The FReeper Foxhole - Profiles The Black Horse Troop - March 19th, 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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Black Horse Troop saves Stonewall's life


The 4th Virginia Cavalry

By Lewis Helm

Cavalrymen of the Black Horse Troop were jubilant as their horses splashed across the Potomac River into Maryland at Edwards Ferry. It was early September 1862, and they were fanning out along the front and flanks of Stonewall Jackson's corps, passing Leesburg, Va., and Poolesville, Md., heading into Maryland toward Pennsylvania.



With the victory at the Battle of Second Manassas, they knew that with this thrust they might even be marching along the streets of Washington, bringing the Yankees to their knees. Virginia would be free at last.

Ferocious charge

Only a week earlier, the Black Horse, whose members were the gentry of Warrenton, Va., had split into two sections. One, under their captain, Robert Lee Randolph, led Jackson's corps from the Rappahannock River through the Black Horse's home turf to Manassas, where it took positions on a ridge above the Old Alexandria Turnpike. Lt. Alexander D. Payne's section followed, guiding the way for Gens. Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet to join Jackson, by then embattled with the Union Army. During the movements and battle, the troop shuttled messages among the commands.

Then they helped chase the Yankees back to Fairfax and a whipping on the Chantilly family farm of Black Horse trooper Walker Milan. At First Manassas, they had been dubbed "the Terrible Black Horse Cavalry" for their ferocious charge into the Union Army as it fled between the Stone Bridge and Cub Run, capturing a score of cannons as well as some members of Congress and ladies who had come to observe a Union victory.



Riding with the Black Horse was Charles Randolph, 15-year-old brother of Capt. Randolph. "Charlie" waved his undersized sword at any troopers who were stragglers. Jackson soon sent him to Virginia Military Institute, where he was wounded as the cadet corps fought at New Market later in the war.

Black Horse casualties were minimal at both Manassas battles, although in the second fight, Pvt. Erasmus Helm was mortally wounded while he held the reins of Jackson's horse near the sunken railroad line atop the hill.



Stonewall arrives

Lt. Col. William Payne, their first troop commander, had been critically wounded and captured at Williamsburg in May. Welcome news now reached the Black Horse that he had returned to Warrenton, where he was recovering from a bullet that had fractured his jaw.


William H. Payne - Capt., Black Horse Cavalry; Major, 4th Virginia Cavalry; commanded regiment at Williamsburg, where he was severely wounded and captured; exchanged and returned to duty as Lt. Col., 2d North Carolina Cavalry; led 2d NC at Chancellorsville; captured during Stuart's Pennsylvania raid and imprisoned at Johnson's Island; exchanged and appointed Brigadier General November 1864; served in Valley under Early; during final operations around Richmond commanded brigade under Munford.

As the troopers moved through farms and villages, small groups of cheering women and children gathered. The cavalrymen waved their hats, laughed and bowed to the crowd, which was hoping for a glimpse of the great general. Near Leesburg, a brass band played "Maryland, My Maryland" and the troopers broke into song, one jumping off his horse among a group of mothers and daughters, kissing and hugging as many as he could reach.

Spectators were calling, "Stonewall." Several hundred yards to the front rode a trooper whose companions began pointing to him and shouting, "There's General Jackson." As the crowds cheered, Jackson broke into laughter himself.

When Jackson entered Frederick, Md., on Sept. 6, however, only a scattering of sympathizers ventured forth. Many more waved American flags. The soldiers snarled their displeasure and kept marching while Stonewall passed false information to residents to indicate that Chambersburg, Pa., was his destination.



The Confederates camped at Monocacy Junction near Frederick. Jackson's back hurt because he had been thrown by his horse the day before. He fell asleep while attending a Presbyterian Church that Sunday.

On Sept. 9, the corps crossed South Mountain at Turner's Gap, camping a mile outside Boonsboro, Md., at the home of John Murdock, a Southern sympathizer. The next day, Black Horse Lt. Alexander Payne with a squad of troopers went through the town scouting for Union forces, and Jackson's assistant inspector general, Lt. Henry Kyd Douglas, asked friends with whom he had grown up about river crossings.

Col. S. Bassett French headed to the United States Hotel on Main Street, "desperate for a well-cooked meal and other refreshments," while Pvt. Bernard Green and two other Black Horse troopers went to the hotel lobby for supplies.

'With his usual vigor'

In his memoir, "I Rode With Stonewall," Douglas said, "When we reached that road that leads to Sharpsburg (today's Maryland 34) we heard the clatter of unseen cavalry coming up the other street, and in a moment a company of the enemy were facing us and proceeded to make war on us. We retired rapidly. I tried a couple of ... shots at them ... and they shot a hole through my hat, which, with the beautiful plume a lady in Frederick had placed there, was rolled in the dust. I wanted to stop and get it but thought better of it.

"At the end of town, I discovered ... General Jackson walking slowly toward us, walking his horse, swinging his hat alone. At the signal of alarm, he mounted and galloped to the rear.

"Just then T.W. Latimer of the First Virginia Cavalry joined us ... and there was but one thing to do. The enemy was slowing up, as if in hesitation, and we turned upon them and, with a cry of unseen troops, charged them. Suspecting trouble, they fled." He added that Alexander Payne "at the other end of town had heard the firing and raced to the rescue with his usual vigor."

Douglas wrote an account in 1886 for Century Magazine that offended former Black Horse troopers. M.M. Green replied in the Baltimore Sun that Lt. Payne deserved most of the credit for saving Jackson. (Green, as mentioned in historian John Michael Priest's book "Before Antietam: The Battle for South Mountain," had galloped after Payne, dodging gunfire from hostile Boonsboro residents.)

French also left an account that commented on the Payne/Douglas actions: "The Black Horse did gallantly charge the enemy and pursued them out of the village ... and [Douglas] did with knightly chivalry cover the retreat of [Jackson] with [his] own person. Both were gallant actions, and whether the one or the other saved Jackson from capture, that fact, be it as it may, neither adds to nor detracts from the gallantry of either."

Black Horse remained

French had raced from the hotel when he heard the shots. His account said that before he could leap onto his horse, it was shot and killed. Bullets were ricocheting, so he ducked back into the hotel, following a freedman into the cellar and diving to hide in a foul refuse pile. When they emerged, he gave a 10-dollar Confederate bill to the freedman.

One Union soldier had been killed, the commander slightly wounded, and three of their horses had been captured. The Confederates had no casualties, but word came that Helm died Sept. 13, as the armies closed for battle at Sharpsburg.

The Black Horse remained as bodyguards and scouts for Stonewall Jackson, and when he was wounded at Chancellorsville, Va., on May 2, 1863, representatives of the troop accompanied him to his burial.



Lewis Helm is writer in Maryland and a descendant of a Black Horse trooper and is working on a book about the cavalry unit.

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

Good luck to OSU in the first round of the NCAA today.

[Valin]

I'm Valin and I approve of
This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on March 19:
1503 Benedetto Varchi Italy, humanist/historian (Storia Fiorentina)
1589 William Bradford Governor of Plymouth colony for 30 years (baptized)
1601 Alonzo Cano Spanish painter/sculptor (Cathedral Granada)
1604 Johan IV composer/king of Portugal (1640-56)
1629 Aleksei M Romanov 1st Romanov tsar of Russia
1734 Thomas McKean US attorney (signed Declaration of Independence)
1813 David Livingstone Scotland, explorer (found by Stanley in Africa)
1817 Lewis Henry Little Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1862
1819 David Henry Williams Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1891
1821 Francis Barretto Spinola Brigadier General (Union volunteers)
1821 Sir Richard Burton explorer/translator (Arabian Nights)
1827 Alexander Shaler Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1911
1837 Robert Daniel Johnston Brigadier General (Confederate Army),died in 1919
1848 Wyatt Earp Monmouth IL, marshall/con man/gambler-fought in Gunfight at the OK Corral
1860 William Jennings Bryan "The Great Commoner" orator/statesman
1883 Joseph W Stilwell US General (China)
1888 Josef Albers German/US graphic artist/painter/writer (Bauhaus)
1891 Earl Warren California, (Governor-Republican-CA)/14th supreme court chief justice (1953-69)
1894 Jackie "Moms" Mabley Brevard SC, comedienne
1900 [Jean] Frédéric Joliot-Curie French physicist (Nobel 1935)
1904 John J Sirica US federal judge (Watergate hearings)
1905 Albert Speer German architect/minister of Armament (NSDAP)
1906 Adolf Eichmann Ruhr Germany, Nazi Gestapo officer
1912 Adolf Galland fighter Pilot
1916 Irving Wallace author (People's Almanac, The Man)
1923 Tige Andrews Brooklyn NY, actor (Captain Adam Greer-Mod Squad)
1925 Brent Scowcroft Ogden UT, Lieutenant General (USAF)/National Security Council
1928 Patrick McGoohan Astoria NY, actor (#6-Prisoner, Secret Agent)
1930 Ornette Coleman jazz composer (Downbeat Musician of Year 1966)
1933 Philip Roth Newark NJ, novelist (Goodbye Columbus, Portnoy's Complaint)
1936 Ursula Andress Berne Switzerland, actress (Dr No, She, Sensuous Nurse)
1937 Clarence "Frogman" Henry musician (You Always Hurt the One You Love)
1939 Joe Kapp NFL QB (Minnesota Vikings, Boston Patriots, Houston Oilers)
1944 Lynda Bird Johnson Robb LBJ's daughter
1946 Ruth Pointer singer (Pointer Sisters-I'm So Exicted)
1947 Glenn Close Greenwich CT, actress (The Big Chill, Fatal Attraction)
1955 [Walter] Bruce Willis PennsGrove NJ, actor (Moonlighting, Die Hard)

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Deaths which occurred on March 19:
1263 Hugo of St-Cher/a S Caro French cardinal, dies
1644 Si Sang last Ming-emperor of China, commits suicide
1687 Rene-Robert Cavelier La Salle French explorer (Louisiana), murdered in what is now Texas at 43
1721 Clement XI [Giovanni F Albani], Italian Pope (1700-21), dies at 71
1884 Alfonse Charles Renaud de Vilback composer, dies at 54
1897 Antoine T d'Abbadie French explorer (Ethiopia), dies at 87
1907 Thomas Bailey Aldrich US writer (Stillwater Tragedy), dies at 70
1930 Arthur J Balfour British theologist/premier (1902-05), dies at 81
1945 Fritz Fromm German supreme commander of Reserve army, executed
1946 Amir Hamzah Indonesian poet (Buah Rindu), dies at 35
1950 Edgar Rice Burroughs sci-fi author (Tarzan of the Apes), dies at 74
1974 Edward Platt actor (Chief-Get Smart), dies at 58
1979 Al Hodge actor (Captain Video), dies at 65

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1967 AUSTIN JOSEPH C.---MOUNDSVILLE WV.
1968 BLAIR CHARLES E.---CHATHAM VA.
[REMAINS RETURNED 04/06/88]
1968 ROMERO VICTOR---SAN FRANCISCO CA.
1970 AYERS DARRELL EUGENE---ALDERWOOD MANOR WA.
1970 PUGH DENNIS G.---SALINA KS.
1971 CRISTMAN FREDERICK L.---SALISBURY NC.
1971 GARCIA RICARDO M.---DRISCOLL TX.
1971 SPARKS JON M.---CAREY ID.

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

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On this day...
0721 -BC- 1st recorded lunar eclipse; Location, Babylon
1227 Count Ugolino of Segna elected Pope Gregory IX
1452 Frederick III of Hapsburg crowned Roman German Emperor
1524 Giovanni de Varrazano of France sights land around area of Carolinas
1563 Peace of Amboise; Rights for Huguenots
1571 Spanish troops occupy Manila
1628 Massachusetts colony founded by Englishmen
1644 200 members of Peking imperial family/court commit suicide
1702 James II's daughter Anne Stuart becomes queen of England
1748 English Naturalization Act passes granting Jews right to colonize US
1775 4 people buried by avalanche for 37 days, 3 survive (Italy)
1822 Boston MA incorporated as a city
1831 1st US bank robbery (City Bank, New York/$245,000)
1865 Battle of Bentonville-Confederates retreat from Greenville NC
1883 Jan Matzeliger invents 1st machine to manufacture entire shoes
1885 Louis Riel returns to Canada, proclaims provisional government, Saskatchewan
1915 Pluto photographed for 1st time (although unknown at the time)
1917 US Supreme Court upheld 8-hour work day for railroad employees (Adamson Act)
1918 Congress authorizes time zones & approves daylight saving time
1918 S Potter becomes 1st US pilot to shoot down a German seaplane
1920 US Senate rejects Treaty of Versailles for 2nd time refusing to ratify League of Nations' covenant (maintaining isolation policy)
1925 Angelo G Roncalli (Pope John XXIII) becomes a bishop
1927 Bloody battles between communists & Nazis in Berlin
1928 "Amos & Andy" debuts on radio (NBC Blue Network-WMAQ Chicago)
1931 Nevada legalizes gambling
1937 Pope Pius XI publishes encyclical Divini redemptoris against communism
1940 French government of Daladier, falls
1942 FDR orders men between 45 & 64 to register for non military duty
1942 Thoroughbred Racing Association of US formed in Chicago
1945 800 killed as Kamikaze attacked USS Franklin off Japan
1945 Adolf Hitler issues Nero Decree: destruction of German facilities
1946 French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique & Réunion become overseas departments
1946 Nicolai Schwernik succeeds Kalinin as President of USSR
1947 Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek conquers Jenan
1948 Lee Savold KOs Gino Buonvino in 54 seconds at Madison Square Garden, New York NY
1949 1st museum devoted exclusively to atomic energy, Oak Ridge TN
1950 5th US Women's Open Golf Championship won by Babe Didrikson-Zaharias
1951 Herman Wouk's "Caine Mutiny" is published
1954 1st color telecast of a prize fight, Giardello vs Troy in Madison Square Garden, New York NY
1954 1st rocket-driven sled on rails was tested in Alamogordo NM
1956 Biggest NBA margin of victory: Minnesota Lakers-133, St Louis Hawks-75
1965 Chivu Stoica becomes President of the Council of Romanian People's Republic & Nicolae Ceausescu appointed 1st Secretary of Romanian communist party
1965 Indonesia nationalizes all foreign oil companies
1968 Howard University students seize administration building
1969 Chicago 8 indicted in aftermath of Chicago Democratic convention
1972 India & Bangladesh sign friendship treaty
1973 Dean tells Nixon, "There is a cancer growing on the Presidency"
1974 Jefferson Starship begins their 1st tour
1975 Pennsylvania is 1st state to allow girls to compete with boys in High School sports
1977 France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island
1978 50,000 demonstrate in Amsterdam against neutron bomb
1979 House of Representatives begins live TV broadcasts via C-SPAN
1984 John J O'Connor named 8th archbishop of New York
1984 Pitcher Denny McLain, indicted on various charges of racketeering
1985 Senate votes 55-45, to authorize production of the MX missile
1987 Bonnie Blair skates ladies world record 500 meter (39.43 seconds)
1987 Hassanali inaugurated as President of Trinidad & Tobago
1987 PTL leader Jim Bakker resigns after sex scandal with Jessica Hahn
1988 2 British soldiers lynched in Belfast North Ireland
1989 Boeing V-22 Osprey VTOL aircraft makes maiden flight
1990 1st world ice hockey tournament for women held (Ottawa)
1991 NFL owners strip Phoenix of 1993 Super Bowl game due to Arizona not recognizing Martin Luther King Day
1994 Largest omelet (1,383² ft) made with 160,000 eggs in Yokohama Japan
1995 5 die by poison gas in Japanese subway
1995 Michael Jordan rejoins Chicago Bulls after 17 months, beats Pacers
1996 Winnie Mandela divorces Nelson after 38 years of marrage
1997 A federal judge in Phoenix, Az., began sentencing 10 members of a paramilitary group to prison after they pleaded guilty to various counts, including conspiracy to make and possess destructive devices.
2001 California officials declared a power alert, ordering the first of two days of rolling blackouts.

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

Australia : Canberra Day
Italy, Spain, Canary Island : St Joseph Day
California : The day the swallows return to San Juan Capistrano Mission
US : Daffodil Days (Day 6)
US : Straw Hat Week (Day 6)
National Frozen Food Month

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Religious Observances
Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican : Solemnity of St Joseph, stepfather of Jesus
Ancient Rome : Quinquatrus (Feast of Minerva)

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Religious History
1563 The Edict of Amboise granted a limited amount of freedom to French Protestants, thereby ending the First Huguenot War.
1641 A General Court ended which declared the Colony of Rhode Island a democracy. The Court also adopted a constitution granting religious freedom to all its citizens.
1937 Pius XI declared in the encyclical "Divini redemptoris": 'There would be neither Socialism nor Communism today if the rulers of the nations had not scorned the teachings and material warnings of the Church.'
1944 German Lutheran pastor and Nazi martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in a letter: 'We can have abundant life, even though many wishes remain unfulfilled.'
1987 Jim Bakker, 48, stepped down as head of the PTL ministry amid disclosures of a 1980 sexual liaison with church secretary Jessica Hahn.

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

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Thought for the day :
"History: gossip well told."

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Hallmark cards that never made it...
I must admit, You brought religion into my life
(inside card)
I never believed in Hell...
Until I met you.

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New State Slogans...
Missouri: Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work

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Male Language Patterns...
"It's a guy thing," REALLY MEANS, "There is no rational thought pattern connected with it, and you have no chance at all of making it logical."

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Female Language Patterns...
CAN'T WE JUST BE FRIENDS?
There is no way I'm going to let any part of your body
touch any part of mine, ever again.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone.

[Professional Engineer]

Howdy ma'am.

[Professional Engineer]

Hiya Sam. Have fun.

[SAMWolf]

 

How do we react?  A whimper or a ROAR?
The photos and text speak for themselves - Do we let this stand?
Your message could be delivered in person to #10 Downing Street

http://www.almuk.com/obm/jihaad.html and http://www.muhajiroun.com

domain:   muhajiroun.com
created: 11-Sep-2003

While we're strong anti-censorship advocates, I think the above web sites celebrating 911 terrorists crosses the line given that 911 was an assault on the world community.  To do so, offends many of us.

Update March 18th:  We've received a communication from the Tactical & Technical Support - National Hi-Tech Crime Unit in London.  The short version: "We will forward it to the appropriate section dealing with terrorism."

I've responded:  There is the unresolved matter of the registrants who have addresses in London.  We're particularly offended by the date one of the sites was created. 

 

 

http://www.muhajiroun.com/ registrant-firstname:    Abu registrant-lastname:    Bara registrant-organization:     ALM registrant-street1:             North Circular Rd registrant-street2:             322 registrant-pcode:              N13 6BJ registrant-city:                  London registrant-ccode:               GB registrant-phone:               +44.208860553 registrant-email:               mizanur@bigfoot.com

http://www.almuk.com/obm/jihaad.html   registrant-firstname:   Huseyin registrant-lastname:   Ibrahim registrant-organization:   ALM Media registrant-street1:          Cuckoo hall lane registrant-street2:           28 registrant-pcode:            N9 8DL registrant-city:                London registrant-ccode:            GB registrant-phone:           +44.2088054271 registrant-email:  unimatrix@blueyonder.co.uk

It starts with a few letters, faxes and phone calls.

The original content appears to reside on servers in Germany.  The DNS registrations come back to the UK and the host has a branch in the US with a toll free number.   The mission here is simple... make an example out of these people by any means necessary. In communications to Prime Minister Blair, we've talked about our mutual concerns.  In three weeks, our American envoy will personally deliver messages from the US about this issue and our thanks for his support of our President. Here are some excerpts: 

 

"Just as we Americans may have issues with our President from time to time, we support him and and you Mr. Blair, for showing courage in the war against terrorism.  I lost my father who was killed defending our mutual enemies in WWII.  England knew all to well the pain and terror of war on her cities.  We were late in defending our mother country and we should never let history repeat itself."

 

"These websites pass through the UK by a company that hosts it from content in Germany. The details are listed below.  I suspect you may already be aware or will be before our message reaches you from your website.  Know that we stand at your side should you use your office to remove this blight from the international community."

 

"God Bless America, God Save the Queen and may His wisdom guide you always Mr. Prime Minster."

 

Patriot Defenders Network
http://www.patriotwatch.com
 

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Host in the UK
tech-c-firstname:           Hostmaster
tech-c-lastname:           ONEANDONE
tech-c-organization:       1&1 Internet Ltd.
tech-c-street1:               Pegasus Court
tech-c-street2:               25-26 Herschel Street
tech-c-pcode:                SL1 1PA
tech-c-city:                    Slough
tech-c-ccode:                 GB
tech-c-phone:                 +44.8708503305
tech-c-fax:                     +44.1753490444
tech-c-email:                 
hostmaster@oneandone.co.uk

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What you can do if you can't wait to express your outrage.

 

You can send a message to the Prime Minister through this website.

 

If your message is personal, sensitive or you would like to receive a reply, you should write to the PM at this address: 10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA

You can also fax the Prime Minister on 020 7925 0918. (From outside the UK, the number is +442079250918)

 

  E-Mail to Join the effort and include your message to Mr. Blair!  

 

[SAMWolf]

Morning AnAmericanMother. Sounds like a you have a proud heritage.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the info and link jriemer.

Our local Waldon's has a program to send books and magazines to our local ubits that were deployed. You can either buy the book or purchase a gift certificate.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Mayor, As soon as I finish my coffee, I'm on my way. Vacation!!

[SAMWolf]

Morning E.G.C

[The Mayor]

Vacation ?

Enjoy yourself!!

[SAMWolf]

1979 Al Hodge actor (Captain Video), dies at 65

How far we've advanced in special effects and how far we've fallen in quality.

[SAMWolf]

Good morning Feather

[SAMWolf]

Morning PE. I'm planning on it! Want to just forget about everything and concentrate on enjoying myself.

[Soaring Feather]

Ooooooo, thank you Sam!!!!

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Matt.

You're warmer than we are in Oregon today. Let's hope the weather stays good and that winter is finally over.

[Valin]

Thanks for the link.
Bump for a later read.

Fantasy Land

[SAMWolf]

Don't know how I'm gonna survive without my morning coffe, wierd aircraft, day in history and Phil's humor for almost two weeks. :-(

I'll miss all youse guys

(Ok, enough mush for today. Catch you all when I can)

[stand watie]

GM, snippy!

free dixie,sw