Happy 4th of July!

[Mbond057]

Happy 4th of July, to all my reenacting family who keep History alive!

Have a safe and warm holiday. :)

[csabugler]

Re: Happy 4th of July!

And thanks to those and theirs who provide our often taken for granted freedoms with their sweat and blood, and too often of late, their lives!

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Happy 4th of July!

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: Happy 4th of July!

Thanks. When is that illustration from Garrison? The Revolutionary Era?

[tenfed1861]

Re: Happy 4th of July!

Here's to a country that brought us film,flight,a written form of democracy,the internet,the advancement of the assembly line,advancements in medicane,stopped numberous tyrants,put a man on the moon,refrigeration,ect.Oh,and a country that brought us bourbon.
Happy 4th everyone.Try not to blow anything off. ;)

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Happy 4th of July!

Thanks. When is that illustration from Garrison? The Revolutionary Era?

Heading of The Independent Chronicle. Boston. Summer, 1776

[GeraldDuval]

Re: Happy 4th of July!

Happy Birthday America!

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Happy 4th of July!

Wow the old girl is Two Hundred and thirty two this year. She doesn't seem a day past 87.

Happy Vicksburg Occupation Day. :D

RM

[Abrams]

Re: Happy 4th of July!

Have a safe and happy holiday.

[EVOC]

Wow the old girl is Two Hundred and thirty two this year. She doesn't seem a day past 87.

Happy Vicksburg Occupation Day. :D

RM

Time Magazine--July 9, 1945
In the final days of the siege, the people of Vicksburg ate rats, cane shoots and bark. For 47 days Gen. Ulysses S. Grant ringed the city with 75,000 Union troops. Cannon balls crashed in; the sound of musketry seldom died. Finally the city surrendered. The date was July 4, 1863. After that, for the people of Vicksburg, the Fourth of July was never a day to be celebrated.

National holiday or no, banks and stores stayed open in Vicksburg. Firecrackers never popped, skyrockets never tore the night sky. Instead, the story of the black day was passed on from fathers to children, who could see the cannon balls imbedded in Vicksburg's old courthouse. These bitter memories persisted.

But two years ago, quietly, a few stores closed on the Fourth. Last year a few more joined them. Fortnight ago Ralph Lowen berg, an auto-laundry operator, stood up in Vicksburg's Elks' Club and asked, right out loud: Why not celebrate the Fourth of July?

Everybody was startled, but nobody objected. Vicksburg began to plan for a whopping celebration. Once again Vicksburg would hear Fourth of July oratory—by a Yankee from New Hampshire, Major General Edward H. Brooks, just back from the European War. As far as Vicksburg was concerned, it looked as if the War between the States was over.

Confederate Army General John C. Pemberton, surmising that he could get better terms by surrendering the town on July 4th, did so, and on that date he had his troops stack their arms and allow Ulysses S. Grant and Union troops to enter the city. Pemberton was thereafter scorned for his conduct of the siege. The city of Vicksburg did not celebrate the Fourth of July again until during World War II.

Fortunately, Gen. Grant had no way to accomodate 30,000 Confederate prisoners, so they were paroled.....to fight another day.

[Bushrod Carter]

Re: Happy 4th of July!

A very Happy Birthday to our GREAT country! And, a special thanks to all those who are currenty, and those in our past, who fight to keep America free and the BEST country to live in on this Earth!

Happy Vicksburg Occupation Day. :D

RM

Oh, and Rob, a bit of friendly advise...don't ever say that outloud in Vicksburg...especially on the 4th!

[CJDaley]

Re: Happy 4th of July!

4th of July is my favorite holiday, but it's not really our birthday.
Actually, the official birthday of the United States of America is March 1, 1781, the day the Articles of Confederation went into effect.

Go fly a flag, catch a baseball game and eat some apple pie...but also remember to do so next year on March 1st when we officially turn 228.

[mobluegraysoldier]

Re: Happy 4th of July!

May you enjoy this day with those you love, and may we always enjoy the freedoms that we love! May God Bless all who have served, or are serving in the defense of those freedoms, and our nation! HUZZAH!!!

Kevin Baker; aka, mobluegraysoldier

[ThehosGendar]

Re: Happy 4th of July!

A little of what was on John Adams' mind, 232 years ago:

John Adams to Abigail Adams, July 3rd, 1776:

Had a Declaration of Independency been made seven Months ago, it would have been attended with many great and glorious Effects . . . . We might before this Hour, have formed Alliances with foreign States. -- We should have mastered Quebec and been in Possession of Canada .... You will perhaps wonder, how such a Declaration would have influenced our Affairs, in Canada, but if I could write with Freedom I could easily convince you, that it would, and explain to you the manner how. -- Many Gentlemen in high Stations and of great Influence have been duped, by the ministerial Bubble of Commissioners to treat .... And in real, sincere Expectation of this effort Event, which they so fondly wished, they have been slow and languid, in promoting Measures for the Reduction of that Province. Others there are in the Colonies who really wished that our Enterprise in Canada would be defeated, that the Colonies might be brought into Danger and Distress between two Fires, and be thus induced to submit. Others really wished to defeat the Expedition to Canada, lest the Conquest of it, should elevate the Minds of the People too much to hearken to those Terms of Reconciliation which they believed would be offered Us. These jarring Views, Wishes and Designs, occasioned an opposition to many salutary Measures, which were proposed for the Support of that Expedition, and caused Obstructions, Embarrassments and studied Delays, which have finally, lost Us the Province.

All these Causes however in Conjunction would not have disappointed Us, if it had not been for a Misfortune, which could not be foreseen, and perhaps could not have been prevented, I mean the Prevalence of the small Pox among our Troops .... This fatal Pestilence compleated our Destruction. -- It is a Frown of Providence upon Us, which We ought to lay to heart.

But on the other Hand, the Delay of this Declaration to this Time, has many great Advantages attending it. -- The Hopes of Reconciliation, which were fondly entertained by Multitudes of honest and well meaning tho weak and mistaken People, have been gradually and at last totally extinguished. -- Time has been given for the whole People, maturely to consider the great Question of Independence and to ripen their judgments, dissipate their Fears, and allure their Hopes, by discussing it in News Papers and Pamphletts, by debating it, in Assemblies, Conventions, Committees of Safety and Inspection, in Town and County Meetings, as well as in private Conversations, so that the whole People in every Colony of the 13, have now adopted it, as their own Act. -- This will cement the Union, and avoid those Heats and perhaps Convulsions which might have been occasioned, by such a Declaration Six Months ago.

But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. -- I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. -- Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

[Adams Electronic Archive, Massachusetts Historical Society, http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams...760703jasecond ]