Page 56 - some-stuff-i-wrote-and-some-stuff-i-didn't-(2011)-h-morris-williams
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Some Stuff I Wrote and Some Stuff I Didn't (2011) H. Morris Williams
General Finegan’s monument reads: “ Brigadier General Joseph Finegan,
Commander, District of Middle and East Florida. So well did he perform his part
that a signal victory over the Federals was won at the battle of Olustee.”
These are both well-deserved tributes and about what I had expected. But then
I found something I hadn’t expected when I went inside the State Park building.
There, I found on display a personal letter written by Winston Stephens, 2nd
Florida Cavalry, to his wife. Stephens had walked the battlefield the day after the
battle and wrote of the carnage he saw: “In all my life I have never seen such a
distressing sight. Some men with their legs carried off, others with their brains
blown out, bodies mangled in every conceivable way.”
A scene like that was likely what Union General W. T. Sherman had in mind
when he famously said, “War is Hell.”
NAMES FROM THE PAST
During World War II, a large 15-panel sign was displayed in Olustee Park listing
the name of every Columbia Countian who was serving in the war.
The heading for the sign read “Columbia County men serving in the armed forces
of our country. You may well be proud of these young men whose names
appear below.”
Does this sign still exist, possibly in storage some place, or at least a list of these
names? What a treasure that would be to find and display again!
LAUREL, AGAIN
CHS graduate Laurel Ring has become a regular at the Gainesville Community
Playhouse (GCP), displaying her many talents as an actress, singer, and dancer.
She is currently performing in the GCP production of “Hello, Dolly!”
Laurel has previously appeared in “The Music Man” and “Hot Mikado" at GCP.
She is also a soprano in Handel’s Messiah at our local St. James Episcopal
Church each Christmas.
BLONDE’S CHOICE
An executive was interviewing a blonde for a position in his company. He
wanted to find out something about her personality, so he asked, “If you could
have a conversation with someone, living or dead, who would it be?”
The blonde quickly responded* “Oh, for sure, the living one.”
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