You didn't give offense at all Kyle. I answered this in another e-mail I
hope. I gave consideration to what you said and thought about what might be
behind it. I also appreciate that you have taken the time to post a little
about your family's history.
Betty
In a message dated 12/05/2000 3:32:24 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
> Gee Whiz, Betty, I'm so sorry if I gave offense. I had to leave work
> yesterday from pain, messed my pants on the way home, and still had to work
> from the laptop when I got there. My ancestors on my father's side, the
> Clevelands, owned virtually all of northeast Georgia 150-300 years back,
> centered around the town of Hartwell. One predecessor, Col. Benjamin
> Cleveland, was a hero in the first war against Britain at the Battle of
> King's Mountain S. C. I have copies of the courthouse records where one
> grandfather-plus co-owned 1200 slaves and over 12,000 acres in peanuts,
> cotton and 'backer. One of the slaves, a housegirl, was named
> Anna--ironically what we named our middle daughter, but without
> fore-knowledge.
>
> We still would have been landed gentry had it not been for Sherman, so you
> can see that the bitterness in my family runs deep. In a few short years
> the entire extended family fell from opulence to abject poverty--some of
> which still remains.
>
> My point is that I cannot hold that bitterness against Sherman and the
> following century of reconstruction. I also cannot be made guilty of the
> sins committed against the slaves and their progeny through the ages. My
> folks, like your mom, have deep seated prejudices--not borne of experience,
> but of nurture. I'm glad that you have decided to bury those ghosts once
> and for all, but your mom only knew what sermon she'd been preached. Try
> not to hold it against her.
>
> If I've still misunderstood your intent, then I'm going to take another
pill
> and lie down.
>
> Laura and I would love to hear from you--we miss our phone chats.
>
> -Kyle
>
Betty
aut viam inveniam aut faciam
"I will either find a way or make one."
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