My grandfather Walker, Papa, had, to my recollection, four mules. Three of them were named Molly, Dixie and Kate. I can’t remember the fourth mule’s name, but I do remember that “our” favorite mule was the old, slow dependable yellow mule named Kate.
I’m getting to it. Relatively recently, I bought a 1994 Ford pickup with about 180,000 miles on it. And, given what I am wont to do, I thought it should be named. After all, the white pickup I traded in to get the 1994 one was named Casper. Get it? White, Casper, “The Friendly Ghost.”
The new old 1994 pickup is blue. Actually, it’s kinda aqua or turquoise, but, for “naming reasons,” we, Janice and I, decided it was blue. Couple the color with what we hope is old, slow dependable, we decided to name this pickup Blue Kate. We traded Casper for Blue Kate and I believe Blue Kate functions better because she has a name! Blue Kate now has more pride.
I like to name things. I put a great deal of thought into naming things. For example, some of our dogs have had names like Governor, Tux (solid black except for a white patch under her neck and between her front legs), Beau Winkle (although he acted more like a Bo Winkle), Cloie (she came off Clopine Lake Road) and Hershey (half chocolate Lab and half Golden Retriever). You get the picture.
I’ve named lots of corporations and limited liability companies that I, as a lawyer, have formed for clients. And, some for myself. Elsee, LLC is one I did for Ray Goff. Lotsa’ Moxey, LLC is for two other clients. An old one, now defunct, was JanCelia for Janice Walker and Celia Daniel. Then there are Strategic Union, Alpha Strategies, Walkers’ SoHo Farm, Check Mates and Hookin’ Bull Properties. Not to brag, but some of these are pretty good – and, some are not as good.
Actually, I’m about half through with this column, and I haven’t revealed my inspiration for it. I got the idea as I was looking at my book, Gettysburg, which Dink NeSmith gave me last October. What inspired me were some of the names of the Civil War Generals, and also the names of some of the battles which I got from another book, Civil War Battlefields, that Lois and Clark Fain gave Janice and me.
First, Union Generals’ names: Adelbert Ames, Brigadier General; Abner Doubleday, Major General; Winfield Scott Hancock, Major General; Henry Hunt, Brigadier General; Henry Slocumb, Major General; Gouverneur Warren, Major General; and, Horatio Wright, Major General.
Next, Confederate General’s names, which, I think, are even more interesting: Lewis Armistead, Brigadier General; Jubal Early, Major General; John Brown Gordon, Brigadier General; Ambrose Powell (A.P.) Hill, Lieutenant General; Joseph Kershaw, Brigadier General; Fitzhugh Lee, Brigadier General; William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, Brigadier General; Lafayette McLaws, Major General; Carnot Posey, Brigadier General; James Ewell Brown (Jeb) Stuart, Major General; Issac Trimble, Major General; and, Cadmus Wilcox, Brigadier General.
Of all the Generals’ names, I think I like Ambrose Powell (A.P.) Hill best, and it gives me an opportunity to tell this story: Both Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee spoke of Ambrose Powell Hill on their death beds. Jackson said, “Order A.P. Hill to prepare for action,” and Lee, although it is a matter of some dispute commanded, “Tell Hill he must come up!”
Then, there are the battlefields’ names and here are some of my favorites: Antietam, Appomattox, Bethel Church, First and Second Bull Run which the Confederates called First and Second Manassas, Cedar Mountain, Chancellorsville, Chickamauga, Cold Harbor, Ebenezer Church, Fair Oaks, Harpers Ferry, Kennesaw Mountain, Missionary Ridge (also Chattanooga), Peachtree Creek, Pumpkinvine Creek, Resaca, Ringgold Gap Seven Pines, Shiloh, Sportsylvania, Vicksburg, Gettysburg and The Wilderness.
It’s a curious article that is about Blue Kate, Tux, A.P. Hill and Manassas, but I hope it shows that names are important and, in many instances, long remembered. Also, it’s interesting as to how many names have Biblical origins and how parents seem to be going back to the old, solid names in naming their children – think Henry, Thomas, William, Elijah, Isaac, etc. At least, I hope so. And, I hope Blue Kate will be better appreciated because of her name and will last with dependability at least as long as Casper did.
