In 1836, Courtland Alabama sent 60 young men off to fight for Texas independence. Only three returned home...
The battle of Coleto, the culmination of the Goliad Campaign of 1836, occurred near Coleto Creek in Goliad County on March 19 and 20, 1836. Originally called "the battle of the prairie" and "la batalla del encinal [oak grove] del Perdido [Creek]," it was one of the most significant engagements of the Texas Revolution. The battle, however, cannot properly be considered as isolated from the series of errors and misfortunes that preceded it, errors for which the Texas commander, James W. Fannin, Jr., was ultimately responsible. The most exasperating decision confronting Fannin was whether to abandon Goliad after having fortified it, and if so, when. He had already been informed of Gen. José de Urrea's advancing Mexican army by Plácido Benavides, after the defeat of Texas forces under Francis W. Johnson and James Grant at the battles of San Patricio and Agua Dulce Creek. The Mexican advance caused the Texans to abandon the port of Copano, thus making Goliad considerably less important strategically, as Fannin knew. He had received word that the Alamo had fallen as well. Still, he continued to fortify Fort Defiance, as he christened the La Bahía presidio, and awaited orders from superiors to abandon the site, knowing also that a retreat would not be well received among his men, who were eager to confront the Mexicans.
Coleto Battlefield
More immediately consequential to the battle of Coleto was Fannin's dispatching Amon B. King's men and then William Ward and the Georgia Battalion to Refugio, a move primarily induced by the activities of Carlos de la Garza and his rancheros, who were operating as advance cavalry for General Urrea. Not only did the decision to send Ward and King into Urrea's known path dangerously divide the Goliad garrison, thus reducing by about 150 the men Fannin would be able to bring against Urrea at Coleto Creek, but the move became the main reason Fannin waited so long to abandon Goliad. He refused to do so until he learned of King and Ward's fate, even after he received Sam Houston's order to fall back to Victoria.
Since King had taken the Goliad garrison's wagons and teams with him to Refugio, however, Fannin delayed his retreat further, awaiting the arrival of Albert C. Horton's men from Guadalupe Victoria, who were bringing needed carts and twenty yokes of oxen garnered by army quartermaster John J. Linn. Accounts are not in agreement, but Horton apparently arrived by March 16. In addition, by capturing virtually all of Fannin's couriers sent to find King and Ward, Urrea learned the details of the Goliad commander's plans and schemed accordingly. Fannin, however, was unable to find out his opponent's true strength or position, though on March 17 Horton's cavalry did discover Col. Juan Morales approaching with the Jiménez and San Luis battalions, 500 veterans of the battle of the Alamo whom Antonio López de Santa Anna had sent from Bexar to reinforce Urrea.
Fannin finally learned of King and Ward's defeat in the battle of Refugio from Hugh McDonald Frazer on March 17, but he still did not order the retreat to Victoria until the next day. March 18 was spent instead in a series of skirmishes between Horton's cavalry and Urrea's advance forces, which by then had reached Goliad. Fannin, thinking the fort was about to be besieged, kept the garrison on alert and attempted no retreat even that night, the result of a council decision based on Horton's observations. During this delay the oxen, which were to be hitched to the carts made ready for the removal to Victoria, were left unfed.
Alabama Red Rovers
At last the Texans began their retreat, by 9:00 A.M. on March 19 under a heavy fog. Fannin insisted on taking nine cumbersome artillery pieces of various calibers and about 1,000 muskets, though he neglected to take enough water and food for more than a few meals. The carts were heavily loaded, the hungry oxen were tired and unruly, and progress was slow. Urrea, expecting to lay siege to the fort, was unaware of Fannin's departure until 11:00 A.M. But the Texans forfeited about an hour of their lead while crossing the San Antonio River; a cart broke down, and the largest cannon fell into the river and had to be fished out. Another valuable hour was lost when Fannin ordered the oxen detached for grazing after the column had proceeded about a mile past Manahuilla Creek. J ohn Shackelford, Burr H. Duval, and Ira Westover protested this stop, arguing that the column should not rest until reaching the protection of the Coleto Creek timber. Shackelford particularly noted his commander's contempt for the Mexican army's prowess and his disbelief that Urrea would dare follow them-an assumption apparently common among Fannin's men.
Urrea had quickly left Goliad without his artillery and the full complement of his force in order to narrow Fannin's two-hour lead. Mexican sources indicate that he set out with eighty cavalrymen and 360 infantrymen. He discovered through his mounted scouts the location of Fannin's column and that the rebel force was considerably smaller than supposed, information that prompted him to return 100 infantrymen to Goliad to help secure Presidio La Bahía and escort the artillery ordered to join him as soon as possible. Horton's approximately thirty cavalrymen served as advance guards on all sides of Fannin's column. The un-alert rear guard, however, which included Hermann Ehrenberg, failed to detect the Mexican cavalry. Meanwhile, the Texans had scarcely resumed march after resting the oxen before another cart broke down; its contents had to be transferred to another wagon. Fannin then sent Horton to scout the Coleto Creek timber, now in sight, when the Mexican cavalry emerged from behind them. Upon overtaking the lumbering Texan position at about 1:30 P.M., the Mexican commander ordered his cavalry to halt Fannin's advance toward the protective timber. Fannin set up a skirmish line with artillery while the column attempted to reach Coleto Creek, about two miles distant.
Flag of the Alabama Red Rovers. Like their uniforms, this solid blood red flag was the banner of the Red Rovers, a company of volunteers from Alabama who came to Texas in fall 1835 to aid the Texan forces. The Red Rovers were in large part massacred at Goliad on Palm Sunday, 27 Mar 1836, although some survivors were among them.
Perceiving the danger, he then formed his men into a moving square and continued toward the closer timber of Perdido Creek, which was less than a mile away when the Texans were overtaken by Mexican cavalry. Caught in a valley some six feet below its surroundings, the Texans were trying to get to the more defensible higher ground about 400 to 500 yards distant, when their ammunition cart broke down. While Fannin called a council to determine the feasibility of taking what ammunition they could and reaching the timber, Urrea, seeing his advantage, attacked.
With little water, and situated in an open prairie covered with high grass that occluded vision of their enemy, Fannin's men made ready their defense. Their hollow square was three ranks deep. Each man received three or four muskets. Bayonets, rifles, more than forty pairs of pistols, and abundant ammunition complemented this arsenal. The San Antonio Greys and Red Rovers formed the front line; Duval's Mustangs and others, including Frazer's Refugio militia, formed the rear. The left flank was defended by Westover's regulars, the right by the Mobile Greys. The artillery was placed in the corners (except when moved as needed), and Fannin assumed a command position in the rear of the right flank. In addition, an outpost of sharpshooters formed around Abel Morgan's hospital wagon, which had become immobilized earlier when an ox was hit by Mexican fire.
Soon after Urrea's cavalry managed to stop Fannin's retreat, the Mexican general amassed his troops and attacked the square. The rifle companies under Morales assaulted the left, the grenadiers and part of the San Luis Battalion charged the right under Urrea's direct supervision, the Jiménez Battalion under Col. Mariano Salas attacked the front, and Col. Gabriel Núñez's cavalry charged the rear.
Mexican cannons fire at the Texians
Sources differ widely about the numbers of men involved on March 19. Fannin defended his position with about 300 men. Urrea wrote that he had eighty cavalry and 260 infantry at the time the Texans were overtaken, a figure confirmed by Peña, who also stressed that most of the Mexican troops were Alamo veterans. Many Texas sources give unrealistically high numbers for Urrea's pursuit force. Clearly the Mexican general set out with only a small force of veteran troops to ensure catching Fannin, and left orders for a larger force, including artillery, to follow and aid in battling the Texans once they were caught. It seems likely that Urrea had between 300 and 500 men when he overtook Fannin, and after receiving reinforcements by morning, March 20, he had between 700 and 1,000.
The battle of Coleto lasted until after sunset on March 19. The Texans made effective use of their bayonets, multiple muskets, and nine cannons; their square remained unbroken. Dr. Joseph H. Barnard recorded that seven of his comrades had been killed and sixty wounded (forty severely), Fannin among them. The Mexican general was impressed with both the "withering fire of the enemy" and their ability to repulse his three charges. Ironically, Urrea retired because of ammunition depletion. His casualties were heavy as well, though accounts vary widely. He then positioned snipers in the tall grass around the square and inflicted additional casualties before Texan sharpshooters were able to quell these attacks by firing at the flashes illuminating the darkness. Ultimately, the Texans under Fannin suffered ten deaths on March 19.
Fannin's men hardly felt defeated and anxiously awaited Horton's return with reinforcements from Guadalupe Victoria. None came, however, for Horton was unable to cut through the Mexican lines. William Ward and the Georgia Battalion, defeated in the battle of Refugio, were close enough to hear the Coleto gunfire during their retreat to Victoria, but were exhausted and hungry. Urrea knew from captured couriers that Ward and Fannin would try to rendezvous at Victoria, so with the aid of Carlos de la Garza's men, he kept the Georgia Battalion isolated in the Guadalupe river bottom until they surrendered. At the Coleto battlefield, Urrea posted detachments at three points around Fannin's square to prevent escape and kept the Texans on stiff watch throughout the night with false bugle calls.
Texians return fire with their cannons
Fannin's position became critical during the night because the lack of water and inability to light fires made treating the wounded impossible; the situation was made even more unbearable by a cold and rainy norther. The cries of the wounded demoralized everyone. The lack of water, which was required to cool and clean the cannons during fire, also guaranteed that the artillery would be ineffective the next day, especially considering that the artillerists had sustained a high number of casualties. Furthermore, ammunition was low. A council among Fannin and his officers weighing these facts concluded that they could not sustain another battle. The proposition to escape to the Perdido or Coleto creek timber under dark and before Urrea received reinforcements was rejected, since after much debate the men unanimously voted not to abandon the wounded, among whom the unwounded all had friends or relatives. They therefore began digging trenches and erecting barricades of carts and dead animals in preparation for the next day's battle. By the time this was completed, the Mexican position had been reinforced with munitions, fresh troops, and two or three artillery pieces from Goliad. Urrea placed his artillery on the slopes overlooking the Texan position and grouped for battle at 6:15 A.M., March 20.
After the Mexican artillery had fired one or possibly two rounds, Fannin was convinced that making another stand would be futile. Another consultation among his officers produced the decision to seek honorable terms for surrender for the sake of the wounded, and to hope the Mexicans would adhere to them. Fannin's men apparently drafted terms of surrender guaranteeing that they would be considered prisoners of war, that their wounded would be treated, and that they sooner or later would be paroled to the United States. But Urrea could not ratify such an agreement; he was bound by Santa Anna's orders and congressional decree to accept no terms other than unconditional surrender. He made it clear to Fannin in person that he could offer only to intercede on the Texans' behalf with Santa Anna. The extant document of capitulation, signed by Benjamin C. Wallace, Joseph M. Chadwick, and Fannin, shows that the Texas commander surrendered his men "subject to the disposition of the supreme government"; but Fannin apparently did not make this fact clear to his men, since survivors' accounts indicate that the Texans were led to believe they were surrendering honorably as prisoners of war and would be returned to the United States. This discrepancy is significant only in light of the ultimate fate of Fannin's command. Nevertheless, traditional Texan renditions inaccurately imply some insidious conspiracy in the surrender episode.
Map of Fort Defiance, La Bahia Mission, March 2, 1836
Those Texans able to walk were escorted back to Goliad. Texas physicians were made to care for the Mexican wounded to the neglect of their own men. Many of the Texas wounded were not transported to Goliad for three days; Fannin himself was left on the field for two. Urrea, meanwhile, continued his advance to secure Guadalupe Victoria, from where he wrote Santa Anna recommending clemency for the Goliad prisoners. One week after Fannin's surrender, however, Santa Anna bypassed Urrea and ordered Col. José Nicolás de la Portilla, the commander at Goliad, to carry out the congressional decree of December 30, 1835, that captured armed rebels must be executed as pirates. Fannin's entire command, were shot in the Goliad Massacre on Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836.
Craig H. Roell
NOTE: The Red Rovers of Courtland Alabama were not the only group of Alabama volunteers who participated in the War for Texas Independence. Huntsville contributed as many as seventy men in a company known as the Huntsville Volunteers, Montgomery sent the Alabama Greys, and Mobile provided the Mobile Greys. Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana and Tennessee also sent volunteer companies. Individuals from many other states also offered their services.
A Survivor's Account of the Goliad Massacre
Introduced by Murray Montgomery
There is a day in Texas history that quite possibly could be considered one of the most tragic. On that day, March 27, 1836, General Santa Anna ordered the execution of some 380 Texas army soldiers - they were prisoners of war. The men were part of the command of Col. James W. Fannin, Jr. and they had surrendered to the Mexican army on March 20, 1836, at the battle of Coleto Creek. Fannin had received assurances from the Mexican field commander, Gen. Jose Urrea, that the Texans would eventually be paroled and sent to New Orleans. Although Urrea probably had good intentions, Santa Anna over-ruled him and commanded that the prisoners be slaughtered.
Le presidio La Bahia.
A young German by the name of Von H. Ehrenberg was in the Texas army and was one of the few that escaped the Goliad massacre. Ehrenberg wrote about his experiences in the Texas Revolution; selected passages from his work, "A Campaign in Texas" appeared in The Gonzales Inquirer in 1853.
Ehrenberg was an eyewitness and participant in this historic event - he wrote about it 17 years later. I'm of the opinion that his memory was still very clear and I'd be inclined to believe his description of what really took place on that terrible day.
Following are excerpts of Ehrenberg's article as he tells of his experience on that tragic Palm Sunday in 1836. (Note: The spelling and grammar is that of the author, nothing has been changed in the article).
After the names had been called, the order to march was given, and we filed out through the gates of the fortress, the Greys [New Orleans Greys, a volunteer unit from Louisiana] taking the lead. Outside the gate we were received by two detachments of Mexican infantry, who marched along on either side of us, in the same order as ourselves. We were 400 in number, and the enemy about 700, not including the cavalry, of which numerous small groups were scattered about the prairie.
Portrait of Fannin said to be by Fannin's cousin, Samuel F. B. Morse
We marched in silence, not, however, in the direction we had anticipated, but along the road to Victoria. This surprised us but, upon reflection, we concluded that they were conducting us to some eastern port, thence to be shipped to New Orleans, which, upon the whole, was perhaps the best and shortest plan.
There was something, however, in the profound silence of the Mexican soldiers, who are usually unceasing chatters, that inspired me with a feeling of uneasiness and anxiety. It was like a funeral march, and truly might it be so called. Presently I turned my head to see if Miller's people had joined, and were marching with us. But to my extreme astonishment, neither they nor Fannin's men or the battalion, were to be seen.
They had separated from us without our observing it, and the detachment with which I was marching consisted only of the Greys and a few Texan colonists. Glancing at the escort, their full dress uniform, and the absence of all baggage, now for the first time struck me. I thought of the bloody scenes that had occurred at Tampico, San Patricio, and the Alamo, of the false and cruel character of those in whose power we were, and I was seized with a presentiment of evil.
A quarter of an hour had elapsed since our departure from the fort, when suddenly the command was given in Spanish to wheel to the left, leaving the road: and as we did not understand the order, the officer himself went in front to show the way, and my companions followed without taking any particular notice of the change of direction.
Francis W. Johnson
We were marched along the side of the hedge towards the stream, and suddenly the thought flashed across us, "Why are they taking us in this direction?" The appearance of a number of lancers, cantering about in the fields on our right, also startled us; and just as the foot soldiers who had been marching between us and the hedge, changed their places, and joined those of their comrades, who guarded us on the other hand.
Before we could divine the reason of this maneuver the word was soon given to halt. It came like a sentence of death; for at the same moment it was uttered, the sound of a volley of musketry echoed across the prairie. We then thought of our comrades and our probable fate.
"Kneel down!" Now burst in harsh accents from the lips of the Mexican commander. No one stirred. Few of us understood the order, and those who did would not obey. The Mexican soldiers, who stood at about three paces from us, leveled their muskets at our breasts. Even then we could hardly believe that they meant to shoot us; for if we had, we should assuredly have rushed forward in our desperation, and, weaponless though we were, some of our murders would have met their death at our hands.
The sound of a second volley, from a different direction then the first just then reached our ears, and was followed by a confused cry, as if those at whom it had been aimed, had not all been immediately killed. A thick cloud of smoke was wreathing and curling towards the San Antonio River.
The blood of our lieutenant was on my clothes, and around me lay my friends convulsed with their last agony. I saw nothing more. Unhurt myself, I sprang up and, concealed by the thick smoke, fled along the hedge in the direction of the river, the noise of the water for my guide.
On I went, the river rolled at my feet, the shouting and yelling behind. "Texas forever!" And without a moment's hesitation, I plunged into the water. The bullets whistled round me as I swam slowly and wearily to the other side, but none wounded me.
Whilst these horrible scenes were occurring on the prairies, Col. Fannin and his wounded companions were shot and bayoneted at Goliad, only Dr. Shackleford and a few hospital aids having their lives spared, in order that they might attend the wounded Mexicans.
Additional Sources: threepdr.tripod.com
www.tsl.state.tx.us
www.texasescapes.com
www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/
www.taliesyn.com/ralph
www.click2flicks.com/stories/the_alamo/images
www.presidiolabahia.org
On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on May 19:
1469 Giovanni della Robbia Italian sculptor
1611 Innocent XI [Benedetto Odescalchi] Italy, 240th Roman Catholic Pope (1676-89)
1616 Johann Jacob Froberger German singer/organist/composer
1795 Johns Hopkins philanthropist, founded Johns Hopkins University
1808 Samuel Jameson Gholson Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1883
1812 Felix Kirk Zollicoffer Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1862
1815 John Gross Barnard Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1882
1828 Adin Ballou Underwood Brevet Major General (Union volunteers)
1858 Roland Napoleon Bonaparte French officer/traveller (Surinam)
1859 Nellie Melba [Heal Mitchell] Australian soprano (Peach Melba)
1860 Victor E Orlando Italy's premier (1917-19)
1864 Carl Ethan Akeley US, naturalist, developed animal mount process
1890 Ho Chi Minh leader of Vietnam// Communist Thug (1946, 1969)
1913 Albert Hardy photographer
1915 Pol Pot dictator/mass murderer
1925 Malcolm X [Little] Omaha NE, assassinated leader of black muslims
1928 Anthony C B Chapman England, sports car builder/autoracer (Formula 1)
1929 Harvey Cox US theologist (Secular City)
1934 James Charles Lehrer Wichita KS, news anchor (McNeil-Lehrer Report)
1935 David Hartman Pawtucket RI, TV personality (Good Morning America)
1939 Nancy Kwan Hong Kong, actress (Flower Drum Song, World of Suzie Wong)
1940 Frank Lorenzo airline executive (Continental, Texas Air, Eastern)
1940 Joan Staley playmate (November 1958)
1941 Jimmy Hoffa Jr son of Jimmy Hoffa/Teamster union leader
1941 Nora Ephron New York NY, novelist/screenwriter/director (Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, Michael, Heartburn)
1945 Peter Townshend England, rock guitarist/vocalist/composer (The Who-Tommy)
1946 Phillip Rudd Melbourne Australia, rock drummer (AC/DC-Rock 'n Roll Damnation)
1947 Jerry Hyman Brooklyn NY, rock singer/trombonist (Blood Sweat & Tears)
1948 Grace Jones [Mendoza] Spanishtown Jamaica, singer/actress(?) (Vamp)
1948 Jean-Pierre Haignere France, cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-17)
1948 Tom Scott Los Angeles CA, saxophonist/bandleader (Pat Sajak Show)
1949 Dusty Hill rocker (ZZ Top)
1951 Joey Ramone [Jeffrey Hyman] Forest Hills NY, punk rocker (Ramones-Baby I Love You)
1955 Pierre J Thuot Groton CT, Lieutenant Commander USN/astronaut (STS 36, 49, 62)
1956 Steven Ford East Grand Rapids MI, actor (When Harry Met Sally, Young & Restless)/son of President Gerald Ford
1959 Nicole Brown Simpson Frankford Germany, Mrs OJ Simpson (murdered in 1994)
1968 Jeanne Basone Brubank CA, wrestler (Hollywood-GLOW)
1976 Kevin Garnett NBA forward/MVP (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Deaths which occurred on May 19:
0804 Alcuin of York English scholar, dies in Tours France at 69
0988 Dunstan[us] English archbishop of Canterbury, dies
1296 Celestine V [Pietro del Murrone] Pope (1294), dies
1536 Anne Boleyn Queen of England/wife of Henry VIII, beheaded
1536 Lord Rochford English brother of Anna Boleyn, beheaded
1786 John Stanley composer, dies at 74
1795 Josiah Bartlett US physician/judge (signed Declaration of Independence), dies at 65
1864 Nathaniel Hawthorne US, writer (Scarlet Letter), dies
1895 José J Marti y Perez Spanish/Cuban poet (Versos sencillos), dies
1928 Henry Franklin Belknap Gilbert composer, dies at 59
1928 Max Scheler German philosopher, dies at 53
1935 Thomas E Lawrence (of Arabia) dies in a motorcycle crash
1954 Charles Edward Ives US composer (Unanswered Question), dies at 79
1958 Ronald Colman British actor/heartthrob (Prisoner of Zenda), dies at 67
1966 Tortoise reportedly given to Tonga's king by Captain Cook (1773), dies
1969 Coleman Hawkins US jazz musician/composer, dies
1971 Ogden Nash poet/TV panelist (Masquerade Party), dies at 68
1988 Virginia Farmer actresss (Cyrano de Bergerac), dies at 90
1991 Douglas L Mays cartoonist (Punch), dies
1994 Henry Morgan TV panalist (To Tell the Truth), dies of cancer at 74
1994 Jacqueline [Lee Bouvier] Kennedy Onassis 1st lady (1961-63), dies of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at 64
1994 Luis Ocana Span cyclist (Tour de France 1973), commits suicide at 48
1996 Johnny "Guitar" Watson musician, dies at 61
1996 Margaret Rawlings actress (Roman Holiday), dies at 89
1997 Millie dog of President Bush (Millie's Book), dies at 12
Reported: MISSING in ACTION
1965 DONOVAN LEROY M.---CEDAREDGE CO.
[ ACFT OVERDUE]
1965 HARPER RICHARD K.---BURLINGTON MA.
[ACFT OVERDUE]
1967 ANDERSON GARETH L.---FALMOUTH MA.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV, DECEASED 1974]
1967 GRIFFIN JAMES LLOYD---GATES TN.
[03/13/74 REMAINS RETURNED]
1967 HELLBACH HAROLD J.---NEW ORLEANS LA.
[REMAINS RETURNED 1997 ID'D 05/98]
1967 KNIGHT ROY A. JR.---MILLSAP TX.
1967 MC DANIEL EUGENE B.---KINSTON NC.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 METZGER WILLIAM J.---WISCONSIN RAPIDS WI.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 PATTERSON JAMES K.---LONG BEACH CA.
[PROB CAPTURED WITH BROKEN LEG]
1967 PLUMB JOSEPH C.---MISSION KS.
[02/18/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 RICH RICHARD---STAMFORD CT.
1967 RUSSELL KAY---CORSICANA TX.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV,DECEASED]
1967 STARK WILLIAM R.---CORANADO CA.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 WALTERS JACK JR.---WHITEVILLE NC.
[03/13/74 REMAINS RETURNED]
1968 DAVIES JOSEPH E.---ALEXANDRIA VA.
1968 MC CUBBIN GLENN D.---ALMENA KS.
1972 MOTT DAVID P.---FARGO ND.
[03/27/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1972 NICHOLS AUBREY A.---EL PASO TX.
[03/28/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1972 THOMAS WILLIAM E.---PITTSBURG PA.
[03/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE AND WELL 96/98]
POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.
On this day...
715 St Gregory II begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1506 Columbus selects his son Diego as sole heir
1515 George van Saksen-Meissen sells Friesland for 100,000 gold guilders to arch duke Charles
1568 English queen Elizabeth I arrests Scottish queen Mary
1571 Miguel Lopez de Lagazpi founded Manilla in the Phillipines
1585 Spain confisquates English ships
1588 Spanish Armada sets sail for Lisbon, bound to England
1635 France declares war on Spain
1643 Battle at Rocroi/Allersheim: French army destroys Spanish army
1643 Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut & New Harbor form United Colonies of New England
1662 Uniformity Act of England goes into effect
1749 George II grants charter to Ohio Company to settle Ohio Valley
1780 About midday, near-total darkness descends on much of New England to this day its cause is still unexplained
1792 Russian army enters Poland
1796 Game protection law restricts encroachment on Indian hunting grounds
1848 México gives Texas to US, ending the war
1856 Senator Charles Sumner, Massachusetts, spoke out against slavery
1857 William Francis Channing & Moses G Farmer patents electric fire alarm
1862 Homestead Act becomes law provides cheap land for settlement of West
1863 Siege of Vicksburg, investment of city complete
1864 Battle of Port Walthall Junction VA (Bermuda Hundred)
1864 Last engagement in series of battles known as Spotsylvania
1864 Skirmish at Cassville GA
1884 Ringling Brothers circus premieres
1885 1st mass production of shoes (Jan Matzeliger in Lynn MA)
1885 German chancellor Bismarck takes possession of Cameroon & Togoland
1891 Rice Institute, which became Rice University, is chartered
1892 Charles Brady King invents pneumatic hammer
1892 National Society of Colonial Dames of America founded
1893 Heavy rain washes "quick clay" into a deep valley, kills 111 (Norway)
1896 1st auto (Benz) to arrive in Netherlands
1898 Post Office authorizes use of postcards
1900 Great Britain annexes Tonga archipelago
1902 Great Britain & Boers resume peace talks in Pretoria
1905 Italian King Victor Emmanuel & Swiss President open world's longest railroad tunnel (Simplon) links Iselle Italy & Brig Switzerland
1905 Tom Jenkins beats Frank Gotcha for heavyweight wrestling champion
1906 Federated Boys' Club (Boys' Club of America) organizes
1910 Cleveland Indian Cy Young gets his 500th win, beats Washington 5-4 in 11 innings
1911 Philadelphia Athletics are 12½ games back in American League, & win the World Series
1912 American League president Ban Johnson tells Tigers if they continue protest of Ty Cobb's suspension, they will be banned from baseball
1913 Webb Alien Land-Holding Bill passes, forbidding Japs from owning land
1916 Escadrille Américaine (Lafayette) transfered to Verdun
1921 Congress sharply curbs immigration, setting a national quota system
1923 KPD (communist revolts) in German Ruhr cities occupied by Allies
1926 French air force bombs Damascus Syria
1928 "Firedamp" explodes in Mather PA coal mine killing 195 of 273 miners
1928 51 frogs enter 1st annual "Frog Jumping Jubilee" (Angel's Camp CA)
1929 Cloudburst causes stampede in Yankee Stadium; 2 people crushed to death
1929 General Feng Yu-Xiang of China declares war on Chiang Kai-Shek Government
1930 White woman win voting rights in South-Africa
1934 Sherlock Holmes crossword puzzle in "Saturday Review of Literature"; Males who solved puzzle become members of Baker Street Irregulars
1935 NFL adopts an annual college draft to begin in 1936
1939 Churchill signs British-Russian anti-Nazi pact
1940 French counter attack at Péronne under General De Gaulle
1941 German occupiers in Holland forbid bicycle taxis
1941 New Nazi battleship Bismarck leaves Gdynia, Poland
1943 Berlin is declared "Judenrien" (free of Jews)
1944 240 gypsies transported to Auschwitz from Westerbork Netherlands
1944 German defense line in Italy collapsed
1951 UN begins counter offensive in Korea
1953 Nuclear explosion in Nevada (fall-out in St George UT)
1954 Postmaster General Summerfield approves CIA mail-opening project
1958 "South Pacific" soundtrack album goes to #1 & stays #1 for 31 weeks
1958 US & Canada form North American Air Defense Command (NORAD)
1960 Alan Freed & eight other DJs accused of taking radio payola
1960 Belgian parliament requires rest day for self employed
1960 Juan Marichal debuts as San Fransisco Giant pitcher, beats Phillies on 1 hitter
1960 USAF Major Robert M White takes X-15 to Mach 6
1962 Stan Musial breaks Honus Wagner's National League hit record with 3,431
1962 US performs nuclear test at Christmas Island (atmospheric)
1964 US diplomats find at least 40 secret microphones in the Moscow embassy
1965 Patricia R Harris named 1st US black female ambassador (Luxembourg)
1967 US bombs Hanoi
1967 USSR ratifies treaty with England & US banning nuclear weapons in space
1971 USSR launches Mars 2, 1st spacecraft to crash land on Mars
1974 Valeri Giscard d'Estaing wins French presidential election
1975 Junko Tabei is 1st woman to climb to the top of Mount Everest
1976 Gold ownership legalized in Australia
1976 Senate establishes permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (still haven't found any)
1977 "Smokey & the Bandit" premieres
1979 "In The Navy" by Village People hits #3
1981 Pirate Jim Bibby gives up a leadoff single to Brave Terry Harper, then retires the next 27 batters
1982 Sophia Loren jailed in Naples for tax evasion
1983 NASA launches Intelsat V
1983 Weird Al Yankovic gives live performance at Wax Museum in Washington DC
1984 Pat LaFontaine scores 2 goals within 22 seconds in an NHL playoff game
1984 STS 41-D vehicle moves to launch pad
1986 Anti-apartheid activist Hélène Pastoors sentenced to 10 years in South Africa
1988 Carlos Lehder Rivas, of Colombia's Medellín drug cartel, is convicted in Florida for smuggling more than 3 tons of cocaine into US
1989 Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) last appearance on Dallas
1991 Willy T Ribbs becomes 1st black driver to make Indianapolis 500
1992 27th Amendment ratified, prohibits Congress from raising its salary
1992 Amy Fisher shoots Mary Jo Buttafuoco in Massapequa Long Island New York
1992 Englishman Dave Gauder, 224 lbs, pulls 196 ton jumbo jet, 3 inches
1992 Ric Flair wins NWA wrestling title
1992 Vice President Dan Quayle sites Murphy Brown as a poor example of family values
1993 Boeing 727 crashes into mountain at Medellín Colombia, kills 132
1994 Tennis star Jennifer Capriati (18), checks into a drug rehab center
1995 World's youngest doctor, Balamurali Ambati, 17, graduates Mount Sinai
1996 STS 77 (Endeavour 11), launches into orbit
1998 - Justice Department sues Microsoft
2161 8 of 9 planets aligned on same side of sun
Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"
Finland : Flag Day of the Army
Turkey : Youth & Sports Day
Vietnam : Ho Chi Minh's Birthday (1890)
National : Bike to Work Week (Day 4)
National : Pickle Week (Day 4)
National Mime Month
Religious Observances
Christian : St Ives
Anglican, Lutheran : Commemoration of St Dunstan, archbishop of Canterbury
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Peter Celestine, pope
St Yvo of Kermartin Feast day
Religious History
1662 England's King Charles II approved a bill requiring all ministers to assent publicly to the Anglican "Book of Common Prayer."
1740 English revivalist George Whitefield wrote in a letter: 'True faith is not merely in the head, but in the heart.'
1885 The complete Old and New Testament English Revised Version (EV or ERV) of the Bible was first published in England. After a promised 20-year wait, U.S. scholars on the ERV committee published an "Americanized" edition in 1905, known afterward as the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible.
1939 Death of Howard B. Grose, 88, U.S. Baptist leader and author of the hymn, "Give of Your Best to the Master." At one time president of South Dakota State University, Grose also worked with American Baptist publications and home missions.
1971 "Godspell" first opened at the Cherry Lane Theater in New York City. The musical by Stephen Schwartz is based on the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, and is still produced by secular and religious theater groups today.
Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.
Thought for the day :
"Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance."
Actual Newspaper Headlines...
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge
Why did the Chicken cross the Road...
Bob Dole:
Bob Dole says "To get to the other side."
Fun things to do when driving...
Hang numerous car-fresheners in the rear-view mirror.
Talk to them, stroking them lovingly.
What an employee Really Means...
"I'M EXTREMELY ADEPT AT ALL MANNER OF OFFICE ORGANIZATION:"
I've used Microsoft Office.