J. J. Reford and J. J. Chaffee...who were they?...Really??

[scldrgnfly]

This is all so fascinating!! Something I found, but I wasn't lucky enough to find a living relative, was some information about Mary Watson's husband, Dr. Carvell....he was from Nova Scotia...I'd love to know how she met him, noting the Demill connection to Nova Scotia.

Also, if my memory serves me correctly, in the 1870 or it could have been 1880 NY, NY census there were two J. J. Reford's, one a laborer on North Carolina Street, and the second on W. 53rd Avenue who was a retired lawyer both around 53 years of age....They both listed as John J. Reford.

Was "Paris" a known code word for Richmond? I should think the negative connotations might have caused it not to be used.

I have a question about the interpretation of Richmond as Paris, but it's the positive thinker in me speaking. One, in Greek mythology, while Paris was a fighter, the gods said he was actually going to be the kingdom's downfall, and he was supposed to be killed before he could cause it. We all know what the Trojan Horse did. Second, if you used Shakespeare, another possible choice, Paris lost Julliette to Romeo because, he was cold lover.....BUT, what about Quebec, or Montreal?? Ile is island in French isn't it...Napoleon was banished to Alba, an island...could there have been an island they had in mind to transport their "War Horses?" Could the Ile just indicate the necessity of transversing water?

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The sad thing about some of our confusion lies in the fact we aren't dealing with the Pope...the rest of us are fallible. Memories can go and people lie, even on the witness stand...all we can do is "trust, but verify." There I go with my homage to the '70's.

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I am so sorry! Thank you, John for that great information! Also, I didn't realize there was a Cawood no escape tour! It must be cool!

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To Gene's post # 24,

I don't really know how many people actually wanted Lincoln dead, but I would imagine there were a whole lot of people who wanted Lincoln out of a position of control. He was taking quite a bit of power into his hands, that some people didn't think the Constitution allowed the President to have..."deja vu again?"

I haven't read any of Neff's things, but that note of R. D. Watson's sent me off on that trail and what is curious is how that 178 1/2 Water Street address connects to people and things.

I did find that one of the Demill ships was beached in Charleston to use as a wharf to unload soldiers in 1861, the "Peter Demill."