Wednesday OYSTERS

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Quote of the day,

In early December 1941 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii he said “Put all the planes in tight circles so they can be more easily guarded. The biggest threat to us is sabotage.”

                                  US Army General Walter Short

General Short was responsible for the United States Army Air Force planes being decimated by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor even though Washington experts had told him that an airborne attack by the Japanese from the sea was likely if not imminent. By the way, the Japanese naval task force was well on its way to Hawaii by December 2, 1941.

Down in Columbia, SC some really intelligent thief decided to hold up five different places near an area known as “Vista” which is in downtown Columbia. Every place he robbed had a security camera so the cops had a montage of pictures of him from a variety of angles. He was arrested within five days and taken to the James Abbot Detention Center. After a few days he was sent to the Alvin Greene Center for Unparalleled Stupidity. By the way, here is a message to the thief “Your pictures are ready.”

Very soon after the invention of silver and gold coins unscrupulous people would shave a tiny amount off the edges and save it up until they had enough to sell. This problem was solved by Sir Isaac Newton. In addition to giving us the basic laws of motion, gravity and integral calculus he became the Chancellor of the Exchequer which is the equivalent of the Treasurer of England. One of his problems was “clipping” which is what shaving the edges of silver and gold coins was called. Sir Isaac decided that serrations of the edges of coins of the realm would prevent clipping. He decreed that if any of the serrations were not in tact, the coin no longer would have a monetary value and would just be scrap metal in addition to a criminal sentence for the clipper. That method of coinage found its way over to the colonies and to this day our dimes, quarters, 50 cent pieces and silver dollars and our rare gold coins have serrated edges. Thanks to you Sir Isaac.

Some of y’all will remember the saga of Garinger High School in Charlotte, NC. At first there was a gang fight at a football game that took a SWAT team to break it up…then there was a fight in front of the school before class that also took a SWAT team to stop. Later a student walked out of the high school and fired a couple of rounds from a pistol and then walked back in. What they have up there is a failure to communicate. A police baton swiftly struck across shins and kneecaps speaks volumes…behind the ear is even more explanatory. I remember seeing this when I was a bouncer at the Tiki Lounge. On one occasion I had thrown an unruly patron out and told him not to return. There was a cop present when I told him that. Later he came back in and went to the men's room and stayed. I called the same cop and told him what happened. He came in, went straight to the men's room and soon thereafter I heard a thud. The cop came out dragging the unconscious patron by the collar out onto the beach, held him there until reinforcements arrived and carried him off. I asked the cop what happened and he just said “He wanted to fight.”

             This Date in History December 2

1864 One of the finest CSA field officers is killed when an artillery shell exploded near his position in the Petersburg, Virginia fortifications. General Archibald Gracie was born in New York City in 1832. His family was wealthy and sent him to Germany to be educated and then he came back and attended West Point. After graduating he moved to Mobile, Alabama to run one of his father’s businesses. It was during this time in the City of Azaleas that he became enamored with the mystique of the Deep South. When the Civil War broke out Gracie offered his services to the Confederacy. He was assigned to the army of CSA General Kirby Smith and served with distinction in Smith’s invasion of Kentucky. After this he was promoted to Brigadier General. He fought at Chickamauga and Chattanooga. He and his brigade joined with the CSA army led by CSA General James Longstreet in his attack on Knoxville, Tennessee. Even though he was wounded at the Battle of Bean’s Bridge, he followed General Longstreet back into Virginia to join General Robert E. Lee at Petersburg. It was Gracie’s brigade that turned back US General Benjamin Butler’s attack on the Confederate flank at Drewry’s Bluff. After this action he was recommended for a promotion to Major General but he was killed before it was confirmed. The US requested a special truce to bring Gracie’s body through the lines. He is buried in New York City.

1777 Legend has it that a woman named Lydia Darrah overheard British General William Howe planning a surprise attack on US General George Washington at Whitemarsh, New Jersey. Originally General Howe had his headquarters across the street from the Darrah home. The problem was that Howe’s house did not have a room big enough for a meeting of all his staff. So Howe commandeered the upstairs office in the Darrah house for his staff meetings. Little did he know that Lydia was taking notes. When she learned of the planned surprise attack she sewed a note inside of one her aprons and asked for permission to go to a flour mill just across the lines. While there she gave her note to a Patriot officer named James Craig and he got the note to Washington. When Howe and his troops arrived at Whitemarsh he found Washington and his troops dug in and ready. After three days of inconclusive skirmishing, Howe said “To hell with it” and went back to New York. The CIA and FBI hold Lydia Darrah in high esteem as being one of the first spies in American history.

1859 In Charles Town, Virginia John Brown is hanged. Brown was born in Connecticut in 1800 and became a violent anti-slavery advocate. This guy did not fool around. He would kill at the drop of a hat if he even thought you were an advocate of slavery. What brought Brown to the gallows was his raid on the US armory at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. He had intentions of capturing the armaments there and distributing them to the slaves that he was positive would come to his side when they found out about the raid. The problem was that the slaves in the immediate community did not know of the raid and Brown had no way to haul artillery. US Colonel Robert E. Lee and Captain J.E.B. Stuart and a brigade of Marines were sent to re-capture the arsenal. Lee, Stuart and the Marines had little trouble in suppressing Brown and his motley crew. There were songs written about Brown and his bravery and dedication to the “cause”. Not in my opinion. He committed treason and was a terrorist that got what he deserved no matter how dedicated. I personally do not believe he thought he could mount a successful armed uprising being he gave zero forethought to the logistical problems involved....or maybe he did and thought God would arrive and strike down the iniquitous ones, superior trained manpower and superior armament be damned...he and his brethren paid for that ignorance with their lives.

          Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow