Posted inMaritime & Naval History US Civil War

March 24, 1862 – The Monitor and the lost Frigates

A Fortress Monroe dispatch to the Philadelphia Inquirer says :

“It is not improper to state, while the eyes of the whole North are upon the Monitor, that her officers and crew are aware of the responsibility resting upon them, and that the greatest vigilance is constantly exercised. The round iron tower floats in such a position as to command the exit from Elizabeth river, and from a slender tube at one end of the ‘Yankee Cheese Box’ a jet of steam issues continually. The crew pace the iron clad deck, almost on a level with the surface of the water, and the glance of the watch sweeps the shores of Virginia from the unromantic ‘Pig Point’ to the rebel batteries at Craney island.

Posted inDaily News Politics

Rome Celebrates Sixth Anniversary of Birth of Fascism

Rome, Mar. 22 (By A. P.)—The sixth birthday of Fascism was celebrated today by a monster mass meeting and a parade of more than 20,000 black shirts through the Corso Umberto. But the great moment of the day came when Premier Mussolini, making his first public appearance since the beginning of his illness, emerged on the balcony of Chigi Palace and addressed a wildly enthusiastic crowd of 30.000.

Significant in the premier’s short talk was the phrase:

“What I want to say to you is that it is spring now, and now the fun begins.”

Posted inUS Civil War

March 20, 1862 – Battle at Newbern, N.C.

The Charlotte Bulletin of the 16th has the following :

The battle commenced 7.30, on Friday. The first shot was fired by the Federalists at the Atlantic railroad shops. Soon after, the firing was indiscriminate, but destructive. Our troops disputed their advance bravely. The Federals numbered 12,000 on land, and 61 transports, while our force was about 6,000. The fight lasted two and a half hours, when it became necessary for our troops to evacuate Newbern, in consequence of their being borne down upon by overwhelming numbers. The citizens, at least several of them fired their own dwelling and business houses. The cotton and turpentine stored in Newbern was first fired, and totally destroyed. Our army stores and provisions were all removed. Two batteries and two car loads, one of ammunition, and the other of arms, fell into the hands of the enemy.

Posted inUS Civil War

March 19, 1862 – Independent Cavalry

Capt. Wm. R Vaughan, the gallant commander of the “Old Dominion Dragoons,” of Hampton, has obtained permission from the War Department to raise a battalion of cavalry for “independent service in the Peninsula.” We are gratified to hear that nearly three companies have been mustered, with some prospects of a fourth.

Posted inWorld War 2

Letters From the Front

Letters from friends mean much to all of us. Some people have a knack for writing interesting letters. The following quotations are from a letter from a man in the service. You may be interested in some of the things he writes:

“As we near our rendevous with destiny many of us especially we older ones often get together in informal yet searching gab-fests and bull sessions.

“What we’re fighting for can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. But to us of the Combat Team, though we may express it in many ways, we are fighting for victory for our United States and the United Nations; we are fighting to assure ourselves, our loved ones, and our posterity the right to live in these United States in peace, security and dignity. We are fighting to justify the faith and confidence which other Americans have in us, a faith which enabled them to withstand ostracism, criticism, and ridicule, and sometimes even threats of violence.

Posted inUS Civil War

March 18, 1862 – From Cairo

Special Dispatch to the Chicago Tribune.

Cairo, March 17, 1862.

The town is at present full of rumors from below, but there is little of anything that can be called reliable. We are anxiously expecting information from Island No. 10, but are as yet without anything definite. At last accounts Commodore Foote was at work and using his flotilla to the best possible advantage, moving his mortar boats out of range of the enemy’s batteries or gunboats, throwing shells Into their fortifications, it Is supposed with terrible effect. The Iron clad gunboats had not yet been brought into the action. The mortar-boats had gained the proper range, and the accuracy of their fire folly equalled previous expectations.

Posted inMaritime & Naval History US Civil War

March 17, 1862 – Sailing of Com Foote’s Gunboat and Mortar Fleet Down the Mississippi River

Hickman, KY, March 15—The powerful naval expedition, composed of the gunboats Benton, Louisville, Cincinnati, Carondelet and Conestoga, under Commodore Foote, left Cairo at 7 o’clock this morning. At Columbus they were joined by the gunboats Pittsburg, St. Louis and Mound City, making a total of eight gunboats, and were overtaken by eight mortar boats In tow of four steamers, with transports and ordnance boats. The fleet arrived here at 4 1/2 o’clock this afternoon. Mounted pickets of the enemy were in sight on the bluff on our arrival, and two companies of the 27th Illinois were sent after them, but they escaped.

Posted inWorld War 2

PFC. Frank Harada Recently Awarded Distinguished Unit Badge

Black and white image of the color guard of the famed 442nd Regimental Combat team. It shows 4 Japanese American men in front of a line of soldiers. The two men in the center carry furled flags, the US and regimental. They are flanked by tow soldiers with rifles standing as honor guard.

With the Fifth Army, Italy

Pfc. Frank T. Harada recently was awarded the distinguished unit badge for his part in three battles in which he fought as a member of the 2nd battalion of the 442nd Japanese American combat team.

The battalion was given the distinguished unit citation for out standing performance of duty in one battle on the Fifth army front in Italy and two battles in France. Each member is entitled, by virtue of the citation, to wear the blue and gold badge on the right breast.

In the first action cited, the battalion took a hill dominating important supply routes running through Alsace into Germany. Protected by dense minefields, the hill was defended by three German tanks and many self-propelled guns, mortars, machineguns and other automatic weapons and small arms. More than six enemy machineguns were silenced. An enemy command post and considerable quantities of German equipment were seized, 125 Germans were killed, and 20 were captured.