A FEW MORE MINUTES...ICE SKATING TIME!

Nov. 24, 1880

It seems a very short time since the beginning of the session when I kept the record of our first meeting. Since then our days have glided by peacefully & I trust profitably, with few sorrows & many joys; among the greatest of which I must record the baptism of three of our girls, the 2nd Sunday in this month. After reading the record above, Nannie played with good time & taste "Weber's Last Waltz." Loulie read July (?), & Lou played with Sister "The Turkish Reveille." Mattie Kate read the beautiful poem called "God's Plans" or "Lo??? Time." Lucy read some good advice of Spring (?) viz: "Never stop a plough to catch a Mouse." Sallie played with good expression Gottschalk's "Last Hope," & we sang "The Rose Bush" after which we adjourned to enjoy sliding on the ice which has formed rapidly during the past unusually cold days.

M.L.F. (Lou)

There is a small spring fed pond just across the field to the right of the house. It has grown up a lot and the owner of Green Mount would love to clean it out and clear around it so it will look similar to how it was back during the 1880's. I hope we can do that. It's a beautiful little pond and it is where the Fleet's used to get their ice and go ice skating. We even have two pair of the old ice skates here at the house. If I can find them I'll add a photo. But here below you can see the view from the yard in the direction of the ice pond. Then the second photo shows where the ice pond is, just beyond those reed like weeds. You can actually see a glimpse of the water between them if you look closely. It's very swampy now. I would love to clean it up and especially think we should relic hunt the area and the mud that we dredge out of the bottom. No telling what could be in that!

FINALLY...MORE OF THE MINUTES...

Green Mount

November 17th, 1880

We opened our exercises by reading the 39 Psalm and then Lucy played "Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still" which we all enjoyed. Then Nannie read "Lessons on Contentment," Loulie gave us "Gen. Smith's Grand March." Lou read for our enjoyment "Life and Death." Mattie Kate sang much to our delight "Little Emily." I wish she would sing oftener in our Society it would add so much to our enjoyment of all. Sallie read a chapter from Astronomy called "The Morning Star", the first of which ran thus "The Universe is God's name writ large." What a beautiful thought!

Mattie Ella Fleet

I took a few photos of the Fleet Family Cemetery today. I am planning to weedeat and clean it up this weekend. It sits out in the middle of the field out back. You can see the house in the bottom photo. This is where Lou, Florence, Betsy, Benny, Willie, Ma and Pa are buried. Lou was the oldest and lived to be in her 60's. But Florence and Betsy both died at 50ish, around 1903, only a couple years after their mother passed away. Willie married a Nannie Burke from North Bank and they are both buried in here too as are two of their daughters, Betsy and Mary Fleet. These two daughter never married which is true of all the sisters of Willie also, and his two daughters are the two sisters that I knew. They were so sweet. Tomorrow would have been Mary's 101st birthday I noticed when I was reading the tombstones again today.

MORE CIVIL WAR BUTTONS FOUND

I feel like I've neglected a friend by not having been on line lately. I was gone to Nags Head over Easter for 5 days and returned home needing to prepare for company. All is behind me now and went well. I will be typing more minutes later today!

Some exciting news is that when I was getting ready for my company to arrive yesterday around noon, a friend came by and wanted to relic hunt. He and his buddy found two more buttons. His buddy dug another Yankee Staff Officer's button and Scott found a VIRGINIA BUTTON! We think it probably came off Fred's coat. And the other buttons were most likely cut off Benny's uniform. I'll tell you more about that later. And I'll try and get pics. I was so busy yesterday I forgot to take photos of the two they found. Those two new finds were from the same dirt I found my 3 buttons in. Amazing! We think it has something to do with being near the old well and probably a trash barrel that was used for burning in the 1900's.

Thanks for checking...Tere

OK...adding button and small coin like piece found by Scott Alley of King and Queen County. He came over with a friend and found this button in the dirt near the house where the other buttons surfaced and the small coin or token, which we haven't a clue about was found out back between two trees in the field. This location we have been told is where some of the slave quarters were located. Great finds! Poor photos. If Scott gets these photograhed and emailed to me I'll exchange my pics with his.

UNIDENTIFIED SILVER COIN OR TOKEN ABOUT 1/3" IN DIAMETER

VIRGINIA BUTTON, EARLY NEW YORK MAKER MARK ON BACK...GREAT CONDITION!

CIVIL WAR BUTTONS FOUND AT GREEN MOUNT!

On February 13th I was outside in the snow trying to help my son get the driveway more driveable. I was using a shovel to move some snow around and when I was walking back up toward the house I saw a button lying on the ground. It had just surfaced from the freezing and melting of the snow. A lot of pieces of broken dishes and glassware surface in this one little spot next to the well pump, but never a button before. There it was, like someone had dropped it yesterday. Actually it had probably gotten dropped in 1864 or so. Here's a picture of it.

It is a Yankee Staff Officer's button and it's worth maybe $30 - $40.00.


So we figured that was a pretty lucky find. My husband got his medal detector out a few weeks later and checked around that spot some more, but only found trash like aluminum foil and even an aluminum pie pan. So we're thinking maybe they used to burn trash in that spot or something when the last generation of Fleets lived here. Who knows. But yesterday, March 27th my son and I were back out there working on defining the area where we park and he scraped a bunch of dirt away so we could get some gravel and put down. Well, I was raking the dirt getting out the clumps of grass and another button just rolled out of the dirt. I couldn't believe it. But this is in the exact same area where the first button was found. And this button was just like the one I had found in February. Another Yankee Staff Officer's button. I thought, darn, that was lucky. Neat! So I put it in my pocket and kept raking. Guess what?! Another button within a minute of finding the last one rolled out of the dark dirt. This one looked different though. So I took it inside and called my husband who was out of town. I was looking at it under a magnifying glass describing it and he said, "That's a Maryland button and it's worth maybe $200." So I was happy! We won't sell it of course, but it's fun to find these things. I called my nephew and he came with his son and checked all over the spot with his detector. Aluminum foil and cans is all we could come up with. Weird! I think that area being near to the old well, may have been a resting spot, like a shady sitting area. And perhaps when the Yankees were here at Green Mount, which they were a couple of times, they lost some buttons! The pictures below are of the two I found yesterday. The photos are really crummy. But the one that's blurry really looks just like the button pictured above. The one on the right with some gold showing is really pretty and the picture doesn't show all the detail the button has. It's two people standing on either side of a shield in the center and then MARYLAND is written along the bottom circular edge. Really nice.

Yankee Staff Officer Button & Maryland Button

I'm not trying to be greedy, but I sure would rather find a Confederate button. But, I am really thankful that I found these.

The man who founded Wendy's Restaurants has passed away. His name was Dave Thomas. I remember reading something he said once which was "The harder you work, the luckier you get." I truly believe that is true. It's like if you work hard, you are rewarded in ways you would never expect. I'm very appreciative of the small rewards that were given to me from the soil at Green Mount. It made all that raking and shoveling worthwhile! I only wish these buttons could talk!

It's November at Green Mount 1880 ~ some pretty songs and poems that apply still today...

Green Mount

November 3rd, 1880

We opened our exercises by reading the 33rd Psalm. Then we repaired to the music room and Loulie played the "Bohemian Girl" and would have played it very well if she had not gotten confused. Little Mattie read "Thorns & Roses" which she read very nicely. Sallie read Mr. Martins Scalpl??? (I can't make out the word) She read it very well and we all enjoyed it very much. Mattie Kate played "The Shepherd Boy" and she played it very sweetly. We also enjoyed that very much. Lou read "Sowing and Reaping" from Proctor and she read it very well. Miss Lou read the description of the Exquisite State Dinner Service Executed for the White House and a description of a beautiful set table, and also How Gold makes Wealth. All three were very interesting and we all enjoyed them very much. Miss Florence did not play because it was too late, but hope we will have the pleasure of hearing her next time, as we always enjoy her music so much. Nannie read a piece called "Smoking My First Cigar."

Nannie

Green Mount

Nov. 10, 1880

Our exercises were opened in the school room by reading the 34th Psalm, and then as usual we went to the music room. Mattie Kate read a piece called "Little Things" showing how some persons can stand bravely in the battles thickest smoke, and bear with great fortitute life's heavy trials, while little things completely warm them. Nannie played "Captain Jenks". Lulie read "Joy Bringers". Lou played "Home Sweet Home". Miss Lou read an account of the Chantaugua Literary & Scientific Circle. Sallie played "Thornless Roses". Miss Florence ended the exercises by playing "Rock of Ages" & "Dead March to Saul," which we all enjoyed no little.

(not signed)

OLD FASHIONED JONQUILS AND OCTOBER MINUTES

The weather lately has warmed the buds of the jonquils and they are blooming. Some that are here have a frilly flower, which I believe are an old variety. I have moved about 100 bulbs the past few days, some of this variety and others the typical yellow bloom. It's really easy because one stray clump of jonquils will yield about 30 bulbs and they are easy to divide and replant. I think of next Spring, because there should be flowers blooming all over the place! I hope so. If you would like a bulb or two of these frilly jonquils, please let me know...I'll send you a few. You may email me at flytiger@bealenet.com and just put in the subject line, Jonquils, or something like that. Thanks for reading. Tere

Green Mount

Oct. 27, 1880

We opened our exercises by reading the 32nd Psalm. Then we repaired to the music room (as usual) and Nannie played the GOlden Dream March very well. I am happy to see that she has impoved since she came. Lulie read a piece on "Education" by John Melton. Lucy read a piece on the same by Bishop. Both were very good. Lou played a Lunatine (?) that had more instruction in it than beauty. Sallie played the "Song of The Brook" to which we listened attentively, Lucy particularly as she has taken it, hopes to soon be able to play it for me as well as Sallie can. Cousin Lou & Florence sang "What are The Wild Waves Saying." We enjoyed it very much.

Lou

THE MINUTES CONTINUE...and photo of writing tools

I haven't written anything on the blog in a handful of days because the weather has lured me outside. I thought about a line in Gone with the Wind and I think it was spoken by Big Sam. He said something about Rhett Butler once and maybe it was in reference to the baby Bonnie Blue Butler, but it went something like this: "That baby works on him just like a tonic." Well, the warm Spring weather does that to me and I can't help but be outside digging and transplanting the jonquils which pop up randomly in places around the yard. I want to leave some where they are, but they need dividing so I have a wonderful supply of jonquils to move into beds throughout the yard here and it really helps me to not focus on worries. My goal is to do what a friend of mine did at another old house nearby and that was to have a garden viewable from every window of the house. Isn't that a great idea? So, I'm working on it.

The photo at the top is a beautiful writing box that has been here at Green Mount since probably about the time the Evergreen Society's journals began. It belonged to "Lou" the eldest daughter and it still holds one of her name cards as well as the points and inkwells she used. Some of her entries into the minutes were probably written using these. I don't know what sort of pen clipped into these various points, but maybe someone reading will know. If so, please comment below and share with us. I guess I could google that one. Perhaps a wooden pencil of some sort slipped into the points and has somehow gotten misplaced or broken. It's a pretty set though. I should try to write something using these implements. It is more laborious to write using such tools, but it's fun because it reminds me of painting. Penmanship sure has gone by the wayside for most of us. I really do appreciate beautiful handwriting though.

Speaking of that, the next two journal entries must have been written in an ink that fades easily. I had to use a magnifying glass to be able to read the minutes as they were barely visible on the old pages. But here they are...

Oct. 12 (not dated, but should have been around that date)

This is really not my time to write this record, as I am not next in age to Lucy, but as I am one of the old scholars, and all of the old ones have to write before the new, it falls to my lot to perform this task.

We opened our meeting by reading one half of the thirty first Psalm. Then Miss Florence read Lucie's account of the last meeting which was very amusing and which we enjoyed very much especially as she was not here to take part in our entertainment herself.

Nannie played her own arrangement of "Mockingbird" which was very pretty. Mattie repeated a very pretty piece called "Perserverance", very well, much better than she ever repeated anything. Lou played Les Borders due Rhein very well, and Miss Lou complimented her.

Lulie read "A Lament for the Reapers" which was very appropriate at this season. Mattie Kate read "Half Way Doings" which is a very good sermon preached by a negro. Sallie played "Mountain Zephyr's."

Miss Lou read a very pretty piece about a walk which two boys took. One of them did not enjoy the walk at all, while the other saw an endless number of interesting things. There was a very good lesson to be learned from it, but I have not time to write it here.

(not signed, but could be Sallie...?)

Green Mount

Oct. 20, 1880

How sorry I am that I'm so old. For Miss Lou says that all of the old girls must write first & this evening falls to my lot. I think I can safely say though that after Miss Lou has read this, she will very sweetly excuse me for further services. We opened the exercise as usual by reading a Psalm. Then we all adjourned to the msuic room & Lucy took up the collection.

Lulie played "Bohemian Girl" which I thought she played very well considering "She didn't know it." I believe though most of the girls say that when they get up to play. Nannie read "Hold on, Hold on, Hold on." It teaches a very good lesson which I don't remember. Lucy played "Shall We Gather at the River" which was followed by a sweet little verse from Mattie.

Sallie read "Rock Me to Sleep." It shows how very important sleep is and also the importance of going to bed early. Mattie Kate played "Angels Voices Ever Near."

Miss FLorence and Lou were not present having gone to the marriage of Dr. Henly and Miss Dora Walker. I am glad he has at last married the object of his choice for I hear he has been in love with her ever since he was a little boy in dresses. I think it teaches a good lesson of perserverance to the end. I would write some more but Miss Lou is calling me to walk.

NF