What Stonewall Jackson said.

 

Here are ten of the best-known quotes associated with Confederate general Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson (1824–1863):

1. “The time for war has not yet come, but it will come, and that soon; and when it does come, my advice is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard.”
   Spoken to VMI cadets in March 1861. 

2.  “Then, Sir, we will give them the bayonet!”
   Reply at First Manassas (Bull Run), July 21, 1861, when told his men were being driven back—just before he earned the nickname “Stonewall.”

3.  “My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me.”
   To Capt. John D. Imboden after First Manassas. He added that this was how all men should live so that all would be equally brave.

4. “Never take counsel of your fears.”
   Described by his widow, Mary Anna Jackson, as a favorite maxim.

5. “Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy, if possible; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit so long as your men have strength to follow.”
   His oft-quoted rule of offensive warfare.

5. “You may be whatever you resolve to be.”
   Frequently cited as a personal motto associated with Jackson.

7. “War means fighting. The business of the soldier is to fight.”
   From his views on how armies should be used—find the enemy, strike him, and do so quickly.

8. “I like liquor—its taste and its effects—and that is just the reason why I never drink it.”
   A characteristic remark on self-discipline.

9. “I yield to no man in sympathy for the gallant men under my command; but I am obliged to sweat them tonight, so that I may save their blood tomorrow.”
   Explaining a hard night march.

10. “Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees.”
    His last words, spoken as he was dying of pneumonia after being wounded at Chancellorsville (May 10, 1863).

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Crime: Colonial America

 

John Billington was not a Pilgrim. He was part of the “Strangers”—non‑Separatists recruited by the London merchants who financed the voyage of the Mayflower in 1620. From the moment the Mayflower left England, Billington was a problem.

William Bradford, later governor of Plymouth, described him as “a knave,” a man prone to defiance and disorder. His family was equally notorious: his wife Ellen was reprimanded for slander, and his sons were involved in repeated mischief.

The Billingtons were loud, unruly, and unwilling to submit to the colony’s leadership

Billington’s clashes with authority escalated quickly. In 1621, he refused to obey military orders issued by Captain Myles Standish. Billington’s refusal to comply was seen as a direct challenge to the colony’s survival in a savage environment.

He was arrested and nearly executed, but the colony—still fragile and desperate for manpower—chose leniency.  This would prove a mistake.

By 1630, Plymouth had grown more stable.  But stability did not tame Billington.

That year, he became embroiled in a feud with a young man named John Newcomen. One day, encountering Newcomen alone, Billington raised his musket and shot him. Newcomen died from his wounds.

Billington was arrested and brought before the colony’s governing council, which acted as both judge and jury.

Witnesses testified to the shooting. Billington offered no compelling defense. The council found him guilty of “willful murder.”

The governor described Billington as a man who had “been a bad man” from the beginning, whose death was the inevitable result of years of disorderly conduct.

Billington was sentenced to death by hanging. His execution took place in September 1630, making him the first European settler executed in what would become the United States.

Death and the Miser

 

Hieronymus Bosch was a Dutch Renaissance painter renowned for symbolic works depicting religious and moral themes. He is known for grotesque creatures. His work critiques human folly, sin, and societal corruption.

Here death comes for a miser.  The miser tries to buy death off, but death is not impressed by the miser’s wealth.

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English Princes Salute George Washington: 155 Years of History

 

Mount Vernon has always been a place of pilgrimage because of the tomb of George Washington, America’s secular saint.   Prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War, Mount Vernon was visited by HRH Prince Albert, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII).  On October 5, 1860 President James Buchanan accompanied the Prince on a tour of Mount Vernon and visited Washington’s tomb, which was not in very good shape.  A British correspondent wrote, “No pious care seems to have ever tended this neglected grave. . .It is here alone in its glory, uncared for, unvisited, unwatched, with the night-wind for its only mourner sighing through the waste of trees, and strewing the dead brown leaves like ashes before the tomb. Such is the grave of Washington!”

 After the First World War another Prince of Wales visited.  On November 13, 1919, the future King Edward VIII visited Washington’s grave and laid a wreath.  The Prince also planted a small English yew tree near the tomb.

On March 18, 2015, HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall laid a wreath at Washington’s tomb.  The Prince, a major force in raising awareness about environmental issues, found Washington’s tomb in considerably better shape than did his great-great grandfather.  

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Watson and the Shark

 

This dramatic painting is based on a true story, the rescue of fourteen year old Brook Watson from the jaws of a hungry shark in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, in 1749.

Watson survived. Years later, after he became a successful merchant and mayor of London, he commissioned the American painter John Singleton Copley to portray the incident.

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George Washington: 5 Fun Facts

 

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H His dentures were not wooden.  Washington’s famous “wooden teeth” were actually made from gold, ivory, lead, and human and animal teeth, held together with a spring that forced him to clench his jaw. By his inauguration, he had only one original tooth.  He  lost nearly all his teeth by age 57.

2   His real birthday wasn’t February 22.  He was born February 11, 1731 under the Julian calendar. The switch to the Gregorian calendar moved his birthday to February 22 and changed his birth year to 1732.

3.   The cherry tree story is completely made up. The tale of young George confessing to chopping down a cherry tree was invented by biographer Mason Locke Weems after Washington’s death.

4.    He created his own dog breed.  Washington selectively bred foxhounds and is considered the father of the American Foxhound, giving his dogs mushy names like Sweet Lips, Tipsy, and Venus.

5.    He ran one of America’s largest whiskey distilleries.  By 1799, his Mount Vernon distillery produced nearly 11,000 gallons of whiskey a year, making it the largest in the nation.

Old West Law: Bat Masterson

 

Bat Masterson stands out as one of the Old West’s most unusual figures—a man who balanced frontier grit with refined elegance. In Dodge City, he earned his reputation as a cool‑headed sheriff and gunfighter, facing down outlaws with steady aim and steady nerves. Yet unlike the dust‑covered men around him, Masterson favored tailored suits, silk vests, bowler hats, and the polished cane he carried everywhere. His style became as legendary as his courage. Later, he traded the chaos of the frontier for New York City, reinventing himself as a respected sportswriter. Masterson proved that even in the Wild West, a gentleman could thrive without losing his edge.

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George Custer's Coat (Smithsonian)

 

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Custer's Coat

George Armstrong Custer’s buckskin coat at the Smithsonian is one of the most evocative artifacts tied to the frontier cavalry legend. The double‑breasted coat, made of light buckskin and trimmed with fringe, was worn during his service as lieutenant colonel of the 7th U.S. Cavalry in the Dakotas. Custer favored frontier dress, believing it suited the rugged conditions of the West. In 1912, his widow Elizabeth “Libbie” Custer donated the coat to the Smithsonian, preserving it as a tribute to her husband’s dramatic life and legacy. Today, it remains a striking reminder of Custer’s persona and the era he helped define.

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