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™ 

Be Prepared

Day 335

"There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet an enemy."

~George Washington~ 

He is a complete gentleman

Day 314

“You will doubtless have been informed that the Congress have unanimously appointed George Washington, Esqr. General and Commander in Chief of the American forces. I beg leave and recommend him to your respectful notice. He is a complete gentleman. He is sensible, amiable, virtuous, modest, and brave. I promise myself that your acquaintance with him will afford you great pleasure, and I doubt not his agreeable behavior and good conduct will give great Satisfaction to our people of all denominations.”     

~Thomas Cushing to James Bowdoinsr~

Dangerous to Play With

Day 307

"The Army (considering the irritable state it is in, its suffering and composition) is a dangerous instrument to play with."

~George Washington~ 

God be Praised!

Day 304

"Our unalterable resolution would be to be free. They have attempted to subdue us by force, but God be praised! in vain. Their arts may be more dangerous than their arms. Let us then renounce all treaty with them upon any score but that of total separation, and under God trust our cause to our swords."

 ~Samuel Adams~

Fight!

Day 266

"I have not yet begun to fight!"
~John Paul Jones~

Well Bye,
®achel™

I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight!

Day 265

“I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight”

  Written By: I personally do not know but someone had to have written it.

An American frigate, a frigate of fame,
With guns mounting forty, the Richard by name,
Sail’d to cruise in the channels of old England,


With valiant commander, Paul Jones was the man,
Hurrah! Hurrah! our country for ever, Hurrah!
We had not cruised long, before he espies
A large forty-four, and a twenty likewise;
Well-manned with bold seamen, well laid in with stores,
In consort  to drive us from old England’s shores.
Hurrah! Hurrah! Our country for ever, Hurrah!


About twelve at noon Pearson came alongside,
With a loud speaking trumpet, “Whence came you?” he cried,
“Return me an answer, I hail’d you before,
Or if you do not, a broadside I’ll pour.”
Hurrah! Hurrah! Our country for ever, Hurrah!


Paul Jones then said to his men, every one,
“Let every true seaman stand firm to his gun!
We’ll receive a broadside from this bold Englishman,
And like true Yankee sailors return it again.”
Hurrah! Hurrah! Our country for ever, Hurrah!


The contest was bloody, both decks ran with gore,
And the sea seemed to blaze, while the cannon did roar;
“Fight on, my brave boy,” then Paul Jones he cried:
“And soon we will humble this bold Englishman’s pride.”
Hurrah! Hurrah! Our country for ever, Hurrah!


“Stand firm to your quarters- your duty don’t shun,
The first one that shrinks, through the body I’ll run;
Though their force is superior, yet they shall know,
What true, brave American seamen can do.”
Hurrah! Hurrah! Our country for ever, Hurrah!

The battle rolled on, till bold Pearson cried:
“Have you yet struck your colors? then come alongside!”
But so far from thinking that the battle was won,
Brave Paul Jones replied, “I’ve not yet begun!”
Hurrah! Hurrah! Our country for ever, Hurrah!

One life to give

Day 264

"I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country."

~Nathan Hale~

One life for Liberty

Day 263

Nathan Hale 

By: Francis Miles Finch 

To drum-beat and heart-beat,

A soldier marches by;

There is color in his cheek,

There is courage in his eye,

Yet to drum-beat and heart-beat

In a moment he must die.

By the starlight and moonlight,

He seeks the Briton’s camp;

He hears the rustling flag

And the armed sentry’s tramp’

And the starlight and moonlight

His silent wanderings lamp.

With slow tread and still tread,

He scans the tented line;

 And he counts the battery gun,

By the gaunt and shadowy pine;

And his slow tread and still tread

Gives no warning sign.

The dark wave, the plumed wave,

It meets his eager glance;

And it sparkles ‘neath the stars,

Like the glimmer of a lance

A dark wave, and plumed wave,

On an emerald expanse.

A sharp clan, a still clang,

And terror in the sound!

For the sentry, falcon-eyed,

In the camp a spy hath found;

With a sharp clang, a steel clang,

The patriot is bound.

With calm brow, and steady brow,,

He listens to his doom;

IN his look there is no fear,

Nor a shadow-trace of gloom;

But with calm brow and steady brow,

He robes him for the tomb.

In the long night, the still night,

He kneels upon the sod;

and the brutal guards withhold

E’en the solemn word of God!

In the long night, the still night,

He walks where Christ hath trod.

‘Neath the blue morn, the sunny morn,

He dies upon the tree;

And he mourns that he can lose

But one life for Liberty;

And in the blue morn, the sunny morn,

His spirit wings are free.

But his last words, his message-words,

They burn, lest friendly eye

Should read how proud and calm

A patriot could die,

With his last words his dying words,

A soldier’s battle-cry.

From Fame-leaf and Angel-leaf,

From monument and urn,

The sad of earth, the glad of heaven

His tragic fate shall learn;

But on Fame-leaf and Angle-leaf

The name of Hale shall burn!

A Leader

Day 233

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
~John Adams~

Well Bye,
®achel™

Happy Birthday Mr. Knox!

Day 207

Happy Birthday to Henry Knox!

“A brave and intelligent officer, and an open hearted, honest hearted man.”
Form Benjamin Rush’s Sketches about Henry Knox

Well Bye, 

®achel™

Few Actions

Day 197

   “Few Actions at Sea have demonstrated such steady, cool determined Bravery as that of Jones in taking the Serapis.”
~Benjamin Franklin~

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™

Light and Gory

Day 191

"You will think me transported with enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the gloom I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory I can see that the end is worth more than all the means; that posterity will triumph in that day's transaction, even though we [may regret] it, which I trust in God we shall not."
~John Adams~

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™

Great Men

Day 149

"We want great men who, when fortune frowns, will not be discouraged." 

~Colonel Henry Knox~ 

Well Bye, 

®achel™

Defense Of The American Cause

 Day 132

My Dearest
I am now set down to write you on a subject which fills me with inexpressible concern, and this concern is greatly aggravated and increased when I reflect upon the uneasiness I know it will cause you. It has been determined in Congress that the whole army raised for the defense of the American cause shall be put under my care, and that it is necessary for me to proceed immediately to Boston to take command of it.
You may believe me, my dear Patsy, when I assure you, in the most solemn manner, that so far from seeking this appointment, I have used every endeavor in my power to avoid it, not only from my unwillingness to part with you and the family but from a consciousness f its being a trust too great for my capacity, and that I should enjoy more real happiness in one mouth with you at home than I have the most distant prospect of finding a broad, if my stay were to be seven times seven years. But as it has been a kind of destiny it is designed to answer some gook purpose…
It was utterly out of my power to refuse this appointment without exposing my character to such censures as would have reflected dishonor on myself and given pain to my friends. This, I am sure, could not and ought not to be pleasing to you and must have lessened me considerably in my own esteem. I shall rely, therefore, confidently on that providence which has heretofore preserved and been bountiful to me, not doubting but that I shall return safe to you in the fall.

~George Washington to Martha Washington ~

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™

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™