My children have one half of my wife's blood, thus two legs of their stool are from Sanford Ballard and Suzanne (Germond) Chandler, Jr. We have been married for 40+ years so we must be compatible. But the axiom, opposites attract, applies to us. I generally read historical novels, mostly non-fiction and biographical, some historical fiction and then there is the genealogy obsession. Jill on the other hand and to be succinct, "hates history". However she is evolving.
Her maternal grandmother was Margaret (Chamberlain) Germond and great grandfather was Captain Valentine Burt Chamberlain of the Connecticut 7th. When we were planning a trip to celebrate our son's graduation from two schools at Duke University, I decided to visit a few civil war battlefields along the way. And of course I just had to know if there was a connection between Joshua Chamberlain of Little Round Top fame and Val Burt Chamberlain. They are 4th cousins, so Jill is Joshua's 4th cousin thrice removed. Her eyes glassed over when I told her that fact.
We visited Gettysburg, of course, Appomattox, where General Chamberlain received General Lee's sword and Antietam. These sites have done a remarkable job of making history come alive. At each, we viewed a film that reenacted the event before setting out on a tour. So at Antietam, the corn fields, sunken road and Burnside bridge had meaning. The guide we hired at Gettysburg was excellent and he spent extra time at Little Round Top. While at Duke we just had to visit Bennett Place where General Johnson surrendered to General Sherman. On our trip back, Jill confessed ,"I found it all," and then with a pause she concluded, "interesting." That said, her eyes still gloss over whenever I am rattling off dates like a Gatling gun.
Her maternal grandmother was Margaret (Chamberlain) Germond and great grandfather was Captain Valentine Burt Chamberlain of the Connecticut 7th. When we were planning a trip to celebrate our son's graduation from two schools at Duke University, I decided to visit a few civil war battlefields along the way. And of course I just had to know if there was a connection between Joshua Chamberlain of Little Round Top fame and Val Burt Chamberlain. They are 4th cousins, so Jill is Joshua's 4th cousin thrice removed. Her eyes glassed over when I told her that fact.
We visited Gettysburg, of course, Appomattox, where General Chamberlain received General Lee's sword and Antietam. These sites have done a remarkable job of making history come alive. At each, we viewed a film that reenacted the event before setting out on a tour. So at Antietam, the corn fields, sunken road and Burnside bridge had meaning. The guide we hired at Gettysburg was excellent and he spent extra time at Little Round Top. While at Duke we just had to visit Bennett Place where General Johnson surrendered to General Sherman. On our trip back, Jill confessed ,"I found it all," and then with a pause she concluded, "interesting." That said, her eyes still gloss over whenever I am rattling off dates like a Gatling gun.
Jill and "her baby" at his graduation from the Nicholas School of the Environment and the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University
