A Twist of Tobacco

Photo taken on my first ever Genealogy Research Excursion in July of 2000. Darrell and I went to Knoxville for a Brabson family reunion (my mother's side of th e family), but stopped in Nashville to meet these two wonderful gentlemen. Knox Ownby on the left is William Peyton Winstead is on the right. The irony and fun fact is these two attended the same church and had known each other for years. Although not kin to each other they were both kin to me. Darrell and I walked into the JoJo's where we had arranged to meet and the place was empty. We spotted two men sitting in a sunny corner booth and Darrell and I just looked at each other and headed that direction. The resembled two of my uncles and as the afternoon progressed the familiarity increased. Their personalities were the same also. It was Love at first sight. Bill left us in 2011 and Knox's health is failing but I am forever thankful that I knew both of these fine gentlemen.

I met with a distant cousin yesterday who had some interesting information for me.  (Incidentally I had a couple of surprises for me.)  First but not least in the info was a transcription of The Tennessee Civil War Veterans Questionnaire, Confederate Soldiers compiled by Gustaus W. Dyer and John Trotwood.  They sent the questionnaire to both Confederate and Union soldier and compiled the study around 1920. I found the questions condescending and the answers very enlightening. (misspellings are as originally written) These excerpt were from the form filled out by Samuel Mortimer Ownby, Woodbury, TN. State your full name.   Samuel Mortimore Ownby. State your age.   76 In what state and county were you born.?   Tenn. Marshall Co Were you confederate or federal soldier? Confederate Name of your company: Company I Reg 14 nixon's Cavlary What was the occupation of your father? Farming Give full name of your father.   Ely Cr...

Exciting news........ or at least for me it is exciting. As I was getting ready for the Sons of Confederate Reunion last week I wanted a table covering that was indicative of the Civil War era. I dug through my old family quilts to see if there was anything that would work. I saw this red, white and blue that satisfied my needs. It was from my fathers family, on which the " A Twist of Tobacco " series is based. All of the years I have assumed my grandmother made the quilt. She married in 1913 and died in 1959.   It looked really nice and distinguished my display from others. As I sat there for 4 days I became fascinated by the blue print. Now, I have bought and sold vintage and antique fabrics for more than 15 years but I just couldn't place any of these prints. I took these photos while I was sitting there and posted them to one of my vintage and antique chat boards and can you imagine my surprise when they told me this is a 1860-1880 ...

Each writer has a different process to get words on a page. Some type directly into a word processor, some write in long hand and some dictate into a machine. There are even a few who still use a typewriter. I start in longhand, then type and print, then read aloud and make notes and adjustments, then print again.   RINSE and REPEAT. From the soon to be launched A Vow Unbroken, here is an example of a 3rd rewrite and the longhand edits and hopefully (but no promises) the final draft.

First draft of A Vow Unbroken has gone to the editor. Can I get a Whoopeeeeee?

I really like your book! Tears were running down my face yesterday when I was reading it! I am not even half way through! I received this message today on a completely unrelated thread. Authors depend on reviews to generate sales but also to keep us motivated. We need to know that people are reading and getting our message, what ever it might be. Notes like that really make my day. Get your copy today   A Twist of Tobacco  

In our research quest for A Twist of Tobacco, my husband and I visited the Tennessee Confederate Soldiers Home Cemetery located in Hermitage Tennessee. The home and subsequent cemetery was built on the grounds of Andrew Jackson's plantation The Hermitage. Built in 1892 the home closed in 1933. Residents of the home are buried in the Confederate Cemetery. My great uncle Cahal Knox Polk Ownby was a resident there and was buried in 1918. There is a large monument and the soldiers are buried with a simple stone engraved with their regiments. The graves were placed in an outward spiral. the nearest stones were the first and the farthest stones were the last. The last confederate veteran resident died in 1941.

"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.

In September of 2001 I took my first genealogy research trip to Tennessee. Two distant Ownby cousins and I planned to spend at least 10 days touring the area and researching in courthouses.   And we did.   We met up with other distant cousins and spent time in the towns and ate way too much country cooking. We based ourselves in Murfreesboro, Cannon County. We were actually researching several families but that's another story for another book.  Along the way we were directed to property that belonged to Eli Craig Ownby and some that is still in family hands. Tobacco drying shed on land still in possession by an Ownby descendant.  The creek featured in A Twist of Tobacco .    Of course yours truly (on the right) had to wade in the creek like a little girl.  After all Queen was my great Aunt. View from the road where Eli and the children lived after the war. I'm afraid this chapter of my r...

The United Daughters of the Confederacy  To honor the memory of those who served and those who fell in the service of the Confederate States. To protect, preserve and mark the places made historic by Confederate valor. To collect and preserve the material for a truthful history of the War Between the States. To record the part taken by Southern women in patient endurance of hardship and patriotic devotion during the struggle and in untiring efforts after the War during the reconstruction of the South. To fulfill the sacred duty of benevolence toward the survivors and toward those dependent upon them. To assist descendants of worthy Confederates in securing proper education. To cherish the ties of friendship among the members of the Organization I am proud to have six family members so honored.  First and foremost is my great grandfather Watterson Knox Polk Ownby 

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...

A Christmas Treat for Mack Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house Not a creature was stirring, Not even a mouse, The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there, The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads. Written in 1823, the Clement Moore classic was firmly established by the Civil War. The holiday was more secular in the South than the North but was still basically of a spiritual nature. Celebrated on Christmas Day, not for two months prior, the day would start with Church services. While the women cooked the main meal, the young people would decorate the tree.  Small evergreen trees for a table top were the norm in most homes, adorned with edible gingerbread cookies, bright paper ornaments and perhaps gilded nuts.  The true highlight of the day was the same thing that dominated every other day; FOOD!  As to...

Watch the trailer for this new historical novel by Rita Ownby Holcomb A Twist of To bacco

Image is an oil painting of the original log cabin built in the early 1800's in Marshall County, Tennessee, the black and white photo was taken in the early 1900's and the landscape is as the property appears today.   The original was a large log room with stairs that led to a room above the same size.  The logs were cedar- the floors were ash.  The front door had panel forming a cross to keep out witches.  There was a crude cross carved on the side for the same reason. In the early 1800's John A Murrel was a well known robber, pirate who followed the Natchez Trace and region about.  One of his gang is said to have lived in this house. Bands of men would appear.  The wife of the one who lived here would prepare food, then she would be banished up stairs and the door locked.  There was said to be blood on the wall from some one killed there. A strange thing was a door in the back of the up stairs room which opened to a second set of ste...

This very fine seventeenth century monument on the north side of the chancel, could easily be missed on a visit to St. Mary's. As you look Eastwards it is hidden from view by the organ case. It commemorates John Oneby (pronounced ‘owner – bee') who died in 1662, his wife Emmett and their five children, Elizabeth, Dorothy, Emmett, Mary and John. (The married girls are on the left, the unmarried on the right!) They lived at the Priory House, just below the church. Below this monument is a brass dated MDCCLXXXVI (1786). The inscription is in Latin and records the names of those who contributed towards the cost of restoring the monument above, including the two daughters of Nichols the historian and Robert Oneby, a descendant.   The people in the monument are John Oneby Esquire (1585-1660) and his wife Emmet Byard (daughter of Humphrey Byard) and from left to right are his daughters;  Elizabeth, who married Benjamin King;  Dorothy who married Ezekiel Wrighte; ...