Old Tennent Church and Cemetery; January 5th, 2025

Took a ride over to Old Tennent with my kids yesterday. The 7 and 9 year olds I visited the Paoli Battlefield with all those years ago (REMEMBER PAOLI!) are now 20 and 22. So many years of Outlander memories, gifted to us by the extraordinary Diana Gabaldon. It is a thread that is woven through the fabric of my life and I'll cherish it always. ❤️🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR WITH US! 

My daughter's stethoscope, resting on the grave of Gilbert Tennent at the
Old Tennent Church and Cemetery in Manalapan NJ on January 5th, 2025

Remember Paoli 💔

...the Most Dreadful Scene I Ever beheld.

A British officer reported his impressions:

[General Grey] came to the head of the battalion and cried out "Dash on, light infantry!" and, without saying a word, the whole battalion dashed into the wood, and guided by the straggling fire of the picket, that was followed close up, we entered the camp and gave such a cheer as made the wood echo. The enemy were completely surprised; some with arms, others without, running in all directions in the greatest confusion. The light infantry bayoneted every man they came up with. The camp was immediately set on fire, and this, with the cries of the wounded formed altogether one of the most dreadful scene I ever beheld. Every man that fired was instantly put to death.

Remember Paoli 💔

My first visit to the Paoli Battlefield, despite having grown up in Paoli! 🤦‍♀️

Much Thanks to Herself, Diana Gabaldon for remembering Paoli. ❤️

Paoli Massacre excerpt by ushistory.org 🇺🇸

Please visit the Paoli Battlefield Preservation site at https://pbpfinc.org/ 🇺🇸

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Bring on Season 7!

Alright, y'all. A new year, a new season of Outlander. (In life, all roads lead to Outlander. Remember that.) 

Admittedly, I'm no a giant fan of US Weekly's ads that pop up in my face when I'm trying to ogle Sam Heughan. But hey, they gotta pay the bills, and this article by Nicole Massabrook is pretty thorough in updating what we can expect in Season 7 of Outlander, premiering this summer! Also have to give Nicole a wee shoutout because she went to Monmouth University, an amazing institution of higher learning. (My own Wee Ian refuses to apply there because it's practically in our back yard and my-man wants to spread his wings a little.) More than a few of us know why Monmouth might be topical in an Outlander post. The rest of you who haven't read the series? You'll have to keep watching, my friends. Lordddddddd keep watching. 

“America really is in sort of turmoil. There’s revolution, and Jamie and Claire are separated,” the Waypoints author teased. “There’s also the prophecy of Jamie and Claire’s death, you know, that they’re supposed to die in a fire. There’s just so much going on.” ~Sam Heughan for US 

As you may or may not know, depending on how long you've been visiting MOP, all roads ALSO lead to the American Revolution...so you can imagine how stoked I am to get this show on the road. Since things started heading toward "Give me liberty or give me death", I've been waiting for this season with bated breath! Why? Umm...REMEMBER PAOLI!

If I'm honest, I'm hoping the writers/producers/directors are fans of TURN: Washington's Spies...because they did it RIGHT. Every...single...second of that series is gold. GOLD!!! (And the reason I cried at John Andre's sarcophagus at Westminster...but that's a different conversation!!) 

Another series that will get you jonesing for Revolutionary War times is Poldark. (Say it soft and it's almost like pray-ing.) le sigh...BOY do I miss Aidan Turner's bare chest. LOL I'm kindof kidding; I'm more into the courtroom scenes when Ross PolDARK is yelling at everyone before going to a hot dinner made by Demelza who, oddly enough, is probably still wearing something resembling rags.

At any rate...I wanted to let you know how excited we are for this summer, and not just because it's margarita season. I also wanted to let you know that Tracey and I will be making a video sooner rather than later...just to catch up, discuss our theories/hopes for the upcoming season, and share some altogether merriness for the new year with you fine people whom we miss so much. ❤️

JE SUIS PREST! 

Remember Paoli!

Spoiler Alert! Dinna read unless ye have read Chapter 11, "Remember Paoli", in "Written in My Own Heart's Blood." 

""We're taking him back to camp. You all heard what he said; Major General Charles Grey's kin to him.  Might be as Colonel Smith will want to hang him in camp--or might even be as he'll want to send this man to General Wayne. Remember Paoli!"
     "Remember Paoli!" Ragged cries echoed the call, and Grey rubbed at his swollen eye with his sleeve--tears were leaking from it and irritating his face.  Paoli?  What the devil was Paoli?  And what had it to do with whether, when, or how he should be hanged?  He decided not to ask at just this moment and, when they hauled him to his feet, when along with them without complaint." ~Diana Gabaldon in Written in My Own Heart's Blood

~ A treasured acknowledgement from Diana Gabaldon in Written in My Own Heart's Blood about her chapter, "Remember Paoli", written after she saw this post on My Outlander Purgatory.

As I do every year, today more than ever, I urge you to remember the sacrifices the United States Military has made for America...and to REMEMBER PAOLI! ❤️

REMEMBER PAOLI!

SPOILER ALERT:  Dinna read if ye havena read An Echo in the Bone and Written in My Own Heart's Blood. 

"The British certainly meant it to be a surprise. They marched in the middle of night and captured all civilians living along their path to prevent word of the attack from reaching the Continentals. The British commander, Maj. Gen. Charles Grey ordered his troops to be quiet under threat of the death penalty. He also ordered that all flints be removed from firearms to prevent accidental discharges, earning him the nickname of “No-Flint” Grey. However, American Gen. Anthony Wayne received a report about the possible attack through a farmer who was at the Paoli Inn. Another local told him that he had been "with the enemy" and had heard British soldiers say they would attack that night. Wayne put out additional pickets and prepared his soldiers to maneuver and possibly retreat from a potentially larger British force."  An excerpt from ushistory.org's Battle of Paoli page.

Today marks the 238th anniversary of the surprise attack of British troops on the Colonial Army during the Battle of Paoli or "Paoli Massacre" during the Revolutionary War.

It is also the anniversary of the day that sparked my visit to the Paoli Battlefield (and subsequent various googling) which resulted in my blogging about The Battle of Paoli...which resulted in Diana Gabaldon seeing my amateur photos and info on the term "Remember Paoli."  Diana later wrote a chapter entitled "Remember Paoli" in Written in My Own Heart's Blood...and mentioned My Outlander Purgatory in the acknowledgments, basically making my life, let alone my year, month or day.

Click here to see those photos and the info from my visit.  And please...

REMEMBER PAOLI! 

REMEMBER PAOLI!

The Battle of Paoli, September 20, 1777

 "Rest well, Paoli's heroes brave
 You did your part this land to save
 And as the centuries roll by
 Ever we'll sound your battle cry
 REMEMBER PAOLI!!"

 ~Henry Pleasants Jr.

MOBY: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

SPOILER ALERT:  Dinna read unless you are 50% into Written in My Own Heart's Blood. 

My Daughter's Handywork!

Christmas Eve is my birthday. People always ask, "Don't you feel gypped?" because I only get presents once a year. And every time, I tell them I don't know any better; this is the way it's always been! I wait all year for something I want, whether a bike at age ten or an iPad at age 40. And it's because of this that I've developed a bit of a habit - a ritual, if you will - on Christmas Day. I gather all my presents in one big pile, and watch everyone else open theirs first because I know "this is it" for another year; this is all I'm going to get. (Waaah, poor me.  I know this is quite a First World Problem...but stick with me; I do have a point.)

Oh sure...I open a few gifts here and there until I'm about 50% through...and then I just stop, and watch everyone else. This usually continues until my family finishes opening theirs and groans, "Come on Carol...finish opening your presents already!"

Today, lads and lassies, I am suffering the same fate, but it's only August. This time around, MOBY is my pile of presents, I am exactly 50% through, and you are all my family, telling me to hurry up and finish. 

I am sharing this little nugget of info in order to give you an idea of the anxiety I feel at this very moment. And don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are plenty of you out there who may have delayed MOBY gratification...and just as many who - at the very least - are able to appreciate how I feel.

But to me, this is personal. And finishing this book is going to leave me in complete and utter...

PURGATORY! 

As I've mentioned (ad nauseam) before, I am a self-professed Revolutionary War dork/buff/addict. Southeastern Pennsylvania and the central New Jersey shore are the only places I've ever lived and I have breathed in their history every day of my life. It's not uncommon for me to drive by a wartime house that still stands or a historical marker in the road, commemorating the hanging of British tories. (Whether the story is true remains to be seen, but the Daughters of the American Revolution seem to think it is.) If a blurb about Paoli in An Echo in the Bone (or a chapter entitled Remember Paoli in MOBY - but that's a different post!) had a profound effect on me because it's the town I grew up in, imagine how I feel now, diving into chapters about Freehold. FREEHOLD! I live in Monmouth County. I have jury duty at the courthouse in Freehold next month. I have visited the Old Tennent Church and cemetery many times...FOR FUN! I have gone with my husband. I have gone alone. And I have dragged my friends. I even exclaimed to them during our most recent visit that I was positive Claire was going to work there in MOBY, as I knew the church's history and that it was used as a hospital during the Revolution.

So yes, I have waited 400 some-odd pages for Claire to mention the Old Tennent Church, and damnit she did it two nights ago when I was reading. And did I rip into the chapter as most of you probably would? No, no I did not. Instead, I slammed the book shut (ok I turned my Kindle off quite vigorously) and put the book down. And I haven't opened it since. Because I am scared. I am scared to finish this book! I am scared to wait another five years. And most of all, I'm scared to walk out of this room...and never feel the rest of my whole life...wait...that's a line from Dirty Dancing. But seriously - I'm scared to read about what is going to happen to my favorite characters in the world - at one of my favorite historical spots in the world. And what makes it so unbelievable is that it's in my own back yard, figuratively speaking. Even if I weren't reading MOBY, I'd still be heading out to drive through the battlegrounds and the Old Tenant cemetery soon.  I'd still have a need to marvel at the fact that people just like Claire helped soldiers just like Jamie in this church-turned-hospital, just so I could live here - in Monmouth county, New Jersey - free as a bird.  I don't have anyone with a gun stationed at my church or local market. I can pray where I want and visit who I want and not worry about offending the crown or committing treason just for talking to the wrong person.

Live free or die, lads and lassies...live free or die. 

So that is my story. I couldn't press on at this hallowed halfway mark until I shared it with all of you wonderful fellow Gabaldon fans, in hopes that you'll understand my reason for procrastinating...as well as commiserate with me and tell me everything is going to be alright (sans spoilers, of course!) I have been so fortunate to spend all these years getting to know you guys through countless Outlander discussions. And laughs. Lordddddd the Outlander laughs. I would not trade this angst for the world.

Now...I promise I will get back to reading, no matter how anxious or fearful I am to do so, because I know what some of you saying. "Come on Carol...finish opening your presents already."  :)

MOP Chat Cancelled Tonight

Tracey and I have decided to cancel MOP Chat this evening to give everyone a chance to continue reading MOBY without the threat of spoilers.  We are also headed to see Diana Gabaldon at the Free Library in Philadelphia tomorrow...and plan to stop by some of the locations in MOBY.  You know...Valley Forge...Wayne (named for Anthony Wayne)...and what's that other town??  Oh yeah...

REMEMBER PAOLI!!!    

Be afraid.  And be expecting some amusement on MOP in the next few days as I have every intention of blogging/vlogging about our trip!!!

"Remember Paoli!"

Spoiler Alert:  The following pertains to information mentioned in "An Echo in the Bone."

"One of Howe's commanders, Major General Lord Charles Grey--a distant cousin of Grey's--attacked the Americans at Paoli at night, with orders to his troops to remove the flints from their muskets.  This prevented discovery from the accidental discharge of a weapon, but also obliged the men to use bayonets.  A number of Americans wire bayoneted in their beds, their tents burned, a hundred or so made captive--and Howe marched into the city of Philadelphia, triumphant, on September 21."  ~Diana Gabaldon,  "An Echo In The Bone"

Today marks the 236th anniversary of the Paoli Massacre at the Paoli Battlefield which was mentioned in An Echo in the Bone.  

"Just after midnight on September 21, the British led by Lord Grey launched a devastating strike into Wayne's unprepared American camp. Grey had ordered his men to remove the flints from their rifles before the attack began. Bayonets, — a weapon Americans considered barbaric — would be the weapon of choice.

53 Americans were killed and over 100 wounded in Grey's lightning raid. The use of the bayonet coupled with the notion that the British stabbed or burned the Americans who tried to surrender, made martyrs of those maimed and killed at Paoli. For the rest of the war, the British lived in fear that Wayne's troops would try to avenge the affair that came to be know as the Paoli Massacre."   (ushistory.org) 

Every year I commemorate the occasion with a special blog post, as Tracey (my Outlander mentor) and I grew up in Paoli, Pennsylvania.  

Reading about a battle so close to where you grew up - in the Outlander series - is truly a magical experience.  

When I googled "Battle of Paoli" + "Diana Gabaldon" a few minutes ago, many links came up from the MOBY daily lines.  I, being the spoiler freak I am, did NOT look - nor will I - until Written in My Own Heart's Blood comes out in March (Lorddddddddd the release date.)  But how excited am I to think Paoli may be mentioned AGAIN???  Chills, y'all.  Chills.  

And...if Herself mentions the burning down of the Union Salt Works by British loyalists in April 1778 in the upcoming Written in My Own Heart's Blood, which happened in the little Jersey Shore town I live in currently, I'll fall right the hell over and they'll have to run and fetch the smelling salts.  

All kidding aside, please take a moment today and remember those who were killed or viciously wounded by British soldiers at Paoli...and also the United States Army battle cry that was used well into the 19th century.

"Rest well, Paoli's heroes brave. 
You did your part this land to save. 
And as the centuries roll by, 
Ever we'll sound your battle cry 

REMEMBER PAOLI!!"

~Henry Pleasants Jr.

The Paoli Battlefield: May 30, 2012

"One of Howe's commanders, Major General Lord Charles Grey--a distant cousin of Grey's--attacked the Americans at Paoli at night, with orders to his troops to remove the flints from their muskets.  This prevented discovery from the accidental discharge of a weapon, but also obliged the men to use bayonets.  A number of Americans wire bayoneted in their beds, their tents burned, a hundred or so made captive--and Howe marched into the city of Philadelphia, triumphant, on September 21."  ~Diana Gabaldon,  "An Echo In The Bone"

Yesterday I "went home" and visited the Paoli Battlefield in Malvern, Pennsylvania with my children and my very dear friend, Anne.  Anne and I have been friends since we met in the first grade at St. Norbert School in Paoli where Tracey and I went to grade school.  Tracey, Anne, and I have discussed the fact that we don't remember ever being taught about this pivotal battle in the Revolutionary War...one so important that the American military's battle cry "Remember Paoli!"  could be heard at battle well into the 1800s.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed visiting this beautiful, peaceful field.  You will all think me nuts when I say it reminded me of one of my favorite places in Scotland; a "drovers pass" in the lower Highlands where there is a massive valley sunken into the mountains from years of cattle driving.  I have always said there is "music in the silence" there...and I felt the same way about this quiet battlefield in PA. 

My sincere thanks to Diana Gabaldon for Remembering Paoli. 

And my very heartfelt thanks to Karen Henry of Outlandish Observations for reminding me how much I love having grown up in an area so rich in Revolutionary War history. 

Major General Grey.  I hope Hal spat in his tea. 

My kiddies who were surprisingly quiet and reverent throughout
our entire visit...without constant reminders from me.
Kids can "feel" the past even better than we can. 

The original Paoli Massacre monument from 1817, which stands inside
the gravesite.  The battlefield can be seen in the distance. 

Fresh from Memorial Day

My son photographing the original monument with what else?
His Nintendo 3DS.
Hey, I'll instill a love of history into them any way I can. :)

I was iffy on this shot because I didn't want to be disrespectful...
but if letting her quietly sit on a canon for 20 seconds makes the stories stick, then I'm OK.
They both took photos to school today to show their teachers.  Not too shabby.  :)

The current monument, erected in September 1877  

My wonderful friend, Anne (a Paoli local) who puts up with me dragging her
 to battlefields on any random Wednesday when I'm only in town for 6 hours.

Remember Paoli
Please. 

No Chat Tonight

Chat is cancelled tonight in observance of the Memorial Day holiday in the US. 

A sincere THANK YOU to all the men and women who have fought so valiantly for the United States of America.  Every one of you is remembered in our hearts.  

We will NEVER forget. 

PS...

REMEMBER PAOLI!!!!

THANKS to Outlandish Observations: Paoli Massacre

My sincere thanks to Karen over at Outlandish Observations for mentioning Tracey and me!  Today's Friday Fun Fact gives information on the Paoli  (pay-OH-lee) Massacre.   Tracey and I grew up in Paoli, Pennsylvania where it took place.  Actually, it took place up the hill in what is today "Malvern, Pennsylvania".

Interestingly enough, M. Night Shyamalan lives in Malvern...and I can't help thinking what a neat film he could make, using the story of the Paoli Massacre and a haunted 18th century stone house.  (You will come across many of these in that area of the world.  Frankly, I miss them greatly since moving to New Jersey.)  Or the General Warren Inn which still stands today and is fully operational.

The Paoli massacre - to nutshell it for you - happened when George Washington left General Anthony Wayne (another history celeb in the Paoli area) in charge - and his troops were ambushed in the middle of the night by troops led by Major General Charles Grey.  Heard that name before, have ye?  Weeeeel, I thought ye might have.  It's because he was a distant relative of one Lord John Grey (or at least in Historical Fictionville created by Diana Gabaldon he was).  Charles Grey led his troops to the camp at Paoli in the middle of the night, so as to surprise the men while they slept.  It was a bloody battle and the British used bayonets to kill the American soldiers (even after some had surrendered).  This was thought of as a barbaric act, even then.

Up through the early 1800s, the phrase "Remember Paoli!"  was used as a battle cry to remind the troops just how ruthless the British military could be.

Take a look at this alphabetical list of the known casualties of the Paoli Massacre and give them a moment of silence in your heart on this Memorial Day weekend.