Today in History for Sept. 4, 2014

Historical marker about Geronimo in Mt. Vernon, Ala.

Sept. 4, 1824 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette visited Hartford, Conn. and Middletown, Conn.

Sept. 4, 1843 – William F. Saunders was commissioned as Monroe County, Alabama’s Sheriff.

Sept. 4-9, 1862 – During the Civil War, Confederate General Robert E. Lee invaded the North with 50,000 troops and moved toward Harpers Ferry. Union General George B. McClellan pursued Lee with 90,000 troops.

Sept. 4, 1863 – During the Civil War, Rear Admiral John Dahlgren began an attack aimed at capturing Charleston. The Confederates evacuated Batter Wagner and Morris Island, S.C., two days later.

Sept. 4, 1863 – General William Rosecrans’ Union Army of the Cumberland crossed the Tennessee River today at Bridgeport, Ala., and Shellmound, Tenn.

Sept. 4, 1864 – During the Civil War, John Hunt Morgan, the feared Confederate cavalry leader and 39-year-old Alabama native, was shot and killed during a Union cavalry raid on the town of Greenville, Tennessee.

Sept. 4, 1886 - Geronimo, and the Apache Indians he led, surrendered in Skeleton Canyon in Arizona to General Nelson Miles. Geronimo and his band of Apaches were sent to Florida and then to Mount Vernon, Ala. before eventually ending up at the Comanche and Kiowa reservation near Fort Sill in the Oklahoma Territory.

Sept. 4, 1940 – Monroe County voters voted in a referendum to become a dry county. At the time, it was one of 24 counties operating with state liquor stores and licensed sales of alcohol under the Alabama ABC law.

Sept. 4-21, 1947 - In Florida, Louisianna, Mississipi and Alabama, 51 people were killed in a hurricane.

Sept. 4, 1951 – Army Pvt. William E. Watson of Wilcox County was killed in action in Korea.

Sept. 4, 1951 - Alabama lawmakers passed legislation requiring a new look for the state's license plates. Beginning in October 1954, tags were to carry an image of a heart and the phrase, "Heart of Dixie," a slogan that had been used for several years by the Alabama State Chamber of Commerce to promote the state.

Sept. 4, 1953 - The New York Yankees became the first baseball team to win five consecutive American League championships.

Sept. 4, 1964 – In the first year that preseason high school football jamborees were allowed in Alabama, Evergreen High School hosted a jamboree on this date that included Evergreen, Lyeffion, Frisco City and W.S. Neal. They played four, 10-minutes quarters will teams changing at the end of each quarter.

Sept. 4, 1968 – Major League Baseball catcher Mike Piazza was born in Norristown, Pa.

Sept. 4, 1970 – Monroe Academy played its first official football game, beating South Choctaw, 54-0, in Monroeville.

Sept. 4, 1986 – Eighteen locations in Greenville, Ala. were added to the National Register of Historic Places. Those locations included the Buell-Stallings-Stewart House on Fort Dale Street, the W.S. Blackwell House on Fort Dale Street; the Butler Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church on Oglesby Street, Confederate Park, the Dickenson House on South Conecuh Street, the Evens-McMullan House on Bolling Street, the First Baptist Church of Greenville, the First Presbyterian Church of Greenville, the Gaston-Perdue House on Cedar Street, the Graydon House on Cedar Street, the Greenville Public School Complex, the Hawthorne-Cowart House on Bolling Street, the Hinson House on Oliver Street, the Lane-Kendrick-Sherling House on Fort Dale Street, the McMullan-Skinner House on Oliver Street, the Theological Building-A.M.E. Zion Theological Institute on Conecuh Street, the Ward Nicholson Corner Store on West Parmer Street and the Wright-Kilgore House on Walnut Street.

Sept. 4, 1987 – Hugh Wilson, in his 13th year as Repton head football coach, collected his 100th win at Repton with a 24-12 win over Conecuh County High School in Repton. That was his 151st win overall in 25 years as a head football coach.

Sept. 4, 1992 – The John W. Howard House and Outbuildings on State Route 10 East in Greenville added to National Register of Historic Places.

Sept. 4, 1993 - Jim Abbott of the New York Yankees, who was born without a right hand, pitched a no-hitter.

Sept. 4, 1998 – J.U. Blacksher’s football field was dedicated in honor of former head football coach and principal John M. Sawyer. The field is now known as the John Sawyer Memorial Field.

Sept. 4, 2002 - The Oakland Athletics won their American League-record 20th straight game. The A's gave up an 11-run lead during the game and then won the game on a Scott Hatteberg home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Sept. 4, 2002 - St. Louis manager Tony La Russa got his 1,905th major league win, tying Casey Stengal for eighth place on the all-time list.