Volume 3, Issue 12
December 2014
Fort Tejon
Historical Association
A D J U N T A N T ’ S
CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
P r e s i d e n t ’ s
No December board
meeting

January 3 Dragoons Living
History at fort

January 17– New
volunteer training
(tentative)

January 18 - FTHA
board meeting at
fort - 11am

February 7—
Second Cal. Volunteers Living
History Program
J O U R N A L
Dearest FTHA Members
and Friends,
I hope your stuffing was
tasty and your turkey
plump, your pie took the
prize and the Thanksgiving
dinner stayed off your
thighs.
It is hard to believe that
it’s almost Christmas and
the end of 2014 is right
around the corner. We
certainly had an amazing
year at the Fort and for the
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
President’s Message
1
2015 Elections
1
Civil War letter
2
FTHA trailer
2
Ladies Corner
3
Park Staff
4
CWP changes
4
Fort. FTHA is anxiously
looking forward to even
more productive and
successful year in 2015. A
few of the upcoming
highlights include the
“Invitational” Civil War
reenactment, Victorian Tea,
Old Fashion 4th of July,
Peter LeBeck Candlelight
Ghost Tours, and monthly
Frontier Army Days Dragoon
program on the first
Saturday of every month
2 015
At the November 22nd
board meeting, FTHA board
of directors decided not to
hold a formal election for
the three seats that were
available since only three
FTHA members submitted
their names as candidates.
Additionally, the board did
not want to incur the
m e s s a g e
(with the exception of July).
On behalf of everyone
on the FTHA Board, it is my
privilege and honor to wish
you and yours a very Merry
Christmas and a happy,
healthy and prosperous
New Year.
I remain your
humble
servant,
Karina
Mooradian
President.
e l e c t i o n s
expenses relating to an
election—printing ballots
and postage—when there
were not enough
candidates to hold the
election.
The candidates - John
Billinger, Linda Bosley and
Bob Zaricor - will be installed as board members
at the January 2015 board
meeting.
Special thanks to outgoing
board member, Larry
Kelsey for his hard work
and support of Fort Tejon
over the passed two years.
Kelsey will continue to
assist the board with the
annual Civil War Invitational
event at the end of May.
The new board will meet on
Sunday, January 18, 2015
at 11am at Fort Tejon State
Historic Park. At that time,
the board will finalize the
2015 FTHA budget and
install the new board.
P a g e
2
F o r t
C i v i l
wa r
T e j o n
l e t t e r
On July 7, 1862, shortly after his 19th birthday, William Elliott (“Billy”) enlisted in the
11th
Regiment, Company A, of the North Carolina Confederate Troops. He was killed
at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. Family lore tells that the day before Billy was
killed at Gettysburg he gave his pocket comb and New Testament to his cousin, Cyrus, and
said, “Take these to Ma because I’ll die tomorrow.”
December the 9 1862
Franklin Depot Virginia
Dear Father I take my pen in hand to rite you a few lines to let you know that I am well and I hope
these few lines may find you all enjoying the same good blessings. I got your letter you sent with Mr.
Brown in due time. I got my shirt & drawers you sent with him. I loued to rite my letter and send it
with Mr. Brown but I did not have time to rite. I am most broke down for have ben on duty two days
& night. I havent got two hours sleep in the past two nights. We went fifteen miles of Suffolk
yesterday we had ten thousand troop with us we had about fifty wagons along we loaded them all
with corn pork fodder. I saw Robert Sifford yesterday he was fat and sacy it is the coldest wether out
hear I ever felt nearly. Rite to me and let me no where West is. I have not got a letter from him in
over a month you sed you was going to send me a nother box. I was glad to hear that. I want you
to sent it with out fail the other one was so good it has put me in the notion of having
a nother box. Tell George to put me in a poke of groun peas mother I want you to send me some plan
thread and a good big needle in the box. I understand Mr. Canady is coming out heare be fore
long. Milton Hill sends his best respects to you and Mother. You will have to excuse bad righting for
this is the meanest pen I ever saw. So I will have to close it is geting dark so nothing more only rite
soon
William Elliott
Y o u r
For many years, I have
wondered what treasures
were in the FTHA storage
trailer located under a
beautiful California Oak tree
by the State Parks buildings
above Fort Tejon. On
Saturday, November 22nd, I
was joined by board members
Larry Kelsey, Dee Bosley and
John Billinger to clean out
and organize the FTHA trailer.
b o a r d
m e m b e r s
i n
into the trailer. After pulling out
years of clutter, we inventoried
the usable items. Then gave
the interior a good cleaning
getting rid of multiple bird
nests and rodent damaged
items.
BEFORE
The trailer is now ready to be
repaired and used to store
items the Tea Party,
Invitational and Ghost Walk
tours.
To my dismay, we found that Check out the before and after
a small area in the top
pictures taken by Larry Kelsey.
section of the trailer had been
-L. Bosley
damaged allowing birds and
other critters to find their way
a c t i o n
AFTER
V o l u m e
3 ,
I ss u e
1 2
P a g e
Ladies Corner
Relaxing Tea Blend
This blend will help you relax after a
long day.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup dried spearmint
- 1 cup dried lemon balm
- 1/4 cup dried lemon grass
- 1/2 cup dried catnip
- 3/4 cup dried chamomile flowers
- 2 tbs. dried lavender flowers
Combine the herbs and store in an
air tight container in a dark cool
location. Make tea using 2 teaspoons of herb blend for each cup.
Navy Bean Soup
Soak the beans overnight or for at
least 8-12 hours before beginning
the recipe. Cook in cast iron for
better flavor and an authentic
re-enactment.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (8 oz) dried navy beans
- 5 cups water
- 1/2 pound salt pork or slab bacon
- 2 large carrots or 1 cup chopped
- 1 large onion or 3/4 Cup chopped
- 1 large potato, unpeeled, but cut
into 1/2 inch pieces

1 tsp. salt- 1/2 tsp. pepper
Wash the beans in a colander and
pick out and discard any discolored
ones or pieces of dirt. Place the
beans in a large stock pot or Dutch
oven covered with water at least 2
inches above the beans and allow to
soak overnight. Drain the beans.
Add 5 cups water, salt pork, carrots
and onions to the beans.
Stir the mixture. Bring to a boil,
cover, reduce the heat to a simmer
and simmer the beans at least 45
minutes or until the beans are
tender. Add the chopped potatoes
salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
Cover and cook about 15 more
minutes or until the potatoes are fork
tender.
Confederate Shortbread
Wheat flour was quite scarce in the
South during the Civil War so
soldiers baked bread from available
ingredients such as white cornmeal.
Try to find white cornmeal to make
this a bit more authentically
Confederate. Although this recipe
uses baking powder to make the
cornbread fluffier, Confederate
soldiers did not have baking powder.
Ingredients:
- 1 TB butter
- 2 cups white cornmeal (not selfrising)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup oil
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease
the 9" square baking pan with the
butter. Combine the cornmeal,
baking powder, and salt in a large
bowl. In a small bowl whip the eggs
with a fork and combine with the
milk and oil. Stirring only until all the
dry ingredients are wet, add the wet
ingredients to the dry ingredients
and then pour the batter into the
prepared baking pan. Bake 20-25
minutes or until the top is lightly
browned.
Life in a Love
BY ROBERT BROWNING
Escape me?
Never—
Beloved!
While I am I, and you are you,
So long as the world contains us both,
Me the loving and you the
loth,
While the one eludes, must the
other pursue.
My life is a fault at last, I fear:
It seems too much like a fate,
indeed!
Though I do my best I shall
scarce succeed.
But what if I fail of my purpose
here?
It is but to keep the nerves at
strain,
To dry one's eyes and laugh at a
fall,
And, baffled, get up and begin
again,—
So the chase takes up one's life,
that's all.
While, look but once from your
farthest bound
At me so deep in the dust and
dark,
No sooner the old hope goes to ground
Than a new one, straight to the self-same mark,
I shape me—
Ever
Removed!
3
FORTTEJON.ORG
F O R T
T E J O N
H I S T O R I C A L
A S S O C I A T I O N
FTHA
P.O. Box 630586
Simi Valley, CA 93063



Acknowledgements
Ladies Corner and Civil War Letter - Karina
Mooradian
FTHA Trailer photos—Larry Kelsey
State Park flyer—John Clagett
Adjutant’s Journal
Kind Readers,
At the end of the year, I like to take stock of my experiences for the
year and ask myself - “What could I do better next year?” One item on
my To Do List is to promote service to the FTHA to our membership.
Over the last six years that I have served on the board of directors
and worked as an active FTHA member, I have seen the decline of
FTHA members willing to step forward and serve for a year or more on
the board of directors. The majority of members I have spoken to
express their gratitude to me and other board members and state that
we are doing a good job. That really warms my heart but speaking for
myself, there comes a time when new blood is needed on the board.
Board members can get burned out wearing the many hats that make
the FTHA a successful organization.
Enjoy your holiday with family and friends. Please give some
thought to coming to a few board meetings in 2015 and possibly
running for a board seat at the end of the year. We also welcome
members who would like to work on a
committee for our annual events.
Your humble servant,
Linda Bosley—[email protected]
Bits and pieces
FORT TEJON PARK STAFF
There are some new and old
faces around Fort Tejon
recently. The FTHA would like to
welcome our new onsite ranger,
Jack Gorman. Jack comes to us
from Mendocino. Jack and his
family are excited to be back in
the local area close to family in
Bakersfield.
Welcome back to Sean Malis,
State Park Interpreter I. Sean
has recently returned from
military duty in Hawaii with his
family. Both Sean and Jack
attended the December FTHA
board meeting to review the
2015 fort calendar and discuss
goals for the upcoming year.
Finally, congratulations to Kathy
Weatherman, our sector superintendent who was promoted to run the
newly formed San Andreas District.
Kathy will continue her duties for
the Tehachapi district until her
replacement is chosen.
and regulations packet will be
completed by early March 2015 to
meet the needs of current FTHA
CWP events, dissolve current
command structure and create a
new command structure for 2015
CWP events by January 15, 2015.
CIVIL WAR PROGRAM CHANGES
A committee was formed during the
summer at to review current CWP
rules and regulations in addition to
command structure changes.
Committee members are John Billinger, Bob Zaricor and Larry Kelsey.
The committee reported to the FTHA
board in September and October
their recommendations.
An updated Civil War Program rules
NEW AJ EDITOR
Please contact Linda Bosley if you
are interested in becoming the
2015 AJ—FTHA newsletter editor.
Assistance will be provided to get
the new editor up and running.
Linda can be reached at
[email protected]..