First Bull Run Bull Run 1861 And A Missing Piece Of A Story, Help Please?

JPK Huson 1863

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Location
Central Pennsylvania
huson bull run mcclean house.jpg

The McClean House, Beauregard's HQ at Bull Run 1861. Civilian prisoners claimed as political prisoners were brought here before being sent on to Liggon's Prison, Richmond. The Henry House, Stone House, Sudley Church, Grigsby House and a few others remain well known at least in name. Does anyone know where was a residence call ' Mr. Floglus's house ', please?

I've posted previously about the first brother JPK's family lost in the war. Eldest brother Calvin was a politician practicing law in Rochester, NY but in Washington at the time of Bull Run 1861. He'd been staff of Seward's and recently appointed to go sort things out in Costa Rica. New York troops were quartered in Caspari's, across from the Capitol and he was, too- his brother ran the public house at the time, my grgrgrandfather.

Four New York men hired a carriage and went to the battlefield that day, two didn't come back, one forever. They'd gone there to confer with New York troops, not carrying those famous picnic baskets. Congressman Alfred Ely was one of two men in that carriage captured in the midst of Bull Run's shambles and confusion. The other was Calvin. Both were taken to Beauregard, both sent on to Richmond and Liggon's prison. Accounts of both men are different, Clavin, b 1818 and a trifle unfit to escape thought himself safe taking refuge in the home of someone named ' Floglus ', according to newspapers. Here's where we have a question- who was ' Mr. Floglus ' and which house was it? The name has to be wrong, at least the spelling because it seems not to have existed. There's a family from NY with a similar name and two of that name briefly noted as having died in Virginia but we just canNOT find the house.

Great article from August, 1861 on the civilians captured late July 1861.
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Jolly, good natured soul. Love it.


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This is he. Great grandmother kept this around. User icon is his sister, can't you tell?


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That whole family was still funny another generation or so later. You should meet my mother.


Anyone reading this will understand why it'd be great to know. Because we want to know. Calvin's story ends in October. While in Liggons he contracted typhoid and yet more history took a hand. Elizabeth Van Lew visited Union prisoners at Liggons. noticed the older gentleman dying at the time of typhoid, talked the commandant around and took him home to the Van Lew mansion where he seemed to recover. A sudden relapse apparently killed him the day after being declared out of danger. He's unmarked in the Van Lew plot and the family never brought him home. Ely claimed he and other prisoners pooled money for his burial and achieved it but yep, cemetery records find him in the Van Lew plot at Shocktoe.

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We're lucky in the ease with which he can be traced, knowing where he is and how he got there. A reporter visited Liggons to report on the civilians there and wrote a wonderful piece on how they kept themselves entertained. Described as ' fat and funny ', you can see why he made the fatal decision to seek refuge after the battle instead of trekking back to Washington. He was also born in 1818, had 5 children and led anything but an active life.

Back to that darn house. Please does anyone have any idea which it may be, or a guess? Not far from the battlefield, it's all we have. As far as any middle aged, fat and funny man wearing shoes not intended for walking could get on a hot, July day.
 
Annie, the Albany Evening Journal, clearly makes the name to be "Flagler (3rd from last paragraph)." Sounds more reasonable than "Floglus."
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1860 Census, Fairfax County, Va.:
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Note that the family was from New York: perhaps an old neighbor(?) No other Flaglers in Fairfax Co.
Albert was held for a time as a civilian prisoner in the notorious "Tobacco Warehouse," but "Honorably released Dec. 20, 1861."
The 1914 obituary of Catherine (#34) says she passed away "at Flagler Farm Near Centreville.' (so the site was still known by the name a century ago -- should be easy to locate).

I also find this curious snippet from the Fayette Carolina Observer:
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"Expectation... of being made Governor of Virginia"!!! "It is stated" ... by whom, I wonder.

EDIT: Also just found the Journal of Alfred Ely, kept while a prisoner in Richmond. He has much detail about Calvin Huson's final weeks, and definitely identifies the man in question as Albert Flagler.
 
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Just a short bit from Alfred Ely's journal, referenced above, about Calvin Huson's captivity (sounds like he had quite a jolly time, for a little while!):

(July 28):
About eleven o'clock A. M., who should arrive at the prisoners' quarters, to my great surprise, but Calvin Huson, Jr., Esq., of Rochester. My instant inquiry of him was- "Are you a prisoner of war?" when he bowed an affirmative answer. He related to me, immediately, the facts attending his arrest, and they were as follows:​
Mr. Huson was in my carriage when I left it on the 21st in company with D. D. S. Brown, and it appears that soon after my departure, Mr. Brown started on his way to reach his own carriage, with a view of starting homewards. My own driver, alarmed at this circumstance or some other, insisted upon going also, saying that he did not intend to remain there alone. Mr. Huson urged him not to drive away without me, and offering to stay with him, they remained nearly half an hour, until a company of rebel cavalry appeared, when the driver started on with his carriage, and Mr. Huson made his way into the neighboring fields. In a state of exhaustion he finally reached the farm-house of Mr. Albert Flagler, with whom he tarried until Tuesday morning, when he was arrested by the rebel pickets.​
Mr. Huson was brought from Manassas to Richmond as a prisoner of war, and accompanied on his way by the Hon. J. A. Orr, member of the "Confederate" Congress, from Mississippi, and brother of the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, who, on their arrival, invited Mr. Huson to go with him to the best hotel in the city, to remain overnight, which he did. That evening and the following morning he was introduced to a large number of gentlemen, members of the rebel Congress, and others occupying prominent positions in the said Congress, by all of whom he was treated with courtesy and consideration. On Saturday morning, lest he might embarrass his friends, Mr. Huson insisted upon being taken to the Federal prison, and therefore came with several distinguished persons as an escort, among whom were Judge Jenkins, from Louisiana, Judge Harris, of Mississippi, Hon. Mr. Boyce, of South Carolina, Mr. J. A. Orr, from Mississippi, Mr. Spratt, editor of the Charleston Mercury, and Mr. Defontaine, editor of the Charleston Courier. The most of these gentlemen were introduced to me, and after a short conversation they took their departure. (pp.37-39)​
There is much more.
 
Back to that darn house. Please does anyone have any idea which it may be, or a guess?
Took me a while but I finally found the Albert Flagler property on the 1860 Land ownership map of Fairfax County. Too bad this wasn't a CWT trivia question.:D:dance: :D

Using the corrected name provided by @John Hartwell above, I searched an online map divided into tiny squares, showing who owned what land in 1860. I searched tons of those little squares until I was cross eyed. Finally....your guy Flagler's 499 acres is in block 53-4 and 54-3, with the small top piece in block 53-2. You can find all three blocks in the bottom left of the county on this interactive map of 1860 property owners https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/history-commission/1860-fairfax-county-maps
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The map shows 1860 land owners, over current street map - luckily the interstate seems to just miss it. Looks like this is roughly the location on google maps.
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Hopefully, with this info you can find out if the Flagler house is still standing. With all the development around it, you may have to call the courthouse and ask them if they have other maps that might show generally where on the property the house stood. Good luck and let me know if I can help in any way.
 
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Took me a while but I finally found the Albert Flagler property on the 1860 Land ownership map of Fairfax County. Too bad this wasn't a CWT trivia question.:D:dance: :D

Using the corrected name provided by @John Hartwell above, I searched an online map divided into tiny squares, showing who owned what land in 1860. I searched tons of those little squares until I was cross eyed. Finally....your guy Flagler's 499 acres is in block 53-4 and 54-3, with the small top piece in block 53-2. You can find all three blocks in the bottom left of the county on this interactive map of 1860 property owners https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/history-commission/1860-fairfax-county-maps
View attachment 311453
The map shows 1860 land owners, over current street map - luckily the interstate seems to just miss it. Looks like this is roughly the location on google maps.
View attachment 311452
Hopefully, with this info you can find our if the Flagler house is still standing. With all the development around it, you may have to call the courthouse and ask them if they have other maps that might show generally where on the property the house stood. Good luck and let me know if I can help in any way.
How cool is that! Looks like over half is subdivided but maybe the original house site is still undisturbed.
 
Holy heck, thanks so much for alllll the amazing research. @lelliott19 , no way! This place is amazing. Decades old mystery-poof- cleared up. I know how much effort that took and it's like waking up Christmas morning to find a present as a result. @John Hartwell THAT'S THE NAME, thank you! The newspaper clipping over the promised governorship is erroneous though-he'd just run for Congress, was packing his bags for Costa Rica ( a cousin has his commission signed by Lincoln ) and was firmly settled in Rochester, a politician and lawyer whose father was entrenched in NY politics too. Grgrgrandfather was named William Henry for a reason- another brother ( 120th NY ) was Lewis Cass Huson and JPK's name includes Knox and Polk. It's the usual snark, this ' promise ' thing.

Poor Ely was somehow blamed for getting Calvin killed although no idea how that worked. Ran into a few things from Rochester ( whose ACW section at the library is staffed by the most helpful professionals you'll ever encounter ). Pretty grateful for his journal and Elizabeth Van Lew's diary or we wouldn't know as much as we do.
 
How cool is that! Looks like over half is subdivided but maybe the original house site is still undisturbed.


Right? For all the development there's just nothing like Virginia for also having preserved old houses, gee whiz. Here in PA we have areas where they're common although where we live they tend to go poof. I drive by an original log home 5 times a week and it's awful- door hanging open, gaping windows and foundation rotten. It's next to an ancient mill, same condition. Wish we'd fund more preservation because when this stuff is gone, that's all she wrote.
 
@JPK Huson 1863 I found another clue as to the location of the Flagler house on the property.

There's this marker that says the cemetery is 40 ft south of the marker.
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https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=15004

The star marks the approximate location of the cemetery and my guess is the house wouldn't have been too far away.
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Took me a while but I finally found the Albert Flagler property on the 1860 Land ownership map of Fairfax County. Too bad this wasn't a CWT trivia question.:D:dance: :D

Using the corrected name provided by @John Hartwell above, I searched an online map divided into tiny squares, showing who owned what land in 1860. I searched tons of those little squares until I was cross eyed. Finally....your guy Flagler's 499 acres is in block 53-4 and 54-3, with the small top piece in block 53-2. You can find all three blocks in the bottom left of the county on this interactive map of 1860 property owners https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/history-commission/1860-fairfax-county-maps
View attachment 311453
The map shows 1860 land owners, over current street map - luckily the interstate seems to just miss it. Looks like this is roughly the location on google maps.
View attachment 311452
Hopefully, with this info you can find out if the Flagler house is still standing. With all the development around it, you may have to call the courthouse and ask them if they have other maps that might show generally where on the property the house stood. Good luck and let me know if I can help in any way.
US 29 is the Warrenton TPK which leads to the Stone Bridge over Bull Run a couple of miles SW. The Flagler property is bounded by Cub Run on the west side and Big Rocky Run on the east and US 29/Warrenton TPK on the south. The subdivisions are on a ridge that runs through the middle of it. Centreville is just to the east of the farm

There are some period maps online but don’t denote the location of the Flagler house. However, I found this period drawing from my book, Images from the Storm, showing the retreat of the Federals to Centerville. The caption says it is the view from Cub Run. I believe that is the Turnpike because of its width and the bridge over the Run. If so, you are looking at the Flagler land to the left of it. There are several houses along the road, one may be the Flagler’s!

Older map (rotated counterclockwise 60 degrees) showing Turnpike crossing Cub Run and smaller Big Rocky Run west of Centerville
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USGS topo map (also rotated) showing US 39 (TPK) crossing Cub Run then modern subdivisions on Flagler property, then I 66 and into Centreville.

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Period watercolor sketch showing TPK, I think, crossing Cub Run and leading to Centerville. If so, Flagler property left of road in foreground.

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Fantastic @RobertP I especially like the painting! I wonder if one of the houses along the turnpike might be the Flagler house?

@JPK Huson 1863 you may already have some of this information, but just in case you dont.....

According to the index to Fairfax county deeds, Flagler purchased the property in 1854 from Albert G., Susan, and/or Virginia Gaines, probably after the death of Albert. Eppa Hunton is listed as Commissioner for the sale. Hunton was CS Brigadier General - originally Col of the 8th VA Infantry (at Gburg: Garnetts brigade, Pickett's Division, Longstreet's corps.) Hunton was wounded there and promoted to BG for gallantry during Pickett's charge. He was captured with 7 other general officers and what was left of his brigade at Sailors Creek on April 6, 1865 and ended out the war as a prisoner so was not present at Appomattox.
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https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/circuit/sites/circuit/files/assets/documents/pdf/hrc/deed-book-index-1742-1866-f-k.pdf

It looks like Albert Flagler was arrested and held some time, probably for aiding Calvin Huson. Flagler was "honorably released" December 20, 1861. Also this source includes the date of Calvin's death and the people who attended his funeral. Unfortunately, Albert Flagler was not able to attend the funeral since he was still being held as a prisoner.
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https://books.google.com/books?id=wLVXAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA175&lpg=PA175&dq=Flagler+house+Centreville+Virginia&source=bl&ots=zjBLws9eZD&sig=ACfU3U3_rxo8jmDRZHIcsoBx-rwnK7YSew&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiX6bPizOLiAhVtleAKHRPuC4E4MhDoATAAegQICBAB#v=onepage&q=Flagler%20house%20Centreville%20Virginia&f=false
 
@RobertP NO WAY!! Thank you! This whole thread is giving me the chills- been walking through this story all my life, never been able to fill in these blanks. The whole war was just so close to Mom's generation. Calvin, JPK and the other brothers were family members whose death was still spoken of, how the war shattered a family still apparent. Brother who was waiting for all of them in D.C. was never the same, grgrgrandfather. Seeing this stuff makes it yesterday again. Seeing that house even as a sketch on a map? Like I said, chills.

@lelliot, NO I never found that!! Another huge thank you! Somewhere was a mention of what happened to the guy harboring Calvin ( may have been a family letter? ), not his name much less the funeral. This is crazy cool stuff. We had a good idea the Husons knew some Richmond residents pre-war. You know what political families are like, people rubbing elbows in D.C. make connections all over the country. There were quite a few Husons on Confederate muster rolls, too, cousins who'd moved.Never been able to ascertain if they'd known the Van Lews previously.

Rats. Have around 20 things to do today and have a feeling tracking down Miss Carrington, Lieut. Clark and Rev. Mines will usurp all of them.
 
@RobertP NO WAY!! Thank you! This whole thread is giving me the chills- been walking through this story all my life, never been able to fill in these blanks. The whole war was just so close to Mom's generation. Calvin, JPK and the other brothers were family members whose death was still spoken of, how the war shattered a family still apparent. Brother who was waiting for all of them in D.C. was never the same, grgrgrandfather. Seeing this stuff makes it yesterday again. Seeing that house even as a sketch on a map? Like I said, chills.

@lelliot, NO I never found that!! Another huge thank you! Somewhere was a mention of what happened to the guy harboring Calvin ( may have been a family letter? ), not his name much less the funeral. This is crazy cool stuff. We had a good idea the Husons knew some Richmond residents pre-war. You know what political families are like, people rubbing elbows in D.C. make connections all over the country. There were quite a few Husons on Confederate muster rolls, too, cousins who'd moved.Never been able to ascertain if they'd known the Van Lews previously.

Rats. Have around 20 things to do today and have a feeling tracking down Miss Carrington, Lieut. Clark and Rev. Mines will usurp all of them.
I do love maps so this has been a pleasure. Do remember that the sketches were done in real time, this one in Aug 1862 showing the retreat after 2nd Bull Run. The Federals retreated on the same turnpike in both battles, but there was much more panic and confusion after the 1st Bull Run when Calvin was captured. Robt. Sneeden’s pencil sketches were converted to watercolors by him at the end of the war.
 
Have around 20 things to do today and have a feeling tracking down Miss Carrington, Lieut. Clark and Rev. Mines will usurp all of them.
So glad @Gladys Hodge Sherrer bumped this thread!
Annie, I was wondering if you were ever able to track down any of those folks mentioned as attending Huson's funeral? Here's a hopeful hint on the Rev John W Mines
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Prison-life in the Tobacco Warehouse at Richmond, William C. Harris, page 162.

And a couple of newspaper articles that mention Huson
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The Des Arc Weekly Citizen. (DesArc, AR), October 23, 1861, page 3.

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Evening Star. (Washington, DC), October 21, 1861, page 2.
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The Local News. (Alexandria, VA), October 21, 1861, page 1.
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Centre Democrat.(Bellefonte, PA), October 24, 1861, page 3.
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The National Republican. (Washington, D.C.), October 21, 1861, page 2.
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The Burlington Weekly Hawk-eye.(Burlington, IA), October 26, 1861, page 3.
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New Orleans Daily Crescent. (New Orleans, LA), October 21, 1861, Morning, page 1.
 
As an aside to the previous posts, I recently read "Fighting For the Confederacy - The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander". In the book, Alexander describes how he came upon the capture of Congressman Ely.

"As I came upon the head of the rear regiment I saw a very fine looking sergeant major come out of the woods on the left with a small man in citizen's dress and take him before the Colonel at the head of the regiment. This turned out to be Col. Cash, who in later years became very notorious not only in So. Ca. but all over the country...."

"At the time the colonel was a tall, stalwart fellow, apparently 35 or 40, red headed, red faced, light greyed eye, strong featured and, as I approached him that afternoon, his face was as angry looking as a storm cloud, and he had drawn his revolver and was trying to shoot the little citizen who was dodging behind the big sergeant major as Cash turned his horse about and tried to get at him, poking at him with the pistol and swearing with the fluency which would have been credible to a wagon master. "You infernal s. of a b.! You came to see the fun did you? G_d **** your dirty soul I'll show you, " and he spurred his horse to get around the sergeant major."


"What's the matter Colonel," said I." "What are you trying to shoot that man for?" "He's a member of Congress, G_d **** him," said the Colonel. Come out here to see the fun! Came to see us whipped and killed! G_d **** him. I'll show him." "But Colonel," I said, "you must never shoot an unarmed man."

"Turn him over to the provost guard," he said to the sergeant major and hunt the woods for Senator Foster. He is hiding here somewhere. Go and find him, and G_d ****, if you bring him in alive I'll cut your ears off."

"To finish up with the prisoner, on my way back from delivery of my message I overtook the provost guard with some 20 prisoners, among them the member of Congress. I made him walk by my horse while I questioned him. He was a Mr. Ely from western New York and had come out with quite a little party of Congressmen and others in carriages to see the fun... He recognized me as the one who had saved him from Colonel Cash and asked me, "What sort of a man is Col. Cash sir?" "Well," I said, "you keep out of his way, or he would as soon cut your ears off as not."
 
Looks like your Rev Mines who attended the funeral of Calvin Huson was the Chaplain of the 2nd Maine. Im guessing the middle initial is just a transcription error.
Chaplain Mines remained with 25 wounded Mainers left behind as the 2nd Maine vanished past the Robinson House. Confederates captured him; imprisoned in Richmond, he later wrote in a letter to a Bangor friend, “Tell Mr. Deane, the father of Wm. Deane … who fell in the battle of the 21st, that his son died like a hero. His father may weep bitterly for his loss – but let him thank God for his glorious death.” Read the whole story here https://maineatwar.bangordailynews....ry-charges-onto-henry-house-hill-at-manassas/

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The Portland Daily Press. (Portland, ME), June 24, 1862, page 1.

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The Portland Daily Press., March 22, 1865, page 2.

And my best guess for Lieutenant William H Clark is that he was a member of the 4th Maine.
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Richmond Prisons 1861-1862: Compiled from the Original Records Kept by the Confederate Government; Journals Kept by Union Prisoners of War, Together with the Name, Rank, Company, Regiment and State of the Four Thousand who Were Confined There, William Hartley Jeffrey, Republican Press, 1893, page 10.
https://books.google.com/books?id=NzlAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=chaplain+Mines+%222nd+Maine%22&source=bl&ots=FcW1PCTXpi&sig=ACfU3U3xNDvsvtn0IzQa_0bOCBFENP1PMA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq6uLI7MbjAhXBmOAKHY0eDsAQ6AEwAnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Clark&f=false
EDIT TO ADD: That seems to be all I have for you. Im sorry but Im having no luck in locating Miss Eliza Carrington.
 
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Whoa, more? Thank you! It's funny, Calvin died at the Van Lew mansion but newspapers at the time generally didn't print that. I'm not sure how much of Ely's information to believe- according to him he took up a collection for the burial for instance but Van Lew buried him in the family plot- he's still there, without a headstone. If Elizabeth Van Lew hadn't been kind to a political prisoner she wouldn't have had to be buried upright herself.

No, I've never gotten around to the bios of fellow prisoners, thanks so much!! Bull Run woke us up to what war was and it was almost shocking after all the patriotic posturing, flag waving and rush to arms understanding men died.

@Gladys Hodge Sherrer , if I ever did get around to writing anything seriously, it'd be this or an account of all the brothers in the war. And a shattered family that never recovered. Like a lot of families, the war blew this one apart. My great great grandfather was never the same. He'd been given the job of mantaining a kind of family/ New York base in DC. Beginning with his eldest brother never coming back to Caspari's that day, he just became quieter and quieter. I've never taken one family so seriously I think it interesting enough to document. They just seem to tell the story of so many of us between 1861 and 1865.

"What's the matter Colonel," said I." "What are you trying to shoot that man for?" "He's a member of Congress, G_d **** him," said the Colonel. Come out here to see the fun! Came to see us whipped and killed! G_d **** him. I'll show him." "But Colonel," I said, "you must never shoot an unarmed man."

You do have some sympathy for the impulse to eradicate politicians. Unarmed my foot. Politicians are always cocked and loaded. You know how everyone has skeletons in the genetic closet? Ours were politicians but don't tell anyone.
 
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