The North Dakota Humanities Council sponsored another round of Chautauqua programs. It's been a few years since last they did. This series came under the general title of "The Civil War: Conflicts Across the Country," and runs four days. The Episcopal church is Bismarck hosted the evening performances. One unique feature about the church: its beautiful colored glass windows feature elements from churches destroyed in England during bombing raids in WWII. In the blue glass borders surrounding the main design of the windows fragments of a head here, a foot there, an arm over there, etc., just bits and pieces of shattered glass that someone thought to preserve in this manner. Very unique. The colored glass came from English churches dating as far back as the 1400's.
The first night's actor impersonated Little Crow, leader of the Minnesota band of Indians, during the 1862 Minnesota Dakota conflict. The main circumstance of the Dakota uprising resulted from the fact that supplemental food, clothing, and money stopped because the Civil War started and Washington could not see to these treaty obligations. The Indians became very frustrated and one hunting party of Dakota decided to attack a settlement. Fort Abercrombie in North Dakota came under siege at this time.
I enjoyed the portrayal of General Ely Parker on the second night. He was a Seneca Indian, baptized with a Christian name, and wanted an education. He studied law, but because he was an Indian was denied entrance into the New York bar. He worked as a civil engineer at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and when the Civil War broke out, he tried to enlist but was denied because he was an Indian. Somewhere along the line he and Ulysses S. Grant had become friends who did not hesitate to commission him as a captain in the army. His promotions ended with a Brigadier General rank. His language skills enabled him to accomplish one last honor. Grant chose him to write the surrender document that Robert E. Lee signed at Appomattox.
Frederick Douglass took the stage on the third evening. As a slave he was fortunate to be given an elementary education by his master's wife and received lent books from other white folks who saw in him one worthy of advancement. He went on to become famous in his abolitionist efforts.
I'll go to the Chautauqua every time it is held. They are well worth the time.
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I've been pushing my book and have made several contacts in organizations where I think I can sell more. Monday night I'll be doing a short presentation at the Westerners Corral meeting. The president told me to bring some books along. He's bought one already, so maybe he'll put in a good word. Different ones have asked where the book was published; they've liked the way it came out. I'm well pleased with the product. If anyone is interested, it was printed by 48hrbooks.com in Akron, Ohio. If I get another book together (which is the plan) I will use their services again.
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Wednesday afternoon Mary and I plan to go to the ranch that William V. Wade established on the Cannonball River and tour it with the present owner. I'll make sure to have my camera batteries charged up.
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Too much going on nowadays, and something has to give so that I can move forward with my story writing. This blog, if it's to be worthwhile for me to write and readers to read, takes time and mental energy which I don't want to give right now. So with that I'm changing from a three-a-week format to once a week. Sometime in the middle of the week I'll post. However, this week it will be Friday before I'm here again with something, I hope, worthwhile.
