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| Old Louisville & Nashville Depot in Evergreen, Ala. |
April 3, 1513 - Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon landed
in Florida after sighting the land on the day before.
April 3, 1692 – In connection with the Salem witchcraft
trials, Sarah Cloyce, after defending her sister, Rebecca Nurse, was accused of
witchcraft.
April 3, 1776 - The Continental Congress gave privateers
permission to attack any and all British ships.
April 3, 1776 - George Washington received an honorary
Doctor of Laws degree from Harvard College.
April 3, 1777 - General George Washington wrote to Benedict
Arnold and confessed that he had been surprised to not see his name on the list
of men promoted to major general.
April 3, 1783 – Author, statesman and short-story writer
Washington Irving was born in New York City. His most famous works include “The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.”
April 3, 1798 – American admiral, geographer, and explorer
Charles Wilkes was born in New York City. He led the United States Exploring
Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the
Civil War. Although credited with several "firsts," including the
discovery of Antarctica, his behavior led to two convictions by court-martial.
April 3, 1817 - The legendary Texas Ranger and frontiersman “Big Foot” Wallace is born William Alexander Anderson Wallace in Lexington, Kentucky.
April 3, 1825 – During his tour of the United States, French
general and Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette, arrived in
Montgomery, Ala. and was entertained with great fanfare. He was greeted by a
crowd of some 3,000 people at Goat Hill, now the site of the capitol building.
Gov. Israel Pickens spared no expense for Lafayette's visit to Alabama - which
included stops at Cahaba, Claiborne and Mobile - expending more funds than
existed in the state treasury.
April 3, 1837 – Nature writer John Burroughs was born near
Roxbury, N.Y.
April 3, 1845 – The First Presbyterian Church of Camden was
organized by a Commission of Southern Alabama Presbytery to serve the community
of Camden in Wilcox County, Ala.
April 3, 1846 – British explorer William Braine died of lead
poisoning at Beechey Island, Nunavut, Canada. A Marine in the Royal Marines, he
was part of an expedition to find the Northwest Passage, but he died early in
the trip and was buried on Beechey Island. His preserved body was exhumed in
1984 to try to determine his cause of death.
April 3, 1860 – The first successful United States Pony
Express run from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California, a distance of
1,800 miles, began. The trip across country took about 10 days, but the Pony
Express only lasted about a year and a half. The first mail pouch contained 49
letters, five telegrams, and a variety of papers.
April 3, 1861 – During the Civil
War, Confederate batteries on Morris Island, in Charleston Harbor, S.C., fired
on the schooner, Rhoda H. Shannon.
April 3, 1862 - Apalachicola, Fla. was occupied by Federal
troops.
April 3, 1862 - Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston began
an advance on Union troops at Shiloh.
April 3, 1862 – During the Civil
War, Confederate forces began their departure from Corinth, Miss., en route to
Pittsburg Landing, Tenn. Skirmishes were also fought in the vicinity of
Monterey, Tenn. and at Moorefield, West Virginia. A two-day Federal
reconnaissance in force from Ship Island, Miss. to Biloxi and Pass Christian,
Miss. began.
April 3, 1863 - A four-day Federal
operation from Camp Piatt through Cogan and Cabell Counties, West Virginia
began, and a skirmish was fought at Mud River, West Virginia. A four-day
Federal operation also began between Fairfax Courthouse to Middleburg, Va.
April 3, 1864 – During the Civil
War, skirmishes were fought at Clarksville and another at Elkin’s Ferry, on the
Little Missouri River in Arkansas; at Ducktown Road, Ga.; in the vicinity of
Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory; at Grand Ecore, La.; at Clinton, Miss.;
and at Cypress Swamp and Raleigh, Tenn.
April 3, 1865 - A two-day Federal
reconnaissance from Huntsville to Vienna, Ala. began. A skirmish was also
fought at Northport, near Tuscaloosa, Ala.
April 3, 1865 – During the Civil War, Union forces captured
Richmond, Va., the capital of the Confederate States of America, the most
significant sign that the Confederacy was nearing its final days. Union troops
entered and occupied the city and raised the Stars and Stripes.
April 3, 1865 - Petersburg, Va. fell to Union General Grant.
April 3, 1865 – During the Civil
War, skirmishes were fought near Farmington, Mo.; at Mount Pleasant, Tenn.; and
at Hillsville, Va. A nine-day Federal operation also began in the vicinity of
Ashville, N.C.
April 3, 1865 – 59TH ALABAMA: Around 2 a.m., the
entire command with cavalry crossed Namozine Creek. The Alabama brigade moved
out around 6 a.m., taking the right-hand road at Namozine Church. They crossed
over Rocky Creek, about two miles from the church. They then took the left-hand
road in order to cross Deep Creek at Brown’s Bridge. On this road, they
encountered Yankee pickets and a small fight took place, resulting in the death
of one Yankee. Rebel units, including the 59th, formed lines and
went right into the fire. The Yankees opened up with artillery, but were
eventually pushed back. The brigade moved up on the double-quick to the left
flank to Brown’s Bridge and crossed over, marching five miles from Tabernacle
Church to Bevills Bridge – over the Appomattox River – where they came together
with what was left of General Pickett’s men.
April 3, 1865 – 59TH ALABAMA: Pvt. Thomas Herring
of Co. D, 59th Alabama was taken prisoner of war. Pvt. William J.
Herring of Co. D, 59th Alabama died.
April 3, 1882 - The American outlaw Jesse James was shot in
the back and killed by Robert Ford for a $5,000 reward. There was later
controversy over whether it was actually Jesse James that had been killed.
April 3, 1885
– English explorer St. John Philby was born in Badulla, British Ceylon.
April 3, 1887 – The Rev. Mr. Sturgeon was scheduled to
preach at the Presbyterian church on this Sunday.
April 3, 1888 – The first of 11 unsolved brutal murders of
women committed in or near the impoverished Whitechapel district in the East
End of London occurred.
April 3, 1894 – Outlaw Wyatt Tate, who murdered constable
William Ikner on March 24, shot and killed 42-year-old Monroe County Sheriff
James D. Foster. Foster was born on April 18, 1851 and was buried in the Perdue
Hill Cemetery.
April 3, 1896 – Sidney Stacey born in Monroe County, Ala. to
Robert Stacey and Anna Adline Hayles Stacey. He passed away at the age of 82 on
Aug. 5, 1978 and was buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Monroe County.
April 3, 1906 - A “miniature cyclone” passed near the
outskirts of Pineville on this Tuesday evening about 9 p.m. “Several persons
saw it, a cloud of bright light went before it, supposed to have been caused by
electricity, showing the falling trees as it made a noise like the roar of
thunder,” The Monroe Journal reported.
April 3-4, 1914 – Baseball teams from Camden and Pine Apple
were scheduled to play each other in Monroeville on Fri., April 3. These two
teams were scheduled to play Monroe County High School in Monroeville the
following day, Sat., April 4.
April 3, 1916 – San Francisco columnist Herb Caen was born
in Sacramento, Calif.
April 3, 1916 - The Monroe County Board of Revenue awarded
the contract for the grading, draining and surfacing of the road from Excel to
Goodway through Wild Fork to Skipper, Ward & Kelly. Work was scheduled to
begin on the road within 30 days and rushed to completion. The road served a
large population and was badly needed as was shown by the report of the County
Engineer, according to The Monroe Journal.
April 3, 1916 - S.H. Dent spoke to a “large and appreciative
audience” at the Conecuh County Courthouse on this Monday afternoon in the
interest of his candidacy for re-election to congress. Dent ranked second on
one of the most important congressional committees, that of the military,
according to The Conecuh Record. From Evergreen, Dent went to Castleberry,
where he addressed “another good crowd,” the newspaper reported.
April 3, 1917 - Mr. D.M. Maxwell, mayor of Roy and cashier
of the Peoples Bank of the same city, was a business visitor to Monroeville on
this Tuesday.
April 3, 1917 - Residents of Monroeville were startled by
the alarm of fire shortly before noon on this Tuesday. The fire was located at
the barn of Mr. H. Cameron in the Monvil Park residence district and within a
few moments scores of volunteers were on the scene. By heroic exertions of the
bucket brigade, the flames were successfully fought off and within 30 minutes
all further danger was past.
April 3, 1918 - The Allied Supreme War Council formally conferred the post of commander in chief on the Western Front to General Ferdinand Foch.
April 3, 1920 – Zelda Sayre married writer F. Scott
Fitzgerald in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Zelda met Scott at a
dance in Montgomery, Ala. in July 1918, barely a
month after graduating from Sidney Lanier High School. The couple would come to
embody the freedoms and excesses of the 1920s Jazz Age, and Zelda became an
icon of the "flapper" lifestyle.
April 3, 1922 - Mr. and Mrs. Geo. M. Salter arrived from
Pensacola on this Monday to become citizens of Monroeville. George was in
charge of the Sherrill Oil Company’s supply station in Monroeville.
April 3, 1926 – Major League Baseball second baseman, third
baseman, shortstop and manager Alex Grammas was born in Birmingham, Ala. He
would go on to play for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cincinnati Redlegs and the
Chicago Cubs. He would also manage the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee
Brewers.
April 3, 1933 – The first flight over Mount Everest
occurred. The flight was a British expedition, led by the Marquis of
Clydesdale, and funded by Lucy, Lady Houston.
April 3, 1934 – Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman
Jim Parker was born in Macon, Ga. He went on to play for Ohio State and the
Baltimore Colts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973.
April 3, 1934 – Dr. Jane Goodall, famed British
primatologist who revealed the previously unknown social behaviors of
chimpanzees by living for years among them, was born in London.
April 3, 1937 – Heavy rains began in Evergreen, Ala. and
when they ended around 36 hours later, 8.65 inches had fallen, causing flooded
roads, bridges and other damage.
April 3, 1941 - A meeting of the Monroeville Golf Club was
held at the City Hall on this Thursday afternoon, and E.M. Salter was elected
president and Moses Katz re-elected secretary and treasurer. Plans for the new
year were discussed, which included some minor changes in the course. The local
tournament was to be held beginning on Thurs., April 10, and was to continue
through Thurs., April 24. W.C. Daryman and Ted Hartmann were appointed to
arrange for this event.
April 3, 1947 – The Monroe Journal reported that Wilson C.
Lowery, 18, seaman, first class, U.S. Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. William F.
Lowery of Mexia, was serving aboard the light cruiser USS Little Rock, which
had completed a two-week Naval Reserve Training Cruise to Puerto Rico. The
Little Rock, one of the Navy’s newest type cruisers, became one of the most
widely traveled good-will messengers of the United States after her
commissioning in 1945. She participated in numerous tours in Europe, Africa,
Central and South America.
April 3, 1953 – Children’s books writer Sandra Keith Boynton
was born in Orange, N.J.
April 3, 1953 - With only four days practice under their
belts, and one of those days hampered by rain, the Evergreen High School
baseball team was to open a 10-game schedule with Lyeffion on the Lyeffion
diamond on this Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. Both Lyeffion and Evergreen
concluded spring football practice the week before and got in their first
baseball practice on the following Monday. Coach Wendell Hart planned to use
several boys who would be playing their first game as varsity performers, but
expected to field a strong team. He listed his tentative lineup as: Pitchers;
Lavon ‘Cotton’ Quinley, Marvin Garvin, Cullen Edson and Hugh Ellington. Quinley
and Ellington would alternate at first base when they were not pitching. Edson
would play infield when he wasn’t pitching. Second base, Robert King;
shortstop, Billy Lewis; third base, Charles King; left field, Ronnie Edson;
center field, Homer Riley; right field, James Ansley; and catcher, Robert
Mason. Reserves: Richard Taylor, utility and Donald Cunningham and Murry
Johnson, outfielders. Ward Alexander and Shirley Frazier, both veterans of the
last two years, were expected to miss the first game because of illness and
injury. Evergreen High School’s varsity baseball schedule that season was as
follows: April 3, at Lyeffion; April 7, v. Lyeffion; April 10, v. Repton; April
14, v. Castleberry; April 17, at Repton; April 21, at Castleberry; April 28, at
Monroeville; May 5, v. T.R. Miller; May 8, v. Monroeville; and May 12, at T.R.
Miller.
April 3, 1968 - Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I've
Been to the Mountaintop" speech in Memphis, Tenn. just 24 hours before he
was assassinated.
April 3, 1969 – The Monroe Journal published the
Supplemental Issue of its Centennial Edition.
April 3, 1969 - Jim Morrison was arrested by the FBI for
interstate flight, which stemmed from obscenity charges after a Miami concert.
April 3, 1969
– During the Vietnam War, United States Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird
announced that the United States would start to "Vietnamize" the war
effort.
April 3, 1969 - U.S. military
headquarters in Saigon announced that combat deaths for the last week of March
had pushed the total number of Americans killed during eight years of U.S.
involvement in Vietnam to 33,641. This was 12 more deaths than during the
Korean War. By the end of the war, 47,244 Americans had been killed in action
in Vietnam. An additional 10,446 died as a result of non-hostile causes like
disease and accidents.
April 3, 1972 - The United States
prepared hundreds of B-52s and fighter-bombers for possible air strikes to
blunt the recently launched North Vietnamese invasion, and the aircraft carrier
Kitty Hawk was sent from the Philippines to join the carriers already
off the coast of Vietnam and provide additional air support.
April 3, 1974 – On their way to an eventual 3A state
baseball title, Monroe County High School beat Jackson, 39-1, in Jackson, Ala.
Ronnie Dees was MCHS’s head coach.
April 3, 1974 - The Super Outbreak occurred, the second
largest number of tornadoes in recorded history. In a 24-hour period, 148
twisters were confirmed in 13 U.S. states.
April 3-4, 1974 - During a record outbreak of tornadoes in
12 states and Canada, 86 Alabamians died and 949 were injured. A total of 148
tornadoes caused 315 fatalities, 6,142 injuries, and $600 million in property
damage in the United States and Canada.
April 3, 1975 – The Louisville & Nashville Depot in
Evergreen, Ala., built in 1907, was placed on National Register of Historic
Places.
April 3, 1975 - The Wilcox Female Institute in Camden, Ala.,
built between 1845 and 1850, was added to the National Register of Historic
Places.
April 3, 1978 - There were nine cases set on the Criminal
Docket for the Spring Term of Circuit Court of Conecuh County, according to
Circuit Clerk Jean Ralls. All of the cases were set for this Monday. History
was probably being made as no jurors were being called for duty for the term of
criminal court. Attorneys for all of the defendants had indicated that all of
their clients would enter pleas of guilty on this Monday.
April 3, 1985 - The Major League Baseball Players'
Association agreed to a proposal of the team owners to expand the 1985 League
Championship Series from the best-of-five games to best-of-seven.
April 3, 1996 - Ted Kaczynski was arrested at his isolated
cabin near Lincoln, Montana, where investigators found evidence linking him to
the Unabomber crimes. He pled guilty in January 1998 to five Unabomber attacks
in exchange for a life sentence without chance for parole.
April 3, 1997 – In what was at the time the largest seizure
of cocaine in Alabama history, a routine traffic stop by the Alabama Department
of Public Safety’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit around 5 p.m. at the northbound
rest area on Interstate 65 in Conecuh County netted over 500 kilograms (1,100
pounds) of cocaine in a container in a trailer loaded with 30,000 pounds bananas.
Street value was estimated at $24 million.
April 3, 2006 - U.S. President George Bush threw out the
first pitch at the Cincinnati Reds opening home game.
April 3, 2007 - Alabama author Thomas Hal Phillips died in
Kossuth, Miss.
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