Category: American History
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After a 34-hour barrage by Confederate cannons, Union forces relinquish Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor, thus starting the American Civil War. April 13, 1861
Image: Bombardment of Fort Sumter, a portrait by Currier and Ives On this day in history, April 13, 1861, after a 34-hour barrage by Confederate cannons, Union forces relinquish Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor. The first engagement of the war was over, and the only casualty had been a rebel horse. The Union…
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500 Members of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation Lay Dead After the Worst Massacre of Native Americans by the U.S. military in American History. January 29, 1863.
Image: Massacre survivor Chief Sagwitch and spouse Beawoachee, circa 1875. (Public Domain). On this day in history, January 29, 1863, as many as 500 Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation lay dead after the worst massacre of Native Americans by the U.S. military in American history. Most people have never heard of the Bear River…
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American Soldiers Under the Control of General Ranald Mackenzie Obliterate a Village of Cheyenne Residing With Chief Dull Knife on the Powder River During the Dull Knife Fight. November 25, 1876.
Image: Dull Knife Battlefield (Public Domain) On this day in history, November 25, 1876, American soldiers under the control of General Ranald Mackenzie obliterate a village of Cheyenne residing with Chief Dull Knife on the Powder River during the Dull Knife Fight. The strike was retribution against some Native Americans who had joined in killing…
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Wild West Wednesday – “Buckskin” Frank Leslie
Image: Nashville Franklin “Buckskin Frank” Leslie, a lawman, U.S. Army scout, gambler, and an outlaw of the American Old West. He assisted Wyatt and Warren Earp in their search for those they held responsible for maiming Virgil Earp and assassinating Morgan Earp. 1881. (Public Domain) “Buckskin” Frank Leslie was a U.S. Army scout, gambler, bartender,…
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303 Santee Sioux are Found Guilty of Raping and Murdering American Pioneers and are Condemned to Hang in Minnesota. A Month Later, President Abraham Lincoln Exchanged All But 39 Death Sentences for Life in Prison. November 5, 1862.
Image: Execution of the thirty-eight Sioux Indians at Mankato Minnesota, December 25, 1862. President Abraham Lincoln ordered the mass execution of 38 Native Americans in Minnesota for revolt against the government in 1862. (Public Domain). On this day in history, November 5, 1862, 303 Santee Sioux are found guilty of raping and murdering American pioneers…
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Wild West Wednesdays – Outlaw Milt Yarberry
Image: Milt Yarberry shortly before his hanging, while shackled to his chair at the prison in Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory. (Public Domain) People change their names for many reasons. In the old West, it was just as likely that a person was attempting to run away from something because of something to hide or…
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President Grover Cleveland Consecrated the Statue of Liberty, a Gift of Solidarity From the Citizens of France to the Citizens of the United States, in New York Harbor. October 28, 1886.
Image: A painting by Edward Moran depicting the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty on October 28, 1886. (Public Domain). On this day in history, President Grover Cleveland consecrated the Statue of Liberty, a gift of solidarity from the citizens of France to the citizens of the United States, in New York Harbor. Originally referred…
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During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Japanese Utilize Kamikaze (“divine wind”) Airplanes Against American Warships for the First Time. It will Prove Disastrous – to Both Sides. October 25, 1944.
Image: St. Lo exploding after a kamikaze strike. (Public Domain) On this day in history, October 25, 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Japanese utilize Kamikaze (“divine wind”) airplanes against American warships for the first time. It will prove disastrous – to both sides. This decision to engage suicide bombers against the American…
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22 Confederate Soldiers Entered St. Albans, Vermont, from Canada, Intent on Robbing Three Banks to Secure Funds for the Depleted Treasury of the Confederacy. October 19, 1864
Image The Confederate raiders stick up the bank in St. Albans. (Public Domain) On this day in history, October 19, 1864, twenty-two Confederate soldiers entered St. Albans, Vermont, from Canada, intent on robbing three banks to secure funds for the depleted treasury of the Confederacy. The raid was designed to create havoc for this New…
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Wild West Wednesday: Outlaw Ben Thompson and the Vaudeville Theater Ambush. March 11, 1884.
Image: Ben Thompson, 1879. (Public Domain) “I always make it a rule to let the other fellow fire first. If a man wants to fight, I argue the question with him and try to show him how foolish it would be. If he can’t be dissuaded, why then the fun begins, but I always let…
History Daily With Francis Chappell Black 