The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Battle of Kings Mountain (10/7/1780) - June 17th, 2003

http://www.co.cleveland.nc.us/battle_of_kings_mountain.htm ^ | 1997 | Peggy Beach

[snippy_about_it]

Cornwallis Is Shaken By The News;
Withdraws Into South Carolina

Cornwallis was shaken when the news of Ferguson's defeat reached his headquarters. He remained in Charlotte a few days before withdrawing back into South Carolina to the British post at Winnsboro.

The British could not count on reinforcements from other South Carolina posts to help them -- the news of victory at Kings Mountain had revived Patriot hopes. The victory triggered bonfires and street dancing in cities held by the Patriots. Soon, Patriot leaders such as Thomas Sumter, Elijah Clarke and Francis "The Swamp Fox" Marion stepped up their harassment of British troops. Patriot sympathizers increased their assaults on Tory neighbors.

Countdown To Yorktown

Cornwallis was not inactive however. He sent Tarleton and a Major Wemyss in hot pursuit of Marion and Sumter. On November 9, Sumter was fully prepared when Wemyss attempted a surprise attack on his forces at Fish Dam Ford. Wemyss and 25 of his men were captured. Sumter then moved with 240 toward the British fort at Ninety Six. Tarleton stopped his pursuit of Marion and went to Fort Ninety Six. Deciding not to face Tarleton at that time, Sumter fled northward to Blackstock's Plantation. On November 20, Tarleton attacked Sumter's forces but to no avail. Tarleton lost 100 men while the Americans only lost three. Tarleton then rejoined Cornwallis.

Meanwhile, Clinton sent General Alexander Leslie to Virginia to prepare for battle there. Leslie was to be under the direct orders of Cornwallis. Cornwallis ordered Leslie to come to South Carolina -- he planned to resume his invasion of North Carolina as soon as Leslie arrived. Believing that Patriot leader Daniel Morgan planned to attack Fort Ninety Six, Cornwallis sent Tarleton to deal with the backwoodsman. Expecting Leslie to arrive in mid-January, Cornwallis planned to advance rapidly northward and cut off the two American armies (Nathaniel Greene's men in the South from George Washington's men in the North). He also hoped to stop the advance of Morgan's forces should they survive the expected encounter with Tarleton.

Cornwallis's hopes were dashed. Morgan's men soundly defeated Tarleton's Legion at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17. Morgan, who was ill with rheumatism and other ailments, joined Greene's army before returning to his home in Virginia. Greene saw that Cornwallis, who had left South Carolina, was getting further away from his train of supplies and provisions. Eventually, the two forces met in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Technically, the British won that battle but it was a Pyrrhic victory because British losses were high. One man in four was killed, wounded or captured.

Throughout the summer, skirmishes were fought across the Carolinas and Virginia. In September, the army of Cornwallis and the army of Washington met at Yorktown. After a 20-day battle, Cornwallis surrendered. The war officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris two years later.

Legacy Of Kings Mountain

Many of the Patriot leaders at Kings Mountain went on to serve in their new country's government.

John Sevier became Governor of Tennessee and Isaac Shelby became Governor of Kentucky. Returning to his home in Burke County, Charles McDowell served in the N.C. State Legislature and later the U.S. Congress. Joseph Winston also served in the U.S. Congress. He later represented his home of Surry and Stokes counties in the N.C. State Legislature. Benjamin Cleveland served as a judge for many years before his death in 1806. William Campbell did not survive the war. He died of a heart ailment in August 1781 while visiting relatives in Hanover County.

As the years passed, the battle of Kings Mountain was remembered by historians and local residents alike. Many roads and towns in Western North Carolina bear the names of the battle's participants. McDowell County is named Charles McDowell and his family. McDowell and his soldiers thought so highly of Daniel Morgan that they persuaded residents of Burke County to name the county seat Morganton.

The North Carolina city of Kings Mountain used to be called White Plains. When the city was incorporated in 1874, Mrs. James Wright Tracey decided that Kings Mountain would be a more appropriate name since the community was the closest town to the mountain.

The City of Shelby is named for Isaac Shelby. Many streets in Shelby including Washington, Lafayette and Marion, are named for Revolutionary War heroes.

Shelby and Kings Mountain are in Cleveland County, which was named for Benjamin Cleveland. The county was formed in 1841 and until 1885, spelled its name "Cleaveland," just the way the colonel spelled his name. However, in 1885, Grover Cleveland became president and there was some confusion over the spelling of the county's name. In 1887, a special bill was passed in the North Carolina General Assembly which authorized the elimination of the letter a.

Very few Cleveland County residents actually fought in the battle of Kings Mountain. Historians estimate that the number was around 35 persons -- the area at the time was not heavily populated. One soldier who did fight was Colonel Fredrick Hambright. Hambright led a company of men onto the battlefield. He was severely wounded in the thigh, which caused him to limp for the rest of his life.

Patrick Ferguson has also received a measure of fame. As mentioned earlier, 20th century scholars believe Ferguson was the would be George Washington assailant at the battle of Brandywine. Ferguson has also received acclaim for his invention, the breechloading Ferguson rifle. Sycamore Shoals State Park and the John Sevier State Historic Site are looking for working Ferguson rifles for their museum exhibits. Some gunsmiths say that further use of the rifle would possibly have changed the outcome of the American Revolution and definitely the result of the War of 1812.

Historians agree that the battle of Kings Mountain was the beginning of the end of British rule in its former colonies. In less than one hour of battle, the Overmountain Men not only captured the day but also punctured holes in the British strategy for keeping America under its control.

Thanks to FReeper Coleus for the suggestion and research on this Thread

[snippy_about_it]

Patrick Ferguson -- Keen Rifleman

Joining the British army at age 15, Ferguson was a well known marksman and the inventor of a breechloading rifle. The son of a Scottish judge, Ferguson had an affable disposition, a gentle face and was slight of build. Nevertheless, his soldiers named him "Bulldog."

Ferguson distinguished himself early on in his military career. Serving as a cornet in the Royal North British Dragoons, Ferguson was considered by his superiors as a courageous fighter during the wars of Flanders and Germany in the 1760's. In 1768, he joined the Seventieth Regiment of Foot in the West Indies, where British troops engaged in guerilla warfare with the native Carib tribes. Ferguson went for garrison duty at Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1773 but soon became bored.


Patrick Ferguson

Ferguson's ability with a rifle was well known. While visiting his family's estate in Scotland before the American Revolution, he began to develop a rifle of his own. After completing the invention, Ferguson displayed the rifle for military leaders and even King George III witnessed one of Ferguson's demonstrations.

During one demonstration, Ferguson fired at a rate of 4-6 shots per minute during pouring rain and high wind. Apparently, Ferguson only missed the target three times while firing from a distance of 200 yards -- this was not possible with the British Brown Bess musket. A patent was issued and a limited number of the breechloading rifles were produced. Ferguson established an elite rifle corps which joined Sir Henry Clinton in America. Their mission: to help stop the rebellion in the colonies.

Ferguson Has Washington In His Sights

At the Battle of Brandywine (September 11, 1777), Ferguson was wounded in the arm and his rifle corps was later disbanded. The Ferguson rifles were removed and very few have been seen since. There is no evidence that the Ferguson rifle was used at the Battle of Kings Mountain.

It was at the Battle of Brandywine that Ferguson distinguished himself further though many did not know about it until the 20th century. Scholars believe that Ferguson was the British soldier who had George Washington in his gun sight. Ferguson did not pull the trigger, saying that "it is ungentlemanly to shoot a man in the back of the head."

Ferguson himself mentioned the incident in a letter he dictated a few months later. During the battle, he did not realize the identity of the American officer. While recuperating in the hospital from his arm injury, he discovered that the American officer in question was George Washington. Ferguson wrote that even if he had known, he would not have pulled the trigger. Ferguson's letters are available in the library at Edinburgh University.

Ferguson later fought in the battles of Monmouth and Little Egg Harbor. He was also active in many other battles in the New York and Hudson area. Impressing his superiors with his valor, Ferguson was promoted to Major in 1779.



Late that year, he was selected to command a corps of 300 men, called the American Volunteers. The men were Loyalists, handpicked from units in the New York and New Jersey area. The corps, along with Ferguson, arrived in the South in early February 1780. Ferguson, a persuasive individual, immediately gathered support in Savannah and Augusta before Clinton ordered him to Charleston.

During the invasion of that city, Ferguson worked with the legendary Banastre Tarleton, who had angered many Patriots after his massacre of soldiers trying to surrender to him at Waxhaw. Author Washington Irving later wrote that Ferguson and Tarleton were "equally intrepid and determined but Ferguson is cooler, and more open to the impulses of humanity." In fact, some researchers believe that Ferguson despised Tarleton's methods.

After Charleston fell, Ferguson was appointed to the position of Inspector General of the Militia. Clinton and Cornwallis gave him the mission to organize a volunteer corps of Loyalists troops. Ferguson's men thought highly of him -- he had a natural ability to gain their affection and respect. The Scot was known for spending hours in conversations with the ordinary people around the villages and towns in South Carolina. South Carolina remained a Loyalist stronghold until the end of the war, largely due to his influence.

Additional Sources:

www.americanrevolution.com
www.military.state.ky.us
www.sar.org
www.state.tn.us
www.knowitall.org
www.degrem.com
www.wilkesnc.org
www.tngenweb.org
www.patriotresource.com
jrshelby.com

[snippy_about_it]

'The Americans had riflemen who could hit a man anywhere they liked at 200 paces... At King's Mountain, they destroyed us.'

-- British Captain
writing after the war.

[snippy_about_it]

[snippy_about_it]

.......FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!

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[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[snippy_about_it]

:)

[manna]

Present!

[snippy_about_it]

:)

[aomagrat]

Today's classic warship, USS Duluth (CL-87)

Cleveland class light cruiser
Displacement: 10,000 t.
Length: 610’1”
Beam: 66’4”
Draft: 20’
Speed: 33 k.
Complement: 992
Armament: 12 6”; 12 5”; 28 40mm; 10 20mm; 4 Aircraft

DULUTH (CL-87) was launched 13 January 1944 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Portsmouth, Va.; sponsored by Mrs. E. H. Hatch, wife of the Mayor of Duluth, Minn.; and commissioned l8 September 1944, Captain D. R. Osborn, Jr., in command.

From 14 December 1944 to 2 March 1945, DULUTH served as a training cruiser at Newport, R. I. After brief overhaul at Norfolk, she sailed 7 April for the Pacific, arriving at Pearl Harbor 29 April. On 8 May, she got underway to join the 5th Fleet and rendezvoused with the fast carriers on 27 May. Severe structural damage to her bow suffered in a typhoon 5 June, forced her to return to Guam for repairs, but she rejoined TF 38 on 21 July to screen during the final air strikes on the Japanese homeland which continued until the end of the war.

From 24 August 1945 until she entered Tokyo Bay 16 September, DULUTH operated with TF 38 which was providing radar picket and combat air patrol for transport aircraft flying occupation forces into Japan. On 1 October, DULUTH sailed for the United States, arriving at Seattle 19 October for Navy Day celebrations.

Based at San Pedro, Calif., DULUTH served a tour of duty in the Far East between 3 January and 27 September 1946, and on 24 February 1947 sailed for an extended visit at Pearl Harbor. Between May and July, she visited Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, Truk, Guam, and Manila. She served again in the Far East, patrolling the China coast, between 22 September 1947 and 19 May 1948, when she returned to her new home port, Long Beach. She carried NROTC midshipmen on a training cruise to British Columbia in the summer of 1948, and in February 1949 joined in cold-weather operations off Kodiak, Alaska. She was placed out of commission in reserve 25 June 1949, and sold for scrap on 14 November 1960.

DULUTH received two battle stars for World War II service.

[GailA]

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on June 17:
1239 Edward I king of England (1272-1307)
1703 John Wesley cofounded Methodist movement/author
1742 William Hooper signed Decl of Ind
1811 Jon Sigurdsson Iceland, leader/collects Icelandic legends
1818 Charles Gounod Paris, France, opera composer (Faust)
1832 Sir William Crookes chemist/physicist; discovered thallium
1858 Eben Sumner Draper former MA Gov
1867 John Robert Gregg Ireland, inventor (shorthand)
1870 George Cormack created "Wheaties" cereal
1871 James Weldon Johnson lawyer, 1st black admitted to Florida Bar
1882 Igor Stravinsky Oranienbaum, Russia, composer (The Rite of Spring)
1904 Ralph Bellamy Chicago, actor (Air Mail, Dive Bomber, Trading Places)
1910 Red Foley Blue Lick Ky, country singer (Mr Smith Goes to Washington)
1912 Don Gillis Cameron Missouri, composer (Symphony #5«)
1914 John Hersey author (Hiroshima, A Bell for Adano)
1915 Stringbean [David Akeman], Ky, banjoist/comedian (Hee Haw)
1919 Kingman Brewster college president (Yale)
1920 Beryl Reid actress (Joseph Andrews, Psycho Mania, Yellowbeard)
1920 Fran‡ois Jacob France, biologist/bacteriologist (Nobel 1965)
1922 Jerry Fielding Pitts Pa, orch leader (Lively Ones)
1923 Elroy (Crazylegs) Hirsch AAFC, NFL halfback, end (LA Rams)
1925 Keith Larsen Salt Lake City Utah, actor (The Hunter, Brave Eagle)
1928 James Brown rocker (Papa's got a brand new bag)
1929 Tigran Petrosyan USSR, world chess champion (1963-69)
1931 Virginia McKenna London, actress (Born Free, Gathering Storm)
1940 Bobby Bell NFL linebacker (KC Chiefs)
1942 Norman Kuhlice England, rocker (Swinging Blue Jeans-You're No Good)
1943 Newton L Gingrich, (Rep-R-Georgia, 1979- )
1945 Art Bell, Latenight radio man.
1945 Eddy Merckx Belguim, cyclist (5 time winner of Tour de France)
1946 Barry Manilow NYC, singer(?) (Mandy)
1948 David Concepcion Venezuela, all star shortstop (Cincinatti Reds)
1948 Phylicia Allen Ayers Rashad Houston Tx, actress (Cosby)
1951 Joe Piscopo Passaic NJ, comedian (SNL, Miller Lite commercials)
1954 Mark Linn-Baker St Louis, actor (Larry Appleton-Perfect Strangers)
1958 Dan McVicar Independence Mo, actor (Clarke-Bold & Beautiful)
1964 Michael Gross West Germany, swimmer (Olympic-2 world records-1984)
1965 Kami Cotler Long Beach Calif, actress (Elizabeth-The Waltons)
1969 Kevin Thornton vocalist (Color Me Badd-I Want to Sex You Up)
1975 Frederick Koehler Queens NY, actor (Chip-Kate & Allie)
1977 Jason Miller Silver Springs Md, actor (New Mickey Mouse Club)

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Deaths which occurred on June 17:
676 Adeodatus II, Italian Pope (672-76), dies
855 Leo IV, Italian Pope (847-55), dies
1091 Dirk V, count of Holland, dies
1501 Jan I Olbracht, King of Poland, dies
1696 Jan III Sobieski, King of Poland (1674-96), dies at 72
1696 Johannes II Sobieski, King of Poland (1674-96), dies
1797 Aga Mohammed Khan, cruel ruler of Persia, castrated & killed
1815 Hammida, Algerian admiral, dies in battle
1885 Gen Edwin H K Freiherr von Manteuffel, mayor (Elzas-Lothar'n), dies
1905 M ximo G¢mez Cuban general, dies at 68
1939 Eugene Weldman last guillotined in France
1961 Jeff Chandler actor, dies at 40
1973 Luis Van Rooten actor (One Man's Family), dies at 66
1974 Pamela Britton actress (Blondie, My Favorite Martian), dies at 50
1978 Cully Richards actor (Don't Call Me Charlie), dies at 68
1979 Lou Frizzel actor (Dusty Rhoades-Bonanza), dies at 58
1984 Chet Allen actor (Jerry-Bonino, Slats-Troubleshooter), dies at 51
1984 Swale Kentucky Derby winner, collapses & dies
1986 Kate Smith singer (God Bless America), dies in Raleigh NC at 78
1987 Dick Howser NY Yankee & KC Royal mgr, dies at 51 of brain cancer
1989 David S Griggs astronaut, dies in crash of WW II vintage plane
1989 John Matusek Oakland Raider/actor, dies at 38 of a heart attack
1989 Mr Griggs astronaut, dies in crash of WW II vintage plane
1990 Palmira Henry fashion designer, dies at 44 of cerebral hemorrhage

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 ADAMS OLEY N. GREEN CITY MO.
[EXPLODE AIR IMPACT SEA]
1966 COBBS RALPH B. EAST ST LOUIS IL.
[EXPLODE AIR IMAPCT SEA]
1966 COLLETTE CURTIS D. WINDSOR CT.
[EXPLODE AIR IMPACT SEA]
1966 CAIRNS ROBERT A. HIGHLAND CA.
[EXPLODE AIR IMPACT SEA]
1966 DEMPSEY JACK I. HELENA MT.
[EXPLODE AIR IMPACT SEA]
1966 FRENG STANLEY J. MISSON HILL SD.
[EXPLODE AIR IMPACT SEA]
1966 GALANTI PAUL E. LODI NJ.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1966 GRAVITTE CONNIE M. CA-VEL NC.
[EXPLODE AIR IMPACT SEA]
1966 HESS GENE K. TOWNSEND DE.
[EXPLODE AIR IMPACT SEA]
1966 ROMIG EDWARD L. HAVERTOWN PA.
[EXPLODE AIR IMPACT SEA]
1966 SAVOY M.J. UNIVERSITY CITY MO.
[EXPLODE AIR IMPACT SEA]
1966 SIEGWARTH DONALD E. NEWARK NJ.
[EXPLODE AIR IMPACT SEA]
1966 WASHBURN LARRY E. SAN ANTONIO TX.
[EXPLODE AIR IMPACT SEA]
1969 SPARKS DONALD L. CARROLL IA.
["LETTERS FOUND, DIED IN PW CAMP"]
1970 COCHRANE DEVERTON C. BROOKLINE MA.
[SEARCH NEG]
1970 LAKER CARL J. CLEARWATER FL.
["HEAD WOUND, SEARCH NEG"]


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

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On this day...
653 St Martin I ends his reign as Catholic Pope
676 Deusdedit III ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1397 Union of Kalmar established between Denmark, Sweden & Norway
1579 Sir Francis Drake lands on the coast of Calif
1745 American colonials capture Louisburg, Cape Breton I from French
1775 Battle of Bunker Hill (actually it was Breed's Hill)
1789 3rd Estate in France declared itself a national assembly
1837 Charles Goodyear obtains his 1st rubber patent
1850 Paddle-wheeler "G P Griffith" burns off Mentor Ohio (206 die)
1856 Republican Party opens its 1st national convention in Philadelphia
1863 Battle of Aldie, Confederates fail to drive back the Union in Virginia
1863 Travelers Insurance Co of Hartford chartered (1st accident insurer)
1876 1st to hit 2 HRs; & score 5 runs in 9 inn NL game (George Hall, A's)
1880 John Ward, Providence, pitches perfect game vs Buffalo
1882 Tornado kills 130 in Iowa
1885 Statue of Liberty arrived in NYC aboard French ship `Isere'
1894 1st US poliomyelitis epidemic breaks out, Rutland, Vermont
1895 US Ship Canal (W 225th St) in the Bronx completed; cutting Marble
Hill off from Manhattan
1897 William Frank Powell, NJ educator, named minister to Haiti
1909 A Kopff discovers asteroid #682 Hagar
1919 "Barney Google" cartoon strip, by Billy De Beck, premiers
1928 Amelia Earhart leaves Nfld to become 1st woman to fly the Atlantic
(as a passenger in a plane piloted by Wilmer Stultz)
1930 Chuck Klein sets Phillies hitting streak at 26 straight games
1937 Marx Brothers' "A Day At The Races" opens in NY
1940 France asks Germany for terms of surrender in WW II
1942 1st WW II American expeditionary force lands in Africa (Gold Coast)
1944 Republic of Iceland proclaimed at Thingvallir, Iceland
1945 Day of Unity in West Germany (National Day)
1946 SW Bell innaugurates mobile telephone commercial service, St Louis
1947 1st round-the-world civil air service leaves NYC
1948 Joe Cronin pinch hit HRs in both ends of a doubleheader
1950 1st kidney transplant (Chicago)
1953 Riots in East Germany for reunification
1953 Sup Court Justice Wm O Douglas stays executions of spies Julius &
Ethel Rosenberg scheduled for the next day their 14th anniversary
1954 Televised Senate Army McCarthy hearings ends
1957 Tuskegee boycott begins (Blacks boycotted city stores)
1960 Ted Williams hit his 500th home run
1962 Brazil Beats Czechosolakia in soccer's 7th World Cup at Santiago
1963 Supreme Court rules against Bible reading/prayer in public schools
1965 28.14 cm (11.08") of rainfall, Holly, Colorado (state 24-hour record)
1965 Kinks arrive in NYC beginning their 1st US tour
1967 Barbra Striesand: A Happening in Central Park performed
1967 China becomes world's 4th thermonuclear (H-bomb) power
1971 C U Cesco discovers asteroid #2399 Terradas
1972 5 arrested for burglarizing Democratic Party HQ at Watergate
1972 Looking Glass releases "Brandy"
1974 Felix Aguilar Observatory discovers asteroids #2997 & #3083
1975 Voters in Northern Mariana Is approve commonwealth status with US
1976 ABA (Nets, Pacers, Nuggets & Spurs) merges into the NBA
1978 Ron Guidry sets Yankee record with 18 strike-outs
1980 C Shoemaker discovers asteroid #2586 Matson
1982 Pres Reagan 1st UN Gen Assembly address ("evil empire" speech)
1982 President Galtieri resigns after leading Argentina to defeat
1985 18th Space Shuttle Mission (51-G)-Discovery 5 launched
1986 Chief Justice Warren Earl Burger resigns Antonin Scalia nominated
1988 Bruce Springsteen seperates from Juliette Phillips
1988 Microsoft releases MS DOS 4.0
1988 The Givens' Family reports Mike Tyson beats his wife Robin Givens
1988 Women sentenced to 90 years in 1st product tampering murder case
1989 US beats Guatemala 2-1, in 3rd round of 1990 world soccer cup
1991 Country entertainer Minnie Pearl suffers a stroke at 78
1994 1994 World Cup soccer match begins
1994: After leading police on a slow-speed chase on Southern California freeways, actor/football player O.J. Simpson is arrested and charged with the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend Ronald Goldman (Simpson was later acquitted in a criminal trial, but held liable in a civil trial)

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

Germany : Day of German Unity/Rememberance Day (1953)- Date changed 1990 to Oct 3rd
Iceland : Republic Day (1944)
Japan : Lily Festival
Mass : Bunker Hill Day (1775)
Paraguay : Chaco Peace Day (1935) - - - - - ( Sunday )
US : Father's Day (Remind the guy how much you care) - - - - - ( Sunday )

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Religious Observances
Ang : St Alban's Day [0622]

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Religious History
1703 Birth of John Wesley, English founder of Methodism. The systematic disciplines of the 'Holy Club,' which John and his brother Charles founded, elicited the nickname 'Methodies' from their critics.
1822 In New York City, the first elders of the newly founded African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church were ordained.
1846 Iowa College was chartered in Davenport under the joint sponsorship of the Congregational and Presbyterian churches. The school changed location in 1859 and was later renamed Grinnell College.
1859 Birth of J. Wilbur Chapman, Presbyterian pastor and evangelist who authored a number of hymns, including 'One Day When Heaven Was Filled with His Praises.'
1963 English apologist C.S. Lewis wrote in a letter: 'Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave it with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.'

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

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Thought for the day :
"Forgive your enemies,.....but never forget their names."

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks Gail.

[snippy_about_it]

Thank you aomagrat.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning snippy, SAM and FOXHOLE residents!

[snippy_about_it]

Morning feather, that's always been one of my favorites.

[Darksheare]

"'The Americans had riflemen who could hit a man anywhere they liked at 200 paces... At King's Mountain, they destroyed us.'
-- British Captain
writing after the war."


Ah yes.
The infamous 'Squirrel guns' that the American colonials used in preference to the British Bess.
The Bess was good out to 75 yards, if that.
The Americans had hunting rifles good to 200.
King George said, "No fair."
He's the first one to use the term Assault Weapon.

Which is also why we have the second amendment.
King George also had moved to, if not outright ban the guns the colonials used, then to at least reduce their numbers to insignificance.
(This is highly paraphrased history. So, nitpickers, bite me.)

The colonials depended on their rifles for food, and protection. (Hostile natives, raiding Quebecers, and other such.)
To take them away guaranteed the massacre of colonists.

Yet another match at the fuse of revolution...

Good article, thanks.
More detailed and more accurate info is in the history elsewhere.

[snippy_about_it]

Thank you and good morning.

[w_over_w]

Good Morning . . . excellent work young lady.

[snippy_about_it]

Oh my, thank you but the threadwork today is all SAMWolf's, I'm just posting for him, but we appreciate the compliments. :)