Some cool stuff

Today is Feb. 17, 2008 but on Feb. 17, 1862 a few key events occured that changed naval warfare forever and put one man on path to become the commander of all the Union armies.

First, future U.S. President U.S. Grant was promoted to Major General. He would soon become the commander of all the union armies and thirty-eight months later would bring the Army of Northern Virginia to its knees.

The U.S.S. Merrimack was commissioned as the C.S.S. Virginia and this vessel would change naval warfare forever. The age of the wooden ships was at an end.

This part of my blog has nothing to do with Feb. 17, 1862 but rather a Lincoln quote that I found in Shelby Foote's Civil War narrative. I am still plugging away at Volume One and I hope to finish by the end of the month. The following quote of Lincoln appears on page 535 and it is a statement about the people of New Orleans who were angred by the "aggressive" occupation by Union forces which were led by General Ben Butler. I like this quote because it shows Lincolns desire to stick to his guns despite difficult odds.

Lincoln wrote:

"I am a patient man, always willing to forgive on the Christian terms of repentance. Still, I must save this Government if possible. What I cannot do, of course, I will not do; but it may as well be understood once for all, that I shall not surrender this game leaving any available card unplayed."