A Twist of Tobacco

"Baby Henry was asleep in a basket on the porch while Carol sewed yellow trim on her son’s Butternut coats. Lizzie had painstakingly cut out the patterns for the uniform jackets and pants. And during the quiet afternoons, when the men were in the field and the children were in school or taking a nap, Carol had been sewing the uniforms for Watt and Ed. She said a silent prayer for all of the boys already gone to war."   from A Twist of Tobacco I have found so many tiny little tidbits of information in my research over the years.  It's these actual bits that give my story life and authenticity.  A page from Watt's actual Confederate Pension Application.

That First Post War Christmas 1865 A Twist of Tobacco The snow continued to fall thickly as the buckboard carried them home. Ed and Sam unhitched the horses and took them to the barn. Eli and Watt carried Maggie and Henry into the house. Lizzie went straight to the kitchen to warm the spiced apple cider she had made earlier, and Jack carefully lit the tiny walnut candles on the tree. This was the first Christmas Maggie and Henry could remember a tree being lit with shiny ornaments and their eyes were wide with wonder. Walnut shells have many uses. As tiny beeswax candles or as settings for the Nativity. The lovely Christmas ornament below was purchased in 1972 on our honeymoon. It is the first tree ornament we bought together. Through the years there have been many other decorations. Some stayed and some went the way of old socks.  Silently into the night--(trash can.) But this beauty is wrapped and carefully stored every year. Although the star is tat...