And now let me tell you a story. Ohio wasn't much more then the western frontier in 1823 when little Roswell Ripley was born. You see Ohio had only become a state in 1803, just 20 years before he was born. Roswell Sabin Ripley was born here, in Worthington Ohio. So this house is really really old. He grew up and attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated from there in 1843. He served his country and fought in The Mexican-American war from 1846-1848, and received 2 promotions for his efforts.
He was stationed in South Carolina where he met a Southern Belle and got married in 1852. One short year later he resigned to attend to his wives estate in Charleston. He joined our enemy, The Confederacy and fought against us at Fort Sumter when the first shots were fired and The Civil War began. He fought in a series of battles in artillery units; and later in the Infantry under Robert E. Lee. He was wounded in The Bloodiest War, at Antietam in 1862. Though he recovered enough to return to Charleston and once again fight against The United States on the side of The Confederacy.
After the war he lived for 20 years in England, presumably alone as his wife and daughter had left him during The War Years. He returned to New York, where his parents had moved and died there of a stroke. He was not returned to Worthington, the place of his birth for burial. Nor was he buried in New York where he died. He was returned to The South and buried in Magnolia Cemetery.
He was elevated to Brigadier General in The Confederate States of America, quite an honor. He's one of the very few Confederates with a Memorial this far North in Ohio. He fought against his Uncle, James Wolfe Ripley who fought for The Union at Charleston Harbor.
And so, to some he's considered a Hero. He defeated The Union Forces and protected his Charleston. To others, a traitor for he fought against his country and his family.
I've been by this old house a number of times; but only recently noticed the sign and decided I needed to read it. Wow...what a surprise, and what a story. Heartbreaking, his wife and daughter estranged, fighting against his countrymen and his family. Sadly, that happened a great deal during The War Between The States.
So, what do you think; Traitor or Hero?
The topic here perhaps is a bit involved and serious; but what a good way to talk about people standing up for what they believe in, even when it's not easy. How bout a coloring exercise? Color and compare the two flags. Get the maps and see how far it is from Worthington, to Charleston, to England, to New York. Where's Mexico, after all he fought there. Talk about the difficulty of travel in those days vs now. Check out the hidden word puzzle at the bottom.
I'll bet many are surprised to see an Ohio connection to The Civil War, Ohio's pretty far north.
So if you look around and see an old house, take a good look and see if you too can tell a story about it, or the people who lived there.
Until next time, Friday May 7th, Flat Stanley out.
Find the following hidden words:(you should be able to click to enlarge and print)
Civil War
Robert E Lee
Union
Ohio
Mexico
Antietam
Infantry
South Carolina
Charleston
Confederate
If you missed Flat Stanley's First Adventure Here's the link
