-
The Dahlgren Affair
In 1864 the American Civil War was still raging. The capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia, was still tantalizingly close to Union forces, but as of yet out of reach. There on an island in the James River was Belle Isle, a holding pen for Union prisoners. Like most Civil War prisons, it was not a fun place complete with disease and overcrowding. Since prisoner exchanges had been called off in June of 1863, the number of prisoners at Belle Isle grew to staggering proportions. There were thoughts that a raid on Belle Isle could not only free Union soldiers from abominable conditions and death by disease, but free up…
-
Joshua Chamberlain and the Ghost
The American Civil War was in full rage by 1863. On July 1, 1863 the armies were massing around a small town in Pennsylvania called Gettysburg. The battle that followed was one of the bloodiest and crucial in the war. Joshua Chamberlain was the Colonel of the 20th Maine, promoted after the battle of Chancellorsville. The 20th Maine was described as a “hell of a regiment”, which was not a compliment. Apparently, they were unruly and had some deserters that had to be forced back to duty at the point of a bayonet. I imagine this was par for the course in those days, however. Chamberlain was told by General…
-
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was another straight up badass. When you look at his life on paper, it is impressive- rising from slavery to famous orator and abolitionist. However, in reading Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America’s Gutsiest Troublemakers by Nick Offerman (if you haven’t read it, go now), it struck me as it struck the author exactly what a feat that was. The bare bones of it are amazing, but the details truly show what this man accomplished. Born as a slave on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey had a tough time from the start. He never knew his father, who was rumored to be…
-
Emperor Norton I of the United States
So those of us here in the United States go to the polls today. Wouldn’t it be just easier if we just had an emperor? According to one man in San Francisco, we did and it was him. On September 17, 1859, Joshua A. Norton declared himself the “Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico”. Who was this illustrious emperor and why haven’t we heard of him? Joshua A. Norton was born February 4, 1819, probably in Scotland. Not much is known about his early life, but before settling in San Francisco he lived in Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope and was a member of the Cape…
-
The Winchester Mystery House
The Winchester Repeating Arms Company made a boatload of money. The company had improved upon the Volcanic Repeater, a rifle that used a lever mechanism to load bullets into the breach. Improving on the this design, the company started production of the Henry Rifle, which became a favorite with Northern troops at the beginning of the Civil War. Eventually, the Winchester Rifle became known as “The Gun That Won The West”. William Winchester was the son of company founder, Oliver Fisher Winchester, who was also the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut. The Winchesters were the cream of New England society, so when it came time for William to marry, he did…
