The 1779 Sullivan Campaign
A Little-Known Offensive
Strategic To The War
Breaks The Indian Nations’ Power
By Stanley J. Adamiak

The 1779 Sullivan Campaign emerged as one of the larger of the Continental Army's offensives during the American Revolution, yet remains relatively unknown. It was an act of reprisal to break the Iroquois Confederation, a Native American political and military alliance that included the Seneca, Cayuga, Mohawk, Onondaga, 0neida, and Tuscarora tribes. The Iroquois, with the exception of the Oneida and Tuscarora, openly sided with Great Britain to protect their homelands. Together with Loyalists forces, they had ravaged the Pennsylvania and New York frontiers. The bloodiest of these attacks occurred in 1778 in the northeastern Pennsylvania's Wyoming Valley and the Cherry Valley of New York.

Through early 1779, General George Washington developed a strategic plan at his Middlebrook, New Jersey headquarters, for the coming campaign season. Although much of the military activity had shifted to the southern colonies, Washington's army sat in a virtual stalemate with a British army entrenched within New York City.

Washington gambled that a quick strike into the Iroquois' central New York homelands could eliminate a key British ally without significantly weakening his forces outside New York. In fact, this expedition would be the only major campaign of 1779 in the North. He also sought an experienced officer to lead the venture. After several officers declined, the command fell to New Hampshire's John Sullivan.

General Sullivan agreed with his commander's goals, seeing his mission to convince the Iroquois "that we have it in our power to carry war into their country." If his forces destroyed the Iroquois food supplies, it would force the British to support them through the following winter, creating an additional burden.

Despite his initial confidence, Sullivan faced a major logistical undertaking. His force would operate for several weeks beyond traditional supply lines, meaning it would have to be self-sufficient. Washington promised complete support, allowing Sullivan to choose his troops and attempt to honor his large supply requisitions.

Joseph Brant Mohawk Chief

When complete, Sullivan's command would include four brigades, totaling about 4500 men. Specifically, he was given Enoch Poor's Brigade consisting of three New Hampshire and one Massachusetts's regiment, who Sullivan boasted "are all marksmen & accustomed to the Indian mode of fighting;" General William Maxwell's New Jersey Brigade; Edward Hand's Brigade of mostly Pennsylvania troops; and James Clinton's Brigade of four New York regiments. In addition, Sullivan received a company of Virginia riflemen, and two independent artillery units. Pennsylvania also promised a sizable militia force.

The plan was simple. Sullivan would gather his forces near near Easton, Pennsylvania and advance up the Susquehanna River Valley. Simultaneously, Clinton's Brigade would sweep westward from the Mohawk River Valley and down the upper Susquehanna to link up with the main force at Tioga. From there, the combined force would travel into the Iroquois country and destroy everything in its path. Washington also hoped that another column could be organized to invade Iroquois country from the western Pennsylvania' Allegheny River.

Obtaining supplies proved difficult. Food quality was poor, particularly the salt meat. Often supplies were available, but a wagon shortage prevented their arrival. Sullivan asked Joseph Reed, the President of Pennsylvania, that a law prohibiting the impressment of wagons be lifted. Unknowingly, Sullivan started a war of words revolving around the definition of the word "impress." Pennsylvania refused, feeling that Sullivan was abusing his power. Even Congress was "as much perplexed to obtain wagons as I am."

Washington, concerned about growing delays, pressed Sullivan to act. Speed was essential, lest the enemy organize to thwart their plans. Sullivan defended his actions. "I know of no Steps Left untryed," Sullivan wrote, and assured his commander that "none shall be left unattempted." Washington encouraged Sullivan not to wait for his supplies, for they could be forwarded. The entire Continental Army suffered from similar shortages and he urged Sullivan to be realistic, and above all advance.

Sullivan reached Easton in early May and encountered many setbacks. Every day the troops sat idle, they devoured more of the precious stockpiled supplies. Even worse, a trail linking Easton with Wyoming, an advanced supply center up river, was impassable, forcing the cutting of a road through woodlands "so thick that a man cannot get through them but on his hands and Knees."

Washington had assumed that Sullivan would be on the march by early June and outlined the mission objectives for the "total destruction and devastation" of the Iroquois villages so "that the country may not merely be overrun but destroyed." The villages would be burned, the crops destroyed, and as many prisoners as possible to be taken as hostages to guarantee any settlement.

Washington warned Sullivan not to accept any offer of peace before "the total ruin of their of their settlements was effected." He feared that the Iroquois would "amuse" them with insincere peace proposals to spare their homelands. "Our future security," Washington wrote, would rest on the "Terror" inflicted upon them. He urged Sullivan to act aggressively and employ his men "in a loose and dispersed a way ... It should be impressed upon the upon the minds of the men where ever they have the opportunity to rush on with the war whoop and fixed bayonet, " to "discourage and terrify" their foes.

The instructions also suggested that small parties be sent out to destroy villages out of the main line of march, to avoid diverting the main force. Sullivan acted on Washington's advice, and conducted tactical exercises for fighting in the wilderness against an elusive enemy who defied traditional tactics.

Once the Wyoming road opened June 12, the regiments left Easton for Wyoming, where the bulk of the supplies had been gathered. The expedition was already far behind schedule. Sullivan grew increasingly irritated at the continuous delays and unfulfilled promises of improvement.

While Sullivan faced many logistical difficulties, so did his foes. Colonel John Butler, the main Loyalist leader, realized the potential danger Sullivan's command represented, but had but three hundred rangers in his command and found his Iroquois allies were unprepared to oppose the Continentals. Butler urgently requested provisions from Fort Niagara, the closest British base. His forces could neither stand nor retreat without provisions. By early July Butler knew "beyond a Doubt" that a "Rebel" army was moving up the Susquehanna. He also knew he was in no position to challenge them.

In the meantime, Wyoming was bristling with over 2,000 Continentals. Supply boats arrived almost daily along with hundreds of pack horses and beef cattle for the expedition. Wyoming had been devastated the year before. The soldiers were amazed at the destruction of the town and the others around it. Some New Jersey troops visited the site of the "Wyoming Massacre," where Colonel Zebulon Butler, a survivor, recounted the attack where over two hundred militia men had been killed. It was a brutal lesson in the harsh realities of frontier warfare.

By the end of July, Sullivan still had not left his Wyoming base. He complained endlessly to Washington and the Board of War about the lack of supplies. The Board apologized "exceedingly the delay of an expedition whose success greatly depended on Secrecy and Dispatch." His complaints, they agreed, had "undoubtedly but too much foundation."

In an effort to absolve himself of any blame for any potential failure, Sullivan complained to Congress about a lack of support. His cynicism increased as Pennsylvania reneged on a promise for hundreds of volunteer militia, especially since his efforts would aid that state.

James Clinton

As Tory and Iroquois raiding parties plundered surrounding settlements, Sullivan refused to be distracted. Small patrols scoured the surrounding forest to detect marauding Indians and protect the army, but he had no men to spare for the surrounding countryside. Every local request for assistance was denied. "For your present Safety," Sullivan wrote one local leader, "I must refer you to the Council of your state for Assistance. Certainly it will be granted without much inconvenience as the State has neglected to furnish the Troops promis'd for this expedition." Other requests met similar, sarcastic denials.

By late July, Washington had reached the limits of his patience for Sullivan's reluctance to begin the campaign. He had envisioned a rapid strike into the Iroquois territory, not a slow methodical campaign. "I cannot but repeat my intreaties that you would hasten your operations with all possible dispatch," he wrote. Washington urged Sullivan to consider that by its very nature, the expedition would have to travel light. Washington feared that if Sullivan carried too large a baggage train, his force would be over encumbered and risk being overwhelmed, or worse, be unable to travel deep into Indian territory.

Sullivan's delays had allowed for an alteration in the plan. Colonel Daniel Broadhead had organized a small force of troops and friendly Indians that would strike northwards from Fort Pitt along the Allegheny River and possibly link up with Sullivan. At the very least, it would serve as a diversion.

Sullivan's Flag

By the time Washington's message arrived, the army was already on the move towards Tioga, a village located at the junction of the Cayuga and Susquehanna Rivers. The majority of the supplies had arrived and were being packed into 120 boats. The main army would march along one shore of the Cayuga River in a formation that surrounded the near twelve hundred pack horses, and seven hundred beef cattle. Most of the supplies would go by boat. General Hand's Brigade would serve as light infantry companies and screen the main force from ambushes. Two regiments patrolled the opposite shore to protect the flotilla.

The army was well-guarded as it began its travel up the Susquehanna. At any one time the force would be stretched out for about six miles along the river. All along the march, the troops were anxious about being attacked, especially when the trail narrowed as it passed through an extremely mountainous stretch. The soldiers knew they were being watched. They expected an attack at any moment, and were surprised to pass unmolested despite "the many advantageous posts they might have occupied in annoying us." The army reached Tioga on August 11.

As his troops arrived, Sullivan took a more active approach. He sent a scouting party to the village of Chemung above Tioga. The scouts reported between two and three hundred Iroquois there, but "could not tell whether they mean to evacuate it or defend it." The army marched through the night to surprise the town. The march overland through the darkness did not go smoothly. Units became lost and blundered through the forest. They stormed the town, only to find it deserted. The soldiers looted and burned close to forty houses and burned the surrounding fields.

Hand's Brigade followed the Indian's trail and briefly skirmished with a small group of warriors. The fight ended quickly, but the shooting aggravated tensions. Firing broke out in one of the fields. Several soldiers were hit, but one officer noted he was "uncertain whether by the enemy or our own men." The army completed its job and returned to Tioga, completing a forty-mile march in just under twenty four hours. The total cost of the day had been seven Americans killed and thirteen wounded. Sullivan was uncertain of enemy losses, but claimed they had come across "some Hats which had been shot through, a pack and a bloody shirt" near the site.

Sullivan waited at Tioga to link up with Clinton's Brigade. Clinton, whose force had marched several weeks earlier, had been waiting for nearly a month in Iroquois territory near the base of Lake Otsego. Sullivan sent Hand's Brigade, some nine hundred men to link up with Clinton's Column. The two columns moved towards each other burning villages between them. They met August 19. Clinton's fifteen hundred men would a boost to Sullivan's army to a total force to its full strength of nearly forty-five hundred men.

While awaiting Clinton, solitary Iroquois appeared around the camp's perimeter, sniping at the men. Sullivan's men cleared the brush back one hundred yards from the camp and increased patrols. Despite their efforts, a Iroquois war party attacked the cattle, killing and scalping an attendant, before being driven off.

As his men prepared for the march inland, Sullivan appointed Colonel William Shreve commander of the forward base at Tioga. He and a garrison of 250 men built a series of blockhouses for defense and stockpiling food and forage. Troops shifted supplies from barrels, which were fine for the boats, to sacks that would be better suited to the pack horses. A critical shortage of these sacks forced many regiments to sacrifice their tents to make more.

The army finally left Tioga August 26, at least two months behind schedule. Hand's light troops were out front, guided by a company of Virginia riflemen. Clinton took the rear and the other two brigades either flank, guarding the baggage train in a box like formation. Flanking parties were sent out. Their efficiency impressed even the British. John Butler wrote Fort Niagara informing them that they were "misinformed" about the composition of the force. It was not untrained militia, but "the best of the Continental Troops commanded by the most active of the Rebel Generals." Significantly outnumbered, Butler planned to ambush Sullivan's force and demoralize them before they got too deep into Iroquois territory.

All was not well in Sullivan's army. The columns lumbering pace put them behind schedule. The artillery often bogged down, frequently overturning, creating a major headache for the troops.

By August 28, the column had reached the charred remains of Chemung. The troops were sent out to finish the job, burning some remaining fields. One of the benefits of launching the campaign so late in the season was that the harvest was ready. The soldiers feasted on the abundance of beans, squash, and pumpkins, a welcome addition to their dull rations.

While the army feasted, the British and Iroquois made their move. Butler and Mohawk Chief Joseph Brant chose an ambush site near the village of Newtown along the line of march and gathered about seven hundred men, including Butler's three hundred rangers. Below the actual town, the trail crossed a bend in a river and flanked by a two large hills. They constructed a breastwork across one ridge and camouflaged it with brush. It was hoped that a diversion would draw Sullivan across their front and the confusion generated from sudden firing from one flank, quickly followed by fire from the other would rout the army. Butler dug in and waited.

On the morning of August 29, American riflemen approached the hidden entrenchments. Scouts had reported a large encampment the night before and the riflemen were wary. When a small group of Indians appeared ahead, the riflemen's commander suspected an ambush and sent one of his men up a tree to scout out the ground ahead. Spying the enemy works, he alerted the rest of the army. Hand's light troops rushed forward and joined the riflemen in skirmishing with the Indians, while they waited for the rest of the army. By 11:00 a.m., Sullivan arrived on the scene. Sullivan ordered Poor's and Clinton's Brigades to outflank the Indian left and wide circle and come upon their rear. Hand would remain in front, and Maxwell's Brigade would be in reserve. Sullivan kept his artillery out of sight, but would rush it forward to fire on the entrenchments once Poor and Clinton were in position. Butler still did not realize their trap had been discovered.

The bombardment began at 3:00 p.m., but unfortunately Poor's troops had blundered into a swamp and had not reached their position. Poor and Clinton heard the sound of the artillery and quickened their march. Although the barrage had routed part of the British force, the Continentals encountered stiff opposition on the back side of the hill. While the skirmishers exchanged shots, the regiments formed up for a bayonet charge. New Hampshire troops "advanced rappedly with fix'd bayonet without firing a shot altho they kept a steady fire on us," Lieutenant Colonel Henry Dearborn wrote.

As the Continental's reached the enemy line, they unleashed a full volley, ripping holes in their foe's lines. Those units with clear fronts, wheeled to support other units. Fierce fighting, some hand to hand, engulfed the ridgeline. Then almost at once, the whole Tories and Iroquois broke, leaving the Americans in possession of the battlefield.

The day at Newtown had not been costly. Sullivan reported three killed and thirty-nine wounded, but was once again unsure of enemy casualties. Morale soared as the victorious army entered and plundered Newtown. Detachments burned about 150 acres of what one soldier noted, was "the best corn Ever I saw."

Even Sullivan, who had feared that the operation would be a disaster, boasted of his victory, reporting that he and Clinton had already destroyed fourteen Indian towns. Even as he wrote, his men were "industriously employed in destroying" Newtown, a job that would take an entire day.

Sullivan made several key decisions after Newtown. First, he decided that the artillery slowed his forces too much and sent his heavier guns back, leaving him with three small cannon, the largest being a three pounder. Next, given the abundance of food in the towns, he reduced rations and required his men to forage off enemy stores.

A small expedition was sent to destroy another village a few miles up the river, while the riflemen and a company of light infantry pursued the fleeing Iroquois. Believing the Indians fled to Catherine's Town, just to the north, Sullivan sought to catch them by surprise and ordered another night march August 31.

This march was a nightmare across rough terrain crisscrossed with swamps and gullies. One officer wrote that the "march [was] as disagreeable as I have experienced; sometimes up to our Knees in mire and mud and so dark as not to be able to keep the path by any means than being close to our front man." The large numbers of men and pack horses traversing the same paths only increased the muddy mess, bogging down the army. "Had the savages availed themselves to this opportunity," one officer realized, "it might have proved very fatal to us."

The advance party arrived near dawn to find the town abandoned. Colonel Walter Butler and three hundred men set out in an unsuccessful attempt to overtake a group of women and children, supposedly nearby. While the men set about burning the houses, the mud spattered remnants of the army plodded into the town throughout the day.

Sullivan met with a group of Oneida Indians, an openly pro-American group within the Iroquois Confederation. The Indians requested that Sullivan spare their brethren the Cayugas, for they wished friendship with the United States. Sullivan replied, in compliance to his orders, that the Cayugas had participated in frontier attacks, and while he appreciated their pledge of friendship, it was too late. They would not be spared. Sullivan chastised the Oneida's, pointing out that they had promised assistance, but sent none except a few guides, who were "totally unacquainted" with the country. The Oneidas apologized, promising more future support.

After taking a day to recuperate, the army was once again on the move, marching along the shore of Seneca Lake towards the town of Kendaia. Along the way, they destroyed several small houses. In one small village, the soldiers stormed the town to find that the Indians left "had Just left and left their kettles on the fire boiling of Corn and Beans which we got."

The soldiers took Kendaia without a fight September 5. In the town they found a white captive who told them of a force of nearly a thousand warriors at Canadasaga, at the head of Seneca Lake. This talk of a large force alarmed the soldiers, but they continued burning houses and destroying crops and orchards.

"Nature could not have formed a better place for an ambuscade," is how one officer described the outlet of Seneca Lake. Crossing a twenty yard wide rapid river would place the army in jeopardy on its way to Canadasaga, only a mile distant. The army halted "and reconnoitered the ground very well" before crossing the waist deep water. Covering parties formed up for an attack that never came.

The army quickly surrounded the town, but the town was empty. Canadasaga was the largest town yet, with over sixty houses and large peach and apple orchards. While his men destroyed the town, Sullivan dispatched several large parties to burn some outlying villages.

Sullivan met with his officers to assess their situation. They were making great progress, averaging about ten miles a day. . Supplies were adequate, but there was some question as whether to continue, and if so, how far. The officers decided that their ultimate goal would be to destroy the Indians’ largest town, at Genesee Castle. That would guarantee them enough food to return to Tioga. To quicken their pace, the sick and wounded were sent back to Tioga.

On September 10, the troops entered Canandaigua, at the northern end of Canandaigua Lake. "It was the best town we have seen yet," one Soldier wrote." Many of the houses were closed up with signs on the doors proclaiming "he who destroys this house his offspring shall suffer for it," prompting one soldier to note that he felt it was "A poor satisfaction for the Dastardly villains." The soldiers quickly destroyed the village in what had become a routine. The town's thirty houses and fifty acres of fields were in ruins as the army continued onward.

Arriving at the small village of Honeaye September 11, the Riflemen surprised a small group of Indians that "Just made their escape," leaving behind their "Packs & Blankets & Potatoes Roasting in the fire." Sullivan decided to leave the bulk of his supplies there under guard, so his forces could move faster and surprise the Indians at Genesee. He sent a scouting party, commanded by Lieutenant Thomas Boyd, ahead towards Genesee. Sullivan felt Boyd needed no more than three or four men, but Boyd insisted on taking twenty-six.

Boyd's men traveled quickly, but became lost. They attacked a village above Genesee killing and scalping two Indians, before finally reaching Genesee. Boyd informed Sullivan that he would wait for the army, but apparently changed his mind and moved towards the main force. On September 13, Boyd's men discovered an Indian ambush along the army's path, surprising up to four hundred warriors. The fighting was brisk as Boyd's men made a desperate stand in a grove of trees.

Sullivan's force heard the firing while waiting for a small bridge across a creek to be completed. With the sounds of battle, the light infantry forded the stream and drove the attackers away. Boyd's command had been nearly completely wiped out, but had detected an ambush. Several bodies, including Boyd's were missing. Boyd's blundering may have saved the army from a costly ambush.

Sullivan's men marched quickly towards Genesee. The afternoon of the 14th, they crossed the Genesee river and traveled through a grassland so tall that the men on horse back "could see nothing but the men's guns above the grass."

They found Genesee deserted, but in the town's center, they found the mutilated bodies of Boyd and one of his men.

"It appeared that they had whiped them in a most cruel manner, pulled out Mr. Boid's nails, cut off his nose, plucked out one of his eyes, cut out his tongue, stabbed him with spears in sundry places, & inflicted other tortures which decency will not permit me to mention; lastly cut off his head & left his body on the ground."

The barbarity outraged the men, who set about destroying the town "with great cheerfulness." Genesee was a huge town and required nearly two days to raze. Crops were gathered into the huts before they were set on fire. Stores that could not be burned were hurriedly dumped into the river.

Sullivan looked over the situation. According to a white captive, the Indians were completely demoralized and heading for Fort Niagara, fearing Sullivan would follow. But Sullivan had completed his task, growing shortages mandated his return. His men reached Honeaye September 17, with a cheerful greeting from the small garrison left there. They had been only fifty men and a number of sick, under the command of Captain John Cummings. The men had constructed "Fort Cummings", a large hut "round which the garrison had laid kegs of flour, boxes of ammunition and bags of flour, so as to make a very considerable fort."

The army retraced its steps to the outlet of Seneca Lake, burning any fields or dwellings they had missed. There was still the land of the Cayugas to the east of Sullivan's entry into the Iroquois nations. Once again, a group of Oneida Indians approached Sullivan in an attempt to persuade him of the Cayugas' peaceful intentions. Sullivan rejected their overtures and repeated that he could not take such an offer seriously.

With the Iroquois threat largely removed, Sullivan divided his force cover more territory. Colonel Peter Ganesvoort and about one hundred men would continue marching eastward to the Mohawk Valley, destroying villages along their path to Albany. Colonel Henry Dearborn and seven hundred men marched down the western shore of Cayuga Lake, while simultaneously, Colonel Walter Butler and five hundred men traveled down its eastern shore. The two forces would link up with Sullivan above Tioga. A fourth force under Colonel William Smith swept along the western shore of Seneca Lake, while Sullivan, and the remainder of the army, covered its eastern side.

Sullivan retraced route through the desolated countryside along Seneca Lake. Supplies were running low, but he ordered the garrison at Tioga to forward some. The western army marched into that advanced post, christened "Fort Reed," September 24. News had arrived that Spain had declared war on Britain and celebrated amidst a major feast.

The detached columns arrived back safely, Dearborn arrived September 26, and Butler two days later. The entire army was once again on the move, reaching Wyoming on September 30, their mission completed. Casualties had been light and they had not been "detained by storms or any other Accident." Several days of celebrating followed, as Washington's orders for the reassignment of the Brigades arrived and the regiments headed off for duty elsewhere.

Additional Sources:

earlyamerica.com
www.americanrevwar.homestead.com/
newportvisions.com
www.seacoastnh.com
www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pa
www.nps.gov
www.szyk.com
www.the-roundup.com
www.chemungvalley.org
www.captainselinscompany.org
www.genealogysource.com
www.rootsweb.com/~paluzern

Sullivan considered his expedition an outstanding success. He boasted to Congress that "every creek and River has been traced, & the whole Country explored in search of Indian settlements." He bragged that there was "not a single town left in the Country of the five nations." The army had wiped out at least forty villages and Sullivan made a "moderate computation" that they had destroyed at least 160,000 bushels of corn. Colonel Daniel Broadhead,the leader of a smaller expedition up the Allegheny, congratulated Sullivan on his success noting, "the wolves of the forest will have sufficient cause to howl as they will be quite destitute of food."

Washington was pleased for the western army had completed its goals. Unaware of Sullivan's progress, Washington had repeated the "the necessity of pushing the Indians to the greatest practible distance from their own settlements, and our own settlements, and our own frontiers," to throw "them wholly on the British enemy." By the time Washington penned these orders, the army had already completed its mission. Sullivan had met Washington's objectives completely, accomplishing the effectual destruction of the Iroquois nations.

The operation's success resulted from a combination of careful planning and luck. The weather cooperated. Sullivan was aided by seasoned officers, who led a well-trained, disciplined army. They adapted their tactics to operating a large force in the wilderness. It was an unusual campaign, in that it was waging total war against an entire people, not just an enemy army.

The major difficulties the army confronted resulted mainly from its own supply problems. Supplies had to be transported, and often times, many of the foodstuffs that arrived were spoiled, or ruined by improper packaging. The inability to gather the supplies quickly delayed the army for some time, allowing the British an possible opportunity to thwart the mission's start. However, these delays also pushed the campaign into the harvest season, allowing to supplement its meager rations and stretch the campaign's duration.

The mere size and organization of this force made it extremely difficult for the ill-supplied and demoralized Loyalist and Iroquois to fight back. There were several points where Sullivan's expedition could have been delayed, yet they passed virtually unmolested through Indian territory.

Although the expedition devastated the Iroquois crops and towns and left them on the mercy of the British for the winter, one officer noted "The nests are destroyed, but the birds are still on the wing." The Iroquois continued their devastating raids throughout the war, but the war broke the Iroquois Confederacy's power. Following the war, much of the Iroquois lands would be absorbed by the United States.

As for Sullivan, this was his most successful campaign and his last. Deteriorating health and a wish to be with his family, prompted his resignation. Congress, which had long put up with his chronic complaints, eagerly accepted it, ending Sullivan's military career.

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.

Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004

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

Click on Hagar for
"The FReeper Foxhole Compiled List of Daily Threads"

LINK TO FOXHOLE THREADS INDEXED by PAR35

A Revolutionary War Bump for the Freeper Foxhole from the night shift.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

Good morning, everyone in the FOXHOLE!

"FALL IN" to the FReeper Foxhole!

Good Monday Morning Everyone.

If you want to be added to our ping list, let us know.

If you'd like to drop us a note you can write to:

The Foxhole
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Oregon City, OR 97045

Good evening you two early birds. We have to pack up the laptop for an early flight. We'll holler when we get back to the store tomorrow, should be shortly after noon Pacific time tomorrow.

Here's hoping that you have a "boring" flight back home.

Y'all take care now ya 'ere

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

Okay, snippy. Fly safe my dear friends.

January 17, 2005

What God Can Do

Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

[God] delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us. —2 Corinthians 1:10

Bible In One Year: Exodus 5-7

They were called the "lost boys" of Sudan. Thousands of them fled the civil war in that country and sought refuge from the chaos and killing. Many had been taught the gospel in churches founded by missionaries, but they knew little of the world beyond their villages.

A National Geographic article profiled one of these "lost boys" who is now resettled in the United States. He told a church congregation that he is grateful for the comforts of the US, but also for the faith he learned through hardship. "Americans believe in God," he told them, "but they don't know what God can do."

In the crucible of testing, we move from theory to reality as we experience God's power. When there seems to be no hope, we may share Paul's feeling of being "burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we [despair] even of life" (2 Corinthians 1:8). But we can also learn, as Paul did, that in the darkest times "we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead" (v.9).

If God has allowed you to be in a desperate situation today, why not reconsider all that the Almighty has done and can still do. By trusting God in hardship we learn what He can do in our lives. —David McCasland

Though weak and helpless in life's fray,
God's mighty power shall be my stay;
Without, within, He gives to me
The strength to gain the victory. —D. De Haan

God is the only ally we can always count on.

As we pray for our troops, and the families left behind, I think its important to remind our neighbors that we ARE praying for the troops. Here is a website for your review, and comments. www.bluestarsforsafereturn.com

Jimm

Thanks. This is an excellent post on a man that I knew little about.

Good morning Snippy.

Good morning, snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

Good morning...brrr it's cold here

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on January 17:
1342 Philip the Bold, duke of Burgundy
1463 Frederick III the Wise, elector of Saxony (1486-25), protector Luther
1501 Leonhard Fuchs Germany, botanist (History of Plants)
1504 Pius V [Antonio Ghislieri] saint, pope (1566-72)
1706 Benjamin Franklin Boston, kite flyer/statesman/wit/inventor
1732 Stanislaw II August Poniatowski last king of Poland (1764-95)
1771 Charles Brockden Brown father of American novel (Wieland)
1806 James Madison Randolph (Jefferson's grandson) 1st born in White House
1820 Anne Bronte English novelist/poet (Tenant of Wildfell Hall)
1828 Lewis Addison Grant Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1918
1845 Lucas Lindeboom Dutch vicar/evangelist (Vredebond)
1857 Eugene Augustin Lauste developer (1st sound-on-film recording)
1863 David Lloyd George (L-PM-Britain, 1916-22)
1863 Konstantin S Stanislavski Russia, director (Stanislavski Method)
1880 Mack Sennett movie creator (Keystone Kops)
1884 Noah Beery US actor (Mark of Zorro, Sea Wolf)
1886 Glenn Luther Martin aviator (Collier Trophy-1933)
1891 Norman "Squab" Read US aviator who lived to be 101
1899 Nevil Shute (Norway) London, novelist (On the Beach, Town Like Alice)
1899 Al "Scareface" Capone Italy, gangster (Chicago bootlegging)
1911 Luis W Alvarez US, physicist (sub atomic, Nobel 1968)
1925 Rock Hudson Winnetka IL, actor (McMillian & Wife)
1927 Eartha Kitt singer/actress (Catwoman-Batman)
1928 Vidal Sassoon London, hair stylist/CEO (Vidal Sasson)
1930 Thomas P Stafford Oklahoma, astronaut (Gemini 6, Gemini 9, Apollo 10)
1931 James Earl Jones Mississippi, actor (Darth Vader, Exorcist II, Soul Man)
1934 Shari Lewis Bronx NY, ventriloquist/puppeteer (Lamb Chop)
1938 Paul Revere Harvard Nebraska, pianist (Paul Revere & Raiders)
1938 John Bellairs US, sci-fi author (Chessmen of Doom)
1942 Muhammad Ali [Cassius Clay], heavyweight champ boxer (1964-7 74-8)
1948 Mick Taylor rock bassist (Rolling Stones-Brown Sugar)
1949 Andy Kaufman New York City NY, comedian/actor (Latka Gravas-Taxi)
1955 Steve Earle San Antonio TX, country singer (Guitar Town)
1962 Jim Carrey Ontario Canada, actor (Living Color, Dumb & Dumber, Mask)

Deaths which occurred on January 17:
0395 Theodosius I the Great, Spanish emperor of Rome, dies at 49
1229 Albert bishop of Riga/founder (Sword Knights), dies at about 68
1661 Andres Malong Philippines rebel leader, executed
1874 Chang & Eng Bunker Chinese/Thai Siamese twins, die at 62
1893 Rutherford B Hayes 19th US President (1877-81), dies in Fremont OH at 70
1910 Thomas Crapper inventor (flush toilet), dies
1938 William H Pickering astronomer (predicted Pluto), dies at 79
1952 Walter O "Spike" Briggs owner (Detroit Tigers), dies at 74
1977 Gary Gilmore executed in Utah, 1st US execution since 1967
1992 Charlie Ventura jazz sax (Bop for the people), dies of cancer at 75
1997 Clyde William Tombaugh discoverer (Pluto), dies at 90
1998 Emil Sitka actor (3 Stooges shorts), dies of stroke at 82

Reported: MISSING in ACTION
1966 RAMSEY DOUGLAS K.---BOULDER CITY NV.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98]
1967 COGDELL WILLIAM K.---GREENTOWN IN.
REMAINS ID'D 5/24/94]
1967 KROGMAN ALVA R.---WORLAND WY.
1967 WOZNIAK FREDERICK J.---ALPENA MI.
[ACFT DISAP NO TRACE OF CREW]
1967 WRIGHT GARY G.---SAN DIEGO CA.
[ACFT DISAP NO TRACE OF CREW]
1968 WILKE ROBERT F.---MILWAUKEE WI.
1969 FICKLER EDWIN JAMES ---KEWASKUM WI.
1969 KUHLMAN ROBERT JOHN JR.---RICHMOND IN.
1969 SMITH VICTOR A.---SILVER SPRINGS MD.
1971 MIRRER ROBERT H.---NEWARK NJ.

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

On this day...
1501 Cesare Borgia returns in triumph to Rome from Romagna
1536 François Rabelais absolved of apostasy by Pope Paul III
1595 French king Henri IV declares war on Spain
1746 Battle of Falkirk, Scotland-Prince Charles Edward Stuart defeated by Scots
1773 Captain James Cook becomes 1st to cross Antarctic Circle (66º 33' S)
1775 9 old women burnt as witches for causing bad harvests, Kalisk, Poland
1821 México permits Moses Austin & 300 US families to settle in Texas
1827 Duke of Wellington appointed British supreme commander
1864 General Longstreet's command ends heavy fighting at Dandridge TN
1871 1st cable car patented, by Andrew S Hallidie (begins service in 1873)
1874 Armed Democrats seize Texas government ending Radical Reconstruction
1885 British beat Mahdists at Battle of Abu Klea in the Sudan
1893 -17ºF (-27ºC), Millsboro DE (state record)
1893 Queen Liliuokalani deposed, Kingdom of Hawaii becomes a republic
1899 US takes possession of Wake Island in Pacific
1912 English explorer Robert Falcon Scott & his expedition reach the South Pole, only to discover that Roald Amundsen had gotten there 1 month before
1917 US pays Denmark $25 million for the Virgin Islands
1926 George Burns marries Gracie Allen
1928 1st fully automatic photographic film developing machine patented
1929 Popeye makes 1st appearance, in comic strip "Thimble Theatre"
1938 Supreme Soviet elects Michail Kalinin as presidium chairman
1944 Corvette Violet sinks U-641 in Atlantic Ocean
1945 Liberation of Warsaw by Soviet troops (end of Nazi occupation, start of Russian)
1945 Auschwitz concentration camp begins evacuation
1945 Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews from the Nazis, arrested by secret police in Hungary
1946 United Nations Security Council holds its 1st meeting
1948 Trial of 11 US Communist party members begins in New York City NY
1950 11 men rob Brink's office in Boston of $1.2M cash & $1.5M securities
1951 China refuses cease-fire in Korea
1954 Jacques Cousteau's 1st network telecast airs on "Omnibus" (CBS)
1955 Submarine USS Nautilus begins 1st nuclear-powered test voyage
1961 Eisenhower allegedly orders the assassination of Congo's Lumumba
1962 NASA civilian pilot Neil A Armstrong takes X-15 to 40,690 m
1966 Martin Luther King Jr opens campaign in Chicago
1966 USAF B-52 carrying 4 unarmed hydrogen bombs crashes on Spanish coast at Palomares, 7 die
1969 Beatles release Yellow Submarine album in UK
1969 Debut album of Led Zeppelin released in US
1970 Sporting News names Willie Mays as Player of the Decade for the 1960s
1972 Section of Memphis' Highway 51 South renamed Elvis Presley Blvd
1973 New Philippine constitution names Marcos president for life
1983 Nigeria expels 2 million illegal aliens, mostly Ghanaians
1983 Alabama Governor George C Wallace, becomes governor for record 4th time
1984 Supreme Court rules (5-4) private use of home VCRs to tape TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal copyright laws
1987 President Reagan signs secret order permitting covert sale of arms to Iran
1989 Gunman opens fire in California schoolyard; 5 students slain, 30 wounded
1990 5th Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Awards Bobby Darin
1990 Who, Simon & Garfunkel, 4 Seasons, 4 Tops, Hank Ballard, Platters & Kinks inducted into Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
1991 Iraq fires 8 SCUD missiles on Israel - 1st US pilot shot down (Jeffrey Zahn)
1991 Mountie Jacques Rougeau beats Bret Hart for WWF intercontinental title
1991 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported that Florida dentist David Acer had infected three patients with the AIDS virus.
1994 6.6 Earthquake hits Los Angeles killing 60, $30B in damage
1995 7.2 earthquake destroys Kobe Japan (5,372 die)
1995 Los Angeles Rams announce that they are moving to St Louis
1996 Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, a blind Islamic cleric and Egyptian, is sentenced to life imprisonment and
16 others were also sentenced to jail after being convicted for plotting to bomb the United Nations, and plotting assassinations meant to end US support for Israel and Egypt.
1996 David Watkins, who wrote the memo the White House sent to Congress two weeks earlier, testified before Congress that he felt pressure from the first lady but was never actually told to fire travel office staffers.
1997 NBA suspends Dennis Rodman indefinitely/$25,000 for kicking cameraman
1997 Speaker Newt Gingrich agreed to submit to a reprimand by the House and pay a $300,000 penalty as punishment for his ethics violations.
1998 President Clinton faces sexual harassment charges from Paula Jones
2000 Almost 50,000 people marched in Columbia, S.C., to protest the flying of the Confederate battle flag over the state Capitol.
2001 Faced with an electricity crisis, California used rolling blackouts to cut off power to hundreds of thousands of people. Gov. Gray Davis signed an emergency order authorizing the state to buy power.

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

Poland : Liberation Day
World : Hot and Spicy Food Day
US : Martin Luther King Jr Day (1929)
Virginia : Lee-Jackson Day
US : Good Luck Day
National Soup Month

Religious Observances
Roman Catholic, Anglican : Memorial of St Anthony, abbot, patron of domestic animals

Religious History
0395 With the death of Emperor Theodosius I (the Great), this became the last day the (Christian) Roman Empire was controlled by a single leader. In his wisdom, Theodosius had divided the empire into western and eastern portions.
1377 The Papal See was moved back to Rome by Gregory XI. Located in France for 72 years, it had been moved to Avignon by French pope Clement V in 1305, originally to escape the political turmoil rampant within Italy at the time.
1562 The Edict of St. Germain officially recognized French Protestantism.
1745 Colonial missionary to the American Indians David Brainerd wrote in his journal: 'Oh, how comfortable and sweet it is, to feel the assistance of divine grace in the performance of the duties which God has enjoined on us!'
1963 The Baptist World Mission was incorporated in Chicago. This independent organization of Baptist tradition is engaged primarily in evangelism, church planting and education in 17 overseas countries.

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

Thought for the day :
"How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."

Great looking site you have there.

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Good day! Thanks for the pings, I have a lot of reading to catch up on!

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Good morning ladies. Flag-o-Gram.