Today in History for Oct. 13, 2017

William Stephen Wiggins

Oct. 13, 1307 – Hundreds of Knights Templar in France were simultaneously arrested by agents of Phillip the Fair, to be later tortured into a "confession" of heresy.

Oct. 13, 1540 – The DeSoto Expedition reached the ancient Indian village of Piachi, which was probably located on the eastern bank of the Alabama River on a high bluff where the town of Claiborne later stood, in Monroe County. Other historians think the village was located on the Black Warrior River in Hale County.

Oct. 13, 1768 – French explorer Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin was born in Honfleur, Calvados, France.

Oct. 13, 1775 – The United States' Continental Congress ordered the establishment, construction and administration of the Continental Navy, later renamed the United States Navy.

Oct. 13, 1792 – In Washington, D.C., the cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion (known as the White House since 1818) was laid.

Oct. 13, 1812 – During the War of 1812’s Battle of Queenston Heights, as part of the Niagara campaign in Ontario, Canada, United States forces under General Stephen Van Rensselaer were repulsed from invading Canada by British and native troops led by Sir Isaac Brock.

Oct. 13, 1833 – Thomas Kirvin Brantley was born in Montgomery County, Ala. The incorporated town of Brantley in Crenshaw County was named in his honor of this early town leader. The town’s post office was established in 1891, and the town was incorporated in 1895. T.K. Brantley died at the age of 80 on March 9, 1914 in Troy, and he was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Troy.

Oct. 13, 1845 – A majority of voters in the Republic of Texas approved a proposed constitution that, if accepted by the U.S. Congress, would make Texas a U.S. state.

Oct. 13, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought near Henrytown, Mo.

Oct. 13, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Cotton Hill, W.Va.

Oct. 13, 1862 – English explorer and author Mary Kingsley was born in Islington, London.

Oct. 13, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Harrodsburg and on the Lancaster Road in Kentucky; at New Franklin, Mo.; and on the Lebanon Road, near Nashville, Tenn. Federal operations also began about Paris, Snickersville and Middlesburg in Virginia.

Oct. 13, 1863 - Voters in Ohio dealt Clement Vallandigham a resounding defeat in the fall gubernatorial election. As leader of the Copperheads, or anti-war Democrats, Vallandigham was an important and highly visible critic of the Republicans’ war policy, particularly the emancipation of slaves.

Oct. 13, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred at Maysville, Ala.

Oct. 13, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Wyatt, Miss.; at Marshall, Mo.; at Fayetteville, Tenn.; at Auburn, Fox's Ford and near Warrenton in Virginia; and at Bulltown and Burlington in West Virginia. Federal reconnaissance from Great Bridge, Va. to Indiantown, N.C. began.

Oct. 13, 1864 – Buck Stuckey of the Conecuh Guards (who had been wounded earlier at the Battle of Second Manassas in Aug. 1862) was killed at the Battle of Darbytown Road near Sandston, Virginia.

Oct. 13, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Resaca, Dalton and Tilton in Georgia; at Mullahla's Station, Nebraska; on Elm Creek, Texas; at Cedar Creek, near Kearneysville, and on the Darbytown Road, in Virginia; and west of Harper’s Ferry, W.Va. A second day of skirmishing occurred at Boonville, Mo.; and two days of skirmishing began at Buzzard Roost Gap, Ga.

Oct. 13, 1864 – During the Civil War, a five-day Federal expedition from Pine Bluff to Arkansas Post in Arkansas began; an eight-day Federal operation against Apache Indians began in the New Mexico Territory; and a seven-day Federal operation began against Indians near Fort Belkmap, Texas. Federal reconnaissance was conducted from Rome, Ga. on the Cave Spring Road in Georgia.

Oct. 13, 1876 – David Marvin Maxwell Sr., who in January 1925 would become the first president of the First National Bank of Monroeville, was born near Pine Apple in Wilcox County, Ala.

Oct. 13, 1876 – National Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Rube Waddell was born in Bradford, Pa. He went on to play for the Louisville Colonels, the Detroit Tigers, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Chicago Orphans, the Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Browns. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946.

Oct. 13, 1881 – Eliezer Ben-Yehuda held the first-known conversation in modern Hebrew. Hebrew had not been spoken in a mother tongue since the second century CE. It had endured for more than a millennium until 135 CE and was then only used in literature or prayer.

Oct. 13, 1884 – The International Meridian Conference voted on a resolution to establish the meridian passing through the Observatory of Greenwich, in London, England, as the initial meridian for longitude.

Oct. 13, 1885 – Confederate veteran Dr. John Augustus Baldwin died an untimely death, passing away at the age of 49. According to family lore, Baldwin made a house call late one cold night to deliver a baby only to come home and develop a fatal case of pneumonia. He died a short time later and was buried in the South Butler Cemetery in McKenzie.

Oct. 13, 1889 – Jack Crosby, an “old, colored man who was highly respected for his honesty and integrity by all who knew him,” passed away near Bell’s Landing in Monroe County, Ala. He was “something over 90 years old.”

Oct. 13, 1890 – Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Conrad Richter was born in Pine Grove, Pa.

Oct. 13, 1895 – On this Sunday, W.W. Tucker of Perdue Hill traveled to Monroeville on his “bike,” making the trip of 12 miles in a little over an hour and 15 minutes.

Oct. 13, 1902 – Major League Baseball pitcher Stewart O’Neal “Stew” Bolen was born in Jackson, Ala. He would go on to pitch four seasons for the St. Louis Browns and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Oct. 13, 1902 - Alabama author Arnaud “Arna” Wendell Bontemps was born in Alexandria, La.

Oct. 13, 1903 - The Boston Red Sox defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 in the first modern World Series. They won the series five games to three.

Oct. 13-14, 1906 - Miss Jeannie K. Burns, who was teaching at the Grimes school house, visited her sister, Mrs. L.N. Lambert at Perdue Hill on this Saturday and Sunday.

Oct. 13, 1909 – John Lemuel Bowden, who would become Monroe County, Alabama’s Sheriff in 1923, married Sarah Russel Nettles at Tunnel Springs.

Oct. 13, 1914 – William Stephen Wiggins passed away at the age of 83 at his home in Monroeville, Ala. Born in Dallas County on Nov. 7, 1832, he commanded Co. F of the 36th Ala. Regiment, which was a part of the first brigade (Clayton's) to break the Federal line at Chickamauga and the defenders of the line at New Hope Church. He was noted for his bravery in the battle of Atlanta at the railroad cut at present day Grant Park. Wounded at Jonesboro, he went on to serve as the president of Monroe County Bank. He was buried at Hixon Cemetery, which was known as Hamilton Hill at the time of his death. Wiggin's home stood at the current Red & White grocery store site. His family settled Mexia.

Oct. 13, 1914 – H.W. Dunn & Associates began building a large, brick warehouse on the northeast corner of the courthouse square in Evergreen, Ala. The 75x100-foot building was to be used for cotton storage and had the capacity to store 1,000 bales.

Oct. 13, 1914 – In Major League Baseball's World Series, the Boston Braves defeated the Philadelphia Athletics, 4 games to 0, at Fenway Park in Boston, completing the first World Series sweep in history.

Oct. 13-15, 1915 – Conecuh County’s first County Fair (agricultural and livestock show) was scheduled to be held in Evergreen, Ala. All day on Oct. 11 and Oct. 12, “a steady stream of exhibits poured into the various departments, necessitating a considerable extra force to take care of them.”

Oct. 13, 1915 – The Battle of the Hohenzollern Redoubt marked the end of the Battle of Loos in northern France during World War I.

Oct. 13, 1915 - The 21-year-old Scottish poet Charles Hamilton Sorley was killed by a German sniper’s bullet during the Battle of Loos.

Oct. 13, 1917 – The "Miracle of the Sun" was witnessed by an estimated 70,000 people in the Cova da Iria in Fátima, Portugal. The sun was said to appear as a spinning disc, and moved in a zig-zag pattern. Three shepherd children had predicted the miracle would take place at this date and location after their reported encounters with an apparition of the Virgin Mary known as Our Lady of Fatima.

Oct. 13, 1917 - A carload of 25 “fine horses from Colorado” were unloaded in Castleberry, Ala. on this Sunday.

Oct. 13, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. Kellum Monroe Walker, 18, of Atmore, Ala. “died of disease.” Born on May 9, 1900, he was buried in the Pine Level Cemetery in Atmore in Escambia County, Ala.

Oct. 13, 1918 – During World War I, Army PFC Ned A. White, 23, of Brewton, Ala. “died of disease” while serving with the 324^th Infantry, 81^st Division. Born on Aug. 19, 1895, he was buried in the Douglas Chapel Cemetery in Brewton in Escambia County, Ala.

Oct. 13, 1921 – NFL linebacker and coach Lou Saban was born in Brookfield, Ill.

Oct. 13, 1925 – Margaret Thatcher, the first woman to lead a major Western democracy when she became the prime minister of the United Kingdom in May of 1979, was born Margaret Hilda Roberts in Grantham, a small town in eastern England.

Oct. 13, 1926 – Baseball great Eddie Yost was born in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Oct. 13, 1926 - Alabama author Robert Bell was born in Tarrant City, Ala.

Oct. 13, 1926 – The Evergreen Courant announced that, beginning with its next issue, it would begin publication on Thursday instead of Wednesday. The ensuing issue also marked the 32nd year of The Courant’s publication. “We shall go to press early Thursday morning, thus enabling us to have all papers in the mail by 12 o’clock, in time to get off on both north and south bound mails, which pass in the afternoon,” The Courant reported on Oct. 13.

Oct. 13, 1927 - There were several hundred disappointed people in Monroeville, Ala. on this Thursday, drawn by the announcement of a balloon ascension. The high wind prevailing throughout the afternoon rendered it hazardous to attempt the flight.

Oct. 13, 1931 – National Baseball Hall of Fame third baseman Eddie Mathews was born in Texarkana, Texas. He went on to play for the Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, the Houston Astros and the Detroit Tigers, and he also managed the Atlanta Braves from 1972 to 1974. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978.

Oct. 13, 1933 – Between 2:45 p.m. and 3 p.m. on this Friday afternoon, the citizens of Evergreen, Ala. received leaflet invitations dropped from an airplane over the city to attend the National Recovery Administration Loyalty Day celebration and parade in Montgomery on Oct. 19.

Oct. 13, 1939 – Frisco City High School beat Beatrice High School, 36-7.

Oct. 13, 1939 – Atmore High School beat Monroe County High School, 32-7, in Monroeville, Ala. Yarbrough scored Monroeville’s only touchdown, and outstanding players for Atmore included Harvey, Owens and Vickey.

Oct. 13, 1941 – Singer and songwriter Paul Simon was born in Newark, N.J.

Oct. 13, 1943 – Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was born in Los Angeles, Calif.

Oct. 13, 1950 – Cookbook author Mollie Katzen was born in Rochester, N.Y.

Oct. 13, 1951 - In Atlanta, Georgia, a football with a rubber covering was used for the first time. Georgia Tech beat Louisiana State, 25-7.

Oct. 13, 1961 – On the fictional “X-Files,” Fox Mulder was born on this day in Chilmark, Mass.

Oct. 13, 1962 – Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice was born in Starkville, Miss. During his career, he played for Mississippi Valley State, the San Francisco 49ers, the Oakland Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

Oct. 13, 1963 – The Brooklyn Baptist Church in Brooklyn, Ala. observed its 142nd Anniversary.

Oct. 13, 1960 - The World Series ended on a home run for the first time. Bill Mazeroski's homerun allowed the Pirates to beat the Yankees.

Oct. 13, 1961 - Jacky Lee of the Houston Oilers threw for 457 yards and two touchdowns against the Boston Patriots. The game ended, 31-31.

Oct. 13, 1961 – Evergreen High School beat Flomaton High School, 13-12, in Flomaton, Ala. “in one of the most thrilling victories Aggie fans can remember. Leon Stinson ran 99 yards with the final whistle blowing just after the play got underway, and it gave the Aggies a 13-12 victory.”

Oct. 13, 1962 – Edward R. Weekly and Willis Weekly, both of Satsuma, were killed and four others were injured in a one-car accident on this Saturday night on State Highway 83 near the Evergreen, Ala. city limits. Edward Weekly was the driver of a 1954 Mercury involved in the accident, and Willis Weekly was a passenger in the vehicle.

Oct. 13, 1966 – The Belles Lettres Study Club of Monroeville, Ala. donated $1,000 to the Monroe County Museum and Historical Society. Mrs. John McInnis, immediate past president of the study club, presented the check to Mrs. Rance Carr, president of the society.

Oct. 13, 1966 - Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara declared at a news conference in Saigon that he found that military operations have “progressed very satisfactorily since 1965.”

Oct. 13, 1969 – Alabama Gov. Albert Brewer named R.G. “Bob” Kendall Jr. of Evergreen, Ala., who’d been serving as State Highway Director, as State Industrial Relations Director. Former Conecuh County Engineer Marion H. Wilkins, who’d been serving as Assistant State Highway Director under Kendall, was named to replace Kendall as State Highway Director.

Oct. 13, 1970 - Dave McNally of the Baltimore Orioles became the only pitcher to date to hit a grand slam in the World Series.

Oct. 13, 1970- In a report prepared at the request of President Nixon, counterinsurgency expert Sir Robert Thompson explained that smashing the Viet Cong is a prerequisite for solving the political troubles of South Vietnam.

Oct. 13, 1971 - Bing Crosby, part owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, threw out the first ball in Game 4 of the World Series between the Pirates and the Orioles.

Oct. 13, 1971 - The first World Series night game was telecast on NBC. Baltimore defeated Pittsburgh 4-3 in Game 4 at Three Rivers Stadium.

Oct. 13, 1972 - Monroe Academy kept a firm grip atop the Alabama Private School Athletic Association’s Top 10 on this Friday night by beating Pickens Academy, 28-7, in Vanity Fair Park in Monroeville, Ala. K.J. Lazenby again led in the defensive department with nine tackles and three assists, and Greg Norris added six tackles and four assists. Other outstanding Monroe players in that game included James, Chunn, Keith Pugh, George Scott, Jimmy Sellers, Kevin Thompson, Gary Tucker, Jimmy Tucker and Danny Wilson. Mac Champion was Monroe’s head coach.

Oct. 13, 1972 - Crucial mistakes and the power of Luverne fullback, Sam Morgan, led the Evergreen Aggies to the gallows on this Friday night as they were hanged in a lackluster game by the Luverne Tigers, 41-0.

Oct. 13, 1972 - The Sparta Academy Warriors lost to Escambia Academy, one of the state’s most powerful teams, on this Friday night, 13-2, at Stuart-McGehee Field. Sparta’s first and only score came early in the first period as the snap from center on an attempted punt went over the punter’s head and out of the end zone for 2-0 Sparta lead. Sparta’s only offensive threat came from the passing of Buddy Monroe to Gary Daw as they combined on three catches for 86 yards. Sparta’s defensive team kept Escambia to its second lowest points total that it has ever had. Leading defenders for Sparta were Will Ward, Tubby McInvale, Walt Lee Ward, Don Owens, Jerry Cotton and Gary McInvale. Other top Sparta players in that game included Bruce Hutcheson and Sam Skipper.

Oct. 13, 1985 - Phil Simms of the New York Giants passed for 513 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals. He set NFL records with 62 pass attempts and 29 first downs.

Oct. 13, 1988 – MCHS’s Sidney Carmichael, who would go on to play at Ole Miss, was named The Journal’s Offensive Player of the Week. Carmichael, a senior halfback, received the honor after collected 174 yards on 22 carries to lead MCHS in a 14-7 win over Shields on Oct. 7 in Monroeville, Ala.

  

Oct. 13, 2002 - The Anaheim Angels defeated the Minnesota Twins to advance to their first World Series.