This piece is exceptional. The parallel structure between Robertson's overland route and Donelson's ice-locked flotila really amplifies the isolation each group felt. That detail about turkeys freezing on the roost and just falling, bodies thudding, is the kind of sensory anchro that makes history feel immediate. I grew up hearing these Nashville founding stories but never grasped how precarious the whole thing was until reading accounts like this.
This piece is exceptional. The parallel structure between Robertson's overland route and Donelson's ice-locked flotila really amplifies the isolation each group felt. That detail about turkeys freezing on the roost and just falling, bodies thudding, is the kind of sensory anchro that makes history feel immediate. I grew up hearing these Nashville founding stories but never grasped how precarious the whole thing was until reading accounts like this.
I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. I’m still newish to this writing business, so I’m grateful for detailed feedback like this.
Powerful imagery of a Christmas that feels like a world away, but yet is not all that far removed from us in the grand scheme of history.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
And a Merry Christmas to you and yours.
This is one of your best.
Merry Christmas!
Thank you.