Monday Night.

And, yet again, I am a blogging blocker to keep Nate in his room.
I hear his breath becoming more steady and slow, so I think he may be asleep.  But I'm afraid to look because if he's not...I've just wasted the last 15 minutes
So I'll just stay right here and keep on writing.

Oh - we were mentioned in the article in the News Journal!  Hooray for new adventures!

1863 balloting joins W.Va. re-enactment

June 23, 2013

By John McVey (jmcvey@journal-news.net) , journal-news.net

         

HARPERS FERRY - The Watson family from Frederick, Md., came to Harpers Ferry Saturday to climb to Jefferson's Rock, but was caught up in the election frenzy that had gripped the town.
"We voted for the Union," said Karen Watson, which included her husband, Jim, and their children, Caroline, Samuel, Nathaniel and Benjamin.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park was recreating the 1863 vote in Jefferson County for or against joining the new state of West Virginia in honor of West Virginia's 150th anniversary of becoming the 35th state of the Union, which was Thursday.

Article Photos

Journal photo by John McVey

Visitors to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park show their passes Saturday to a provost marshal guard before being allowed to vote on Jefferson County joining the new state of West Virginia. The park was celebrating the 150th anniversary of West Virginia becoming the 35th state.

When West Virginia was admitted to the United States on June 20, 1863, Jefferson County was not officially part of the newly formed state.
Most of the counties that today make up West Virginia had already voted to form the new state, but Jefferson County was left out because it was not until February of 1863 the residents of Jefferson County were given the option of voting to become part of West Virginia or remain with Virginia.
The vote in Jefferson County took place May 28. There were only two polling places in Jefferson County: Harpers Ferry and Shepherdstown. Both those towns were garrisoned by Union troops, while the majority of the residents in the rest of Jefferson County remained loyal to Virginia.
The vote in Harpers Ferry was 48 for becoming part of West Virginia and two against.
To vote, residents and Saturday's visitors had to swear allegiance to the United States, which was administered by Zach Fisher, a seasonal ranger with the park, and Joshua VanWinkle, a summer intern, who were acting as provost guards.
After taking the oath, visitors were issued passes and could go next door to the Dry Goods Store to vote. Their passes were checked by more guards before entering.
Inside, visitors lined up to sign their name or make their mark for or against joining West Virginia.
"I'm not in jail," one visitor shouted when asked how he voted.
In 1863, if you did not vote the right way, you could end up in jail.
"We don't have a record of what happened to the two people who voted no," said Park Ranger Phil Officer. He was portraying a first sergeant in the Union army who was acting as a provost guard.
"See that man dressed as a soldier?" Officer asked, pointing to a young man dressed as a Union soldier. "You would find a soldier like him every 10 yards in Harpers Ferry and they would ask you to produce your pass. If you couldn't produce your pass, you would be sent to jail."
Harpers Ferry was under marshal law for four years, he said, and 85 percent of the time it was occupied by Union forces.
"But the Confederates did the same thing when they occupied the town," Officer said. "Harpers Ferry was in a peculiar spot."
John Brown's Fort was playing the role of the town's guard house Saturday and it had some inmates.
"I was a day late getting my pass and they put me in jail," explained Laura, a girl from the town.
Once a month, every resident and even people passing through had to go to the provost marshal's office, swear allegiance and get a pass to be able to walk the streets of Harpers Ferry.
The re-enactors were trying to impress upon the people of today what it was like to live in Harpers Ferry during the Civil War.
"We want visitors to understand the subtleties of living in an occupied town that was approaching statehood," said Park Ranger Melinda Day. "There was no civil authority. The provost marshal was judge, jury and, sometimes, executioner."
- Staff writer John McVey can be reached at 304-263-3381, ext. 128.

The Olders had their first day of gymnastics camp today and had a really nice time.  They both have done the program at least once through the county and enjoyed it.  It's nice that they have the same coach and helpers as they do during the regular year.  Sam will only wear his green "exercise shirt" to gymnastics - so I am switching my laundry routine from morning to evening to accommodate.  :)
We had the McNiesh Family over for waffles tonight.
The longer I'm here the more I appreciate what a wonderful place God dropped us.

And now, to compensate for the late bedtime begotten from hanging out with friends drinking homebrew watching our kids soak each other with water from a community spigot...which also meant I slept through my alarm this morning and ran while pushing the Youngers in the stroller *YIKES*...I'm BEAT.
G'Night.