Category Archives: New England

In Search of Elijah Smith: Glastonbury

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Uncomely and Broken

If you’ve been following my inquiries (here and here) into the mysterious inscription in my old edition of Cicero, you know that I’ve pinpointed Glastonbury, CT, as the place where all the principals lived. I was at Yale with some students … Continue reading →

Posted in Cemeteries & Funerals, Classics, Education, Family, New England, Rivers, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Colonel Shaw and Some Anniversaries

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Uncomely and Broken

One hundred and fifty years ago this week, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw was killed during a desperate assault on South Carolina’s Fort Wagner while leading the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, the first all African-American volunteers corps. Perhaps you know about Shaw … Continue reading →

Posted in Boston, Education, Family, Military, New England, Poetry, Race, Sewanee, Slavery, Statues & Monuments, The South, Time | 2 Comments

Ann Burns, Confederate Captive

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Uncomely and Broken

My cousin Theresa recently brought an intriguing story to my attention about my ancestor, Ann Burns (later Byron).  I had already known that she was at one time Ralph Walso Emerson’s cook and had been an important member of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Boston, England, Family, Ireland, Nautical, New England, The South | 3 Comments