Last week this blog brought forth yet another about the Purge of 1917. It noted that the Mary Walker Medal of Honor, the only one ever issued to a woman in the medal's history, became one of the victims of that purge.
It also told that is was rescinded because the officials in 1917 did not consider the fact that she was a CONTRACT Assistant Surgeon, a former POW, spy for the Union and with lots of credit for bravery whilst treating her patients. Much of this being at many a Civil War battlefield. However the very system she so honourably served did not feel she was a member of the military, and thus, lacked the apparent status required for the medal.
The blog further noted that... after some 72 years... the Walker Medal of Honor was returned to active status. This despite the fact that the men of the day lacked the ability to get the medal back from her and descendants throughout more than 6 decades.
Moving along, our story now has us reading of the tales of Phoebe Ann Moses of Idaho. But today's yarn has her chasing and roping Buffalo in the streets of Toronto Canada. Well, sort of!
Annie would travel with 50 bison, 80 horses, elk, mule and donkeys, a famous stagecoach, gun touting cowboys and cowgirls, indigenous "warriors" and dancers and arrive with none other than the famous Chief Sitting Bull. They'd all come from Belleville by train with 18 boxcars holding the entertainers, animals and supplies needed to put on a three day wild west show. Fifty cents got you a seat, half for the kids.
Annie was a sharpshooter... with an international reputation of being the best. Coming from a family of six living in a log cabin, her father died at about age six and so her poor mother had to send her off to live first, in a poorhouse, then later to another family who mistreated her.
Running away, Annie made her way back to her family and took up shooting rifles to kill game for the family to eat, and also make money supplying the local restaurants and hotels. Each shot made her yet more talented with the weapon.
Entering contests led to winning contests... most if not all. Then came along an expert man who claimed he could beat them all. She took up the challenge. He'd then hit 24 of 25 targets. Then she shot them all. A few years later they were married, and spent the next 5 decades together.
It would be in August of 1885 that the couple would be part of the internationally famous Wild West Show that toured the world, including Toronto and Montreal. It would not be the last time the troop... known as Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show would tour in Canada
But by then Annie would have adopted her stage name, using that of the small community close to where she grew about 185 miles South East in Boise and along the Ohio border. A place called Oakley.
A place where she was known as a sniper, a slang for her expertise in shooting down large numbers of the bird called the Snipe. A term that today refers to the crack-shots of the world.
It also told that is was rescinded because the officials in 1917 did not consider the fact that she was a CONTRACT Assistant Surgeon, a former POW, spy for the Union and with lots of credit for bravery whilst treating her patients. Much of this being at many a Civil War battlefield. However the very system she so honourably served did not feel she was a member of the military, and thus, lacked the apparent status required for the medal.
The blog further noted that... after some 72 years... the Walker Medal of Honor was returned to active status. This despite the fact that the men of the day lacked the ability to get the medal back from her and descendants throughout more than 6 decades.
Moving along, our story now has us reading of the tales of Phoebe Ann Moses of Idaho. But today's yarn has her chasing and roping Buffalo in the streets of Toronto Canada. Well, sort of!
Annie would travel with 50 bison, 80 horses, elk, mule and donkeys, a famous stagecoach, gun touting cowboys and cowgirls, indigenous "warriors" and dancers and arrive with none other than the famous Chief Sitting Bull. They'd all come from Belleville by train with 18 boxcars holding the entertainers, animals and supplies needed to put on a three day wild west show. Fifty cents got you a seat, half for the kids.
Annie was a sharpshooter... with an international reputation of being the best. Coming from a family of six living in a log cabin, her father died at about age six and so her poor mother had to send her off to live first, in a poorhouse, then later to another family who mistreated her.
Running away, Annie made her way back to her family and took up shooting rifles to kill game for the family to eat, and also make money supplying the local restaurants and hotels. Each shot made her yet more talented with the weapon.
Entering contests led to winning contests... most if not all. Then came along an expert man who claimed he could beat them all. She took up the challenge. He'd then hit 24 of 25 targets. Then she shot them all. A few years later they were married, and spent the next 5 decades together.
It would be in August of 1885 that the couple would be part of the internationally famous Wild West Show that toured the world, including Toronto and Montreal. It would not be the last time the troop... known as Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show would tour in Canada
But by then Annie would have adopted her stage name, using that of the small community close to where she grew about 185 miles South East in Boise and along the Ohio border. A place called Oakley.
A place where she was known as a sniper, a slang for her expertise in shooting down large numbers of the bird called the Snipe. A term that today refers to the crack-shots of the world.
Here we see Annie Oakley in her youth and a few of her prized medals...
and two adds for the show.
Here is another shot of Buffalo Bill mid aged and one a little later..probably in the 1880's and with the rank of Colonel. While he served in various units in the Civil War and later with broken service, the rank of Colonel above was not military but in fact an honourary title.
Cody is posing here with Chief Sitting Bull in either Toronto or Montreal probably in 1885.
At age 14 William F Cody saw an ad from the Pony Express. It said they were looking for..."skinny expert riders willing to risk death daily." All for a whopping $25 per week. He applied and more than once he had to outrun or shoot those wanted to hold up the express or do harm to him and the passengers.
Between military jaunts he went on loan to help shoot Bison for the meat dreadfully needed to feed the Kansas City Railroad workers and others. In fact at about that time... for 18 months he was in a very long contest to see who could shoot the most Bison, then thought to be Buffalo. He won the contest... and the name...Buffalo Bill, after killing 4, 280 during the contest's run.
One thing led to another and 1885 found him in the show business in Ontario. Not exactly a strange place for him. Both his parents lived in the Toronto area as did his Grandfather. Though US born he would return within his first few years of life and would be christened in the very church his grandfather donated for that purpose in what is today called Mississauga, just west of Toronto.
At age 14 William F Cody saw an ad from the Pony Express. It said they were looking for..."skinny expert riders willing to risk death daily." All for a whopping $25 per week. He applied and more than once he had to outrun or shoot those wanted to hold up the express or do harm to him and the passengers.
Between military jaunts he went on loan to help shoot Bison for the meat dreadfully needed to feed the Kansas City Railroad workers and others. In fact at about that time... for 18 months he was in a very long contest to see who could shoot the most Bison, then thought to be Buffalo. He won the contest... and the name...Buffalo Bill, after killing 4, 280 during the contest's run.
One thing led to another and 1885 found him in the show business in Ontario. Not exactly a strange place for him. Both his parents lived in the Toronto area as did his Grandfather. Though US born he would return within his first few years of life and would be christened in the very church his grandfather donated for that purpose in what is today called Mississauga, just west of Toronto.
Here is a picture of the church, presumably still standing today. It is at the corners of Melton and Cody Lane, named in honour of his grandfather.
And here is a commemorative plaque mounted in honour of Buffalo Bill and his grandfather. Though there seems to be a discrepancy in its location versus the church????
There will be more on this next Sunday, even though the next blog is not due till three Sundays off.
cheers till then
Bart
There will be more on this next Sunday, even though the next blog is not due till three Sundays off.
cheers till then
Bart
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