Today in History for Oct. 3, 2015

Stephen Crane

Oct. 3, 1692 – In connection with the Salem witchcraft trials, the Reverend Increase Mather, President of Harvard College and father of Cotton Mather, denounced the use of spectral evidence.

Oct. 3, 1704 – “Cassette Girls” arrived in Mobile, Ala. King Louis XIV paid passage and dowries for 25 young women to travel from France on board the “Pelican” to colony of Louisiana to become wives of colonists. Other cassette girls arrived in 1728.

Oct. 3, 1778 – Captain James Cook anchored in Alaska.

Oct. 3, 1781 - British Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Dundas of the 80th Foot, leading 1,000 British troops, encountered French Brigadier General Marquis de Choisy, leading French troops and a battalion of the Virginia militia totaling 800 men. The action took place in Gloucester, Va., across the York River from British-occupied Yorktown, which was under Patriot siege. Although the ensuing battle between British and Patriot-allied forces was relatively small, it was nonetheless important, because it cut off supplies to General Cornwallis and the British troops across the river in Yorktown and was one of the final steps toward the eventual Patriot victory at Yorktown just 16 days later.

Oct. 3, 1789 – George Washington made the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States of America.

Oct. 3, 1849 – American author Edgar Allan Poe was found delirious in a gutter in Baltimore, Md. under mysterious circumstances. It was the last time he was seen in public before his death.

Oct. 3, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Jollification, Mo.

Oct. 3, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Springfield Station, near Franklin, and at Pohick Church, Va.

Oct. 3, 1861 – During the Civil War, during the West Virginia campaign, an engagement was fought at Greenbrier River, West Virginia (also known as Camp Bartow) in Pocahontas County, WV. During the night of Oct. 2-3, Union Brig. Gen. Joseph Reynolds led two brigades forward from Cheat Mountain to reconnoiter the Confederate position at Camp Bartow on the Greenbrier River. After sporadic fighting and an abortive attempt to turn his enemy’s right flank, Reynolds withdrew to Cheat Mountain with each side losing about 40 men.

Oct. 3, 1861 – During the Civil War, at the “Capture of St. John's Bluff” in Duval County, Fla., a federal flotilla of gunboats arrived at St. John’s Bluff near Jacksonville to find that Confederare Lt. Col. Charles F. Hopkins had abandoned the artillery position after dark the day before. Confederate Brig. Gen. John Finegan had established a battery on St. John' s Bluff to stop the movement of Federal ships up the St. Johns River.

Oct. 3, 1862 – Lt. Col. Pinckney D. Bowles of the Conecuh Guards was promoted to colonel when Col. E.M. Law was promoted to brigade commander.

Oct. 3, 1862 - Confederates under General Earl Van Dorn attempted to recapture Corinth, a vital rail center in Mississippi. However, the following day, the Second Battle of Cornith ended in defeat for the Rebels. The Union losses included 315 dead, 1,812 wounded, and 232 taken as prisoners, while the Confederate losses included 1,423 dead, 5,692 wounded, and 2,268 prisoners.

Oct. 3, 1863 – Archaeologist and explorer Pyotr Kozlov was born in Dukhovshchina, Russia. He is best known for continuing the studies of Nikolai Przhevalsky in Mongolia and Tibet.

Oct. 3, 1863 – The last Thursday in November was declared as Thanksgiving Day by United States President Abraham Lincoln.

Oct. 3, 1873 - The United States military hung four Indians found guilty of murdering the Civil War hero, General Edward Canby, on April 11, 1873, during the Modoc War in Oregon. Canby was the highest ranking military official - and the only general - ever killed by Indians.

Oct. 3, 1890 – Around 10 a.m., 37-year-old John S. McDuffie of River Ridge in Monroe County received word that wanted train robber Rube Burrow was eating breakfast at a cabin two miles from McDuffie’s farm and six miles from Bell’s Landing.

Oct. 3, 1895 – The Civil War novel, “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Crane, was published in book form for the first time.

Oct. 3, 1895 – The Monroe Masonic Chapter No. 4 was scheduled to hold a regular convocation at Perdue Hill, Ala. beginning at 8 p.m. W.J McCants was the chapter’s secretary.

Oct. 3, 1900 – American novelist Thomas Wolfe was born in Asheville, N.C. He is best known for his novels “Look Howard, Angel,” “Of Time and the River,” “The Web and the Rock” and “You Can’t Go Home Again.”

Oct. 3, 1901 - The Victor Talking Machine Company was incorporated. After a merger with Radio Corporation of America the company became RCA-Victor.

Oct. 3, 1914 – Dr. Ely Bradley of Conecuh County, Ala., who was around 80 years old, passed away at the Mobile Infimary. He was buried with Masonic honors at Belleville on Oct. 4.

Oct. 3, 1915 – The Rev. W.H. Hasty of Excel, Ala. was scheduled to preach a sermon in memory of Mrs. Amanda Hobbs Filmore at the Johnson graveyard, three miles west of Deer Range, Ala., on this Sunday at 10 a.m.

Oct. 3, 1919 – Cincinnati Reds pitcher Adolfo Luque became the first Latin player to appear in a World Series.

Oct. 3, 1925 – Novelist, essayist and screenwriter Gore Vidal was born Eugene Luther Gore Vidal Jr. at West Point Academy in New York, where his father was a flying instructor and assistant football coach.

Oct. 3, 1932 - Iraq gained its independence from the United Kingdom and was admitted into the League of Nations, leading Britain to terminate their mandate over the nation. Britain had ruled Iraq since taking it from Turkey during World War I.

Oct. 3, 1933 – Former Conecuh County, Ala. Sheriff’s deputy A.F. Etheridge passed away at the age of 81 at his home in Canoe in Escambia County and was buried in the Sardis Cemetery at Canoe.

Oct. 3-4, 1951 – In an incident attributed to the Bermuda Triangle, Brazilian warship “Sao Paulo” suddenly vanished on this night with a crew of eight while being towed by two oceangoing tugs southwest of the Azores.

Oct. 3, 1951 – With his team trailing, 4-2, New York Giants third baseman Bobby Thomson hit a one-out, three-run home run off Ralph Branca in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the National League pennant for the Giants over the Brooklyn Dodgers at the Polo Grounds in Washington Heights, N.Y. The Giants went on to lose the World Series to the Yankees, but Thomson’s miraculous homer remains one of the most memorable moments in sports history.

Oct. 3, 1951 – National Baseball Hall of Fame right fielder Dave Winfield was born in St. Paul, Minn. He went on to play for the San Diego Padres, the New York Yankees, the California Angels, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Oct. 3, 1954 – National Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley was born in Oakland, Calif. He went on to play for the Cleveland Indians, the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Oct. 3, 1957 – R.G. “Bob” Bozeman Jr. assumed the duties of editor and publisher of the Evergreen Courant newspaper, replacing his father R.G. Bozeman Sr., who was named publisher emeritus.

Oct. 3, 1957 – The California State Superior Court ruled that Allen Ginsberg's “Howl and Other Poems” was not obscene.

Oct. 3, 1961 – Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers and Fred Rose became the first members to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Oct. 3, 1974 - Frank Robinson took over the management position of the Cleveland Indians baseball team. He was the first black manager in Major League Baseball.

Oct. 3, 1986 – Repton High School, under head coach H.L. Watson and ranked No. 2 in Class 1A, improved to 6-0 on the season with a 60-0 win over Southern Normal in Brewton, Ala. John Thompson led Repton’s offense with 197 yards rushing and three touchdowns, and Carl Stanton led the defense with three solo tackles and four assists. Other standout Repton players in that game included Keith Baggett, Spencer Day, Robert Douglas, Chris Dukes, Greg Mayo, Walter Millender, James Montgomery, Brian Nelms, Allen Nettles, Russell Royster, Tyrone Rudolph, Eddie Waters and Tyrone Zigler.

Oct. 3, 1986 – Thomasville Academy beat Sparta Academy, 21-8, in Thomasville, Ala. on this Friday night. Sparta scored on an 18-yard pass from Jeff Walker to Tim Wilson, and Walker threw a pass to Lee Wild for the two-point conversion. Other standout Sparta players in that game included Lee Adams, Scott Adams, Kenny Bledsoe, Johnny Brock, Chris Davis, Ebb Hagen, Glynn Ralls, Lynn Ralls and Chris Turner.

Oct. 3, 1986 – W.S. Neal High School beat Evergreen High School, 21-14, in East Brewton.  With 5:06 left in the third period the Aggies got their first points of the night on a one-yard run by Sam Lymon. With 8:13 left in the game, Steve Cunningham scored on a one-yard run and after the two-point conversion run by Sam Lymon, the score was tied 14-14.

Oct. 3, 1987 – Tunnel Springs, Ala. native and former Monroe County High School standout Steve Ramer intercepted a pass for the University of Alabama during a 38-10 win over Southeastern Louisiana in Birmingham, Ala. Ramer played linebacker at Alabama and wore jersey No. 49.

Oct. 3, 1989 - Art Shell became the first African-American head coach in the modern National Football League when he took over the Los Angeles Raiders.

Oct. 3, 1990 – East and West Germany reunified after the German Democratic Republic ceased to exist and its territory became part of the Federal Republic of Germany. The two countries had been divided since the end of World War II. The most visible sign of this division was the Berlin Wall that divided the former capital for 28 years.

Oct. 3, 1990 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein made a visit to Kuwait since his country had seized control of the oil-rich nation.

Oct. 3, 1993 – During the Battle of Mogadishu, a firefight occured during a failed attempt to capture key officials of warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid's organisation in Mogadish, Somalia, costing the lives of 18 American soldiers and over 350 Somalis.

Oct. 3, 1995 – O. J. Simpson was acquitted of the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Simpson was later found liable in a civil trial.

Oct. 3, 1997 – J.U. Blacker High School’s Anthony Tucker made his way into the Alabama High School Athletic Association football record books by rushing 43 times in a 12-6 loss at Fruitdale High School. He is currently tied for the No. 14 spot for Most Rushing Attempts in a single game with two other players. The state record is 72 carries.

Oct. 3, 2000 - Mark David Chapman was denied parole by the New York State Board of Parole. Chapman had been sentenced to life for the murder of John Lennon on Dec. 8, 1980.

Oct. 3, 2001 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants broke Babe Ruth's Major League Baseball single-season record for walks at 171.

Oct. 3, 2002 - The Texas Rangers put John Rocker on waivers for the purpose of his unconditional release.

Oct. 3, 2012 - Miguel Cabrera achieved baseball's first Triple Crown since 1967. He led the league with a .330 average, 44 home runs and 139 RBIs in the regular season.