Famous (or infamous) Bealls and How We Got Here, etc.
[ The Battle of Dunbar | Ninian Beall | John Yates Beall]
The most famous Beall family story is, of course the story
of the original Beall on this continent, Ninian
Beall, who was captured in an ill-fated religio-political war in
Scotland in 1650 and sent, along with 149 other Highlanders, into virtual
slavery in Barbados. Scottish song and literature is full of references
to these Highlanders, whom certain interests in Scotland at the time tried
to eliminate from the Isles.
Far off in sunlit places, Sad are the Scottish faces,
Yearning to feel the Kiss of sweet Scottish rain.
Where tropic skies are beaming, Love sets the heart a-dreaming,
Longing and dreaming for the homeland again.
Towering in gallant fame, Scotland my mountain hame,
High may your proud standards gloriously wave,
Land of my high endeavour, Land of the shining heather,
Land of my heart for ever, Scotland the brave!
A story I should have placed here LONG ago is the wonderful
report Dennis Beall wrote about the Battle of
Dunbar...! Wow, I had no idea, it's almost a Scottish "Trail of Tears." Anyway, thank you
very much for all your hard work, Dennis, and I'm proud to include your
story here.
Colonel
Ninian Beall's story is an inspiring tale of how a man can lose
everything, but then turn around to regain even more, build a life to admire,
and contribute greatly to history and society. I have collected and transcribed
to electronic format [here] so far two
articles, one of which was accomanied by a picture reputed (but frequently disputed) to be a portrait of the patriarch, and also Ninian's Last Will and Testament.
John Yates Beall
was an infamous figure in the Civil War era, spoken of variously as a Confederate
Spy, a tragic scapegoat, a misguided soldier, or a loose cannon. It is
said (although probably apocryphally) that the "real" reason John Wilkes
Booth assassinated President Lincoln was in order to call attention to
what he percieved to be the unfairness of Beall's execution. Stories about
this Beall are varied and conflicting, but none could be called dull.
Thank you everyone who has contributed to this effort (if we must have
skeletons in our family closets, at least they're interesting ones!)