Abigail’s quill2016 Fall Newsletter•Abigail Adams Chapter

Abigail’s Quill - A quarterly publication from the Abigail Adams Chapter DAR - Des Moines, IA

Veterans DayIn 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, D.C., became the focal point of reverence for America’s veterans.

Similar ceremonies occurred earlier in England and France, where an unknown soldier was buried in each nation’s highest place of honor (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These memorial gestures all took place on November 11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I fighting at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day became known as “Armistice Day.”

Armistice Day officially received its name in America in 1926 through a Congressional resolution. It became a national holiday 12 years later by similar Congressional action. If the idealistic hope had been realized that World War I was “the War to end all wars,” November 11 might still be called Armistice Day. But only a few years after the holiday was proclaimed, war broke out in Europe. Sixteen and one-half million Americans took part. Four hundred seven thousand of them died in service, more than 292,000 in battle.

The first celebration using the term Veterans Day occurred in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947. Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized "National Veterans Day," which included a parade and other festivities, to honor all veterans. The event was held on November 11, then designated Armistice Day. Later, U.S. Representative Edward Rees of Kansas proposed a bill that would change Armistice Day to Veterans Day. In 1954, Congress passed the bill that President Eisenhower signed proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day.

A law passed in 1968 changed the national commemoration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. It soon became apparent, however, that November 11 was a date of historic significance to many Americans. Therefore, in 1978 Congress returned the observance to its traditional date.

American RevolutionCamp Valley Forge, Feb. 18th 1778...I should wrote oftener but have been in expectation of Coming home but this day find my expectations blasted, and have no maner of hope to get home Untill April...I have Received my Coat & boots by Capt. Weycoff and am Inform'd you have procured me some shirts which I am Extremely Glad of as l shall be in Great need of them in a short time. I'me at this Present time in health, and hope these may find you all in Perfect health, if to the reverse at any time Please to give me inteligence Thireof and I shall come home at all Events. I have not Receiv'd a Letter from you since at home, should be very Glad to be favour'd with a few lines if Convenient and Likewise a few pounds of Sugar and A little Chocolate...there is a Scarcety of those articles in this Place...Camp does not very well agree with me..."

Letters home... thoughts of hope and family weave through their letters.

Abigail Adams Chapter Hosts Reception for New State of Iowa RegentFamily, friends and ISDAR members from across Iowa gathered in Des Moines to honor the new

State of Iowa Regent Cindi Carter.

Civil WarOh, how I do wish that I could be at home now, for it is getting late in the evening and I have had nothing to eat since breakfast and no telling when we will get rations for our rations are out, since we left our ration wagons behind in coming here to this place, for I know you have all had a good & plentiful dinner. I know you will say poor John, but this is only a chapter in military service which we often read, but I am content and will be more so when we get rations. The independence of the bounty is what I want and I am I am willing to suffer for something to eat many, many days if it will only send me to my dear parents, a full and independent boy.

WWIDear Mother,We are up here in the trenches these last few days. I am writing this letter on the side of the trench. No less than five shells have burst beside me since I started to write. One may get used to rifle bullets and does, but you can never get used to the shells, they make such an awful noise ... the German bullet is not made yet that is to kill me. I must thank you for what you sent me in your parcel. You are so awful good to me. I do not know how I will ever repay you. All in the parcel was alright...you must have spent some in packing it.

WWIIDear Mother, Dad, Katharine, and John:Yesterday we got our first mail, the best birthday present possible for me. ... After mail call everybody would be nice and quiet when suddenly somebody would curse in a loud voice and shout, “Alice got married.” It really was funny. Cherokee got word that he is out in the cold and really surprised us all. One fellow in our squad got a box of cookies that had been reduced to dust and the dust was soon reduced leaving an empty box…. Daddy! You absent-minded prof. When you write to mother, you better mail it to her and not accidentally put it in my letter. I destroyed it and didn’t show it to the boys though, just to show what a sport I am…Tell everybody hello for me…

August 28•2016

Insignia Dedication...

INSIGNIA ETIQUETTEDid you know that the pins should only be worn at authorized DAR functions….not on the street in public or restaurants after meetings? Take a look at the DAR Official Insignia guidelines in the new Abigail Adams’ yearbook.  Located in the ISDAR New Member Guide section, it’s a basic tutorial on where to buy official Insignia pins, what the Insignia represents, how the pin and ribbon should be worn and other info you need before wearing your DAR pins. Please check it out. 

Insignia Chair, Andi Summyhttp://www.hamiltoninsignia.com

Four generations of descendants from Iowa and Illinois attended the dedication of DAR insignia grave markers for Ruby Caroline Vandell Crooks and her twin sister Ruth Eleanor Vandell Curtis at Graceland Cemetery in Lucas County on August 20th.

Eleven DAR members attended, including State Regent Cindi Carter. Ruth and Ruby had been members of Old Thirteen Chapter, Chariton. As it was disbanded, and Ruby's daughter Annabelle Mack is now a leader of Abigail Adams Chapter, the ceremony was conducted by Abigail Adams’ Chaplain Nancy Mitchell. Sara Jane Harwood, Past Curator General, performed the Regent's role in the ritual for the two women she knew as friends.

Chaplain Mitchell presented Ann, whose marker was also dedicated, with 13 roses, symbolizing 13 colonies, 13 red and white stripes in our flag, and Old Thirteen where the three recognized women began their DAR journeys.

After the dedication ceremony, a breakfast reception table with photos and DAR memorabilia of the twins, was the focus of visiting and story-telling.

DAR...

ISDAR parade participants included Abigail Adams members Kathy Smith & Susie McCravy.

Dr. Deborah Turner, Co-President of the League of Women Voters of Iowa

History of the League of Women Voters/Women’s Suffrage.

Nedra Markham & Sandy Harne represent the Chapter at the Iowa Genealogical Society Open House

Abigail Adams member, Valerie Van Horne arranges the Constitution display at the

Urbandale Public Library.

This is Abigail Adams

Get Your Pink On!Race for the Cure - Des Moines will be on Saturday, October 29. Knowing that this issue unites women (and men), DAR promotes breast cancer activism and engages in breast cancer awareness events each October.

Our Chapter Membership Committee hopes this walk will be an active, fun engagement. We’ll kick up a notch to “walk the walk”.

As members of this team we are each playing a part in helping breast cancer forever. Together, we are fueling the science, community and impact in the fight against breast cancer.

Please join the Abigail Adams Chapter team. To sign up to walk with us on October 29th:

1.     Visit www.komeniowa.org/registerDSM2.     Click ‘Join an Existing Team’3.     Enter Abigail Adams Chapter, then click ’Search for Team’ 4.     Select the Abigail Adams Chapter team from search results  5.     Click ’Join Team’ and follow registration steps. 

You choose 5K (3 miles) or 1K. Location is on the State Capitol grounds. The race starts at 9 a.m. but we’ll meet about 7:30 to tour the booths, share the experience, and score excellent parking at the Judicial Branch Building!

Sign up before Oct. 14, and your race packet will come in the mail. Race Packets include: Race T-shirt. Race Bib, and educational information.

Later, you’ll pick it up at Merle Hay Mall. (If you’re a procrastinator, you can even register on Race Day!)

Sign your team up now!

Abigail Adams Chapter fields a team in Race for the Cure

Throughout the year Abigail Adams Chapter collects used ink cartridges and Box Tops for Education labels for our DAR supported schools:

Kate Duncan Smith-Alabama, Tamassee,-South Carolina, Hillside-Massachusetts, Hindman Settlement School-Kentucky, Berry College-Georgia and Crosnore School-North Carolina

Bring your Box Tops labels and ink cartridges (place cartridges in a plastic sandwich bag) and drop them in the box on our entry table at chapter meetings.

For more information on our DAR Schools, go to: http://www.dar.org/national-society/education/dar-schools

Collection for our DAR Schools...

Fall aka Autumn, is my favorite season of the year. I love to see the changing colors of the landscape. I love watching the farmers harvesting  their crops. I love the change in the weather, from hot and humid to cool and fresh, and I love Fall with all the new beginnings it brings.

I'm thinking of my granddaughter Paige, as she begins her teaching career. School begins with new teachers, new students, and new routines; And ...

It's the beginning of a new ‘football’ season, YES !!!  Fall is also the beginning of a new year for many clubs , organizations and our DAR chapters; with new officers, projects and committees.

When we begin something new, we often become fearful and anxious. (Which is how I am feeling now, as I begin my first year as Chaplain.) When this happens, my favorite Bible verse comes to mind.  Isaiah 41:10"Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God, I

will help you , I will defend you , I will uphold you with my victorious right hand"   

And I PRAY!   Prayer-The Worlds Greatest Wireless Connection!

DATES OF REMEMBRANCESept. 11, 2001- This year marks the 15th anniversary of the horrible attack on our Nation.Sept. 17, 1887- Our Founding Fathers signed OUR Constitution and Bill of Rights Nov. 8, 2016 - Election Day. VOTE. It is your right and duty.Nov. 11, 2016 -Veterans Day. Honor those who fought and those who continue to fight for the Freedoms we so enjoy.Nov.  22, 1963- The assassination of our 35th President John F. Kennedy.Nov.  24, 2016 - Thanksgiving Day. Give Thanks. 

With new beginnings there come endings too. So, as I end my first article for Abigail’s Quill, I am thinking of  the beautiful hymn "Come Ye Thankful People Come"  written by Henry Alford  printed in 1884 I like all  the verses but the second verse gives us "food for thought":  ‘All the world is Gods own field; Fruit unto His   praise to yield: Wheat and  tares together sown;

unto joy or sorrow grown: First the blade, and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear:  Lord of harvest, grant that we- Wholesome grain and Pure may be.’Nancy Mitchell, Chaplain

BIRTHDAYS OF SPECIAL NOTEJoy Averill Dec. 29

Ardelle Morgan Jan. 4Nedra Markham Jan. 25Anna Anderson  Jan. 26Ruth Shannon Jan. 29

Ruth Lier  Feb. 12Nan Keith Feb. 27

Josephine Watson  Feb. 28Averyle Ehrie  Feb. 29

IN SYMPATHYJoan Alice Ball Klaus, Abigail Adams chapter member since 1985 passed away September 29, 2016 at Mill Pond Retirement Community Center, Ankeny, IA.

Chaplain’s Corner...

Order Your

Iowa DAR ShirtAn Iowa DAR shirt order will be placed for

delivery at State Conference 2017.Deadline to place your order is March 1, 2017

For more information, check out the Fall ISDAR Newsletter @

http://www.isdar.org/members/forms.html

Historical Society of Pennsylvania Library Fulf i l l ing the duties of the registrar has stretched my r e s e a r c h learning curve.

I have discovered many Internet resources, stalked the shelves at the Iowa State Historical Library andposed many questions to my counterparts on Facebook groups. One particular discovery, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania Library, has me coming back most every time I visit family in the Philadelphia area.

This library has been featured on Genealogy Roadshow and contains thousands of resources, not only for PA, but surrounding states as well. On each visit, I discover a new room or a new source. Their on-line catalog saves valuable time, as I can make a list of books, files or microfilm in advance and make the most of my time on site.

Last year, in addition to the list of names, dates and places I had for prospective members’ applications to research, I was looking for the service record of Abraham Noe, Patriot of members and sisters Dottie Johnson and Linda St. John. Abraham Noe served in New Jersey, attached to the Commissary General’s Department. The last and only verified application for this Patriot was in 1984, and listed his service as “carting flour” in August 1782, but for a supplemental application, the service must be verified with an approved source, meeting today’s standards.

After researching Fold3, Ancestry and Family Search without success, Abraham was added to my list for the HSPL. What I found was extraordinary; an original ledger book from the American Commissariat during the Revolutionary War. Unfortunately, it did not prove the service for Abraham, but it did give a glimpse as to what kind of rations were needed and how stores were secured that fed the Continental army and Navy.

I could barely believe that I was holding the original accounting book that was painstakingly kept by a person contributing his part to the fight for independence, so that he could provide the Continental Congress with “receipts” of what was secured. With the turn of each page, I found myself imagining what a feat it must have been to be in charge of the task of securing rations in this historic time period.

Anyone who can prove his or her ancestor provided rations to the continental cause could be an approved Patriot, so look at the ledger closely. Do you have a relative on that page?http://hsp.org

Researching your ancestors -

On-line Catalog from Ann Mack•Chapter Registrar

November 12 – Program: Member Education - Have questions about Iowa DAR?  National DAR?   Want to get a degree in DAR?  Jodi Freet, ISDAR Registrar (who should have been a professional stand up comic!) will guide us through the actual steps to attaining an advanced degree in DAR. December 10 – Program: Holiday Party Potluck & Veteran’s Gift Card

January 14 – Program: What IGS Offers - Jennifer Ewing, Executive Director, Iowa Genealogical Society

Chapter meetings convene at 10 a.m. on the second Saturday each monthat Hamilton’s 3201 Westown Pkwy, West Des Moines

Coffee is on at 9:30 a.m.

Chapter meetings...

On October 19, 1781, British General Lord Charles Cornwallis formally surrendered 8000 British soldiers and seamen to a combined American and French force at Yorktown, Virginia, ending major military operations in the American Revolutionary war.

Previously, Cornwallis had driven General George Washington's Patriot forces out of New Jersey in 1776, and earned victory over Patriot forces in Camden, South Carolina, in 1780. His invasion of North Carolina was less successful in April of 1781 at Guilford Court House. Cornwallis led his battered troops toward the Virginia coast to maintain seaborne lines of communication with a large British army and navy in New York City. After a series of raids in central Virginia, Cornwallis settled at Yorktown in August.

Washington then instructed a 5,000 man force of Patriots in Virginia under the Marquis de Lafayette, to block Cornwallis' escape from Yorktown by land. In the meantime Washington joined 2,500 troops with a French army of 4,000 under the Count de Rochambeau. In August of 1781, they marched south from New York to the head of the Chesapeake covering 200 miles in 15 days. In mid September, the French Navy under Admiral, Count de Grasse, transported those combined forces to the Yorktown peninsula encircling the British forces on September 28. By that time an additional 3,000 French troops had been transported to the peninsula sealing the fate of the British.

British Naval attempts to rescue Cornwallis' forces in early October, failed to break a French blockade of the Chesapeake and its force of 7,000 men was too late.

On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis was forced to surrender all of his forces and supplies to the Americans. Claiming illness, Cornwallis sent his second, General Charles O'Hara to surrender his sword. As the British and Hessian forces marched out to surrender, the band was playing "The World Turned Upside Down". Formal negotiations began in 1782 and on September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris formally recognized the United States as an independent nation.

October 19, 1781Cornwallis Surrenders at Yorktown

Lord Cornwallis’ Campaign Table (Shown Above)According to records connected with this campaign table, it is thought to have belonged to Lord Cornwallis during his time in Yorktown. The table has a top and a base and breaks down for transporting.

The table can be set at two different heights. Although not visible, each leg is marked with a brass upholstery nail numbering • through •••• which corresponds with those on the table top corners.

Displayed at Colonial National Historical Park Visitor’s Center•Yorktown, Virginia