Not really but he plays him at the Cemetary..
Captain Pratt,
My name is Sam Jones. I maintain the web site for the Vidalia Chamber
of Commerce, but more importantly, I'm an amateur actor who got the
chance to portray General York.
You see, he's buried in the Natchez City Cemetery along with other
famous and interesting people. Each year in November we have an event
in the cemetery called Angels on the Bluff, in which 8 or 9 of those
people tell their story.
With your permission, I'm going to send you the script I wrote for the
event. While it is in narration form, all the facts are true according
to my research and the research of Mr. Don Estes, who was caretaker of
the cemetery at the time, and is an excellent historian.
Read over it, and if you have questions please feel free to write or
phone. My personal email address is sam@natchezms.com, and my phone
number is 318-336-9509. Should you get my answering machine, please
leave a message. I operate my business from my home and will answer as
soon as possible.
As you will see, York was not only a brave soldier and courageous leader
of men, but he was also a great humanitarian. The part of the story
about Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) is also true, as you can read in "Life
On The Mississippi."
Good luck with your endeavor. I look forward to hearing from you.
With Kind Regards,
Sam Jones
Amazing what you can find if you actually go looking!
Seamus
Subscribe to Recent Stories
I found this piece while
I found this piece while visiting a web site of Kents Hill Academy's famous pupils.
General York attended this school. Four or five years ago there was a reenactment and encampment there. (Rod, you remember) The 15th Alabama, the (I think it was the 5th Maine) battery, and another Federal unit (believe it was the 20th Maine) was there. I didn't arrive to the reenactment until the end but I remember Rod telling me that during the battle when powder was running low all the rebels decided to take a hit with one blast of the cannon. It must have been a funny sight.
The next day in the police report section of the Kennebec Journal reported of several complaints coming from home owners in the area of cannon booms rattling windows and shaking the walls.
Here is the text from the Kents Hill Notables web site I visited...
ZEBULON YORK: Born 1819 in Avon, Franklin County, Maine
Zebulon York received his secondary education at Kents Hill School, and then went on to Transylvania University in Kentucky. He later attended law school at Tulane University in Louisiana. Upon receiving his law degree he took up residence in Vidalia, Louisiana where he operated a very successful law practice. He also became a wealthy plantation owner working over 1,500 slaves. During the Civil War Zebulon York chose to fight for the Confederacy in defense of his empire. He quickly moved up through the ranks and became Brigadeer General, one of the very few yankee natives to do so. After the war he returned to his home in Vidalia, and found his business had been destroyed. He managed a hotel in Natchez, Mississippi following the war,and died in Natchez on August 5, 1900, where he is buried
Other very notable men hailed from this school including Congressman Washburne, General Oliver Howard, and Vice President Hannibal Hamlin.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mecreadf/rdfldkhs.htm
the big question is how does
the big question is how does one spell Brigadier?
brigadeer?
and mind you its a school website, an elite school website.....
Seamus
(never a gud speler but knows when something looks wrong)
"it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifing......nothing"
MacBeth
LOL. Oh boy. I guess ivory
LOL... Spelling isn't in fashion anymore. You got to hand it to them though. At least they could spell Zebulon. My spell check won't even pick that up. :-D
Am happy to have also heard
Am happy to have also heard from Mr. Jones and am looking forward to downloading a script that he wrote, mentioned also in Mike's e-mail.
Hi Zac,
I'm attaching the notes I made while I was writing the script, which by the way, was a live portrayal - not for film. Groups of people are led through the cemetery by a guide to different stops within the cemetery, where we tell the story of the person we are portraying. I'll attach the script itself, too. If you're into history, Natchez cemetery is full of it. A number of Confederate generals are buried here, including Martin and Dahlgren, plus plantation owners, Spanish governors, and famous musicians like Bud Scott.
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more."
Macbeth
Actually Zac
The Kent Hills event was the 20th Maine, 6th Maine Battery, 29th Georgia and Latham's Battery with a couple members of the 15th Alabama. The Confederates were on the far side of the field facing the cannon fire & a mass fall was called to end the fight. I recall it well as it was our first distant event following Jillsons Farm.
I do thank you for the information on General York. Please keep us all posted on your progress.
~Miss Patti
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind~Dr. Seuss
Oh, okay, thanks Miss.
Oh, okay, thanks Miss. Patti. Like I said, I did not arrive until later and I did not know of the event until that very day because indeed, it wasn't a 15th Alabama event. Though a few of us did go. I am sure it was a great time. And not the 5th Maine battery. lol But its been a long time since I've heard of the old 6th. My step dad asks me every now and then what happened to the 6th Maine and I just don't know. I do miss Gordon, his wife, and his bunch.
As for General York, I am awaiting further correspondence from the land where he was buried. I am looking to find out if he revisited Maine or if he had any other kin who served on either side of the war.
Take care and have a wonderful day.
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more."
Macbeth
Thank you Zac
I don't mean to nitpick but we are historians, all beit amatuer ones.
But we need to know our own re-enacting history and that of our groups. You need to know where you've been to see where you're going.
As for Gordon & Amy McCrae, they have re-joined the 20th Maine but I don't know if they'll be doing artillary again. I certainly hope for it. Their cannon was an impressive sight.
~Miss Patti
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind~Dr. Seuss