Posted on 04/06/2005 9:41:34 PM PDT by SAMWolf
Francisco was with the troops at Fort Mifflin on Port Island in the Delaware River from late October to mid-November. This post was abandoned under ferocious British shelling, forcing the defenders into the wintry hell of Valley Forge, where Francisco was hospitalized for two of those agonizing months.
For the next three years, Francisco followed his commanders through a succession of engagements. In several instances he performed exploits of such an extraordinary and courageous nature that by war's end he became generally recognized as "the most famous private soldier of the Revolutionary War."
On July 15-16, 1779 the young Goliath took part in the daring surprise attack led by General "Mad Anthony" Wayne on Stony Point, the British Army's stronghold on the Hudson River, north of New York City. The American assault columns were spearheaded by two twenty-man commando units known as "forlorn hopes"; Francisco was in the northern one, commanded by a Lieutenant Gibbon. Gibbon's unit sustained so many casualties that only he, Francisco, and one other man reached their objective, but the advance party was right behind them, and the Americans captured the fort.
During the attack Francisco suffered his third wound of the war, a nine-inch gash in the stomach, but that didn't stop him from killing three enemy grenadiers and capturing the enemy's flag. After recuperating in Fishkill, New York, the wounded warrior bided his time with the troops in various locations until December 1779, when his three-year tour of duty expired and he returned to Virginia.
British strategy called for the capture of Savannah and the securing of Georgia, to be followed by a move north into South Carolina. Congress selected General Horatio Gates, the unpleasant intriguer whose victory at Saratoga in 1777 had puffed up his reputation, as the man to check the Redcoats' advance in the South. The ensuing operations, known as the "Camden Campaign," were an American fiasco, and Francisco was there to experience the unfortunate episode.
The first major clash in the South between the Continentals and the British Army came at the Battle of Camden on August 16, 1780. The outcome, an utter rout, was labeled by nineteenth-century historian John Fiske as "the most disastrous defeat ever inflicted on an American army," but nonetheless here Francisco achieved one of his most shining moments. Overtaken and surrounded by the enemy during the panicked American retreat, the lad speared a British cavalryman with a bayonet, hoisted him from his horse, and then, climbing onto the steed himself, escaped through the enemy line by pretending to be a Tory sympathizer. Catching up with his fleeing comrades, he gave the mount to his colonel, thereby saving the exhausted officer's life.
Francisco again returned to Virginia after the Camden debacle, but not for long. When he learned that Captain Thomas Watkins was raising a cavalry troop, he got himself a horse and returned to action. Watkins's unit was assigned to the command of Colonel William Washington and was soon involved in the crucial confrontation at Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina, on March 15, 1781.
The Continentals were now under the command of Nathanael Greene, who, unlike Gates, proved worthy of the confidence placed in him. Greene's actions in the South were instrumental in bringing the war to a victorious conclusion. Technically, the Battle of Guilford Courthouse was a British victory, for Greene's soldiers retreated after a hard-fought contest; but it was a Pyrrhic one--the losses suffered by the British, now under the command of Lord Cornwallis, were so grave that his army was effectively wrecked. Later Cornwallis wrote that the "Americans fought like demons" in what was one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
www.cr.nps.gov
www.vahistorical.org
www.alaskacoinexchange.com
johnsmilitaryhistory.tripod.com
www.army.mil
www.dean.usma.edu
www.gallon.com
'Without him we would have lost two crucial battles, perhaps the War, and with it our freedom. He was truly a One Man Army.' General George Washington ** The weapon of which Lossing spoke was a specially-made six-foot broadsword with a five-foot blade that had been delivered to Francisco shortly before the battle on order from General Washington. |
I see that Mr. Francisco had six children. This is very satisfactory. Probably the worst thing about war is that the very best young men can never raise families. We need every good man and woman we can get.
Possibly Kazmeier as well.
http://www.mcshane-enterprises.com/ASL/kaz.html
First in, heh.
Good morning, Snippy((HUGS))and everyone at the Foxhole.
I was in my second year of widowhood and I was struggling. Morning after morning my prayer-life consisted of one daily sigh: "Lord, I shouldn't be struggling like this!" "And why not?" His still, small voice asked me from within one morning. Then the answer came-unrecognized pride! Somehow I had thought that a person of my spiritual maturity should be beyond such struggle. What a ridiculous thought! I had never been a widow before and needed the freedom to be a true learner-even a struggling learner. At the same time, I was reminded of the story of a man who took home a cocoon so he could watch the emperor moth emerge. As the moth struggled to get through the tiny opening, the man enlarged it with a snip of his scissors. The moth emerged easily-but its wings were shriveled. The struggle through the narrow opening is God's way to force fluid from its body into its wings. The "merciful" snip, in reality, was cruel. Hebrews 12 describes the Christian life as a race that involves endurance, discipline, and correction. We never get beyond the need of a holy striving against self and sin. Sometimes the struggle is exactly what we need to become what God intends us to be. -Joanie Yoder
To give us little rest, His only purpose is our good- He wants for us His best. -D. De Haan We experience God's strength in the strain of our struggle.
Joseph: Overcoming Life's Challenges Why Is Life So Unfair? |
Good morning
Here is the blow by blow account of the demise of the Yamato. An extra large lift of the alfa6 lid to the folks at http://www.combinedfleet.com/for the accounts that I posted yesterday and today and the folks at http://www.bismarck-class.dk for the illustrations of the Yamato.
0200: The Attack Force, zigzagging at 22 knots on a southerly course, passes the Miyazaki coast and reaches the entrance to Osumi Kaikyo Channel. Speed is slowed to 16 knots.
0600: The YAMATO launches her Aichi E13A1 Type 0 "Jake" reconnaissance floatplane.
0630: Six Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters of Vice Admiral Ugaki's 5th Air Fleet's 203rd Naval Air Group arrive to provide air cover. For the next three and one-half hours, a total of 14 "Zekes" from the Kasanbara air base on Kyushu, provide cover in small groups. The YAMATO's "Jake" returns to Kyushu.
0657: The ASASHIMO begins lagging behind the force with engine trouble.
0832: The Attack Force is sighted by a searching Grumman F6F "Hellcat" from the USS ESSEX (CV-9).
0840: The Attack Force briefly sights seven "Hellcat" fighters, but they are not seen by the escorting "Zekes".
1014: The Attack Force sights two large Martin "Mariner" PBM flying boats. The Japanese also spot the HACKLEBACK trailing the Attack Force.
1017: The YAMATO turns towards the planes and opens fire unsuccessfully as does the cruiser YAHAGI. While the YAHAGI jams their sighting messages, the YAMATO receives a report from a Japanese scout plane that Task Force 58 has been located east of Okinawa, 250 nautical miles from the Attack Force.
1018: The aircraft are lost behind the clouds. Both ships cease firing.
1022: The Attack Force turns towards Sasebo.
1107: The YAMATO's Type 13 air search radar operator reports contact with a large aircraft formation at his set's maximum range of 63 miles. He reports the formation at bearing 180, heading north, and splitting into two groups. All ships increase speed to 25 knots and commence a simultaneous turn.
1115: A report that had been delayed for 25 minutes by transmission and decoding, is received finally. It says that the Kikaigashima Island lookout station saw 150 carrier planes heading northwest. Just then, eight F6F "Hellcats" appear and begin circling over the force to maintain contact until the main formation arrives. The YAMATO and the YAHAGI open fire, increase speed to 24 knots and commence a series of sharp evasive maneuvers.
Air search reports two groups of aircraft, range 44 miles, closing at high speed. The sky is still overcast and visibility is poor. Then radar reports the closing aircraft have turned towards the force. The Attack Force resumes zigzagging.
1129: The Attack Force turns to course 205, towards Okinawa.
1222: A lookout spots three Japanese troopships on bearing 0250 heading for Amami-Oshima.
1232: A lookout spots American planes 25 degrees to port, elevation 8, range 4,375 yards, moving to port. This is the first wave of 280 aircraft (132 fighters, 50 bombers, 98 torpedo planes) from Task Group 58. 1: USS HORNET (CV-12), HANCOCK (CV-19), BENNINGTON (CV-20), BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24) and the SAN JACINTO (CVL-30) and from Task Group 58. 3: USS ESSEX (CV-9), BUNKER HILL (CV-17), BATAAN (CVL-24) and the CABOT (CVL-28).
Lagging behind the main force, the destroyer ASASHIMO is attacked and sunk by aircraft from the SAN JACINTO.
1234: The YAMATO opens fire with her two forward main turrets and AA guns.
1235: The YAMATO stops zigzagging and increases speed to 24 knots. Her nine 18.1-inch guns firing "Sanshikidan" beehive shells, twenty-four 127-mm. AA guns and one hundred fifty-two 25-mm AA guns all open fire. The American planes release their bombs and torpedoes and strafe the bridge with machine-gun fire.
1240: The YAMATO is hit by two AP bombs. Smoke rises from the vicinity of the mainmast and a bomb explodes in the same area. The aft secondary battery fire control, secondary gun turret and the air search radar are knocked out.
The Attack Force changes course to 100 degrees. "Helldivers" from the BENNINGTON and the HORNET attack from port. At flank speed, the YAMATO commences a right turn but two 1000-lb AP bombs hit her. The first explodes in the crew's quarters abaft the Type 13 radar shack. The second penetrates the port side of the aft Command station and explodes between the 155-mm gun magazine and main gun turret No. 3's upper powder magazine. It starts a fire that cannot be extinguished and rips a 60-foot hole in the weather deck. One "Helldiver" is shot down, another is damaged badly.
1243: A section of five low flying "Avengers" from the HORNET start a torpedo run from the port, bearing 70 degrees. The YAMATO, at 27 knots flank speed, heels to starboard in evasive action. The "Avengers" drop three torpedoes. One strikes her port side near the forward windlass room. One "Avenger" is shot down. The YAMATO ships 2,350-tons of water. Damage Control counterfloods with 604-tons of water. Fourteen F4U Chance-Vought "Corsairs" from the BUNKER HILL strafe and rocket the YAMATO but cause only minor damage. ,p. 1245: Thirty-four "Hellcats", 22 "Helldivers" and one "Corsair" attack the YAMATO's escorts. DesDiv 17's HAMAKAZE takes a near miss on her starboard quarter that disables her starboard shaft. ,p. 1247: A torpedo strikes the HAMAKAZE starboard, aft of amidships and she jackknifes. The SUZUTSUKI takes a 500-lb GP bomb hit to starboard, abreast her No. 2 gun mount. Two dud rockets hit the FUYUTSUKI.
1250: The first attack wave retires. The destroyer SUZUTSUKI wreathed in black smoke, burns furiously. The light cruiser YAHAGI, without headway, drifts helplessly behind the main force. The YAMATO, despite hits by two bombs and one torpedo, maintains flank speed.
1300: The YAMATO changes course to 180 degrees, due South.
1302: Her remaining air search radar reports the approach of a second attack wave. The Attack Force changes course due south to 180 degrees. 1322: The YAMATO increases speed to 22 knots. A "Corsair" from the ESSEX drops a 1000-lb GP bomb that hits the superstructure in the port bow area. Twelve "Helldivers" claim several hits near the bridge and main gun turret No. 3. Five "Helldivers" are damaged by AA fire.
1333: Another 110 aircraft from Task Group 58. 4: USS YORKTOWN (CV-10), INTREPID (CV-11), LANGLEY (CVL-27) engage the Attack Force. This time all the attacks are concentrated against the battleship. Twenty "Avengers" make a new torpedo run from 60 degrees to port. The YAMATO starts a sharp turn to port but three torpedoes rip into her port side amidships. Her auxiliary rudder is jammed in position hard port.
The YAMATO has taken a total of four torpedo hits. She ships about 3,000-tons of seawater. She lists about seven degrees to port. Damage Control counter-floods both starboard engine and boiler rooms and almost entirely corrects the list. The YAMATO starts a turn starboard to course 230 degrees. One of her lookouts spots the tracks of four torpedoes approaching. The first torpedoes pass by harmlessly, but the remaining two strike her port amidships. She takes on a heavy list to port and her speed drops to 18 knots. Armor-piercing and other bombs make a shambles of her upper works.
1342: The YAMATO turns hard to port. She continues to throw up a screen of desperate flak fire. One "Avenger" is shot down but her barrage is largely ineffective because each AA battery fires independently without coordination. The escorts cannot defend the flagship either.
1402: Three bombs explode port amidships, five minutes later a torpedo hits her starboard side amidships. Ten minutes later, two more torpedoes strike her port side. The YAMATO's list increases to about 15 degrees and her speed slows to 12 knots.
Executive Officer Nomura Jiro reports to Captain Aruga that his damage control officers are all dead and that the counter-flooding system can no longer correct the list. He suggests that the order to abandon ship be given. The Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Ito, orders the mission cancelled and directs the remaining ships to pick up as many survivors as possible. The Emperor's portrait is removed.
1405: The light cruiser YAHAGI, hit by 12 bombs and seven torpedoes sinks exactly one minute after the last bomb hits. LtCdr (later Captain) Herbert Houck, the leader of 43 TBM Avengers of VT-9 from the YORKTOWN, detaches Lt Thomas Stetson's six Avengers in a final torpedo attack from the ship's starboard side. Stetson's crewmen reset their Mark 13 torpedoes' running depth to 20 feet. Listing heavily to port, the YAMATO's exposed hull is hit by several more torpedoes. She rolls slowly over her port side on her beam ends.
1423: Sunk: The YAMATO's No. 1 magazine explodes and sends up a cloud of smoke seen 100 miles away. She slips under followed by an underwater explosion. The YAMATO sinks at 30-22 N, 128-04 E. Vice Admiral Ito and the YAMATO's skipper Captain Aruga and 3,063 men are lost. Aruga receives a rare double promotion posthumously to Vice Admiral on the request of Admiral Toyoda. Later that day, the battered destroyers ISOKAZE and the KASUMI are scuttled and sink. 1,187 crewmen of DesRon 2's light cruiser the YAHAGI and the four destroyers are also lost.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Morning all...
There's too much blood in my caffeine system this morning. Trying to remedy that now.
I had to read that twice. LOL
It isn't remedied yett. LOL
I think I've been burning the candle at both ends for too many days. I need to get out and start getting errands done soon..... but, I'm not quite there yet. LOL
Wanna come to Texas to work real hard and help me with this packing-to-move? :-)
Ain't that the truth!
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