Today in History for Sept. 10, 2016

Victor H. Krulak

Sept. 10, 1608 – John Smith was elected council president of Jamestown, Virginia.

Sept. 10, 1758 – Novelist Hannah Webster Foster was born in Salisbury, Mass. She is best known for her 1797 novel, “The Coquette; or, The History of Eliza Wharton.”

Sept. 10, 1759 – Croatian missionary and explorer Ferdinand Konščak passed away at the age of 55 at San Ignacio in present-day Mexico.

Sept. 10, 1776 – During the American Revolutionary War, Capt. Nathan Hale of the 19th Regiment of the Continental Army volunteered to spy for the Continental Army after General George Washington asked for a volunteer for an extremely dangerous mission: to gather intelligence behind enemy lines before the coming Battle of Harlem Heights. Hale stepped forward and subsequently become one of the first known American spies of the Revolutionary War. The British captured Hale, age 21, on Sept. 21, 1776 while he was sailing Long Island Sound, trying to cross back into American-controlled territory, and he was hanged by the British on the morning of Sept. 22.

Sept. 10, 1813 – The United States defeated the British Fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.

Sept. 10, 1818 – Outlaw Joseph Thompson Hare was hanged in Baltimore, Md. before a crowd of 1,500. He is said to have used Turk’s Cave (present-day Sanders Cave) near Brooklyn as a hideout.

Sept. 10, 1818 – David Mitchell, the newly appointed Creek Indian agent, wrote to Secretary of War John C. Calhoun that he could get no private citizens in the Alabama territory to offer to build bridges for the road between Line Creek and Claiborne because the inhabitants were clearing land and making plantations and ‘no reasonable compensation could detach them from such objectives.’

Sept. 10, 1822 – James Godbold was commissioned as Monroe County, Alabama’s Sheriff.

Sept. 10, 1861 - Confederate forces withdrew from the Kanawha Valley in western Virginia after fighting an indecisive battle at Carnifex Ferry in the early months of the war. This move facilitated the formation of West Virginia. Future U.S. Presidents Rutherford B Hayes and William McKinley fought at Carnifex Ferry with the 23rd Ohio Infantry.

Sept. 10, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought near Lewinsville,Va.

Sept. 10, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Lucas Bend, Mo.

Sept. 10, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Fort Mitchell, near Covington, Log Church, and Woodburn in Kentucky; at Sauk Center, Minnesota; near Frederick and Boonesborough, Maryland; along the Kilkenny River, South Carolina; at Columbia, Rogers’ Gap and Big Creek Gap, Tennessee; and at Fayetteville, West Virginia.

Sept. 10, 1863 – During the Civil War, an engagement took place at Bayou Fourche, Arkansas. Skirmishes were also fought at Summerville, Pea Vine Creek and Graysville in Georgia; along Brimstone Creek, Kentucky; and at Athens, Tennessee.

Sept. 10, 1863 – During the Civil War, a two-day Federal reconnaissance of the Middleburg, Tennessee area began.

Sept. 10, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Monticello, Arkansas; at Campbellton, Georgia; near Dover, Roanoke and Pisgah, Missouri; at Woodbury, Tennessee; and at Darkesville, West Virginia.

Sept. 10, 1864 - The Fawn was an inoffensive little boat, engaged on the previous day in the hauling of mail on the Albermarle and Chesapeake Canal. On this day she did so no longer, because she had been seized and burned by a force of Confederates. An extremely irate Lt. Cmdr. Earl English, of the USS Wyalusing, landed in nearby Elizabeth City, N.C., determined to locate and punish whoever had committed this act. He went too far as to round up and detain 29 leading citizens of the town for interrogation and possible detention as hostages against repetition of such misdeeds. He was reluctantly persuaded to release them when they were able to convince him that the mail boat had in fact been burned by men from the CSS Albermarle and that no resident of the town had been involved or benefited by the act.

Sept. 10, 1886 – Poet Hilda “H.D.” Doolittle was born in Bethlehem, Pa.

Sept. 10, 1895 – The first edition of The Evergreen Courant, which was founded by George W. Salter, was published in Evergreen, Ala. Salter operated the paper until the fall of 1923 when it was sold to a group of local businessmen, including principal stockholders D.H. McCreary and Dr. W.G. Hairston. (Other sources say that the newspaper was first established on Oct. 1, 1895.)

Sept. 10, 1897 – Judge John W. Leslie of Monroeville, Ala. passed away at the age of 83.

Sept. 10, 1897 - A taxi driver in London named George Smith became the first person ever arrested for drunk driving after he slammed his cab into a building.

Sept. 10, 1903 – Editor and essayist Cyril Connolly was born in Whitley, England.

Sept. 10, 1905 - Author Sara Mayfield was born in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Sept. 10, 1906 – A special term of Commissioners’ Court of Monroe County was scheduled to be held at the Monroe County Courthouse, “for the purpose of considering the advisability of selling the old courthouse building of said county.” I.B. Slaughter was the county’s Judge of Probate.

Sept. 10, 1913 - The Lincoln Highway opened. It was the first paved coast-to-coast highway in the U.S.

Sept. 10, 1914 – Simeon (Simon) Lambriecht, a well known citizen of Monroe County, Ala., died at his home near Lower Peach Tree, age 75 years. He was a Confederate veteran and was a prosperous planter. Lambriecht was born at Baberhausen, Germany on Sept. 5, 1840. He was a private with Co. D, 3rd Ala. Cav. Lambrecht was mentioned in a story published in The Confederate Veteran entitled, "Kilpatrick's Spotted Horse". Partial text follows, "We were members of Co. D, 3rd Ala. Cav. in Hogan's Brigade and were with the brigade at the fight that occurred near Fayetteville, NC on the morning that we surprised Gen. Kilpatrick of the Federal army. *Sim Lambech*t of our company captured a roan horse and Aleck McArthur captured a spotted horse. McArthur rode the spotted horse to Gen. Wheeler's headquarters. Wheeler said to McArthur, "I want this horse". McArthur said, "General, you can have him". As told by D.A.K. McDowell, J.H. Hawthorne, Sam Moore, R.H. Busey, A.J. Campbell and J.O. Young. The story became known as The Spotted Horse Affair. General Wheeler returned the horse to General Kilpatrick under a flag of truce. Kilpatrick and Wheeler were classmates at West Point before the war. McArthur was presented a pair of pistols.

Sept. 10, 1915 – “Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch” was scheduled to be shown in five reels at the Arcade Theater in Evergreen, Ala. The movie was scheduled to be shown at 5 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. with music to be furnished by the string band.

Sept. 10, 1918 – Conecuh County High School in Castleberry, Ala. was scheduled to open the 1918-19 school year on this Tuesday. Sarah E. Luther was the school’s principal.

Sept. 10-12, 1925 – Extension Agricultural Engineering Specialist L.C. LeBron conducted demonstrations of the military explosive pyrotol for Conecuh County, Ala. farmers, who were to use the substance for stump and land clearing operations. Demonstrations were held in the Bowles community, Belleville, Repton, Lenox and Kirkland.

Sept. 10, 1929 – Post No. 61 of the America Legion in Monroeville, Ala. was formally organized, and Lucian Jones was elected its first Post Commander.

Sept. 10, 1933 – In the regular season finale, Evergreen’s baseball team was scheduled to play Greenville on this Sunday in Evergreen, Ala.

Sept. 10, 1934 – Baseball great Roger Maris was born in Hibbing, Minn.

Sept. 10, 1935 – Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver was born in Maple Heights, Ohio.

Sept. 10, 1939 – In the second game of the Interstate Baseball League championship series, Evergreen beat Flomaton, 3-2. Watson pitched for Evergreen, and James Lane added a home run.

Sept. 10, 1939 – During World War II, Canada declared war on Nazi Germany, joining the Allies: Poland, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.

Sept. 10, 1940 - Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Lee and daughter, Nelle (Harper Lee), and Miss Mildred Feagin spent this Tuesday in Mobile.

Sept. 10, 1940 – Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Buck Buchanan was born in Gainesville, Ala. He went on to play for A.H. Parker High School in Birmingham, Grambling and the Kansas City Chiefs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Sept. 10, 1941 – Evolutionary biologist and science historian Stephen Jay Gould was born in Queens, N.Y.

Sept. 10, 1952 – Mobile, Alabama’s Milt Bolling made his Major League debut, playing for the Boston Red Sox, replacing Johnny Lipon at shortstop. Bolling walked in his first at bat in the seventh inning against Bill Wight of the Detroit Tigers. In the top of the ninth, Bolling slugged his first major league hit. The Red Sox would go on to lose the game, 6-2.

Sept. 10, 1954 – In what’s believed to be one of the biggest crowds ever assembled at Brooks Memorial Stadium in Evergreen, an estimated crowd of 2,500 (2,300 paid) watched Evergreen defeat Bay Minette, 26-12, in Evergreen’s season-opener. Evergreen’s probable starting lineup for that game included Tommy Melton or Randy White, left end; Wayne Douglas, left tackle; Vernon Purnell, left guard; Wayne Bell, center; Richard Taylor, right guard; Murray Johnson, right tackle; John Sirmon or Wayne Frazier, right end; Jimmy Frazier, quarterback; Buck Lewis, right halfback; Ronnie Edson, left halfback; and Ward Alexander, fullback. Other players on that year’s team included Jimmy Bell, Robbie Boykin, Timmy Boykin, Walter Carrier, Howard Claybrook, Bert Cook, Hubert Culbreth, Bobby English, Johnny Fussell, Bobby Hanks, Stanley Hardin, Eugene Hyde, Neal Hyde, Mickey Joiner, Bobby Kendall, Robert Mason, Leon McKenzie, Milton Moorer, Harry Pugh, Charles Roberts, Palmer Smith, Robert Smith, Bert Tuggle and Tommy Watts. Wendell Hart was Evergreen’s head coach, and Bill Parsons was assistant coach.

Sept. 10, 1955 – The television series Gunsmoke premiered on CBS. It was the second western television series written for adults. The first was the Lone Ranger.

Sept. 10, 1961 - Mickey Mantle tied a Major League Baseball record for home runs when he hit the 400th of his career.

Sept. 10, 1963 - Twenty black students entered public schools in Alabama at the end of a standoff between federal authorities and Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace.

Sept. 10, 1963 – National Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher great Randall David "Randy" Johnson, aka "The Big Unit," was born in Walnut Creek, Calif. During his career, he played for the Montreal Expos, the Seattle Mariners, the Houston Astros, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Sept. 10, 1963 - Maj. Gen. Victor Krulak, USMC, Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Joseph Mendenhall of the State Department reported to President John F. Kennedy on their fact-finding mission to Vietnam. The president had sent them to make a firsthand assessment of the situation in Vietnam with regard to the viability of the government there and the progress of the war. Having just returned from a whirlwind four-day visit, their perceptions differed greatly.

Sept. 10, 1964 – J.U. Blacksher beat Monroe County High School, 12-7, their last win over the Monroeville school in football. The game was played at Uriah, Ala.

Sept. 10, 1964 - Following the Tonkin Gulf incidents, in which North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked U.S. destroyers, and the subsequent passage of the Tonkin Gulf Resolution empowering him to react to armed attacks, President Lyndon Johnson authorized a series of measures “to assist morale in South Vietnam and show the Communists [in North Vietnam] we still mean business.” These measures included covert action such as the resumption of the DeSoto intelligence patrols and South Vietnamese coastal raids to harass the North Vietnamese.

Sept. 10, 1965 – Excel beat Lyeffion, 7-0, after Wayne Wright scored on a four-yard run and added the extra point. Other outstanding Excel players in that game included freshman quarterback Tommy Jordan, linebacker Kenneth Stokes and end Dan Boothe.

Sept. 10, 1972 - Gayle Sayers of the Chicago Bears retired from the National Football League.

Sept. 10, 1974 - Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals set a new Major League Baseball record when he stole his 105th base of the season.

Sept. 10, 1977 - Hamida Djandoubi, a convicted murderer, became the last person to be executed by guillotine in France.

Sept. 10, 1984 - The Federal Communications Commission changed a rule to allow broadcasters to own 12 AM and 12 FM radio stations. The previous limit was seven of each.

Sept. 10, 1990 - Iran agreed to resume full diplomatic ties with past enemy Iraq.

Sept. 10, 1990 - Iraq's Saddam Hussein offered free oil to developing nations in an attempt to win their support during the Gulf War Crisis.

Sept. 10, 1990 – Toni McKelvey, 32, began work as Monroeville’s City Clerk, learning the job from Mary Myrick, who retired from the post in 1989.

Sept. 10, 1990 – Excel Mayor James Murphy told the Excel Town Council that the town had to forfeit a $10,000 matching Land & Water Conservation grant for the construction of a concession stand at Murphy Park. The town received the grant in April 1989, but the town failed to meet construction deadlines associated with the grant.

Sept. 10, 1991 - Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was released as a single.

Sept. 10, 1992 - In Minneapolis, Minn., a federal jury struck down professional football's limited free agency system.

Sept. 10, 1993 – The first episode of "The X-Files" – entitled “Pilot” - aired on FOX. The series finale was aired on May 19, 2002.

Sept. 10, 2007 – The movie “Honeydripper,” which starred Danny Glover, debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. Much of this movie was filmed in Greenville, Georgiana and Forest Home in Butler County.