While updating my earlier posts on Honorary Colonelcy in Alabama and on the slow atrophy of the Alabama State Defense Force, I kept circling the same name: MG (AL, Ret.) Ronald G. Noland. At first he appeared only in obituaries and faculty listings. Then an archived copy of the ASDF’s own website from June 19, … Continue reading The Penultimate General of Alabama’s Forgotten Militia
Category: Historical Biography
Profiles of notable individuals whose lives illuminate a particular historical moment or cultural tradition.
William Blevins and the Cherokee Nation: A Historical Intersection
When settlers pushed into the Tennessee frontier, they weren’t the first to chart the land — the Cherokee had been here for centuries, and their story intersects with the Blevins family in ways both documented and legendary. In tracing the life — or perhaps lives — of William Blevins, father and son, it’s worth stepping … Continue reading William Blevins and the Cherokee Nation: A Historical Intersection
William Blethyn, Bishop of Llandaff: A Welsh Churchman at the Edge of an Empire
Every so often, a figure from the margins of the historical record steps forward with more depth than expected. William Blethyn — Bishop of Llandaff from 1575 until his death in 1590 — is one of those people. He isn’t a household name, but when you tug on the threads of his story, you uncover … Continue reading William Blethyn, Bishop of Llandaff: A Welsh Churchman at the Edge of an Empire
Henry Blethyn: apprentice on the Submission
Henry Blethyn is a bit of an enigma to many Blevins researchers. Little is known of his life, but his emigration to the American colonies is well documented. He was an apprentice on William Penn's ship the Submission, which departed from Liverpool on 5 July 1682. The Sailing of the Ship "Submission" in the Year … Continue reading Henry Blethyn: apprentice on the Submission
Columbus might not have been a pirate, but..
Thinking about International Talk Like a Pirate Day reminded me of seeing the Niña and Pinta when they came through my area a couple years ago. They are faithful replicas of Columbus's originals. Below is a video of the ships when they visited Dubuque, Iowa:The diminutive stature of these two ships destroyed my perception of Columbus' crossing … Continue reading Columbus might not have been a pirate, but..
The Trojan connection?
Posted on Slashdot today is the article below that I intend to shanghai for a slightly different purpose:Birthplace of Indoeuropean Languages Found: phantomfive writes "Language geeks might be interested in a recent study that suggests Turkey as the birthplace of the Indo-European language family. The Indo-European family is the largest, and includes languages as diverse … Continue reading The Trojan connection?
Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon: Bartitsu Club member and Titanic survivor
From the Bartitsu Society:Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon: Bartitsu Club member and Titanic survivor: Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon (22 July 1862 – 20 April 1931) was a prominent Scottish landowner and athlete who is today best known as a survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in the North Atlantic Sea on April 15, 1912.A … Continue reading Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon: Bartitsu Club member and Titanic survivor
