GDG- Re: Gettysburg Digest, Vol 28, Issue 1

[Basecat1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/1/2006 1:04:02 PM Eastern Standard Time,  
gettysburg-request at arthes.com writes:

All  fascinating.  CWTI had an article, years back, on the various  
pronunciations of names.  Was it not Mencken who said (words to the  effect) 
that he could tell where a person was from within a few (20?)  miles after 
they had spoken a few sentences?  That was all before  TV.  I remember 
reading on this group that Armistead was pronounced  Umstead.  I thought that 
strange at the time.  Then, a few  months ago, I read a genealogical notice 
on the Armisteads in the  VMH&B and sure enough, the family name was spelled 
Umstead (a variant)  in colonial times.

Curt Johnson




The name I have fun with is Taliaferro.  As you  all know it is pronounced 
Tolliver.  Have had fun at battlefields where he  fought, and bring up that 
another part of the family spelled the last name  Tolliver, but pronounced it 
Taliaferro. :)  You'd be surprised how  many have fallen for that one. :)
 
Regards from the Garden State,
 
Steve Basic