Maunderings.
I've been having fun with my Sims ancestors, the Sims Intruders in what
became Limestone County. A Sims aunt married Benjamin Murrell, who was a
Revolutionary soldier. Murrell's father had led a group of Baptists
from Virginia to what became Hawkins County, Tennessee, from where the
Intruders took the Elk River all the way down.
Eudora
Welty photographed Uncle Tom Costner's store in Banner. Well, long ago I had
dinner with her in Washington, D. C. and talked to her about railroad
travel. Oh, if I had only known that my Uncle Benjamin was also the
uncle (by blood) of John (not James as she says in "A Still Moment")
Murrell, the Land Pirate of the Natchez Trace, that most beautiful
Southern highway.
I can't tell this to Noel Polk because he up
and died on us, dammit, dammit. His proudest moment was one I witnessed.
At a conference Miss Welty was lecturing. She forgot a name and looked
out at the audience and said, "Noel, what's the name I want?" Noel was
so flustered that he squeaked out the name she wanted. What was it?
Pinckney something or something Pinckney? Ah, I was sitting by the man
Eudora Welty knew by name! Reflected glory.
If only I could have told Noel that Murrell the Land Pirate of the Natchez Trace and I shared an uncle!
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