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NOTES - To the Far Blue Mountains
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Beau's Notes:

In black text you will see Dad’s hand written notes where he set down some of the ideas for "To The Far Blue Mountains." Please note, these notes do not exactly reflect the story that he finally wrote, they are ideas that he either developed or discarded before or during the actual creation of the novel.

"To the Far Blue Mountains" is the second book in the Sackett series. It tells the story of Barnabas Sackett's return to the Americas, his establishing a trading station, founding a family, and his continuing troubles with Nick Bartle and his cohorts.

NOTES ON THE SACKETT NOVEL
"TO THE FAR BLUE MOUNTAINS":
{Beau's comments on these notes are in brackets and BLUE }

Decision to move - New Orleans? Finds bodies in cave.
{I have no idea what this means except perhaps LL was thinking of some of the ideas that finally appeared in Jubal Sackett. Jubal does find some ancient bodies in a cave, a kind of passage grave like affair along the banks of the great river. I suspect that LL had read an account of something like this and decided to put it in the book.}

Another son - Abi & daughter & baby. (or to Canada?)
{LL has an idea that Barnabas's wife will move away with two of their childeren. Here, he thinks to Canada, but in the finished version they go back to England.}

Boys grow - one a long hunter - spies on colonies - visits Mass - believed an Indian - Perhaps Maine?

Each son stakes a claim in some area. They come to help in Indian out-breaks

{LL writes a rough draft of the ending}:

Four sons come {to their} Mother in New Orleans.

She sees them - knows. "He is dead, then?"

He died alone, fighting,
An Indian looks down and pronounces his epitaph.
And says "If there are many such, they will win."

{Another Indian Brave speaks up} "But we have beaten them at last!"

Beaten? Such men are never beaten. I should have brought him a wife. Such a father! And my blood?

"Their blood and ours? Ah, what warriors they would be!"

"We shall miss him? Who is there now to test our young men?"

Check all known facts of Roanoke colony - {Barnabas} makes effort to contact - avoids craft {I think "craft" means ships or a particular ship} - Finds his ship in trouble
{The Roanoke Colony was an early settlement that mysteriously disappeared}

Establishes post on water.
Trades - amicable relations {with the Indians}
Touch on Indian history or area. Rumors of Previous white men.

Much Indian history here
Desc{ription} of land, sea coast
(Get Pilot!) {he means the Pilot Book for navigators ... a reference text for vessels}

{If caught by the English} He will be arrested
Taken home to be hung. {This refers to some trouble that Barnabas has gotten into back in Britain. To get the whole story read Sackett's Land and To the Far Blue Mountains.}

A son is born - They go Mts. - Check place {he means check into the topography of the place where they go ... a place where they eventually settle} - They move - Do not pin down area too well - {tell} much of surrounding areas - check maps - Sequatchie? Madison? {these are the areas that he is thinking of using}

March to west - Miss{issippi} -
He meets others? French?
Check dates. {He finally got around to these ideas in Jubal Sackett}

A son is born - fight with Indians at time.

A daughter - first regrets by Abigail {meaning Abigail, Barnabas's wife, regrets living in the wilderness}

One son has faithless wife - He goes west - is seen no more. {an early idea for Jubal Sackett}

Barnabas returns to Carolina. Decides after a brief stay to go up river. Perhaps he has had contact with Roanoke Colony. They disappear and he decides to go to mountains. They go -- {I think this means that LL will try to explain what happened to them but doesn't know what he's going to say yet.}

He has son by this time. They live in mts, avoid contact, trap, hunt a little, then move to new area.

Barnabas' son finds breast-plate of a Spanish soldier, a coat of mail of another. Attacked by Indians, a second son is born, ancestor of Clinch Mt. Sacketts. {Things don't quite work out this way. The armour scene was saved for Jubal Sackett.}

They trade, hear rumors of other white men. Plan to go to coast. Bring in someone from Jolly Jack crew.

One of Sackett sons goes to Ohio, to Mississippi - {Again, this is Jubal Sackett}

**** End of Louis' Notes on To The Far Blue Mountains ****

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NOTES - To the Far Blue Mountains - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES - To the Far Blue Mountains
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