah
were split off until it reached its present configuration. The “notch” that allows Wyoming to be a rectangle contains Fort Bridger.
15 At this time, William must have been convinced, from what news he had heard, that the Martin Company disaster took his daughters. He did not learn the truth until much later. It is likely the army, knowing
William was a Mormon, kept a close eye on him while the regiment was at Fort Bridger.
16 During the Civil War and after, honorably discharged regular army soldiers were also provided travel money to their points of enlistment. It is not clear if this was a policy in 1861.
17 Millennial Star, 31 December, 1888.

50 Years Since President Kennedy was Assassinated

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/21/jfk-conspiracy-theorist-points-finger-at-lbj/3660765/

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-LA0ypFXig

 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/people-witnessed-jfks-assassination/story?id=20531350#9

 

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/16/us/jfk-assassination-conspiracy-theories-debunked/

These articles give some idea of the murder that will not rest.  For fifty years people have wondered what happened.  Could Oswald have acted alone, was President Johnson involved, was the mafia, the CIA, the Russians, the Cubans, Texas politicians.  Is the Warren report the last word on the subject.  One of these articles says he doesn't know what happened, but it wasn't Oswald because he had no motive.

However, recent things that have happened in the world say a motive is not always needed.  Besides, for Oswald, the notoriety could have been motive enough.  The rumors of conspiracy theory will never go away with regards to the death of President Kennedy.

Historic Temple Square

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/topics/christmas?lang=eng

Ever hear the term Historic Temple Square.  This short documentary explains this, and also gives first hand accounts of people who visit, and of the sister missionaries who share temple square with others. 
In 1847, just a few days after the pioneers entered Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young selected a spot for the temple saying, "Here we will build a temple to our God." Temple Square surrounds the temple, and is the center of the layout of Salt Lake Valley.  Many historic events have taken place in ten acre square, from welcoming new pioneers, including the handcart companies, to the Tithing House being in this vicinity, Hotel Utah across the street, the Assembly Hall and the Tabernacle have hosted many performances, and conferences, and historic occasions.
Temple Square is decorated with thousands of lights for Christmas, and it itself is a light to the world.

Mormon Historical Movie: The Joseph Millett Story

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-07-129-the-joseph-millett-story?category=doctrine-and-covenants/section-120-church-historyThis is a very simple story, which illustrates our importance to God.  God is aware of us and our needs.  Brother Huff and his family are out of food.  The children bring this news home from school.  The years has been hard, and people are running out of food, before the run out of winter.  This was common in those days, but did not make it any easier.  Families often subsisted on roots, or thistles.  This story tells the story of on family's willingness to help, and also their having the trust of the Lord.

U.S. Civil War: People Became Acquainted with Death

Death is the most common denominator from the U.S. Civil War.  People on all sides of this war became acquainted with death, much more than they would have liked.  According to an article in “U.S. and World Report Secrets of the Civil War,” written by Drew Gilpin Faust 620,000 soldiers died.  The confederacy was hardest hit in percentage of the population as the deaths represent 20 percent of the fighting age men.  In other words, nobody escaped death in the South, while in the North, because of the greater numbers of soldiers the percentage was lower.  More Americans died in this war than in the other U.S. wars combined.  Two percent of the U.S. population passed away.  If two percent of the population were to die today this would be six million people.  

Soldiers did not have a monopoly on death.  The civilian population was also hard hit, with likely over 50,000 civilian deaths.  Some of these were the result of violence directed towards them, New York riots, vigilante gangs in the Midwest etc.   Some was the result of being in the battles way.  Death was also present during this time as a result of disease.  Having soldiers in close quarters spread disease, which then spread to civilian populations. 

National Memorial cemeteries sprung up as a result of the war.  One of these was Arlington Cemetery she is on the old Lee property in Arlington.  This is where Robert E. Lee lived before the war.

Another reason death became closer was the use of photography for the first time to document was.  People could see pictures of war dead for the first time.  

Documentary Review: ***^Extreme Christmas Trees

This movie presented lots of Christmas trees, starting with Rio De Janeiro where the tree is so big and so bright it can be seen on the moon.  Then the brought the focus back to the United States.  There was the biggest tree inside a residence, and I was sure they were going to break some antique furniture getting that thing into the house. 

The one that intrigued me the most was the ten-foot Christmas tree cake.  It had a train made of cake going around the bottom.  It was a donated cake for a charity. 

The lobster trap tree was really interesting.  This was made in Maine, and was a way to honor the history of lobstering in the area.  Lobster traps were tied together, and then it was decorated with the buoys of the fishermen. 

In Michigan there was a 300 member high school tree choir, meaning the choir sang perched on the Christmas tree.  Some of the kids were feeling faint and had to come down, but they were prepared with a nurse.  I guess the lights were hot and conditions cramped.  There was a bed and breakfast in Georgia where the hosts had Christmas trees in every room, and upon these trees the had antique decorations.  A collection worth over $100,000.  Of course one broke, but everyone was happy in the end.  There was also a tree made with antlers, antlers from smaller deer at the top, larger deer in the middle, and elk at the bottom.  There was one guy and his tree I didn't understand.  He decided to have a tree hanging from the roof, and going through the two stories of his home.  He had to knock holes in two ceilings to make his idea work.  He also needed help from the fire department.  To each his own.  As best I can tell this was a 2011 Discovery Channel production. 

Mormon History Movie Review: Glad Tidings: The History of Baptisms for the Dead

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/church-history/02-church-history?lang=eng

When Joseph's brother Alvin died, the family was distraught.  Their grief was only more pronounced when the preacher who performed the funeral told the family that Alvin was condemned because he had not been baptized.
Later, in the Kirtand temple, Joseph received a vision of the Celestial Kingdom, and was surprised that Alvin was there.  The Lord explained that those who would have accepted the gospel, had they been given the opportunity, may inherit all of the blessings of heaven. 
It was while the saints were in Nauvoo that Joseph received the revelation for performing baptism for the dead.  These were originally performed in the Mississippi river.  Later Joseph received added direction that these should be performed in the temple.

Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-01-joseph-smith-the-prophet-of-the-restoration?category=feature-films

This is a historical reenactment of the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith as told through the eyes of his mother, Lucy Mack Smith.  This is a very entertaining movie made by the Church in2005.  It depicts Joseph's childhood briefly, but focuses a great deal of attention on the first vision and Moroni and the book of Mormon.  It also makes Joseph's courtship of Emma real, and shows the disappointment of his father-in-law.  It shows many of the trials and persecutions Joseph faced throughout his life.  It also shows the trials of the people he lead. 
Of course a historical reenactment cannot show every detail, and there are parts that were glossed over.  One of these was the reason for Joseph going to Carthage.  It was hinted this was because of Missourians, but does not talk about the local problems in Nauvoo.
This is a great movie.  It leaves you feeling good, and shows period costumes and manners.  It seems the mob may be too mobbish, with teeth missing and ugly grins.  Maybe they were not all such rough men.
One of the best scenes is in Missouri, when Joseph was held prisoner and he rebukes the guards for they way they are talking.  Very powerful. 

Church History Video: An Ensign to the Nations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RolEWQiKQMc&list=PL5E64872530666CCA&index=1

It is in 8 parts on You Tube
This is a film produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and narrated by President Gordon Hinckley.  This movie does not use historical reenactment, by historical documentary style, pictures and quotations and talk of experts in Church history, or friends of the people involved.  It starts talking of the story of Heber Kimball and the missions of those who went him to England.  This includes the spread of the gospel from England to other European countries.  It then follows the church to the Pacific where in Samoa there had been a prophecy of the church coming by an elder.  The growth, through sacrifice came to other island nations.  Then it follows the church to South America where the land was dedicated for the gospel in 1925 by Melvin J Ballard who predicted growth would be slow to start, but then there would be tremendous growth.  South American now has the countries with the third most and second most members. 
The movie then focuses on the church in Asia, Hong Kong and Korea.  These are incredible stories of faith.  In Africa we here the story of a gentleman who twice had a dream of the Salt Lake temple.  He had to wait for 13 years for the gospel to reach him, but it finally did.  Lastly it tells the story of the church in Eastern Europe.  Here President Monson played an important part, feeling impressed to tell the Saints there, when the iron curtain was still in place, that they would one day have all the blessings of the gospel.  President Kimball was impressed to ask the members of the church for the Lord to create the circumstance so the gospel could be preached freely in these countries.

Lead Up to WWII: The Platform of the Nazi Party

http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/25points.htm

An important consideration in thinking about the lead up to WWII is to look at the platform of the Nazi Party first presented in 1920.  This platform had 25 points, many of which, particularly those putting down industry and assuring health benefits, were never taken seriously.  However the first two articles in the platform give us an idea of the assumption of power, and other articles talk about the Jew and the foreigner. 
1. We demand the union of all Germans in a Great Germany on the basis of the principle of self-determination of all peoples.
2. We demand that the German people have rights equal to those of other nations; and that the Peace Treaties of Versailles and St. Germain shall be abrogated.
These two premises explain many of the early moves made by the Germans under Hitler.  The re-militarized the Rhineland in violation of the Treaty of Versailles.   They forced the inclusion of Austria into  Czechoslovakia had a similar goal, of united German people.  In pursuing this goal further, they assumed more and more of Czechoslovakia.  First they set themselves up as a protectorate, and when the government of Czechoslovakia came to them for protection instead of protection they were forced to sign under threat and duress the rest of the country over to Germany.  The threat was that Germany would send bombers to bomb the cities.  The duress was that they leader was forced to stay up most of the night until he signed the agreement. 
It also portended poorly for Poland, where many German people also lived.  Germany began making demands that these areas also become part of Germany, as many Germans lived there.
This platform expresses the antisemitism which was part of the party rhetoric. 
4. Only those who are our fellow countrymen can become citizens. Only those who have German blood, regardless of creed, can be our countrymen. Hence no Jew can be a countryman.
8. Any further immigration of non-Germans must be prevented. We demand that all non-Germans who have entered Germany since August 2, 1914, shall be compelled to leave the Reich immediately. 
24. We demand freedom for all religious faiths in the state, insofar as they do not endanger its existence or offend the moral and ethical sense of the Germanic race.
The party as such represents the point of view of a positive Christianity without binding itself to any one particular confession. It fights against the Jewish materialist spirit within and without, and is convinced that a lasting recovery of our folk can only come about from within on the pinciple:
COMMON GOOD BEFORE INDIVIDUAL GOOD

Then to carry out these goals, and talks about the type of government necessary.  

25. In order to carry out this program we demand: the creation of a strong central authority in the State, the unconditional authority by the political central parliament of the whole State and all its organizations. 

It advocates a strong central government.  The power being centralized in the hands of a few is not always a good thing.   Different parties and beliefs need to work together rather than calling each other traitors or other derogatory terms.

Movie Review: ****The Disappeared About Argentina's Dirty War

This movie is a very bad adoption story.  "The Disappeared" is the story about a baby, whose parents were killed when he was five months old.  It is about Argentina's Dirty War, and about "The Disappeared."  It is directed by Peter Sanders.  I watched it through Netflix DVD.  It was in Spanish with subtitles.  It is suspected as many as 400 babies were taken, and adopted by other families.  Of these 77 have been discovered.

Horacio with his mother as a baby

http://www.thedisappearedmovie.com/english.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3585031.stm
Horacio, did not know who he was until he was 25.  He had been adopted as a baby.  However he had inklings he did not fit in.  His physical appearance was different from that of his birth family.  He did not really feel loved. As a result, as a teenager he was depressed.  He contemplated suicide, he had thoughts of throwing himself off an upper story apartment.  It wasn't until when he was 25 that his girlfriend encouraged him to seek out his past, and to resolve his doubts.

Horacio went to a program called "Las Abuelas" (The Grandmothers.)  Through this program they were able to perform DNA testing, and prove that he was in fact the birth child of a couple from "The Disappeared."  Before receiving the results of the DNA testing he confronted his adoptive parents (or kidnapper parents depending on where your sympathies lie) and asked them, "Am I your son?"  The answer was, "In our hearts yes, but biologically no."

With the DNA results Horacio was able to piece together his history.  His parents had been married, put were also at odds with the government.  His parents were heavily involved in social causes, and perhaps they also were part of the Monteneros (radical Peronista group) or perhaps just caught in the government sweep of radicals which was going on at the time.  Horacio's father, Adriano, was killed in Cordoba.  His mother, in Buenos Aires, went into hiding.  When the baby was five months old, there was a military action against the apartment where she and others were hid.  The military placed a bomb in the stairwell and destroyed most of the apartment.  They also shot at them from across the street.  Lina,  Horacio's mother, put him in a cupboard and covered him with blankets and pillows and mattress.  This saved his life.  She was killed received eight wounds.  Her baby was uninjured.  He was taken by Lt Col Hernan Tefzlaff.  His brother-in-law wanted to adopt a baby.  However in the end his wife did not want the child.  The maid of Colonel Tefzlaff stepped forward and asked if she could take the baby.  There was the chance he would have been disposed of otherwise.  This took place, however, in an air of secrecy and fear.  

This secrecy was broken after 25 years.  Horacio was able to re-embrace his birth family, cousins and uncles.  His greatest regret, is that all of his grandparents had passed away, the last five years earlier.  One of his grandmothers had committed suicide, perhaps partially from the  trauma of these events.  He has uncles and aunts and cousins, who have a similar appearance.  He has been able to discover the remains of his parents, and removed then from unmarked graves or coffins, and give them proper funerals.  He now works with Las Abuelas, reaching out to others who may be "stolen" orphans.  

As for his adoptive parents, the results have not been so pleasant.  His adoptive mother has a broken heart over the son she raised as her own, with her daughter, who now does not want any thing to do with her.  Also she and her husband both spent time in jail, as they hid the truth, and falsified documents so as to be able to adopt Horacio (Cesar is his adoptive name.)  Living with a secret, even if there is an air of danger because of the military situation, is not healthy for anyone.

In applying this story to our adoption story, Tony has turned five this week.  His physical characteristics are nothing like ours.  Tony is tall and skinny, while both Sheri and I are short and plump (polite word.)  Tony's hair is curly, and the only curly hair in our family is through in-laws and cousins (Charity's Anthony and Dianna's Mark.)  However we love Tony every day, and let him know to us he is a miracle and a blessing.  We love him, and try to tell him these in word and action.  He knows he is adopted, and because of this he is special.  We have shared pictures of his birth parents with him from "Facebook."  We also share notes and messages they pass along.  However we also feel we are walking a type rope.  How do you introduce physical contact?  How do you make sure you baby is same emotionally and physically?  These are questions we are still answering as we live this life.

Movie Review: ****^Gettysburg (1993)

Movie Review: ****^Gettysburg (1993)

Third Day, Highest Point of the Confederacy

This movie fascinates and delights me.   I think it is the courage of the people who actually participated in these events that comes through.  It was produced by Ted Turner, and is based on the novel by "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara.  It shows the battle in general, but focuses on the stand on Little Round Top by Colonel Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) and his men.  However the movie shows all three days of Gettysburg, and the heroics of Little Round Top was day two.  It starts showing how the skirmish got started, with General Buford's (Sam Elliott) cavalry defending Seminary Ridge.  Had that first day ended differently, this battle would have played out differently. 
The battle of the second day focused on the wings, Little Round Top to the South, and Cemetery Hill to the North. Chamberlain was order to fight to the last.  After withstanding three or four assaults, the were out of ammunition.  Instead of retreating, Chamberlain ordered a charge.  This confused the Confederates enough that the were easily captured, often by men with no ammunition.
The Confederacy was unable to turn either flank, so the third day saw a full out attack on the middle, General George E Pickett leading the charge.  Pickett's charge was subject to over a mile of area where they were subject to canon fire from several different directions.  There were also obstacles which slowed them down. General Lee had hoped the Federals had spread too thin.  He was wrong.  General Longstreet  argued for a different strategy all day.  Picket and his forces were ordered to attack.  After they were repulsed, Lee asked Pickett to see to his division.  His response, "I have no division."  They had been beaten, badly. Lee, who was the best general of the war, had asked too much this day.  The Confederacy would be allowed to escape across the Potomac, because of the hesitancy of General George Meade, General in command of the Union Forces.  But the Confederacy would be on the defensive from this time to the conclusion of the war.

History of the Jack o'Lantern

Jack Pumpkinhead

Stingy Jack was not a nice man, but he was a clever fellow.  Twice he tricked the devil, and won a concession from the devil that he would not take his soul when he died.  God would not allow such an unsavory character into heaven, and the devil could not have him, so Jack's soul was left to wonder on earth.  The devil sent him off with one coal to light his way, and Jack put this into a carved out turnip.  He was called Jack of the Lantern, and then Jack o' Lantern.  In Ireland and Scotland people began making their own lanterns, hallowing out turnips and potatoes and carving faces.  These the put in their windows to keep Jack and other evil spirits away.  When people immigrated to the United States, they found the pumpkin, and American fruit, perfectly suited for their Jack o' Lanterns.  In America we have our own Jack characters.  The Disney version of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" has the headless horseman throw his Jack o'lantern head at Ichabod Crane.  In the Oz series we have Jack Pumpkinhead who replaces his head with a fresh pumpkin whenever his seeds start to spoil.  He maintains a pumpkin field for this task.  More recently we have Jack Skellington of Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas." 
most taken from history website
http://www.history.com/topics/jack-olantern-history

The History Of Halloween

Halloween started as a Celtic Festival of Samhain.  It is a period shrowded in mystery as days start to get shorter.  It was the end of the harvest season.  People would wear masks and costumes, and light big bonfires to ward off ghosts.  In the 8th century, the pope declared Nov. 1 to be all saints or martyrs day.  Eventually this day became know as All-hallowmas, and the night before as All-hallows eve or Halloween.  It was felt the Church supported these holidays to supplant the Celtic Holidays. 
In the United States, Halloween was not generally celebrated.  However in the 19th century, with immigration from Ireland and other areas, this holiday was carried to the United States.  In the early 1900s the holiday was changed to become more a family oriented celebration.  Vandalism and tricking which was a part of the holiday began to disappear. 
One other interesting aspect of old Halloween was the idea that this night you were closer to the spirits, and consequently they could help guide you.  Many women used this night to try and determine who their future husband might be.
http://www.history.com/topics/halloween
This few notes are taken from History.com.

Movie Review: Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the USS Indianapolis (1991)

This movie makes the story of the USS Indianapolis more real.  It also shows the pressures put upon the captain.  Stacy Keach portrays Captain McVay, Richard Thomas portrays the ship's doctor, David Caruso portrays Captain Wilkes, in charge of the Marines who are guarding the special cargo that the Indianapolis is carrying.  This cargo was the atomic bomb.  The ship arrived safely, and completed their mission.  However in returning they were torpedoed and sunk.  Of the 1200 crew, only about 350 survived.  Many more would have been saved, had there been a quicker response from the Navy in terms of rescue.  Their failure to report was not reported.  They were only discovered randomly by a plane.  Even so there was not much that could be done until help arrived.
One of the most drastic episodes takes place when the Captain talks to the Chaplain as a boat is arriving.  He was taking a turn in the water, as there were not enough life boats for everyone.  The Captain touches him and discovers he is dead, his lower half having been eaten by a shark.
One of the other things that this movie shows is some of the gangish behavior of the crew.  Some had a few supplies of food they hid rather than sharing.  There was also a conflict over who should be in the life boats.  There were a couple of murders shown.  Wilkes was drowned as he tried to maintain some order.  This included trying to keep people from drinking the sea water.
This movie concludes with showing the trial and court-martial of Captain McVay.  Carrie Snodgrass portrays his wife.  The Captain visits the men in the infirmary after they are rescued.  It portrays graphic sunburns and other skin conditions as a result of being in the sun, and their privations over the five days they were in the water.

Book Review: In Harms Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors

This book was written in 2001 and published by Henry and Holt.  This book tells the story of the ship which transported the atomic bomb Mariana Island where the Enola Gay was waiting for the atomic attack on Horoshima.  The bomb was delivered successfully, but it was the secrecy around their mission that lead to tragedy on their return trip.  The USS Indianapolis was hit by torpedo fire from a Japanese submarine and sunk.  It would take five days for them to be rescued.  1200 men were on the ship, 300 died with the initial attack, 900 men would enter the water.  Of these 900, a few more than 300  would be rescued.  These men would be subject to lack of water, shark attack, hypothermia and any number of methods of dying.
This book is made more interesting by the results after the rescue.  Never before had a Captain been court-martialed as a result of his ship being sunk.  Captain Charles McVay III was court-martialed for failing to zig-zag which may have protected the ship.  However the Japanese captain, as well as a submarine expert indicated this would not have med any difference.  There was a bit of embarassment because of the amount of time between sinking and rescue.  McVay was blamed, but distress message was sent.  There late arrival was not reported, and several reprimands were issued, which were later with drawn.  McVay would eventually end his life by suicide.

The Biography of L Frank Baum

The story of L Frank Baum is very fascinating.  He had tried many different trades, including chicken breeder, actor, play producer and author, store owner, newspaper man and traveling salesman.  However he also liked to tell stories.  His heart was bad, and when he was told he couldn't travel anymore because of his heart condition, he turned to story writing.  He had previously written a couple of books, about raising Hamburg Chickens and on store displays, in which he advocated for using mannequins.  He also published a stamp collector's journal and published a pamphlet on stamps collecting.  However his love was children's stories.  He met an editor, who suggested he write Mother Goose stories in prose, and this was his first children's book.  A Father Goose story followed, and then he self published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMMjwMkpcXw
Every once in a while you find something very good and so unexpected, you want to let everyone know about it.  If you follow this blog, you know I am a fan of l. Frank Baum, and the Oz series, and his other books.  I found this made for TV movie very enjoyable.  This is the history of L. Frank Baum, and the history of his writing the stories of OZ, starting with “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”  Baum was a delightful teller of tales, however they were not well received in the publishing community at first.  John Ritter stars as Baum and Annette O'Toole as his wife, Maude.  Baum was a regular character, with business ups and downs, and a heart condition, until age 40. His first break was "Mother Goose: in Prose" followed by "Father Goose: in Prose."  However the Oz book was his first love.  No one
wanted to produce it.  He went from publisher to publisher and still know luck.  He was at his wits end.  He finally proposed self publishing the book, and that was the turning point.
This is a motivational movie about a relationship, but also about a very gifted and creative man.  This is a great family movie.

Mormon Historical Movie:This is the Spirit of Revelation

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-07-012-this-is-the-spirit-of-revelation?lang=eng

This short movie tells the story of Oliver Cowdery, but uses this story to teach a message.  Oliver lodged with Joseph's parents, and hear the story of the Book of Mormon and Joseph's vision.  He wondered if maybe he could help with the work.  He prayed about what he could do, asking the Lord if he should offer to be Joseph's scribe.  He received an answer in the affirmative, and traveled to meet the Prophet, and shortly was serving as scribe.  Joseph Smith received a revelation for Oliver Cowdery.  Doctrine and Covenants 6: 22 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.

 23 Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness  can you have than from God?

Revelation is not easy, testimony is not easy.  It takes a sincere desire.  It takes a willingness to follow what the Lord would have you do.  Oliver wanted to translate, and was given this opportunity.  He did well for short time, then discovered he could not translate.  D&C 9: 8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

 9 But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.

Oliver Cowdery was a very interesting man.  He did a tremendous work as scribe for Joseph Smith.