Daughter of the 24th Michigan

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23362908973761504042012-01-16T15:00:53.511-05:00Daughter of the 24th MichiganThis blog is dedicated to my Great Great Grandfather Abner Delos Austin (Private, Company I, 24th Michigan Infantry of the Iron Brigade) who was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. He was only 17.KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.comBlogger581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-64846027309857507502011-11-15T15:53:00.066-05:002011-11-19T08:30:55.950-05:00Ladies’ Protestant Orphan Asylum / Children's Home of Detroit (1836 – 2007)

The oldest benevolent society in Detroit, the Ladies' Protestant Orphan Association, has its origins in 1818, when a number of women from prominent Detroit families met at the home of Mrs. Benjamin Larned and organized the Ladies Society of the City of Detroit. Its purposes were charitable, with particular emphasis upon the needs and care of orphan children. There was a special committee of

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-54917778289959306232011-11-10T08:57:00.014-05:002011-11-17T18:18:07.210-05:00Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald

Today is the anniversary of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald (November 10, 1975), the most tragic loss of life ever on the Great Lakes and certainly an event that will forever be etched in Michigan's memory.Thirty-six years after its demise, the Edmund Fitzgerald continues to capture our imaginations and evoke such intense emotion that even seemingly the most typical family vacation photos

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-28076600742629114132011-11-05T13:09:00.037-04:002011-11-18T11:43:29.948-05:00Detroit's Newly Purchased Grand Army of the Republic Hall - GAR Building to Be Renovated for 2013 Reopening

One of Detroit's most notable Civil War landmarks, the historic Grand Army of the Republic Hall at Cass and Grand River, is soon to receive a new lease on life thanks to a plan from a Detroit media firm. It took nearly six years, but downtown Detroit's castle-like building originally used by Union Civil War soldiers is now owned by a group of longtime supporters of Detroit.The Detroit Free Press

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-54447088223922636602011-11-04T18:48:00.029-04:002011-11-04T21:41:52.285-04:00Coming to PBS in November: "The Michigan Experience: The American Civil War Years"

Coming to your local PBS station this month is "The Michigan Experience: The American Civil War Years", a Michigan-based production from Executive Producers Rodney W. Brown, Leon Collins, and Donna Ullrich and iMichigan Productions (iMp) in East Lansing. As the descendant of two Michigan Civil War soldiers, I am thrilled that this statewide broadcast will provide a unique and timely opportunity

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-68427136747730673662011-10-21T11:21:00.013-04:002011-11-02T15:19:26.998-04:002012 Scenic Michigan and Civil War Battlefield Wall Calendars Now Available

My collection of 2012 fine art photography wall calendars is now available. The collection includes a 2012 Michigan Lighthouses calendar, a 2012 Great Lakes Glimpses Michigan scenery calendar, a 2012 Gettysburg Glimpses battlefield photography calendar, and a 2012 Glimpses of Gallantry American Civil War battlefield calendar.The Michigan Lighthouses wall calendar features images of the Ludington

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-42964293376843275622011-05-02T15:58:00.019-04:002011-11-02T15:20:49.234-04:00Genealogy Pros to Present in Plymouth

Two professional and veteran genealogists will be presenting at the Plymouth Historical Museum on Saturday, May 7, at 9:30 a.m. Located in downtown Plymouth in the heart of the cultural campus, the Museum has plenty of convenient free parking. The all-day event will include lunch and access to the current exhibit "Rediscovering the Civil War". The $50 registration also incorporates all support

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-75651617747954708902011-04-13T11:00:00.008-04:002011-11-03T10:48:05.627-04:00I was Honored to Speak at the Michigan Historical Museum "Plowshares into Swords" Civil War Sesquicentennial Exhibit Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

During the kick-off of the Michigan Civil War Sesquicentennial on April 12, 2011, the 150th anniversary of the Confederate firing on Fort Sumter, I was honored to speak at the ribbon-cutting for the new exhibit at the Michigan Historical Museum in Lansing. "Plowshares to Swords" is a special exhibit exploring how the Civil War changed Michiganians' lives. The exhibit features rich personal

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-38581834151716442742011-04-08T11:00:00.008-04:002011-11-02T15:33:16.950-04:00Michigan Historical Museum "Plowshares into Swords" Civil War Sesquicentennial Exhibit Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

As we kick off the Michigan Civil War Sesquicentennial next week, I am so very blessed to have the opportunity to speak at the ribbon-cutting for the new exhibit at the Michigan Historical Museum in Lansing on Tuesday, April 12th. I encourage everyone to visit this important new exhibit and all of the exciting living history events at the Opening Ceremony on Saturday, April 16th. Below is the

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-8137090722966863432011-03-19T13:54:00.013-04:002011-11-02T15:35:00.347-04:00Library of Congress Posts its "Civil War Faces" Photo Collection on Flickr

In remembrance of the soldiers who served in the Civil War, a rare private collection of almost 700 ambrotype and tintype photographs was recently donated to the Library of Congress. All 693 photos have been posted on Flickr and can be viewed using the link below. While the photos are mostly of unidentified soldiers, you can read some of the personal stories that did survive in notes found with

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-52536487051116358142011-03-17T10:36:00.004-04:002011-11-02T15:37:29.513-04:00Post Office Announces Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemorative Stamp Series

In conjunction with the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War, the U.S. Postal Service will issue stamps commemorating the 150th anniversary of important Civil War events beginning April 12, 2011. The Fort Sumter and First Battle of Bull Run commemorative stamps will lead off the Civil War 150th Anniversary Commemorative series, with a souvenir sheet of two stamps to be issued each year

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-82685588571041891102011-02-28T11:27:00.003-05:002011-11-02T15:39:01.976-04:00"Born Killers: The Iron Brigade" tomorrow on the History Channel!

"Born Killers: The Iron Brigade" will be presented on the History Channel tomorrow, March 1, 2011 at 7 a.m. EST as part of its Civil War Journal series. Don't miss it!

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-72908998859852344422011-02-24T11:24:00.005-05:002011-11-02T12:50:02.949-04:00Help Save the 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry's Epic Gettysburg Battle Ground!

Today, the Civil War Trust announced its new campaign to purchase and rehabilitate 104 acres of the Gettysburg battlefield, including an area of Herbst's Woods where the 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry and the Iron Brigade faced Archer's Brigade on the morning of July 1, 1863. In tremendously bitter fighting, 397 out of 496 24th Michigan soldiers were lost that day. With an 80% casualty rate,

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-79127090753059317692010-11-13T23:13:00.007-05:002011-11-02T16:10:51.840-04:00Michigan Civil War Sesquicentennial Update: Website Unveiled Today!

The Michigan Civil War Sesquicentennial website was unveiled today at the State of Michigan Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee’s Civil War History Partners Steering Group event in Lansing! You can click the link below to visit the website:http://micivilwar.orgThe Michigan Civil War Sesquicentennial logo was also announced and will be viewable soon on the website.

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-18335246146402247582010-10-22T23:59:00.006-04:002011-11-02T16:12:25.888-04:00Through the Gates of Eloise (Eloise Hospital, formerly known as the Wayne County Poorhouse and Asylum)

Welcome to Eloise Hospital (formerly known as the Wayne County Poorhouse and Asylum) on Michigan Avenue in Westland, Michigan. In 1839, Wayne County, Michigan purchased the Black Horse Tavern, a stagecoach stop located here on the Chicago Road, for use as a poorhouse. Early on, the Eloise poorhouse accepted not only the county's indigent, but the infirm and mentally ill as well. The mentally

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-72844601300251908572010-09-14T15:22:00.002-04:002011-11-02T12:51:57.356-04:00Civil War Preservation Trust Accepting Nominations for Endangered Battlefields Report

The Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT), the nation’s largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization, is accepting nominations through its website for an annual report on endangered Civil War battlefields. The report, entitled History Under Siege®, identifies the most threatened Civil War sites in the United States and what can be done to rescue them.“Too often the threats to our

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-69887564016214987082010-09-07T16:13:00.018-04:002011-11-02T16:25:39.649-04:00Preserve Cemetery Ridge or the Gettysburg Cyclorama Building? Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Currently, the National Park Service at Gettysburg is seeking public input on the future of the ill-placed late 1950s-era Cyclorama building. The famous cyclorama painting itself now safely hangs in the new visitor’s center and the last step in rehabilitating this area of the battlefield is removing the anachronistic concrete structure from this important terrain, returning Gettysburg’s famed

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-88702175142693579572010-08-26T17:51:00.005-04:002011-11-02T12:52:32.079-04:00Help Save the Second Manassas Battlefield

The Civil War Preservation Trust has announced an opportunity to save battlefield ground at the Manassas National Military Park. There are two parcels in this transaction: nine-acres of property where Union General Fitz John Porter's men emerged from the woods to be met with shot and shell as they made their way to Stonewall Jackson's position and a one-acre parcel on the strategic Sudley Road

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-41997814003800375972010-08-26T10:42:00.005-04:002011-11-02T12:52:55.325-04:00Historic Fort Wayne Needs your vote to receive a National Trust for Historic Places Grant in their Community Challenge!

Historic Fort Wayne Coalition Vice-Chairman Bob Hovansian has entered Historic Fort Wayne into a National Trust for Historic Places Grant Community Challenge worth $25,000. The money is being petitioned for the rehabilitation of the 1905 Post Headquarters building.Through Bob's tireless efforts in pursuing this, the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition has made it past three phases of the Community

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-74760485734593907482010-07-02T12:14:00.002-04:002011-11-02T12:53:12.620-04:00Help Save the Bentonville Battlefield

The Civil War Preservation Trust has announced a new campaign to save 240 acres of the Bentonville, North Carolina battlefield. This is only the beginning of an overall effort to preserve 450 acres of Civil War battlefields in the state. So far, the CWPT has saved nearly 1,000 acres at Bentonville, and they need your help to keep up their tremendously important work. Check out the link below to

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-64120234465095414152009-12-25T13:13:00.027-05:002011-11-03T12:34:37.310-04:00"Home, Sweet Home / There's No Place Like Home" Now Available!

A new holiday song on my CD "Daughter of the 24th Michigan" has been released. The song is available for purchase now at iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody, Nimbit, and eMusic. You can click below to view the music video.I first became familiar with this song as a child from the 1968 recording by Glen Campbell on his "That Christmas Feeling" LP. It was a melody that seemed to stick with me and,

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-6203357146401609072009-11-27T14:10:00.016-05:002011-11-02T20:17:58.932-04:00Custer 170th Birthday Celebration, Historic Holiday Walking Tour, and Civil War Music Concert by Kristina Austin Scarcelli

Hometown History Tours is pleased to announce a special December 5th tour and celebration to commemorate the 170th birthday of Civil War General George Armstrong Custer, commander of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade and America’s youngest general.Custer 170th Birthday Celebration & Historic Hometown Holiday TourSaturday, December 5, 200910 AM to 3:30 PMGeneral Custer invites you to celebrate his

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-8262324129754641022009-11-21T20:08:00.019-05:002011-11-03T11:03:59.244-04:00The Michigan - Ohio War (a/k/a The Great Toledo War)

The Michigan - Ohio rivalry is much more than just a football game. Did you know that Wolverines and Buckeyes were battling each other long before the annual meeting on the fields of college football ever began? That famous rivalry goes back much farther … all the way back to the Michigan - Ohio War -- the original War Between the States -- which took place in 1835 – 1836.The Michigan - Ohio

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-61170926333840688982009-09-24T18:38:00.020-04:002011-11-03T11:37:19.542-04:00The Thompson Block Building - Ypsilanti's Depot Town Civil War-Era Treasure Destroyed by Fire

Ypsilanti, Michigan’s Thompson Block building was constructed in 1861 and, in 1862, began serving as army barracks for the 14th and 27th Michigan Infantries during the Civil War. Company E of the 17th Michigan Infantry stayed in the building before going to Detroit to muster in with the rest of the regiment in August of 1862. They were known as The Normal School Company because over half of them

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-31175153236149720842009-09-20T22:08:00.028-04:002011-11-18T11:37:52.007-05:00Abner Delos Austin's Civil War Memorial Re-dedication Ceremony ... a Wonderful Day to Remember!!

On Sunday, September 13, 2009, a memorial service took place at Clarenceville Cemetery in Livonia, Michigan at the gravesite of my Great Great Grandfather, Abner Delos Austin. The ceremony was coordinated by local Civil War reenactors and was attended by approximately 40 guests along with my father, Edward V. Austin of Wauseon, Ohio, and my husband Jason Scarcelli. It was a glorious afternoon

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-42735724187859187432009-09-13T09:00:00.004-04:002011-11-18T11:38:44.761-05:00Civil War Memorial Re-dedication Ceremony for Abner Delos Austin

Today, we will gather at Clarenceville Cemetery in Livonia, Michigan to pay tribute to my Great Great Grandfather Abner Delos Austin (and all Civil War veterans like him) for his service to his country.Please click the link below for a story about Abner from today's Canton Observer newspaper.http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20090913/NEWS27/909130515/1020/NEWS03/Civil%20War%20veteran%20to%20be%

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-59405781567679907332009-05-24T23:49:00.002-04:002011-11-18T11:39:58.654-05:00Memorial Day 2009

Today, after singing the Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America at the at the Canton, Michigan Memorial Day ceremony, I made my annual trip to Clarenceville Cemetery in Livonia, Michigan to place a flag and memorial on the grave of my hero, my Great Great Grandfather Abner Delos Austin, in whose honor I created this blog.God bless all of our American heroes.

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-53079421447547436742009-02-23T20:01:00.004-05:002011-11-02T14:31:28.571-04:00"Faded Coat of Blue" Now Available!

At long last, the first song on my new CD, "Daughter of the 24th Michigan" has been released. The song is available for purchase now at Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody, CDFreedom, and eMusic.You can click below to listen in streaming audio.I was inspired to record this song after visiting Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the summer of 2008, during the 145th anniversary of the famous American Civil War

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-30726907339559002442009-02-12T11:00:00.013-05:002011-11-03T13:27:17.009-04:00Happy Birthday, President Lincoln!

"This dust was once the Man, Gentle, plain, just and resolute—under whose cautious hand,Against the foulest crime in history known in any land or age,Was saved the Union of These States." -- Walt WhitmanThis past weekend, we attended the 200th Birthday Party for President Abraham Lincoln at the Plymouth Historical Museum in Plymouth, Michigan. Also attending with President and Mrs. Lincoln were

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-37193192890089480522008-12-20T15:00:00.002-05:002011-11-18T11:40:24.456-05:00Austin Families Association of America Features Abner Delos Austin

Today I received word that the Austin Families Association of America has featured Abner Delos Austin's life story on the front page of its December 2008 newsletter. It is a tremendous honor and I am extremely grateful.On behalf of all of Abner's descendants, my sincerest thanks to Alice Austin Martin, Jim Carlin, and the rest of the AFAOA directors for making this possible!

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-75249465380885699972008-12-18T21:12:00.012-05:002011-11-03T13:20:27.314-04:00Movies to Love - "The Colt" (2005)

Now, I am not usually one to cry at movies, but "The Colt" got me big time. Put a big-eyed, helpless, baby animal in a Civil War movie about my ancestor's cavalry brigade, and I don't stand a chance of finishing it with a dry eye.This somewhat obscure little gem is a real must-see for any Civil War buff, but especially those from Michigan. The scene not to be missed (and I promise there is no

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-15427174602273249902008-12-05T00:38:00.014-05:002011-11-17T15:11:56.718-05:00Charles W. Austin - Company A, 5th Michigan Cavalry

When my Great Great Great Grandparents, John Delos (1807 – 1851) and Anna (1813 – 1851) Austin died during the 1851 Detroit cholera epidemic, their two sons, seven-year-old Charles and five-year-old Abner, were orphaned and separated. Charles was taken in by John and Catharine Osmun of Groveland near Waterford, Michigan, who raised him as a son. He was never legally adopted by the Osmuns, however

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-47984468399461196372008-12-02T20:33:00.004-05:002011-11-02T14:23:18.603-04:00Update on Charles W. Austin of the 5th Michigan Cavalry

Charles's pension file arrived this week and, just as I suspected, it was a wealth of information. The pension affidavits read like short stories of his Civil War service. Absolutely fascinating. And yes, he indeed was at Andersonville.My two Austin boys have such amazing stories ... and to have ancestors that served with two of the most celebrated units in the Civil War ... I feel very fortunate

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-13132724308325439402008-12-01T21:07:00.001-05:002011-11-02T13:10:49.490-04:00Gettysburg - "Darkest Days & Finest Hours" 145th Reenactment DVD

Finally!! I just received my copy of the DVD of the 145th anniversay reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg, as you all know I attended on July 4, 2008. I can't wait to watch it! Hats off to the talented folks at Lionheart Filmworks for their tremendous efforts in capturing this event. My review shortly!

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-87141801009142552422008-11-22T20:00:00.020-05:002011-11-18T11:42:18.266-05:00Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Building in Detroit, Michigan

After trekking to downtown Detroit today for my initiation into the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War (DUVCW), Jason and I headed over to the intersection of Cass and Adams to photograph the old Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Building, one of the oldest buildings in Detroit, located at 1942 West Grand River in the GAR Building Historic District. As you may recall, my ancestors Abner

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-21547512817422832842008-11-22T19:00:00.002-05:002011-11-02T14:26:56.413-04:00Officially a Daughter of Union Veterans of the Civil War

Today, I attended my first meeting and became an official member of the Daughter of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861 - 1865 (DUVCW). It is a tremendous honor and one of which I am very proud!In the tradition of the Grand Army of the Republic:Fraternity, Charity, Loyalty!Search each comrade's heart, and thereGraven with the tenderest care,You will find these letters threeLinked in blessed

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-51050079194880747842008-11-19T11:26:00.002-05:002011-11-02T13:17:35.061-04:00“We Are Met on a Great Battlefield”

145 years ago today, on the morning of November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln and some 15,000 spectators gathered in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to honor the soldiers who had made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation just four months before. The words that President Lincoln spoke have become some of the most important in American history and his Gettysburg Address will be forever etched in

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-59488360988417999552008-11-07T07:38:00.005-05:002011-11-03T13:45:48.919-04:00Bert Brady's "Welcome Home a Hero Program"

This is absolutely wonderful. If only there were more people like Bert Brady in the world.We must never forget them.

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-28489416283740117522008-11-05T15:40:00.010-05:002011-11-18T11:44:29.632-05:00Iron Brigade Insignia

This is probably my favorite graphic design project, inspired by the monuments on the Gettysburg battlefield after my visit there during the 145th anniversary of the battle on July 1 - 3, 2008.During the American Civil War, the Iron Brigade of the West, also known as the Black Hat Brigade for the dress Hardee hats the men wore, was one of the most disciplined and hardest fighting infantry units

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-2209518529582951962008-11-04T18:33:00.001-05:002011-11-02T13:16:36.992-04:00VOTE!!

Get out there and vote!! The future of our Republic depends on it!"Property is the fruit of labor; property is desirable; it is a positive good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another, but let him work diligently and build one for himself, thus

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-19948632218165085112008-10-25T20:38:00.002-04:002011-11-02T14:31:09.512-04:00Civil War Music Coming

As most of my friends and family know, my first trip to Gettysburg this past July 1 -3 had a tremendous impact on me. Walking that battlefield exactly 145 years after my ancestors fought there created such a well of emotion in me that I needed to find an outlet for all it. As a vocalist and musician of many years, the obvious means of expressing these feelings was through music and so ... I am

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-46832578920667356572008-10-20T02:00:00.005-04:002011-11-02T14:56:34.154-04:00On Finding Charles

I was a 12-year-old tomboy, too skinny and too tall, all bony knees and pony-tails, when I first developed an interest in the Civil War ... after my Dad read to me "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. (Yes, this was as a bedtime story, along with his usual repertoire of Edgar Allan Poe tales and "Nightmares and Geezenstacks", but that is another blog!)I can still remember how

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-5156885899365678772008-10-20T00:00:00.004-04:002011-11-03T13:57:07.370-04:00Wolcott Mill Civil War Skirmish

Today, after battling a nasty cold for the better part of two weeks, I felt well enough to drag my equally sick husband out to Ray, Michigan for the Civil War skirmish at Wolcott Mill. We were so glad we went ... it was a gloriously warm and sunny Indian summer day and the colors were spectacular. I do so love Michigan in autumn!Even more spectacular was the reenactment of the action near

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-16508732606140045422008-10-18T20:24:00.003-04:002011-11-02T13:23:21.012-04:00New Civil War Novels

A friend of mine, Michael J. Deeb, is the author of the Civil War-era novel "Duty and Honor," which is available for purchase through his website as well as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. The sequel, "Duty Accomplished" is scheduled to be released any day! Please stop by his site and check it out! Best of luck, Michael!Michael J. Deeb's CivilWarNovels.com

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-35658034940947810852008-10-16T20:00:00.005-04:002011-11-03T15:30:31.618-04:00Music to Love - "Gettysburg" by the Brandos

Check out this incredible 1987 release from the Brandos titled, "Gettysburg". I LOVE this song!!David Kincaid, lead singer and guitarist of the Brandos and the song's co-writer, visited Gettysburg as a young man and discovered that his ancestor, James McCormack Kincaid of the 63rd Pennsylvania, fought and died there. He was so moved that he says this song nearly wrote itself on the spot.Today,

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-19960128016734054572008-10-14T18:29:00.003-04:002011-11-03T15:32:19.279-04:00American Union Soldier Tribute - Blaze of Glory

Wow is all I can say. What an awesome fanvid. If this doesn't choke you up just a little bit, I don't know what could.

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-18288198838323219452008-09-30T19:49:00.003-04:002011-11-03T15:33:45.212-04:00Music To Love - "Freedom's Child" from "The Civil War: The Musical"

Now these handsome boys in blue can really sing!! ;-)

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-9767670498527807452008-09-17T13:04:00.001-04:002011-11-02T13:24:03.517-04:00Music To Love - "Gettysburg" by Michael Chain

Here's a tune I just love by singer-songwriter Michael Chain. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!"Gettysburg" by Michael Chainhttp://www.myspace.com/michaelchainhttp://www.michaelchain.com/

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-29459869434680804812008-08-15T14:55:00.012-04:002011-11-04T22:16:37.641-04:002008 Civil War Preservation Trust Photo Contest Results

I am very proud that my photo "We Are Met on a Great Battlefield" was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Civil War Preservation Trust's 2008 photo contest. Thank you so much, CWPT!

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-31505229414527356822008-08-03T17:31:00.007-04:002011-11-03T15:35:15.484-04:00Gettysburg Photos Entered in 2008 Civil War Preservation Trust Photo Contest

So, I've decided to go ahead and enter some of my Gettysburg photos in the Civil War Preservation Trust's annual photo contest. Here is a sample of the ones I chose to enter. I'll let you know how it goes!You can check out all of my entries at Flickr.com.

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-35217206688674292872008-07-26T12:40:00.003-04:002011-11-03T16:06:10.145-04:00Music To Love - "How Far North" by Fitzgerald

Here's a tune I just love by Minneapolis-based band "Fitzgerald". I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-21135466983300947572008-07-17T20:23:00.005-04:002011-11-18T11:45:17.938-05:00Iron Brigade Memorial Highway

Every weekday morning, I make my morning commute from my home to my office and back down a five-mile stretch of road called Michigan Avenue, better known as US-12. Also known as The Iron Brigade Memorial Highway. The simple fact that my work day pilgrimage occurs along a portion of the same long road that 24th Michigan Infantry marched down on its way to war somehow makes my daily routine seem a

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-62347369177311040622008-07-16T20:18:00.004-04:002011-11-03T16:24:06.437-04:00Brand New Novel about the 24th Michigan!

I am excited that my copy of the new novel from Brent Richard Force titled: "Among Men of Iron - A Novel of the 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment" arrived today. I am anxious to begin reading and sharing my thoughts with you all. The author is a very nice guy and I look forward to the tremendous success of his novel, which will undoubtedly fortify and widen the 24th's already formidable group of

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-15388883745980265122008-07-05T14:38:00.010-04:002011-11-03T16:26:40.364-04:00Then and Now - Meade's Gettysburg Headquarters

It never occurred to me during our vacation in Gettysburg how fun it might be to try duplicating some well-known Civil War-era photographs with my digital camera. And little did I know that today I would accidentally do just that!It was our last day in Gettysburg and I was SO not ready to leave! On our way out of town, still drained from the excitement of the 145th anniversary Gettysburg battle

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-9952352036868330922008-07-02T02:57:00.012-04:002011-11-04T22:40:02.870-04:00July 1: Day One at Gettysburg: From the Emmitsburg Road to McPherson's Ridge

Exactly 145 years ago, on July 1, 1863, along with the 24th Michigan Infantry and the Iron Brigade of the West, my Great Great Grandfather traveled north on the Emmitsburg Road and marched into history. At the picturesque Codori Farm, the Union Army of the Potomac left Emmitsburg Road to await their destiny in McPherson's Woods.On July 1, 2008, it was only fitting that our battlefield journey

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-64937174417898245932008-06-30T21:02:00.004-04:002011-11-04T21:35:06.793-04:00On the Road to Gettysburg

At long last!! Today, we left Michigan on our trip to Gettysburg for the 145th anniversary of the battle.Jason and I stumbled upon an unexpected surprise when leaving the Pennsylvania Turnpike and heading southeast on the Lincoln Highway. This being the first road trip through Pennsylvania for both of us, we were surprised at just how mountainous the area is!It was raining quite heavily on and

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-4182352717911524832008-05-31T00:14:00.010-04:002011-11-17T15:10:36.519-05:0024th Michigan / Iron Brigade Waymarkers and Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at Campus Martius in Detroit

For those of you who have been asking, here some images of the historical marker at Campus Martius at the intersection of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in downtown Detroit that honors the 24th Michigan Infantry and the Iron Brigade. It was erected in 1995 by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, M.O.L.L.U.S., 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Inc. It is a dual-sided marker: one

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-6202630887811495752008-03-16T00:02:00.032-04:002011-11-17T15:15:40.816-05:00Abner Delos Austin - Company I, 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry

John Delos Austin is the earliest known ancestor in my Austin family tree. Few details of John Austin's life are known. In a census taken in 1850 at the Twenty-seventh district of Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan; it is reported that John Austin was born in 1807, somewhere in the state of New York. He was married to a woman by the name of Anna. She, too, was apparently born in New York State, in

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336290897376150404.post-65939711066051753372003-12-19T13:56:00.032-05:002011-12-20T13:50:42.838-05:00New Holiday Song About Wauseon, Ohio's Historic Christmas Star

The first song and title track of my new holiday CD, "Christmas Star" has been released. The song is available for purchase now at Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody, CDFreedom, and eMusic.You can click below to listen in streaming audio."Christmas Star" words by Kristina Austin Scarcelli and E. Fay Dyer-Austin. Music by Jason Scarcelli. Copyright 2002 Erudite Music BMI, Blind Dog Bass Music BMI, and

KRISTINA AUSTIN SCARCELLIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16428683121042256273noreply@blogger.com0