[Public-List] Gord's history lesson

[milleype at kingston.net]

Jock,

We have particiated in the reenactment of the Battle of Sackett's Harbor
several times over the years with our Tall-ship St. LawrenceII. I will ask
some of the former crew if we were involved in 1976. That was a great
story to share. The origninal battle was also a comedy of errors with both
sides claiming victory!

Peter Milley
v.Pres Brigantine Inc.


> For your amusement
> A friend who was a history major got a job with the museum in Sackett's
> Harbor in the summer of 1976. As part of the bicentennial celebrations
> they
> staged a big reenactment of the battle of Sackett's Harbor including
> period
> ships. My friend's job was to coordinate the entire reenactment. He said
> it
> bothered him that although he was dressed in period clothing, he had a
> radio
> with a big whip antenna in he backpack so he could communicate with
> everyone. Apparently in the original battle one of the British ships was
> hit
> and started burning so they planned to create a lot of smoke for the
> reenactment. At the right time the smoke started billowing from the ship.
> After a bit my friend radios them to tell them to douse the flames. A
> panicked response came back saying they were desperately trying. To create
> the smoke they had used a phosphorus grenade in a bucket. There was
> supposed
> to be sand in the bottom of the bucket but that had been neglected. The
> phosphorus grenade promptly burned through the bottom of the bucket and
> was
> proceeding to burn through the deck. Somehow they got the fire out.
>
> The second thing that happened was another panicked call that the ship was
> being fired on. After some quick checking my friend approached one of the
> volunteers who was the captain of one of the cannon crew. He also happened
> to be the mayor of the town. My friend pointed out that the grapefruit the
> mayor and his gun crew had loaded in the cannon could have killed someone
> at
> the speed it was moving even though it was soft. The mayor tried to deny
> it
> which is when my friend told him they had it on camera. Second, because
> the
> grapefruit was soft, it could have changed shape, plugged the barrel of
> the
> cannon and caused the cannon to explode. At this point the mayor was
> looking
> sheepish, frightened and humbled all at the same time.
> It was an interesting summer.
> Jock McClees
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <milleype at kingston.net>
> To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all"
> <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2008 4:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [Public-List] Gord's history lesson
>
>
>> Gord and Rod,
>>
>> Further to your history lesson here's the words to the song we sing on
>> the
>> deck of Privateer.
>>
>> Loyal She Remains
>>
>>
>> we came overland from Albany, Yankee rebels on our heels
>> we stole a boat in Sackett's Harbour and we headed for Presqu'il
>> settled hard by Kingston, safe from revolution's flames
>> and it's loyal she began boys, loyal she remains
>>
>>
>> loyal she began boys, loyal she remains
>> content to live our lives in peace beneath a monarch's reins
>> let the rebels rot with all of their ill-gotten gains
>> but it's loyal she began boys, loyal she remains
>>
>>
>> we saw the writing on the wall right after Valley Forge
>> when the rebels stood for Washington, we held for old King George
>> kin folk turned on kin, blood like water in the veins
>> but it's loyal she began boys, loyal she remains
>>
>>
>> we lost our farms, we lost our friends, but we never lost our pride
>> no amount of traitor gold could lure us to a traitor's side
>> a people's honour blemished once will never lose the stain
>> so it's loyal she began boys, loyal she remains
>>
>>
>> Following the American Revolution, many citizens who remained loyal to
>> Britain (and those who liked the idea of the free land being offered
>> north
>> of the border) emigrated to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists formed
>> the
>> basis of early Ontario, the motto of which was to become Loyal She
>> Began,
>> and Loyal She Remains. These are our roots!
>>
>>>
>>> We should make more of our heros...
>>>
>>> Gord #426
>>>
>>>
>>> I agree !
>>>
>>> I used to think that we Canadians only had boring history.
>>> It took me half a lifetime for my reading habits to broaden enough to
>>> realize that the fault lies with boring teachers and the boring text
>>> books
>>> that were used.
>>> North American history is filled with amazing people and equally
>>> amazing
>>> deeds.
>>>
>>> And how many of our American cousins know that at one point in their
>>> early
>>> history, they were at war with France ???
>>> I didn't.
>>>
>>> Cheers,    Rod
>>>
>>> ~~~~ _/)~~~ _/)_/) ~~~~
>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>    ~~    ~~~~~    ~~~~
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> These businesses support your Association:
>>> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
>>> Please support them.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Public-List mailing list
>>> Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
>>> http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> These businesses support your Association:
>> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
>> Please support them.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Public-List mailing list
>> Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
>> http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> These businesses support your Association:
> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
> Please support them.
> _______________________________________________
> Public-List mailing list
> Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
> http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org
>



 1218024779.0