Today in History for Sept. 9, 2014

Sept. 9, 1813 – A burial party came to the burned over site of Fort Mims and dug trenches for the dead.

Sept. 9, 1846 – William Henry Hasty, believed to have been Monroe County’s last surviving Confederate veteran, was born in Marengo County. He served as Fifth Sgt. with Co. F of the 36th Alabama Regiment and would go on to become a Methodist minister. He passed away on Sept. 27, 1940 and is buried in Excel Cemetery.

Sept. 9, 1863 - Union General William Rosecrans completed a brilliant campaign against the army of Confederate General Braxton Bragg when his forces capture Chattanooga, Tenn.

Sept. 9, 1872 – Brooklyn native John M. Henderson died in Mill View, Fla. He was a prominent businessman, deputy sheriff, county treasurer and probate judge and established the train depot in Castleberry. During the Civil War, he served in the 38th Alabama Regiment as a first lieutenant.

Sept. 9, 1889 - The Perdue Hill High School open for the 1889-1890 school year with Prof. C.H. Florey as principal.

Sept. 9, 1889 – The Monroeville Academy opened for the 1889-1890 school year with 44 pupils.

Sept. 9, 1897 – World War I soldier Dewitt Fore was born in Monroeville, the son of Nelson Irving Fore and Mary Kate Falkenberry. He enlisted in the Alabama National Guard on Sept. 18, 1916 and was assigned to Co. K, 1st Infantry Rifles at Castleberry. He was inducted into the U.S. Army on Sept. 26, 1916 at a camp near Montgomery with Capt. Elisha Downing commanding. He served with Co. I, 167th Infantry, 42nd Division (Rainbow Division) and was killed in action at Chateau-Thierry, France on July 15, 1918. He was later buried in the Ridge Cemetery (Zion Baptist Cemetery) at Axle.

Sept. 9, 1930 – The William Wyatt Bibb Bridge at Claiborne was dedicated and was officially opened to traffic the following October. The bridge was renamed the “Claiborne-Murphy Bridge” in 1931.

Sept. 9, 1939 - Audiences at the Fox Theater in Riverside, Calif. got a surprise showing of “Gone with the Wind,” which the theater manager showed as a second feature. Producer David O. Selznick sat in the back and observed the audience reaction to his highly anticipated film. The movie was released a few months later.

Sept. 9, 1940 – Conecuh County schools opened for the 1940-41 school year.

Sept. 9, 1950 - Sal Maglie of the New York Giants pitched a fourth consecutive shutout. Only four other pitchers in the National League had ever accomplished this feat.

Sept. 9, 1962 – Groundbreaking services were held for a new educational building and chapel at Monroeville Methodist Church on Pineville Road.

Sept. 9, 1965 – Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax pitched the eighth perfect game in major league history, leading the Dodgers to a 1-0 win over the Chicago Cubs at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles.

Sept. 9, 1984 - Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears broke Jim Brown’s combined yardage record when he reached 15,517 yards.

Sept. 9, 1987 - Nolan Ryan of the Houston Astros got his 4,500th strike out.

Sept. 9, 1992 - Robin Yount became the 17th major league baseball player to reach 3,000 hits.

Sept. 9, 1998 - The New York Yankees officially clinched the American League East title. It was the earliest in AL history. The Yankees ended the season 20-1/2 games ahead of second-place Boston.

Sept. 9, 2001 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit three home runs to give him 63 for the season.

Sept. 9, 2009 – The J.W. Shreve Addition Historic District in Andalusia was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Sept. 9, 2011 – Charles Hickson, one of the two men who claimed to have been abducted by aliens in Pascagoula, Miss. in 1973, passed away at the age of 80.