Drive. Pray. Scream?: Day 106: two sides

Prior to the Civil War, southern states provided 75% of the world's cotton, and more than one-third of white families owned slaves. The war began not in an attempt to end slavery, but to prevent its spread into new states. [Sadly, we were reminded that even in communities supportive of abolishing slavery, there still was a mindset among many that whites were superior to African-Americans.] The emotions we experienced today as we learned about Gettysburg were further complicated by a sense of disappointment in all involved...that "all men are created equal" was not followed as a God-given right.

And then there were the horrifying facts of the battle itself: more than 7,000 soldiers lost their lives, and 44,000 were wounded or missing. The town of Gettysburg was nearly demolished...buildings destroyed, and people virtually trapped in the buildings that remained due to the smell of death. Those 7,000 bodies, spread across a 25-square-mile swath, were buried in hastily dug, shallow graves which, thanks to downpours of rain in the days following the battle, were unearthed. The government quickly established land for a national cemetery in Gettysburg for the Union soldiers (the Confederate soldiers were buried elsewhere in mass graves). Lincoln presided at its dedication, presenting his "Gettysburg Address."

The museum and driving tour of the national military park could consume a couple of days in their immense detail. But in an effort to prevent the girls being overexposed to them, we also visited the adjacent Eisenhower National Historic site. Dwight and Mamie bought the 130-acre cattle farm following his 30-year military career, intending it to be their retirement home (they'd moved more than 40 times over those 30 years and had never owned a single one). And yet as the purchase papers were being drawn up, he was asked to run for the Presidency. It would be another decade before he and Mamie could enjoy their property as they'd originally planned.
In a recent poll about our most important presidents, Eisenhower was ranked 8th, having kept our country out of war during the turbulence of the Cold War... Ironic considering his role as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in World War II. Perhaps our favorite aspect of touring his farm was the girls' Junior Secret Service program. Kelsey perfected her two-way radio skills, and Kendall learned about how the agents guarding the Eisenhowers set up their security office in the farm's former milking shed. Back in the day, the cows outside the shed loved to rub up against the window a/c unit, often pushing it off the sill and into the office. And that's not the only indignity those poor agents had to endure...Mamie loved to give nicknames to the protective detail: one unlucky fellow was dubbed "Twinkletoes."

One of my favorite Mamie stories...upon reaching the age of 50, she decided that she was due the luxury of staying in bed until noon each day. From then on, she attended to household business every morning propped up with lots of comfy pillows, a cup of coffee at hand, dressed in a colorful bathrobe. My hero! (Too bad her cook, maid and secretary--who made such luxury possible--weren't afforded the same option.) :-)