•   Musings and History


    Quote of the day:

    “A hug is worth a thousand words. A friend is worth much more.”

                                                  Anonymous


    Trivia question of the day:

    What football team has the most national championships since the advent of NCAA divisions? Answer at the end of the blog.


    World renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has said that the creation of the universe did not need God. I think God does not need Stephen Hawking.


                         This Date in History September 2


    1783 On this date George Washington and several other American Generals are in Paris ready to sign the Treaty of Paris which ended the American Revolutionary War and would gain huge lands from Great Britain. England ceded lands from Florida to the Great Lakes and from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River. Twenty years later two American negotiators go to France to try to buy the port of New Orleans from Napoleon. America needed a port on the Gulf of Mexico since Florida was owned by Spain. Much to our guys surprise, France offered all of their lands in North America for $11 million and the Louisiana Purchase occurred which doubled the size of the United States. The majority of the remainder of our country was taken by military conquest from Mexico. Some people don’t like to hear that but that is what happened.


    1777 On this date during the Revolutionary War there was a minor battle at Cooch’s Bridge, Maryland. Patriot General William Maxwell ordered the recently designed American flag flown over his troops during the battle. This was the first time the Stars and Stripes were displayed in combat. Maxwell and his troops were facing a well trained and experienced army of British regulars and Hessians. It wasn’t long before the Patriots were overwhelmed and were forced to retreat and join Washington at Brandywine Creek, Pennsylvania (been there). The design of the flag with 13 alternating red and white stripes and stars on a field of blue was made by Congress. The 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies and the stars represent any additional states. It was alleged that seamstress Betsy Ross that first assembled a flag. After this any other facts about the flag fade into myth and legend. The sight of this flag waving in the breeze still gives me chill bumps and brings a tear to this redneck’s eye.


    1926 On this day gangster Harry “Lefty” Lewis goes on trial for murder in Cook County (Chicago), Illinois. Lefty was the head of a powerful union and one man refused to join and Lefty shot him in the back while he was running away in the presence of eight others. The court had a hell of a time rounding up a jury. Because of Lefty’s violent reputation many of the potential jury members said they had already made up their minds and were therefore eliminated. Even after a jury was seated, one of them had their house bombed. Anyway, after the jury had been out less than an hour, they came back and acquitted Lefty. This was one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in history.


    1855 On this date US General William Harney and 700 troops attack a friendly Sioux village in Nebraska resulting in the death of 100 Indian women and children. From this massacre Harney gained the nickname of “Squaw Killer”. The attack was in retaliation for what was known as the “Gratton Massacre”. A brash US Lieutenant named James Gratton and 30 troopers tried to arrest a Sioux Indian near Fort Laramie for allegedly shooting a farmer’s cow. Many witnesses say that Gratton baited and challenged the Indians until they indeed were forced to fight and they killed Gratton and all his troopers. After Harney found out what really happened with Gratton he softened his attitude toward the Sioux but the name “Squaw Killer” stuck. There was one Indian kid that saw and survived Harney’s massacre in Nebraska got his revenge 12 years later at Little Big Horn, Montana. His name was Crazy Horse.


    Born today:


    1849 US writer Sarah Orne Jewett. She said ‘Tact, after all, is just a form of mind reading.” I always thought mind reading was called women’s intuition.

    1883 US writer William Birkett. He said “It doesn’t bother me that I see people looking at their watches while I am speaking, but it aggravates me when they begin shaking their watches to see if they are still running.” That reminds me of a preacher I once knew.


    1913 US actor Alan Ladd. He said “Working with Sophia Loren is like being bombarded by watermelons.” What an experience that must be.


    1922 US screenwriter Burt Kennedy. About writing westerns he said “It has always been my aim to write a small story against a big background.”


    Died today:


    1658 English ruler Lord Oliver Cromwell. He said “No one rises so high as he who knows not whither he goes.” I know many like that, Ollie.


    1970 US Coach Vince Lombardi. He said “Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” Vince was a great inspiration for us all.


    Answer to the trivia question:

    Since the advent of NCAA divisions Alabama has won the most national championships with 12, 6 with Paul “Bear” Bryant and 6 with Nick Saban.


    Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow