Wreck of the Sea Venture
1609
Samuel Jordan was evidently the first Jordan to settle in English America. Some reports say that Samuel was born in Lyme Regis, Dorsetshire, England, and his birth year is given as 1575 or 1578. Samuel was on the ship Sea Venture that shipwrecked off Bermuda in July 1609. The survivors constructed two ships, and eventually they continued on to Jamestown, arriving in May 1610. Within a few years, Samuel established a plantation at a place that he called “JORDAN’S JOURNEY”, located on the south side of the James River more than thirty miles upstream from Jamestown (near the present town of Hopewell and at a point where the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge now crosses the river). The early settlers were dependent on water transport, and they settled up and down the banks of the James River much as an ancient Greek writer described his fellow countrymen settling around the Aegean, “like frogs around a pond.”
Thomas Jordan, believed to be a son of Samuel, came to the colony in the year 1623 (the year of Samuel’s death). Genetic Y-DNA tests done by my son Stuart show that we are related to Thomas, but it appears that we are not direct descendants. Based on further DNA analysis and other evidence, my son now believes our ancestor was a cousin of Samuel and Thomas who came to Virginia some years after the original Jamestown settlement. Nevertheless, I have appropriated the name “Jordans-Journey” for this Blog.
My name is Edwin Saunders Jordan, and I go by the nickname Sandy. I was born on August 30, 1929, in Greensboro, North Carolina. I attended the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and attained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in in history there. I had intended to teach, but following military service in Korea I went to work for the Federal government. I was employed by the National Security Agency for almost 40 years, retiring in 1994. I married the lovely Ann Laura McGuire in December 1951, and we were the proud parents of five sons. Now there are grandchildren and great-grandchildren. My dear wife died in April 2015.
I launched this blog in July 2018. The primary purpose was to provide a series of memories for my family. I had done some of this before in a booklet of family vignettes, but I thought it would be good to keep up with the times and record my ruminations in the form of a blog. I expanded the scope to include articles on history, current events, spiritual subjects, etc. I also opened it to the general public wishing that I might afford some entertainment and information to a wider audience. I hope to continue posting as long as possible, though the pace may slow.
The posts are in date order, with the latest post first. The following index will direct you to previous posts. After each title a code appears.
(A) = Personal or Autobiographical, (C) = Cultural or Societal Observations,
(E) = Current Event, (G) = Family, (F) Humorous Anecdote, (H) = History,
(M) Miscellany, (P) = Political, (S) = Spiritual or Religious.
Political Comments are from a conservative point of view. Spiritual perspectives are those of a Christian Evangelical.
INDEX TO CONTENTS OF JORDANS-JOURNEY
ALPHABETICAL
ABOUT THIS AND THAT (A) 09/02/2018
AIRLINE SERVICE, 1958 STYLE (F) 08/11/2018
ALINSKY AND THE REPUBLICANS (C) (P) 08/20/2019
AMERICAN, AN (M) 04/11/2019
AMERICAN FOOTBALL (M) 09/07/2019
ARROGANCE AND LOVE (M) 05/21/2019
ATHEISTS VS THE CROSS (E) 11/27/2018
AU REVOIR, MY FRIEND (S) 02/09/2019
BATAAN DEATH MARCH, THE (H) 04/09/2019
BEACH, THE (A) (H) 10/22/2019
BEACHCOMBING (G) 01/11/2019
BELOVED BROTHER, A (F) 11/02/2019
BEYOND OURSELVES (S) 01/18/2019
BIAS (P) (C) 09/29/2019
BIG PICTURE, THE (S) (M) 09/05/2019
BIRTHDAY REFLECTIONS (A) 08/30/2019
BLIND SIDE, THE (C) 01/25/2019
BLOOD IN THE BRIEFING ROOM (E) 11/18/2018
BLOODIEST DAY, THE (H) 08/22/2019
BLOOMBERG (P) 11/09/2019
BREAKTHROUGH (C) (S) 04/28/2019
BRING BACK THE WHIGS (P) 08/21/2018
BUTTIGIEG VS PENCE (C) (E) (P) 04/23/2019
CAMPING MEMORIES (F) 08/01/2018
CANAL DRIVE (A) 11/15/2019
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT (C) 10/16/2018
CAUTIONARY TALE, A (C) 08/28/2018
CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS (S) 12/10/2018
CIVIL DISCOURSE (C) 10/02/2018
CLASSES AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY (A) 02/04/2019
COMING HOME (S) 11/20/2018
CONFORMITY (C) 11/03/2018
CONGRESSIONAL PSYCHOSES (E) 01/20/2019
CONSPIRACIES (H) (C) 06/26/2019
COURT AND THE CROSS, THE (E) 02/28/2019
D-DAY, THE SIXTH OF JUNE (H) 06/05/2019
DANISH SEX DYNAMO, THE (F) 02/22/2019
DEATH ALONG THE FROZEN CHOSIN: THE KOREAN WAR (H) 07/25/2018
DEATH OF REASON, THE (E) 09/21/2018
DEMOCRACY (P) 05/28/2019
DERANGED LEFT, THE (P) 08/08/2019
DNA TESTING (G) 05/04/2019
DONKEYS AND ELEPHANTS (P) 07/13/2018
DROPPING THE ATOMIC BOMB (H) 07/23/2019
END OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT?, THE (C) 03/15/2019
ENERGY (C) 12/01/2018
EVANGELICAL’S DILEMMA, AN (P) 03/21/2019
EVOLUTION REVISITED (S) 10/01/2019
EXPEDIENCY AND HONOR (C) 12/23/2018
EXTRAORDINARY LIFE, AN (H) 11/30/2019
FACE OF SALEM, THE (E) 10/17/2018
FAITH ALIVE (S) 04/20/2019
FAITH OF OUR FATHERS (S) 11/27/2019
FAKE NEWS (C) 11/17/2018
FAMILY LOVE (A) 10/19/2019
FINAL THOUGHTS (E) 10/09/2018
FIVE BOTTOMLESS PITS (F) 03/26/2019
FOG ON THE MOUNTAIN (A) 09/13/2019
FOLLOW-UP TO “IMPEACH HIM” (P) 10/12/2019
FREE TRADE (E) 08/13/2018
GARBLED COMMUNICATIONS (F) 03/20/2019
GEORGE H. W. BUSH AND WILLIE HORTON (H) 12/04/2018
GET OUT OF HERE! (F) 07/20/2019
GIFT FOR THE KING, A (S) 07/19/2018
GLOBALISM (H) (C) 08/13/2019
GOD BLESS AMERICA! (H) 03/30/2019
GOOD THOUGHTS AND BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES (S) 12/22/2018
GRADE TOO FAR, A (F) 08/07/2018
GREAT WAR BEGINS, THE (H) 07/27/2019
GROWING FAMILY, A (A) 02/02/.2019
GUNS, GUNS, GUNS (E) (P) 08/17/2019
HEALING (A) 03/07/2019
HEROES AND MEDALS (H) 11/13/2018
HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE (A) 01/19/2019
HITLER AND NAPOLEON (H) 08/05/2019
HOLIER THAN THOU? (S) 07/17/2019
HORATIO AT THE BRIDGE (F) 08/19/2018
HOW I GOT MY NAME (F) 02/14/2019
IMPASSE, THE (E) 01/09/2019
IMPEACH HIM (P) 10/11/2019
IMPORTANT POST (C) 01/16/2019
IN DEFENSE OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH (S) 09/25/2018
IN FLANDERS FIELDS (H) 11/09/2018
IN THE ARMY NOW (A) 01/26/2019
IN THE BEGINNING (S) 03/02/2019
IS THE CONSTITUTION CONSTITUTIONAL? (C) 07/18/2018
IN THE NAME OF GOD (C) 04/18/2019
JORDAN FAMILY ROOTS (G) 01/03/2019
JOY TO THE WORLD (S) 12/18/2018
JUSTICE ON TRIAL (P) 08/10/2019
KEVIN’S BLANKET (F) 07/13/2019
KU KLUX KLAN MEETS THE INDIANS, THE (F) 07/21/2018
LAST JAR, THE (G) 04/30/2019
LECTOR’S NOTE, A (S) 03/08/2019
LEST WE FORGET (S) 07/13/2018
LGBT ISSUES (C) 11/06/2018
LIBERAL AGENDA AND A CONSERVATIVE’S RESPONSE, A (P) (H) 06/24/2019
LOOKING AT THE CLOUDS (F) 07/30/2019
LOVING YOU (A) (S) 11/06/2019
MAGGIE’S DRAWERS (F) 07/27/2018
MAGRUDER PARK (F) 02/07/2019
MARBLES AND RUBBER GUNS; SANDLOT AND STRAND (A) 08/26/2018
MASTER RACE, THE (C) (H) 08/27/2019
MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE, A (A) 04/06/2019
MERRY CHRISTMAS (S) 12/25/2018
MIRACLES (S) 03/12/2019
MISSING KEYS, THE (S) 07/31/2018
MORALITY AND THE NATIONAL INTEREST (C) 10/23/2018
MORE ON FREE TRADE AND THE TRADE DEFICIT (E) 08/29/2018
MOVING TO THE BEACH (A) 01/08/2019
MY DIVERSE FAMILY (G) 04/13/2019
MY INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET (A) 03/16/2019
MYSTERY OF SEX, THE (C) 10/15/2019
NAME CALLING OR SOLUTION SEEKING (C) 09/24/2019
NEW YEAR’S BLESSING, A (S) 12/29/2018
NFL PROTESTS (E) 08/31/2018
NOTES FROM A LECTOR (F) 03/08/2019
OFF TO DEUTSCHLAND (A) 02/19/2019
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS (C) 10/20/2018
OH, WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE (P) 10/05/2019
ONLY YESTERDAY (H) (G) 04/02/2019
OPPOSITION, THE (P) 11/20/2019
ORIGIN OF LIFE, THE (S) 09/10/2019
PANTIE RAIDS (F) 08/05/2018
PATHS OF GLORY (H) 07/11/2019
PERFECT MAN, THE (E) 09/22/2018
POINT OF VIEW (C) 06/01/2019
POLITICAL WARS AND THE MEDIA (C) 09/06/2018
POSTS ON FAMILY (G) 12/31/2018
PRAYER FOR HEALING (S) 03/09/2019
PROSPECTS (S) 03/18/2019
QUID EST VERITAS? (S) 09/29/2018
RACE AND RACISM (C) (H) 07/20/2018
REAL WAR, THE (C) (P) (S) 10/29/2019
REFORMATION (H) 10/30/2018
REMEMBER LIDICE (H) 06/08/2019
REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR (H) 12/07/2018
REMEMBRANCE (A) 09/10/2018
RESCUE STATION, THE (S) 07/17/2018
RIGHTEOUS MIND, THE (C) (P) 06/14/2019
RIVES FAMILY ROOTS (G) 01/06/2019
ROOTS (C) 08/24/2019
SAGA OF THE HOOD (H) 04/24/2019
SEXUAL VIOLENCE: A SAD STATISTIC (C) 09/21/2019
SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (A) 01/29/2019
SHROUD OF TURIN. THE (S) 06/28/2019
SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI (S) 07/13/2018
SILENT SAM (E) (H) 12/03/2019
SONG OF ROLAND, THE (H) 05/07/2019
SOUTHERN YANKEE, A (F) 07/23/2018
SPOTTED HORSE LANE (F) 02/16/2019
STANDARDS (F) 10/06/2018
SUNRISE (A) 10/23/2019
SURPRISE PACKAGE, A (F) 08/15/2018
TAXES, DEFICITS, AND DEBT (C) 01/14/2019
TELL ME TRUE (P) 10/26/2019
TERRIBLE THIRST FOR ORANGEADES, A (A) 01/22/2019
THANK YOU, PEOPLE OF AMERICA (S) 08/24/2018
THANKSGIVING (H) (S) 11/28/2019
THEMISTOCLES, HERO OF SALAMIS (H) 05/18/2019
TITANIC, THE (H) 04/15/2019
TOO TOUGH FOR TIGERS (A) 02/19/2019
TOUCH OF THE MASTER’S HAND (S) 10/13/2018
TRANSFORMATION OF THE DEMOCRATIC (H) 09/04/2018
AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES
TRIBUTE TO FAMILY, A (G) 06/11/2019
TRICK OR TREAT (F) 10/27/2018
TRUMP: AN EVALUATION (P) 11/18/2019
TWELVE YEARS TILL WORLD’S END (E) 03/05/2019
TWO PROGRESSIVE THINKERS, A CRITIQUE (C) 09/17/2019
unHAPPY PLANTATION, THE (H) 05/14/2019
UNWINNABLE WARS (H) 09/19/2018
VERY PLEASANT PLACE, A (A) 08/09/2018
VIETNAM AND WATERGATE (H) 07/29/2019
VOTE (C) 08/17/2018
WAR AND MADNESS (H) 07/12/2018
WAR OF THE WORLDS (H) 10/20/2019
WATERGATE (H) (P) 06/22/2019
WATERLOO (H) 06/18/2019
WHAT ABOUT TRUMP? (P) 11/24/2018
WHEN HELL FROZE OVER (H) 10/08/2019
WHERE HAVE THE HEROES GONE? (C) 08/13/2018
WHO IS THE BIGOT? (C) 02/26/2019
WHOM THE GODS WOULD DESTROY (P) 09/28/2019
WINDS CAME, THE (A) 09/13/2018
WITHOUT A VISION (S) 08/22/2018
WITHOUT EXCUSE (S) 07/14/2018
ZIMMERMAN TELEGRAM, THE (H) 05/11/2019
Wow
I love your blog site, Dad!
JJ
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