Ancestor: Jacob S(c)hell
Descendant: Kevin S.
History is more than just people, places, events, and dates when it involves family. American history is filled with immigrants escaping adversity and fighting recurring adversity to protect themselves and their family.
Much of this adversity involves fighting and surviving wars, with experiences so harrowing and gruesome they cannot be forgotten and cannot be shared with others. I gave little thought to the gruesomeness of the Civil War until I learned about the major battles my GGGrandfather Jacob S(c)hell experienced and survived, such as Shiloh and other Tennessee campaign battles.
Because surviving soldiers tend to not want to think about or recount their experiences, this has caused me to explore and watch YouTube documentaries about these Civil War battles and try to sense what soldiers experienced. My heart and thanks go out to those people who step forward to protect us from and save us in adversity.