March 17.

1776. British forces leave Boston after the Continental Army places cannons on Dorchester Heights. To this day, Boston celebrates "Evacuation Day" as a city holiday. The fact that it falls on St. Patrick's Day and that the city has been run by Irishment for 150 years or so is merely coincidental....

1845. The rubber band is patented.

March 18.

1241. In the Battle of Chmielnik, Mongol forces invading Poland rout the armies of the Polish provinces of Krakow and Sandomierz. At the battle, the Mongols use a very typical tactic of theirs -- after engaging in an initial, up front assault, and seeing that the Polish forces would not be immediately overwhelmed, the Mongols feign retreat. While pursuing, the fleeing Mongols turn and fight while hidden reinforcements assault the Polish flanks. Strung out as a result of their having chased the Mongols, surprised by the sudden appearance of reinforements, and hit on multiple flanks, the Polish army is annihilated. Within a week, locals abandon Krakow, one of the largest and wealthiest cities in Poland, which is sacked by the Mongols.

1314. Jacques de Molay, the 23rd and last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, is burned at the stake for supposed heresy. The fact that the supposed heresy of the Knights Templars were obtained by torture at the behest of the King of France, who was deeply indebted to the order, is no doubt merely coincidental. The annihilation of the Knights Templar effectively relieves the King of France of his debts.

1893. Former Governor General Lord Stanley promises to donate a silver cup to the best amateur hockey team in Canada.

1968. The Congress removes the requirement for gold to back US currency.

1974. Most OPEC nations end a 5 month oil embargo against the US, Europe and Japan.

1990. In the largest art theft in US history, 12 priceless paintings (but estimated at a value of $300 million) are stolen from the Isabella Stewart GArdner Museum in Boston. Worse, it turns out that the museum, lacking funds, did not insure against theft. To this date, the case remains unsolved.

2005. Terry Schiavo's feeding tube is removed at her husband's request.

March 18, 1845. Margaret Lynn Pennymeyer becomes the first person ever hit with a flying rubber band.

Something's missing.

Shut it. :bang:

ROFL

:D:banghead:

You mean something besides the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum paintings?

:p

It's really very sad. The Gardner Museum is a local treasure. Some of the paintings they lost are magnificant.

Rembrandt's "Christ in a Storm in the Sea of Galilee"

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/...-Galil-002.jpg

Ohmigod. I just raised my bid for that to $12 on propertyroom.com.

March 19

1279. A complete rout of numerically superior Song Dynasty forces by the Mongolian forces of Kublai Khan in the naval Battle of Yamen results in the end of the dynasty, and the consolidation of power by the Mongols under the new Yuan Dynasty, which would rule China for the next hundred years.

1918. Congress establishes time zones and daylight savings time.

1945. Adolf Hitler issues a decree that nearly everything of military or economic value in Germany be destroyed by retreating German troops. Reichminster of Armaments Albert Speer undertakes, successfully, to thwart the plan.

1966. An all-black starting 5 for Texas Western (later renamed UTEP) beats notorious racist Adolph Rupp's all-white starting 5 Kentucky team to win the NCAA men's college basketball championship. It is the first time an all black team wins the championship.

March 20.

1602. The Dutch East India Company is established. It was the first true corporation in the world -- the first to issue stock, and the first to be a multinational corporation. It was also arguably the world's first megacorporation, establishing colonies, coining money and entering into treaties. It was also immensely profitable for its owners, and paid an 18% dividend for nearly 200 years.

1616. Sir Walter Raleigh, having been imprisoned almost immediately after the death of Queen Elizabeth I on charges of treason, is released from prison after 13 years.

1848. The revolutions of 1848 in GErmany gain steam with the abdication of King Ludwig I of Bavaria.

1852. Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes Uncle Tom's Cabin or Life Among the Lowly. An abolitionist, the book is an instant sensation, selling over 300,000 copies in the first year. It becomes the best-selling novel, and second best-selling book (after the Bible of course) of the entire 1800s. The book depicts the story of a slave, and profoundly affected attitudes regarding slavery in the United States and abroad, and increases sectional tensions. When he met her years later, President Lincoln is famously reported as having said "so this is the little lady that started this big war."

In one of those inexplicable perversities of history, the hero of the book is later transmogrified by popular culture, especially African-Americans, into some kind of boot licking, fawning slave, which was not the case, as exemplified by the fact that Tom is killed by his sadistic owner, Simon Legree, for refusing to help him recapture some escaped slaves.

The impact of the book was immediate. The South vilified Stowe, sending her threatening letters (including a package with a slave's ear enclosed). Comically and predictably, Southern writers began writing novels in response -- "Anti-Tom's Cabin Novels". In response to these criticisms, Stowe wrote "A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin", which was an even more direct assault upon slavery, and also an instant best seller.

The impact of the book in England was also profound, and credit must be given to Stowe for helping to keep England out of the Civil War. The book has been translated into pretty much every language known to man.

1916. Albert Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity.

1942. General MacArthur, in Terowie, South Australia, makes a famous speech about his retreat, stating "I came out of Bataan, and I shall return." A request from the Department of Defense to change his statement to "we shall return" goes ignored.

2003. In the early hours of the morning, the forces of the United States and three allied countries enter Iraq and begin the 2003 invasion of htat country.

March 21

1800. Pius VII is crowned Pope in Venice. Due to an odd dispute with France and Napoleon I, which effectively controlled Italy at that point in time, he is crowned with a papier mache tiara.

1871. Otto von Bismarck is appointed Chancellor of the German Empire. Having overseen the unification of Germany, Bismarck goes on to a highly successful career as the "Iron Chancellor".

1963. Alcatraz prison closes.

1970. Vinko Bogataj, a Slovenian ski jumper, wipes out in a big way while participating in a ski jump in Germany. ABC's Wide World of Sports features the tremendous wipeout -- which only resulted in a minor concussion -- for many years when the opening announce teh "the agony of defeat." Although ABC changes what is shown during the "thrill of victory" part of the credits -- usually showing a recent championship moment -- Bogataj's wipeout is the consistent image for the "agony of defeat". Having retired to a quiet backwater, Bogataj is amazed to learn that he has become soemthing of a legend in America when he is invited to join a 30th anniversary Wide World of Sports reunion.

If we assume the dividend was paid for 190 years, a person who invested a penny (one cent) in the stock in 1602 and reinvested dividends would have had stock worth $454,550,000,000 by 1792. Apparently my ancestors spent their penny on ale.

But I know what you're thinking. Why would they have continued to reinvest year after year? It's not a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket. Plus, who would be worth $400 billion and not use some of that money for spending?

So let's say that the person started taking half of the gains each year for living expenses, doing so one they were able to take a dividend of one penny. And then once their principal reached one dollar, let's assume that they put half of the money into a conservative money market paying a strong 5 percent, and rebalanced each year.

If they did that, it'd be a huge mistake. Instead of $454 billion, the descendent in 1792 would have had only $88,608 in principal. They would've been living pretty good, though, getting an income of $3,119 in 1792.

Now, let's assume that a nice living was $500 per year and they topped out their benefits at $1,000 per year, increasing it thereafter at 5 percent per year to keep a comfortable standard of living. If they only took out that amount, they'd have a principal of $148,231 in 1792.

Bottom line is, diversification doesn't pay off when you're pulling money out of an 18 percent annual investment.

March 22.

Nothing very exciting for today, so I'll go with one I've had planned for some time now.


1206.

On a day lost to history in the spring of the year 1206, the People of the Felt Walls (as they called themselves) gathered for a kurultai -- a political meeting -- at which they would acknowledge the overlordship of a new leader. Approaching nearly 40 years of age, the person to whom the People of the Felt Walls came to pay homage had completely transformed their society during the short years of his life.

For generations uncounted the nomadic peoples had been bound together in loose confederations of tribal organization. The tribes were constantly at each other's throats. They fought over the same things such tribes have always fought across history -- food, land and -- somewhat unusually -- women. In this particular culture, the kidnapping of women was a common occurrence for gaining a wife, and often spawned lengthy, bitter rivalries.

Temujin's ascension, however, had changed absolutely everything. Whereas in the past the tribes had formed, broken and reformed loose alliances and competed with each other, Temujin had risen from almost nowhere to gain control of a tribe, and then gain and KEEP allies in other tribes by treating them fairly, rewarding merit over blood or tribal ties, and repeatedly establishing his tactical and strategic brilliance on the field of battle.

For the field of battle was where the People of the Felt Walls lived from the time they could first ride their shaggy horses. Men were constantly at war, with each other and with their immediate neighbors. The entire society knew nothing but grinding harship and harsh conditions.

Temujin himself was the son of a woman who had been kidnapped. His own wife, Borte, had been kidnapped and later recovered. The timing of the birth of his eldest son, however, would forever leave in doubt his true parentage. As a result, in addition to the many other changes he wrought, one of the most significant was to raise the status of women and forbid their kidnapping among the tribes under his control.

By 1206, Temujin had effectively united the tribes under his control. They gathered to pay him homage and acknowledge his lordship. Until now, none except their immediate neighbors had ever paid any attention to this nomadic group of insignificant and poverty-stricken horsemen. Usually they only paid attention when they were raided, or when they wanted to hire them to raid someone else.

Temujin's ascension, however, would change everything, for instead of being at each other's throats, these men of war would operate under one standard and bring their brand of war, their brilliance, their cunning, their sheer ruthlesness, across known civilization.

And Temujin -- the leader of a people of whom nobody had ever heard before, would bring both his people and himself to the attention of the entire world, and put abject fear into their hearts. Temujin would go down in history and become a legend, though he was not known for his name, but rather his title. King of Kings, Khan of Khans, the Genghis Khan.

And the world would never be the same.

It is quite literally impossible to overstate the stunning successes, and their impact on history, of Genghis Khan.

"In 25 years the Mongol army subjugated more lands and more people than the Romans had conquered in 400 years. Genghis Khan, together with his sons and grandsons, conquered the most densely populated civilizations of the thirteenth century. Whether measured by the total number of of people defeated, the sum of the countries annexed or by the total area occupied, Genghis Khan conquered more than twice as much as any other man in history. . . . At its zenith, the Mongol empire covered between 11 and 12 million contiguous square miles, an area about the size of the African continent, and considerably larger than North America, including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America and the islands of the Caribbean combined. . . The majority of people today live in countries conquered by teh Mongols; on the modern map, Genghis Khan's conquests include more than 30 countries with well over 3 billion people. The most astonishing aspect of this achievement is that the entire Mongol tribe under him numbered around a million."

The impact of the three generations of Mongol rampage across Asia and into Europe was tremendous. Prior to his conquests, "No one in China had heard of Europe, and no one in Europe had heard of China, and, so far as is known, no person had made the journey from one to the other." By the time of his death, and thereafter, the trade and diplomatic connections fostered by the Mongols in the territories under their control would never be broken.

The Mongols' achievements were both incredible and unspeakable. They destroyed the Hasashins of Islam, who had held tremendous control over Muslims and were feared by all. The modern word "assassin" comes from this fanatical sect. Whereas repeated Crusades by all of Christian Europe struggled to do much more than carve out small islands in the Holy Lands, the Mongols swept through Islam like a flaming scythe through dry wheat, including -- under Genghis Khan's grandson-- capturing and razing to the ground its capital, Baghdad. In doing so, they accomplished in a mere two years what European Crusaders and the Seljuk Turks had failed to do in 200 years of sustained effort.

The tactics by which the Mongols achieved their success was not -- as commonly and mistakenly believed -- by dint of overwhelming numbers. The "Mongol hordes" is by and large a fantasy. Often they were outnumbered. Rather, their troops were tremendously mobile and hardy, and they understood and applied the concepts of what would, seven centures later, be referred to as blitzkrieg warfare. On their sturdy horses, they were fantastically mobile, and employed many strategems to outwit, demoralize and destroy their enemies.

They were also extremely well organized, into groups of 10, 100, 1,000 and armies of 10,000 -- called Tumen. Their troops were never paid except by the bounty and spoils of war, and would subsist on very little food.

Genghis' heirs would carry the war into Europe, nearly 4,000 miles away from their Mongolian steppe homelands. After conquering Russia, the Mongols went on to crush several Polish/Slavish efforts to thwart their advance, and were knocking on teh doors of Vienna, Austria, when fate intervened to save Europe. The then great Khan, an heir to Genghis, had died. The Mongol leaders must return to their homeland for a new Kurultai to elect a new Great Khan. "Had Ogedey [the recently deceased Khan] lived a little longer, the Mongol empire almost certainly would have reached the shores of the Atlantic."

"At a distance of more than seven centuries", wrote historian John Joseph Saunders, "the historian is still struck with wonder at this extraordinary campaign. Whether one considers the geographical scope of teh fighting, which embraced the greater part of eastern Europe, the planning and coordination of movement of so many army corps, the clockwork precision whereby the enemy was surrounded, defeated and pursued, the brilliant manner in which problems of supply were solved, or the skill with which the Asian armies were handled in unfamiliar European terrain, one cannot fail to admit that the Mongol leaders were masters of the art of war such as the world scarely saw before or have seen since."

And yet, the Mongols were more than just nomadic archers. They brilliantly incorporated Chinese engineers and other skills artisans to assist in their military campaigns, adn became masters of siege warfare.

Last, but not least, their sheer brutality cannot go unmentioned. While numbers across the great span of history are often exaggerated and unreliable, and while in this case it was teh losers, and not the victors, who wrote the history books, there is absolutely no doubt that the Mongols were vicious and unforgiving. Cities that submitted were often spared and indeed, treated very leniently. Cities that did not were, however, put to the sword. Artisans set to one side and the rest of the population killed, and the city often razed. To war with the Mongols was to suffer the worst of all possible fates.

And yet, for those subjugated subsequent to the conquest, Mongol administration had a light touch. Perhaps first in the world, Genghis commanded by law freedom of religion throughout his domain and granted diplomatic immunity to all, even enemies, who sought to negotiate. The elimination of petty territories and barriers to trade helped spawn a new era of increased global trade. The lands of the Mongols were also extremely safe. Whereas before highwaymen and bandits were rampant, the Mongols severely suppressed these activities, and travel in Mongol territory was considered to be quite safe.

And all of this came about as the result of the anointment of a new man to lead them one day in the spring of 1206 on the grassy, windswept rolling steppes of Mongolia. A man who started the Mongols on a path of nothing but victory and success for three generations. Genghis Khan.

The Mongol conquests

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...pire_map_2.gif

The Mongols are underrecognized by the average person, I think.

I agree but I think it might be because that sometimes it's hard to figure out what derivative of dog breeds comprise they're bloodlines. :doh!:

Very much so, at least here in the Western world. It's a reflection of our heavy western/Europe oriented bias.

The events of the day are on temporary hiatus while I stay on the current topic for a bit longer. Those interested in the historical aspects of warfare might find this interesting. Those who do not can click elsewhere. :D

Reviewing the map a few posts up in this thread will show that over the space of three generations the Mongols effectively conquered a very significant portion of the entire known world. The concept of the "Mongol Horde" accomplishing this suggests that it was accomplished by overwhelming numbers. While that was sometimes true, especially when the Mongols conducted siege operations using slaves and captured prisoners as cannon fodder, for the most part it was accomplished via the EXACT SAME methods that armies throughout history have won wars -- superior training, organization, weaponry and tactics.

TRAINING

The entire Mongol race (actually, it's several races, but we'll ignore that for this purpose), trained constantly for war by virtue of the society in which they lived. Much like American Indians, learning how to use their bow and ride a horse started practically as soon as the boys could walk. Women, also, learned how to use a bow, so crucial for survival and defense on the steppe.

ORGANIZATION

The Mongol armies were rigorously organized. Each man was a member of a 10 man group, one of whom was a commander. This group was part of a 100 person group, which in turn was part of a 1,000 man group, which was part of a tumen, or army fo 10,000 men. The tumen reported directly to the commander of the entire army, which was usually a Khan.

Keep in mind that we are talking about the 1200's here. In Europe, armies consisted of knights and others with oaths to fulfill, as well as the ragtag rabble that the lords had managed to cobble together, if any, in support. The concept of a true table of organization was utterly foreign.

WEAPONRY

Much has been made throughout history of the English Longbow, which almost without question was the best pre-gunpowder weapon to come out of Europe. Without question, however, it paled in comparison to the Mongolian composite bow, which is likely to be the best pre-gunpowder weapon in the history of the world.

The Mongolian bow was superior in every way. It was both shorter, enabling it for use on horseback, easier to repair and far more powerful.

http://www.coldsiberia.org/monbow.htm

The Mongols also understood hte concept of using different arrows for different jobs. Heavier, harder arrowheads were used to pierce armor, while other arrow lengths and heads were used for incendiaries or normal archery. Finally, whistling arrows could be used to send different signals.

Mongolian composite bow:

http://www.coldsiberia.org/monbow.ht...no_string1.jpg

http://www.coldsiberia.org/monbow.htg/bow_w_string.jpg

http://www.coldsiberia.org/monbow.htg/bow_shoot.jpg

English longbow:

http://www.nzap.co.nz/prod_photos/tr...l/longbows.jpg


In addition, as the Mongolians captured other peoples, their technologies were incorporated into their arts of warfare. Over time, the Mongolian armies managed to perfect the art of siege warfare as well as battles on the open plains.


TACTICS

Finally, the Mongolians were brilliant tacticians. Long before the birth of Heinz Guderian or any of the other adherents to blitzkrieg style warfare, the Mongolians understood that superior mobility and hitting their enemies from unexpected quarters would go a long way towards offsetting any disadvantages they might have. It was extremely common to attack opponents on multiple fronts. Less disciplined armies would quickly crack under such assaults.

Feigned flight was a frequent and highly successful tactic. Practically born in the saddle, the Mongolians were superior horsemen, capable of shooting with deadly accuracy and range while on horseback. If a battle was not proceeding as hoped, the Mongols would turn and flee. No odd notions of "chivalry" to thwart them. While fleeing, they could turn and shoot behind them at their pursuers, reigning death. Often, additional forces, sometimes and entire tumen, would be waiting at a designated concealed location and while the strung out pursuers were hot on the heels of the fleeing Mongolians, the fresh concealed troops would thrust into their flanks or rear, and the fleeing Mongolians would instantly turn and return to the fight.

They were, without doubt, absolute masters of every facet of war.

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Did you see the Mythbusters where they discussed arrowheads?

No, what did they say.

The arrowhead thing I got off a website. I've never read that in an actual history book.

I'm curious too. Please tell us an interesting story about arrowheads, Sully. :)

They basically did testing on whether arrowheads of different types were any more effricient or deadly than just a sharpened arrow shaft.

Turns out arrowheads are worthless. The sharpened shafts did just as much or more damage than the arrows with arrowheads on the tip.

Really? Did they experiment with different target materials too, to see if arrowheads helped to penetrate things like armor?

Yes.

i'm no expert, but i think one advantage of the arrowhead on the shaft was it would do more damage when trying to pull the arrow out of your body, or it could remain in the body when the shaft was pulled out.
sec

That may be true.

Interesting. Too bad the Mongols didn't have mythbusters to help them be a bit more efficient.

seen it on an episode of gunsmoke.:thumb:
sec

On this day in 1961, the Gunsmoke episode, Big Man, originally aired. To protect Kitty, Matt was forced to physically (and publicly) subdue fractious troublemaker Pat Swarner. When Swarner was subsequently found murdered, oft-inebriated Jud Sloan's claim that the Marshal was the killer seemed uncomfortably credible. This probably wasn't the episode with the arrowhead in it.

might have been bonanza...
sec

LOL, it could have been, but since there were a zillion other episodes of Gunsmoke you might have been right the first time. I was just posting about a "this day in history" episode that didn't really have anything to do with the arrowhead issue. :)

The arrowhead thing is interesting. I would've also thought that an arrowhead would be helpful in keeping an arrow on course if it wasn't perfectly linear or had a messed-up feather in the back.

Yeah, I would think that, as well.
But they did accuracy testing, and there was no difference.

Those cavemen and Indians sure wasted a lot of labor.


Hey, wait a minute. An pointed arrow shaft would make a hole the size of a dime or something. An arrowhead would make a big rip beyond the dime-sized hole. It seems like that might be a difference.

Hey, look, I'm way behind. Sorry. If any of you are dissatisfied, I offer a full refund... :p

March 23.

1801 Tsar Paul I of Russia is murdered in his own bedroom by a group of dissident senior officers. They roust his son, Alexander, now Tsar Alexander I, all of 23 years of ago, and tell him "Time to grow up! Go and rule!"

1857. Elisha Otis's first elevator becomes operational at 488 Broadway, New York City.

1889. President Benjamin Harrison signs legislation to open the state of Oklahoma to white settlement. Over two million acres are available, on a first come, first staked-out basis (no more than 160 acres, and they had to settle the land and improve it to gain title). The land will be available at high noon on April 22. A few people illegally enter the land early and stake their claims before the proper time, and come to be known as "Sooners", leading to hundreds of legal disputes.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Land_Rush.jpg

1919. Benito Mussolini founds his fascist movement in Milan, Italy.

1933. The German Reichstag passes the Enabling Act, effectively appointing Hitler dictator of Germany.

1956. Pakistan becomes the first Islamic republic.

March 24.

1401. One of the most fascinating, controversial and complex conquerors in all of history -- Temur (sometimes Timur), better known in the west by the bastardized name of Tamerlane, conquers the ancient and extremely wealthy city of Damascus. After the city peacefully surrenders, all seems well, but a surprising and sudden uprising of local inhabitants leads to the complete sack, looting, raping and pillaging of the city. Tens of thousands of citizens are massacred, and as usual for Temur -- his "signature" if you will -- the decapitated heads are piled up in a pyramid shape. To this day the field where teh heads were piled, now in the northeast corner of the city, is called burj al-ru'us -- "the tower of heads".

Regrettably, during the sack the city goes up in flames, and one fo the oldest and most impressive mosques in Islamdom is lost, the original Umayyad Mosque.

As a result, Temur, who styled himself the Sword of Islam, is declared an enemy of Islam. Indeed, one of the more fascinating aspects of his career is that most of his conquests were of fellow Muslims, leaving him with a very mixed record in the eyes of Islamic historians. There is no questioning his prowess, however -- no one other than Genghis Khan had such success in Asian warfare, and Temur never lost a battle.

1944. 76 Allied prisoners begin breaking out of the German prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III. The events are memorialized in the movie The Great Escape.

1989. The Exxon Valdez runs aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling 240,000 barrels (10.8 million gallons) of petroleum into the sensitive ecological habitat. The oil eventually covered 11,000 square miles of ocean. Despite its seemingly impressive size and the fame of the incident, it is only the 53rd largest spill on record. The ship's captain, Joseph Hazelwood, was accused of being drunk at the time of the accident. He ends up being exonerated of all felony charges against him, and is only convicted of the misdemeanor charge of negligent discharge of oil, fined $50,000, and sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service.

March 25.

Wow, light day.

1807. The British Slave Trade Act becomes law, banning the trading fo slaves within the British Empire.

1821. The Greek uprising against their Ottoman rulers begins the Great War of Independence. It ends successfully, the first successful effort to throw off the Ottoman yoke in hundreds of years.

March 26.

1830. The Book of Mormon is published in New York City.

1953. Jonas Salk announces the polio vaccine.

1979. Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and President Jimmy Carter sign the Israeli-Egyptian Peace Treaty.

I knew where the name "Sooners" came from, but I never put 2 and 2 together until now to recognize that OU chose a group of cheaters as their mascot.

I hadn't even known where the name "Sooners" came from. Pretty cool.

And I've despised the Sooners for years, so yes, it was interesting to find out that they adopted cheaters as their official mascot.

March 27

1309. Pope Clement V excommunicates the entire city of Venice and all of its denizens. The excommunication was one of a series of maneuvers by the Pope that were generally disastrous for Italy during Clement's papacy.

1513. Ponce de Leon sights Florida for the first time.

1794. The United States estabilshes a permanent navy and orders the building of six frigates. The result of a vociferous debate between the Adams-led Federalists and the Jefferson/Madison led Democrats, the Federalists prevail over the no-standing-military minded Democrats. The six frigates go down in history for their service during the next 25 years, including the Barbary Pirates battles and the War of 1812 -- ironically each of which was under the Administrations of Jefferson and Madison, respectively. One of the frigates ordered to be built was teh USS Constitution.

The frigates were a work of genius. Much larger and sturdier than European frigates, they were also faster than European ships of the line. This was the intent of Joshua Humphreys, the brilliant naval architect. Accordingly, the frigates could in theory pick their battles -- slaughtering European frigates and fleeing from the much heavier ships of the line. Skillfully handled, this is precisely what happened, leading to several victories over British frigates in the War of 1812, and resulting in a confidential order from the British Admiralty that no British frigates were to engage in single battle with the American frigates.

1814. In the War of 1812, current General and future President Andrew Jackson defeats the Creek at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The battle had little to do with the British with whom the Americans were fighting, but it did result in early fame for Jackson, as well as freeing Jackson to move his forces en masse to New Orleans. The combined results of those two battles -- Horseshoe Bend and New Orleans -- paved Jackson's path to the White House.

1854. The United Kingdom declares war on Russia, leading to the Crimean War.

1970. The Concorde makes its first supersonic flight

1975. Construction of the Trans-Alaskan pipeline begins.

1998. The FDA approves Viagra as a treatment for male impotence.

By the way, if anyone has any particular interest in naval history and enjoyed the snippet regarding the six frigates, I would particularly recommend the aptly named "Six Frigates" by Ian Toll, which covers the controversy over the early American navy, the ships' construction and careers.

Wider in scope but a bit more ponderous is "If by Sea" by George Daughan, which covers the entire development of the US Navy through the War of 1812.

Neither would be of interest to the casual reader, however. You must have an interest in military and/or naval history for either book to have any appeal.

March 28.

A light day. Really light.

1871. The Paris Commune is established and rules Paris, France for a mere two months. It leaves an important historical legacy, however, as the first uprising of a socialist/communist government. It becomes a focus of study for future Communist revolutionaries such as Lenin and Mao.

:thumb:

March 29.

1806. Construction begins on the Cumberland Road, becoming the first federal highway.

1847. American forces under General Winfield Scott take Veracruz in the Mexican-American War after a 12 day siege. The forces that invested Veracruz were offloaded in the first significant amphibious operation in United States history. Among the officers under Scott are a few people you may have heard of -- Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, and George Meade, and among the naval leaders was Commodore Matthew Perry, who opened Japan to the west, and the younger brother of Oliver Hazard Perry.

1865. The Battle of Appomatox Courthouse begins. It will end the American Civil War.

1886. Dr. John Pemberton brews the first batch of Coca-Cola in his backyard in Atlanta, Georgia.

1951. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage.

1973. The last American combat soldiers leave Vietnam.

March 30

240 BC. The passage of what will later become known as Halley's Comet is recorded for the first time.

1842. Anesthesia is used for the first time.

1867. Secretary of State William Seward engineers the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, or about 2 cents/acre. At the time, this is popularly referred to as "Seward's Folly" and Alaska itself as "Seward's Icebox". To this day the last Monday of March is a holiday in Alaska to commemorate the purchase -- and the man who made it possible -- as "Seward's Day".

1945. A defecting German pilot brings a ME 262A to the Ameircans -- their first Turbojet plane.

1981. President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest by would-be assassin John Hinckley.

I remember reading once that they got the "go" signal before the "provocation" occurred, and that they invaded and put up the American flag. Then they realized they were early, took it back down, apologized, and retreated to their ships for a day or two before doing it again.

Wouldn't surprise me. While it's hard to argue with the results, the war was a joke from a "justifiable" point of view. It was just a typical war of conquest. No real moral justification at all.

March 31.

1822. As a result of the growing Greek War of Independence, a number of Greeks from the neighboring island of Samos land at Chios, an island mostly inhabited by Greeks lying about 5 miles off the Turkish coast. Initially reluctant, the islanders join the uprising. As a result, the Ottoman Turks order the islanders massacred, and 5/6ths of the islanders are killed or exported.

1854. Commodore Matthew Perry (formerly of Veracruz, Mexico), signs the Treaty of Kanagawa with the government of Japan, opening certain ports in Japan to American trade.

1889. The Eiffel Tower is inaugurated. When built, it was the world's tallest tower, a title it retained until New York's Chrysler Bulding was built in 1930.

April 1.

527. Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew, Justinian, his co-ruler and successor. Justinian goes on to become one of the most overrated monarchs in history (in this writer's opinion), Justinian the Great.

1826. Samuel Morey patents the internal combustion engine.

1867. Singapore becomes a British colony.

1924. Adolf Hitler is sentenced to 5 years in jail after the Beer Hall Putsch. He serves only nine months, however, during which he writes Mein Kampf.

1948. The Soviet-controlled East German military sets up a land blockade to Berlin, preventing the other former Allied powers from accessing the theoretically jointly controlled/occupied city. The Soviet plan was to make the western-controlled sectors of Berlin dependent on the Soviets for food/fuel, and their effective control. As a result, the western powers, in one of the first face-offs of the brewing Cold War, begin an airlift. The Soviets continually denigrate the airlift, stating that it cannot possibly work. The airlift requires nearly 4,000 tons of supplies per day, more than ten times the tonnage needed (and ultimately unable to be delivered) to German Sixth Army forces surrounded at Stalingrad. Nonetheless, by the spring of 1949 it becomes clear that the airlift is working. By April 1949 the city was receiving more supplies by air than it had previously received by rail. The Soviets dropped the blockade once it became clear that they had lost. A lasting legacy of the blockade were the three major airports in Berlin, which lasted in service for many decades afterwards.

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/photos/berlin.jpg

1976. Apple Computer is formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.

1979. Iran becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, officially overthrowing the Shah.

Do you recall whether or not 30,000 to 50,000 supposedly "non combat" troops remained behind for a substantial period after this happened? ;)

There may have been an "enhanced, vigorous embassy security detachment", now that you mention it....

:p

April 2.

1453. Mehmed II, Ottoman Emperor, begins his siege of Constantinople. He is a ripe old 21 years of age.

1801. The British destroy the Danish fleet at the Battle of Copenhagen. This naval battle has one of the most amusing quotes in naval history. Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson is tapped to lead the attack against the Dutch. Although well known, Nelson is not yet the reknowned hero and legend. He is, however, already blind in one eye as a result of a prior battle. Overall command of British forces is held by Admiral Sir Hyde Parker.

The Dutch are mostly moored, with some of their order of battle comprised of obsolete or out of service ships that are still yet powerfully armed. Parker gives Nelson a dozen of the lighter draft British ships to approach and attack the Dutch, while Parker stays back with msot of the heavy British forces to prevent any external interference. Three British ships become grounded on the shoals, and are at least temporarily in distress and mostly or entirely out of action.

Unable to see much other than smoke and the signals from the three ships that are out of action, Parker raises his signals to recall Nelson and his fleet. He steadfastly ignores the signal to retreat for some time. The captain of his ship, after a while, calls to Nelson and points to Parker's ship. "Sir, the admiral has signaled for a retreat." Nelson puts the telescope to his blind eye and says "I really cannot see it."

He reputedly tells the Captain "You know, I only have one eye, I'm entitled to be blind sometimes." The battle continues and superior British gunnery tells. The British score a resounding victory and Nelson's legend grows.

1982. In a move of highly questionable wisdom, Argentina invades the Falkland Islands. Unsurprisingly, the British -- former and soon-to-be-restored owners of the islands -- immediately go to war. The real question is why anyone is fighting over a small group of islands mainly populated by sheep.

Heh. Silly Argies.

April 3.

1865. Union forces capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.

1882. Jesse James is killed by Robert Ford.

1885. Gottlieb Daimler is granted a patent by the German government for his engine design.

1917. Vladimir Lenin arrives in Russia from exile, beginning the rise and eventual takeover of Russia by communists.

1936. Bruno Hauptmann is executed in the Lindbergh baby kidnapping/murder case.

1948. President Harry Truman signs the Marshall Plan into law.

1973. The first portable cell phone is made in the United States.

1986. IBM unveils its first laptop computer.

April 4.

1660. Charles II issues the Declaration of Breda, setting forth the conditions for his acceptance of the crown, and cementing the terms for the ending of the Commonwealth period.

1818. The United States Congress sets forth the formal design for the United States flag, with 13 red and white stripes and a star for each state. Previously, the flag had included a strip for each state, leading to some odd looking (to our modern eyes) flags.

15 stripe flag in use from 1795 to 1818:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...g_15_stars.svghttp://crescentok.com/staff/jaskew/TAH/flags/15star.gif

1841. President William Henry Harrison dies, becoming the first President to die in office and the one with the shortest term. "Tippecanoe", wanting to show he was still the tough, steadfast military hero, gave the longest inaugural speech in American history on a cold, rainy day (March 4, the old day on which Presidents were inaugurated) without either a topcoat or hat. After the two hour speech, he rode through the city in the inaugural parade. A month later, he died of pneumonia. Harrison died nearly penniless, and Congress voted his widow a pension of $25,000, equivalent to $500,000 in 2009 dollars, and the right to mail letters for free.

1850. Los Angeles, California, is incorporated as a city.

1865. President Lincoln arrives in the city of Richmond, Virginia, captured only one day earlier by Union forces. He is accompanied by his son, Tad, and it is Tad's 12th birthday.

1975. Bill Gates and Paul Allen team up and form the Microsoft corporation.

April 5.

456. St. Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop.

1614. Native American Pocohontas marries English colonist John Rolfe.

Yeah, uhh, not much else to report.

My second legitimate (kind of) research paper was on Lenin's trip across Germany to Russia to begin the revolution. (My first was about the French New Wave cinema). I bet if I read them today I'd be so embarrassed I'd force myself to redo them and hand them in again 6 years later.

April 6.

1652. Dutch sailors establish a resupply camp that will eventually grow into Cape Town, South Africa.

1814. Napoleon I abdicates and is exiled to Elba.

1862. The Battle of Shiloh begins in southwestern Tennessee. The battle began when Confederate forces under General Johnston -- a general very highly regarded within Confederate leadership, and Beauregard attack the camped Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant. Union forces were mostly taken by surprise, but rallied quickly to save their position, which was backed by a river and thus could have resulted in complete disaster had they been routed. By the end of the day, General Sherman learned he was serving a special commander -- most Union generals had a marked propensity for turning tail at the first sign of trouble. During the evening lull, however, Sherman went to Grant, who was sitting contemplatively under a tree, easing his leg which had been broken a few weeks earlier in an accident while riding his horse.

"Well, Grant, we've had the devil's own day, haven't we?"

Grant looked up from his cigar. "Yep. Lick 'em tomorrow though."

The Confederates had suffered a grievous blow, already, however, General Johnston having been killed in the first day of combat.

That night, elements of Grant's forces that had been marching to meet him arrived (Grant having sent word that they should hasten along), and they crossed the river during the night. Over 15,000 fresh Union troops arrived by 4:00 a.m. Grant, a firm believer in always granting the initiative, launched his attack by dawn, and drove off the Confederates.

It was the first significant Union victory of the war, but it didn't help Grant's reputation at the time. Reporters reported that Grant had been drunk, which had resulted in the Confederates achieving surprise, and falsely reported that many Union forces had been bayoneted in their tents. The clamor rose for Lincoln to remove him. Lincoln stated (with Eastern general McClellan clearly on his mind): "I can't spare this man; he fights."

General Halleck, however, Grant's then-superior, arrived and took personal command, relegating Grant for a period of time as a useless second-in-command, with no actual power. Grant contemplated retirement, and reputedly began drinking out of sheer boredom and frustration. Sherman, however, bucked him up and when Halleck was promoted to Washington, the path to Grant's fame and success was paved.

1917. The United States declares war on Germany.

1941. Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece, in part to rescue their Italian allies, whose invasion was in trouble. While the Germans easily trounce their enemies, the invasion diverts their forces and delays their timetables for the planned invasion of Russia, giving them less time to conquer the country before the onset of the Russian Winter.

1973. The American League starts using the Designated Hitter.

I kind of romanticize the Age of Exploration. It must've been interesting to sail somewhere and land at a place that is not on any of your maps and say, "We shall name this place 'Rainmania'". And then you camp there and you're not sure if you're going to get swarmed by natives or eaten by giant heretofore unknown creatures or find a city of pure gold.

I don't know if you're an Eddie Izzard fan, but in his Dressed to Kill video he has some very amusing comments about exploration, exploitation and empire building. Very liberal, but hilarious regardless of your political point of view I think.

Alot of names didn't take. One option for a recent day was the landing of, apparently, Swedish folks in the Delaware area -- the first to do so. They named their little place "New Sweden".

Obviously -- "New York" is famous, while "New Amsterdam" didn't hold except as a trivia question.

Oh, and you can romanticize all you like, but I'll pass on the teeth falling out due to scurvy and the like, thanksallthesame. I've read enough about sailors' lives during that era to know that it was often highly unpleasant.

April 7

1788. Pioneers arrive at the site of what will become Marietta, Ohio, establishing the first permanent United States base in the Northwest Territory and opening the westward expansion of the country.

1795. France adopts the meter as the basic unit of length.

1798. The Mississippi territory is created from land ceded by Georgia and South Carolina, and is later expanded to include additional territory that was previously under dispute.

1827. John Walker sells the first friction match, an item that he developed the previous year.

1922. The Secretary of the Interior leases Teapot Dome petroleum reserves in Wyoming, paving the way to the future corruption scandal.

1945. The Battleship Yamato -- the largest battleship ever built, is sunk by American airplanes 200 miles off Okinawa. A very anti-climatic end for this monstrous warship.

2003. US troops capture Baghdad.

April 8.

1820. The Venus de Milo is discovered on the Aegean island of Melos.

1913. The 17th Amendment becomes law, allowing hte direct election of United States Senators. Previously, they had been elected by the state legislatures.

1918. Actors Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin sell war bonds on the streets of New York's financial district.

1952. President Harry Truman, in the midst of fighting the Korean war, calls for the seizure of all domestic steel mills to stop an anticipated strike.

1974. Hank Aaron hits his 715th home run, surpassing Babe Ruth's 39 year old record.

April 9

1241. At the Battle of Leignitz, Mongol forces rout the combined armies of Polish Duke Henry II. His Polish, German and Czech army also had a number of knights and other adjuncts sent in response to the call of the Pope in a desperate bid to stop the Mongol advance into Europe. Henry II is killed and his forces seriously routed.

What really demonstrates the hopelessness of divided Europe in facing the Mongols is that this army was routed by what was basically a Mongol diversionary force. Consisting of only two tumens, this force turns into Hungary and rejoins the main part of the invading Mongol army. Europe will soon be saved not by defeating the Mongols, but by the Mongols own political instability -- the arrival of word to the Mongols in Europe that their Great Khan has died, and a kurultai is to be held to select a new Great Khan.

As a result, despite their victory, this was the furthest west the Mongol army ever advanced.

1865. Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant.

1940. Germany invades Denmark and Norway. The move is a brilliant strategic move by the Nazis, and a serious blow to the British, who were hoping to control Norway and among other things try to cut supplies of iron ore from Sweden to Germany to feed the Nazi war machine.

1942. American forces in the Bataan pensinsula pn the island of Luzon in the Phillipines surrender to the Japanese. Soon they will begin what will become known to history as the Bataan Death March.

1965. The Houston Astrodome opens and hosts history's first indoor MLB baseball game.

April 11
1512 - The forces of the Holy League were heavily defeated by the French at the Battle of Ravenna.

1689 - William III and Mary II were crowned as joint sovereigns of Britain.

1713 - The Treaty of Utrecht was signed, ending the War of Spanish Succession.

1783 - After receiving a copy of the provisional treaty on March 13, the U.S. Congress proclaimed a formal end to hostilities with Great Britain.

1803 - A twin-screw propeller steamboat was patented by John Stevens.

1814 - Napoleon was forced to abdicate his throne. The allied European nations had marched into Paris on March 30, 1814. He was banished to the island of Elba.

1876 - The stenotype was patented by John C. Zachos.

1876 - The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was organized.

1895 - Anaheim, CA, completed its new electric light system.

1898 - U.S. President William McKinley asked Congress for a declaration of war with Spain.

1899 - The treaty ending the Spanish-American War was declared in effect.

1921 - Iowa became the first state to impose a cigarette tax.

1921 - The first live sports event on radio took place this day on KDKA Radio. The event was a boxing match between Johnny Ray and Johnny Dundee.

1940 - Andrew Ponzi set a world's record in a New York pocket billiards tournament when he ran 127 balls straight.

1941 - Germany bombers blitzed Conventry, England.

1945 - U.S. troops reached the Elbe River in Germany.

1945 - During World War II, American soldiers liberated the Nazi concentration camp of Buchenwald in Germany.

1947 - Jackie Robinson became the first black player in major-league history. He played in an exhibition game for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1951 - U.S. President Truman fired General Douglas MacArthur as head of United Nations forces in Korea.

1961 - Israel began the trial of Adolf Eichman, accused of World War II war crimes.

1968 - U.S. President Johnson signed the 1968 Civil Rights Act.

1970 - Apollo 13 blasted off on a mission to the moon that was disrupted when an explosion crippled the spacecraft. The astronauts did return safely.

1974 - The Judiciary committee subpoenas U.S. President Richard Nixon to produce tapes for impeachment inquiry.

1979 - Idi Amin was deposed as president of Uganda as rebels and exiles backed by Tanzanian forces seized control.

1980 - The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued regulations specifically prohibiting sexual harassment of workers by supervisors.

1981 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan returned to the White House from the hospital after recovering from an assassination attempt.

1985 - Scientists in Hawaii measured the distance between the earth and moon within one inch.

1985 - The White House announced that President Reagan would visit the Nazi cemetery at Bitburg.

1986 - Dodge Morgan sailed solo nonstop around the world in 150 days.

1986 - In Groton, CT, the submarine Nautilus exhibit opened to the public.

1986 - Kellogg's stopped giving tours of its breakfast-food plant. The reason for the end of the 80-year tradition was said to be that company secrets were at risk due to spies from other cereal companies.

1991 - U.N. Security Council issued a formal cease-fire with Iraq.

1996 - Forty-three African nations signed the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty.

1996 - Seven-year-old Jessica Dubroff was killed with her father and flight instructor when her plane crashed after takeoff from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Jessica had hoped to become the youngest person to fly cross-country.

1998 - Northern Ireland's biggest political party, the Ulster Unionists, announced its backing of the historic peace deal.

1999 - Daouda Malam Wanke was designated president of Niger. President Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara had been assassinated on April 9.

2001 - China agreed to release 24 crewmembers of a U.S. surveillance plane. The EP-3E Navy crew had been held since April 1 on Hainon, where the plane had made an emergency landing after an in-flight collision with a Chinese fighter jet. The Chinese pilot was missing and presumed dead.

April 10. The 100th day of the year.

1710. The first law regulating copyrights is promulgated in Britain.

1821. On Easter Sunday, directly after celebrating the Easter liturgy, Patriarch Gregory V of Constantinople was taken by the Ottoman Turks and hanged while still wearing his full vestments. His body was thrown into the Bosporus. The hanging was the result of his inability to control the Greek uprising in the Greek War for Independence.

1912. The Titanic leaves port for her maiden and only voyage.

1925. The Great Gatsby is published.

1970. Paul McCartney announces the breakup of the Beatles.

1972. For the first time since November, 1967, American B-52 Bombers begin bombing North Vietnam.

(I find this last interesting -- I didn't know we took a five year break on B-52 bombings, though I imaigne they were still in use to the extent needed in areas of South Vietnam. Anyone know the background of why a moratorium was called on bombing North Vietnam?)

April 11.

As RedNeckRaider has covered the options, I'll mention one item that he didn't list, then go back into greater detail on an item recently covered.

April 11, 1241. On this date at the Battle of Mohi the main part of the Mongol forces invading Eastern Europe crushed the Hungarian army. This left Hungary wide open for Mongol forces to decimate, which they did. Hungarian leaders fled west, pleading for help. Europe, divided and weak, was strangely passive about forming an organized resistance to the Mongols, who were now only a week away from the borders of France. They seemed to misunderstand the profound threat posed by teh Mongols, who had now conquered over 4,000 miles of territory between Mongolia and Hungary. All this is not to say, however, that the Mongol victories had been effortless. The Hungarians had fought hard and had inflicted casualties on the Mongolians, and they proved difficult to pacify in the coming months.


Revisiting the loss of Richmond and the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, all of which occurred during early April, 1865.

By this point in the war, attrition and supplies had become extremely serious problems for the rebels. Confederate supplies were unreliable, and logistics completely shot. While 1864 had been an extremely good year for crops, the march of Sherman had disrupted supplies and ravaged teh breadbasket of the Confederacy. Lee, locked into a siege with the unrelenting Grant, lost men to both as casualties and as deserters. By April 1864 Grant's army was about three times larger than Lee's. with approximately 128,000 soldiers under grant facing Lee's 44,000.

Worse, Grant was a bulldog who did not let go. Forcing Lee into a siege took away Lee's superior tactical abilities and the vaunted maneuvering talents of the Army of Northern Virginia. Knowing he had superior numbers, Grant kept up the pressure by constantly stretching out the siege lines, forcing Lee to repeatedly extend his own lines to match pace, and thinning out his ranks.

After several battles in late March, Grant ordered a general assault. Breakthroughs were starting to occur, albeit quickly contained.

"Well, Colonel", Lee said to one of his staff as he drew rein, "it has happened as it told them it would at Richmond. The line has been stretched until it has broken."

Before evacuating his lines, he needed to give his commanders notice. Before disconnecting the telegraph, Lee dictated a message to the Secretary of War and the the President of the Confederacy. "I see no prospect of doing more htan holding our position here till night. I am not certain that I can do that. If I can I shall withdraw tonight north of the Appomatox, and if possible it will be better to withdraw the whole line tonight from James River."

Midway through church services, a War Department messenger arrived at the presidential pew in St. Paul's Church with a dispatch. Nearby worshippers saw "a sort of gray pallor creep over his face" as he read the dispatch, then watche dhim rise and stride back down the aisle. Arrangements were made for the prompt dispatch of the remaining Confederate funds -- about $528,000 in gold and silver coins, bricks and ingots.

What began as the Confederate retreat from Richmond and Petersburg soon became a race against Grant and starvation. For six days the Army of Northern Virginia trudged ever westward, hoping to link up with General Joseph Johnson. Harried and harrassed by the ebullient Union soldiers, who had finally found a decent cavalry commander in General Sheridan, they were constantly harrassed.

Lacking supplies, Lee had to call halts while his soldiers foraged for food. They came with an appeal -- a letter from Lee -- "To the Citizens of Amelia County to supply as far as each one is able the wants of the brave soldiers who have battled for your liberty for four years."

And as soldiers are wont to do, they find gallows humors in the worst of times. Having found "poor old Dixie's bottom dollar", one of Longstreet's Deep South veterans put it best:

All this was Grant's doing. "He commanded Lee's army as much as he did ours; caused and knew beforehand every movement htat Lee made, up to the actual surrender. . . . There was no let up; fighting and marching and negotiating, all at once."

The Confederates -- tired, hungry and fleeing, were bound to make a mistake, and os they did, on April 6, 1865, the "Black Thursday" of the Confederacy. Failures to communicate between senior corps commanders with many years of experience with respect to the need to stop and fight off flanking attacks created huge fissures in the Confederate ranks, through which the Union forces seeped, splitting off forces and creating confusion. Topping a ridge overlooking Sayler's Creek valley, Lee came upon union batteries firing rapidly and pounding the shattered remnant of one Confederate corps, whicl fugitives streamed out the bottom of the ravine. "My God," Lee exclaimed, witnessing the worst defeat in the 34 months since he had been in command, "Has the army been dissolved?!"

And yet the resilient Confederate troops weren't done yet. They continued staggering westward.

HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES
APRIL 7, 1865

General R. E. Lee,
Commanding C.S. Army

General: The results of the last week must convince you of the hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern Virginia in this struggle. I feel that it is so, and regard it as my duty to shift from myself the responsibility of any further effusion of blood by asking of you teh surrender of that portion of the C.S. Army known as the Army of Northern Virginia.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
U.S. GRANT, Lieutenant General
Commanding Armies of teh United States


Lee read the dispatch without comment and handed it to Longstreet, who had been with him for so very long. Old Peter read the message and said two words. "Not yet."

Lee made no reply to Longstreet, and yet wrote a response.

7th Apr. '65
Genl

I have recd your note of this date. Though not entertaining the opinion you express of the hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the army of N. Va. I reciprocate your desire to avoid the useless effusion of blood, & therefore before consdiering your proposition, ask the terms you will offer on condition of its surrender.

Very respy your obt svt
R.E. Lee, Genl


Grant's reply:

Peace being my great desire, there is but one condition I would insist upon -- namely that the men and officers surrendered shall be disqualified for taking up arms against the Government of the United States until properly exchanged.

They continued to dance about, Lee suggesting he lacked authority, and otherwise engaging in delaying tactics, which Grant would have none of. Eventually, Lee relented and agreed to meet Grant and effect the surrender.

On the morning of April 9, 1865, Lee wore a splendid new gray uniform. When a senior staffer expressed surprise, Lee simply said "I have probably to be General Grant's prisoner, and thought I must make my best appearance."

The Civil War was full of ironies uncounted. Not least was one involving the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. The surrender took place in a house owned by Wilmer McLean. McLean had owned a farm near Manassas Junction, stretching along the banks of Bull Run, at the time of the first of the two battles fought there. In fact, a shell had come crashing through the window of his house, and he had therefore resolved to find a new home for his family, away from the figthing, "where the sound of battle would never reach them." Appomatox Courthouse was 2 miles from the nearest railroad and a remote hamlet, with absolutely no military value to anyone.

And thus the man who had seen the war start on his property was about to see the war end on his property, in his very parlor.

Grant arrived, rumpled as ever. In his memoirs he would note that he could not figure Lee's emotions.

They spoke for some time. Grant seemed in the mood to draw it out, engage in idle discussion, reminisce about their times in the Mexican-American War. Lee, instead, clearly wanted to end the business quickly. Grant offered 25,000 rations for Lee's troops, and Lee stated it would be "an abundance." Grant, whom one staffer stated "looked like a fly on a shoulder of beef", knew that he was underdressed, but stated that he had not expected Lee's note offering immediate terms, and had "thought you would rather receive me as I was than be detained." Lee agreed and said he was "very glad" Grant had met him so quickly.

They negotiated somewhat, then signed the document by which Lee surrendered his army. Returning to his troops, they asked "General! General!! Are we surrendered?!?"

Tears filled his eyes as he tried to say more, but he could only manage a barely audible "Goodbye."

The formal surrender ceremony was by agreement to take place a few days later. The troops, in meeting, were cordial and civil. Teh Confederates surrendered their flags and weapons.

Guns bloomed and church bells rang across the North in celebration of the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.

I used two sources for the prior post, both of which I heartily recommend. First, Shelby Foote's fantastic "The Civil War", a three book, detailed but introductory level series on the Civil War. If you have not read anything about the Civil War, then start with this.

Second, the Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant. A highly readable and very enjoyable two volume autobiography. While best if the reader has a background in the Civil War, it si among the most "readable" autobiographies of any military commander (and I have read many).

April 12.

A whopper of a day. Be sure to avoid this one for trying to get into the record books for doing something notable on any given day. The competition is intense.

1204. In a cruel twist of irony, the Christian city of Constantinople falls to the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade. The Crusade was organized under the aegis of Pope Innocent III, and by general agreement was to make directly for the Muslim city of Cairo. Pope Innocent solemnly banned attacks by the Crusaders upon Christian states. Venice, however, under her ancient and blind Doge, Enrico Dandolo, intentionally steered the Crusading fleet to Constantinople which was one of, if not THE, foremost cities among Christiandom.

Speros Vryonis in Byzantium and Europe gives a vivid account of the sack of Constantinople by the Frankish and Venetian Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade:

Quote:

The Latin soldiery subjected the greatest city in Europe to an indescribable sack. For three days they murdered, raped, looted and destroyed on a scale which even the ancient Vandals and Goths would have found unbelievable. Constantinople had become a veritable museum of ancient and Byzantine art, an emporium of such incredible wealth that the Latins were astounded at the riches they found. Though the Venetians had an appreciation for the art which they discovered (they were themselves semi-Byzantines) and saved much of it, the French and others destroyed indiscriminately, halting to refresh themselves with wine, violation of nuns, and murder of Orthodox clerics. The Crusaders vented their hatred for the Greeks most spectacularly in the desecration of the greatest Church in Christendom. They smashed the silver iconostasis, the icons and the holy books of Hagia Sophia, and seated upon the patriarchal throne a whore who sang coarse songs as they drank wine from the Church's holy vessels. The estrangement of East and West, which had proceeded over the centuries, culminated in the horrible massacre that accompanied the conquest of Constantinople. The Greeks were convinced that even the Turks, had they taken the city, would not have been as cruel as the Latin Christians. The defeat of Byzantium, already in a state of decline, accelerated political degeneration so that the Byzantines eventually became an easy prey to the Turks. The Crusading movement thus resulted, ultimately, in the victory of Islam, a result which was of course the exact opposite of its original intention.

1606. Great Britain adopts the Union Jack as it's official flag.

1861. The American Civil War begins with the firing by Confederate Forces on Fort Sumter.

1945. FDR dies. Harry Truman is sworn in.

1955. The Polio Vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.

1961. Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gargarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space.

1981. The first space shuttle is launched. Columbia launches on the STS-1 mission.

April 13


1256. The Augustinian Order is created by a Papal Bull.

1598. Henry IV of France issues the Edict of Nantes, granting certain freedoms to the Huguenots.

1796. The first elephant ever seen in America arrives from India.

1861. Fort Sumter surrenders to Confederate forces.

1902. James C. Penney opens his first store, in Wyoming.

1970. An oxygen tank on Apollo 13 explodes while the ship is en route to the moon, setting the stage for a dramatic return voyage to EArth and a really terrific movie.

1997. Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer to win the Masters.

Heh. I didn't know the first store was in Wyoming.

IIRC, today is the day Lincoln was shot and the Titanic sank.

April 14.

1775. Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush organize the first abolitionist society in North America.

1828. Noah Webster copyrights the first edition of his dictionary.

1865. John Wilkes Booth shoots Abraham Lincoln at the Ford Theater in Washington DC.

1912. HMS Titanic hits an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean at 11:35 p.m., and sinks the following morning.

1927. The first Volvo car premiers in Sweden.

1988. At a UN ceremony held in Geneva, Switzerland, the Soviet Union signs a pledge to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.

You apparently have a good memory for the dates of tragic events. :p

.

:) Too much History Channel.