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May 31

At 12:40pm on July 24, 2008, Darrin Dickey said…: Very cool! Thanks for sharing.

At 10:50am on July 22, 2008, James Devine said…: My parents are from Letterkenny, County Donnegal, Ireland. My father had me learn the pipes as a teenager (although I loved history since I was 7 or so, I did not make a historical connection to the pipes since I was ordered to play them against my wishes [my ice hockey team used to tease me about wearing a skirt until I liberated some blood from one of them!}).
I ended up playing for about ten years competitively. We even played in Ireland's national competition in 1992. I stopped playing with the pipe band after college (graduating with my historical degree of course!), married and had kids.
I play now for myself, and bring them on vacation (to the historical sites that I drag the wife and kids to!). I try to play in out of the way corners, so that it isn't offensive to other visitors or lacking in respect of those that died there. But it really makes me feel like I connect with the moment. As my kids got older I was able to read more and fell in love with the 42 reg. Black Watch which fought in the French & Indian War as well as in the American Revolution. I can remember feeling like such an idiot that I did not appreciate their historical context! Anyways, just a little back ground on the the significance of the pipes and me!

At 8:18am on July 9, 2008, Darrin Dickey said…: James,

Welcome to Passport to History and thanks for sharing. I really like the photos you added. I haven't been to Fort Ti, but I'd like to go some time. I'm still amazed that Colonel Knox was able to drag those artillery pieces back from the fort to the Continental Army. Nearly 60 artillery pieces over rivers and lakes and in the snow. I have a great deal of respect for Knox for that and other reasons.