Today in History for Sept. 11, 2016

Fitz Hugh Ludlow

Sept. 11, 1297 – At the Battle of Stirling Bridge, Scots jointly-led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeated the English.

Sept. 11, 1609 - Explorer Henry Hudson sailed into New York harbor and discovered Manhattan Island and the Hudson River.

Sept. 11, 1771 – Scottish surgeon and explorer Mungo Park was born in Selkirkshire, Scotland. He was the first Westerner known to have travelled to the central portion of the Niger River.

Sept. 11, 1775 – Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec left Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Sept. 11, 1776 – A British–American peace conference on Staten Island failed to stop the nascent American Revolutionary War. The conference was held between British General William Howe and Admiral Richard Howe and three representatives of the Continental Congress (Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Edward Rutledge). The conference failed when the British refused to accept American independence and the American war for independence continued for seven years.

Sept. 11, 1777 – During the American Revolutionary War, at the Battle of Brandywine, the British celebrated a major victory in Delaware County, Pennsylvania near Chadds Ford, on the road linking Baltimore and Philadelphia. During the battle, 11,000 in American forces, under General George Washington, were forced to retreat by 18,000 in British forces under General William Howe and General Charles Cornwallis. The “Stars and Stripes” American flag was carried for the first time in the battle, and the one-day battle at Brandywine cost the Americans more than 1,100 men killed or captured while the British lost approximately 600 men killed or injured.

Sept. 11, 1786 - The Convention of Annapolis opened with the aim of revising the Articles of the Confederation.

Sept. 11, 1789 - Alexander Hamilton was appointed by U.S. President George Washington to be the first secretary of the treasury.

Sept. 11, 1792 - The Hope Diamond was stolen along with other French crown jewels when six men broke into the house where they are stored.

Sept. 11, 1813 – During the War of 1812, British troops arrived in Mount Vernon and prepared to march to and invade Washington, D.C.

Sept. 11, 1814 – During the War of 1812, the climax of the Battle of Plattsburgh took place and was a major United States victory in the war.

Sept. 11, 1824 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette, celebrated the 47th anniversary of the Battle of Brandywine with French residents in New York.

Sept. 11, 1826 – Captain William Morgan, an ex-freemason was arrested in Batavia, New York for debt after declaring that he would publish The Mysteries of Free Masonry, a book against Freemasonry. This sets into motion the events that lead to his mysterious disappearance.

Sept. 11, 1830 – The Anti-Masonic Party convention, one of the first American political party conventions, was held in Philadelphia, Pa.

Sept. 11, 1836 – American journalist, author, and explorer Fitz Hugh Ludlow was born in New York City. He is best known for his autobiographical book “The Hasheesh Eater” (1857). Ludlow also wrote about his travels across America on the overland stage to San Francisco, Yosemite and the forests of California and Oregon, in his second book, “The Heart of the Continent.”

Sept. 11, 1842 - 1,400 Mexican troops captured San Antonio, Texas. The Mexicans retreated with prisoners.

Sept. 11, 1843 – French mathematician and explorer Joseph Nicollet passed away at the age of 57 in Washington D.C, United States. He is best known for mapping the Upper Mississippi River basin during the 1830s. Nicollet led three expeditions in the region between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, primarily in Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota.

Sept. 11, 1851 – During what’s known as the Christiana Resistance, escaped slaves stood against their former owner in armed resistance in Christiana, Pennsylvania, creating a rallying cry for the abolitionist movement.

Sept. 11, 1861 - U.S. President Lincoln revoked General John C. Frémont's unauthorized military proclamation of emancipation in Missouri. Later, Lincoln replaced Frémont with General David Hunter.

Sept. 11, 1861 - Confederate troops under General Robert E. Lee moved into position against a Union stronghold on Cheat Mountain in western Virginia. Three days later the Confederates retreated without firing a shot.

Sept. 11, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Lewinsville, Va.

Sept. 11, 1862 – William Sydney Porter, better known as “O. Henry,” was born in Greensboro, N.C. He's the author of the beloved short stories "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Ransom of Red Chief," and he became a writer while serving time in a federal prison for embezzlement. He was sentenced to five years, but was let out after three for good behavior; during his incarceration he published 14 stories, and wrote about 400 more upon his release.

Sept. 11, 1862 – During the Civil War, a three-day Federal operation began from Clarendon to Lawrenceville and Saint Charles in Arkansas.

Sept. 11, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Saint John’s Bluff, Florida; at Smith, Kentucky; at Bloomfield, Missouri; between Williamsport, Maryland and Martinsburg in West Virginia; and at Cotton Hill, Gauley Ferry, Armstrong Creek and Cannelton in West Virginia.

Sept. 11, 1862 - The Confederacy, after a year and a half of war, was beginning to decide that an entirely defensive campaign was not going to succeed in winning their war of independence. Aggressive efforts were now underway on two fronts, one famous, one less so. Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia were in Hagerstown, Md. on this day. It was assumed in the South that Maryland would have seceded and joined the Confederacy if it were not for the presence of Union troops, and Lee was expecting many men to flock to his colors to enlist. On the western front, other forces in gray under Gen. Kirby Smith were within seven miles of Cincinnati, Ohio. This inspired panic in the citizenry there, many of whom clogged the roads in an attempt to flee town.

Sept. 11, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Waldron, Arkansas; near Greenville, Kentucky; at Baldwin’s Ferry, on the Big Black River in Mississippi; at Moorefield, West Virginia; and near Blue Bird Gap, near Rossville, in the vicinity of Lee and Gordon’s Mill, Davis Crossroad, Dug Gap, and near Ringgold, Georgia, all leading up to the battle of Chickamauga.

Sept. 11, 1863 – During the Civil War, Federal reconnaissance was conducted toward Rome, Georgia; and a Federal expedition was conductd from Corinth, Mississippi to Henderson, Tennessee.

Sept. 11, 1863 – During the Civil War, a five-day Federal operation began from La Grange to Toone’s Station, Tennessee and a three-day Federal operation began from Camp Piatt (Fayetteville) in West Virginia to marsh Fork of the Coal River, West Virginia.

Sept. 11, 1864 - A 10-day truce was declared between General Sherman and General Hood so that civilians could leave Atlanta, Ga.

Sept. 11, 1864 – During the Civil War, the USS Stockdale, Acting Lt. Wiggen commanding, set forth up the Fish River to Mobile Bay on this day, leading the tinclad USS Randolph and the Army troop transport ship Planter, which was towing a barge. Their destination: a sawmill up on the bay. The expedition arrived without incident, landed troops, and proceeded to confiscate Confederate equipment including 60,000 board feet of sawn lumber, the engine used to saw the logs, and some livestock. The problem came when the now heavily-loaded ships tried to get back down the river. Confederate troops lined the river as it began to grow dark. Shots were fired and trees were even felled into the water in an attempt to snag and stop the vessels. The military ships returned fire with the ship’s guns, the troops fired muskets, and the reinforced Randolph smashed its way through the log blockades. All the boats returned safely.

Sept. 11, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Brewer's Lane, Arkansas and at Hodge Plantation, Louisiana.

Sept. 11, 1864 – During the Civil War, a 14-day Federal operation began in the Indian Territory against Confederates; and a six-day Federal operation began in Moniteau, Morgan and Ralls Counties in Missouri.

Sept. 11, 1885 – Novelist and poet David Herbert “D.H.” Lawrence was born in Eastwood, England. He is the author of “Sons and Lovers” (1913), “The Rainbow” (1915), “Women in Love” (1920), and “Lady Chatterley's Lover” (1928).

Sept. 11, 1901 – The dispensation (organizational) meeting was held for Downing Lodge No. 580 in Castleberry, Ala.

Sept. 11, 1911 – Aviation pioneer Robert G. Fowler departed San Franciso, Calif. in his attempt to win the $5,000 Hearst Prize as the first person to fly coast-to-coast in 30 days. Fowler arrived in Evergreen, Ala. on Jan. 15, 1912 and went on become the first person to fly from west to east across the county when he landed in Jacksonville, Fla. on Feb. 8, 1912.

Sept. 11, 1911 – French explorer and author Louis Henri Boussenard passed away at the age of 62 in Orleans, France. Dubbed "the French Rider Haggard" during his lifetime, but better known today in Eastern Europe than in Francophone countries. As a measure of his popularity, 40 volumes of his collected works were published in Imperial Russia in 1911.

Sept. 11, 1912 - Eddie Collins of the Philadelphia Athletics stole six bases against the Detroit Tigers.

Sept. 11, 1913 – College Football Hall of Fame player and coach Paul William “Bear” Bryant was born in Moro Bottom, Ark.

Sept. 11, 1914 – Florence, Ala.’s W.C. Handy published his most famous song, “St. Louis Blues.”

Sept. 11, 1915 – Holly Grove and Belleville played a baseball doubleheader on this Saturday at Belleville, Ala. The first game ended in a 6-6 tie, and Belleville won the second game, 5-4.

Sept. 11, 1916 – The Evergreen City School was scheduled to open on this Monday.

Sept. 11, 1919 – Former U.S. poet laureate Reed Whittemore was born in New Haven, Conn.

Sept. 11, 1921 - The first-ever Hollywood scandal began when silent-film star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was arrested for the murder of actress Virginia Rappe. At the time of his arrest, Arbuckle was a massive movie star, commanding an unheard-of $1 million per year salary from his studio. After two mistrials, a third trial saw Arbuckle acquitted of the charges, though his career never recovered from the scandal.

Sept. 11, 1922 – The school at Loree, Ala. opened for the 1922-23 school year with Mrs. Aubrey Davis as principal and Battie Johnson as assistant.

Sept. 11, 1922 – The Sun News-Pictorial was founded in Melbourne, Australia.

Sept. 11, 1924 – Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Tom Landry was born in Mission, Texas. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Sept. 11, 1926 - In southeast Florida and Alabama, 243 people died in a hurricane.

Sept. 11, 1936 - Boulder Dam in Nevada was dedicated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt by turning on the dam's first hydroelectric generator. The dam is now called Hoover Dam.

Sept. 11, 1937 – Owassa, Ala. farmer Lee Peacock killed 17 rattlesnakes “on the same spot of ground” near his home. The largest snake was six feet long and the others were about 1-1/2 feet long.

Sept. 11, 1941 – Ground was broken for the Pentagon Building in Arlington, Va.

Sept. 11, 1943 – During World War II, the liquidation of the Ghettos in Minsk and Lida by the Nazis began.

Sept. 11, 1946 - The Brooklyn Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds played to a scoreless tie in 19 innings.

Sept. 11, 1953 - A television version of Alabama author Octavus Roy Cohen's book “Lost and Found” was broadcast as part of the “Schlitz Playhouse of Stars” series.

Sept. 11, 1956 - Frank Robinson of the Cincinnati Reds tied a rookie record for most home runs in one season when he hit his 38th of the year.

Sept. 11, 1959 - Roy Face of the Pittsburgh Pirates ended a 22-game winning streak. He finished the season 18-1.

Sept. 11, 1961 – Experienced tractor operator Mack Tallant, 58, of Gainesville, Ga. was instantly killed by a crawling tractor at the construction site of the interstate highway project just north of Owassa, Ala. During this morning accident, the tractor overturned, crushing his body when he attempted to drive the tractor onto a lowboy from the side. The piece of heavy equipment was being driven onto a couple of blocks of wood and from there onto a truck, but something slipped or gave way, causing the accident. Tallant was an employee of Southeastern Highway Construction Co. and had been working in Conecuh County for about eight months, living at the Trahan residence on Desplous Street in Evergreen.

Sept. 11, 1961 – Hurricane Carla struck the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, the second strongest storm ever to hit the state.

Sept. 11, 1965 – The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) began to arrive in South Vietnam at Qui Nhon, bringing U.S. troop strength in South Vietnam to more than 125,000.

Sept. 11, 1968 - During the Vietnam War, a major battle began for control of Tay Ninh City. More than 1,500 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong attacked the provincial capital, capturing part of the city. The next day, 2,000 South Vietnamese reinforcements were sent in to aid the local garrison and after a four-day battle, the North Vietnamese were driven out of the city.

Sept. 11, 1968 - South Vietnamese forces launched Operation Lam Son 261 in Thua Thien and Quang Tri Provinces in I Corps Tactical Zone. The operation lasted until April 24, 1969, resulting in 724 enemy casualties.

Sept. 11, 1974 - The St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets set a National League record when they played 25 innings. It was the second longest game in professional baseball history.

Sept. 11, 1976 - Alabama author Carl Carmer died in Bronxville, N.Y.

Sept. 11, 1985 - Cincinnati Reds player-manager Pete Rose got the 4,192nd hit of his career, breaking Ty Cobb’s Major League record for career hits. Rose’s hit came in the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres in front of a home crowd at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. Eric Show was the opposing pitcher.

Sept. 11, 1987 - Howard Johnson of New York Mets became the first National League infielder to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season.

Sept. 11, 1990 - U.S. President George Bush vowed "Saddam Hussein will fail" while addressing Congress on the Persian Gulf crisis. In the speech Bush spoke of an objective of a new world order - "freer from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice, and more secure in the quest for peace".

Sept. 11, 1998 – Hillcrest High School won its second straight game of the 1998 season, improving to 2-1 overall, by beating Monroe County High School, 44-24. Henry Jones led Hillcrest’s offense with two touchdowns and 183 rushing yards, and Sedrick Rudolph led the defense with five tackles and a tipped pass.

Sept. 11, 1998 – Sparta Academy suffered an 8-7 loss to Greenville Academy at Stuart-McGehee Field in Evergreen, Ala. Quarterback Seth McIntyre scored Sparta’s only touchdown and collected 114 rushing yards on 14 carries. Other standout players in that game included David Bush, Aaron Clanton, John McKenzie, Kyle Johnston, Stephen Salter and Jared Brogden.

Sept. 11, 1999 - Brett Favre and Robert Brooks of the Green Bay Packers completed a 99-yard touchdown reception against the Chicago Bears to tie an NFL record.

Sept. 11, 2001 – Army Sgt. Tamara Thurman, a 25-year-old native of Brewton, was working in a classified job for the Army at the Pentagon and died when a plane flew into the Pentagon during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Sept. 11, 2002 – Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas died at the age of 69 in Baltimore, Md. During his career, he played for the University of Louisville, the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

Sept. 11, 2007 – American explorer, theologian, and author Gene Savoy died in Reno, Nevada at the age of 80. Rising to prominence as one of the premier explorers of Peru in the 1960s, he is best known for his claims to have discovered more than 40 lost cities in Peru and is credited with bringing to light a number of Peru’s most important archeological sites, including Vilcabamba, the last refuge of the Incas during the Spanish conquest, and Gran Pajaten, which he named but did not discover.