Some More on Major General William J. Snow: 1890 West Point Graduate and Early Service

William Snow graduated from West Point in 1890, ranking #24 out of 54 students.  Thirteen otther of his class went on to become generals.

Snow received his commission as 2nd lieutenant in the field artillery and was assigned to the 1st Artillery Regiment.

During the Spanish-American War he performed coast artillery duty at Fort St. Philip (it gained fame during the Civil War when Farragut ran past it and Fort Jackson on his way to capture New Orleans).  He was pomoted to 1st lieutenant.  Next, he served as quartermaster of the 7th Artillery Regiment at Fort Slocum, New York.

The regiment was ordered to the Philippines during the insurrection and served there until there until May, 1901.

Next, he was promoted to captain and stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and was made commander of the 20th Field Battery (Horse).  It was later redesignated as the Battery E, 6th Field Artillery Regiment.  From  1907 to 1908 he attended the Army War College and then returned to the 6th Field Artillery where he served as adjuatnt.

--Cooter

No Kissing the Soldiers at Savannah's St. Patrick's Parade

From the March 11, 2017, Chicago Tribune  "Army:  No kissing parading soldiers on St. Patrick's Day" by Russ Bynum, AP.

Well, the Army says that makes the soldiers look unprofessional.  So,  not sure how they will stop it.  "Duck and cover?"  No word from them as to what they will do if a gal gets in close for a kiss.

Anyway, Savannah, Georgia,'s  St. Patrick's parade and celebration is legendary, right up there after Mardi Gras in New Orleans.  Roughly 200 soldiers from nearby Fort Stewart will be taking part in the parade this Saturday.

Organizers say that as many as 500,000 revelers will be downtown this weekend in Georgia's oldest city.

Irish immigrants (they didn't all go to New York City and Boston) and their descendants have marched in the St. Patrick's parade since 1824.

And, It's a Real Big Parade.  OK, Girls, Put Away the Lipstick.  --CootRish

One Man's Travels By Water in 1836-- Part 4: The Horse Race

In Louisville, Kentucky, "a match horse race came off between the states of Kentucky and Tennessee.  The chivalry of Kentucky staked their bottom dollar on the (bay gelding) Randolph, while the sporting men of Tennessee bet their last nickel on the brown filly Angora."

Randolph won "and the Tennesseeans were stripped to their shoestrings.  Large numbers of them were unable to pay their hotel bills and many were reduced from an easy competence to abject poverty."

After a stop in Cairo, Illinois, "which consisted of one building -- a tavern,"  David Crandall took the Madison, another steamer, to New Orleans, where he had his first glimpse of slavery:  "I found much food for reflection among a people who made slavery in its most brutal aspects the corner stone of their civilization and the chief element of their commercial prosperity."

He Wasn't Much Impressed With Slavery.  --Cooter

Ten Reasons New Orleans Is Master of Macabre-- Part 2

Remember, the Listverse site has pictures and more information.

5.  Tomb raiders

4.  Exotic murders--  Gardette-LaPrete House at 716 Dauphine Street.

3. Even dogs aren't safe  On jan. 26, 2013, a Secret Service dog jumped to its death.

2.  Katrina victims

1.  Even Katrina couldn't wash out some stories.  In 1994, there were 421 murders  In the past decade there has been an average of 56 murders per 100,000 people.

New orleans, A Murderous City That Hates Its Confederate Heritage.  --Cooter

Ten Reasons New Orleans Is Master of Macabre-- Part 1: Marie Laveau

From the June 9, 2013, Listverse by William Bryan Layton.

10.  Above-ground cemeteries

9.  Jazz funerals

8.  Killer real estate  (The La Lourre Mansion in the French Quarter)

7.  Voo Doo and Louis Armstron  in Congo Square, today is Louis Armstrong Park.

6.  XXX Marks the Spot.  The burial plan of Marie Laveau in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, the most haunted cemetery in the U.S..  At her grave, draw 3 Xs for you wish to be granted.

I So Afraid!!  --DaCoot

--

Final Goodbyes Said in 2015-- Part 2: "Not Logical"

Blues Legend B.B. King, 89.  Old Blues Boy.  "The Thrill is Gone" now.

Three-time NBA MVP Moses Malone, 60  The guy cold play.

Actress and comedian Anne Meera, 85  Steela and Meara.  George's parents.

Actor Al Molinaro, 96  Owned Arnold's and the cop on the "Odd Couple."

Mathematician John Nash, 86  The brilliant mind.

Mr. Spock of "Star Trek" Leonard Nimoy, 83  "Beam Me Up."

Actress Maureen O'Hara, 95  Loved her "spanking" by John Wayne.

Singer Percy Sledge, 74  "When a Man Loves a Woman"  How can you get sadder than that?

Songwriter-producer-musician Allen Toussaint, 77  That guy was all over the place and a huge part of the New Orleans sound.

Actor Dick Van Patten, 86  "Eight Is Enough"

Ten Most Famous Cemeteries in the U.S.-- Part 2: Hollywood Forever Cemetery

6.  HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY  Los Angeles.  Over 115 years old.  In the shadow of the famous Hollywood sign.  Among notables buried here:  Rudolph Valentino and Mel Blanc.

5.  BOOT HILL  Tombstone, Arizona.  They died with their boots on.  Up to 300 buried here.  One gravestone reads:  "Here lies Lester Moore / Four slugs / from a 44 / No less / No more."  Billy Clanton and Frank and Tom McLaury, victims of the OK Corral buried here.

4.  ST. LOUIS CEMETERY NO. 1  New Orleans.  Oldest of the city's three Catholic cemeteries, opened in 1789.  Built up because of low-lying land, vault on top of vault.  Marie Laveau buried here.

3.  FOREST LAWN MEMORIAL PARK  Glendale, California.   Final resting place of 250,000.  Among them: Gracie Allen, author L. Frank Baum "Wizard of Oz," Nat King Cole, W.C. Fields, Errol Flynn, Jean Harlow, Clark Gable and Walt Disney.

2.  GETTYSBURG NATIONAL CEMETERY  Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  The aftermath of the great battle and the famous speech.

1.  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY  Arlington, Virginia.  The cemetery  built to "get" Robert E. Lee on his land.  Obviously, a real lot of famous people buried here.

Mardi Gras Music-- Part 1

Listening to Mardi Gras Music Radio on Live 365 right now. //// Some more music to drink those Hurricanes and Hand Grenades: ALL ON A MARDI GRAS DAY-- Wild Magnolias // LILLIE MAE-- Smiley Lewis // NEW SECOND LINE-- Olympia Brass Band // STREET PARADE (PARTS 1 AND 2)--Earl King // WHISKEY PAYCHECK-- The Gommorrah Social Club //// FRENCH ROCKIN' BOOGIE-- Geno Delafose // LET'S GET FIRED UP-- Zigaboo Modeliste // LOUISIANA RAIN-- Anders Osborne // KING CAKE-- Big Al Carson // SECOND LINE-- Jo-El Sonnier //// JAMBALAYA-- Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Jo-El Sonnier // KIDD JORDAN'S SECOND LINE-- Dirty Dozen Brass Band // LITENIN'-- Dr. John // HERE COME THE SAINTS-- Chief Howard & the Uptown Warriors. //// Now, Where's That King Cake?-- DaCoot

Getting In the Mood for Mardi Gras: The Music-- Part 2

When i was deejaying, I played several Mardi Gras parties and always played a lot of that kind of music. Believe it or not, I have been to other Mardi Gras parties where the deejay never played any Mardi Gras music at all. That was ridiculous. //// We have seen sevral Mardi Gras parades in Mobile and Panama City and had a ball. We also have gone to Mardi Gras parties in the area. A good one was the Dekalb Footstompers at P.J.'s Courthouse in Sycamore, Illinois, and Hat Trick at Hogs & Kisses in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Some more Mardi Gras-style music. ZULU STREET--Jon Cleary // I KNOW YOU MARDI GRAS-- Eddie Bo // I WENT TO THE MARDI GRAS-- Snooks Eaglin // WILD INJUNS-- Neville Brothers //// RED HOT CHICKEN-- Wet Willie // LITTLE LIZA JANE-- Preservation Hall Jazz Band //// LE CHINA DE HAVANA-- gomorrans. //// Lookin' for Some Jambalaya Now. --Cooter

Getting In the Mood for Mardi Gras: The Music-- Part 1

As much fun as all the floats, pomp and all for Mardi Gras, what I really like is the music. I have been listening to several sites online most of this morning and they are playing Mardi Gras/Louisiana music.

Some of those songs:

 SOME COLD RAINY DAY-- Preservation Hall Jazz Band
JOSEPH! JOSEPH!-- Meschiya Lake
WILD PINK IN SUPER 8-- Rotary Downs

LOUISIANA FAIRYTALE-- Preservation Hall Jazz Band
MONTEZ VOUS-- Rotary Downs
CARNIVAL TIME-- Rebirth Brass Band

IT AIN'T MY FAULT-- Charmaine Neville Band
INDIAN PRINCESS-- J. Monque'd
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS-- John Boutte

INDIAN RED-- Wild Tchoupitoulas
JAMBALAYA (ON THE BAYOU)-- Johnny Copeland
BIG CHIEF-- Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

--RoadDog

War of 1812: The Bicentennial in New Orleans

From the New Orleans Times-Picayune "Mayor military officers detail next month's War of 1812 bicentennial events in New Orleans" by Paula Purpura.

The Tall Ships and modern warships from various nations will dock in the city. The Navy's Blue Angels will put on a show over Lake Pontchartrain.

The Navy, marine Corps and Coast Guard will be hosting similar events during the next three years, including a grand finale on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

This April 17-23's events will include Navy Week and Fleet Week. One of the ships will be the USS Wasp, an 844-foot amphibious assault ship and the Coast Guard's tall ship, the Eagle. Ships from England, Canada, France, Ecuador and Indonesia will be as the celebration.

Big Times in the Big Easy. --DaCoot