The Best Legend of Taps

There are many legends of Taps, a tune that appeared after the Seven Days' Battle. I thought I would tell you about my favorite of the legends.

There once was a man with a son whom he loved very much. The son loved music, so the man sent him son to study music in the South. When the war between the states began the man joined the Union army and,  to his dismay, his son joined the Confederate army.

During the Battle of Seven Days', the man heard loud, sad moaning from a soldier on the battle field. He risked his life to get to the soldier. When he finally reached the man, dressed in a dirty gray uniform, it was too late too save him. As the man looked at the young confederate's face, he realized it was his son.

In one of his son's pockets, the man found a worn piece of paper with music notes written on it. At his son's burial, he had the bugler play the notes.

The notes were so beautiful that everyone remembered them afterward. Today we call the beautiful notes 'Taps'.

Well Bye,

®achel™ 

Defend America

Day 196 

As George Washington watched his men flee in one battle of the American Revolution he said,  

“Are these the men with which I am to defend America?”

Well Bye, 

®achel™

Sunday June 18, 1775

Day 170

~Abigail Adams to John Adams~

The day after the Battle of Breads and Bunker hill. 

 

Dearest Friend                                                                                             

Sunday June 18 1775  

The Day, perhaps the decisive Day is come on which the fate of America depends. My bursting Heart must find vent at my pen. I have just heard that our Dear Friend Dr. Warren is no more but fell gloriously fighting for his Country-saying better to die honourably in the field than ignominiously hang upon the Gallows. Great is our Loss. He has distinguished himself in every engagement, by his courage and fortitude, by animating the Soldiers and leading them on by his own Example. A particuliar account of these dreadful, but I hope Glorious Days will be transmitted you, no doubt in the exactest manner.
   The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong-but the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people Trust in him at all times ye people pour out you hearts before him. God is a refuge for us. Charlstown is laid in ashes. The Battle began upon our intrenchments upon Bunkers Hill, a Saturday morning about 3 o’clock and has not ceased yet and tis now 3 o’clock Sabbath afternoon.
   Tis Expected they will come out over the Neck to night, and a Dreadful Battle must ensue. Almighty God cover the heads of our Country men, and be a shield to our Dear Friends. How mandy have fallen we know not; The constant roar of the cannon is so distressing that we cannot Eat Drink of sleep. May we be supported and sustaind in the dreadful conflict. I shall tarry here till tis thought unsafe by my Friends, and then I have secured myself a retreat at your brothers who has kindly offerd me part of is house, I cannot compose my self to write any further a present. I will add more as I hear further-

Spelling mistakes are not my fault! I just had to get that out there.

Well Bye, 

®achel™

And now ensued one of the greatest scenes of war that can be conceived

Day 169

“And now ensued one of the greatest scenes of war that can be conceived. If we look to the heights, Howe’s corps ascending the hill in the face of entrenchments and in a very disadvantageous ground was much engaged. To the left the enemy pouring in fresh troops  by the thousands over land and in the arm of the sea our ships and floating batteries cannonading them. Straight before us a large and noble town in one great blaze. The church steeples being of timber were great pyramids of fire above the rest. Behind us the church steeples and heights of our own camp, covered with spectators. The hills around the country covered with spectators. The enemy all in anxious suspense. The roar of cannon, mortars and musketry, the crash of churches, ships upon the stocks and whole streets falling together in ruins to fill the air; the storm of the redoubt… filled the eye and the reflection that perhaps defeat was a final loss to the British Empire of America to fill the mind, make the whole a picture a complication of horror and importance beyond anything that ever came to my lot to witness to.”

~General John Burgoyne~At the Battle of Bunker Hill

Well Bye, 

®achel™

the predicament we are in

Day 160

“The reflection upon my situation and that of this army produces many an uneasy hour when all around me are wrapped in sleep. Few people know the predicament we are in.”
 

~George Washington~
January 1776

Well Bye, 

®achel™

In the name of the great Jehovah...

 Day 131

“I ordered the commander to came forth instantly at which the captain immediately to the door with his breeches in his hand, when I ordered him to deliver to me the fort immediately he asked me by what authority I demanded it, I answered, ‘In the name of the great Jehovah and the Continental Congress.’ ”

~Ethan Allen~

The surrender of Fort Ticonderoga on may 10 1775 

Well Bye,  

®achel™

Concord Hymn

Day 127

Concord Hymn  
 Written by: Ralph Waldo Emerson

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard found the world.


The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward Creeps.


On this green bank, by this soft stream,
we sat today a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.


Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid time and nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

 I meant to post this back in April but forgot about it, so here it is a little lat hope you like it all the same. 

Concord Hymn was written at the request of the Battle Monument Committee 1836 by Emerson for the dedication of the Battle Monument in honor of the men who died in the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Well Bye,

®achel™

A Time For War and A Time For Peace.

Day 113

In 1775 John Peter Muhlenberg gave a sermon on Ecclesiastes 3:1 “For everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven. He finish by saying:

“In the language of the Holy Writ, there is a time for all things. There is a time to preach and a time to fight. And now is the time to fight.”

Upon that he throw off his clerical robe revealing the uniform of an officer in the Revolutionary army. That afternoon John Muhlenberg marched off at the head of 300 men the join General Washington’s troops. Where the served until the end of the war.


This happened on January 21 1716 but I didn't know that back in January or I would have done it on that day. All that to say here it is I really liked they little story.

Well Bye,
®achel™

P.S.
Heads up. I'm going to change the URL for my blog to apassionforliberty on May 1st. Everything will stay the same except them name. 
Thanks!

237 years

Day 110

“Stand your ground. Don’t five unless fired upon, but if they mean to have war, let it begin here.”

~Militia Captain John Parker~

April 19 1775

Well Bye,
®achel™

The fate of millions...

Day 66






“The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army.”

~George Washington~

Well Bye,

®achel™  

The Men Who Make A Nation Great Are Men Who Dare To Die!!!

Day 61

Ballad of Princeton Battle

By: Henry Van Dyke 

Along Assunpink’s woody bank we left our campfires bright,

While like a fox with padded feet we stole away be night;

Cornwallis watched his Trenton trap,

And drained his glass, and took his nap;

But the ragged troops of Washington outflanked him in the night-

Up and away for Princeton,

By a secret road to Princeton-

We dragged our guns with muffled wheels to win another fight.

The icy trail was hard as iron, our footprints marked it red;

Our frosty breath went up like smoke to the winking stars o’erhead;

By Bear Swamp and by Miry Run,

Our muskets weighed at least a ton;

We shivered till o’er Stony Brook we saw that sun rise red;

Weary we tramped to Princeton; Bt all of us at Princeton

Would follow our chief through tick and thin

till the last of us was dead.

We looked beyond the upper bridge, across the swollen stream,

And there along the king’s highway we saw the Redcoats gleam;

‘Twas Mawhood’s regiment marching down

To finish us off at Trenton Town!

“Go cut the bridge”-and Mercer’s men crept up along the stream.

But the British turned towards Princeton,

Came bravely back for Princeton;

And all the rest of that dim hour was wilder than a dream.

They rushed thro’ Will Clark’s orchard, among the naked trees;

With horse and foot they hammered hared; Their bullets sang like bees;

And Mercer fell, and Haslet fell;

The bayonets cut us up like h***;

The chain shot mowed a bloody path beneath the twisted trees.

It looked all black for Princeton,

We lost our hopes of Princeton;

We wavered, and we broke and fled as leaves before the breeze.

Then down the hill from Tom Clark’s house rode Washington aflame

With holy ire; through smoke and fire, like mighty Mars he came.

“Come on, my men, parade with me,

We’ll make the braggart Redcoats flee”-

And up the hill against the guns, rode Washington aflame.

He turned the tide at Princeton;

The land was save at Princeton;

And they who fought, and they who fell, won liberty and fame.

Men praise our chief for weighty words, for counsel calm and high,

For prudence and enduring will, for cool, farseeing eye;

One thing he had all else above-

Courage that caught the soldier’s love,

And made the soldier’s loyal heart in danger’s hour beat high.

We saw it clear at Princeton;

‘Twas written here at Princeton;

THE MEN WHO MAKE A NATION GREAT ARE MEN WHO DARE TO DIE. 

Well Bye,
®achel™

not that contemptible enemy...

Day 52

“We now become fully convinced they are not that contemptible enemy we had hitherto imagined them."

~British Lieutenant Thomas Anburey~
1777 after the Americans had defeated the British in the battle at Saratoga.
(The turning point of the war)

Well Bye,
®achel™