August //September2012
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Sgt. Major’s Desk
“ And the heart that is soonest awake
To the flowers is always
The first to be touched by the thorns”
Thomas Moore
Upcoming Events
Sept 1//ASU Football ( Artillery Support )
San Angelo Stadium
Sept 5,12,19,26//Speaker Series
Fort Concho Commissary
Sept 8//ASU Football ( Artillery Support )
San Angelo Stadium
Sept 7-8//Cowboy Symposium
Lubbock
Sept 22//ASU Football ( Artillery Support )
San Angelo Stadium
While August is not one of our busier
months, we did have several events. The gun
crew fired a few salutes for our quests, including
many from Mexico, at the August 22nd evening
event at the fort. We also appreciate the fine
turnout of the vintage baseball teams for the
Blue Star Families breakfast on Saturday, August 25. And Buffalo Soldier and staff member
Paul Cook was a squad of one at the ceremony
at City Hall on August 25, marking the 49th
anniversary of the Civil Rights March on Washington. Check out the 2012-2013 Images Magazine, produced for the Chamber of Commerce.
The new issue features a very positive article on
Fort Concho, including several photos of the
artillery crew firing a dusk salute. The Chamber
uses this publication to promote our city to promote our city to possible new residents, businesses and professionals. September gets busy!
The gun crew fires salutes for the ASU Rams
football team on the Saturdays of the 1st, 8th
and 22nd. We need a few volunteers to travel to
Lubbock and assist the sergeant-major at the
annual National Cowboy Symposium on Friday
and Saturday, September 7 and 8 ( we could
travel up Thursday night and return Saturday
afternoon). Motels, food and gas are covered.
We have a pending evening event for some
Chinese tourists on Saturday the 15th. We
would like to fire a salute at or near 6pm. Buffalo Gap, south of Abilene has asked for baseball players on Saturday, September 29. And
weekend event in Comanche needs some reenactors for September 22—23. The fort’s
Speaker’s Series ( continued on page two )
( continued from page one ) has lunch hour talks on all Wednesdays in September at the Commissary Building. Free to all. National Museum Day is September 29; the fort, as well as the Art Museum, Nature Center, Depot Museum and Miss Hattie’s Museum are free to all that day. And drop
by the classroom at the Living History Stables. Paul Cook has hung a variety of photos and prints
that cover the various aspects of the late 1800s military plus a few modern shots of our volunteers in
action. Thanks for your assistance; we look forward to seeing you.
What is a tumbleweed? Tumbleweeds really are a specific plant, the mature form of the Russian
thistle. We think of them as being a real symbol of the West. But, tumbleweeds are immigrants
from the steppes of Asia. The seeds first arrived in the Dakotas sometime in the 1870s in shipments of wheat or flaxseed from Russia. They were on the West Coast by 1900. They are considered to be peregrinating plants—highly traveled. Russian thistles are now found in 19 countries outside Asia. They do not compete well with native plants in undisturbed areas, but give them a farm
field or a ditch and they’ll move right in. They also do well in salty soil. The scientific name ( Salsola iberica ) comes form the Latin word for salt. The whole tumbling business is how the plant
disperses its seeds. When the thistle is mature, it dries up, snaps off from its roots with the help of
special cells in its stem and waits for the wind to give it a ride. They can produce up to 10,000
seeds that go flying off as the plant tumbles along.
Omelet a la Vanderbilt
12 Eggs
12 shelled Shrimp
2 medium Green Peppers
2 Medium Tomatoes
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Maderia Wine
Take the two peppers, plunge them into hot oil for 30 seconds,
then take them out and lay on a dry cloth, skin them and remove
the seeds and then cut into small slices. Put these into a saucepan
with the sliced tomatoes on a medium-high heat. Add the shrimp
and the wine, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce
reduce heat and cook slowly for 15 minutes. Break the eggs into a
bowl, season with a half pinch of salt and a third of a pinch of
pepper and beat well for 5 minutes. Put 2 ounces of butter in a
Frying pan and place on medium-high heat . When the butter has
melted, drop in the eggs and mix briskly for two minutes. Pour 2/3 of the shrimp and pepper mixture onto one side and fold over the other. Let cook for another 2 minutes. Pour the remaining
shrimp and peppers over the top and serve. ( Alessandro Filippini , Delmonico’s Chef, 1889 )
Presidential Trivia: George Washington
was born on February 11, 1731, based on the
Julian calendar then in use in the British Colonies. When the Gregorian calendar was
adopted in the British Colonies in 1752, he
opted to begin observing his birth day on the
equivalent date of February 22, 1732. His father died when he was 11 years old and the
story of him cutting down the cherry tree is a
fabrication created by Parson Weems. George
loved nuts, with hazel nuts being his favorite. It
is said that his habit of cracking the shells of
nuts with his teeth is why he had to have false
teeth. These teeth were carved from whale
bone, rhinoceros horn, elephant ivory and deer
antlers. No account of wooden teeth can be
substantiated. George had only one tooth when
he was elected president. When he was 20, he
inherited Mount Vernon and that made him
one of the largest landholders in Virginia. Washington continued to add new land until Mount
Vernon covered over 8,000 acres. 300 slaves worked this large estate but gained their freedom when
George died. A tall man for the era at 6 foot 2 inches and 175 pounds. George later in life added a
few inches to his middle and got up to 200 pounds. A size 13 shoe gave cobblers fits. George married Martha Dandridge Curtis, a widow with 2 children when he was 26 and she was 27. He adopted
these children as he and Martha never had children of their own. While Commander in Chief of the
Continental Army, he banned the men in the army from swearing and using curse words. An avid
spelunker, he also worked as a surveyor and at one time was the largest distiller of whiskey in Virginia. Elected to the office of president at 57 years of age, he was also the only president to be unanimously elected by the electoral college. He ran unopposed for both of his terms and did not represent a political party. His first inauguration address was 90 seconds long and consisted of 183 words.
His second inaugural address was only 135 words. These are the shortest inaugural address’s ever by
any president. George never wore a wig, instead he wore his hair pulled together in the back. George
loved dogs and had several with names like Sweet Lips, Taster, Tippler, Forester, Vulcan, Madame,
Moose, Mopsey, Drunkard, True Love and Searcher. George was one of the richest men in America
with many things named for and after him, such as: 1 state, 7 mountains, 8 streams, 10 lakes, 33
counties, 9 colleges and 121 towns and villages. He died of a throat infection on December 14, 1799
at the age of 67. He became the first president to appear on a postage stamp. The ten cent stamp
issued in 1847. His picture on the dollar bill is based on a Gilbert Stuart painting. George Washington is considered to be one of America’s greatest presidents.
This month in History: August 1, 1790-First US census, population 3,939,214. August 2,
1776-Formal signing of the Declaration of Independence. August 3, 1882-Congress passes 1st law
restricting immigration. August 4, 1862-US government collects its first income tax. August 5, 1861US Army abolishes flogging. August 6, 1815-US flotilla ends piracy from Tunis, Algiers and Tripoli.
August 7, 1760-Fort Loudon, Tennessee falls to Cherokee Indians. August 8, 1786-US Congress
adopts silver dollar and decimal system of currency. August 9, 1790-USS Columbia returns to Boston after 3 year journey and becomes the first ship to carry the US flag around the world. August 10,
1833-Chicago incorporates as a village of 200. August 11, 1772-Explosive eruption tears 4,000 feet
off Papandayan, Java and kills 3,000. August 12, 1877-Thomas Edison invents his Edisonphone, a
sound recording device. August 13, 1889-William Gray patents coin-operated telephone. August
14, 1813-British warship Pelican attacks and captures US war brigantine Argus. August 15, 1824Freed American slaves form country of Liberia. August 16, 1887– Fred Goldsmith demonstrates
that curveball is not an optical illusion. August 17, 1807– Robert Fulton’s steamboat “ Clermont “
begins first trip up Hudson River. August 18, 1872-First mail-order catalog created by A M Ward.
August 19, 1812-US warship Constitution defeats British warship Guerriere. August 20, 1741Alaska discovered by Danish explorer Vitus Bering. August 21, 1841-John Hampton patents the
venetian blind. August 22, 1846-United States annexes New Mexico. August 23, 1869-First carload
of freight of boots and shoes arrives in San Francisco from Boston. August 24, 1891-Thomas Edison patents motion picture camera. August 25, 1829-President Andrew Jackson offers to but Texas
from Mexico and they refuse to sell. August 26, 580-The Chinese invent toilet paper. August 27,
1883-Krakatoa, west of Java, explodes with a force equal to 1,300 megatons. August 28, 1830-First
locomotive in the US the “ Tom Thumb “ runs from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mill. August 29, 1896 Chop suey invented in New York City by the chef of visiting Chinese Ambassador. August 30,
1850-Honolulu, Hawaii becomes a city. August 31,1842-Micah Rugg patents a nuts and bolts manufacturing machine.
Brevet Rank A long-standing custom of the United States Army provided that an officer who
had exhibited unusual courage or leadership in the field could be promoted to an honorary rank
known as a brevet. Pre Civil War regulations specified that brevetted ranks had no significance
within an officer’s own unit and branch of service but were recognized if he were part of a mixed
command or serving on a court martial board. Likewise, brevet ranks did not carry an increase in
pay or authority. Most wartime brevets were of limited duration, after which officers reverted back
to their previous ranks. In March 1863 Congress authorized brevet promotions of the officers of the
US Volunteers. By the end of the war, approximately 1,700 Union officers held brevet ranks as major generals and brigadier generals of the regular army and the volunteers. Most of these were dated
March 13, 1863, when Congress conferred the honor wholesale, but this abuse led to the termination of brevet promotions. The highest brevet rank conferred was lieutenant –general, which was
given to Winfield Scott.
Scamper says: A pessimist is a person who has to listen to too many optimists.
This Month in History:Sept 1, 1950– 13 North Korean divisions open assault on United
Nations lines. Sept 2, 1957-United Sates performs nuclear test at Nevada test site. Sept3, 1954Espionage and Sabotage Act of 1954 signed into law. Sept 4, 1953– New York Yankees become 1st
team to win 5 consecutive championships. Sept 5, 1958-1st color video recording on magnetic tape.
Sept 6, 1954-WINS in New York City starts to play rock and roll music with the Alan Freed Show.
Sept 7, 1965-Bell X-2 sets unofficial manned altitude record-126,000 feet. Sept 8, 1951-Japan signs
peace treaty with 48 countries. Sept 9, 1965-Elvis Presley’s first appearance on the Ed Sullivan
Show. Sept 10, 1953-Swanson sells its 1st “ TV dinner.” Sept 11, 1950-” Beetle Bailey “ comic strip
debuts. Sept 12, 1959-” Bonanza “ premieres on NBC-TV. Sept 13, 1959-USSR’s Luna 2 becomes
first man-made probe to contact another celestial body when it crashes into the moon. Sept 14,
1956-First prefrontal lobotomy performed in Washington, D.C. Sept 15, 1950-UN troops land at
Inchon to drive North Korean troops out of the south. Sept 16, 1955-US Auto Club forms to oversee 4 major auto racing categories. Sept 17, 1959-Transit 1A, first navigational satellite is launched
and fails to orbit. Sept 18, 1956-New York Yankees clinch pennant # 22 on Mickey Mantles 50th
homer of the season. Sept 19, 1959-Nikita Khrushchev is denied access to Disneyland. Sept 20,
1951-First crossing of the North pole in a jet. Sept 21, 1954-First nuclear-powered submarine, USS
Nautilus is launched. Sept 22, 1950-Omar Bradley promoted to 5-star general. Sept 23, 1957Buddy Holly and the Crickets reach Number 1 with “ That’ll be the Day.” Sept 24, 1955-” Operation Magic Carpet “; All Jews from Yemen move to Israel. Sept 25, 1956-First transatlantic telephone from Oban, Scotland to Newfoundland, Canada goes into operation. Sept 26, 1957-” West
Side Story “ opens at the Winter Garden Theater in New York City for 734 performances. Sept 27,
1953-A typhoon destroys 1/3 of Nagoya, Japan. Sept 28, 1955-First color broadcast of a World Series on NBC-TV( Yankees beat the Dodgers ). Sept 29, 1950-Telephone answering machine created by Bell Laboratories. Sept 30, 1960-The “ Flintstones “ premiers, first prime time animated
show.
1841 Mountain Howitzer
The development of a viable mountain artillery piece began in
France in 1821. The French had learned in the Napoleonic
Wars that regular field pieces were often too cumbersome to be
able to go into many mountainous regions. The Spanish had
used small howitzers that proved to be superior in mobility and
usefulness to the opposing French guns. Development of a
French model had stalled at the end of the Napoleonic era, but
by 1821 the French army began again to look for a useful mountain gun. They tested 10 existing barrels from the earlier program and 50 prototype tubes. A gun was designed to shoot a projectile on a flat trajectory, while the
howitzer fired a round in a higher arcing flight. A howitzer could fire over friendly forces without the
need of very much elevation or clear fields of fire. 26 prototypes were tested and modified while
looking for the optimum system. On May 17, 1828, the French Ministry of War formally added the
mountain howitzer to their inventory. Within a couple of years they had developed the standard
field carriage and the pack carriage for use with this new gun. The French never used the howitzer in
war, but they licensed its production in America in the early 1830s. In 1836, Secretary of War Lewis
Cass added the French Mountain Howitzer to the artillery system of the US Army. By 1839-40,
howitzers were beginning to equip several American artillery batteries. The Americans found ways
to use the guns that had never occurred to the French and they put it to widespread use against Indian warriors and each other. Only three American companies are known to have produced mountain howitzer tubes, Cyrus Alger and Nathan Ames Companies of Boston and Tredegar Iron Works
of Richmond. Alger’s foundry received the first contract of twelve tubes and delivered in May, 1837.
Alger and Ames only produced a few barrels a year and by 1846, Ames had only produced 25. Only
21 barrels are known to have been produced by the Tredegar Iron Works. The whole production
run for mountain howitzers was only 442 barrels. The 1841 Mountain Howitzer at a 5 degree elevation, could hurl a 12 pound projectile 1,005 yards using a half pound of cannon grade powder. The
howitzer was most effective using case and canister due to its short range and arcing trajectory.
Weighing in at a total of 500 pounds, the gun and carriage weigh less than the tube of a 3-inch Ordnance Rifle ( 800 pounds ). This nimble gun was used with great success against hostile Indian warriors during the Indian Wars era. It was very rare for Indians to attack soldiers with artillery, for to do
so was a sure death sentence. There are a few stories about
how the little “ bull pups “ saved many a troopers hind end.
A mountain howitzer was easy to serve, even by untrained
soldiers and a well served howitzer was able to fire 3-4 times
a minute. During the Indian Wars Era, very few, if any
artillerymen manned the outposts of the west, so infantry
and cavalry soldiers were crossed-trained either by force or
volunteered. As was often the case, many howitzers stayed
behind at garrisons collecting dust or were used only for salutes during special ceremonies.
July 3 Pops Concert Thanks to David Golden, his gun and his crew for burning some powder with
us for the annual San Angelo Pops Concert. A round of applause to the Fort Concho gun crews of
Ron Hartman, Tony Castro, David Johnson, Mike Bitner, Will
Harding, Jim Kerbow and Chris and Sandy Morgan. Red-Legs
Rock!!!
Celeritas Et Accuratio
Speed and Accuracy
3rd Field Artillery Regiment
Fort Concho Museum
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
Paid
San Angelo, Texas
Permit No. 60
National Historic Landmark
630 South Oakes
San Angelo, Texas 76903
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Questions and comments can be directed to the above personnel by calling Fort Concho at —
325-657-4443 or 325-657-4444.
E-mail—[email protected]//WEB:: www.fortconcho.com
The Fort Concho Dispatch may also be viewed on our website.
Look for us Facebook.
Sic Semper Tyrannis
Robert Bluthardt……….….Sgt.Major//Director
Christopher Morgan….…Ordnance//Quartermaster//Education
Paul Cook……………………..…Staff Liaison//Buffalo Soldiers//Stable Sgt.
Cory Robinson…………….…Staff Liaison//Cavalry//Baseball
Gregg Hector…………….......Bugler//Artillery
Cynthia Bishop……………...Staff Liaison//Schoolmarm//Laundress
Jim Kerbow…..….….…..…... 1stSgt//Company F, 16th
Rick Brown…………….….….. 1stSgt//Company A, 10th
Gary Carpenter………..….…1st Sgt//Company D, 4th