The FReeper Foxhole Revisits The Burning of Washington (8/24/1814) - August 20th, 2004

see educational sources ^

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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The FReeper Foxhole Revisits

British in the Bay:
The Washington Campaign

In the autumn of 1812, hundreds of miles of wilderness and recently cleared farmland stood between the East Coast heartland of the United States and the bloodshed of the northern battlefields. But this buffer zone couldn’t protect the coastal communities of the East from the power of the Royal Navy. Raiding parties attacked villages in Chesapeake Bay, while British warships effectively blocked U.S. maritime trade. When the British landed thousands of experienced troops on the shores of Chesapeake Bay in August of 1814, not even the president’s wife was spared the destruction of her home. For the inhabitants of Washington it was a humiliating introduction to the horrors of war. The democratic idealism of the American militia proved no match for the harsh discipline of the British regular army. Although the subsequent defense of Baltimore was hailed as a great American victory, the smoldering ruins of the House of Representatives were a stark reminder of the sack of the young republic’s capital.

An Overview of the British Attack
on Washington and Baltimore

In August 1814, the British launched a series of raids in the Chesapeake Bay area. According to Governor General George Prevost, the plan was to avenge the destructive American attacks on York and Port Dover by, “inflicting that measure of retaliation which shall deter the enemy from the repetition of similar outrages.”

More importantly, British leaders wanted to create a diversion in the East. They hoped the Chesapeake Bay campaign would send American troops scurrying back to defend the Eastern Seaboard and thereby weaken U.S. forces elsewhere.


General Winder

Emboldened by earlier successes, British Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane developed a plan for a quick dash on Washington. US Secretary of War John Armstrong, meanwhile, refused to believe the British would attack the strategically insignificant capital. Armstrong instead concentrated his efforts on the defense of nearby Baltimore.

The American cabinet’s response to the landing of British troops in Chesapeake Bay was one of utter confusion. The poorly trained militia forces, hastily mustered under Baltimore lawyer William Winder, were easily routed by the seasoned British troops. Washington was quickly sacked and its public buildings burned. When the British tried to take Baltimore, they found it closely defended and retreated after a short siege.

It was a humiliating time for the Americans: their Capitol had been burned to the ground, their cherished citizen soldiers beaten by disciplined British regulars, and their government officials driven out of Washington and scattered throughout the surrounding countryside. They could salvage some pride, however, from the repulsion of the British at Baltimore.

For the British, the results of the campaign were also mixed: they had avenged the destructive American raids on Canada, but had failed to take the strategically important centre of Baltimore. This failure, along with the later defeat at Plattsburg, played a role in the British decision to reduce their territorial demands at the Ghent negotiating table.

The Americans Prepare to Defend Washington and Baltimore

In the summer of 1814, Washington is no more than a dusty village with a few recently-erected federal buildings. Baltimore, on the other hand, is a wealthy seaport and unofficial naval base with several warships under construction. The port also happens to be home to several American privateers, such as Commodore Joshua Barney, who have been systematically harassing British shipping in the Atlantic.


James Madison

U.S. Secretary of War, John Armstrong, is responsible for the defense of both cities. He thinks the British will be tempted to attack Baltimore and that they will leave Washington alone. “They certainly will not come here (Washington),” Armstrong says. “What the devil will they do here? No! No! Baltimore is the place... that is of so much more consequence.” Consequently, Armstrong concentrates his resources in the Baltimore area.

To coordinate the defense preparations, Armstrong proposes veteran artillery officer Brigadier General Moses Porter. But President Madison overrules the secretary of war and gives the command to the militia’s Brigadier General William Winder. In peacetime, Winder is a Baltimore lawyer. His appointment has less to do with his military acumen than with the fact that his cousin is the governor of Maryland. In the weeks preceding the British landing at Benedict, Winder asks to call up at least 4,000 militia troops. But he is rebuffed by the cabinet, which insists that they troops only need to be mustered “once there is evidence of clear and present danger.”

Once the British land at Benedict on the Patuxent River, even Armstrong has to admit that Washington is in danger. What follows is a series of blunders that belong more in the realm of buffoonery, than that of serious military strategy. Secretary of State James Monroe rides towards Benedict with an escort of cavalrymen. His mission is to count the British ships and men. Monroe however, is afraid to get within three miles of town. He has also forgotten to bring his telescope. After sneaking around the periphery of Benedict for three days, he concludes that there are 6,000 British troops (there are actually only about 4,500). Meanwhile, none of the other US leaders think to obstruct the roads and bridges which lead to the capital.

Winder is now finally allowed to muster the militia. By August 20, he has 9,000 men under arms. But he’s not certain of the British strategy - it appears that they intend to attack Washington, but they may also bypass the capital and march on to Baltimore. Consequently, Winder divides his force. He deploys 5,000 soldiers in the Baltimore area and splits the remaining men into two separate detachments under Tobias Stansbury and Samuel Smith.



Leaving Smith’s brigade in Washington, Winder and Monroe, march off towards Benedict at the head of Stansbury’s men. The Americans bump into the advancing British troops and Winder promptly orders a retreat to Battalion Old Fields, about five miles south of Washington.

It finally dawns on Winder that Bladensburg is the strategic key to Washington. He orders Stansbury to deploy his troops to the east of the village in the best possible defensive position. Winder consults President Madison and the cabinet at every opportunity; the politicians in turn hover over his every move.

At first, Stansbury does exactly as ordered. On August 23, however, he sends Winder a message saying he’s just received a report (which will prove false) that the British are a mere six miles away and heading straight for Bladensburg. Stansbury decides to retreat at once. On the following morning, Stansbury sends another message: fearing that the British might cut him off, he continues his retreat back towards Washington. Winder orders Stansbury to stop the withdrawal and sends Smith’s force to join him at Bladensburg. Winder himself will meet them at the village.

Secretary of State James Monroe arrives at Bladensburg first though, and orders one regiment to fall back a quarter mile from the front line. This leaves the forward guns and rifles without support. By the time Winder gets there, it’s too late to make any changes.

The British Attack Bladensburg
and Move Onto Washington

The British have no desire to capture and occupy Baltimore and Washington. What they really want is to create a diversion. After all, the British leaders reason, if the capital of the United States is threatened, aren’t American politicians likely to move a substantial number of troops away from other regions to counter the threat?



There are other reasons for the attack on Chesapeake Bay. The Americans have burned and pillaged Canadian property during their raids on York and Port Dover, and the intensity of the war has been rising. The British want to retaliate by striking at the heart of the United States. Baltimore is also an important shipping and commercial center; if it can be sacked there, will be a considerable amount of prize money to go around.

Close to 4,500 British soldiers land at Benedict, Maryland on August 19, 1814, and march towards Washington, about 60 miles away. In the August heat, General Robert Ross doesn’t push his men. They take five days to cover the roughly fifty miles to Bladensburg.

On August 23, Ross receives a message from the overall leader of the British campaign, Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane, advising him to turn back. But Rear Admiral George Cockburn thinks they should continue. After much discussion, Ross agrees. The Americans, after all, don’t appear inclined to defend their capital. The villages they have passed through along the way have largely been abandoned. Even the bridges are still intact, and the only force they have encountered has run away. The road to Washington appears wide open.

It is noon on August 24, before the British enter Bladensburg. In the distance, they see clouds of dust and realize the Americans are marching out to meet them. Bladensburg itself is empty of American soldiers. This is good news for Ross’ soldiers who would rather not have to engage in street fighting. On the heights across the east branch of the Potomac River, they can see the enemy waiting. For some reason the Americans haven’t bothered to destroy the bridge.

Colonel William Thornton and the 85th Regiment lead the charge across the river. Without waiting for the rest of the British force, Thornton impetuously orders his regiment forward. The 85th quickly drives off the American riflemen, but then finds itself facing the main body of Maryland militia. When the Americans counterattack, the 85th is pushed back towards the river and most of the regiment’s officers are killed or wounded.



By now the main body of the British force is across the bridge. General Ross orders the use of Congreve rockets. The rockets are extremely inaccurate, but they make a terrifying noise as they whistle over the heads of the terrified American militia who have never heard or seen anything like it. The militiamen drop their weapons and run.

Now there is nothing blocking the path to the capital; the British reach Washington that night.

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[snippy_about_it]

.......

The American Defeat at the Battle of Bladensburg

When a scout arrives on August 24, with the news that the British have entered Bladensburg, President Madison and the cabinet retire to Washington. The battle starts at about noon, as the British begin to stream across the bridge over the Potomac. The American militiamen are amazed that the British troops seem to have taken no notice of the hail of bullets being poured on them.


Dolley Madison

Without the support of the regiment which Monroe has moved back, the forward guns and riflemen are quickly overrun by the British advance. The Baltimore 5th Regiment counter-attacks and holds back the British attack for a while. When the British fire Congreve rockets at the raw American militia, they panic and flee.

The American rear line, made up partly with Commodore Joshua Barney’s naval veterans, is still forming up when the panicked militia comes dashing through. The British troops are in close pursuit. Barney and his men hold, but they are soon overwhelmed by the redcoats.

It has never occurred to Winder to designate a rallying point in the case of defeat. The commander now gives up hope of defending the capital. He collects whatever retreating militia he can find and marches them off to Montgomery Court House, eighteen miles beyond Washington.

The rout at Bladensburg turns into perhaps the most humiliating episode in the entire history of the United States of America. The British troops reach Washington by evening. They burn public buildings and scatter government officials and documents over the surrounding countryside.

The British Sail Up the Potomac

During the attack on Washington, Captain James Gordon is ordered to sail up the Potomac with two frigates, three bomb ships, a rocket ship and several small tenders. His mission is to attack Fort Warburton and stand by in case General Robert Ross’s land force has to be evacuated by water. Gordon anchors off Fort Warburton on the evening of August 27, and has his bomb ships fire off a few rounds. These shots miss their target, but to the utter amazement of Gordon and his men, the Americans evacuate the fort and blow it up.


Wood engraving featured in Harper's New Monthly Magazine. Dec. 1872.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Now that the way is clear, Gordon moves on to Alexandria. The defenseless town capitulates immediately and Gordon seizes all the ships in the harbour. His men then empty the town’s warehouses and the cram the booty onto the captured ships.

On August 31, a messenger from Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane tells Gordon to withdraw downriver. The messenger also warns him about a trap the Americans have laid on the Potomac: makeshift shore batteries have been hastily erected by three U.S. naval captains. One of these captains is the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie, Oliver Hazard Perry, who just happens to be in the area.

Perry and his naval colleagues do their best, but Gordon’s cannons quickly destroy two of the batteries. Although Perry’s battery is unscathed, it runs out of ammunition before it can inflict serious damage on the British ships. Gordon and his vessels sail away with their loot.

Washington Burns

The British 3rd Brigade, with General Ross and Rear Admiral Cockburn at its head, is the first to enter Washington. Snipers fire on them from a house and kill a British soldier and Ross’ horse. A group of soldiers smash down the house’s door. They discover the snipers have fled, so they burn down the house with Congreve rockets in retaliation. The retreating Americans blow up the navy yard at almost the same instant. The British soldiers now turn their attention to the Capitol. The government building is made almost entirely of stone and will not be easy to burn. The soldiers do their best, however, they chop up shutters and doors and add rocket powder, eventually managing to start a fire in every room.



The House of Representatives contains better fuel; it burns so intensely that glass melts, stone shatters, and marble is burned into lime. The Treasury is next, followed by the President’s mansion, where the soldiers discover a table set for forty people. The meal is apparently intended as a victory dinner, and Ross and Cockburn decide to sit down to the feast. They toast the Prince Regent and then set the mansion on fire.

The pillaging goes on for two days. A number of private homes also go up in smoke. On the second day, Cockburn goes to the offices of the anti-British National Intelligencer with the intention of putting it to the torch, but a number of neighborhood women beg him not to because they fear the flames will spread to their own homes.

Cockburn agrees not to burn the building. Instead he orders the contents moved out onto the street and burned. “Make sure that all the C’s are destroyed,” on the presses, he tells his soldiers, “so that the rascals can have no further means of abusing my name.”


The burning of the Capitol. Mural by Allyn Cox.

After the second day of the occupation, the inhabitants of Washington are ordered to remain inside to avoid the risk of death. New fuel is added to the fires to ensure they will burn all night. The British troops surreptitiously make their way by twos and threes to the edge of town where they form up and withdraw. Four days later they are back aboard ship.

The British succeed to a certain degree, in diverting American leaders’ attention away from other theaters of war. The American government is in shambles and will be thoroughly incapable of efficiently directing the war effort for the next several weeks.

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Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:

The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Burning of Washington (8/24/1814) - Aug. 24th, 2003
www.whitehousehistory.org/08/subs/08_b04.htm

[snippy_about_it]

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The British Attack on Baltimore

On September 12, General Robert Ross and his troops land at North Point and begin the 12-mile trek to Baltimore. At the same time, Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane sails up the Patapsco River to try and reduce Fort McHenry, an important part of Baltimore’s defense.



The British soldiers soon encounter a small force of Americans sent out to delay their advance. When Ross rides forward to see what’s happening, a sniper’s bullet kills him.

Colonel Arthur Brooke takes over command of the British troops and meets the enemy forces again at Boulden’s Farm. After a short but intense engagement, the Americans are beaten back. This is a costly victory for the British, who have 46 killed and 300 wounded.

Meanwhile, Cochrane has been busy getting his lighter ships over the Patapsco River shoals. His larger ships simply cannot make it, so he will have to make do with five bomb ships, a rocket ship, four light frigates, and six brigs and sloops of war. Shortly after dawn on September 13, he’s in position to bomb Fort McHenry. He opens fire from two miles away. By 2 pm, thinking that the fort must have been considerably damaged, Cochrane moves closer to the target. His vessels are immediately hit with such intense fire that he has to call them back and resume the long-range attack.

Shortly before midday, Brooke emerges into open country outside of Baltimore and finds himself confronted by the Loudenslager Hill fortifications. To attack, the British will have to cross two miles of open ground and ford a steep-banked creek under enemy fire. After a few probing attacks, Brooke decides he cannot carry off a frontal advance. But he has already formed another plan: Cochrane’s marines will make a night time diversionary attack on “Roger’s Bastion” at the southern end of Loudenslager Hill. While this is taking place, Brooke’s troops will silently form up on the Philadelphia Road opposite the northeast angle of the Loudenslager line. If the marines’ attack is successful, then Brooke’s men will launch a silent bayonet attack on the unsuspecting Americans.

It is a bold plan. Unfortunately for the British, Cochrane’s marines are spotted by the Americans and don’t even get a chance to land. Shortly after 2 am, when Brooke realizes Cochrane has failed, he orders a retreat. The British have lost General Robert Ross and failed to neutralize Fort McHenry. Outnumbered and facing the daunting defenses of the Loudenslager Hill fortifications, the decision to call off the Chesapeake campaign is a prudent one.

This failure to take Baltimore will ultimately have repercussions at the Ghent peace negotiations taking place in Belgium. The British negotiators are counting on military successes to improve their bargaining position. Without these victories the British give up their territorial demands at the talks.

The American Defense of Baltimore

It is now obvious that Baltimore will be the next British target. The citizens of Baltimore decide to take defense of their city into their own hands and form a, “Committee of Vigilance and Safety.” This committee decides that every able-bodied man will contribute to the defense effort in one way or another: if they can’t fight they will be put to work wielding shovels. Revolutionary war veteran and militia officer Samuel Smith is invited to command the army. The Baltimore volunteers are soon building a long earthen wall along the top of Loudenslager Hill on the outskirts of town. These defensive works are fortified with artillery and will effectively protect the eastern and northeastern approaches to the city.



Smith guesses the British will choose the quickest and simplest route to Baltimore: a march overland from North Point. Alexander Cochrane, meanwhile, is likely to sail his naval force up the Patapsco River and try to silence Fort McHenry’s batteries. Smith reinforces Fort McHenry and sends out his best troops to delay the land advance. The 3rd Brigade, under Brigadier General John Stricker, takes up position near Bread and Butter Creek, about half way between North Point and Baltimore. On September 12, Robert Ross’s British troops land at North Point as Smith had guessed they would.

Stricker sends a small force ahead to harass the redcoats with a bit of hit-and- run firing. This stalls the British advance long enough that Ross rides forward to see what’s happening. A sniper’s bullet kills him.

Stricker’s detachment delays the advancing British for the best part of the afternoon before retreating to the Baltimore side of Bread and Butter Creek. When the British decide to make camp rather than pursue the withdrawing Americans, Stricker’s force retreats all the way back to Baltimore.



The following day, the defenders of Baltimore repel several minor British attacks on the city’s defenses. During the night of September 13, people in Baltimore watch the terrible fireworks as the British Navy bombs Fort McHenry.

Unable to bomb Fort McHenry into submission and facing a superior force protected by well-built defenses, the British decide to retreat.

After the humiliating sack of the nation’s capital, the successful defense of Baltimore becomes an important source of pride for the United States.

Additional Sources:

www.nationalcenter.org
www.ngb.army.mil
teachpol.tcnj.edu
www.senate.gov
www.americaslibrary.gov
lcweb.loc.gov
www.oldgloryprints.com
www.150.si.edu
rims.k12.ca.us
www.jmu.edu

[snippy_about_it]

'My husband left me yesterday morning to join General Winder. He inquired anxiously whether I had courage or firmness to remain in the President's house until his return on the morrow, or succeeding day, and on my assurance that I had no fear but for him, and the success of our army, he left, beseeching me to take care of myself, and of the Cabinet papers, public and private.

I have since received two dispatches from him, written with a pencil. The last is alarming, because he desires I should be ready at a moment's warning to enter my carriage, and leave the city; that the enemy seemed stronger than had at first been reported, and it might happen that they would reach the city with the intention of destroying it.

I am accordingly ready; I have pressed as many Cabinet papers into trunks as to fill one carriage; our private property must be sacrificed, as it is impossible to procure wagons for its transportation. I am determined not to go myself until I see Mr. Madison safe, so that he can accompany me, as I hear of much hostility towards him. Disaffection stalks around us. My friends and acquaintances are all gone, even Colonel C. with his hundred, who were stationed as a guard in this inclosure.

French John (a faithful servant), with his usual activity and resolution, offers to spike the cannon at the gate, and lay a train of powder, which would blow up the British, should they enter the house. To the last proposition I positively object, without being able to make him understand why all advantages in war may not be taken.

Wednesday Morning, twelve o'clock. -- Since sunrise I have been turning my spy-glass in every direction, and watching with unwearied anxiety, hoping to discover the approach of my dear husband and his friends; but, alas! I can descry only groups of military, wandering in all directions, as if there was a lack of arms, or of spirit to fight for their own fireside.



Three o'clock. -- Will you believe it, my sister? we have had a battle, or skirmish, near Bladensburg, and here I am still, within sound of the cannon! Mr. Madison comes not. May God protect us! Two messengers, covered with dust, come to bid me fly; but here I mean to wait for him... At this late hour a wagon has been procured, and I have had it filled with plate and the most valuable portable articles, belonging to the house. Whether it will reach its destination, the "Bank of Maryland," or fall into the hands of British soldiery, events must determine.

Our kind friend, Mr. Carroll, has come to hasten my departure, and in a very bad humor with me, because I insist on waiting until the large picture of General Washington is secured, and it requires to be unscrewed from the wall. This process was found too tedious for these perilous moments;

I have ordered the frame to be broken, and the canvas taken out. It is done! and the precious portrait placed in the hands of two gentlemen of New York, for safe keeping. And now, dear sister, I must leave this house, or the retreating army will make me a prisoner in it by filling up the road I am directed to take. When I shall again write to you, or where I shall be to-morrow, I cannot tell! ' Dolley Madison,
August 23, 1814

This is taken from a letter by First Lady Dolley Madison to her sister, Anna, written the day before Washington, D.C. was burned by British forces during the War of 1812.
The letter describes the abandonment of the White House and Mrs. Madison's famous actions saving Gilbert Stuart's priceless portrait of George Washington. As Mrs. Madison fled she rendezvoused with her husband, and together, from a safe distance, they watched Washington burn.

[snippy_about_it]

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The "corncob capitals" designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe and carved by Giuseppe Franzoni in 1809 survived the fire. As seen in the photo to the right, they still stand in the east front entry in the Senate Vestibule.

[snippy_about_it]

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[snippy_about_it]

John Kerry told the world we were war criminals who raped, tortured and murdered in Vietnam. Now, thirty-three years later, we will tell America the truth.

Join us at the rally we call:

What: A peaceful remembrance of those with whom we served in Vietnam - those who lived and those who died.
We will tell the story of their virtues and how that contrasts with the lies told by John Kerry.

When: Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004 @ 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

Where: The West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, DC

All Vietnam veterans and their families and supporters are asked to attend. Other veterans are invited as honored guests. This will be a peaceful event--no shouting or contact with others with different opinions. We fought for their rights then, and we respect their rights now. This is NOT a Republican or a pro-Bush rally. Democrats, Republicans and independents alike are warmly invited.

Our gathering is to remember those with whom we served, thereby giving the lie to John Kerry's smear against a generation of fine young men. B.G. "Jug" Burkett, author of "Stolen Valor," will be one of our speakers. Jug has debunked countless impostors who falsely claimed to be Vietnam veterans or who falsely claimed awards for heroism. Jug recommends that we refrain from dragging fatigues out of mothballs. Dress like America, like you do every day. Dress code: business casual, nice slacks, and shirt and shoes. No uniform remnants, please. Unit hats OK.

Selected members will wear badges identifying them as authorized to speak to the media about our event. Others who speak to the media will speak only for themselves.

The program will be controlled in an attempt to stay on-message. Speakers are encouraged not to engage in speculative criticism of John Kerry but (1) to stick to known and undisputed facts about John Kerry’s lies while (2) reminding America of the true honor and courage of our brothers in battle in Vietnam.

Send this announcement to 10 or more of your brothers! Bring them by car, bus, train or plane! Make this event one of pride in America, an event you would be proud to have your mother or your children attend.

Contact: kerrylied.com

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Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization.

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Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

Thanks to quietolong for providing this link.

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UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004



The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

Click on Hagar for
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[SAMWolf]

Good Night Snippy.

There are times, especially when Cogress is in session that I can't help but wonder "Where are the Brits when you really need them"?

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. Good night Sam.

[alfa6]

Friday Morning Incinderiary Bump for the Freeper Foxhole

Carefull SAM comment like that could get you a visit from the friendly MIB.

Y'all have a great day

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

[radu]

Good morning everyone!

To all our military men and women, past and present, and to our allies who stand with us,
THANK YOU!

[CholeraJoe]

Morning, foxholers!

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies. It's Friday!

Friday Foxhole FReeper Flag-o-gram.

Today's Foxhole flag is from Samwise and her Hubby

See your flag here! FReepmail me today.

[Samwise]

There are times, especially when Cogress is in session that I can't help but wonder "Where are the Brits when you really need them"?

Now SAM, you didn't really mean that.

[The Mayor]

August 20, 2004

Twice Is Once Too Many

Read: James 3:1-12

With [our tongue] we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men. —James 3:9

Bible In One Year: Psalms 105-106; 1 Corinthians 3

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When I begin to grade the papers from the students in my college freshman writing class, I'm rather lenient about correcting their mistakes, hoping I won't see the same errors again.

But when the next paper contains the identical mistakes, I begin to get a little irritated. I expect the students to learn from their errors and avoid them the next time. Usually, though, it doesn't quite work that way.

Sounds like our Christian life. The Lord patiently reminds us through the Holy Spirit's presence, for example, that we shouldn't say negative things about others. He tells us to be kind and compassionate instead of fault-finding and vindictive (Ephesians 4:31-32). But we sometimes slip back into our old habit of letting both "fresh" and "bitter" words come from our lips in our conversations about others (James 3:8-12).

With my students, I go back to the basics to erase old habits. We train. We review. We practice. We eliminate the errors.

The Lord patiently continues to work with us about the way we speak of other people. As we listen to His training, learn from our mistakes, and depend on His power, we'll grow and change. —Dave Branon

To be like Jesus—that's our goal,
Though it doesn't happen fast;
We trust the Spirit—He's our Guide,
Till we're glorified at last. —Branon

To put failure behind you, face up to it.

[Samwise]

G'morning PE. I hope the rain clears off for tomorrow's fun fly.

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on August 20:
1710 Thomas Simpson English mathematician (rules of Simpson)
1778 Bernardo O'Higgins won independence for Chile
1785 Oliver Hazard Perry US Naval hero ("We have met the enemy")
1802 Cadwalader Ringgold Commander (Union Navy), died in 1867
1811 Gilman Marston Brig General (Union volunteers), died in 1890
1824 Absalom Baird Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1905
1833 Benjamin Harrison North Bend, Ohio (R) 23rd Pres (1889-1893)
1881 Edgar Albert Guest Detroit Mich, poet/newspaperman
1907 Alan Reed NYC, actor (Mr Adams & Eve/voice (Fred Flintstone)
1907 Shirley Booth NYC, actress (Hazel-Hazel, A Touch of Grace)
1908 Alfonso Lopez baseball player (AL Manager of the year 1959)
1921 Jacqueline Susann Phila Pa, author (Valley of the Dolls)
1931 Don King boxing promoter, shocking hairstyle
1937 George Thoma German FR, cross country ski jumper (Olympic-gold-1960)
1940 Sam Melville Utah, actor (Mike Danko-Rookies, Roughnecks)
1941 William H Gray III Baton Rouge La, (Rep-D-Pa, 1978- )
1942 Isaac Hayes composer (Shaft)
1944 Graig Nettles 3rd baseman (NY Yankees, SD Padres, Cleve Indians)
1944 Rajiv Gandhi PM of India (1984- )
1946 Connie Chung TV newscaster (NBC, CBS)
1948 Robert Plant rocker (Led Zeppelin-Stairway to Heaven)
1951 Greg[ory Dale] Bear US, sci-fi author (2 Hugos, Eon, Eternity)
1957 Cindy Nicholas Canada, swimmer, swam English Channel 19 times
1966 Courtney Gibbs Miss USA (1988)/actress (Baywatch)
1971 Ke Huy Quan Saigon Vietnam, actor (Sam-Together We Stand)
1994 White buffalo Janesville Wisconsin

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Deaths which occurred on August 20:
0984 John XIV [Petrus Canepanova], Italian Pope (983-84), dies
1153 Bernard[us] van Clairvaux French saint, dies
1804 Charles Floyd only fatality of the Lewis & Clark Expedition
1864 Daniel Chaplin US Union brig-general, dies
1864 John H Kelly US Confederate brig-general, dies in battle at 24
1914 Pope Pius X dies
1940 Leon Trotsky, assassinated in Mexico City by Stalin agents(Ramón Mercader), dies 8/21
1961 Vilhjalmur Stefansson Arctic explorer, dies at 82
1980 Otto Frank father of Anne Frank, dies at 91
1985 Harchand Singh Longowai Sikh leader, shot by Sikh extremists
1994 Kalman Kahana Polish co-founder of state Israel, dies at 81

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION
1966 MILIKIN RICHARD M.III MIAMI FL.
1968 LINDBLOOM CHARLES DAVID ATLANTA GA.
1968 RISNER RICHARD F.
[08/22/68 ESCAPED, ALIVE IN 99]
1972 MOSSMAN HARRY S. MANHASSET NY.

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0573 Gregory of Tours selected bishop of Tours
0636 Battle at Yarmuk: Moslems beat Byzantines
0917 Battle at Anchialus: Bulgaria army counter attacks Byzantines
1191 Crusaders King Richard I kills 3,000 Moslems in Akko
1566 Iconoclasm reaches Antwerp Belgium
1585 English queen Elizabeth I signs Treaty of Nonsuch: aid to Netherland

1741 Alaska was discovered when Danish explorer in Russian employ Vitus Jonas Bering landed a party on the Alaskan coast.

1781 George Washington begins to move his troops south to fight Cornwallis
1794 Gen Mad Anthony Wayne routes Indians at Fallen Timbers, Ohio
1852 Steamer "Atlantic" collided with fishing boat, sinks with 250 aboard
1861 Skirmish at Jonesboro MI
1864 8th/last day of battle at Deep Bottom Run Va (about 3900 casualties)
1865 Pres Johnson proclaims an end to "insurrection" in Tx
1866 Pres Andrew Johnson formally declares Civil War over
1888 Longest US men's single tournament match Palmer Presbrey defeats T.S. Tailer, 19-21, 8-6, 6-1, 6-4, an 80-game first-round contest
1896 Dial telephone patented
1908 Congo Free State becomes the Belgian Congo
1912 Plant Quarantine Act goes into effect
1913 1st pilot to parachute from an aircraft (Adolphe Pegoud-France)
1914 German forces occupy Brussels, Belgium during WW I
1918 Britain opens offensive on Western front during WW I
1920 1st US coml radio, 8MK (WWJ), Detroit began daily broadcasting
1920 Allen Woodring wins Oympic 200 m dash wearing borrowed shoes
1920 Preliminary meeting in Akron to form American Pro Football League
1925 WJR-AM in Detroit MI begins radio transmissions
1929 1st airship flight around the Earth flying eastward completed
1930 Dumont's 1st TV broadcast for home reception (NYC)
1940 British PM Churchill says of the Royal Air Force, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"
1940 1st Polish squadrons fight along in the Battle of Britain
1940 Leon Trotsky, assassinated in Mexico City by Stalin agents, dies 8/21
1942 Dim-out regulations implemented in SF
1947 Turner Caldwell in D-558-I sets aircraft speed record, 1131 kph
1948 US expels Soviet Consul General in New York, Jacob Lomakin
1949 Hungary (Magyar People's Republic) accepts constitution
1953 Russia publicly acknowledges hydrogen bomb test detonation
1955 1st airplane to exceed 1800 mph (2897 kph)-HA Hanes, Palmdale Ca
1955 Hundreds killed in anti-French rioting in Morocco & Algeria
1956 Republicans convene at Cow Palace
1957 USAF ballon breaks an altitude record at 102,000' (310,896 m)
1958 Dale Long becomes 1st major league lefty catcher in 52 years
1960 Senegal breaks from the Mali federation; declaring independence
1960 USSR recovers 2 dogs; 1st living organisms to return from space
1961 Phillies set then dubious record of 23 straight losses
1964 President Johnson signs Economic Opportunity Act (totaling nearly $1 billion)
1965 Rolling Stones release "Satisfaction" (their 1st #1 US hit)

1968 650,000 Warsaw Pact troops invade Czechoslovakia

1971 FBI begins covert investigation of journalist Daniel Schorr
1974 Nolan Ryan pitch measured at record 161.6 kph (100.4 mph)
1975 Viking 1 launched toward orbit around Mars, soft landing
1977 NASA launches Voyager 2 towards Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune
1978 Gunmen open fire on an Israeli El Al Airline bus in London
1978 Mark Vinchesi of Amherst Mass keeps a frisbee aloft 15.2 seconds
1980 Reinhold Messner of Italy is 1st to solo ascent Mt Everest
1980 UN Security Council condemns (14-0, US abstains) Israeli declaration that all of Jersualem is its capital
1985 Israel ships 96 TOWs to Iran on behalf of the US
1985 Hanspeter Beck of South Australia, finishes a 3,875 mile, 51 day trip from Western Australia to Melbourne on a unicycle
1986 Mail carrier Patrick Sherrill, Edmond Ok, shot 14 fellow workers dead
1986 Phils Don Carmen perfect game bid is broken in the 9th
1988 Yordanka Donkova of Bulgaria sets 100m hurdle woman's record (12.21)
1990 George Steinbrenner steps down as NY Yankee owner
1990 Iraq moves Western hostages to military installations (human shields)
1990 NY Yankee Kevin Mass is quickest to reach 15 HRs (approx 132 at bat)
1998 U.S. missiles struck sites in Afghanistan and Sudan said to be linked with terrorists. The attacks were in response to the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania 13 days earlier.
2000 Tiger Woods won the PGA Championship in a playoff over Bob May, becoming the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majors in one year.

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Hungary : Constitution Day (1949)
Senegal : Independence Day (1960)
Mich : Montrose-Blueberry Festival (Friday)
Weird Contest Week (Day 5)
Plutonium Day
Summer Cool-Off Day (note 23f in Embarrass Mn. this morning)
Psychic Month

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Religious Observances
Unification Church : The Day of Total Victory
Ang, RC, Luth : Memorial of St Bernard, abbot at Clairvaux, doctor
RC Leontius & Carpophorus, artsen/martyrs
RC Maximus/Mesme, hermit/founder abbot of Chinon, Tours

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Religious History
1553 Protestant reformer John Calvin wrote in a letter: 'Seeing that a Pilot steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish even in the midst of shipwrecks, there is no reason why our minds should be overwhelmed with fear and overcome with weariness.'
1745 Birth of Francis Asbury, English Methodist missionary and circuit-riding bishop of the American colonies. During 42 years of labor, Asbury traveled 300,000 miles by horseback, ministering up and down the Eastern seaboard.
1884 Birth of Rudolf Bultmann, German New Testament scholar. He pioneered Form Criticism with his History of the Synoptic Tradition (1921), whereby he sought to identify the devices of Hebrew speech in order to make the central Gospel message meaningful to moderns.
1886 Birth of Paul Tillich, German philosophical theologian. Tillich advocated "myth" as a signpost, participating in the reality to which it points. Evangelicals generally criticize Tillich today for his pantheistic views of God.
1958 A pentecostal sect, formed by Grady R. Kent out of the Church of God of Prophecy, formally adopted as its name "The Church of God of All Nations." The denomination is headquartered today in Cleveland, Tennessee.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"You lose a lot of time, hating people."

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Excuses For Missing Work...
The psychiatrist said it was an excellent session. He even gave me this jaw restraint so I won't bite things when I am startled.

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Top 10 Difference Between Cats & Dogs...
9. Dogs will let you give them a bath without taking out a contract on your life.

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You Might Be An Engineer If...
You consider ANY non-science course "easy."

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Dumb Laws...
Fort Madison Iowa:
The fire department is required to practice fire fighting for fifteen minutes before attending a fire.

[Samwise]

Nice analogy.

I volunteered to help Jr.'s teacher with the school's writing workshops. I may have to ask you for advice. I'm used to bullying adults into submission. LOL. I'm not sure how this is going to work out. I can't even teach my own kid to punctuate, let alone express a cogent thought.

Which brings me to Kerry, he is completely incapable of constructing a comprehensible statement. The man speaks nothing but gibberish.

[The Mayor]