On this day in 1861, Confederate spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow is placed under house arrest.
When the Civil War began, Greenhow was a widow living in Washington, D.C. She was well-liked and had extensive social connections because of her late husband’s work. He’d been a medical doctor, but he’d also done some work for the State Department.
Greenhow was in an unusual situation. She was trusted by many in D.C., but she had long been sympathetic to southern concerns. When she was young, her father had been murdered by a slave. She’d been an anti-abolitionist ever since.
The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-rose-greenhow
On this day in 1776, Americans launch the first submarine attack. They hoped to break a British blockade of New York harbor.
The submarine was the work of David Bushnell, an inventor from Connecticut. He called his submarine the “Turtle” because it was like “two upper tortoise shells of equal size, joined together.” The Turtle was the culmination of many years of work. Submarines were not entirely new, but Bushnell was still figuring out many underwater logistics for the first time. His submarine could hold one person and about 1/2 hour of air. Everything about it was very manual, with propellers, ballasts, and rudders being operated by hand cranks or foot pedals. The Turtle carried one underwater mine that could be attached to the underside of a ship. The submarine would then escape, leaving the mine to explode on a timed fuse.
The story continues here: http://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-turtle-submarine
On this day in 1975, Gerald Ford survives an assassination attempt. A second failed attempt would be made just 17 days later.
Oddly, both of the attempts were made by women: Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme and Sara Jane Moore. Fromme and Moore are the only two women in our history who have ever attempted to assassinate an American President. Kind of odd that both instances occurred with Ford, isn’t it?
Another odd coincidence: Both attacks occurred in California. Ford was then spending a lot of time in the state because he anticipated a tough presidential election contest the following year.
The first assassination attempt came in Sacramento on September 5. Ford was slated to give a talk to state legislators, and he was walking the short distance from his hotel to the California State Capitol building.
The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-gerald-ford-attempt
On this day in 1780, Francis Marion wins a victory against Loyalist forces at the Battle of Blue Savannah. Marion later came to be known as the “Swamp Fox.” Perhaps you will see why!?!
Americans in South Carolina needed some good news. The British had been holding the state in the wake of their victory at the Battle of Camden. The remaining Patriot resistance was in the back country and came from men such as Francis Marion, the wily commander who has been called one of the fathers of guerrilla warfare.
The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-blue-savannah
