Free Republic

Cat proves size doesn't always matter in his neck of the woods. To his neighbors, he's a loner, a sometimes-friendly, sometimes- surly senior who spends his days wandering through the woods. He is particular about his yard. Strang ers are not always welcomed. But last week, Jack the cat be came a hero when he chased a black bear out of his neighbors' yard and up a tree. Twice. Last Sunday afternoon Suzanne Giovanetti was reading at the kitchen table when her husband Dean cried out from the TV room at the back of the house: A black bear had...

The buzz began in the chow line. "Did you hear?" asked one relic hunter. "Yeah. A Mississippi plate," said another. "Absolutely perfect." The proud new owner of the Confederate belt plate embossed with an eagle held out his treasure on his dirt-caked palm.

Coyote captured. New York City is safe lol.

In the gloom of this holy Christmas night, a cold sleet fell. It was not a night for man nor beast but yet here they were. Huddled upon the banks of this frigid river, 2000 men contemplated their bleak fate. The past few months had gone very, very badly. Their hopes had been crushed time and again. The noble experiment in Liberty which had begun with such promise, had by this time deteriorated to the point where every day was a battle just to survive. Defeat after defeat, at places like Long Island, Harlem Heights, Fort Washington and White Plains...

Don't know if this has been mentioned before but I have gotten several emails from museum personnel and historians which have some bad news. D-Day Museum in New Orleans has been looted and much of what wasn't taken was destroyed by vandals. Confederate Museum in New Orleans remained intact as of 2 days ago. The fear now is that it will be looted or vandalized. The sign outside identifying the museum has been removed to discourage vandalism. Beauvoir (Jefferson Davis' last home)in Biloxi has been extensively damaged. Some reports indicate that many of the artifacts including Davis' personal papers have...

The USS Memphis was a large armoured cruiser of 18,000 tons, originally named the Tennessee, and launched on 3 December 1904. Her boilers were coal-fired and she had two reciprocating engines which gave her a speed of 23 knots. Her main armament consisted of four ten-inch guns in twin turrets, and when she was commissioned these guns could outrange those of any battleship in existence. Her subsidiary armament included 16 six-inch and 22 three-inch guns. She was renamed Memphis in 1916 to release the name Tennessee for a battleship (BB43) which was then under construction. Many of the dock workers...

The First Christmas Present to America - 1776 - The Revolution is saved at Trenton Ernest R. Bower | December 25, 2003 | Ernest R. Bower In the gloom of this holy Christmas night, a cold sleet fell. It was not a night for man nor beast but yet here they were. Huddled upon the banks of this frigid river, 2000 men contemplated their bleak fate. The past few months had gone very, very badly. Their hopes had been crushed time and again. The noble experiment in Liberty which had begun with such promise, had by this time deteriorated to...

It might surprise some to see how the canidiates fared in the 10 wealthiest U.S. counties (2000 census). President Bush won in only four of the ten, comprising two states (one of which might be a bit shocking for some). So much for "the Republicans are the party of the rich". Presidential election results for the 10 wealthiest U.S. counties. (winner in caps) Teton County, Wyoming: Bush/Cheney - 5,124 - KERRY/EDWARDS - 5,972 Fairfield County, Connecticut: Bush/Cheney - 14,694 - KERRY/EDWARDS - 15,047 Marin County, California: Bush/Cheney - 26,141 - KERRY/EDWARDS - 73,946 Somerset County, New Jersey: BUSH/CHENEY - 67,505...

At least 2 callers to WABC radio (Curtis & Kuby) have reported that they were questioned by poll workers as to their party affiliation. One caller reported that a poll worker stated that voters must vote their party ticket or their vote will not count. These instances were reported as having taken place this morning in Hoboken and East Orange both heavily democrat areas.

The "ACTION IN TRENTON" section of the Newark Star Ledger reports that State Senator Joseph Kyrillos (R - Monmouth County), introduced legislation yesterday to split New Jersey's Electoral votes. If passed, New Jersey's current "winner take all" system would be replaced by a system where each of the states 13 Congressional districts would pick their own electors and 2 "at large" electors would be apportioned by the statewide popular vote. This system would almost guarantee that Republicans would glean a minimum of 5 electoral votes from the Garden State regardless of the overall state outcome.

Much has been said and written today about the fact that we have reached a dubious milestone (1000 US dead) in the Iraq War. The deaths of so many American service personnel has energized anti-war activists and pundits and again we are hearing the words like quagmire and bloodbath bandied about carelessly. While I do not intend to demean the bravery and sacrifice of US soldiers in Iraq or minimize the tragedy that every death or injury entails, I do think that it might be helpful to put the current casualty figures in some type of historical perspective. The last...

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." For over 200 years there has been debate on what this first flag design looked like and where it was originally flown. Unfortunately, fact mixed with legend has clouded the issue and even at the present day, there is no definitive answer. Recently, historians have generally conceded that credit for the design proposal of the first...

Couldn't find this posted here yet. I got an email from the publisher of a well known Civil War magazine who related that this morning it was discovered that the statues of Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson in Richmond, Virginia had been vandalized last night. The damage was discovered this morning as ceremonies were being prepared for Lee-Jackson Day.

In the gloom of this holy Christmas night, a cold sleet fell. It was not a night for man nor beast but yet here they were. Huddled upon the banks of this frigid river, 2000 men contemplated their bleak fate. The past few months had gone very, very badly. Their hopes had been crushed time and again. The noble experiment in Liberty which had begun with such promise, had by this time deteriorated to the point where every day was a battle just to survive. Defeat after defeat, at places like Long Island, Harlem Heights, Fort Washington and White Plains...

National Park Service Gettysburg National 97 Taneytown Road U.S. Department of the Military Park Gettysburg, PA 17325 Interior www.nps.gov/gett 717 334-1124 phone 717 334-1891 fax Gettysburg National Military Park News Release November 13, 2003 For Immediate Release Katie Lawhon 717 334-1124 x452 Car Totals Gettysburg Monument Initial Damage estimates at $15,000 - $20,000 The driver of a Ford Expedition lost control of the vehicle on West Howard Avenue on the Gettysburg battlefield, striking and seriously damaging a Civil War monument, Gettysburg National Military Park officials have announced. Laura M. Staub, of Gettysburg, failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway...

<p>WASHINGTON -- In Scott Stevens' assessment, President Bush would likely be a centerman if he played ice hockey. President Clinton, on the other, would be better as a defenseman.</p> <p>Stevens, the Devils captain, made the remarks yesterday outside the White House, where the team was recognized by Bush for skating to its third Stanley Cup championship in the past nine years.</p>

Tornado reported to have touched down in Mercer County, southwest of Princeton (Quaker Bridge Road area). Some damage reported, seems to be relatively minor at this time. Tornado warnings are in effect for the area and flash flood warnings are in effect for most of Central NJ

Monmouth Battlefield State Park Mail address: 347 Freehold Road, Manalapan, New Jersey 07726 Phone: (732)-462-9616 Fax: (732)- 577-8816 Site of the longest battle of the American Revolution Where will you be on June 28th & 29th of 2003. We at Monmouth will be holding a little celebration commemorating the 225th anniversary of the Battle of Monmouth. We are hoping that about 10,000 of our closest friends will come out on that weekend to witness a spectacle of truly awesome proportions! Monmouth Battlefield State Park will host over 2,300 reenactors as they, the real stars of the day, will present a...