#ridgeway gen 1

[nerdyth]

[denimsnake]

@rollerz​

Ok so everyone knows about the potato famine and how it led a bunch of Irish folks to immigrate to the U.S. and Canada (& Australia but they’re irrelevant to this story) and a lot of them and their descendants fought in the Civil War (on both sides), but not everyone knows that they got a little silly after the war. Picture this: a bunch of dudes angry that their ancestral homeland is occupied by English people, and these dudes are fresh out of a war that provided them with 1) military experience and 2) guns! (and other equipment. but mostly the weapons).

In 1858, the Fenian Brotherhood had been organized by one John Francis O’Mahony, who, besides bearing the distinction of Most Irish Name Ever, would go on to achieve the rank of colonel in the 69th Regiment (nice) of New York State Militia. Also, he looked like this:

The name Fenian traces back to the Fianna, which is pretty badass.

O’Mahony had taken part in the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848, which was when a bunch of 19th-century Irish Gen Zers decided to attack the cops, but failed because the cops, by virtue of being aligned with Britain, had more manpower, more weaponry, and also probably weren’t Literally Starving due to crop failures. Due to the aforementioned starvation and also having been kicked out of Britain for being too Irish, O’Mahony moved to the United States in 1854.

Up to this point, every statement has probably made you think, “Cheers, I’ll drink to that.” I mean, who among us doesn’t want to free Ireland from the grip of tyranny? But brace yourself.

It’s April 1866. The United States has been re-unified for a year.

The Fenian Brotherhood is invading Canada.

Why? you may ask. How? is also a valid question, and easier to answer: with all that military experience acquired during the Civil War, and also the guns. I don’t know exactly which guns, but probably something cool like Spencer repeating rifles or Springfield rifles. Whatever they were, they gave the Fenians the confidence they needed to look at our great big, cold neighbor to the North and think: “Yeah, I could fuck with that.”

If you aren’t aware, you don’t fuck with Canada. You can’t fuck with Canada. Americans have tried. In 1775, General Richard Montgomery -- who was also, coincidentally, Irish -- died in Québec and all he got for it is a cool painting where he looks like Jesus. In 1812, Brig. Gen. William Hull and his severely under-equipped army tried to convince Canadians to leave Britain; RIP to William Hull but the Canadians said no thank you, and chased him out of their country. There’ve been a few other skirmishes here and there, but suffice it to say that Canada is truly the Russia of North America.

The Fenians were different, though, in that they had no government backing and therefore were even more poorly equipped to invade Canada than those other guys.

As for why: they wanted to hold Canada hostage and then hold a sort of prisoner transfer, except for political entities instead of human beings -- Canada for Ireland.

Their first target: Campobello Island. Why choose this target? I suspect it’s because they wanted to start with something small to boost confidence. If you try to bite off more than you can chew right off the bat and fail immediately, it really kills the groove, y’know? Campobello Island’s biggest claim to fame, besides that it was once invaded by Irish-Americans, is that future president Franklin Delano Roosevelt may have gotten polio there in 1921. Which means that in 1866, before the raid, it had absolutely no claim to fame.

So, anyway, about 700 Fenians set off for Campobello Island and failed immediately. They never even landed on the island because British warships showed up and they dispersed.

A couple months later, in June 1866, they tried again, but bigger this time. Led by Colonel John O’Neill (played by Richard Dean Anderson in the television adaptation), about 1000 Fenians crossed the Niagara River into Canada West (now Ontario). The USS Michigan was deployed and cut off O’Neill and his men from supplies and reinforcements. From now on, they were on their own.

And they actually did kind of a good job, for a relatively small force of men with no legitimate backing invading a foreign nation. O’Neill’s army occupied Fort Erie and then managed to ambush some (admittedly inexperienced) Canadian volunteers of the militia and the Queen’s Own Rifles of Toronto. Both forces were about the same size, but as the Torontonians (is that right? Chrome wants to change it to Estonians) were total noobs and the Fenians were veterans of the bloodiest war in United States history, the Fenians...actually won. The Battle of Ridgeway has its own Wikipedia article, and according to it it’s “the only armed victory for the cause of Irish independence between the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and the Irish War of Independence in 1919,” which kind of sucks, considering it was fought by a rag-tag bunch of idiots.

The Fenians went back to Fort Erie and some more fighting occurred, but none of that’s as interesting as the fact that a Canadian officer, Lt. Col. John Dennis -- yes, all three people I’ve introduced so far have been named John -- apparently deserted his men, fled to a house, stripped off his uniform, and shaved his “luxurious sideburn whiskers,” which is just the sort of bonkers shit you love to see in an account of a military action. Also, 2nd Lieutenant Angus MacDonald, boy detective, was there.

It’s fitting that Fort Erie was then known as Waterloo, because that’s where it all fell apart for our heroes. The British were coming, and Colonel O’Neill was, I’m sure, no quitter, but he was one to bravely run away to fight another day. The Fenians retreated back to New York State and surrendered to the U.S. Navy.

The U.S. government began to crack down on wayward Irish rebels, and President Johnson went so far as to issue a proclamation, for all the good it would do. Because of these crackdowns and the ensuing arrests of many Fenian leaders, the planned raids into Canada East (now Québec) were thwarted.

In 1870 and ‘71, the Fenians returned to their old mischief and began raiding Québec and Manitoba, but they just didn’t have the same magic as the first raids. This time ‘round, the Fenian Brotherhood had been infiltrated by British and Canadian spies, which made it near-impossible to execute any plans. Our old friend John O’Neill was arrested by a U.S. Marshal in 1870 after the Battle of Trout River (which involved the 69th [nice] Regiment of Foot [not so nice]), but he and other Fenians were pardoned by President Grant.

And so ends this tale, lost to time. Oh, but also, Kate Beaton did a comic on it.

[revolutionarywarhistory]

"A character for probity and honor": the story of Theodore Middleton [Part 4]

Continued from part 3

Reprinted from my History Hermann WordPress blog.

© 2016-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] He also said that in his present living area he was "personally acquainted with the Rev. Spencer Mitchell, George Semmes, Henry A. Callis, Henry Gantt, John Addison, Bazil Hatten, Notley Maddox...Henry Tolson Esqrs...Judge Key, and the Hon’le B. J. Semmes."

[2] Henry Wright Newman, "Captain Theodore Middleton" within The Maryland Semmes and Kindred Families (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1956), 282. Later one of the Middleton family would marry into the Boone family.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Mortgage between Theodore Middleton and Robert Bench, Aug 12, 1812, Prince George's County Court, Land Records, Liber JRM 15, p. 283, 284 [MSA CE 65-44]. Courtesy of mdlandrec.net.

[5] Deed between Theodore Middleton, Josiah Moore, Thomas Bunch, and Mordecai Ridgeway, Oct. 5, 1814, Prince George's County Court, Land Records, Liber JRM 16, p. 208, 209, 210, 211 [MSA CE 65-45]. Courtesy of mdlandrec.net.

[6] Deed between Theodore Middleton and Stanislaus Hoxton, May 22, 1815, Prince George's County Court, Land Records, Liber JRM 16, p. 362, 363 [MSA CE 65-45]. Courtesy of mdlandrec.net.

[7] Deed between Theodore Middleton and Henry O. Middleton, Mar. 14, 1820, Prince George's County Court, Land Records, Liber AB 1, p. 412, 413 [MSA CE 65-48]. Courtesy of mdlandrec.net.

[8] Deed between Theodore Middleton and George Semmes, Aug. 29, 1820, Prince George's County Court, Land Records, Liber AB 1, p. 413, 414 [MSA CE 65-48]. Courtesy of mdlandrec.net.

[9] Deed between Theodore Middleton and Sarah Folson, Sept. 13, 1826,  Prince George's County Court, Land Records, Liber AB 4, p. 342, 343 [MSA CE 65-51]. Courtesy of mdlandrec.net.

[10] Originally he was paid $2,050 for such land in 1820, and $2,000 in 1826.

[11] [Deed involving Thomas Middleton and Catherine Plajay, Mar. 13, 1743, Prince George's County, Land Records, Liber BB 1, p. 103, 104, 105 [MSA CE 65-12]. Courtesy of mdlandrec.net.

[12] Bill of sale by Theodore Middleton to Francis John Lobson, April 3, 1820, Prince George's County Court, Land Records, Liber AB 1, p. 264 [MSA CE 65-48]. Courtesy of mdlandrec.net.

[13] "Average Price of Slaves, New Orleans, 1804-1862" within Edward Baptist, The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism (New York: Basic Books, 2014), 174, citing the New Orleans Sale Sample, 1805-1862, which was compiled by Robert W. Fogel and Stanley L. Engerman.

[14] Bill of Sale from Gen. Semmes and Francis Tolson to Theodore Middleton, November 12, 1821, Prince George's County Court, Land Records, Liber AB 2, p. 33 [MSA CE 65-49]. Courtesy of mdlandrec.net.

[15] Bill of sale involving Thomas Middleton and John Lawrence, Feb. 24, 1743, Prince George's County, Land Records, Liber BB 1, p. 85, 86 [MSA CE 65-12]. Courtesy of mdlandrec.net; Bill of sale involving Thomas Middleton and James Gibbs, May 17, 1744, Prince George's County, Land Records, Liber BB 1, p. 130, 131 [MSA CE 65-12]. Courtesy of mdlandrec.net; Bill of sale involving Thomas Middleton and James Gibbs, May 17, 1744, Prince George's County, Land Records, Liber BB 1, p. 131, [MSA CE 65-12]. Courtesy of mdlandrec.net.

[16] Pension of Erasmus Gantt, 1832, Survivor's Pension Application File, S.10.727, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, National Archives, NARA M804, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15. Courtesy of Ancestry.com and HeritageQuest.

[17] Pension of John Boone, 1832, Pension Application File, S. 8076, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, National Archives, NARA M804, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15. Courtesy of Ancestry.com and HeritageQuest.

[18] Pension of Hester Hill for benefits of Henry Hill her husband, 1856, Pension Application File, W. 14,907, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, National Archives, NARA M804, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15. Courtesy of Ancestry.com and HeritageQuest.

[19] Middleton's pension "includes a certificate by Mountjoy Bayly of the District of Columbia dated 27 Feb 1833, signed as shown, certifying Middleton’s service in words almost identical to those in the above application. On 11 March 1833 Theodore Middleton applied to have his pension payable in Washington, DC. A note by W. H. Middleton dated 25 Oct 1855 asks that the Commissioner of Pensions allow examination of the papers pertaining to his father, Theodore Middleton."

[20] Reportedly there is information about him within this article and this newspaper although that cannot be confirmed.

[21] Newman, "Captain Theodore Middleton," 283.

[22] "Reports of Traveling Agents," Maryland Colonization Journal, Baltimore, Dec. 1856, Vol. 8, no. 19, 304. He is reportedly mentioned on pages 97 and 376 at least of Daniel Boone Lloyd's The Middletons and kindred families of southern Maryland.

[lespetiteshistoiresdepaul-blog]

Auteur #1 : Agatha Christie

Mes chers lecteurs,

Je vous ai déjà parlé de cette auteure à 2 reprises (idée #14 et idée #16) et aujourd'hui je vais vous la présenter, ainsi que ses livres...

Agatha Christie

Je vous présente rapidement l'auteure : Agatha Christie est née en 1890 et est morte en 1976. C'est une romancière britannique qui a écrit une ribambelle de polars. Elle a mis en scène Hercule Poirot et Miss Marple. Depuis peu Sophie Hannah, une autre britannique, reprend Hercule Poirot dans une série d'enquête (il faut que je les lise !)

Je vais vous présenter 5 livres de Christie, parmi mes préférés.

- "Les Pendules" : Miss Pebmarsh est aveugle et elle a été bien surprise d'apprendre qu'un cadavre gisait sur son canapé. Et pourquoi toutes les pendules de la maison sont en avance d'une heure ? Hercule Poirot, assisté d'un beau et jeune homme, sera démêlé cette affaire sanglante.

- "Mort sur le Nil" : Ce n'est pas très joli de voler son fiancé à sa meilleure amie pour se marier avec lui. Et même si l'amie en question semble se résigner, la ravissante et riche Linnet Ridgeway a bien des raisons d'être inquiète. Surtout quand le hasard les rassemble... Un petit revolver, un crime étrange, une énigme de plus à résoudre pour un passager pas comme les autres : Hercule Poirot.

- "Dix petits nègres" :  En a-t-on parlé de l’Île du Nègre! Elle avait, selon certains, été achetée par une star de Hollywood.Des journaux avaient insinué que l’Amirauté britannique s’y livrait à des expériences ultrasecrètes. Bref, quand ils reçurent –sans savoir de qui– cette invitation à passer des vacances à l’Île du Nègre, tous les dix accoururent.

- "Le train bleu" :  Dans ce train où ne se côtoient que des gens aux comptes en banque bien fournis, et qui fuient les brumes anglaises pour le soleil de la Côte d'Azur, la fille d'un homme d'affaires américain est assassinée. Enquête difficile, certes, mais le grand détective Hercule Poirot veille et l'assassin ne s'en sortira pas si facilement...

- "Le crime de l'Orient Express" :  Par le plus grand des hasards, Hercule Poirot se trouve dans la voiture de l’Orient-Express – ce train de luxe qui traverse l’Europe – où un crime féroce a été commis. Une des plus difficiles et des plus délicates enquêtes commence pour le fameux détective belge.Autour de ce cadavre, trop de suspects, trop d’alibis.

Avis : Chacun de ces livres a ses particularités et ses originalités et Agatha Christie s'accroche à son style, si plaisant. Les livres qu'elle a écrit m'ont toujours emporté à une autre époque, dans un autre univers. Ses personnages récurrents sont toujours fidèles à eux mêmes et sa narration est parfaite. Toujours un bon moment !

Voilà cette chronique spécial Agatha Christie est finie, je vous retrouve jeudi prochain pour une idée lecture (on parlera de Danniel Pennac). En attendant abonnez-vous, partagez, likez et continuez à lire !

Paul, votre écrivain dévoué

[nerdyth]

It didn’t take long for someone to put an offer in on the cottage. It was a sweet older couple who were looking for somewhere nice and quiet to retire to. They kind of reminded Mabel of her grandparents, so she felt like it was only fitting the cottage be passed along to them.

With the money they got from the sale of the cottage and the money they received from Selvadorada, they were able to afford a really nice house! In terms of land it wasn’t that much bigger than the cottage. It felt bigger though! There was space for them to grow, for the animals to roam, and even a little pond! Plus, it was a converted windmill! They were going to be living in part of Henford’s history, and that was pretty exciting! 

----

This lot was built by @ariafaeyt and you should definitely go check her out! She has some incredible builds on the gallery <3

[nerdyth]

It was the annual Big Summer Blowout in Henford! The marketplace and businesses shut down for the day so sims could have some fun in the sun with those they cared about the most. For Mabel, that meant a BBQ in the park with Michael, Sara and Simon, and Honey too! . Baby Cole was at home with a sitter because the sun was too dangerous to be out in all day for such a little sim.

Michael was on grilling duty. which made a change as normally Mabel did all the meal prep on big occasions. She wasn’t going to complain about the day off though. In reality, Michael didn’t volunteer to grill purely to let Mabel enjoy the day, it was also to keep his mind busy and out of conversations. Although he was a loner and often pretty quiet, he was even more on edge in social situations than before. What if someone knew? Kim was quite often in the Gnome’s Arms, so maybe she said something? He didn’t expect them to say anything today, but the thought of it still had him a little on edge. 

[nerdyth]

The party continued well into the night. Everyone had a wonderful time! Drinks were flowing, the dance floor was always full, and laughter echoed out of the barn. It was the perfect end to the perfect day! 

[nerdyth]

Mabel took a look at some of Michael’s clothing stock before she went back to the cottage. There wasn’t really anything that caught her eye for Kuzco, but she couldn’t resist this dapper little hat for Foghorn!

“Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man“

[nerdyth]

Arty the fox got in the house! 

[nerdyth]

Michael ran into the cavern, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the cause of the commotion. The lid of a stone sarcophagus was lying on the floor, and a skeleton was climbing out. The skeleton stretched and the sound of their ancient joints cracking filled the cavern. 

“Ooh that’s better!”

The skeleton turned around and looked at Michael, who was stood there with his mouth hanging open. 

“Hey there, my man. Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to stare?”

[nerdyth]

This is the face of a naughty pupper who went to the restaurant to beg for scraps without her human’s permission. 

Before Mabel went to bed, she noticed that Honey wasn’t in the front garden. Worried, she walked the length of the village, only to see Honey getting fed by the chef at the Bagley Brunch.

[nerdyth]

[nerdyth]

Mabel had struck a deal with Kim, the owner of the grocery stall, where she could trade some of her surplus fish for cooking ingredients. Money was still pretty tight for Mabel, so the ability to haggle was a lifesaver! 

[nerdyth]

Mabel came across this little guy on her way out of Sophie’s circle. This was the first critter she had seen since moving to the village! 

[nerdyth]

Mabel could feel tears starting to well in her eyes, so quickly got up before Michael saw. She didn’t want to guilt trip him about his feelings, because they were completely valid. But the thought of having to wait another year before getting to start her family stung. What is going to be different in a year? 

“Mabel, come back!”

Michael caught her at the bottom of the stairs and pulled her into a hug, which made everything seem a little better.

“I’m sorry, Michael. I’m just being silly. Ignore me.”

“You’re not! Look, I maybe should have said something before now. I just want to make sure that we’re in the right space for kids. They’re a big life change and they don’t ask to be born, so I want to make sure we can give them the best of the best.”

“I can understand that...but...”

“But what?”

“Well, we can give them everything now? We moved into this house that has more space to raise a child. We’re financially secure. We’re married. I just don’t see what other boxes we need to tick before we’re ready. There’s no ‘right’ time to have a child, but if there were we’d be there.”

“Emotionally I don’t think I can have a child. I don’t really want one, and I don’t want to end up resenting one.Is this a deal breaker for you?”

“Well...no...I guess a year isn’t really that long to wait. We’ll put a pin in this until then.”

[nerdyth]

Henrietta was getting old! Mabel had noticed that she had stopped producing eggs, and as she had a deal with Kim at the grocery stall, she needed to do something about it. Now that Michael was here to help care for the animals, Mabel decided to purchase another two hens! Welcome to the family Babs and Bunty!