Posted on 02/25/2004 11:52:26 AM PST by 4CJ
#386 [#3Fan] Todays military ships do indeed have guns. What's so extraordinary about it?
What is extraordinary is your notion of issuing ship's guns to soldiers aboard ship.
Here is a look at a gun turret of the battleship, USS Iowa.
And here is a look at the guns. Try issuing one of these bad boys to a soldier and sending him up into the rigging. Now that would be an extraordinary sight.
Pictured is John Mullahy receiving the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the highest award given for heroism in a noncombat situation following an explosion April 19, 1989 which claimed 47 lives.
Here are some links on the Mullahy story. Prior to the Iowa incident he had received a kangaroo court-martial in Rota, Spain.
Mullahy Presidential Citation for Valor
It doesn't matter anyway because you have yet to link me to the signed armistice so it's looking like there was no signed armistice to begin with.
This argument is moot anyway because it looks like there was no signed armistice. Link me to the signed armistice if it exists.
#423 [#3Fan] All I can do is repeat that military ships that travel close to shore do indeed have arms. Vikings, Vietnam, and the Spaniards all had arms.
Could you post a picture of a Viking rifle or cannon please?
Could you please post a picture of a signed copy of the battle plan which called for the Powhatan to travel close enough to the Charleston Harbor shore batteries to shoot at them with muskets?
Armed Viking:
Otter: Germans?
Boon: Forget it, he's rolling.
Where did I say cannon? I said arms.
Could you please post a picture of a signed copy of the battle plan which called for the Powhatan to travel close enough to the Charleston Harbor shore batteries to shoot at them with muskets?
The Star of the West was attacked. For such an attack close to land the men need arms. The argument is moot because you have not proven there was a signed armistice to begin with.
Link me to the signed armistice or admit you can't.
Nothing inflames more than simple truths. lol
Simple truths for their simple minds.
The armed Vikings, when their ship neared land, threw their laser guided axes at the enemy.
Uncle Pompey, a cook with Confederates at the early battle of Seven Pines, in violation of orders, was advancing to the fighting front, when asked by another black:"Whar's you gwine, Uncle Pomp? You isn't gwine up dar to have all de har scorched off yer head is you?" Uncle Pompey still persisted in advancing and shouldering a rifle, soon overtook his regiment. 'De Lor' hab mercy on us all, boys, here dey comes agin! Dar it is,' he exclaimed, as the Yankees fired an overshot, 'just as I taught! can't shoot worth a bad five-cent piece. Now's de time, boys!' and as the Alabamians returned a withering volley and closed up with the enemy, charging them furiously. Uncle Pompey forgot all about his church, his ministry, and sanctity, and while firing and dodging, as best he could, was heard to shout out: "Pitch in, White folksUncle Pomp's behind yer. Send all de Yankees to de 'ternal flames, whar dere's weeping and gnashing ofsail in Alabama; stick 'em wid de bayonet, and send all de blue ornary cusses to de state of eternal fire and brimstone! Push 'em hard, boys!push 'em hard; and when dey's gone, may de Lor' hab marcy on de last one on 'em, and send dem to h-ll farder nor a pigin kin fly in a month! Stick de dd sons of! don't spare none on'em, for de good Lor' never made such as dem, no how you kin fix it: for it am said in de two-eyed chapter of de one-eyed John, somewhat in Collusions, datHurray, boys, dat's you, surenow you've got 'em goss! Show 'em a taste of ole Alabamy,' etc.
H.C. Blackerby, Blacks in Blue and Gray: Afro-American Service in the Civil War, Tuscaloosa, AL: Portals Press (1979), pp.11-12.
ROTFL!
[*cue the Monty Python music*]
ARTHUR: What happens now?
BEDEMIR: Well, now, uh, Launcelot, Galahad, and I wait until nightfall, and then leap out of the rabbit, taking the French by surprise -- not only by surprise, but totally unarmed!
ARTHUR: Who leaps out?
BEDEMIR: Uh, Launcelot, Galahad, and I. Uh, leap out of the rabbit, uh and uh....
ARTHUR: Oh....
BEDEMIR: Oh.... Um, l-look, if we built this large wooden badger-- [twong]
ALL: Run away! Run away! Run away! Run away! [splat]
GUARDS: Oh, haw haw haw.
The duties exacted of us by civilization and Christianity are not less obligatory in the country of the enemy than in our own. The commanding general considers that no greater disgrace could befall the army, and through it our whole people, than the perpetration of the barbarous outrages upon the innocent and defenseless and the wanton destruction of private property that have marked the course of the enemy in our own country. ... It must be remembered that we make war only on armed men, and that we cannot take vengeance for the wrongs our people have suffered without lowering ourselves in the eyes of all whose abhorrence has been excited by the atrocities of our enemy, and offending against Him to whom vengeance belongeth, without whose favor and support our efforts must all prove in vain.
The commanding general, therefore earnestly exhorts the troops to abstain with most scrupulous care from unnecessary or wanton injury to private property, and he enjoins upon all officers to arrest and bring to summary punishment all who shall in any way offend against the orders on this subject.
R. E. Lee, General
[G] Now I see that he was planning to arrest them and have a tea party. My bad.
So you're on board with this whole "Army infantry waging war from the Powhatan (in Florida) against shore batteries in Charleston (in SC, if you need reminded) with muskets?
What do you suppose the maximum effective range of a .60 cal smoothbore blackpowder musket is? Were the men to row from Pickens to Sumter to land the supplies? Was this some early form of SEAL training? Oh, that's right... these were Army infantry.
Figures you wouldn't understand this. Perhaps you should google up some lessons in Naval warfare. Here, I'll help.
Until a rocket-assisted axe was invented, of course.
Your deliberate exaggerations aside, the order was issued precisely because of the depredations imposed on the Northern population, depredations you deplore in Sherman's campaign in Georgia. And the order was roundly ignored by the southern army, which looted food and livestock, threatened to burn cities that didn't pay ransom, and grabbed any free black person standing around and sent them south to slavery. And there was no punishment imposed on the southern troops that I am aware of.
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