On Friday , 3 March I brought you the first of 2 blogs on this famous battle. There  I told of the incorrect but commonly used name of CSS Merrimac for the vessel of the real name CSS Virginia. If you missed that blog you might want to scroll down and read it before reading  today's.

This was one of the most famous naval battles of the Civil War. Up until then the naval ships were built of wooden hulls, as they were around the world. But this battle showed how clearly inapropriate that practice had now become. One vessel... the USS Cumberalnd was of wooden hull and was sunk in 15 minutes. While some damage was done to its enemy... the Virginia, it had an iron protective coating from the waterline up and thus proved almost impregnable to the wooden vessel. After the battles of the 7th and 8th, word travelled aroung the world that the days of the wooden ship were over. In Britain it was said that 149 ships of the line, most powerful vessels, had been reduced to two ships following thees two days of battle. The Brit's went a step further and ordered that they would no longer produce any wooden hulled vessesl of war.

There were a number of Canadians involved in this two day, historic event. At least two were on shore batteries, one for the North and one for the South. It is possible that a Canadian played a role in the supervision of the contruction of the Virginia. Several Canadians were on the Congress and the Minnesota of which you will hear shortly. The Virgina only lost 2 sailors in the two days of battle. The first man was born in New Brunswick Canada. He was a spounger on one of the bow guns and after it fired he went to his duties swamping out the barrel. In the process he stuck his head out the port hole and was seen by one of the men on the Monitor and shot dead.

When the Confederates new ship USS Virgina arrived at the above pictured waterway called Newport News it had one job in mind. Take out the Cumberland and the Congress. Once that was done it planned on shelling several of the Union's shoreline batteries and any other vessels that happened to be on hand.

As mentioned on Friday, the Virginia fired upon the Congress and the Minnesota. (The Brother of the Virgina's commander was also a naval officer... and he was on the Congress, so you now see brother firing against borther, an oft repeated situation during the war.)  Both vessels received several shots from the Virginia, and returned fire. But. the union shells just bounced off the sides of the Virginia. The day before her sides were greased to cause any striking shells to simply bounce off, and they did. The Virginia then concentrated her attention of the  Cumberland. Getting in  where she could attack the Cumberland in its side with her below-water ram. As it did this both vessels again fired into each other. But it was the ram that cause about a 7' hole in her side and within minutes she sunk taking about 125 lives with her.

Seeing this happen the  USS Congress moved into shallower ground and deliberately grounded her so that the Virginia could not get close to her and also ram her.  The Virginia retaliated by now firing heated cannon balls at the Congress and thus, set her ablaze.  The Virginia wanted to turn her attention of some of the other Union vessels but quickly realized that the tides were turning against her... quite literaly. As they lowered the ship was lifted in the water and thus exposed some of her hull that WAS NOT iron clad, and thus vulnerable.

The Virginia therefore backed out of further battle and took refuge at Sewell's point for the night. (Where another Canaians was manning guns ashore for the Confederates) The next morning the Virginia planned to come along side the Minnesota and destroy it but it discovered that now on site was the new Union weapon.... another ironclad... called the USS Monitor. And it was itching to get into the battle and protect the Minnesota and the rest from further destruction.

But both vessels had there own unique problems. The guns on the Monitor were in the turret. It was the first ever intoduction of such a turret. It actually revolved. So after firing it could close its hatch and rotate the gun to any PARALLEL position it wanted. As it fired it would recoil and rotate. But it would happen so fact that the Virginia could not figure out where to aim.

The Virginia also had the problem with not hanging around when the tides turned against it. And the Monitor had the inability to hoist the guns very much and thus.. .when the enemy gets too close it cannot drop the barrel far enough to take aim.

Complicating this both vessels were now iron clads and for two hours they chased each other about firing lots of shells and being as close as 50 yards at times and generally  just agravating their enemy, neither causing much damage.

The Virginia was also very clumsy to steer  and to get into a position to ram required the enemy to stay still while it went forth... backed up and jockied around to get in the right angle to make the ram work. And the Monitor had no intention in sitting still.

By day's end, and the tides again changed, both vessles decided to call it quits and went off in opposite directions.
The Monitor took about 25 hits and the Virginia took about 150 cannon ball stikes. In fact one fellow would later comment that the smoke stack was so damaged that a flock of crows could fly through without much inconvenience.

Within a few months the Virginia was cut off by advancing Union trrops and thus scuttled herself to avoid being captured. The Monitor would later be lost when its tow line snapped in  a storm. A few years back it was discovered and its tower was raised. There was quite a lot of media coverage for the event. Inside the tower they located at least one skeleton laying below one of the cannons. 

There have been several books written about the famous battle and make for a great reading.

And like so many other Civil War battles Canadians were very  much there and dying with the Americans, and on both sides.

Bart

As a fomer freelance writer and columnist I wrote many a column helping those who felt ill treated by bureaucratic red tape. Often I would be cautioned when writing about people with disabilities that I ought to be emphasizing their abilities rather than their disabilities. And how right they were!

So today I am going to tell you a story of a fellow that made a great success in his life, not because of his disabilities... but because of his abilities.  

Rowland Bourke was born in the late 1890's at London England and by age 17 he  ventured off to the northern part of British Columbia to make his fortune with all the others grasping for gold. And like most, he soon turned his attention elsewhere. By 1907 he was living on a farm near Nelson BC with cousins. One day when they were out in the fields blowing up stumps a premature explosion cost him his site in one eye. It also killed one of his cousins. That was enough for farming. The family moved all the way across the world to New Zealand to try and put this horrible tragedy behind them. But they say that once you come to BC you can't leave it. He would soon return and take up farming again.

Thne along came the Great War. Rowland being a very patriotic man heard the call from Britain for soldiers and sailors and so he thought he'd join up. But the local army and navy folks wouldn't have anything to do with this man... cause he was disabled... They fogot those parts of him that were very much still abled.

So Rowland did what he thought was his duty. He donated some of his landholdings to be auctioned off. The proceeds were to go to veterans who lived in the area of his latest home. He then self-financed a trip to California and paid his own way to go to a pilot's school and, one eye or not, he not only got in, but he got his pilots license. He then again self-financed a sail across the ocean to London and joined up with the Royal Naval Voluteer Reserves.

Rowland, pictured to the left,  would get his training and would  then be promoted to Lieutenant and given command of a 80' motor Launch. (ML)  The navy recognized his sight problem and vowed to keep him out of harm's way. In fact that they no doubt were a little shagrined when he would bring his ML into a docking area on more than one occassion and, shall we say, he would  introduce it to the dock in a somewhat unconventional manner.  His fellow officers had their own chuckles.

But that would change!

Throughout the earlier years of the war the Allies lost between 4 and 500,000 tons of supplies... PER MONTH...  in U Boat attacks along the Atlantic.  By 1918 concentrated efforts were being taken by surface vessels to take numerous steps to try and shut down the bases the U boats operated out of the coastline of Belgium. 

One of the most famous attempts was in the harbour attacks located at 

 Ostende and Zeebrugge. Both of these harbours have waterways that join up at Brugge. And it is along these waterways that the Germans had facilities to repair and supply the U Boats that were sent off in the Battle of the Atlantic to detroy shipping heading for London and elesewhere. 

In late April and early May of 1918 The Allies launched two attacks at Oostende with the ultimate goal of scuttling a vessel in the narrow channel and thus hoping to block inside the channel, and of course render useless, about 29 U Boats.

The HMS Vindictive was the ship chosen to block the harbour. It was made ready and attempted to be put in place but heavy fogs and German removal of navigating aides and currents all played a role in the vessel being scuttled but in the wrong place.

When this was done several men from the ship were left struggling for their very lives. 

Several of the ML's had been sent in and many men were rescued. Bourke repeatedly pleaded to be allowed to take his ML in to look for survivors and with the final go-ahead he made not one of two or three... but 4 attempts under very heavy fire to locate survivors. He lost one of his crew by enemy fire and took about 50 hits to the ML but managed to save three fellows. One was a fellow officer and in fact a British Knight. 

Two weeks earlier, in a similar attempts at blockading this same harbour, the British lost two vessels that were run aground in the bad weather. Again after several pleas to allow him to take his ML in for the search of survivors, the officials gave Rowland Bourke the go-ahead. That time he rescued almost 50 sailors. 

Rowland Bourke would be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery on the first battle, and a Victoria Cross for the second. This would be pinned of his chest in England by King George V. The French would also award him their Chevalier Medal of Honor.

Bourke would return to Canada after the war and settle for a time in the Nelson area and later he would move to Victoria where he lived in Esquimalt for many years and worked with the naval reserves and also at the navy base. When he died in 1959 he was given a full military burial service at the Royal Oak Burial Park in Victoria.

For the past seven years I have visited the grave site on 11 November, as seen above.  Three years ago the salors at HMS Malahat in Victoria came to show their respects and have done so now for three years running.  Two years ago family were located and have also joined in the service each year. And now the good folks at the Burial Park, family, Malahat, and myself have sought and obtained assistance from the Commonwealth Graves Commission and Veterans Affairs Canada to have a new marker created that will serve to better highlight the achievements of this great Canadian who had abilities many apparently did not. In fact he once proclaimed that..." the only reason I saved all those men was bacause he couldn't see to get out of the way".  I suspect his comments were in jest.

The above parties and others will be formally unveiled the new marker in early May, possibly the 7th or 8th. It will be a service open to the public. Please stay tuned for further details as they become known. 

Bart

Sometimes it is rather hard to fathom the massive manpower involved in the war between the states commonly called the Civil War. In May of 1862 there were about 16, 000 troops in the Union army. By war's end probably close to three million had served in the marines, army and navies of both sides. The four year battle took the lives of some 600,000.

And Canada's 50,000, of which there may have been as many as 5,000 deaths, contributed one of the highest in numbers on non-Americans in the war. One in four in the total number were Non-American. The Canadians fought in sailors uniforms on several dozen ships. They were in hundreds of army regiments and did proud service also in the US Marine Corps.  Canadians fought and died at most of the famous battles and a hundred other smaller skirmishes. We were at Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Petersburg and Antietam and we sailed against Fort Morgan, Fort Henry and Fort Donelson and hundreds of other places and served with the famous 54th Massachussetts coloured regiment and fought in the famous battles known as the Alabama and the Kearsarge and at Hampton Roads in the USS Monitor and CSS Merrimac battle and many, many other battlefields.

In 1905, the 40th anniversary of the closing of the war, the US government finally released a campaign medal for those few still alive who served during Civil War days. Many came to Canadians. They issued one type for the army and a different one for the navy. Pictured below, the navy medal is suspended by a blue and grey ribbon to reflect the armies

of both the Union and the Confederacy.  The battle scene depicted is the famous battle of the Monitor and the Merrimac.  Merrimac of course is the improper spelling. It ought to be Merrimack. And that is still technically incorrect. The Confederate ship of that name was sunk, and later raised by the south and renamed the CSS Virginia so the proper... but unpopular name for the combatants is really the Monitor and the Virginia.

The Confederate's Virginia is at the top and the Union's Monitor is the smaller vessel shown attacking it.

Popular folk lore has the battle taking place of the 8th of March, 151 years ago today, but truth be told the battle really started the day before and it was then a battle, or better stated a slaughter, between the the Virginia and several other vessels that were for the most part crippled and left for further destruction the next day. 

But one of the victims of the Virginia, often left out of many of the  stories about the famous battle was a Union vessel called the USS Cumberland.  When it first saw the Virginia coming at it, it knew it had trouble. In fact the battle would only take about 15 minutes and the Cumberland would be sunk taking many of her crew with her. A few did escape, and among them woul be two Canadians sailors, James McIntosh from Montreal, whom you read about recently in another blog at this site, and sailor... Albert Oliver O'Brien of Newfoundland. Both would  live to fight many more battles and actually would also be awarded Medals of Honor for their bravery later on in the war.

The USS Cumberland was one of the most powerful warships the Union had. She manned 50 cannons and a crew of about 400. But she relied totally on sail for power. No wind and you have a problem and need to be towed.

The vessel's hull was made of wood as were almost all navy vessels of the day... around the world. But events of the 7th and 8th would result in panic throughout the US navy and quit literally at Washington DC were meetings with Lincoln and others were constantly interupted with updates and looking out the window to see if the dreaded victor of the battle was on route to bomb DC.

Above is the Confederate new powerful weapon...the CSS Virginia, oft called the Merrimac. On the right is an depiction of it as it was being built.

The vessel was called an ironclad because it was clad with iron. In fact the iron was actual rail from a rail line pulled up. It was mounted on all parts of the vessel above the waterline and because of the steep angles, the cannon balls fired at it more often than not simply bounced off. But in addition, and not noticeable from above the waterline was a massive ram built into the front of the vessel. That ram is what killed the Cumberland.

On the 7th the Virginia was driven into the waterway known as Newport News in the State of Virginia and met up with several of the powerful Union vessels...all wooden vessels. It sailed past several, almost thumbing its nose,  and fired many a cannon shot into these vessels, Canadians were on many of the vessels, and one was even on the Virginia. Thus you have a situation where Canadians were shooting at Canadians. This would happen often during the Civil War.

Two of the Union vessels were forced to almost scuttle  to avoid capture and sinking, and were left like fish dangling on a hook for destruction after the Virginia finished its work on the Cumberland. While each vessel fired continuously at the other, the Virginia finally rammed the Cumberland and within 15 minutes it sunk. It was later said that the hole it drove into the side of the Cumberland was big enough to drive a horse and wagon through. But the Virginia almost went down with the Cumberland because it got its ram stuck inside the Union vessel. It was only after some serious rocking about that it managed to dislodge itself.

Freeing itself and harrassing the other vessels the Virginia finally came to realize that it had to get out of there as the tides were droping. And its massive iron protection only went down so far...then left the rest of the vessel... a wooden hull...  vulnerable to carefully placed cannon fire. So it left only to return the next day to create more havoc... till the Union brought in its own secret weapon...

But more on that on Tuesday next week.

Bart

As you can see from the map it is a long way from Saint John New Brunswick to Cuba, but nevertheless George F Phillips would ultimately make the trip.

George was born at Cole Island, a few miles from Saint John and as a young man he moved to the US, possibly Boston and took up work at sea on a cargo vessel called the SS Merrimac, not to be confused with a similar named ship, with a slightly different spelling, that was in the March 1862 famous battle with the USS Monitor.

Phillips was employed as a marine engineer on the ship that traded between New York and Galveston Texas, about 50 miles south of Houston along the Gulf of Mexico shore line.

When the Spanish American War of 1898 broke out the US government found that it needed about 100  more vessels and it bought the 333' long vessel from the Hogan Line for about $325,000. Soon it would convert the vessel in to a coal barge for the US Navy and would christen it the USS Merrimac. At least three of her crew came with the ship, George Phillips being one of these. When the purchase was made the three joined the US Navy and actually got posted to the very same ship.

The purchase was not a particularly good one as the vessel kept breaking down while it was running coal to other vessesl. Often it would need major work and just as often it would to be taken in tow. But that worked in its favor in a way that made it famous.

During the war, there was a great opportunity for US Admiral Sampson to send a major blow to the Cubans. Most of its fleet were at one point inside the  harbour located at Santiago. Looking at the above map, and at the south end of Cuba, this harbour is situated at about the midpoint along that coastline.

The plan was to capture all of the Cuban fleet by simlpy blockading the harbour and thus rendering them useless because they would not be able to get out to do battle.

An original idea called for the loading up of several smaller schooners with bricks and stones and floating them into the harbour and sinking them and thus preventing movement through the narrow channel allowing entry and departure. But soon that idea was replaced with the decision to sink one of the larger US vessels... and the Merrimac, pictured above came to mind. Why not.. .it was little more than an ... "antiquated tub" in the eyes of several senior officers.

Soon a plan was hatched to load up the ship with 10 barrels of about 82 pounds of gun powder in each, and set to a series of fuses, drive the ship into the harbour, drop the anchors, light the fuses and dive overboard and make an escape.

Sounds simply enough. But like all good plans, some fail.

Volunteers were sought for this mission. It was yet again another suicide mission as the harbour was very well fortified on two sides. The Merrimac would have to sail between the two, and these were only about 220' apart There were many of the Cuban fleet's war ships that could have been sent out to the harbour face to blow them out of the water... literally. And there were many troops along the water line to bring then yet further trouble.

But volunteers came out of the woodwork. One vessel immediately produced over 200. Another 140-150. Plenty more came to the front from all the US ships on station. But the officer in charge of the operation only needed 6 men. It was a struggle to narrow the numbers down  but this was done. Then the ship was sent into dock and stripped of all useful ecquipement and made ready to be wired with the fuses, batteries and gunpowder and made ready for its trip into destiny.

On the early AM chosen, the 6 men headed off with their officer, but not far from the shores they were called back. It was too light and the enemy would soon see them. So they returned only to head off a few days later. This time a sailor so intent to particpate, but not being one of the chosed few,  became a stow-a-way if you will. The crew now consisted of 7 and the officer. Each had a job to do. Two would be required to chop away at the two anchors specially arranged to drop once this was done. Our man Phillips would be at the engines. Another at the wheel. Others at the batteries to set the explosions in motion.

Each had a line tied to their wrist and when the officer gave one pull... all would be made ready to put the final actions in play. Three long tugs and they'd all be off to their duties. One of the men was responsible to lower an escape boat. The rest would soon be diving in the water and making their way to the boat to row to safety.

At least that was the plan!

The incredible fire power from the forts created so much smoke that it has been reported that the Cubans at one point were actually firing at each other across the channel. Enemy fire destoyed the escape boat and most of the batteries in place to set the charges off. Only two charges would finally blow, and that was enough to see the Merrimac sink in minutes. But because the rudder mechanism was shot away, the vessel could not be steered and thus sunk in the wrong place. It was also intended to settle crossing the harbour... not parallel  to one of the sides like it did.

The men diving in the water soon came to realize that there was no boat there to rescue them. All they could find was an overturned cattamaran, so they all gathered and huddled together under it in the hopes that the enemy who had by then come out to find men in the water, would discover them.

They lasted a few hours but the cold, their weekening conditions and no doubt the fear of sharks in the area convinced them that they'd best surrend. At about that time none other than the Admiral of the Cuban fleet arrived on the spot in a vessel and Naval Constructor Dobson, the officer in charge of the operation surrender himself and his seven sailors to the Admiral.

It is said that the Admiral was so impressed with the men's bravery that he complimented them on the spot, and did much to ensure that they were well looked after as POW's. They would be held for several months before release. Had they not be able to see so much of the area and its defences they would have been released much earlier.

When news of their safety, whilst still POW's, was transmitted to the US Navy, the word spread back to the US and newspapers across the country started to carry many stories of the heroes and how the government needs to recognize them as such. Dobson was praised so much in Congress and elsewere that at one point an elected representative fianally stood up and complained that it was high time ALL the names of the sailors got the same attention he was getting.

When the sailors were finally released, they rode in an oxen pulled wagon through the town and passed through crowds of many American soldiers including the Rough Riders and most cheered wildely and wanted to grab the hands of all the men to shake  and praise their work. Teddy Roosevelt was one of the officers who did the negotiations for their very release.

The men were all promoted for their heroism and the 7 were later awarded Medals of Honor. As Dobson was an officer, he did not get one...until many years later when the rules were changed.

Phillips continued with the navy for many more years and served on at least two other Navy warships. In 1904 he took very ill, and while seving on the USS Ohio, tried to make his way back east enroute back to Canada when he died at Cambridge Mass. His body was later shipped back to Saint John NB and lies today at rest in a small graveyard just a few minutes away from the NB Museum where his Medal of Honor is held.

I assume it is on public display but when last there I found the building closed on a Monday during office hours. It would be one of only two on public display anywhere in the country that I am aware of, though several others are known to be squirreled away in other parts of the country.

George Frederick Phillips was born on 7 March 1862. That was 151 years ago today.

Bart

On 19 February I brought you the story about the Nova Scotia born Miller brothers and their Medals of Honor awarded for actions in the Spanish American War of the late 1890's. Therein you learned of the US struggles to haul up underwater cables and sever them so that the Cubans could not contact Spain to come to their aid in that battle. The Millers were in the two work boats sent out from the USS Nashville. Today's hero was involved in the same event but came from the crews of the USS Marblehead. His story is the same as the Millers and so I won't repeate it today. For those who have not read that blog, just scrowl down till you get to the 19th and read it.

Leonard B Chadwick, to the left, was born in Delaware and by age 20 had joined the US Navy, already served 4 years and earned a Medal of Honor. Within 2 months of leaving the navy in mid 1898 he would have become involved in the shipping of mules to South Africa, and in fact had arrived there himself. 

Hundreds of thousands of mules had already been "expended" during the war and orders were sent for replacements all across Canada the US and elswehere.

Within very short order Chadwick must have decided that bunk mates of the human type were better than mules and so he joined an army Cavalry unit... the Lord Roberts Horse. Over the next year Chadwick would so impress his superiors that Lord Roberts himself would write not one... but three letters to his superiors about this man. Each letters amounted to what is called a Mention in Despatches, and each was actually a medal of bravery in itself.

Within a year Chadwick had fought in battles at Paardberg, Sannah's Post, Diamond Hill, Prinsloo, Heidelberg and the Relief of Kimberley. He'd become a POW for a very short time and even got promoted to Corporal for his bravery. At the end of his service he would come away from South Africa with 6 campaign bars to his service medals. He was probably entitled to a 7th. The most anyone could get, because they could not be in more than one place at a time,  was 9.

Chadwick was nominated for the Victoria Cross probably three different times and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (one down from the VC) for bravery.

During the Boer War HRH Queen Victoria took a very deep interest in her men fighting in South Africa from her many colonies. So too did she value her constant letters from her favourite grandson Christian, who was serving in the war with the rank of major and a member of General Hillyard's staff. He would often write about the bitterley cold nights.

It is felt that due to these letters The Queen thought she would like to send a token of her concerns, but to just a highly select few.  Through her own hand eight scarf's wear crocheted that ultimately were worn by some like it was  a Sergeant's  sash.

These were sent in two batches, one going to Christean with the instructions that the first four wear to go to four privates, each representing one of her colonies. Those being Cape Colony, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. Each of these four were to be selected by the men.... not those with ranks and certainly not the officers. Each Regiment was to hold a vote, select the most bravest soldier in the unit and pass those names along. Privates would narrow down the vote and ultimately end up with four men... these being the bravest of the bravest of the bravest.

Leonard Chadwick, the American Medal of Honor recipient, was selected to represent the thousands that fought on behalf of Cape Colony. When the name was presented to the Queen it came with the concern that this fellow was an American and ought not to be selected. The Queen overruled those in objection and Chadwick became one of the bravest and one of only 4 in the world as a private to get the Queen's Scarf.   (he'd later make Cpl). 

Of the four privates being awarded the scarf, he was the only one with a DCM as well, and had more campaign bars then any of the privates or even sergeants who got the scarf. Some would say that he thus became one of the most decorated soldiers in all of North America.

The records are not really clear but it would appear that the Scarf may have been awarded as a result of Chadwick's bravery when he rode out to help save wounded under very heavy fire at the battle of Koorn Spruit or because of his helping to save the heavy field guns from capture by the enemy at Sannah's Post.

Both battles make for most interesting reading and lots of detail is available with a google search.

Chadwick came back to the US in 1901 and worked  as a union rep. His activites at one point were thought to be anti American and even the FBI had him under their eyes for a while until they realized that he was truly a hero and rumours about him were false. It's all on the net for the good researcher to dig up. 

He also worked as an insurance agent and as a labourer in the iron industry till an accident took him out of that profession. Leonard Chadwick never married, and died in 1940 while living alone in a rooming house. He was given a full military funeral and it was said that he was buried in Massachussets with his Medal of Honor sitting on his chest. His marker shown here notes that he was a MOH recipient and indicates that his rank was that of a GM 3, that being a Gunners Mate third class.

There is no indication on the stone that he had been awarded the Queens Scarf, and was one of only 8 people in the WORLD to be so honoured. Most net references do not even mention it.

That is a shame!

In another blog I will bring you the story of another Queens Scarf recipient and this one was from Canada... sort of.

Bart

I can remember many years ago driving my MG from Toronto to Niagara Falls with my latest gilfriend. About a dozen miles from the Falls I raised my hand and could feel the dampnest in the air as we got closer and closer to our tourist attraction. Surely that same dampnest could be felt back in the mid 1850's when James Stoddard was a youth and young man in his home town of Port Robinson in Canada West. It was just a dozen miles from the Falls.

He was etching out a living as a blacksmith when the Civil War was in high gear many miles to his south, and the day would come when he would travel many miles east to Detroit and would sign up for service... still close to the water. He signed up with the US Navy for a one year stint on  the USS Marmora and ended up doing almost 2 years.

The Marmora was a stern paddle wheeled steamer of about 160" in length and had a draft of only 4 Feet which would allow it and its class of war vessels to travelled up and down many of the rivers where the bigger vessels could not go.

In early March of 1864 this vessel and several others raced up the Yazoo River in Mississippi to come to the aid of Union forces on land at the city of the same name. The USS Cairo in the lead was blown up and sank in minutes after stiking an underwater mine but all were saved. (It's commander was T.O. Selfridge, a later rear Admiral. And his nephew would many years later work with Alexander Graham Bell in Canada. He would still later die in the first ever North American airplane crash and his co-pilot would be injured. THat man's name was Orville Wright.)

On arrival the crew of the Marmora would find that the land the Union forces had recently captured was about to be overrun by Southern forces. In fact the Union men were about to be drive back into the waters of the Yazoo River. This is the report of the event by the commander of the USS Malmora the day of the battle, and therein you will see the beginnings of a recomendation for the Medal of Honor for three of the sailors... including  Janes Stoddard....

Stoddard, Laffey and Franks noted here were all awarded Medals of Honor in Navy General Order # 32 dated 16 April 1864 for their bravery at Yazoo City on 5 March 1964.

Stoddard was shot in the neck during the above battle but pulled through and a few months later waa transferred to another vessel and would leave end his military carrer by leaving that vessel in  May of 1865.

Like so many other MOH recipients he seems to have completely disappeared after that date. There are no records found yet about where he went after the war, or what he did or where he died and lies buried

But his name lives in memory with the US Navy. Over the years the US Government has named over 1,000 war vessels of all types after brave sailors and marines.  Both Stoddard and Lafferty in the above battle would be so honoured.

In 1944 there was a naval warship chistened the USS James Stoddard, and it would do most honourable service during WW11 and also in Veitnam and Korea.  Former sailors and others wanting to preserve the history of the vessel would later create a website that is still in existance and is most worthy of a visit. Plan to stay awhile as it is most interesting and can be found at  www.ussstoddard.org.  There you can read about the efforts still ongoing to have another warship christened and named in honour of this Ontario hero.

Please check it out. 

Ladies and gentlemen... this is the USS Stoddard that was named after a blacksmith form Port Robinson Ontario. Like James, there were several other vessels named after Canadians who became heroes in the US Militray. These will be covered in future blogs.

By the way Stoddard's General Order was dated 149 years ago today.

Bart

Since back in the Revolutionary War days thousands of Canadians have crossed the border, or lack thereof to join US Forces and marched off to war. So to have thousands of Americans crossed those same borders to join with British North American or later Canadian regiments to go off to war.

Back on 11 February I brought you a blog about William Seeley who enlisted with the British Royal Navy way back in the late 1850's and soon found himself fighting at Shimonoseki Japan and earning a Victoria Cross for his bravery.

Seeley would be the first of five known, and two more Unknown Americans who would be awarded the Victoria Cross.

Today I want to share with you the story of  George Harry Mullins who was born in August of 1892 in Oregon. By age two he and parents moved to Moosomin Saskatchewan (Just to the west of the Saskatchewan  Manitoba. border and about 100 miles west of Brandon Man.) and took up farming.

When his parents moved further west a few years later he and a brother moved in with his uncle at their nearbye  farm. It would be here that Mullins would first pick up a rifle and start chasing chickens about on the farm. He would  get his early education including at college at Moosomin and then the Great War came along.

Like 600,000 Canadians, Mullins and lots of Americans joining the Canadians and  volunteered to enlist in the military.  Signing up first with the 32nd Canadian Battalion of the Expeditionary Force he'd be shipped off to England and by 1915 he was in Europe where he would soon be transferred over to the Princess Patricians Canadian Light Infantry.

After 11 months of service as a private, by mid June of 1916 Mullins was wounded in battle at Ypres and invaleded back to England to recover. By November Mullins was back in action and this time he was put into a sniper and scouting platoon where he would soon be promoted to Corporal and expected to be shooting at something other than chickens.    Within 5 months he was promoted to Sergeant and fought so heroically at Vimy and saving the life of an officer who had a leg shot off, that he was awarded the Military Medal, pictured to the right.

Then came Passchendaele were one source notes some 3/4 of a million soldiers would be lost to furious fightiong on both sides and under horendous conditions. It's been said that Canada got its birth on the battlefields of Vimy and Passchendaele and Ypres and the Somes. Mullins was in the thick of the fighting in at least three of these four major battles.

Of all the Allies fighting in the western theatre it has been said that the Canadians were the  most feared by Germany. In fact is none other than Lloyd George who, as the Prime Minister of England that said that when the Germans heard the Canadians were coming they would prepare for the worst fighting ever.

And yet again Mullins, pictured at left,  would do his part. It was not far from the Town of Passchendaele that the PPCLI was in a heavy battle against the enemy and being pinned down with many casualties from many very well entrenched gun pits and machine gun nests.

Mullins who was the sergeant, and in charge of a snipper platoon, headed off in a direction that he was sure would lead him to the front of a most powerful german Pillbox fortifified Machine Gun nest. The position was injuring or killing many of the PPCLI soldiers and so he decided to take his own action to take out  the nest. He set off on his own as the movement of too many troops would be detected. Soon he was discovered and despite the heavy fire then sent in his direction, he manage to evade the enemy, toss grenades, take out two snipers,  get up on top on the nest and using his pistol he would shoot down into the Pillbox and kill 2 Germans. Then making his way to the entrance he demanded that they surrended. Ten were still alove and all did!   Despite the fact that his uniform was riddled with bullet holes he miraculously escaped even the slightest of injuries.
 
This American hero was recommended for the Victoria Cross and sent off to London to take officer's training. While there he would write home to family and mention the recomendation and that he did not really expect to get it. He even noted that it was no big deal, like so many Medal of Honor and Victoria Cross recipients, his letter stated that it was..."Just another job of work."

After the war Mullins married at London and then he and his wife came back to Canada and to the farm life at Moosomin. He joined the Militia there and rose to the rank of Major. Later they would move to Regina Sask. where he was appointed the Sergeant at Arms at the Provincial Legislature.

When WW11 broke out he left this position to get back in the military by joining the Veterans Guard of Canada which was responsible for guarding German Prisoners of War. As he would walk by some of the cells the Germans actually saluted him as they had learned he was awarded the VC.

After the war he would retrun to Regina and back to his position as the Sgt at Arms, a position that he held till death in 1963.

Mullins is pictured to the right as a Sgt at Arms and wears the VC on the left, next the Military Medal, then the British War Medal, the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and finally the Victory Medal with the MID (Most difficult to see but is the Mentions in Dispatch Medal... a bravery medal in itself.) (It's badge or symbol is a leaf  that is worn on top of the ribbon that supports the last medal.)

Each month I will bring you another story of an American VC recipient till all 7 are covered.

Bart

With the exception of a few side trips here and there, this blog is about the Canadians, and those with connections to Canada that earned the US Medal of Honor or the British Empire's  Victoria Cross. Thus,  the blogs bring forth stories about men 99.9999999999 % of the time. This is unfair to probably 1/2 of the total poulation of the world.

Any country that continues to allow the record of recipients of these two heroic medals to stand year after year after year with only one women being the recipient since day one back over 150 years or more of this history  is a country that cannot possibly be using the same rules for both men and women.  Period.

Todays blog is for the ladies.  And for men to take notice of these wrongs.

It was back in 1978 that the folks in Sonomo California decided enough was enough and created a week of celebration for women and the tremendous roles played by the smarter sex. Three years later the week was proclaimed as one to be celebrated all, across the US. In 1987 the week became a month, and so it should be.

Womens History Month is an important month for my family. My brother and sisters and I can take immense pride in the fact that it was our mother, and two other women that began a year long campaign in Canada for a simlar month of celebration back in 1991, and the following year the federal government proclaimed that from 1992 on October would be the month of celebration for women's history in Canada.

The US Army has been around for I believe 237 years. When the men went of to fight in the Revolurtionary War, the women were there to support them. They'd be doing the cleaning and repairing of the soldiers clothing, cooking the meals and nursing the wounded and comfort the dying. In fact they would also be on the front lines.

This is Margaret Corbin. She and husband John were from Philadelphia. When the Revolutionary War started, she followed her husband into battle and fought side by side with him on Manhattan Island. His job as a maltross, was to load up the cannons.  When the soldier who was firing the cannon was killed, he took over that job. And Margaret took over his as maltross. When he was killed, she took over actually firing the cannon and was so good at it, the Brits started singling her out and turning many of their cannons on her as a target. She's be wounded several times in the battle and her arm was almost severed before the battle was over. The Americans lost the battle but her cannon was the last to stop firing. Years later the Congress awarded her the first  ever pension to a woman. Of course it was only half that of the men.    DAHHH!

Another woman from Pennsylvania by the name of  Mary Ludwig Hays MccCauley would also follow her husband off to war. At the battle of Monmouth New jersey she and other women incuding Martha Washington would help to bring water to the men at the front. In what was a scorching 100 degree heat spell at the time. She would also lend a hand were possible at the cannon batteries. When her husband, yet another loader,  collapsed due to heat exposure she grabbed his very ramrod and continued his duties spounging out the barrel after each firing. Many women did this and the men would call most "Molly"... and because they were constantly hauling water the nick name Molly Pitcher soon was adopted. When the battle was over General Washington actually asked who the woman on the cannon was  and would later grant her a Warrant as a Sergeant for her services.

Most kids have pets and often those pets get sick and the kids try their best to nurture the suffering animal. So did this woman. Care for the injured also would take shape when she had to nurse a brother who fell off the roof. Doctors said he was dying, She nursed him back to health. She was only 11 at the time.

You have heard of her. Her name is Clara Barton who at a very early age took to serving her community. She would get educated and become a teacher and worked in both Canada and the US as such before moving on to a government gob, possibly tthe first to a woman, working in the US Patent office, then Clara would get a thought that her services were better needed collecting and bring health care supplies and other products to those in the need in the military... and eventually right up at the front lines. Soon this would lead to establishing a large network doing the same and ultimately being placed in charge of many on the front line hospitals in Civil War days. Later travelling and lecturing in Europe she would become familar with the Red Cross movement and would ultimately bring it back home to the US. There is considerable reading material available on her accomplishments on the net and make for a great read.

When New Yorker abolist, farmer  and carpenter Alvah York had a fifth child he must have been chagrined to learn that, like the first four, that this would be another daughter... later a son would be born. The girls in the family were brought up to be free thinkers and not to let anyone or anything stand in their way of moving forward in life. In the earliest of days they were all taught to work the fields ... and dress accordingly.

Something Mary, pictured here  would remember in her adult life. By age 19 Mary had already graduated from her formal schooling and was herself a teacher like her sisters. But bored with this and fascinated with her father's books on medicine she would enroll in the first ever medical school in the US, and  within 2 yrs she would graduate... the only woman in her class... and with the credentials of a doctor... the second in the entire nation. 

Within a year Mary would take a husband...a fellow doctor. And when she opened her own practice it fell apart as the men of the day decided that they could not trust a woman for medical help.  That behind her, she sought a position with the Union army at the begining of the Civil War as a doctor. They had never heard of a woman doctor and would have nothing to do with the proposal so she decided she would volunteer as a nurse. Soon she found herself treating the wounded on the front lines at Bull Run and  even going into the fireline to retrieve the wounded when many of the men refised to do so. Her reputation would build and soon she would be appointed a contact assistant surgeon.

Throughout her war years she would adorn men's clothing and would be constantly repudiated about this. But her attitude was to dress for the job and to be comfortable, and so she couldn't give a hoot... as taught as a child, to be held back by other opinions. 

Doctor Walker, pictured above during the Civil War,  would treat the wounded at Warrenton and Fredericksburg and also Chickamauga and by 1863 General Thomas appointed her as an assistant surgeon  in the Army of the Cumberland. In 1864 she was left behind to treat the wounded as the army move on and as a result was captured and made a POW  for several months. After released she would be appointed Superintendant of a womens prison in Kentucky.

Walker's services were not well appreciated at the beginning of the war but by war's end she was a hero and had actually been wounded slightly, had been a POW , a spy, a nurse and doctor and would even be recommended by two Major Generals for the Medal of Honor. She was pushing for a brevet rank of Major but Lincoln approved the MOH. Then he was assassinated. It would fall on his successor... Johnston to follow through and he would make his own recomendation in November of 1865. On the 11th... a day to remember. She woul receive the award a few months later.

Mary Walker continued through her life dressing like a man, as she felt more comfortable than in a dress. In fact the police were so upset at her that she repeatedly was arrested for such behaviour. But finally enough was enough and at a trial she told the court to knock of the nonsense as she had a right to dress anyway she wanted to as an American cirtizen. In fact she would state that... "I could dress as I please in free America on whose tented fields I have served for four years in the cause of human freedom. The case was dismissed to the roars and cheers of most in the courtroom.  The court added that the police were never to arrest her again on that charge.

In 1916 the Congress ordered a review of many Medals of Honor and directed that all then holding the medal had to now meet a new criteria with regards to actions in the face of the enemy. The legislation in effect made new rules retrocative to actions almot 60 years earlier. In their wisdom they also said that those no longer qualifying had to return them and if caught wearing them in public it would be an offense.

Many returned their medals but just as many no doubt told them to pound salt. Mary Walker was one of later. It has been oft reported that she would wear her medal every day of her life from when first awarded until her day of death. She was a tireless worker for social reforms and was a terror at Washington were it has been said the men would, run and hide just to stay away from being on the wrong end of her latest cause.

She at one point said that if any man was brave enough to come and get her medal... let them try.  None did!

Regardless of physical possession, the  medal was rescinded. But many years later President Jimmy Carter reognized the gross error in the legislation and overturned the cancelling of her medal and a handful of others. Many others await the same action.

Mary Walker was a woman before her time, and today, being the first day of Womens' History Month is a great day to stop for a few minutes and recognize her accomplishments. Better yet, why not talk to some women today and tell them her story or that of the others noted here today and ask how they are celebrating their month. (in the US)

I'll leave you today with Mary Walkers words that... "Women in uniform were as directly responsible for the freedoms we enjoy as their male counterparts."

And as my late mother once said... "it is no longer time that women stood up and be heard. It is time that they sit down at the table were decisions are made and ensure they were being heard."

Bart