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America’s first war as a nation

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:
This is long, but well worth a read.  This is real history, folks.
Anniversary of America’s First Military Victory Over Islam Passes Quietly By

John Guandolo:
April 27th marks the anniversary of a great American military victory, yet most citizens in our nation are simply unaware of the date, and the implications of the event. On April 27, 1805, First Lieutenant Presley O’’Bannon, a United States Marine Officer assigned to the USS Argus and under the command of Diplomat William Eaton, led Marines into Battle against the Muslim forces in Tripoli at Derne. This was the first war the United States fought after the revolution and the first time the America flag was planted on foreign soil in combat. And the USA won.
O’’Bannon is a legend in the Marine Corps, but this war (–and it was a declared “war” by the U.S. Congress)– was the result of years of the U.S. paying more and more tribute to the Muslim nations (“Barbary States”) to ensure the safe passage of U.S. ships and their crews. This is the reason “Letters of Marque are mentioned in our Constitution.

Here is the official account by the U.S. Marine Corps Historical Division:

For many years the United States had maintained peace with the Muslim controlled Barbary States (Algiers, Morocco, Tunis, and Tripoli) by “buying” treaties and paying tribute to the reigning [Muslim] Pasha. Although Algiers, Morocco, and Tunis were not entirely satisfied, they were more or less complacent, whereas Tripoli continued to make threats against the United States while demanding larger and more frequent “payments.” Finally, on 14 May 1801, the Muslim Pasha of Tripoli, Yusut Karamanli, indicated his extreme dissatisfaction with our “tribute” by having the flagstaff cut down in front of our U.S. Consulate.
This act led Congress to a Declaration of War against Tripoli and the sending of U.S. war vessels to the Mediterranean. During a storm one of the ships, the USS Philadelphia, went on the rocks off Tripoli and her crew was captured and imprisoned at Derne. After a bombardment of Tripoli by U.S. vessels and the offer of $100,000 ransom for the crew of the Philadelphia had failed to move the Pasha, William Eaton, “Navy Agent for the several Barbary Regencies,” suggested forming an alliance with Hamet, elder brother of the reigning sovereign of Tripoli. The plan was approved by the U.S. Government and Eaton commenced putting his plan into execution.
On 29 November 1804, Eaton, First Lieutenant O’’Bannon, Midshipmen George Mann, U.S. Navy, and seven Marines landed at Alexandria, Egypt, from the USS Argus, and a few days later proceeded to Cairo. The party arrived at Cairo on 8 January 1805, where they learned that Hamet and a few Tripolitans had joined a band of rebellious Mamelukes who were defying the rule of the Turkish viceroy. Eaton then pushed on to Fiaum where he communicated with Hamet and made arrangements with him for his cooperation with the expedition against Derne, Tripoli. On 8 April, Eaton and his motley army of about 500 men, 100 camels, and a few mules started the long march across the Libyan desert. He arrived at Derne the night of 25 April, and the next day, under a flag of truce, offered terms of amity to the Governor of Derne on condition of allegiance and fidelity to Hamet. The Muslim reply to this offer was “”My head or yours.””

    Shortly thereafter, the USS Nautilus arrived in the harbor of Derne, and the next day the USS Argus and Hornet dropped anchor nearby. When the combined land-sea attack commenced on 27 April, Lieutenant O’’Bannon, with his Marines, a few Greeks, and as many of the cannoniers as could be spared from the field, passed through a shower of enemy musketry, took possession of one of the enemy’s batteries, planted the United States flag upon its ramparts and turned the guns upon the enemy. After two hours of hand-to-hand fighting, the stronghold was occupied and for the first time in history the flag of the United States flew over a fortress of the old world.”
   Today, let us remember the victory of America’s first military victory as a nation after the Revolutionary War … Since Muslims have celebrated their first Islamic military victory of Muslim forces over non-Muslim forces at Obama’s White House:– Eid al Fitr,– it is relevant for us to simply acknowledge that our first foe defeated in combat as a nation was a Muslim nation. ————————————————————————     

    Today the following should bother every American:
1. That Muslims have brought about women-only classes and swimming times at taxpayer-funded universities and
public pools;
2. That Christians, Jews, and Hindus have been banned from serving on juries where Muslim defendants are being
judged;
3. Piggy banks and Porky Pig tissue dispensers have been banned from workplaces because they offend Muslim
sensibilities;
4. Ice cream has been discontinued at certain Burger King locations because the picture on the wrapper looks similar
to the Arabic script for Allah;
5. Public schools, restaurants, & grocery outlets are removing pork from their menus and shelves;
6. On and on and on and on….
    The Muslim onslought is death by a thousand cuts, or inch-by-inch as some refer to it. Most Americans have no idea that this battle is being waged every day across America.    By not fighting back, by allowing liberal groups and dishonest liberal media to obfuscate what is really happening, and not insisting that the Islamists adapt to our own culture, the United States is cutting its own throat with a politically correct knife, and helping to further the Muslim’s agenda. Sadly, it appears that today, America’s leadership would rather be politically correct than victorious!.. Any doubts, just Google “Thomas Jefferson vs. the Muslim World.” or “The Barbary Coast”
—————————————-————————————————–
Muslims in Thomas Jefferson’s time:
Today’s Washington leadership have not learned history’s lesson from our previous competent leaders. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, other presidents, and the many leaders of the 18th century made it possible for us to have the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. NO Muslim prophet who preaches hate and death is going to easily take that from us.  However, government may give our freedom away from what I see happening. A rock can be worn away by water landing on it drop by drop over time.  Time is on the side of the Muslims.
    We had a different competence of leadership back then. When Jefferson saw there was no negotiating with Muslims, he dispatched what is the now the USMC. These Marines were attached to U. S. ships. When the Muslims attacked U.S. ships, they were repulsed by Marines.  
          What is today’s Congress stalling for?  
    Where is today’s outcry to do the same?  Answer: It has been replaced by political correctness and Congress inaction! This was unacceptable to Jefferson. Jefferson’s greatest fear was that someday this brand of Islam would return and pose an even greater threat to the United States … Today, Islam is here big time, and our leadership treats Muslim fanaticism as if it were just a different version of Catholic, Presbyterian, or Methodist.  IT IS NOT; Islam never was!  Islam is a satanic agenda to rule the world by killing the people they consider non-believers!  We are making it easy for them by welcoming them in to our country and giving in to their demands … WHY is our government doing this?  I believe the reason is based on lack of historical knowledge, stupidity, and a lack of intelligent, dynamic leadership!
    By not fighting back, by allowing groups to obfuscate what is really happening, and not insisting that the Islamists adapt to our own culture, the United States is cutting its own throat with a politically correct knife, and helping to further the Islamists agenda. Sadly, it appears that today America’s leaders would rather be politically correct than victorious!  And I mean today’s Congress!!  {If you have any doubts about the above information, Google “Thomas Jefferson vs. the Muslim World.“}
    Today’s Federal-government-controlled education system no longer teaches the truth of American History or Civics in our schools, so our country is now destined to repeat the stupidity of the past.

A Voice from the Past REPRINT

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

From November 24, 2012

Certain people have been taking me to task for being too hard on this debased age in which we live.

The following comes from St. Gildas (b. A.D. 500), On the Ruin of Britain, as adapted by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his History of the Kings of Britain. A best-seller in 1136, Geoffrey’s History has never gone out of print. But first St. Gildas, writing of the times in which he lived:

“…The nobler members of the whole community followed the leaders… and only the baser sort remained behind and took over the lands of those who had gone. When these last had started to raise themselves to noble rank, they gave themselves airs beyond anything that their predecessors’ position had ever warranted. They were made proud by the very vastness of their wealth.

Continue Reading “A Voice from the Past REPRINT” →

Memory Lane: The Shark Arm Murders REPRINT

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From August 21, 2015

Let us stroll down Memory Lane to Sydney, Australia, 1935, and one of the most strange and baffling murder  mysteries of all time: the “Shark Arm Murders” ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_Arm_case ).

Why does it have such a weird name? Attendez-vous.

Some Australian fishermen caught, alive, a 14.5-foot tiger shark and brought it to the city aquarium. The big shark did nothing for a week, and didn’t eat, but then fell ill and vomited up a bunch of interesting objects–including a severed human arm. (Note: I’m going by the account of the case given in The Book of Sharks by Richard Ellis, Knopf, New York, 1989, which differs from the Wikipedia article in a few details.)

They killed the shark–for no good reason I can think of–but the medical examiner found that the arm had been removed from its original owner by dint of a very sharp knife. The shark had certainly not bitten it off.

Based on fingerprints, and a well-preserved tattoo of two boxers, investigators were able to identify the owner of the arm–an ex-boxer now augmenting his income by being a police informant. He was in a risky line of work, and I suppose it caught up to him. He went missing some days before the fishermen caught the shark, and was never seen or heard from again.

Anyhow, detectives did their best, they finally arrested someone whom they considered a highly likely suspect, but the court said it couldn’t render a Guilty verdict on the  basis of a loose arm in the belly of the shark. (Offstage we hear Robert Shaw singing, “Farewell and adieu to ye, fair Spanish ladies…”)

There’s some controversy about whether the arm was actually inside the great big tiger shark or the much smaller shark swallowed by the tiger earlier. We shall let Mr. Ellis have the last word.

“An animal so indiscriminate in its eating habits that it eats coal, boat cushions, and tom-toms, would be only too eager to taste a swimmer or a diver–which must look more edible than an unopened can of salmon. Perhaps the label was still on the can; maybe tiger sharks can read.” (pg. 126)

Three Men: Four Presences REPRINT

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

 

From November 18, 2013

I would like to share with you something that happened 100 years ago to Sir Ernest Shackleton, the Antarctic explorer.

Their ship having been crushed in the ice and sunk, Shackleton left most of his crew on a desert island while he and a few men went for help. After crossing 800 miles of stormy ocean in a patched-up longboat, and landing on South Georgia Island, Shackleton and two men had to slog across the mountainous, heavily-glaciated island to reach a whaling station.

After incredible hardships and against seemingly insurmountable odds, they made it. All the men were rescued. The following is from Shackleton’s own memoir:

“When I look back at those days I have no doubt that Providence guided us, not only across those snow-fields, but across the storm-white sea that separated Elephant Island from our landing-place on South Georgia. I know that during that long and racking march of thirty-six hours over the unnamed mountains and glaciers of South Georgia it seemed to me often that we were four, not three. I said nothing to my companions on the point, but afterwards Worsley said to me, ‘Boss, I had a curious feeling on the march that there was another person with us.’ Crean confessed to the same idea. One feels ‘the dearth of human words, the roughness of mortal speech’ in trying to describe things intangible, but a record of our journeys would be incomplete without a reference to a subject very near our hearts.”

Compare this to the experience of another three men, farther back in time. It’s from Chapter 3 of the Book of Daniel.

“Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury… and he commanded the most mighty men… to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace… Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and said unto the counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

Sophisticated modern pinheads reject the Bible story out of hand: miracles simply do not happen. But no one has dared to question the story told by Shackleton and his two companions.

Then again, what do I know? There are probably academics who say that never happened, either.

 

Crazy Jane, the Queen of Spain

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

From September 18, 2015

It isn’t always a picnic, being a member of a royal family. Consider the case of Juana la Loca–meaning “Crazy Joanna” or “Crazy Jane”–the first rightful queen of what was to become modern Spain.  She died in 1555 after being kept under close confinement for going on 40 years ( .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_of_Castile ).

Juana was among the most cultured and well-educated women of her time, mastering philosophy, classical languages, and music. She was also beautiful, and a royal heiress–all in all, a fine catch for any ambitious prince.

So why was she diagnosed as mentally ill, given that “Crazy Jane” nickname that’s lasted some 450 years, and locked up for most of her life?

First her father put her away, so he could continue to rule as a king in Aragon. That didn’t work out too well. Then her husband died, and the Hapsburg dynasty had her locked up so they could keep Spain for her infant son, the future Emperor Charles V. It seems everyone who had anything to gain in `16th century European politics was out to keep poor Juana locked up in a nunnery. And in every event the explanation given was her supposed mental illness–a diagnosis which is met with strong skepticism by today’s historians.

But of course Juana’s great exhibition of craziness was her reading and studying the work of Martin Luther, her defense of him and of his doctrine, and the suspicion that she had become a secret Protestant. With that to be held against her, there was no help for her.

And so she comes down to us as Crazy Jane–just as Richard III has come down to us as a hunchbacked monster who murdered the poor little princes in the Tower, his own nephews. The case against Richard is weak, and the case against Queen Juana even weaker.

I guess you can’t believe everything you read in the history books.

The Father of Tall Tales

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I have been reading Herodotus–called by Cicero “the Father of History,” and by other ancient commentators “the Father of Lies.” I don’t know which side to come down on, but one thing’s for sure: Herodotus was definitely the Father of Tall Tales. Davy Crockett was a mere exaggerator, compared to him.

Herodotus’ Histories, written sometime around 450 B.C., is one of the most entertaining books in the world. Boy, could that old man spin yarns! The book is supposed to be about the wars between the Greeks and the Persians, but Herodotus crams it full of stories about anything and everything you could imagine.

Here we find the giant ants of India, as big as foxes, and the flying serpents of Arabia, not to mention griffins that guard huge stores of gold, the first circumnavigation of Africa by a Phoenician sailor–a story which Herodotus himself was unable to believe because it only makes sense if you consider the world to be a globe with an Equator–and a treasury of historical curiosities, from the character and riches of Croesus to the homicidal madness of Cambyses, son of Cyrus the Great. Open the book at random, and on any page you’ll find either an eye-popping marvel or a desperate adventure.

Warning: once you start reading Herodotus, you’ll find it very hard to stop. And I defy you to read it only once. I come back to it again and again, every few years.

If we had a cottage by the bay, and a stretch of rainy winter nights too cold for fishing, my wife and I agree that nothing would suit us better than to have old Herodotus visit for a time and treat us to several dozen hours of his tales.

No fantasy writer who ever lived was able to top Herodotus for flights of the imagination.

The World’s Oldest Music

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This is a pagan hymn from about 1400 B.C., produced by an ancient Near Eastern people we call Hurrians. The music score is in cuneiform, preserved on a clay tablet. The instrument on which it is played, here, is a reproduction of a lyre, as reconstructed by archaeologists. If the translation of the tablet is accurate, then we are listening to a piece of music from 3,400 years ago.

Was this similar to the music Saul heard, when David played for him? When David first composed the Psalms, did he set them to music that sounded like this?

It’s possible that what we have here is a true window into the remote past, and a live connection with a portion of the Bible. It may be as close as we can ever come to actually hearing the Psalms as David sang them.

Which is really, really something, when you think about it.

A Leader Who Murdered His Country

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As our own leaders scramble to see how many illegal aliens they can jam into America in time for the next presidential election, it reminds me of an ancient king who actually succeeded in destroying his own kingdom… by much the same method.

In 5th century Britain, in the wake of the departure of the Roman government, a man named Vortigern became High King. Jealous and fearful of the lesser kings, Vortigern tried to build up his position by importing mercenaries from the European mainland–warriors from Germany and Denmark, men who would be known to us as the Anglo-Saxons. The warriors came with their extended families, young and old.

Vortigern might have stopped when his position was secure, but he didn’t. He kept bringing in pagans until whole sections of Germany were depopulated. Everyone had gone to Britain, where the living was easy and the looting was good. Had Social Security benefits been invented in the 400s, Vortigern would have handed them to new arrivals.

Once the floodgates were opened, and whole populations began pouring into Britain, the native British found themselves outnumbered and forced to fight for their lives. The Anglo-Saxon chiefs stopped pretending to obey Vortigern and set about grabbing everything they could. As for Vortigern himself, his British subjects rallied against him and burnt him alive in his own tower.

As for the native, Christian Britons, Divine Providence gave them a leader named Arthur who stopped the bleeding. Within 100 years, most of the pagan Anglo-Saxons had been converted to Christianity. Before the year 700, there were Anglo-Saxon saints. The Britons survived in Wales, in Brittainy, in Cornwall, and in the North. And God blended these different peoples into a new nation, England–whose role in world history, and in the growth of Christianity, has been considerable.

But between Vortigern and St. Bede was a mighty rough ride and many years of tribulation.

Because we will not hear God’s word, He has handed us over to leaders who seem determined to emulate Vortigern in nearly wiping out their own country. Vortigern’s fate was well-deserved–but it came too late to do the British any good.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Nameless Portraits on a Colossal Scale

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Life is full of unanswered questions. Like, why did I once pay money to watch Tentacles? But there are bigger mysteries than that.

In the hot, steamy country around the Gulf of Mexico, in Vera Cruz, in Tabasco, there flourished long ago a civilization we call “Olmec.” That was the name given to them by people who came along much, much later. We have no idea what these people called themselves.

According to archeologists’ best guess, Olmec civilization lasted from 1500 to 400 B.C., approximately. The Olmecs had writing, but they didn’t leave many inscriptions and most of these haven’t been deciphered yet. So we know nothing of their history, their famous people, their beliefs, or their customs. We don’t know the name of even one Olmec. They do seem to have invented the ancient Mesoamerican ball game that was still being played by the Maya and the Aztecs a thousand years after the Olmec civilization disappeared.

But did the Olmec people disappear with it?

The most tantalizing remains of this civilization are 17 colossal stone heads, the biggest of them weighing almost 50 tons, all of them made sometime well before 900 B.C. The Olmecs didn’t use the wheel and had no beasts of burden, so how they transported these enormous stones is a mystery as yet unsolved. That they could do this very difficult work proves that they had skills and resources worthy of a great civilization–even if we don’t know what they were.

The cool thing about these gigantic heads is that they seem to be portraits of real people. No two are alike. Each face has its own expression, its own distinctive features. The Wikipedia article shows all 17 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmec_colossal_heads ).

Who were these men? Rulers? Gods? Ballgame stars? Epic heroes? Nobody knows. Some of them smile at us; some of them frown. It’s as if they know we’ll never know the answer.

There are people living in the Olmec lands today who seem to resemble the stone portraits. So it may be that the Olmec people survived the dissolution of their civilization, even if all knowledge of it became lost.

What will remain, someday, of our own global humanist civilization?

The stone heads of our day are still attached to the leaders’ and the wise men’s shoulders.