USS Montgomery (C-9)-- Part 3: Commissioned and Decommissioned a Whole Bunch

In April 1899, the Montgomery transferred  to the South Atlantic Squadron and operated along the Atlantic coast of South America. In July 1900, she was import to Uruguay with Commander John Merrill as her commanding officer.

 Decommissioned at New York City 15 September 1900 and recommissioned  15 May 1902 and assigned to the Caribbean Division, North Atlantic Squadron and operated in the West Indies until decommissioned again at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 15 September 1904.

The Montgomery was recommissioned yet again 2 January 1908 and  operated in the Fifth Naval District as a torpedo experimental ship.  From 1914 to  1918, she was with the Maryland  Naval Militia.  Renamed the Anniston  14 March 1918, she was assigned to  Division 2, American Patrol Detachment, for patrol and escort duty along the  Atlantic coast and the Caribbean.

Decommissioned at Charleston, South Carolina, for a last time on 16 May 1918,  the Anniston was struck from  the Navy List 25 August 1919 and sold 14 November 1919.

--Cooter

A Native American Timeline-- Part 1: Speaking of Indigenous Peoples

From the History.com site.

Long before Christopher Columbus stepped foot on what was to become known as the Americas, the expansive territory was inhabited by  Native Americans.  Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, as more explorers sought to colonize their land,  Native Americans responded   in various ways, from cooperation to indignation to revolt.

After siding with the French in numerous battles during the French and Indian War and eventually being forcibly removed from their homes during Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act, Native American populations were diminished in size and territory by the end of the 19th century.

Here are some of the events that shaped  their history after the arrival of the Europeans:

**  1492: Christopher Columbus lands on a Caribbean Island after three months of traveling.  Believing at first that he has reached the East Indies, he called the natives Indians.  On his first day, he orders six natives  seized to become servants.

**  APRIL 1513:  Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon  lands on continental North America in Florida and makes contact with Native Americans.

--Cooter

USS Grebe (AM-43)-- Part 2: Sinking A Sub, Hurricane Work and Towing the USS Constitution

Continued from April 23, 2019.

The Grebe's next duty was to depth charge target submarine G-1 (SS-19 1/2) which she did on June 23.  The ship was involved in other operations along the U.S. East Coast until  decommissioned in 1922.  Near the end of the year the Grebe was recommissioned and stationed in the Caribbean.

Hurricane Rescue Work

In 1930, the Grebe rushed to the aide of the Dominican republic where a hurricane had caused much destruction  Carrying trained medical men and emergency supplies, she was the first ship to reach the island where she remained for two weeks.

Towing the USS Constitution

This is where I talked about the Grebe in my Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 blog.

The Grebe returned to Boston in 1931 and on 12 July took tow of the historic sailing frigate USS Constitution.  A long campaign had been waged to provide financing to restore the historic ship to her original condition and the Grebe spent nearly the next three years as her tender and towing ship.

They visited nearly every  major American port on both the East and West Coasts.  Millions of Americans thrilled to the sight of the "Old Ironsides."    Some of the stops were in New York City, Washington, D.C., Norfolk, Key West Galveston, Guantanamo,   Los Angeles, Seattle, Bellingham, Portland and the Panama Canal Zone.

After that, the Grebe was transferred to the West Coast.

It was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and I will write about the Grebe's experience there and in the rest of WW II in my Tattooed On Your Soul World War II blog next month.

--CootTowing

USS Detroit (C-10)-- Part 2: Spanish-American War

During the Spanish-American War, the Detroit was part of a squadron which shelled Fort San Cristobol and Castillo San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico and several shore batteries 12 May 1898.

Later, the Detroit patrolled off Nicaragua and Venezuela during problems there.

The ship was decommissioned in May 1900 and recommissioned in 1902, seeing service in the Caribbean Sea.

It was decommissioned again in 1905 and sold for scrap in 1910.

--Cooter

What's in a Name?

From the October 2011 Smithsonian Magazine "What Became of the Taino?" by Robert M. Poole.

This tribal group was the first New Worlders encountered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, spread over Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and the island of Hispaniola. Unfortunately, those 3-4 million were practically extinct in fifty years and Poole goes in search of their descendants,

Of particular interest were words that we use today that came from the Tainos:

canoe
hammock
barbecue
tobacco
hurricane
Cuba

Eatin' My 'Cue Before Hittin' My Hammock. --Cooter