Today in History for Aug. 13, 2014

Ulysses S. Grant

Aug. 13, 1813 – By order of General Ferdinand Claiborne, about 50 of Major Daniel Beasley’s men were sent to Mount Vernon, a cantonment on the Mobile River, a few miles west of Fort Mims.

Aug. 13, 1849 – Daniel McCool was commissioned for his second term as Monroe County’s Circuit Court Clerk, and William W. McCool was commissioned as Monroe County’s Sheriff.

Aug. 13, 1858 – R.B. Witter Sr., head of Evergreen Academy, is believed to have died in a fire at the school around 11 p.m. that destroyed the school and its library. Witter occupied a bedroom in the building.

Aug. 13, 1864 – The Deep Bottom Run campaign began as Union General Ulysses S. Grant, sensing a weakness in the Confederate defenses around Richmond and Petersburg, Va., sought to break the siege of Petersburg by concentrating his force against one section of the Rebel trenches. However, Grant miscalculated, and the week-long operation at Deep Bottom Run that began on August 13 failed to penetrate the Confederate defenses.

Aug. 13, 1906 – Andrew Barclay Spurling of “Spurling’s Raid” died in Chicago.

Aug. 13, 1911 – Alabama Lt. Gov. Walter D. Seed delivered a speech at the Masonic Conference at Burnt Corn.

Aug. 13-15, 1914 – The Monroe County Masonic Conference was held at Monroe Lodge No. 485 at Franklin.

Aug. 13, 1946 - H.G. Wells, often called the "Father of Science-Fiction," passed away.

Aug. 13, 1979 - Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals got his 3,000th career hit.

Aug. 13, 1986 - United States Football League standout Herschel Walker signed to play with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.

Aug. 13, 1995 - Former New York Yankees star Mickey Mantle died of liver cancer at the age of 63 just after 2 a.m. at the Baylor University Cancer Center in Dallas.