The poem imortalized John McGee in 1941.

He was born in China, educated in FIVE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, was trained to fly in Canada with the RCAF, got his wings in April 1941, wrote High Flight while serving with the RCAF in Wales in August and would be killed in a plane accident within months. He had yet to reach his 20th birthday!

Christopher McGee was the Black Sheep Squadron's top ace. He also trained with the RCAF. And he was John's cousin. Another of the famed squadron air aces was Donald Aldrich. He was also trained in Canada. Two other air aces coming to Canada for training  were Fred Avery and Henry Miller. All but John were Americans. And there were THOUSANDS of other Americans that came to Canada before the US joined the war effort and got their air training.

As did Texas born John Carey Morgan. Many knew him as "Red" because of his flaming  red hair. He'd come north for the training, and served almost 2 years wearing the uniform of the Royal Canadian Air Force.  He'd get this training in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario. He would then be shipped off like hundreds of thousands of other sailors and soldiers and airmen and women to serve overseas,  (including both of my parents). For many the visions of the famed Halifax Nova Scotia Piere 21, would be their last of North America.   

John had an interesting earlier life.  He had a passion for flying, to his father's shagrin. He'd sneak out of college to get flying lessons and would take his first solo flight after only 3 1/2 hrs training. A flying license would be his by age 20. But because he was bounced from college to college his father would become more and more angry at his progress. Finally getting fed up, the youth was sent off to the Fiji Islands and a labourer's job in the Pineapple business. He would end up in his 3 yr stint in management of  that and local gold mining interests.  But he was lonely for America and returned to find labour jobs back in the US.  On one of these he was involved in an industrial accident that actually broke his neck. He was luckly he was not killed.

But he mended, and along came the start of WW11.  America was late in joining the efforts to stop Hitler.  Morgan tried to sign up to serve but the authorities found out about his earlier neck injury and deemed him a 4F, which basically meant that he was ruled unfit for any sort of miltary duty whatsoever.

Undetered he then came to Canada and signed up without any problem. He would later be quoted saying that they never asked him if he ever had a broken neck and of course he never told them! 

By late March 1943 Morgan, pictured at left,  had arrived and undergone yet further training with the RAF and had then applied for and finally been accepted into US uniform... with the Arm's  Air Force wing. Within  4 months he would be flying his 5th combat mission over Germany when his formation was attacked by German fighter planes. 

His warship would take sevearl enemy shells. The  first resulted in a loss of oxgen to several parts of the plane. In a 2nd, the co-pilot's window would be blow away. As co-pilot, Morgan was not hurt but shrapnell went past him and blew off part of the back of the scull of the pilot. That officer then grabbed the control column and slumped over it... still somehow maintained conscienceness and refused to let go. The plane went into a steep dive and Morgan managed to partially grab the controls enough to bring the plane back into formation. Falling out of it would have set the plane up as a sitting duck for German attack.

For over 2 hours Morgan tried to get  the controls away from the pilot who actually started attacking him and giving him some loose teeth a  two black eyes.

When another officer came up front to see what was going on, he managed to help get the pilot out of his seat. But to complicate all of this a turret gunner had also been shot and had an arm all but blown off. Attempts to give morphine could not be made as the needle was bent and so the arm had to be frozen to stop blood. Rushing wind will do that. And so the plan was to toss the fellow out of the plane. The Germans were known to be kind to enemy airmen. So a parachute was fastened to the poor lad but he panicked and opened it while still in the cockpit. They then had to roll it up, stuff it under his arm and push him out the door. They would later hear that he was indeed saved, sent to hospital and later becoming a POW, and still later being released to the allies.  

Morgan continued to make the bomb run and ultimately bring the plane back to England. Within  1 1/2 hrs the pilot died... but at least  he was back on home soil. 

The story gets worse ... but more tomorrow!
 
Bart

            

Some historians believe that there may have been as many as 420,000 soldiers and sailors who fought in the Civil War who were UNDER THE AGE OF 18. 

Encouraging passersby to sign up at recruiting centres, Avery Brown would play his drum to catch their attention and motivate them. He would eventually try to sign up himself. Not once or twice but three times. They'd have nothing to do with him till on the third attempt there was a little mutiny when about 100 potential recruits refused to sign up unless Avery was first enlisted. And so he was! He WAS ONLY EIGHT YEARS old at the time. While the names of the 2nd and 3rd pictured above are unknown their ages were 10 and 11. And the one on the right is a picture of Sgt Clem at age twleve. By the time he finally retired he held the rank of general. 

Alaric Chapin was born in 1847  in New York State. If he knew of the above soldiers, he must have felt like an old man when  he signed up for Civil War service at the old age of 16  1/2 years.  Of course he lied and told everyone he was the legal entlistment age... of 18.  (In  those days some recruiters couldn't give a hoot about the real age. And as far too many cases show, not even their real names or places of residence or birth.)

Chapin, in an old newspaper photo at right,  would see service in several major battles with the 142nd New York Infantry and would soon earn a promotion to Corporal. In December of 1864 he found himself on board a sailing ship with his fellow soldiers and being transported along the Atlantic coastline to  the famous Fort Fisher of which you have heard quite a lot over the past few days.

Chapin and his fellow soldiers were near the Fort when the attempt at blowing the place up in December did not succeed. His troops were later landed and participated in the second attempt in December to take the fort. The enemy was so busy dealing with the naval and marine attacks to the front that one of the officers in the  142nd NY was able to actually sneak into the rear of the fort and seize an enemy flag that had earlier been shot down during the massive bombing activity. Heading back to his unit the officer tore the flag up into many smaller pieces and handed them out to many in the unit. Chapin may have actually received one of these.

The officer also told his Colonel  that the fort did not look well protected from the inside and that he felt with some reinforcements, it could be taken. The Colonel then requested further troops but was shocked when the general noted the fort could NOT BE TAKEN and called off the whole operation.

The general was soon replaced with another Union General.  Still later one of the senior Confederate officers was to state that they had so little ammunition that the fort could have been taken and actually saw the officer grab the flag. He thought the fellow may well have been there to demand a surrender... which he would have received.

Thousands of troops would die  later in the battle on both sides as well as  in mid January when a 3rd assault was launched. Most of this bloodshed could have been avoided.

Regardlless, moving on to the 3rd assault, Chapin would be front and center in the battle. At the rear of the fort there was a wall built from logs standing on end and lashed together with rope. It stood  about 9 ft high. Punching  a hole in this would have allowed access to the interior of the fort. Volunteers were sought and 13 men... Chapin being among them, chose to crawl forth about 300 feet and get to the base of this obstacle and with axes and shovels and battering rams they worked away at  it till the soldiers  cut a hole through. A hole that expanded enough to let thousands of their troops in. 

Chapin dropped his axe and with musket and a 21" bayonet attached entered the fort and became engaged in a deadly hand to hand combat that lasted several hours. Finally that battle was won when the Confederates surrendered.  The Southern stonghold at Wilmington, 29 miles up river also soon fell and  within months after that General Robert Robert E  Lee surrendering his army. The Civil War was finally over!

Union General  Ames would later recommend the 13 on the assault team for the Medal of Honor, but like  a number of other  occassions the recomendation seems to have gotten lost.  In 1914 one of the soldiers hired a lawyer and argued with the Adjutant General that an investigation ought to take place to find out why that soldier never received the medal he was recommended for.  In December of that year it was announced that those still living... including  Chapin and the fellow who started the enquiry would be  getting a medals and within days of the notification a medal arrived in the mail for Chapin and presumably the others.

When Chapin's  term was up he was released. He hadn't even turned 18 yet. Soon it is believed he rejoined and may have served with the 169th NY infantry briefly. 

After the war Alaric Chapin went with his brothers and sister and parents out west and took up farming. Later Alaric would get his own farm and raise several children. On retiring he spent some time in Alberta with one of his sons and then moved to the Oregon area to be with 2 other sons.

Many a year would pass and upon Alaric's death he was buried at Portland Oregon.  During the US By-Centenial, his grandaughter in Canada took his medal, some important papers and the actual musket and bayonet form Alaric's Civil War days and donated them to the Glenbowe Museum at Calgary Alta. where I have had the priviledge of viewing them. They are on display today and his medal is one of only two in the entire country that I am aware of that are on public display. Though there are a few others in the country carefully squirelled away for obvious reasons.

I would highly recommend a visit to Glenbowe to see these very important historical treasures. Please remember that this Medal of Honor and the one in New Brunswick are THE ONLY TWO ON PUBLIC DISPLAY IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY THAT I KNOW OF.  While there also check out the many Victoria crosses they hold.

NOTE: Oregon researcher and writer Randy Fletcher  was doing some serious research into one of the Oregoneans involved in the Fort Fisher battles at the same time that I was. I was so advised while at Glenbowe in Calgary doing my own research on Chapin and the 3 battles at Fort Fisher. I then contacted Randy through the net and phone converations and we exchanged information on the battles, soldiers and sailors involved. The results of some of his great work appears above and for this I am most grateful for this sharing.  So do I extend thanks to the folks at Glenbowe who were most helpful and interested in telling the Chapin story.


Bart



 

A few days back I brought you the story of Toronto born Lt. Sam Preston who received a recommendation that must have amounted to that for a Medal of Honor, and a few weeks later in just as heroic an event he lost his life.  These events occured at Fort Fisher in December 1864 and January of 1865.

The battle was the biggest joint navy/army/marine  attack then in history. It involved over 60  warships bringing about 600 cannons up against Fort Fisher with about 50 cannons, but an incredible fortification that stretched a mile along the coast line and another 1/3rd  mile along a land approach.

In that same battle 3 Medals of Honor were awarded that would come to Canadians and a 4th to a soldier with connections to Canada. Today's blog is about one of these recipients, Marine Corps' Private John Fisher, who was born somewhere in Canada in about 1830. The actual place has eluded researchers so far. And like many who would earn the medal, his life after the event is just as mysterious with few clues to expand upon. (Over the years of the medal there would be 2 Canadians and one with connections to Canada that would be awarded their medal while serving in the US Marine Corps.)

There were several hundred Marines who took part in the Battle of Fort Fisher. These were broken up into several smaller units and assigned to many of the warships. Shivers and several others were attached to the USS Minnesota, pictured here, and one of the five biggest warships the Union Navy of the day had.

This very vessel, with an armament of 44 cannons of the 8/9/10 inch barrels, almost matched cannon for cannon with the Confederate fort's 47 cannons. And the Union admiral of the day still  had another 60 warships to boot.

The Minnesota  a few years early took part in the famous Monitor and Merrimac (Virginia)  battle of the Ironclads  of March 1862, and more of which you will hopefully read in a future blog. Her crew of  about 650 officers and men include no less than 52 Canadians mostly from Atlantic Canada.

The plan of attack called for an attack from the rear and the front at the same time. However with dense forest to the rear, the army did not advance as quickly as hoped. Thus the naval and marine division became the focus of the enemy's attention. When the men landed there was some confusion and massive panic because of the intensity of the firing coming at them. A marine would later state... " The guns from the fort poured grape  and canister into us, cutting us to pieces. A few managed to crawl to the base of the fort, others tried to retreat, but this was made impossible by a barrage being thrown over our heads from the fort preventing our retreat."

The above picture shows the beech in the foreground at the fort with the mounds in the background being the fort. Several mounds within the fort elevated some of their powerful guns upwards of 30' in the air. And that is what the Union forces faced that day. From the lower picture you can see a small portion of the fort wall, being some 9 feet in height. The ocean is off to the left.

The confusion of battle and panic resulted in most of the marines and sailors retreating from the battle and little more than a handful being stuck on the beachfront till dark when they managed to escape carrying their unit colours and several of the wounded and dead. Two of these were no doubt naval lieutenants Preston and Porter mentioned in the earlier blog. The Union would lose about 1000 sailors and marines and soldiers ot the battle through death, wounding, missing in action and  prisoners of war.

Sailors and marines would be awarded 9 Medals of Honor for the 2nd battle at Fort Fisher. One of these would go to John Shivers who was one of only three who actually got right to the face of the pallisades.

The location of Shiver's medal is unknown, but to give an indication of what it would look like, I have shown to the right a seaman's medal from the same battle and even the same ship.  The photo is courtesy of my friends at the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the US, of which I am a member, and at last check... the only Canadian member.

Nine months after the attack Shivers was listed as being a deserter. Sometimes the term is unkind as the individual may have actually not known when his enlistment was up (poor record keeping). Many were also ill or POW's and thus the term was inaccurate. Over 200, 000 in the Civil War were categorized as being deserters. Many were quite wrong.

Shivers' medal was awarded in June 1865 but apparently was never  presented and was listed as still being held by the US government in 1898 and not claimed by the marine.  In 1989 it was finally listed as either having been  claimed or then gone missing from the Navy department's museum. It's location still remains unknown.

In the case of deserters the medal is often rescinded, but it wasn't in  Shivers' case.

His battle at Fort Fisher took place 148 years ago today.

Bart

NOTE: Direct relatives of Phillip Smith contacted me (April 2014) and have advised that at no time did Phillip have or use the name Felix, as noted below and in many references, apparently in error. In addition, the place of birth was not  in Armagh county but at Lurgan, Virginia,  County Cavan in Ireland. They further note that while orders came from Montreal to Quebec, it was at Quebec where Smith's regiment was stationed and at the Citadel there... not Montreal, were his Victoria Cross was presented.

Thus this correction above my original blog. Sorry to all for these mistakes and thanks to the family for helping me to get this correct.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  and now the original blog.........




There is no shortage  of reference materials telling us of the bravery of  Toronto born Lt Alexander Roberts Dunn of Crimean War fame. The 6 ft. 3 inch officer was so tall Wilkinson's had to make a special sword for him. And that sword was used to rescue both a Sergeant and a Private during the Charge of the Light Brigade in October of 1854. Many have heard the poem about the charge... "cannon to the right of them,  cannon to the left of them,  cannon in front of them." The battle was a slaughter for the Brits with some  673 officers and men  charging down a "Valley of Death" and by the time it was all over only 195 returned. Lt Dunn was the only officer in the battle to earn the Victoria Cross and it was presented to him by Queen Victoria at the very first awarding of crosses to about 60 recipients on 26 June 1855 in London. There will be much more in a later blog about Lt. Dunn.

This was Canada's first VC. But  it was not the first to come INTO Canada.

That honour rests with Felix.

Perhaps better known as Cpl Phillip Felix Smith, this Dublin born soldier served in a British unit known as the 17th Infantry, aka the Royal Leicestershire Regiment. They did battle at the attack of the famous Redan  at Sebastopol on 18 June 1855. 

(UPDATE).. claims have come forth claiming that he was born at the townsland of Lurgan in either Armagh or Cavan county, as noted in the 2 comments below.)

The uniform button of Smith's unit, pictured here, is made out of pewter. The unit's  brass cap #17 and the button were recently found on the very battlefield of so long ago.  

Smith's Regiment and others were forced to advance in an ill-advised attempt at taking the redan (fortification). The Russians had previously learned that the British were coming, and the Brits wanted to wait for reinforcements that were delayed. But pressures forced then to dive into a bloody bath of wounded and dead as they vacated their trenches and tried to move forward. The unit was driven back but Smith and two others remained behind to help save wounded. Smith was reported to have made several trips under very heavy fire to save these soles. He and the two others  would later be  awarded the Victoria Cross.

On the very day that Alexander Dunn became the 17th soldier in history to be presented with his Victoria Cross,  Felix was supposed to be on parade for his presentation, but  he was off on military duty in a place called Montreal, Canada.

His unit had been posted to duties there after the Crimean War and that is where he was on service whilst the first VC parade and presentation took place in London. But all was not lost. Queen Victoria ordered that all recipients who were away on military service were to have the most formal of parades wherever they were and that the top commanders attend and present the hero with his Victoria Cross.

Above is the actual London Gazette entry of 24 Feb., 1857 announcing that  Smith had been awarded the Victoria Cross.

On August 1 1857 Major General Trollope  C. B. rode into Barrack Square at the Montreal Citadel, had the troops of the garrison formed into a hollow square with him and his staff in the center and  ordered Sgt Smith... " Front and Center."

No doubt the Cpl. marched out quite smartly, halted and gave a salute, The general then read from his notes and said...   "The Lt. General commanding having received the decoration of the Victoria Cross which Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to confer on Corporal Phillip Smith,  17th Regiment, to commemorate the act of bravery performed by him in the late war; as recorded of him in the supplement of the London Gazette of the 24th February 1857, desires that this distinguishing mark of her majesty's approbation will be presented to Corporal Phillip Smith, 17th Regiment, by Major General Trollope, on the first fitting occasion, in the presence of the garrison of Quebec.

A communication was also read by the general from Lord Palmer who expressed the Queen's regret at not having the possibility of bestowing the medal herself on the man's chest.

Trollope then dismounted and pinned the medal of Smith's uniform. Further speeches were made and then Smith was placed at the head of his regiment just behind its Colonel for a march past and saluting of  General Trollope.

Smith would return home and continue service and finally died on 16 January 1906.  In two days it will be the 107th anniversary of his death.  History has recorded that his Victoria Cross was the first to ever come into the country, though most standard  references do not mention it.

At Halifax today there is a very prominent monument, to Crimean heroes Parker and Welesford who also fought with other Canadians at Sabastopol. Both officers died in battle trying to scale the redan. One was decapitated in the process. That monument may well be the only Crimean memorial in Canada.

Bart 

Clinton Romesha was hard at work one day after the November US Thanksgiving when his cell phone rang.  He took the call and was probaly glad he did. It was President Obama calling him. It was supposed to be an unlisted number. But Clinton realized that the president probably had connections to get the unlisted number.   Hehe.

That's when the former US Infantry Staff Sergeant had learned that he had been awarded the Medal of Honor and would be required to attend a formal ceremony  at Washington in mid February to receive it. He will be the fouth living recipient to date in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Clinton and about 70 other Americans were stationed at an outpost in  the province of Noristan in Eastern Afghanistan back in October  2009. On the 3rd, the troops were awoken to a very heavy enemy surprise attack that was in the planning for days. The troops were bombarded with rifle fire, rifle launched grenades, anti aircraft fire and more.  A battle would ensue that lasted some 12 hours in which numerous times this section leader had to crawl out under most severe fire to bring wounded to safety. In the process he took out a machine gun nest and disperse the enemy at another,  and directed airfire to take out 30 of the enemy. He would continue to gathered disorganized troops and with the new reinforcements he would lead yet further attacks on the insurgents. Despite several shrapnel wounds he would not rest until his outpost was properly secured and the enemy driven off.  By the time it was over, 8 Americans would be dead, 4 from his own platoon, and another 22 lay wounded. But the enemy lost about 100 of the 300 who attacked. 

While there is no known connection to Canada in this story, I thought it appropriate to bring you this latest news on the War and another Medal of Honor being awarded.  Few of late have not been posthumous awards and so it must be most gratifying to the nation no doubt that another medal... only the 4th in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars that has not been a posthumous award.

A full account of the heroism of this latest recipient  can be had by reading  Tapper's book, pictured here and available on the net, or probably very soon in libraries across North America. There is a lot of information on the web about this hero, and his platoon's battle a few years back. Check it out.  

Congratulations Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha. Your nation, your family and friends, and all past and current service men and women will no doubt wish they could be there to salute you, to thank you for your service, and witness the historic event as the President drapes that medal around your neck.

Well done Staff Sergeant.

In November of 2009 the US government announced that in celebration of the 150th year anniversary of the creation of the Medal of Honor, the US Mint would be permitted to mint a special coin for the event.

The coins designed would be available for a limited time the following year and would consist of both silver coins and and gold coins, and in both proof and uncirculated condition. Each would come with a very attractive presentation box and certificate.

A portion of the funds from the sale of these precious keepsakes would be donated to the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. It's purpose is to perpetuate the legacy of the medal, promote its ideals of courage, sacrifice, selflessness, service and patriotism to the American Public.

In as much as the Medal of Honor has been awarded to over 700 Non American born, I cannot help but say that these medals also commemorate  the services of those foreigner heroes... incuding those from Canada.

I am the proud owner of both a proof and a uncirculated silver coin from this series. They have since gone off market by the US Mint. Those not sold by the mint, were purchased in a one shot deal I believe and DONATED to the above foundation to help finance its activities. Kudos to that purchasor who made this very significant donation to the above Foundation.

Check out the web where these are available and consider buying one.  They are gorgeous.  Do our recipients an honour by having one with your keepsakes and bring it out often to tell the story of these brave men and one woman.

As you hopefully know from reading past blogs, the production of commemorative coins are not the only way folks in the US honour the Medal of Honor recipients. There are no shortage of statute and plaques, buildings and parks and bridges and parks, monumnets and ships and much more that continue to remind the population of how much the current generation owes to those who have gone before us.  And so it should be.

While not produced by the US Post, pictured here is a commemorative stamp in honour of US MaJor General Martin T McMahon.

McMahon was one of the very few stories of a private rising to the rank of a general during civil war days. He earned a Medal of Honor for his bravery at a place called White Oak Swamp in 1862. He would later practice law, become a state collector of taxes, serve as a marshall, serve four terms in the US Congress, become a judge and he also found time to serve as the US Minister of State at Paraquay shortly after the Civil War came to an end.

Paraguay and American officials unveiled this stamp and one for the Peace Corps to celebrate their 40th anniversary, since both came to serve in that country.

General McMahon, was a Canadian hero and was born at LaPrairie Quebec, but more on him in  a later blog.

A couple of updates re this blog.  This is my 33rd blog in a row. It has been taking up a considerable amount of my time every day. On rethinking matters I have decided that I will no longer be working 7 days a week to bring these stories forth. Effective this weekend, I will not be doing blogs on weekends. They will appear only Monday to Friday, though all are certainly welcome to visit the site at any time.

Further, the original intent was also to bring forth some stories of Canadian Victoria Cross recipients now and then, but this has not yet happened yet. I hope to start bringing you a VC story each week and 4 MOH stories each week... beginning with tomorrow.

I have also come to learn that, when I post stories at various times of the day, some may be coming to the site before the latest blog is posted, Thus I have thought that I should published a time when the blog ought to be published each day barring unforseen problems.

So to avoid frustrations for the reader I will endeavore to have the blog updated by 4 pm on day, Monday to Friday.

I hope these slight changes will be acceptable to all.

cheers,

Bart

What a resume.  But it is all true, and more!

It all started 134 years ago when Edward Edwin Dodds (aka Dodd) was born. Most say he was born in Canada but he was born in North Cumberland County England where he spent his earliest years before the family moved to Kentucky USA. While records are unclear about the reasons why, it seems his family was chased out of the US  around 1859 or 60 and the family ended up in the Hamilton County area of Ontario. Within a few years Edward would apparently run away from home and by age 19 he had  enlisted for a three year stint in the  Civil War with the 21st New York Cavalry at Rochester.

An earlier blog told of how the US Government did not issue any sort of identification throughout most of the Civil War and how troops had to make do with whatever they could. Here is a makeshift dogtag for one of Dodds' mates in another company in his regiment.

Dodds started his service in C Company as a Private in Aug. 1863. Within 9 months he would be promoted to Sergeant. He'd really prove his worth to the 21st just 2 months later at a place called Ashby's Gap.

This gap was one of three that allowed passage through the Blue Mountain ranges of Western Virgina. The area had repeatedly changed hands between the Confederates and the Union and no less than 320 battles and slrirmishes would take place in this area. Some 30,000 soldiers would get wounded, die or go missing over this piece of America.

But on 19 June 1964 the area was held and heavily protected by the Confederates and their General JEB Stuart (who later in the war would be killed by a sharpshooter born in Toronto Ontario) The union troops were led by General George  Hooker who was well liked by his troops. (It seems the officer did not distract some of the women who liked to follow the troops on the march for the purposes of  "comfort", a profession still with us today and known by the same surname) 

One of the Union's youngest generals of the war also fought in this area. His name was George Armstrong Custer. And about a year earlier another famous fellow passed through this very gap. His name was General Lee and he was heading for a place called Gettysburg.

But back in June of 1864 Sgt Edwin Dodds and his Company Commander, Captain Lewis Truesdell had just crossed the Shenandoah River and made it through the pass when they were approaching the woods and got caught in very heavy enemy gunfire. Dodds' horse was wounded. The Captain was also wounded and his horse was shot out from under him. It landed on the Captain who could not get away. Dodds then dismounted and rescued the officer, put him on the Dodd's horse, re mounted and the two galloped off to what was supposed to be friendly territory close by. It wasn't and so they had to again swim across the river and eventually catch up with Union troops.

Much later a newspaper report from an eye witness would write that..." Very many cases of conspiculous bravery occured during the war, but I question if many instances are on record of more persistent heroism than that displayed by Mr. Dodds. And as he enlisted in Rochester, that city should be proud of having furnished such a soldier." 

His unit went into battle at Ashby's Gap with about 300 men.  They lost 1/3rd to either death, wounding or going missing. In a later battle at Bolivar Heights Va. Dodds was severelly wounded by an enemy shell that bounced off his cheek but so messed up his right arm that it had to be later amputated. After convalessing, he could have put in for a release or lighter duties but insisted on being returned back to his regiment where he would carry on till finally being released in July of 1865 at Alexandra Va.

After the war Dodds returned to the Rochester area were he became involved in the newspaper business for a while and then studied law and would become a lawyer. He would still later return to the Petersborough area where he would take on the job of US Council for that area Port Hope for several years. He would also find work for 20 years as the town clerk of Port Hope... as pictured here, and would also still get into the editorial business and even produced the official Dodds' directory of 1880.

While at Port Hope he was also the issuer of several types of licensing uncluding marriages and for your pet dog.

He would marry a woman from the East Zorra area. (You have read of BF Youngs in other blogs. He was from West Zorra..just a few miles away)

In the early 1890's Edwin applied for a Medal of Honor. One of the very officers supporting his claim that he was entitled to one was his old Captain... the very man who's life he saved. It took 4 years but one arrived in the mail for him  in 1896.

He would die just  a few years later, and many years after that the Ontario Government , the  Durham Historical Society and members of the Southern Ontario Civil War Round Table of Burlington joined efforts and saw to it that a plaque in hounor of this brave hero was erected at his grave site in Port Hope. Unfortnately it states that he is the only MOH recipient buried in Canada. This is wrong but obviously  not known back then.

Sergeant Edward Edwin Dodds died on 12 Jan 1901,  112 years ago today.

Bart

Yesterday I told you about Lt Samuel William Preston's daring attempts with one other officer and eleven sailors to blow up Fort Fisher. After a naval vessel was loaded with gunpowder and moored close to the fort it was set ablaze. But the fuses that were to light the gunpowder failed and most powder was blown away in the high winds. The attempt failed, the fort remained intact and they had to make yet another attempt to take this most important enemy position. Even though a failure, Commander Rhine would write his boss... Admiral Porter to say that... "the zeal patience and enduarance of officers and men were unsurpased and I believe no officer could have been better served."

The stronghold of Wilmington North Carolina sat inland about 29 miles along the Cape Fear River. It was the last open port to the Confederacy and was heavily depending on for the shipping of goods out of the country to places like the Bahamas and Bermuda and even Nova Scotia. There the goods would be exchanged for other most needed war supplies and food. Capture Wilmington and the war would be over very soon.

And what protected Wilmington was Fort Fisher, along the Atlantic at the outlet of the  Cape Fear River. It took 4 years to build this massive fort. It was the biggest the Confederates had, and one of the strongest in the entire world. And that's why it was known as the Gibraltar of the South. There were 44 heavy guns, 125 smaller cannons and 1500 infantry to defend Willmington against any attacks by land or sea. Her outer walls stood 9 ft. high. An inner series of walls stood upwards of 30 ft. high, and beyond that stood  over a thousand men itching to kill the union attackers.

To take the fort the Union's Admiral David D Porter was sent in with his North Atlantic Fleet. His flag ship for the battle was the USS Malvern, and the Admiral's flag officer was none other than Lt Sam Preston.

Porter's fleet of some 60 war ships would be the largest joint army/navy amphibious landing until D Day.  They were not about to be repulsed again and they brought along almost 600 cannons on those ships to make their point. As you can see from above, the fort is indeed massive. Admiral Porter's command ship is believed to be about 2 miles from shore and in the middle of that line of ships.

Over about a 2 day period these powerful ships would launch over 40,000 shells into the Fort. One reference said there were 100 shells blowing up ever minute during some points in the battle.  It would then send in an advance landing party of volunteers and then the main body of about 2,000 sailors and marines. The army would be advancing their troops from the back of the fort but had to go through dense brush.

Ontario born Sam Preston was in charge of a portion of the advance party of pioneers. Their job was to land and dig a series of slit trenches that the marines could occupy when the main landing party was landed.  But as soon as they landed thay came under most gailing heavy fire of shot and shell and grape cannisters. It was most deadly and many men perrished within  short order. Lt Preston's  Annapolis class mate landed with him and within minutes both lay dead on the beach. Less than 50 yards from the fort walls. But they had succeeded in getting the rifle pits dug. Preston was only 23 years old. His class mate only 19. 

The fort fell later that afternoon.  Early in the evening the bodies of these two very highly thought of officers were brought back to the union flagship and to flags at half mast. Preston had issued instructions that his body was to be buried at Annapolis in the event he fell and those instructions were complied with.

Within a month Wilmington would also be taken. Less than 3 months later the Confederates surrendered and the war was over.  Six days later President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

THE MEDAL OF HONOR

When a sailor or soldier's name is written up by commanding officers to their superiors, these write up's or MENTION IN DISPATCHES are, in themselves,  often considered, as being bravery awards.  Lt Samuel William Preston was often written up in these reports.

On 16 January 1865 Lt. Commander Breese wrote to Admiral Porter about Lt Sam Preston and the digging of rifle pits as part of the advance landing party.  He said in part that... "The manner in which the work was done reflects most credibly upon Lt Preston."   Lt Preston's services were most useful to me, and in his last movements he attempted to send me word that he had carried out my orders. The country will regret the death of Lt  S W  Preston, acting as my aide in carrying orders who was killed at the front. I could not fail to mention those above named, who came personally under my notice and I trust that the commanding officer of the assault lines will do justice to all."

On the 18th this same officer wrote to the Secretary of the Navy about Preston and his former class mate... Lt Porter. In this letter he stated that... "Two more noble spirits the world never saw, nor had the navy more intrepid men, young, talented and handsome, the bravest of the brave, pure in their lives, surely their names  deserve something more than passing  mention and are worthy to be handed down to posterity with the greatest and best of naval heroes.

On 1 Feb. Admiral Porter himself wrote to the Secretary of the Navy re these same two young officers. He said that..." No eulogy passed on these 2 gallant men could do them justice. To me they had both endured themselves by their noble qualities, and in their deaths,  I feel as if I have lost 2 members of my own family. Their names and gallant deeds will be long be remembered by their associates in arms, and the memory of their heroic gallantry will inspire future heroes to emulate their conduct. The officers of the squadron propose to erect a monument at Annapolis to the memory of the gallant deed. But their memories will  live in history long after the stone that records their deeds has crumbled to dust. They all died like heroes and the nation is as much bound to mourn their loss as those who have held higher positions. They are all regreted deaply here, and their names will all be forever associated with any of the most gallant attacks ever made on a powerful fortress."   

I have read many recommendations for Medals of Honor over the past few years and the comments above seem to screem for  a most suitable award to Lt Preston. The above even calls for almost a state funeral because of the incredible stature to which they had gained with their fellow sailors and superiors. But at the time, as said in the past, Officers were not entitled to the Medal of Honor in those days if they were serving in the navy. What they usually got was a promotion. Preston was a Lt for years before he went on the Louisiana powderkeg. He died a Lt and did not receive a posthumous promotion.

Yet every man in his team got a Medal of Honor!

The record will show that a very similar event took place in the Spanish American War when Naval constructor Hobson was in charge of the Merrimack that was filled with powder to blow up in mid harbour in an ettempt to block the Spanish Navy inside the harbour. Every one of those volunteers was awarded a  Medal of Honor. Except Dobson for the same reason noted above. But several years later the president awarded  Hobson, then an Admiral, with a MOH. And it was for the SpanAmWar event just described.

But that has yet to happen to Lt. Samuel William Preston of Ontario, Canada.

It seems to me that if the Admiral can be so awarded so can the Lieutenant!

Over the years there have been several US war ships named after Canadians.

Lt Sam Preston has had SIX names after him!

Bart

I believe that Ontario born Union Naval Lt. Samuel William Preston deserves a Medal of Honor.  After you read this and the next blog I hope you will agree.

Sam was born in London, or Strathroy or Metcalf Ontario, yet to be determined, on 6 April 1840, or 1841, again yet to be verified. By his early teens he was in Illinois and at age 18 he was appointed to head off to the prestigious US Naval Academy as a midshipman (naval cadet to receive training to become a commissioned officer) and three years later when the navy was desperate for more officers, the class was graduated ahead of time. Preston graduated top of his class, and was soon promoted to Acting Master, (Sub Lieutenant.) Over the next three years he would sail on several vessels and would be under direct command of Admirals DuPont and Dalgren both of whom would later report most high regards to his service.

By 1863 Sam (pictured on left as a youth) had been promoted to full lieutenant and assigned duties on the USS Agawam, a vessel who's executive officer was another Lt. by the name of George Dewey. (of later fame) Also on board this vessel were at least 10 other Canadians from Atlantic Canada.

Having taken part in several battles and skirmishes, by September Sam would be serving on board one of the nine ironclad war ships of Admiral DuPont's fleet  sent to recapture Fort Sumter, pictured below, and the very fort that saw the start of the war and in which you have hopefully already read in an earlier blog.

Sumter had been severly bombed by Fort batteries and the navy and when it came time to send in landing parties, the very heavy tides, the harbour full of mines and enemy fire still caused considerable havoc for the 400 troops ultimately landed, Preston being among its officers. They expected little resistence because it was felt that the Fort was much under manned, but not so.  Over 300 Infantry were there and lying in wait of the landing party. 

It is said that the enemy let fly with  very heavy musketry, hand thrown shells and bombs, bricks and pieces of stone... and by the end of the battle the Union navy  had to retreat with about 3/4's of it men. But Preston and about 100 others were captured and made prisoners of war. The enemy also captured 5 of the Union's flags, including, though not well reported in history, the very flag that was in the Fort and alleged to have been taking down by Union Major Anderson when the Fort was  first surrendered to the Confederates at the beginning of the war.

Preston would serve just over a year at the Condeferate prison known as Libby, and by December 1864 would be paroled and released back to the Union navy who put him right back in the thick of battle.

On Jan 15th the fleet would attack Fort Fisher in North Carolina, some 175 miles north of Sumter. It is here  that I believe Preston (pictured on left in uniform) earned his Medal of Honor.

Within days of hearing of the plan to attack Fort Fisher, Preston volunteered to be part of that force.  He would play a critical role in the arming and sailing of the Louisiana into the port and hopefully blow up to the walls of the fort, or at least blow holes in the walls and destroy cannons. When that was done the enemy's morale would be so low that taking the fort should be relatively easy.  So they thought!

You first read of the USS Louisiana and it being turned into a floating bomb or torpedoe back in the 23 December blog where I mention the Medal of Honor awarded to William Garvin, another Canadian. John Neil yet another Canadian was also on this very mission and would later also be awarded a MOH.  Preston and another officer and eleven sailors were very highly selected for the mission. None were expected to come back alive.

After all the armaments were removed from the sidewheeler Louisiana, pictured on right,  and the vessel made to look  like a blockade runner, she was loaded with over 215 tons of gunpowder and wired to blow and the first spark. The vessel was then sailed over 100 miles and made ready for the attack. It made a first attempt but the lighting conditions were too great and for fear of losing the surprise, the plan was cancelld. The crew then had to sit on the floating bomb for several days till conditions improved. Then, on December24/25 a second run into the shore was made. But again it was too light to get as close as possible, some 150 yards off shore so they had to drop anchor at about the 400 yard distance from the Fort.

The crew made last minute adjustments and were then  put on a 2nd vessel to make their escape back to their home ship.,.the USS Agawam. Lt Preston and one officer were then alone on the deck and had to reset the anchor as the ship was too far from the shore. They then set the timer for the fuses to blow a little while later. Taking no chances, they also set a small fire in one of the cabins. They then made their own hasty escape and all waited for the big bang. It never came!  Most of the fuses did not work and powerful winds blew a lot of the gun powder off the boat. When the explosion did happen it was very late and of a lot less intensity. Further problems with the currents pushing the boat in the wrong direction resulted in little damage to the fort.

Hovever it must be said that for several days all of the crew were sitting on that floating bomb which could have been set of with the slightest spark.

All of the men on board would be awarded the Medal of Honor for their incredible heroism, but because rules of the day did not allow for naval officers to be awarded the medal, Preston did not get one.

Tomorrow I will explain how that rule did not apply in another very similar case.

Bart

We've probably all heard this saying before. It means you are getting a blast for doing something wrong. The term comes from sailors getting another type of blast.  Actually a poke in the head or upper body that could be devasting.

The lower wooden or metal log or pole of a small or large vessel that holds the bottom of the lowest sail in place is called the lower boom. And many a novice has seen or heard of... or been the victim of an unexpected swinging boom that could knock you off your feet... or into the drink in more serious cases. People have lost their lives when not paying attention and getting struck by it. Thus the lowering of the boom... or a very strong tongue lashing gives the same verbal effect to those who have misperformed.  

This is the USS Franklin, the flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron in about 1876.  Named after Benjamin Franklin, it was, with some irony, being commanded by a Captian... who's name was S.R. Franklin, unknown relationship if any.

Whilst in the Lisbon Portugal area, a landsman, (a recruit not yet trained at sea skills making him a "seaman") by the name of  Henry O Neil was working on the lower boom of the vessel when he somehow, didn't get the lowering of the boom, but got it just as bad by falling off it and into the ocean... possibly some 20 or 30 feet below.

He was struggling in the water when ordinary seaman Edward Maddin, Newfoundland born, dove into the heavily running currents to save him.  Another sailor by the name of John Handran also dove in to aid in the rescue and the lad was soon hauled back up onto the deck.

Above is the actual General Order # 206 that announces the President of the United States has approved the awarding of the Medal of Honor to both Maddin, (who's real name was spelled Madden,) and Handran. The award was issued quite quickly because the event, as you can see from the above document took place less than a month earlier..on 9 January 1876. That was 137 years ago today.

Of about 250 Medals of Honor that would be awarded to the US Navy, at least 86 would be awarded for sailors who dove into the water to save mates or others from drowing. If the victim could not swim, the panic setting in often could very seriously result in hero and victim drowning. Hide tides and other matters often could have resulted in death. It is for this reason that medals were awarded for this type of heroism, but after the Purge of 1917 and the creation of a whole new pyramid of awards, lesser awards could have then been presented for life saving.

About a year later the USS Franklin was turned into what the navy calls a receiving station, but for the non military this meant a  training vessel and operated at, and I suspect out of the facilites at Norfolk Virginia.
 
One of its crew members a few years later, and for a very short period of time was Double Medal of Honor recipient William Sweeney  who's name has received honourable mention earlier on this site.  Sweeney sailored on at least 9 different vessels in about a 10 year career and would also earn both medals saving others from drowning after they fell off ships.

The Franklin would go on to function as  a training vessel for about 40 years and then it would be taken out of service.

Like  many who have earned the Medal of Honor, Edward Maddin's life before and after his earning  the medal still needs much more research.

NOTE:  This is my 30 blog. I would really appreciate it if you would send  me comments on what's been covered, and what you would like to see in these blogs.   And be nice... hehe

Bart

If you were calling a Canadian somewhere in the country and couldn't get an answer in 2002, maybe they were in California.  There were 874,000 of us that  made the trip, but probably not all at once!  Canada is Los Angeles' # 1 export market and LA County's 5th largest source of foreign direct investment. Statewide, California is the Number 2 choice of destination of all Canadian travel into the country. Trade with Canada is responsible for a 1/4 million jobs in LA county alone.

That being said, I wonder how many of these Canadians take a side trip to Riverside, some 60 miles East of LA?  Bet not many!  And that is a shame.

As you drive to Riverside you drive past a sign saying Ontario. Don't be confused. Even they have one of them! As you pull into Riverside and drive towards March Air Reserve Base you will find the Riverside National Cemetery across the road.

This cemetery is located on land once used by the military as a base, and in the mid 1970's they donated the land for a miltary cemetery for those who had served and their families. Today it is the 5th largest Cemetery operated by the US National Cemetery Administration.

On opening day, 11 November 1978, it conducted it's first internment. This was a hero and Medal of Honor recipient named S.Sgt  Ysmael Villegas who received his medal posthumously after being killed in battle in the Phillipines in WW11.  His re-internment ceremony was attended by a large gathering that included no less than 15 other MOH recipients. Today there are 4 MOH recipients at rest there. The latest I believe being Colonel Lewis Millett whom you met in this space in the blog on December 15th. I had the honor of attending this hero's funeral a few years back.

This cemetery has a number of very important memorials on site. One of these is one of the four nation memorials to the Medal of Honor.  As you enter this memorial you pass this massive entrance marker.

Beyond this is a small pool of water that drops from a device that release many streams of water when turned on. When the site was first opened in November of 1999, and attended by 85 Medal of Honor recipients, there was a seperate  stream of water being ejected into the pool for each living medal recipient. As I first entered this memorial I entered with somewhat of a splash, to the entertainment of many. The sun was facing me and it was blinding. I moved forward and walked right into the pool. Soaked to mid thigh, I exited to find several folks trying to figure out if they should be offering to help..or laugh. Most tried both. Within an  hour the incedible power of the sun had my pants quite dry.

Here's the pool that I got christened in.  There are 38 panels of highly polished marble that surround the pool. On these are engraved the names of all Medal of Honor recipients dating back to the first recipients... the Andrews Raiders in 1863. There is space to allow entry of any new recipients. Panels are broken down into time frames, and in some cases names appear out of the correct sequence because they in fact may have earned a Medal in CW days but did not get it  till much later, as noted in blogs you have hopefully already read in this space.
Below are four photo's with close ups of some of the names you should recognize. York, Lindenburgh, Bennett, Byrd, Murphy and William F Cody. (Buffalo Bill)

All of the lettering is in gold, but with the light shinning from various angles somethimes this is difficult to see.

These massive blocks of marble stand about 7 feet tall and perhaps four feet across.

These markers are very significant to every reader as they contain all the names of the recipients, US,  Canadian and from around the world.

I visted this memorial on about 7 different trips while in California on 2 seperate ocassions. And often when I visited for yet more pictures, I would see folks running their fingers along the inscriptions honouring their relatives. It was not only quite moving, and humbling, but an incedible honor to have been able to make these trips to visit  some of Canada's heritage, and all readers are encouraged to make the trip some day.

In this series of 4 photos, look at the bottom right one and you will see a star beside the name of John Laverty. This means the  FIRST medal is listed here and there is a second listed somewhere else on these panels. He is one of the 19...oops, yesterday's blog told you there are more, .. but anyway.. he is one of the double recipients.

So who are the famous fellows in these pictures. I suspect few can pick them out. First... they are all famous... they are heroes who have been awarded the medal.

But the names you may not recognize are John Grady to start with, in the upper left, who was New Brunswick born and earned his medal at Vera Cruz in 1914. In the upper right is ALonzo Pickle who was born at Farnham in Canada East, and earned a medal in the Civil War. Below him is George Low also known as George Evatt who is another CW recipient, born somewhere???? in Canada, yet to be discovered.  And finally in the lower right is George L Houghton from Yarmouth Nova Scotia who earned his medal also in the Civil War.

In each of my trips I have taken photos of yet more Canadians discovered who have earned the Medal of Honor. I have over 100 of them. These however also include some who were not Canadian born, but have some connection to the country.

And it makes me quite proud to say that of the 38 panels at this monument, one of the above numbered men are on at least 28 of these panels.  Canadians have every right to feel very proud of these men and a side trip to run your fingers along the engraved names will leave you with a feeling that you hopefully will not forget for a very long time.

In May of 2010 probably about a year's work on the part of myself and a woman from California, came to fruition when we hosted an unveiling ceremony for a new grave marker for Zorra Ontario born Benjamin F Youngs at LA California.

Family came from BC, Alberta, Ontario, several parts of the US and even London England. Family met family for the first time. And with this very exciting ceremony along also came not one..but two Medals of Honor owned by the proud family of Mr. Youngs. (One of the medals was a replacement when the design changed)  Pictured here at Riverside are some of the decendants from Ontario, and second from the right is the then, and current serving Mayor of that community with her husband at her side.

It was most humbling to see the family handling the medals, get to know each other and coming to Riverside with me... even thought we all got lost enroute, hehe, and to see these folks actually going up to the wall and running their fingers along the inscription of their proud ancenster.  

To the right is a picture of two very special people. They are Mr Lee  Millett Jnr and his wife Ami. Lee is a former American serviceman who reached the rank of Sergeant. His father is the very Lewis Millett mentioned above and both folks came to Riverside when they heard I was coming back to the cemetery and wanted to meet me again and the dozen or so Canadians I brought along with me. In that bag Lee also brought along his dad's Medal of Honor to show the group. He and his wife also drove off to LA to attend the Youngs ceremony as well.  I doubt you will find two finer folks in the country, and both have been very helpful with my rersearch on their father.  Ami is actually pointed to Colonel Millett's name on the memorial

Lee has obviously been brought up to respect the military and he is quit proud of the very, very long list of ancestors doing their duty for the country going back to the Revolutionary War. He shares the feelings of many about the way the government has handled MIA and POW issues and after reading a book about the incredible courage of Lt Lance Peter Sigan, (well worth an internet search)  his POW status and attempts at escape and then dying in captivity gave even more passion to Lee's feelings about those thousands still in the MIA/POW status. But what really infuriates Lee is that so may give the status of those missing as being unknowns. Lee argues with much passion that every one of them has a familly. They all have faces and they have names. there is nothing, he noted, that is unknown about them except where they are being held, or where they finally came to rest.

Putting this passion to work Lee, as a sculputre, made a miniature of what you see above. It represents both the MIA and the POW and as a result of his readings on Lt. Sijan, he decided to actually use a likeness of Sijan's face on the monument which is looking up tp God with open hands.

Lee's work came to be known by a group with similar feelings and connected to the Riverside cemetery. They ultimately commissioned him to make a three times life size image of that pictured above. But Lee talked them down to a 1and a   1/2 size piece so that it would be short enough so that the viewer can see the face and the struggle within that all POW's and MIA must have gone through, and perpaps continue to do in many cases.

In 2005 the US Congress designated this bronze sculpture as a National Monument to those Missing in Action and to Prisoners of War from all actions in US history.

Again a trip to the LA area and Riverside without seeing this monument would be a dis-service to the Millett family and to heroes all around the world who have and continue to pay the price for our freedom.

I'll show you some Canadian graves in California tomorrow.

Bart