The FReeper Foxhole Profiles General John D. Imboden - Defender of the Valley

Brigadier-General John D. Imboden, at the time of the passage of the ordinance of secession of Virginia, was a resident of Staunton, in the Valley. He had been a candidate for a seat in the convention, but was defeated by the candidate of the Union party. The policy he advocated was independent secession, and the maintenance of an independent State which could mediate between the North and South and lead in the formation of a new Union, with local rights more clearly defined.

Holding the position of captain of the Staunton artillery, a natural leader, and influential among the younger men, he at once took an important part in the action which secured Harper's Ferry to the State. He was called to Richmond a day or two before the ordinance was passed, and with other commanders of volunteer companies, under the leadership of ex-Governor Wise, arranged for a concentration of State forces at Harper's Ferry as soon as the action of the convention could be surely predicted. He called out his company by telegraph, and at sunrise following the momentous day, April 17th, was with his command at Manassas.

He and other young and enthusiastic leaders were the forerunners of the spirit which was to dominate Virginia for four years, but at that moment they were coldly received by the majority of the people, not yet aroused.

Proceeding to Harper's Ferry, he equipped his battery partly at his private expense, his men making caissons from carts found at the armory. Under the command of Col. T. J. Jackson he was posted at the Potomac bridge at Point of Rocks, and by the order of that afterward famous commander, captured and sent to Winchester a number of Baltimore & Ohio railroad trains. After the organization of the army in the Valley under General Johnston, he was attached to Bee's brigade, with which the Staunton artillery went into the battle at Manassas, July 21st, 1861. He was just in time to take a good position near the Henry house as the Federal attack fell upon the Confederate flank, and immediately became engaged with the famous batteries of Ricketts and Griffin. For half an hour after the Confederate infantry were driven across Young's branch, Imboden's battery fought alone, finally retiring and taking a new position supported by Stonewall Jackson, where it was in action until the ammunition was exhausted.

Dead Union soldiers with shoes stolen by rebels.

Subsequently Captain Imboden, Lieut.-Col. Robert B. Lee and Maj. W. L. Cabell constituted a board of investigation, which reported in explanation of the failure to pursue McDowell to Washington that the food and transportation were inadequate.

During Jackson's Valley campaign, 1862, Imboden, with a commission as colonel, was engaged in organizing a command at Staunton. In charge of artillery and cavalry detachments, he held a bridge at Mount Crawford during the battle of Cross Keys and participated in the battle of Port Republic. When Jackson left for Richmond. Imboden's little force, Robertson's cavalry and Chew's battery, were left in the Valley, and Imboden continued the organization of his force there and in the mountain counties. His command was known as the First Virginia partisan rangers, under the orders of General Jackson, but early in 1863 it was mustered as the Eighteenth Virginia cavalry.

In January 1863, General Lee wrote him: "I hope you will meet with speedy success in filling up your command to a brigade, when I shall take great pleasure in recommending your promotion. " He was soon afterward promoted to brigadier-general, and the Twenty-fifth, Thirty-first and Sixty-second Virginia infantry, and McClanahan's battery, were assigned to his command, for operations in northwest Virginia and the Valley, reporting directly to Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Following his promotion to brigadier general on January 28, 1863, Imboden conducted his most famous campaign. From April 20 to May 27, 1863, Imboden, in cooperation with Brig. Gen. William E. "Grumble" Jones marched his command of 3,400 men through northwestern Virginia to destroy railroad bridges and collect horses, mules, and cattle for the Confederacy. Imboden's route carried him 400 miles in 37 days. Torrential spring rains and mud slowed their progress, but his force destroyed eight railroad bridges, captured over $100,000 worth of Federal animals and supplies, and rounded up 3,100 cattle. His command did not participate in the grand reviews at Brandy Station, but when the Army of Northern Virginia marched northward to its date with destiny in Pennsylvania, Imboden's men went along, serving as the Confederate rear guard. They spent most of the battle in Chambersburg.

During the Gettysburg campaign he raided on the left flank of Lee's army, and on the retreat his services were of great value. General Lee attached to his command eight guns of the famous Washington artillery, Major Eshelman, and other artillery. He made a splendid fight at Williamsport, holding out against the attack of 7,000 men until Fitzhugh Lee came up saving the trains and the wounded of Lee's army.

Dead Confederate soldier in "the devil's den"

On July 21st General Imboden was assigned to command of the Valley district, Stonewall Jackson's old district. When General Lee made his Bristoe campaign of October, 1863, Imboden was instructed to advance down the Valley and guard the mountain passes. He captured the garrison at Charlestown on the 18th, for which he was complimented by Lee.

Early in May, 1864, he marched from Mount Crawford to meet the invasion under Sigel, and held the Federals in check until, reinforced by Breckinridge, the successful battle of New Market was fought. Breckinridge being called again to Lee, Imboden's small command was pushed back to Mount Crawford, where he was reinforced by Vaughn, and W. E. Jones took command, to meet with serious defeat at Piedmont. General Imboden then, in command of his own, Jackson's and McCausland's brigades, fought Hunter's advance until Early came to Lynchburg.

Subsequently he participated in the advance upon Washington, and Early's campaign against Sheridan, and was on duty in the Valley until the close of hostilities.

"This Vast Procession of Misery:" General John D. Imboden and the Confederate Retreat from Gettysburg

It was the evening of July 3, 1863, and General Robert E. Lee faced a serious problem. The Battle of Gettysburg was over; his massive assault on the Union center had failed; his troops were spent; it was time to depart the field. He needed to get his army back to the safety of Virginia, and the sooner the better, for if the Union army caught its breath and went on the attack, the whole cause could be lost. As the night wore on, a general plan of retreat began to form -- and therein arose the problem. Three days of hard fighting had left more than 3,500 of his men dead and a staggering 18,735 wounded. Those wounded could not simply be left to the enemy. But how to bring them along without slowing the retreat to a crawl? That was the question.

Around 11 pm, Lee called for Brigadier General John D. Imboden to report to his headquarters. Imboden's command was a semi-independent cavalry unit that had spent the summer campaign attached to Robert E. Lee's left flank, carrying out raids and destroying railroad bridges and canals as the main body of the Army of Northern Virginia moved northward. They had not arrived on the field until noon on July 3, and Lee, busy with the final plans for Pickett's advance on the Union lines, had simply ordered them to guard the rear of the Confederate line. "[M]y little force took no part in the battle," Imboden later wrote, " but were mere spectators of the scene, which transcended in grandeur any that I beheld in any other battle of the war." His men and their mounts were fresh and comparatively well-rested, and that made Imboden a valuable commodity on that particular night.

John Imboden was not highly regarded by Lee or other high-ranking officers in the Confederate Army. The 40-year-old lawyer and politician from Staunton, Virginia had first won attention in April 1861, just as Virginia seceded from the Union, when he led his hometown artillery to Harper's Ferry and seized the arsenal. Then he returned to Staunton and raised a cavalry, the First Partisan Rangers. He fought with Stonewall Jackson in the 1862 Valley Campaign, and in January 1863 had been rewarded with a promotion to brigadier. Now in command of the 18th Virginia Cavalry, the 62nd Virginia (Mounted) Infantry, the Virginia Partisan Rangers, and the Virginia (Staunton) Battery, he had gained a reputation as a first-class raider. As they advanced into Pennsylvania, his men were delighted to find that this reputation has preceded them. "The country was in a perfect panic when they heard of the coming of 'Imboden, the Guerilla,' as they call him," a soldier wrote in a letter published in the Staunton (Va.) Spectator on July 3, 1863. "Five thousand Pennsylvania 'Melish' advanced to meet him on the National road. He let the 'Melish' stand and wait for his coming, while a squadron of cavalry went around them and gathered the fine horses they had left at home!" But as important as these activities were, cutting enemy communication and rail lines and rounding up food and supplies, there was a kind of taint to it -- the sense that it wasn't quite as honorable as combat - and perhaps this marked Imboden as belonging to a lower class of soldier.

Robert E. Lee, on Traveller, along with his aide, Lt. Colonel Charles Marshall, have ridden out to the first line of artillery. It is here where he spoke to his men and blamed himself for the defeat of Pickett's Charge.

General Lee was not at his headquarters when Imboden and his aide arrived around 11:30, so they lay back in the soft grass and waited. Nearly two hours passed before Imboden saw the general riding, all alone, down the road from A.P. Hill's camp, his beautiful horse Traveller moving along at a plodding walk. Lee greeted Imboden quietly; trying not to wake his exhausted staff, and made to dismount. "The effort to do so betrayed so much exhaustion that I hurriedly rose and stepped forward to assist him, but before I reached his side he had succeeded in alighting, and threw his army across the saddle to rest, and fixing his eyes upon the ground leaned in silence and almost motionless against his equally weary horse - the two forming a striking and never-to-be-forgotten group."

Imboden stared at this poignant scene until the silence became "embarrassing," and he awkwardly blurted out: "General, this has been a hard day on you."

Lee looked up. "Yes, it has been a sad, sad say to us." He slumped back against Traveller. One, two minutes passed. Then he spoke of Pickett's brave Virginians, of how they might have carried the day had the only been properly supported. Then, he paused again. "Too bad! Too bad! Oh, too bad!"

Settled in his tent a few minutes later, Lee announced: "We must now return to Virginia. As many of our poor wounded as possible must be taken home. I have sent for you because your men and horses are fresh and in good condition, to guard and conduct our train back to Virginia. The duty will be arduous, responsible and dangerous," he cautioned, "for I am afraid you will be harassed by the enemy's cavalry. He promised all the additional artillery Imboden wanted - but no additional troops. His 2000 men and the few extra artillery crews would have to protect the nearly 13,000 wounded themselves.

Imboden was to proceed west along the Cashtown road, and then south by whichever road he choose, to Williamsport, Maryland. This would keep the cumbersome wagon train out of the way of the main column, which was to retreat by the shorter Fairfield road. At Williamsport, Imboden would stop only long enough to rest his horses. Then they were to ford the Potomac and moved without delay to Winchester, Virginia.

His operation got underway early on the morning of July 4. "It was apparent by 9 o'clock that the wagons, ambulances and wounded could not be collected and made ready to move till late in the afternoon," he wrote of that long and frustrating day. Compounding the difficulties, at around noon "the very windows of heaven seemed to have opened." The downpour turned the field beside the Cashtown road into an instant quagmire. Horses and mules, already unnerved by three days of shelling, grew frenzied by the wind and could not be calmed. Wagons and artillery carriages became hopelessly entangled and began to sink in the deepening mud. "The deafening road of the mingled sounds of heaven and earth all around us made it almost impossible to communicate orders, and equally difficult to execute them," wrote Imboden. Somehow, though, they got it done. In less than 14 hours, they had loaded 12,700 of the 18,735 wounded into some 1,200 wagons.

By 4 pm on July 4th, the wagon train was in motion. The 18th Virginia Cavalry, under the command of the general's brother, Colonel George W. Imboden, formed the advance guard. General Imboden stayed behind to personally place detachments of troops and guns at intervals of third- or quarter-miles. It was well after dark when the last wagons rolled out of Cashtown and he set out for the head of the column.

Imboden would never forget that ride. From end to end, the wagon train was 17 miles long. "For four hours I hurried forward on my way to the front, and in all that time I was never out of the hearing of the groans and cries of the wounded and dying. " Inside each wagon lay men with shattered bones and open wound, laying on bare boards in springless wagons jolting over badly rutted roads. Everyone was wet and chilled from the intermittent rains; most had received neither food nor water nor medical attention for 36 hours or more. Imboden heard them begging to be left by the road to die, screaming obscenities, praying, calling for their wives, their mothers, their children. "No help could be rendered to any of the sufferers. No heed could be given to any of the appeals. Mercy and duty to the many forbade the loss of a moment in the vain effort then and there to comply with the prayers of the few. On! On! We must move on. The storm continued, and the darkness was appall! ing. There was no time even to fill a canteen with water for a dying man; for, except for the drivers and the guards, all were wounded and utterly helpless in the vast procession of misery. During this one night I realized more of the horrors of war than I had n all the two proceeding years."

But Imboden knew they had to push on through the night, for "in the darkness was our safety..." When daylight came, so would the risk of enemy attacks. "It got very dark," recalled one of the wounded, a soldier from the 16th North Carolina, "but there was no halt made, a steady trot being kept up all night. I could never tell you how we got along without some accident." Imboden's orders were clear: if a wagon broke down, transfer the wounded and abandon it. Winding through Greenwood, Duffield, New Franklin, and Marion, Pine Stump Road quickly became a graveyard of derelict transports, some of them left where they had sunk in the axel-deep mud.

Gettysburg, Pa. Soldiers killed on July 2, in the wheatfield near the Emmittsburg road

By 4 am, they had reached Greencastle, Pennsylvania, near the Maryland border. Rev. J.C. Smith remembered the scene: the walking wounded, shivering in the cold and damp, constantly adjusting their clothes to catch rainwater in the folds to drink, or to take the pressure of inflamed wounds. How different they appeared from the proud, boastful troops that the invaded the town a week earlier. Smith felt little satisfaction. "No one, with any feelings of pity, will ever want to see such a sight even once in a lifetime."

Not everyone in Greencastle was so charitable. The advance guard was about a mile past the town when a group of 30 or 40 citizens fell upon the train with axes in hand, and managed to hack the spokes out of more than a dozen wagon wheels before Imboden sent a detachment back to stop the trouble and arrest the troublemakers.

That was just the beginning. As expected, swarms of Union cavalry began to attack all along the length of the train, choosing the weakest sections and causing, in Imboden's words "great confusion," (and probably no small amount of terror to the defenseless wounded). He himself was almost captured when surprised by a band of 50 Union cavalrymen while reconnoitering, only to be saved when brother George heard the firing, and wheeled the 18th Virginia back to counter the threat. Yet at the end of this long day of "desultory fighting and harassments," the train was rolling into Williamsport, having lost only a handful of wagons to the enemy.

Gettysburg, Pa. Bodies of Confederate soldiers, killed on July 1, collected near the McPherson woods

Now Imboden faced an unexpected adversary: nature. The heavy rains of the previous two days had swelled the Potomac to more than 10 feet about its normal level - meaning he couldn't get his wagons across the ford. He was pinned against the river with 12,700 wounded and an irreplaceable store of wagons, horses and supplied....and less than 3,000 men to protect it all.

He moved swiftly to bring order to the situation. Surgeons went to work on the wounded. His men went from door to door, demanding provisions. The locals were required to cook for the men "on pain of having their kitchens occupied for that purpose by my men.... They readily complied," he later noted. He commandeered two small ferry-boats and started moving the less severely wounded across the river to Virginia. And all the while, he kept an eye out for the attack that would surely come.

He didn't have long to wait. The next morning, July 6th, he learned that a large body of enemy cavalry was approaching form Frederick. Imboden ordered his artillery to be placed on the hills surrounding the town, then rounded up everyone - wagoners, quartermasters, commissaries, stragglers - who could hold a gun, giving him an additional 700 men to supplement his veteran troops. Organized into 7 companies, these recruits were placed under the watchful eyes of wounded line-officers who had volunteered for duty.

Lee's men dug in to receive the expected counterattack. When it didn't come, they made a nighttime withdrawal from their position and headed back to Virginia. An ambulance train that was several miles long jolted over rutted roads, causing great agony for the ten thousand wounded the army of northern Virginia managed to bring with them. Buried were the Confederacy's hopes for victory and the South's quest for independence. Lee's retreat to Virginia marked the biggest turning point of the Civil War.

At about 2 pm, the enemy began filling the roads leading into Williamsport, and Imboden realized how heavily outnumbered he really was. The Union force totaled 23 cavalry regiments and 18 guns under the crack commands of Generals John Buford and Judson Kilpatrick - about 7000 men in all.

In the end, it was a combination of luck and skill that kept Imboden from disaster that day. Just as ammunition ran low, a fresh supply unexpectedly arrived on the Virginia side of the river. It was ferried across, the boxes hurriedly split open with axes. To make his forces seem larger, he formed a strong line on the left flank, then rapidly shifted them to the right, giving them the illusion of strength that seemed to keep the enemy off-balance. And as his lines began to waver from sheer exhaustion, word arrived from General Fitzhugh Lee that and additional force of 3,000 men would arrive within the hour. "The news was sent along our whole line, and was received with a wild and exultant yell," Imboden wrote. "We knew then that they field was won, and slowly pressed forward." By 8 pm, the battle was over.

"The firing was beautiful and very rapid," one of Imboden's staff wrote the Richmond Enquirer soon after the engagement. "I never saw such destructive cannonading; one piece on our side lost thirteen men killed and wounded - They dismounted two regiments, but our wagoners were too much for the - They carried away nearly all of their dead and wounded, though the ground was covered with dead horses. Our loss was about 125 men...We saved the immense wagon train of our army, and too much credit cannot be given to Gen. Imboden. He organized a force out of a mob, and whipped the enemy, outnumbering him nearly five to won. He is a splendid man, and on the field goes everywhere, no matter how great the danger."

Gettysburg, Pa. Dead Confederate soldiers in the "slaughter pen" at the foot of Little Round Top

Imboden credited his victory to "extraordinary good fortune," more than anything else. He was deeply impressed with the bravery of his impromptu little army. "The wagoners fought so well that this became known as 'the wagoner's fight," he said. Many of them had been killed storming a farm that was being used as a sharpshooter's nest. He estimated his losses at 125 killed - he didn't say how many had been wounded - and never learned how many casualties he had inflicted on the enemy.

"The expedition had for its object the destruction of the enemy's trains, supposed to be at Williamsport," Union General John Buford wrote in his official report of the action. "This, I regret to say, was not accomplished. The enemy was too strong for me, but he was punished for his obstinacy. His casualties were more than quadruple mine." It was an embarrassing loss, and a costly one. The rebel army was pouring in to Williamsport. The next day, he wrote "I can do nothing with the enemy except observe him."

General Lee and the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia arrived in town on July 7, trapped as Imboden was, by the floodwaters. Imboden was immediately assigned a new task: to escort the 4,000 prisoners taken at Gettysburg to Staunton, Virginia, where they would be shipped to Richmond. Lee directed that he take only a single regiment, the 62nd Virginia, as guard. "When the general assigned me this duty, he expressed an apprehension that before I could reach Winchester, the Federal cavalry would cross at Harpers' Ferry, intercept and capture my guard and release the prisoners." It's doubtful a little think like that would have stopped Imboden: Staunton was his hometown, and his wife and children were there.

He had just started out for Winchester when he was ordered back to Lee's headquarters. "I halted my column and hurried back, was ferried across the river and galloped out on the Hagerstown road, where I had parted from the general that morning." He finally overtook Lee and his staff further down the road. Lee, remembering Imboden's familiarity with the countryside, asked him to detail all the fords from Williamsport to Cumberland, calling on another general (Imboden couldn't remember if it was Alexander of Long) to take careful notes. "He did not say so, but I felt that his situation was precarious in the extreme." The sooner the army got across the river, the better.

Lee was about to dismiss him when he paused and smiled. He gestured towards the swollen river. "Do you know this country well enough to tell me if it ever stops raining about here?" he asked, laughing. "If so, I should like to see a clear day soon."

Heather K. Peake

Additional Sources:

www.eyewitnesstohistory.com
www.civilwarinteractive.com
members.aol.com/jweaver300/grayson
www.civil-war-tribute.com
cavalry.km.ru
www.amazon.com
www.distaff.net
www.cwea.net
www.civilweek.com
library.thinkquest.org
www.gdg.org
www.mortkunstler.com

When the battle of Gettysburg was over, the Army of the Potomac suffered 23,049 casualties. The Army of Northern Virginia suffered 28,000 casualties. With a total of 51,000 casualties, the Battle of Gettysburg is bloodiest battle in American history. In an area of 25 square miles, the battle was fought with 172,000 men and 634 cannon. 569 tons of ammunition was expended, and 5,000 horses were killed.

Imboden's finest moment occurred during the retreat. Given the important task of commanding the Army of Northern Virginia's wagon train of thousands of wounded, Imboden performed admirably, fending off the Federal cavalry and protecting the supplies and the vast number of wounded men. On July 6th, he was trapped on the banks of the flooding Potomac River, and scratched together a defensive force consisting of his brigade, some artillery, and the waggoners. There, they defeated a combined force commanded by John Buford and Judson Kilpatrick, and saved the Confederate wagon train. It was a remarkable performance by a man unaccustomed to commanding troops in a stand-up fight.

Untrained as a soldier, John Imboden proved effective, both as artillery officer, and also as commander of partisan cavalry forces. In a time of great need, Imboden performed admirably at Williamsport, and saved the Army of Northern Virginia's supplies and wounded from capture. No less than Robert E. Lee himself recognized the importance of Imboden's service during the retreat, and paid him the appropriate compliment: "In passing through the mountains in advance of the column, the great length of the trains exposed them to attack by the enemy's cavalry, which captured a number of wagons and ambulances, but they succeeded in reaching Williamsport without serious loss. They were attacked at that place on the 6th by the enemy's cavalry, which was gallantly repulsed by General Imboden."

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization. The primary area of concern to all VetsCoR members is that our national and local educational systems fall short in teaching students and all American citizens the history and underlying principles on which our Constitutional republic-based system of self-government was founded. VetsCoR members are also very concerned that the Federal government long ago over-stepped its limited authority as clearly specified in the United States Constitution, as well as the Founding Fathers' supporting letters, essays, and other public documents.

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

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Today's classic warship, CSS Shenandoah

Screw Steamer
Displacement. 1,160l t.
Lenght. 230'
Beam. 32'
Draft. 20' 6"
Speed. 9 k. under steam
Complement. 109
Armament. 4 8" sb., 2 32-pdr. r., 2 12-pdr.

CSS SHENANDOAH, formerly SEA KING, was an iron-framed, teak-planked, full-rigged vessel with auxiliary steam power. She was designed as a British transport for troops to the East, and was built on the River Clyde, Scotland, but the Confederate Government purchased her in 1864 for use as an armed cruiser. On 8 October she sailed from London ostensibly for Bombay, India, on a trading voyage. She rendezvoused at Funchal, Madeira, with the steamer LAUREL, bearing officers and the nucleus of a crew for SEA KING, together with naval guns, ammunition, and stores. Commanding Officer Lt. J. I. Waddell, CSN, supervised her conversion to a ship-of-war in nearby waters. Waddell was barely able, however, to bring his crew to half strength even with additional volunteers from SEA KING and LAUREL. The new cruiser was commissioned on 19 October and her name changed to SHENANDOAH.

In accord with operation concepts originated in the Confederate Navy Department and developed by its agents in Europe, SHENANDOAH was assigned to destroy commerce in areas as yet undisturbed, and thereafter her course lay in pursuit of merchantmen on the Cape of Good Hope- Australia route and of the Pacific whaling fleet. En route to the Cape she picked up six prizes. Five of these were put to the torch or scuttled; the other was bonded and employed for transport of prisoners to Bahia, Brazil. Still short-handed, though her crew had been increased by forced enlistments from prizes, SHENANDOAH arrived at Melbourne, Australia, on 25 January 1865, where she filled her complement and her storerooms.

SHENANDOAH had taken but a single prize in the Indian Ocean, but hunting became more profitable as she approached the whaling grounds. Waddell burned four whalers in the Carolines and another off the Kuriles. After a 3-week cruise in the ice and fog of the Sea of Okhotsk failed to yield a single prize, due to a warning which had preceded him, Waddell headed north past the Aleutian Islands into the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean. On 23 June he learned from a prize of Lee's surrender and the flight from Richmond of the Confederate Government 10 weeks previously. Nevertheless, he elected to continue hostilities and captured 21 more prizes, the last 11 being taken in the space of 7 hours in the waters just below the Arctic Circle.

Waddell then ran south to intercept commerce bound from the West Coast to the Far East and Latin America and on 2 August received intelligence from a British bark of the war's termination some 4 months before. Immediately SHENANDOAH underwent physical alteration. She was dismantled as a man-of-war; her battery was dismounted and struck below, and her hull painted to resemble an ordinary merchant vessel. Waddell brought her into Liverpool on 6 November and surrendered her to British authorities who turned her over to the United States.

SHENANDOAH had remained at sea for 12 months and 17 days, had traversed 58,000 miles and captured 38 prizes, mostly whalers, and two-thirds of them after the close of hostilities.

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On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on March 29:
1561 Santorio Sanctorius Trieste Italy, physician/burned at stake/heretic
1602 John Lightfoot English theologist/literary (Horae Hebraicae)
1790 John Tyler Charles County VA, (D/W) 10th President (1841-1845)
1799 Edward Stanley Earl Derby (C), British Prime Minister (1852, 1858-59, 1866-68)
1813 John Letcher Governor (Confederacy), died in 1884
1816 James Gallant Spears Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1869
1819 Edwin Drake drilled 1st productive US oil well
1819 Isaac Mayer Wise rabbi, founded American Hebrew Congregations
1821 Joshua Thomas Owen Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1887
1829 Ritta & Christina Siamese twins, in Sardinia
1829 Robert Emmet Rodes Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1864
1867 Cy [Denton True] Young Gilmore OH, winningest pitcher (511 wins, 1890-1911)
1875 Lou Henry Hoover 1st lady-Herbert Hoover (1929-33)
1875 Paul Rubens composer
1883 Donald Dexter Van Slyke US chemist (Micromanometric analysis)
1888 James E Casey founder (United Parcel Service)
1889 Warner Baxter Columbus OH, actor (In Old Arizona, Cisco Kid)
1892 József Mindszenty [Joseph Prehm], Hungarian cardinal
1905 Annunzio Mantovani Venice Italy, orchestra leader (Mantovani)
1908 Dennis O'Keefe Fort Madison IA, actor/director (T-Men, Fighting Seabees)
1911 Philip Ahn Los Angeles CA, actor (Master Kan-Kung Fu)
1913 Phil Foster Brooklyn NY, comedian (Frank De Fazio-Laverne & Shirley)
1916 Eugene J McCarthy Watkins MN, (Senator-Democrat-MN, Presidential candidate 1968)
1917 Man O'War racehorse (winner of 20 out of 21 races & $249,465)
1918 Pearl Bailey Newport News VA, singer (Hello Dolly)
1918 Sam Walton billionaire CEO (Wal-Mart)
1927 John McLaughlin TV commentator (McLaughlin Group)
1937 Billy Carter Plains GA, brother of President Carter
1939 Nancy Kwan Hong Kong, actress (Flower Drum Song, Night Creature)
1941 Terence Hill Venice Italy, actor (Super Fuzz, They Call Me Trinity)
1942 Larry Pressler (Senator-Republican-SD, 1979- )
1943 Eric Idle South Shields Durham England, comedian/actor (Monty Python)
1943 John Major British Prime Minister (C, 1990-97)
1943 Vangelis [Evangelos Papathanassiou] Valos Greece, composer/keyboardist (Chariots of Fire)
1944 Denny McLain Detroit Tiger pitcher (1968 American League MVP/Cy Young/31 wins)
1945 Walt "Clyde" Frazier NBA guard (New York Knicks)
1947 Aleksandr Stepenovich Viktorenko cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-3, 8, 14, 20)
1952 Teofilo Stevenson Cuba, heavyweight boxer (Olympics-gold-1972, 76, 80)
1954 Karen Anne Quinlan Scranton PA, famous comatose patient (right to die case)
1955 Earl Campbell NFL running back (Houston, New Orleans, 1977 Heisman)
1956 Kurt Thomas US, gymnast (Olympics), actor? (Gymkata)
1956 LaToya Jackson singer (If You Feel the Funk)/posed for Playboy
1959 Marina Sirtis London, actress (Deanna Troi-Star Trek: The Next Generation)
1964 Elle Macpherson Sydney Australia, model (Sports Illustrated 1986, 87, 88)/actress (Sirens)
2334 Beverly Crusher Copernicus Luna, doctor-Star Trek Next Generation

Deaths which occurred on March 29:
1058 Stephen IX [Frederik van Lotharingen], 1st Belgian Pope (1057-58), dies
1546 Cardinal Beaton English archbishop of St Andrews, murdered
1745 Robert Walpole 1st British premier (1722-42), dies at 68
1788 Charles Wesley hymn writer, dies
1792 King Gustav III King of Sweden (1771-92), dies of wounds
1848 John Jacob Astor chartered American Fur Company, dies at 84
1892 William Bowman English anatomist, dies at 75
1912 Robert F Scott British pole explorer (Antarctica), dies
1959 Barthelemy Boganda Central African Republic's 1st President, dies
1966 Harry Daugherty trombonist (Spike Jones & City Slickers), dies at 50
1980 [Annunzio Paolo] Mantovani orchestra leader, dies at 74
1981 Eric Williams Prime Minister (Trinidad & Tobago), dies at 79
1983 Richard O'Brien actor (Rocky Horror Show), dies of cancer at 65
1990 Germaine Montenesdro 2nd victim of NYC's Zodiac killer, shot dead
1991 Lee Atwater political strategist (R), dies of brain tumor at 40

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1965 HUME KENNETH E.---CINCINNATI OH.
[CRASH AT SEA]
1969 HESS FREDERICK W.---KANSAS CITY MO.
1972 BRAUNER HENRY P.---FRANKLIN PARK NJ.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT, SAR NEG]
1972 CANIFORD JAMES K.---FREDERICK MD.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT, SAR NEG]
1972 CASTILLO RICHARD---CORPUS CRISTI TX.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT,SAR NEG, REMAINS RETURNED 11/86]
1972 HALPIN RICHARD C.---SAN DIEGO CA.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT, SAR NEG, REMAINS RETURNED 03/01/86]
1972 MILLER CURTIS D.---PALACIOS TX.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT, SAR NEG]
1972 PAULSON MERLYN L.---FARGO ND.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT, REMAINS RETURNED 03/01/86]
1972 PEARCE EDWIN J.---MILFORD PA.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT (FAMILY REJECTS ID) REMAINS RETURNED 03/01/86]
1972 RAMSOWER IRVING B. II---MATHIS TX.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT, REMAINS RET 03/01/86]
1972 SIMMONS ROBERT E.---DE RUYTER NY.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT, SAR NEG, REM RETURNED/FAMILY DID NOT ACCEPT ID 3/01/86]
1972 SMITH EDWARD D. JR.---RED CREEK NY.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT, REMAINS RET. 03/01/86]
1972 STEPHENSON HOWARD D.---BOLTON MA.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT, SAR NEG]
1972 TODD WILLIAM A.---MAHOPAC NY.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT, REMAINS RET. 03/01/86 ID 09/86]
1972 WANZEL CHARLES J. III---NEW YORK NY.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT, REMAINS RET. 03/01/86 ID 07/86]
1972 YOUNG BARCLAY B.---FORT LAUDERDALE FL.
[NO PARA OR RADIO CONTACT, SAR NEG]

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

On this day...
0502 Bourgundy King Gundobar delegates royal power
1461 Battle near Towton Field, 33,000 die (War of the Roses)
1638 1st permanent white settlement in Delaware
1673 English King Charles II accepts Test Act: Roman Catholic excluded of public functions
1795 Beethoven (24) debuts as pianist in Vienna
1798 Republic of Switzerland forms
1814 Battle at Horseshoe Bend AL: Andrew Jackson beats Creek-Indians
1827 20,000 attend Ludwig von Beethovens burial in Vienna
1847 12,000 US troops capture Vera Cruz, Mexico
1848 Niagara Falls stops flowing for 30 hours due to an ice jam
1849 Britain formally annexs Punjab after defeat of Sikhs in India
1852 Ohio makes it illegal for children under 18 & women to work more than 10 hours a day
1864 Union General Steeles troops reach Arkadelphia AR
1865 Appomattox campaign, Virginia, 7582 killed
1865 Battle of Quaker Road, Virginia
1867 British North America Act (Canadian constitution) is passed
1867 Congress approves Lincoln Memorial
1871 Albert Hall is opened by Queen Victoria in London
1882 Knights of Columbus chartered for Catholic men
1886 Chemist John Pemberton begins to advertise for Coca-Cola (with cocaine)
1897 Japan adopts Gold Standard
1912 Captain Robert Scott, blizzard-bound in a tent 18 km from the South Pole, makes last entry in his diary "the end cannot be far"
1927 Henry O D Segrave races his Sunbeam to a record 203.79 mph at Daytona; 1st auto to exceed 200 mph (322 kph)
1928 Yeshiva College (now University) chartered (New York NY)
1932 Jack Benny debuts on radio
1936 10,000 watch the 200" mirror blank passing through Indianapolis
1936 Nazi propaganda claims 99% of Germans voted for Nazi candidates
1940 Joe Louis KOs Johnny Paycheck in 2 to retain heavyweight boxing title
1941 WPAT radio in New Jersey begins broadcasting (country music format)
1943 Meat, butter & cheese rationed in US during WWII (784 gram/week, 2 kilogram for GI's)
1949 Turkey recognizes Israel
1951 "King & I" opens at St James Theater NYC for 1246 performances
1951 Julius & Ethel Rosenberg convicted of espionage
1959 "Some Like it Hot" with Marilyn Monroe & Jack Lemmon premieres
1961 23rd Amendment is ratified, allows Washington DC residents to vote for President
1961 After a 4½ year trial Nelson Mandela is acquitted on treason charge
1962 Jack Paar's final appearance on the "Tonight Show"
1963 Final episode of soap opera "Young Doctor Malone"
1964 1st true Pirate Radio station, Radio Caroline (England)
1966 Muhammad Ali beats George Chuvalo in 15 for heavyweight boxing title
1968 Students seize building at Bowie State College
1969 Communist New People's Army found in Philippines
1971 1st Lt. William L Calley Jr found guilty in My Lai (Vietnam) massacre
1971 Chile President Allende nationalizes banks/copper mines
1971 Conrad Van Emde Boas becomes West Europe's 1st sexology professor
1971 Development of a serum hepatitis vaccine for children announced
1973 Last US troops leave Vietnam, 9 years after Tonkin Gulf Resolution
1974 Mariner 10's, 1st fly-by of Mercury, returns photos
1976 8 Ohio National Guardsmen indicted for shooting 4 Kent State students
1981 Tiina Lehtola ski jumps female record 110 meter
1981 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1985 Wayne Gretzky breaks own NHL season record with 126th assist
1986 Beatle records officially go on sale in Russia
1987 Wrestlemania III-93,173 watch Hulk Hogan beat Andre the Giant
1987 Yitzhak Shamir re-elected chairman of right wing Herut Party
1988 US Congress discontinues aid to Nicaraguan contras
1989 1st Soviet hockey players are permitted to play for the NHL
1989 1st US private commercial rocket takes suborbital test flight (New Mexico)
1989 I M Pei's pyramidal entrance to the Louvre opens in Paris France
1989 Michael Milken, junk bond king, indicted in New York for racketeering
1990 Houston's Akeen Olajuwan scores the 3rd NBA quadruple double 18 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists & 11 blocks vs Milwaukee
1990 NYC's Zodiac killer shoots 2nd victim, Germaine Montenesdro
1994 Coach Jimmy Johnson quits Dallas Cowboys
1996 Cleveland Browns choose new name, Baltimore Ravens
2000 President Clinton told a news conference he was appalled when he first learned his campaign had taken illegal foreign donations in 1996 _ contributions he called both wrong and unneeded.
2000 A federal judge ruled that President Clinton "committed a criminal violation of the Privacy Act" by releasing personal letters to undermine the credibility of Kathleen Willey, one of his accusers.

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

Central African Republic : Death of President Boganda Day (1959)
Delaware : Delaware Swedish Colonial Day (1638)
Madagascar : Commemoration Day/Memorial Day (1947)
Taiwan : Youth Day/Martyr's Day
Vietnam : Veterans' Day (1973)
Alaska : Seward Day (1867) (Monday)
US Virgin Island : Transfer Day (1917) (Monday)
Herb Month in Missouri

Religious Observances
Lutheran : Commemoration of Hans Hauge, renewer of the Church
Anglican : Commemoration of John Keble, priest

Religious History
1523 German reformer Martin Luther wrote in a letter: 'There has never been a great revelation of God's Word unless God has first prepared the way by the rise and the flourishing of languages and learning, as though these were forerunners, a sort of John the Baptist.'
1638 The first Swedish colonists in America established a Lutheran settlement at Fort Christiana in the Colony of Delaware.
1832 The Kentucky Baptist Convention was organized in Frankfort with delegates representing nine congregations within the state.
1847 Birth of Winfield Scott Weeden, American sacred chorister and hymnwriter. During his life he led music and singing schools for the YMCA and Christian Endeavor. Of his several musical compositions, Weeden is best remembered today for the hymn, "I Surrender All."
1882 The Knights of Columbus, founded by Father Michael J. McGivney, was chartered by the General Assembly of Connecticut. Established as a lay fraternal society, the K of C encourages benevolence, patriotism and racial tolerance among its members.

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

Thought for the day :
"Faith will not die while seed catalogs are printed."

Newspaper Headlines in the Year 2035...
Postal Service raises price of first class stamp to $17.89 and reduces mail delivery to Wednesday only.

New State Slogans...
Alabama: At least we're not Mississippi

Female Language Patterns...
"Do what you want." REALLY MEANS,
"You'll pay for this later".

Male Language Patterns...
"I missed you," REALLY MEANS,
"I can't find my sock drawer, the kids are hungry and we are out of toilet paper."

Good morning everyone.

Good morning everyone

We'll see.
Remember it IS monday.

Good morning to you Valin.

John Imboden was not highly regarded by Lee or other high-ranking officers in the Confederate Army.

That is correct... without impugning his service to the wounded from Gettysburg, Stuart chose Imboden because he was the least effective of his calvary leaders.

Throughout the retreat there were many heroes... Imboden deserves recognition for his protection of the wounded. He said it was the worse thing he had to endure... listening to the sound of the wounded as they were marched without medicine, in rickety wagons, through a raging storm.

Stuart provided much protection as he successfully screened the movements of the retreating army...

The rearguard action caused the death of Johnston Pettigrew... If AP Hill had listened to him... that there was dismounted calvary in Gettysburg (Buford's brigade) and not militia... this battle may not have been fought. But, AP HIll dismissed Pettigrew's report because he was from North Carolina...

Imboden was attached to Ewell's advance.

And now for today GOOD NEWS

This is from 4 hours ago.
Mulla Omar reportedly seriously wounded in US raids
(DPA)

29 March 2004

ISLAMABAD - Taleban supreme leader Mulla Mohammad Omar was seriously wounded and four of his body guards killed in a US bombing blitz in the middle of March, the Urdu-lanugage daily Ausaf reported on Monday.

Quoting Dr. Jabbar Aziz, the paper claimed the raid on the Taleban chief’s hideout in the southern Zabul province resulted in serious injuries to Omar’s legs and the left side of his body.

He is now out of danger but would not be able to move for about two months, the paper quoted Dr. Aziz as saying, without explaining how and where the conversation took place.

The daily had been known for its contacts within the Taleban and the Afghanistan-based Al Qaeda leadership until the war on terrorism in Afghanistan began.

Another Taleban leader, known for his heroics against Soviet-Russian troops in the 80s, survived the attack, the paper claimed quoting the physician.

Mulla Omar and his close aides have been on the run since the US-led international coalition against terrorism swept them from power in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

The US is reinforcing the 13,500 strong coalition by dispatching another 2,000 special marines to Afghanistan to help accelerate the hunt for Omar and Osama bin Laden in the southern and southeastern Afghan provinces.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2004/March/subcontinent_March780.xml&section=subcontinent

Be a real shame if he died.
/World-class sarcasm.

Good news indeed, thank you.

Back tonight.

HI snippy!

free dixie,sw

Howdy ma'am

Hi Sam.

Air Power
Vought A-7 Corsair II

The A-7 is a modern, sophisticated, integrated, highly versatile airborne weapon system capable of performing a variety of search, surveillance and attack missions. Often called the SLUFF (short little ugly fat fellow), it was called many other names, but beautiful isn't one of them. It is capable of carrying four external wing-mounted 300 gallon fuel tanks, coupled with a variety of ordnance on remaining stations. The A-7 can also conduct in-flight refueling operations and is capable of transferring over 12,000 pounds of fuel. The A-7 has a fully integrated digital navigation/weapon delivery system, and the integration technique is common to all current US Navy and US Air Force attack aircraft. The avionics system, based on state-of-the-art electronics, digital computing techniques, and an automation philosophy, provide unparalleled mission effectiveness and flexibility. With its Forward-Looking InfraRed (FLIR) capability, the A-7's night attack accuracy is equivalent to its day attack accuracy

As applied to an aircraft, the name Corsair has its origins in a series of famous biplanes built for the Navy by the Vought Corporation between World Wars I and II. Later, the name was applied to the famous Vought F4U series of fighters flown by Navy and Marine pilots during World War II. The modern-day descendant of these historic aircraft is the Vought A-7 Corsair II.

Compared with the F-8, the A-7A had a shorter fuselage with less sweepback on the wing, and without that F-8 Crusader’s adjustable wing incidence. Outboard ailerons were introduced on the A-7 wing, and the structure was strengthened to allow the wings and fuselage to carry a total ordnance load of 15,000 lbs on eight stations (two fuselage each with 500 lb capacity, two inboard on the wings with 2,500 lb capacity each, and four on the outer wings with 3,500 lb capacity each) for more than 200 combinations of different stores. The A-7A incorporated the 11,350 lb thrust Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-6 turbo-fan engine which had been developed for the F-111. The engine for the A-7, however, was not to have an after-burner.

That the lineage of the A-7 can be traced directly to the Vought F-8 Crusader fighter is obvious. Like the F-8, the configuration of the A-7 is characterized by a high wing, low horizontal tail, chin inlet, and short landing-gear legs that retract into the fuselage. Since the A-7 is a subsonic aircraft, however, no area ruling is incorporated in the fuselage, which is also shorter and deeper than that of the supersonic F-8. Because of the larger mass flow of the turbofan engine employed in the A-7, the size of the chin inlet is somewhat larger than that of the turbojet-powered F-8. These differences make the A-7 appear shorter and more stubby than the earlier fighter. The A-7 is sometimes unofficially called the SLUF (Short Little Ugly Fella) USAF crews.

The wing of the A-7 is closely related in geometry and physical size to that of the F-8. Leading flaps and single-slotted trailing-edge flaps are fitted to the wing, as are upper surface spoilers located ahead of the flaps. Not used on the A-7 is the unique variable-incidence feature of the F-8 wing. The shorter length of the fuselage together with the slight "upsweep" of the underside of the afterbody allow the A-7 to be rotated to a significantly higher pitch angle on takeoff and landing, without tail scrape, than was possible for the F-8. The higher available ground pitch attitude, together with the good augmentation capability of the high-lift system, no doubt played a large part in obviating the need for a variable-incidence capability in the wing. Speed brakes are located on the bottom of the fuselage about midway between the nose and the tail. A braking chute is provided for use in shore-based operations. The A-7A began Vietnam combat operations in December 1967, and proved to be one of the most effective Navy close support and strike aircraft in that conflict. A-7E Corsair IIs were part of the two-carrier battle group that conducted a joint strike on selected Libyan terrorist-related targets in 1986. Together with carrier-based F/A-18s, A-7s used anti-radiation missiles to neutralize Libyan air defenses. During Desert Storm, the A-7 demonstrated over 95% operational readiness and did not miss a single combat sortie.

The A-7 is one of those aircraft with a demonstrated capability of performing well in a wide variety of missions. Other aircraft are faster or have a greater range-payload capability or have a faster rate of climb; sometimes, certain of these characteristics is deemed so important that it dominates the entire design. What results is a "point design" aircraft that can perform one mission extremely well but is relatively much less effective in any other mission. The design parameters of the A-7 were chosen so that the aircraft has great mission versatility. It was successfully employed in just about every conceivable attack role during the Vietnam conflict where it first saw action in 1967.

Specifications:
Primary Function: Attack
Contractor: Ling-Temco-Vought (Prime, now Northrop Grumman Corp.)
Power Plant: Single Allison/Rolls Royce TF41-A-400 non-afterburning turbofan engine with a static thrust rating of 15,000 pounds
Crew: A-7E Pilot only / TA-7C Two seats
Unit Cost: $2,860,000 (A-7D)
First Flight: September 27, 1965 (A-7A)
End of Service: 1993 (still in service with Greece and Portugal)
Number Built: A-7A (199) + A-7B (196) + A-7C (67) + 1,107 others [~1,569 total]
Achievements: One of the most accurate strike aircraft ever built

Performance:
Maximum speed at 20,000 feet: Mach .94 (A-7E/TA/7C)
Range: greater than 1,900 nautical miles

Dimensions:
Wing Span: 11.8m/ 38.73 ft
Length: overall 14.06m/ 46.13 ft
Height: overall 4.90m/ 16.06 ft
Weights: (with TF41-A-2 engine):
Combat (Clean A/P) 25,834 lbs
Maximum takeoff (Overload) 42,000 lbs
Maximum takeoff (Normal) 37,279 lbs
Maximum landing (Carrier) 25,300 lbs

Avionics & Countermeasures:
ALQ-119 ECM [Westinghouse]
ALQ-131 ECM [Westinghouse]
ALQ-123 IR countermeasures [Xerox]
ALQ-126 DECM [Sanders]
ALQ-162 tactical communications jammer [Eaton AIL]
ALQ-162 radar jammer [Northrup]

Armaments:
One internally mounted M61A1 20 mm six barrel cannon (A-7E/TA-7C)
Six wing pylons
Two fuselage launch stations
Pylons can carry a large single weapon, multiple racks capable of six weapons per rack, or triple racks with three weapons per rack.
Can carry 15,000 pounds of payload
Compatible with practically all first line ordnance used by the U.S./USAF/NATO.

Mission and Capabilities:
Modern, sophisticated, integrated, highly versatile airborne weapon system platform
Capable of performing a variety of search, surveillance, and attack missions
Can carry four externally wing-mounted 300 gallon fuel tanks, coupled with a variety of ordnance on remaining stations.
Can conduct in-flight refueling operations
Capable of transferring more than 12,000 pounds of fuel
Fully integrated digital navigation/weapon delivery system is common to all current USN/USAF attack aircraft.

All information and pictures copyright of Global Security.org

Every detail shouts "carrier patrol bomber". Highly optimised for the role, and an excellent piece of work.

The SBD (old Slow But Deadly, the destroyer of the Japanese Navy) of it's day.