Word and Phrases

Wednesday Words and Phrases: Lock, Stock and Barrel

Lock, Stock and Barrel

Lock, Stock and Barrel

The phrase “lock, stock and barrel” generally means all of something. For example, “We cleaned out the garage lock, stock and barrel.” In modern times it was thought to refer to when someone bought a new farm they would own it completely including the lock for the front door, the stock as in livestock (animals y’all), and the water barrel that collected the water. It however is much older than that.

In fact, it can be traced back to the 16th century when matchlock firearms were reaching wide-spread use. See there were three parts to any firearm at the time.

The lock, which held the match and when the trigger was pulled ignite the powder in the pan leading to the firearm going off.

The stock, which was the part of the firearm that helped the lock and barrel in place.

And the barrel which the ammunition needed to travel through once the gun was fired.

So in order to have a functioning firearm you needed all the pieces, a lock, a stock and a barrel.

 

American Revolution, Pre-Revolution

Fort Dearborn or at Least a Model of it…

A Modle of Fort Dearborn

Fort Dearborn or at Least a Model of it…

 

The frontier was a rough place during the colonial era, and after the American Revolution is was even more so. As America started moving West a series of forts were built along strategic points. The forts were built to keep an eye on the natives and British. Over time they quickly became hubs for settlers and merchants that looked to bring civilization to the wild lands.

In 1803 on the shores of Lake Michigan where the Chicago river feeds into a Fort Dearborn was built, named after the Secretary of War, Henry Dearborn. Once the fort was built it did not take long for it to become a thriving center of frontier life. So of course it would become a target.

During the War of 1812, the outpost commander General William Hull looked around and decided that being on the frontier, surrounded by enemies and with help a long way away it would be best to abandon the fort temporarily. A such he ordered an evacuation. Unfortunately in the middle of the evacuation a group of approximately 500 Potawatomi Indians took issue with that and proceeded to attack the evacuees. Killing a good number of them and selling the rest to the British. For good measure they burned down the fort.

The fort was rebuilt in 1816.  It served on and off again to host garrisons during the various Indian uprisings of the era. In 1837 is was turned over to the city and basically decommissioned. Through the years construction, fire and the need for more land has destroyed most traces of the fort. The original placement is still marked in Chicago at the intersection of Wacker Drive and Michigan Ave. The model above shows the first iteration of the fort and is hosted at the Illinois State Military Museum.

 

Civil War

Minié Balls

Minié Balls

Minié Balls

 

Prior to the Civil War, most of the military was armed with smoothbore muskets that fired round shot made out of lead. This is one of the reasons that accuracy was generally a wishful thought and while getting shot but a ball was not pleasant it was nothing compared to what was coming.

During the Crimean War, 1853-6 (a war we may look at later, but not now) a new shot was being used to great effect. This type of shot was named the Minié ball, after the doctor. In the picture above you can see what the Minié ball looked like, and also a piece of round shot.

The Minié ball was conical with rings around the base and a depression in the bottom, it normally would be slightly smaller than the barrel of the musket to make loading easier. Once fired the soft lead would expand and fill the gap around the bullet making its own sort of wading. When this new kind of ammunition was introduced on both sides during the Civil War, something else became very evident.

The round shot was easily deflected once it hit the target. It would tend to bounce around inside a human body before becoming lodged somewhere. The Minié ball, which was heavier and traveled faster, would simply cut through the body like a ripe melon. If by chance it struck a bone, the bone would simply shatter. Leaving amputation the only way to save the person .

Eventually, the Minié ball would be replaced by something even more deadly. For a time though it reigned and there was nothing mini about it.

Word and Phrases

Wednesday Words & Phrases: Shanghai

Lot 38 - A LARGE CHINESE GOUACHE PAINTING OF THE BUND IN SHANGHAI MID-19TH CENTURY With many small boats,

Shanghai

As in “to shanghai someone” into doing something they don’t want to do. Meaning to coerce or kidnap.

Starting int he 1850’s the United State has a significant presence in China, mostly around the port of Shanghai. The port was the home of many, many bars and brothels that took in any number of American sailors. Unfortunately for many, the night of revelry turned into a morning of regrets as they found themselves alone and in the middle of nowhere, no money and no memory of how they got there or what concoction they drank to knock themselves out so soundly. Though waking up with an empty wallet and broke was not as bad as the other option.

Ships need sailors and they are not always picky about where they get them. When the money was gone it was not unusual for the unconscious men to be sold off to the highest bidder. So you may go to the bar the night before a crewmember of one ship, and wake up in the morning a crewman of another! And there was no recourse.

The first recorded use of “shanghai” as the kidnapping meaning came around 1860. That did not take long! So the next time you get blackout drunk and wake up in a strange place, just be glad it isn’t Shanghai!

 

WWII

Il Duce Was Here (Mussolini on Display)

Mussolini

Il Duce Was Here (Mussolini on Display)

 

Yes, the epaulets on display here were worn on the uniform of Il Duce himself, Benito Mussolini, dictator of Italy. He was not always a dictator, however.

Through the use of force, intimidation and pure outright politics he climbed to the top of the heap of the Italian fascist movement. In 1922 he reached the very top. In the March on Rome he and 30,000 of his “black shirts” quickly and surprisingly bloodlessly was handed control of the Italian government. On October 28, 1922 King Victor Emmanuel III signed the order making Mussolini the Prime Minister.

Over the course of the next few years he used the democratic system to set himself up as a dictator. Eventually granting the fascist one-party control of the country. Looking to flex his muscle in a world on the brink of war, Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in 1935. What proved to be an opening act in a decade of war. He took the chance to side with Germany as a member of the Axis powers.

Knowing that Italy was not completely prepared for a continental war in 1939 he hoped that Germany would be able to defeat France and England quickly.  His forces would remain focused on North Africa. He was looking for a seat at the victory celebration without a lot of effort.

In 1943 the Allied invasion of Italy sort of blew up his plan. By 1945 he found himself deposed and on the run. Eventually, he was captured and executed by Italian partisans. An ignominious end for Il Duce, but maybe not ill deserved.

 

 

 

 

Civil War, Word and Phrases

Wednesday Words & Phrases: Antebellum

Antebellum Plantation Home

Antebellum

This word refers to the historical era of the United States before the outbreak of the Civil War. It is a Latin word which translates to  “before the war”.  It primarily is used to describe the Southern States and culture of the pre-war period.

To many, this phrase represents a Southern culture that is primarily defined by the plantation system and the growing economy it represented.  This was due to advances in agriculture. These advances created an increased output of cotton which became more of a worldwide commodity. However, it mostly and mainly was caused by the unchecked expansion of slave labor in the region.

It is difficult, and really not necessary, to split the “Antebellum” South from the yoke of slavery. It should never even be attempted. In the economic depression that devastated the South during Reconstruction, and for a time after, the rise of the “Lost Cause” mentality caused many to consider the Antebellum period as the “gold old days”. And for many plantation owners it was, not so much for the human beings the kept in bondage. It is easy to prosper when labor is free and plentiful.

 

American Revolution

Old Ironsides

Old Ironsides

Old Ironsides

 

Yep a twofer today and no this is not a post about a wheelchair-bound detective. (Does anyone actually get that joke?) This is about The USS Constitution or “Old Ironsides” as she was called. In the top picture above, on the plaque is a piece of copper from its hull.

No, that copper is not why it was called Ironsides. Stay tuned for that.

The Constitution was launched in 1797 and was one of the first frigates in the fledgling United States Navy. Named by President Washington for our guiding document, it became the centerpiece of small yet tenacious presence on the ocean.

She was armed with 30 24 pound cannon, 15 on each side, 22 32 pound cannon, 11 on each side, as well as 4 smaller “chase” cannons. She was armed for war and during the War of 1812 she would end up becoming a legend.

On 19 August 1812 the Constitution faced off against the HMS Guerriere, a slightly smaller vessel but with a veteran crew. As the battle was joined several of the Guerriere’s cannonballs bounced off the sides of the ship doing no damage but causing one of the American sailors to shout out, “Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!” The name sort of stuck after that. The battle would end with the Constitution victorious and more victories would follow.

She would stay in service until 1853 when she was converted into a training ship where she served as a classroom and barracks for the Naval Academy until 1871 when she was retired, eventually becoming a museum ship, and something you can still visit today and as she never lost her commission, should time get really bad, maybe Old Ironsides will be called on again.

Cold War, Vietnam

The F-4 Phantom

The F-4 Phantom

The F-4 Phantom

 

The F-4 Phantom is one of the most iconic military airplanes in American history. As much as the Huey is seen as a symbol of the Vietnam War, the Phantom has to run a close second.

During the war, it served a number of roles, from the main air superiority fighter to ground attack and close support. Even later in the war, it became an important reconnaissance tool also. Not bad.

It first flew in May 1958 and was introduced into front-line service in 1960. It was manufactured until 1981 and in total, more than 5,000 found their way into service. Officially retired in 1996 by the US military it saw use in foreign services until 2013 (Germany).

Oddly enough it is not in a military role that it has been the most impressive. During the 1960’s, as NASA was working on the technology to take a man to the moon. They needed an aircraft that could be used to film the test launches and provide data to the designers. The F-4 was the only airplane that could keep up. So armed with cameras under its wings, this warbird was instrumental to the space program.

Of course, some would argue that the five years that is served as the primary platform for the US Navy’s Blue Angles (1969-1974) ranks up there as its coolest moment.

The plane in the picture is currently undergoing restoration at the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, MI. It is sort of strange to see such a majestic machine with its guts torn out and sort of empty. It helps to know that after so many years of service though it is somewhere they will take care of it.

 

Word and Phrases

Wednesday Words & Phrases: Yankee

Yankee Doodle
This famous painting was originally titled Yankee Doodle but was later changed to The Spirit of ’76. It was painted by Archibald Willard (1836-1918) around 1875.

Yankee

When we talk about Yankees on this site we are not talking about baseball or candles. No, we are talking about the slang term which is used as a geographical indicator of a person’s origins.  There are three basic meanings of Yankee.

To people outside the United States, Yankee is a generic term for all Americans. Sometimes shorted to Yanks.

To people in the Southern United States, Yankee refers to anyone from north of the Mason-Dixon Line. This is rarely used as a term of endearment. If someone with a Southern accent calls you a Yankee, it is not meant as a compliment.

In the Northern United States, Yankee generally refers to someone from New England or the surrounding area.

There are a number of theories as to the origin of the word. The most likely have it coined by Dutch settlers in Colonial America and comes from the name “John Cheese” (Jan Kaas), which was sort of a generic name used for Dutch settlers by the English. Eventually the Dutch would turn it around and use it as a derogatory term for the English settlers from Connecticut. Of course, after Britain took over New Amsterdam and it became New York, everyone became a cheesehead. So to speak.

Vietnam

Supper Time!

Supper Time!

Supper Time!

 

Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “An army travels on its stomach.” If any one would know it should be him.  During war, sometimes finding time to eat is one of the biggest challenges. The body is an engine and the engine needs fuel.

The picture above shows a meal being served to troops in the field during the Vietnam War. In this case, the food is classified as “B Rations”. These sorts of meals were usually prepared in a field kitchen from non-fresh ingredients, then shipped to the units where they were heated up and served.  Not needing to be frozen or refrigerated means that even the guys far from the supply center would have the chance for a hot meal on occasion.

These were usually better than the C Rations or MRE’s that the individual soldier would prepare for themselves. Often from a package, and of dubious quality and taste.  However that A Ration is the holy grail. A warm meal, made in a real kitchen, served in a nice safe dining hall.

“We ate when we could and what we could,” Bill Hatfield, who took the picture above, reminisced. “Sometimes we would be out on patrols that lasted longer than we planned and we never had enough of anything. After a couple of days of C-Rats, we didn’t really care how the food at the fire base tasted, just that there was plenty of it.”

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From the picture it looks  a lot like lining up for lunch in school. Except outside and with a chance of being shot at while you are eating. OK, maybe not that different.

People, Places and Things from US Military History

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