Today in History for May 14, 2018

Army Sgt. Willie James Chapman

May 14, 1607 - The London Company explorers from England landed in what would become Jamestown, Va., the first English settlement in the New World. The colony lay on the banks of the James River, 60 miles from the mouth of Chesapeake Bay.

May 14, 1692 – In connection with the Salem witchcraft trials, the Reverend Increase Mather and Sir William Phips, the newly appointed governor of the colony, arrived in Boston. They brought with them a new charter establishing the Province of Massachusetts Bay.

May 14, 1787 – In Philadelphia, delegates convened a Constitutional Convention to write a new Constitution for the United States. George Washington presided. The meetings were pushed back to May 25 when a sufficient number participants had arrived.

May 14, 1796 – Doctor Edward Jenner inoculated an eight-year-old boy with a vaccine for smallpox, the first safe vaccine ever developed.

May 14, 1804 – The Lewis and Clark Expedition departed from Camp Dubois and began its historic journey by traveling up the Missouri River.

May 14, 1825 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette attended dinner and a ball in Frankfort, Ky.

May 14, 1849 - A black rain fell in Ireland upon an area of 400 square miles. It was the color of ink and "of a fetid odor and disagreeable taste," according to the Annals of Scientific Discovery.

May 14, 1861 - At the outbreak of the Civil War, William Tecumseh Sherman was a schoolmaster. A West Point graduate, he had resigned from the Army as many did in search of a better income. What’s more, the school he headed was in Baton Rouge, La (later to be Louisiana State University.) Living in the South did not alter his allegiance, though. On this day, he reenlisted and was commissioned as the commander of the 13th Regular Infantry.

May 14, 1862 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Lamb's Ferry, Ala.

May 14, 1862 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Fayetteville, Tennessee.

May 14, 1863 – During the Civil War, the Battle of Jackson took place as two Union corps under William T. Sherman and James McPherson drove Confederates under Joseph Johnston out of Jackson, Miss. As Grant had considerably more men, Johnston concentrated his efforts on evacuating all possible supplies, leaving a mere two brigades behind to delay the Yankee advance. They held out until mid-afternoon. After a sharp, but brief, battle; McPherson and Sherman's corps took Jackson.

May 14, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory.

May 14, 1864 – The Battle of Resaca, Ga. began. This was one of the first fights in Union General William T. Sherman's campaign to capture Atlanta. The battle was considered a tactical victory for the Rebels because they had maintained their position and thwarted the Union offense.

May 14, 1864 – The Second Battle of Drewry’s Bluff (or the Proctor’s Creek engagement) began when part of Union Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler's Army of the James feigned an attack toward Richmond from Bermuda Hundred. After two days of skirmishing, Federals led by Maj. Gen. William F. Smith and Maj. Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore captured the outer Confederate earthworks here. At dawn on May 16, however, the Confederates under Maj. Gen. Robert F. Hoke and Maj. Gen. Robert Ransom Jr., launched several assaults from the inner defenses just north. By midmorning the Federals began retreating south to the Half-Way House. The 59th Alabama Infantry Regiment was there as well.

May 14, 1865 – During the Civil War, President Andrew Johnson issued a conditional amnesty to all persons engaged in the late Rebellion.

May 14, 1870 – James McLaughlin purchased The Monroe Journal newspaper.

May 14, 1874 - McGill University and Harvard met at Cambridge, Mass. for the first college football game to charge admission.

May 14, 1875 - Alabama author Garrard Harris was born in Columbus, Ga.

May 14, 1878 – National Baseball Hall of Fame owner J.L. Wilkinson was born in Algona, Iowa. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

May 14, 1881 – National Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Ed Walsh was born in Plains Township, Pa. He went on to play for the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Braves and managed the White Sox in 1924. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946.

May 14, 1881 - Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon bemoaning the high price of gas.

May 14, 1885 - John L. Stallworth of Pineville, Ala. passed through Monroeville on this Thursday evening en route to Pensacola, Fla. with a drove of sheep.

May 14, 1886 – The Monroe Journal reported that Dr. Russell, together with several other candidates, were canvassing the northern portion of Monroe County that week.

May 14, 1886 – The Monroe Journal reported that “fishing excursions to Flat Creek, Limestone and other neighboring streams are quite frequent and generally unsuccessful.”

May 14, 1886 – The Monroe Journal reported that “bad stands of cotton are complained of in almost all sections of the county,” and that “farmers are indulging in the usual amount of grumbling about bad stands and dry weather.”

May 14, 1886 – The Monroe Journal reported that Miss M.C. Parker returned a few days ago from a protracted visit to relatives in Mobile.

May 14, 1886 – The Monroe Journal reported that Deputy Sheriff Rhoad was on a visit to the “old folks at home,” or at least that was the pretext he urged for desiring to go to Buena Vista on Wed., May 12.

May 14, 1886 – The Monroe Journal reported that Sheriff Burns was having a well bored on his lot, which would be very convenient to The Journal office as it would fill a long felt want.

May 14, 1886 – This day’s edition of The Monroe Journal contained the following “Notice to Physicians of Monroe County” – “The commissioners of said county will pay no medical bills or attendance on paupers in the county after this date, unless ordered by one of the board.”

May 14, 1890 - Rosa J. Young was born in the community of Rosebud in Wilcox County, Ala. The educator and advocate for rural education in Alabama established the Rosebud Literary and Industrial School in 1912. She also founded Lutheran-affiliated schools in Buena Vista, Tilden, Tinela and Midway in 1916 and Ingomar in 1919. Young was influential in the founding of Alabama Lutheran Academy and College (later Concordia College) in Selma, where she served as a faculty member from 1946 to 1961.

May 14, 1896 – The Monroe Journal announced that convicts sentenced to hard labor in Monroe County would be let to the highest bidder before the Monroe County Courthouse door at 2 p.m. on Mon., July 13, 1896 by the Board of Commissioners.

May 14, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported that C.W. McClure had been appointed hard labor agent to hire convicts sentenced to hard labor for the county and to look after same.

May 14, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the River Ridge community, that John Bradford had been “suffering greatly with toothache,” but had been relieved by Bells Landing’s good dentist, Dr. Nettles.

May 14, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the Carlisle community, that that community had had “plenty of rain for some time which was fortunate for those who had timber in Flat Creek. Some 25 or 30 clamps have been successfully run down. A number of the fair sex came down to witness the launching. It is intimated that there were some on the rafts that they wished more to see.”

May 14, 1897 - "The Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Phillip Sousa was performed for the first time. It was at a ceremony where a statue of George Washington was unveiled near Willow Grove Park, Pa.

May 14, 1899 – National Baseball Hall of Fame center fielder Earle Combs was born in Pebworth, Ky. He played his entire career (1924-1935) for the New York Yankees. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1970.

May 14, 1900 – Nature writer Hal Borland was born in Sterling, Nebraska.

May 14, 1906 - The flagpole at the White Sox ballpark broke during the pennant-raising.

May 14, 1913 - Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators ended his scoreless streak of 56 innings.

May 14, 1916 - A lead article in the Times of London proclaimed that an insufficiency of munitions was leading to defeat for Britain on the battlefields of World War I, sparking a genuine crisis on the home front, forcing the Liberal government to give way to a coalition and prompting the creation of a Ministry of Munitions.

May 14, 1917 - J.H. Lee of Burnt Corn was in Evergreen on this Monday en route to Montgomery to attend the Knights of Pythias grand lodge.

May 14, 1917 - Floyd Hawkins came dangerously near losing an eye on this Monday, according to The Evergreen Courant. He was plowing and in passing a tree a small limb broke and struck one of his eyes, causing a very painful wound.

May 14, 1918 - Stan Coveleski of the Cleveland Indians set a club record when he pitched 19 innings.

May 14, 1918 - Sunday baseball games were made legal in Washington, D.C.

May 14, 1920 - Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators won his 300th game against Detroit.

May 14, 1931 – On this Thursday afternoon, the first afternoon that stores were to close for a half holiday, also marked the time when another novel and eagerly anticipated event was to transpire: Baseball fans in Evergreen and surrounding areas were to have the rare opportunity of witnessing a baseball game between teams composed of the best talent among the Evergreen ladies. The game was being sponsored by the Library Committee for the benefit of the Library. The teams to play were dubbed the “Down Town Giants” and “Up Town Cubs,” the one being composed of players living in the northern part of town and the other of those living in the southern part. The line-up for the teams is as follows: Down Town Giants: Stallworth, shortstop; C. McReynolds, first base; McMillan, catcher; Binion, third base; Nash, center field; Phillips, left field; Northcutt, second base; Wild, right field; Shannon, pitcher; McNair, pitcher; M.H. Jones, pitcher; Binion, captain; Prof. W.P. McMillan, manager. Up Town Cubs: Mills, shortstop; Suddith, third base; P. McReynolds, catcher; L. Kelly, right field; Williams, first base; Webster, left field; E. Cunningham, second base; Lane, center field; Wright, pitcher; M.W. Jones, pitcher; I. Kelley, pitcher; Williams, captain; Coach McInnis, manager. J.O. Stapp was to serve as umpire. The price of admission to this game was to be 15 and 25 cents. The game was to be played at Gantt Field in Evergreen.

May 14, 1931 – The Monroe Journal reported that the graduating exercises of the Frisco City High School were recently held in the high school auditorium before an audience of 400. The address was given by C.C. Sanders of Judson College. Sanders brought a very interesting message to the class and to the people. He chose as his subject, “Success.” A number of other special features were included on the program. The diplomas were presented to the class of five girls and 12 boys by County Superintendent H.G. Greer, who was a former principal of the high school. The high school band contributed several selections to the program.

May 14, 1933 - Evergreen’s Fighting Irish baseball team defeated Greenville in Greenville on this Sunday, 4-3, in a contest which was not decided until Archie Barfield, Evergreen first baseman, made a final putout in the ninth inning. Greenville scored first, in the first inning, with the aid of some weird fielding and umpiring, garnering one run off Loyce Hyde; Evergreen tied the score in their half of the third, and put the game away safely in the fifth, when three runs crossed the plate, Joe Hagood exploding a clean base hit to right field after three teammates had reached base, to supply the big punch in the winning splurge. Evergreen lost a run in the first inning when Hagood apparently scored from third base on a close play in which the Greenville catcher failed to tag him. Umpire Bryant, however, waved the runner out, despite Pierce’s efforts to tag Hagood after he had slid into home and after the catcher’s initial attempt to tag him coming in, had failed. Greenville kept pecking away at Hyde, and scored one run each in the sixth and seventh innings, to creep within one run of the locals. With one away in the ninth, Greenville put two men on base, but Hyde “bowed his neck,” bore down like a trooper and retired the next two hitters, closing the game in a blaze of cunning curve ball pitching. Al Hansen, husky Evergreen shortstop, was the victim of two collisions on the base paths, Greenville runners running into him on two occasions just as he was set to make a play on batted balls down his groove.

May 14, 1942 – National Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman and third baseman Tony Perez was born in Ciego de Ávila, Cuba. He went on to play for the Cincinnati Reds, the Montreal Expos, the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies. He also managed the Reds and the Florida Marlins. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

May 14, 1942 – The Evergreen Courant reported, under the headline “Wild Turkey Eggs Hatched By State,” that man lent nature a hand that week when 11 young wild turkeys were hatched at the Prattmont game farm of the Department of Conservation’s game, fish and seafood division, from a dozen eggs collected by a southwest Alabama game warden from an abandoned nest. Last reports were that the 12 young turkeys were busy at the job of getting out of its shell. Wild turkeys are among the hardest of birds to raise in captivity. Survivors were expected to be released in the Fred T. Stimpson game sanctuary at Salt Springs in Clarke County for propagation purposes.

May 14, 1942 – The Evergreen Courant reported, under the headline “Quail Egg Production Ahead Of Last Season,” that with the first batch of 179 eggs due to come off that week, quail egg production of the Prattmont game farm of the Department of Conservation’s game, fish and seafood division was running ahead of the previous year’s schedule. The 400 pairs of bobwhite brood stock had 1,803 eggs in the incubators. In 1941, the same number of broodstock laid 1,666 eggs for the same period. The first egg was laid April 4, the same date as that on which the initial egg was laid in 1941. The first collection was made April 20.

May 14, 1944 - The first episode of the radio program “The World and America,” written by Frank Callan Norris, John McNulty and Alabama author Carl Carmer, was broadcast.

May 14, 1944 – Filmmaker George Lucas was born in Modesto, Calif.

May 14, 1947 – Travel writer and novelist Mary Morris was born in Chicago.

May 14, 1948 - Monroe County High School’s seniors were scheduled to present their class play, “Campus Quarantine,” in the local high school auditorium on this Friday night at eight o’clock. The cast was to include Joyce Nicholas, Mary Kay Jernigan, Jo Ann Jackson, Mary Louise Taylor, Jean Morris Feagin, Dorothy Ann Crutchfield, Tommy Watson, Thomas Andress, Bob Ryland, John Skipper Jr., Julius Farish III and Neal Terry.

  

May 14, 1953 – The Evergreen Greenies, managed by Zell Murphy, were scheduled to play Brewton “under the lights” at Liles Park in Brewton, Ala.

May 14, 1953 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Evergreen High School had to say so long to popular assistant coach Ralph Law, who had been called into service in the Air Force. Law served two years in the Navy during WWII and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force when he graduated from Auburn.

May 14, 1953 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Conecuh Representative R.G. Kendall Jr. of Evergreen, Ala. had been elected Speaker Pro-Tem of the Alabama House of Representatives by a vote of 69-0. Kendall was serving his first term in the state legislature. He was elected in 1950 after serving a four-year term as Senator from the 17th District.

May 14, 1953 – The first group reading of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas’s radio play “Under Milk Wood” (1953) was staged at the Poetry Center at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.

May 14, 1961 – The Freedom Riders bus was fire-bombed near Anniston, Alabama, and the civil rights protesters were beaten by an angry mob.

May 14, 1963 – Kuwait joined the United Nations.

May 14, 1967 - Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees hit his 500th career home run.

May 14, 1967 – An open house was scheduled to be held at the Conecuh County Hospital this Sunday afternoon from 2 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., according to Milston Sullivan, administrator. The board of trustees and the entire staff of Conecuh County Hospital invited the public to come and inspect the hospital during this time. Of special interest was the recently completed new seven private rooms.

May 14, 1969 – Army Sgt. Willie James Chapman, 20, of Jackson, Ala. was killed in action in Hue, Thua Thien-Hue, Vietnam. Born on June 21, 1948, he was buried in Berry’s Chapel AME Zion Church Cemetery at Winn in Clarke County.

May 14, 1969 - In his first full-length report to the American people concerning the Vietnam War, President Nixon responded to the 10-point plan offered by the National Liberation Front at the 16th plenary session of the Paris talks on May 8.

May 14, 1970 - Allied military officials announced that 863 South Vietnamese were killed from May 3 to 9, the second highest weekly death toll of the war to date for the South Vietnamese forces.

May 14, 1972 - Willie Mays hit a home run in his first game as a New York Met.

May 14, 1973 - The tenth annual Conecuh County Barrow Show was to be held on this Monday at the Conecuh County Cooperative Stockyard Show Arena at 8 a.m. The show was sponsored each year by the Evergreen Kiwanis Club in cooperation with the State Department of Agriculture and Industries and departments of Vocational Agricultural Education and Extension Service of Auburn University. There was to be approximately 100 head of top barrows show in 13 breed and weight classes. Officials for the show were: show chairman, Marvin Johnston; advisory chairman, D.C. Fleming; official judge, Wesley Grant; showmanship judge, Phillip Ellis; official veterinarian, Dr. Carl Wilson.

May 14, 1973 – Scott Matthews’ Duroc hog was the grand champion of the 10^th annual Conecuh County FFA and 4-H Boys Barrow Show held on this Monday at Conecuh Cooperative Stockyard in Evergreen, Ala. The champion was owned by Matthews of the Evergreen FFA who could not show the barrow because of a broken leg. Danny Harper accepted the award for Scott from Marvin Johnston, president of the Evergreen Kiwanis Club, who were show sponsors. Moor-man Feed Co. bought the champ for 60.5 cents per pound.

May 14, 1973 – Skylab, the United States' first space station, was launched.

May 14, 1976 – Major League Baseball pitcher and coach Brian Lawrence was born in Fort Collins, Colo. He went on to play for the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets.

May 14, 1984 – German SS officer Walter Rauff died at the age of 77 in Santiago, Chile.

May 14, 1986 - Reggie Jackson hit his 537th home run. He passed Mickey Mantle to move into sixth place on the all-time list.

May 14, 1989 - Kirby Pucket hit his sixth consecutive double.

May 14, 1989 - Charlotte Deer Cassady, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lomax Cassady of Evergreen, Ala., graduated cum laude from Tulane University School of Law in New Orleans.

May 14, 1992 – The Monroe Journal reported that Matthew “Matt” Redditt of Uriah, Ala. had been named honorary king of the fifth annual Shrine Classic All-Star High School Football Game to be played June 20 in Mobile. Redditt, the 12-year-old son of Wayne and Laura Redditt, was to sit on this year’s throne along with honorary queen Courtney Harris, a five-year-old from Mobile. Matt, a sixth-grader at J.U. Blacksher High School at Uriah, was currently playing outfield and first base for the Uriah Braves Little League Baseball team in the South Monroe Little League.

May 14, 1992 – The Monroe Journal reported that Chad Sessions, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Winston Sessions of Monroeville, had been chosen for the Southern Pine Electric Cooperative’s 1992 Washington Youth Tour Program. Sessions was a junior at Monroe Academy. He and Ellie Robbins, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. William Robbins, were to receive a one-week, expense paid tour of the nation’s capital. Robbins was a junior at Hillcrest High School.

May 14, 1992 – The Monroe Journal reported that B.J. Wallace, a junior southpaw pitcher at Mississippi State University and former Monroe Academy standout, had been selected to try out for the 1992 USA Olympic baseball team. Tryouts for the 20-man squad were scheduled to be held June 8-14 in Millington, Tenn. Wallace, the son of Billy Wallace of Excel, had an 8-1 pitching record and an earned-run average of 2.35 at that time. He was also leading the Southeastern Conference pitchers in strikeouts with 119.

May 14, 1992 – The Monroe Journal reported that Craig Peavy, a junior at J.U. Blacksher High School, had been selected as a scholarship recipient for the 1992 Science and Technology in Agriculture Summer Honors Program at Auburn University. Peavy was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Peavy of Uriah. He was selected by AU and the Alabama Farmers Federation faculty committee to be one of the 42 participants in that year’s program.

May 14, 1994 - Alabama journalist Hazel Brannon Smith died in Cleveland, Tenn.

May 14, 1995 - Eddie Murray hit his 463rd career home run to tie for 18th on the all-time list.

May 14, 1996 – Dwight “Doc” Gooden pitched a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners.

May 14, 1997 - The Baseball Executive Council suspended New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

May 14, 2000 - Alabama author C. Eric Lincoln died in Durham, N.C.

May 14, 2005 - Kara Layton, daughter of Jerry and Karen Layton and Sharon Layton, was named Conecuh County’s 2006 Junior Miss on this Saturday night at Reid State Technical College Auditorium. Whitley Roberts, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Mark Roberts, was named first runner-up and Erin Brock, daughter of Randy and Pam Brock, was named second runner-up. The program was presented by the Conecuh Women’s League.

May 14, 2005 - Music in the form of soloists, quartet groups and guitar-playing energized approximately 700 folks at the 13^th annual “Cotton Patch” Festival in Uriah on this Saturday. Ronnie Lambert was emcee and several quartets, vocalists and instrumental groups brought an air of excitement to this yearly event. “This year’s festival was a big success,” festival chairperson Patricia McCullers noted, and she believed that proceeds would be highly beneficial to the Uriah Arts Council.

May 14, 2014 – Evergreen, Ala. received 4.91 inches of rain.

May 14, 2017 – A UFO incident occurred around midnight on this Sunday near Decatur. The witness in this case provided clips from a 20-minute recording of a star-like object that changed directions. The recording was made with an infrared, low-power telescope and showed a hovering object that made no sound.