Checking Out The Declaration of Independence

Pictured above is General George Washington's Winter Headquarters at Valley Forge, Pa., and Jimmy Carter on the July the 4th, 1989 (I think), at Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pa.
In 1988 we went on vacation in Virginia and D.C. I remember it was 1988 because we just bought a 1988 Chrysler Voyager Van- and this was more or less seeing what “this baby can do” trip. We first went to Jamestown and Williamsburg.

Jamestown is no longer populated, or the historical part isn’t anyway. It is a village of foundations. The houses had long since been swept away by time and weather.

Williamstown was very interesting We got to see the House of Burgesses and the various taverns and pubs people stayed in while there in the olden days. At each place would be people in costume and character playing the roles of residents before we were a country. Our second day there at daybreak I ran through the center of the historic Williamsburg. It was a grand feeling.

Next we drove to D.C. and pretty much saw all the monuments and museums. We did not get to see Congress or the White house – another time maybe. We spent three, maybe four days there. And I early one morning I ran down Massachusetts Avenue in to the D.C. Zoo. I got well within, far enough in to hear birds and animals whistling, whining, and groaning. Then, I ran back out… I wasn’t sure I should be there or not. I did run by Ford Theater.

Then, we went Charlottesville and toured Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and James Madison’s place, which seemed to be just down the hill from Tom’s place.

At Monticello a group of students in the back were excavating. They dug a long ditch and each were shifting the through the dirt with a, well, shifter. I asked them have they had any luck and they said one person found a fork. They went on to say where they were digging used to be where they threw their garbage…. And, over that period of time, almost everything is bio-degradable.

James Madison’s big house at the foot of the hill wasn’t as impressive, but it was elaborate if you forgot that Monticello was looming on the hill above you. There were plenty of peacocks around. Adam got a kick out of chasing them.

James Madison is possible a distant cousin of mine.

James Madison and Zachary Taylor were related. I heard verbally that I am related to Zach Taylor. It has been handed down that my progenitor Mary Polly Taylor Pullen was first cousin to Zachary Taylor. The hand down also states that Zachary’s father was named Richard Taylor and Mary Polly Taylor’s father’s name was Zachary, so each brother named their male son after his brother. So, in case, Mary Polly’s father should have been Zachary Taylor, but it wasn’t. His name was James Taylor, and he did not have a son named Richard. So much for that.

Then we a rode down the Shenandoah Valley Parkway with fantastic scenery and homeward. Someplace in the Shenandoah Valley we stopped at a roadside table and had sandwiches we stopped someplace to buy. While we were eating three deer casually walked up within a few feet of us and politely stared at us… wondering what kind of tricks they were going to do this time to get a free handout. We fed them some bread or something, I forgot.

The next year, near the end of June we not having all the history of that area absorbed first went to the Gettysburg Battlefield, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The huge battlefield and the markers – men were actually slaughtered by the dozens on either side of the road as we slowly rode around and read the markers. We went to their Cyclorama and it is not nearly as remarkable as the one in Atlanta but during its presentation I heard a sniff and looked beside me and a man was crying. That made me cry too, I think it was the music.

If I remember correctly the whole Gettysburg fight thing was over boots. Lee marched his men there in search for a good cobbler. Somebody of influence in his ranks feet were hurting and needed a new pair of boots.

For some reason, I don’t know why, even to this day I keep dreaming about downtown Gettysburg, the home of Dwight Eisenhower. It must have been something I ate.

After that we went to Valley Forge, the winter quarters of Georgia Washington and his troops. I have been there before when I was in the Navy – I was surprised it was so close to Philadelphia, maybe only 20 or 30 miles away, like we are to Atlanta.

The little sheds and tents men slept in during that winter must had been unbearable with only the body heat from each other to keep them warm.

However, officers deserve better (right!) so George and his top officers lived in a nice granite rock house with fireplaces and all…. The only thing they had to endure was each other’s inflated egos. Those poor men.

After a good tour of Valley Forge we went into Philadelphia where we had reservations. Everything was working out like a timetable.

We toured Philadelphia. We got to see the empty space that Benjamin Franklin’s house used to be at. We got to see the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross’s home, and many other historic places in the area. We toured the Philadelphia mint.

Years ago, starting in March of 1965, I spent 30 days in the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia. A few times I walked up Market Street (or was it Broad Street?) to the downtown area to go to a movie or hit a bar. Boy, things sure have changed.

I think the most impressive was Independence Hall, which was the cradle of the new United States Government. We got to see the room where Jefferson, John Jay, and all the rest of the rebels debated and some signed the Declaration of Independence.
We took a tour one day and the next day was the Forth of July so we returned to see the celebrations.

Jimmy Carter was the speaker. We already knew that and that partly was why we were there. He gave a good speech on all the wars presently being fought on any given day. It was something like 200 wars are always going on. Gosh! Always?

After Jimmy spoke our van was packed so we headed by South.

But first we decided to make a quick stop in Washington D.C. to see the document that most of our tour was based on, The Declaration of Independence.

We drove straight to the Federal Archives near the Mall and I doubled park and we ran in and got the see the document itself, deeply imbedded in a glass – I think if one of us had much as sneezed the automatic mechanisms would immediately zap it hundreds of feed underground and then maybe reach out and grab us and give us a good shaking.

Other than this trip our summer was full of deaths. Later on that.

After our trip in 1988 the rest of the summer was filled with deaths (5). More on that later.