I have two unrelated questions that I hope someone can help me with.
First, I discovered a website for the National Parks Service that I have
been trying to access without success.  The address is www.itd.nps.gov
(after all the h... stuff in front of course) and the specific file I
want to get into is cwss which is their roster of African American Civil
War soldiers.  When I add the file name to the address, I am told that it
could not be loaded, and when I left it off and tried to access the more
general address, I got a big loud FORBIDDEN message and was told I did not
have permission to access that server.  I nursed my hurt feelings for a
minute and kept trying other avenues to determine how I could gain entrance
to this forbidden zone without success.  Any NPS people out there that can
help?  I really would like to be able to download the names of the members
of the 5th Colored Cavalry since I have quite a number of names of members
from the Central Kentucky, particularly my home county of Bourbon.  I am
gathering data for an exhibit on African American Civil War soldiers from
Bourbon County to be shown at the Hopewell Museum in Paris, Ky.
 
2nd question.  I received an inquiry from a man who enclosed an pendant that
he was trying to identify.  It was supposed to have been found in Estill
County, Kentucky (that is in the mountains).  It is a circular brass or copper
piece, 1.25 inches in diameter, with what appear to be pressed symbols on
each face.  It is difficult to describe but one face has what looks like
a Mesoamerican male with a feather headress and pyramids in the background.
Beneath the face is what appears to be a water symbol.  The other side has
(I am not kidding here) a full figure of a sort of squatty male with no neck
and wearing leggings and a sort of Viking like helmet with two horns.  Actually
it is more like a beanie with horns.  This character is surrounded by all
sorts of symbols.  He may also have a beard.  As soon as everyone stops
laughing, I would appreciate any information on what might have prompted
the production of this item.  I have run across various commemorative objects
like little jewelry boxes with a molded image of Columbus landing in the New
World, but I must admit, this one is odd.  It appears to be machine made.
 
One more item, while I am on a roll here.  The Hopewell Museum, mentioned
above, and the W.S. Webb Museum of Anthropology here at UK, are holding a
one day conference on Kentucky made historic ceramics at the Hopewell.
The date is Saturday, March 8; registration is $20 in advance (this
includes lunch), and the speakers will be talking about redware, stoneware,
and refined earthenware potteries as well as bringing examples.  If anyone
is interested in more information, please contact me privately.
 
Many thanks in advance for any help.  Nancy O'Malley