We Hove Our Ship To With The Wind From Sou'west, Boys

Tonight, I am in the hunter gatherer mode. I have my first event of the year at Moore's Creek Bridge national park near Willmington in the morning and have to dig out all my 18th century sailor toys and clothing. It's a very strange check off list I am walking around with. Sea bag, ditty bag, cutlass, musketoon, boarding pike, boarding pistol and so on. When ever I go to a historic site, I always bring more stuff than I need for a couple of reasons. First, you never know if one of your friends might need to borrow something. You can forget something REAL easy, been there, done that. Also, you need eye candy for the public. I have noticed that when people come to a historic site, they for the most part hesitate to talk to us when we are wearing period clothing. So, I bring lots o' bait. My brass-barrel musketoon (Blunderbuss) catches people's eye as well as my rope work. Once I get 'em close, I can talk to them. Then maybe I can share a little of my knowledge with 'em. But ya gotta bring them in first.

Another nice thing is that I will be spending time with my messmates from the living history guild. I will post when I get back on how it went.......

Take Her Down........

As you are no doubt aware, I have a great deal of admiration for the Naval service and those who serve. I guess if I have any regrets about my life, the only one would have been to have not served a hitch in the navy.

I had intended to post this on the 66th anniversary of the event, but missed it. I hope that you will forgive it's lateness and honor the memory of the brave man involved.

February 7th 1943............

Congressional Medal of Honor Citation

*GILMORE, HOWARD WALTER

Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy.
Born: 29 September 1902, Selma, Ala.
Appointed from: Louisiana.
Other Navy award: Navy Cross with one gold star.

Citation: For distinguished gallantry and valor above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Growler during her Fourth War Patrol in the Southwest Pacific from 10 January to 7 February 1943. Boldly striking at the enemy in spite of continuous hostile air and antisubmarine patrols, Comdr. Gilmore sank one Japanese freighter and damaged another by torpedo fire, successfully evading severe depth charges following each attack. In the darkness of night on 7 February, an enemy gunboat closed range and prepared to ram the Growler. Comdr. Gilmore daringly maneuvered to avoid the crash and rammed the attacker instead, ripping into her port side at 11 knots and bursting wide her plates. In the terrific fire of the sinking gunboat's heavy machineguns, Comdr. Gilmore calmly gave the order to clear the bridge, and refusing safety for himself, remained on deck while his men preceded him below. Struck down by the fusillade of bullets and having done his utmost against the enemy, in his final living moments, Comdr. Gilmore gave his last order to the officer of the deck, "Take her down." The Growler dived; seriously damaged but under control, she was brought safely to port by her well-trained crew inspired by the courageous fighting spirit of their dead captain.

Today In History.............

In 1864........

Confederate Submarine H.L. Hunley commanded by Lt. G.E. Dixon in a effort to break the Federal Navy's blockade, successfully attacked and sank the U.S.S. Housatonic a steam powered sloop of war outside of Charleston harbor. The Housatonic went down in 5 minutes but only suffered the loss of 5 lives, the rest of the crew were able to either man lifeboats or climb into the rigging of the ship until rescued. After the attack the Hunley never returned to it's base so was considered lost with all aboard(Lt. Dixon and seven crew members)in the attack.

The Hunley's place in history was due to it's being the first submarine to sink a ship in wartime. It's success came at a high price however. The lost of it's crew on it's combat mission, but also two other crews during testing and development. Say what you will about the cause they served, but it had to take a brave man to climb down into a iron tube that had only one hatch, no lights, no fresh air, soon to be under water. To turn a hand crank for hours(the method of propulsion for the Hunley) on end with no guarantee that you are ever coming back.

Lt. Dixon and his crew did make it back however. On August 8th 2000 the Hunley was raised from Charleston harbor with the remains of the crew still on board. On April 17th 2004 the Hunley's crew was buried with full military honors in Charleston's Magnolia Cemetery.

So, You Think YOU Got It Bad????

In 1568...........

The Roman Catholic Church sentenced the entire population of the Netherlands to death for heresy. That was every man, woman and child. Luckily the Spanish (who were acting as the church's proxy)never were able to conquer the country so that they could carry out the sentence.

Today In History.............

In 1804........

Steven Decatur burned the captured frigate Philadelphia in Tripoli harbor.

At the end of the American Revolution, the American merchant navy found it's self at a strong disadvantage. The ships sailing under the American flag no longer had the protection of the Royal Navy so they were prime pickings for anyone who wanted to take them on. The foremost of these pirates were the Barbary corsairs. The Muslim countries in the north of the African continent, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, sponsored these pirates for a cut, and also ran a rather impressive protection racket. By the paying of "tribute" a nation could have their ships protected. Some countries would pay this tribute as just the cost of doing business in the Mediterranean. Others would whisper into the pirate's ears to ensure that that attacked only the right ships. That brought a whole new meaning to the term, "cut throat competition".

American, not having a navy worthy of mention, paid tribute at first. It also paid ransom for captured American sailors and citizens. If a seaman or passenger was captured by the Barbary corsairs, they were condemned to life as slaves until they could be redeemed. At one time, in many seacoast towns, various churches would take up collections to relieve the suffering of Christians held by the Moors.
After a while, the American government grew tired of paying tribute. (The War-Hawks in Washington cry was "Thousands for Defense, but not one Penny for Tribute") and dispatched a newly formed naval force to blockade the port of Tripoli. One of the ship detached on this mission was the 36 gun frigate, U.S.S. Philadelphia. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia ran aground on a uncharted reef in Tripoli harbor and was captured on October, 31 1803. The pirates were able to re-float the ship and changed the balance of power in the Mediterranean. Lt. Steven Decatur led a volunteer mission in which he sailed a captured Libyan ship which he had renamed Intrepid with a hand picked crew, under the guns of the harbor's many fortresses as well as the guns of the Philadelphia. Using swords, daggers, boarding pikes and axes, he retook the Philadelphia. There was no way he could sail the ship out of the harbor, so to prevent the pirates from retaking the ship, he put her to the torch.

This was one of the key events that brought the fledgling U.S. Navy to the world's attention. No less that the greatest of all admirals of the age of fighting sail, Horatio Nelson noted the incident and stated this was the "most bold and daring act of the age."

Not bad praise from a man who was well noted for his aggressive nature.

Happy Birthday.........

Today's Birthday of Note...........

In 1923............

Brig. Gen. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager (Ret.) Air Force pilot, fighter ace, test pilot, first man to break the sound barrier and hero of the book and movie, The Right Stuff.

For Those In Peril On The Sea..............

While checking out the news, I learned to my great delight that ships and personnel of the U.S. Navy in the past two days have been busy engaging in anti-piracy patrols and have taken into custody a number of pirates operating off the coast of Somalia. Unfortunately, they are turning the subjects over to the government of Kenya for trial. My opinion is that if you catch them armed and engaging in piracy, that the skippers of the ships should be allowed to try them at sea, and if they are convicted, hung.

Piracy was suppressed in that manner on many occasions in the past, I don't see why it wouldn't work today.

To those brave men and women who serve our country in our navy, I say, May God bless and God speed...........