Today in History for Dec. 23, 2014

Pushmataha

Dec. 23, 1672 - Giovanni Cassini discovered Rhea, Saturn's second largest moon.

Dec. 23, 1813 – Brigadier General Ferdinand Claiborne and his Mississippi militiamen stormed the Upper Creek town of Ikanatchaka (Holy Ground) on the south side of the Alabama River, between Pintalala and Big Swamp creeks, in Lowndes County, about 30 miles west of present-day Montgomery. The Red Sticks, a Creek traditionalist faction led by William Weatherford and others, fought local militia and federal troops, under the command of Claiborne. Fighting with Claiborne were Choctaw warriors under the leadership of Pushmataha. The event was a major battle in Creek War of 1813-14, and one white soldier and 30 Red Sticks were killed. William Weatherford jumped his horse off a bluff and escaped across the river as Claiborne destroyed the town, which was believed by Creek prophets to be invincible. Although the Creeks suffered relatively few casualties, the defeat and the total destruction of the town dealt a great blow to their morale.

Dec. 23, 1862 - Confederate President Jefferson Davis declared Union General Benjamin Butler a felon and insisted that he must be hanged if captured.

Dec. 23, 1864 – William Tecumseh Sherman completed his famous “March to the Sea” by capturing Savannah, Ga.

Dec. 23, 1888 - In a fit of madness, Vincent Van Gogh severed part of his ear on this day.

Dec. 23, 1914 – Monroe County High School and Monroeville Grammar School suspended work for the holiday recess.

Dec. 23, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. William C. Gillis of Andalusia, Ala. was killed in action.

Dec. 23, 1940 – Judge L.W. Price dismissed vagrancy charges against Andrew Schwarzmann, a 36-year-old actor, in lieu of the 10 days he spent in jail at Evergreen, Ala. as local officials checked to see if he was wanted by the FBI. When taken into custody, officers found in his possession “many maps, pamphlets (mostly religious), names and addresses, hotel bills, postcards and a newspaper clipping. The maps were chiefly points in Florida and the east coast. One contained a detailed diagram of the Charleston, S.C. harbor.” The clipping told of conflicts between Schwarzmann and Cecil B. DeMille, the famous motion picture producer. Schwarzmann had been arrested in 1936 for sending threatening letters to DeMille. In December 1940, he wasn’t wanted by the FBI.

Dec. 23, 1951 - A National Football League championship game was televised nationally for the first time. The Los Angeles Rams beat the Cleveland Browns, 24-17. The DuMont Network had paid $75,000 for the rights to the game.

Dec. 23, 1972 - The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Oakland Raiders 13-7 in an NFL playoff game on a last-second play that was dubbed the "Immaculate Reception." Pittsburgh's Franco Harris caught a deflected pass and ran it in for the winning touchdown.

Dec. 23, 1991 - Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Chuck Noll retired after 23 seasons. He was the only coach to win four Super Bowls.

Dec. 23, 2002 – Fred “The Town Dog” passed away in Rockford, Ala.

Dec. 23, 2003 - The first case of Mad Cow Disease in the United States was announced.