Patrick S. Gilmore When Johnny Comes Marching Home

Here is the true story behind the creation of one of the most enduring songs of the Civil War. The song is "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" by Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore. At the beginning of the Civil War Patrick S. Gilmore was a bandleader. During the war he and his entire band enlisted in the Union Army. During their service the band was called upon several times to act as stretcher bearers after engagements with the the Confederate army. It has often been suggested that this activity played a major role in the creation of the song. This may be true but if so it was just one element of a larger mosaic that culminated in the creation of the song. To see the entire picture you must first look back to the beginning of the war. At that time Patrick was living on the east coast of the United States. He had several years earlier separated from his parents and had gone off to make his own way in life. For Patrick this meant leaving his native Ireland and Emigrating to the US. His parents, in a move similar to that of Patrick, also emigrated to the United States during the late 1840's or early 1850's. Rather than living on the coast as Patrick had chosen to do they had decided to live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With them they brought Annie M. their daughter and their youngest son Henry D. When the Civil War broke out these children were in their late teens and, much as Patrick himself did, they felt the call to serve the Union cause. For Annie this meant being loyal to her beau, a young man named John O'Rourke. John had enlisted in the Union Army as a private and had immediately been promoted to Captain within the 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Throughout the war Annie would remain loyal to her Captain and pine for his return. For Henry the war meant enlisting in the Union Army. As an Infantry soldier he would do his part to serve his adopted country. At first, Henry did very well in the Army. Through his hard work and effort he earned several promotions and eventually reached the rank of Sergeant. It is because of these four people, Patrick, Annie, Henry and John, and the events that were about to unfold in their lives that the song would be penned. Were it not for their love of each other, shared in such a public way, that we today would not be able to express our desire to see our own loved ones return from war in such a powerful way. This then is where the story of the songs creation actually begins. We start with Henry for of all the Gilmore's and O'Rourke's he would pay the highest price for his service to country. Henry was destined to would fall in battle. He would suffer the loss of both legs in an explosion on a field of battle. The loss of his legs were the lesser of his sufferings as he had also suffered extensive head trauma and would forever more be incapable of cognizant thought. Over time his body would heal as best as it could over time but his greatest loss was that of his future. A young man at the time of his injury he would spend the rest of his life in an insane asylum unaware of his condition or state. That Patrick and Annie received word of their brothers fate there was no doubt. Each would have grieved in their own way and in their own way suffered alongside of their fallen brother. Patrick, still serving with his band, was not in eminent danger of injury by this time in the war. Annie remained in Milwaukee and continued to write letters of support to her Captain. But what of the Captain? The Captain had changed duties from Infantry to Artillery and had been sent, along with his men, to the Cumberland Gap area in West Virginia. There he and his men faced nearly daily skirmishes with Rebels and on multiple occasions played prominent roles in open battle with the enemy. It was at this time that Annie wrote a letter to her brother expressing her dire concern for her Captain. Would the Captain fall victim to the same fate as Henry? Would she ever see him alive again? Would he ever return to her at all? It was at this moment in history that the now famous song was penned by Patrick to calm his dear sisters fears. So you see, the song is about Henry who had lost so much and about Johnny who continued to face danger and also about Annie who so longed to have her Johnny back safe and sound. It is here then, at its roots, that we learn the song is an intensely personal message meant to sooth the heart strings of a sister so wracked by doubts and fear over a loved one facing danger. It is also the hope of Patrick that no one else should suffer the fate of his brother in battle. Did the original Johnny make it home again? After many adventures and dangers he in fact returned home where he married his beloved Annie. The two of them would spend the rest of their lives together. Johnny had made it home.

Four people, one short version of the story and a whole new understanding of the song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and its all true. Every word of it. As a final note: Perhaps it is the heartfelt empathy and purity of intent that inspired Patrick when he wrote the song. Perhaps it is these same qualities that have reached out to countless hearts for more than 150 years. And perhaps, yes perhaps, someday there will be an end to war and there will be no more need for the song. Until then we will all look forward to "When Johnny Comes Marching Home".

Note: The photo above of Captain O'Rourke is from the "Captain John O'Rourke House Collection". Notation of this fact must accompany any copy or usage of the image. Thank you.

The true story of Espo the Rabbit and Santa's great list of naughty and nice children

Oh, I'm quite certain that you're heard about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I'm absolutely positive you've also heard of all the other Reindeer as well. You might even have heard of Mrs. Clause, the Elves, the sleigh the Santa's great ride across the world on Christmas Eve to deliver presents. Why, you even know about the great lists that Santa keeps on all the good boys and girls. You know the one, the one that determines which children get presents and which children get bags of coal. Yes, yes, I am quite sure that you have heard of the lists but do you know how they started? Do you know how Santa keeps track of all the children and knows who is naughty and who is nice? Some people will tell you its "Christmas Magic" but they are simply mistaken. How do I know you ask? Well I will tell you that when I was just a young boy Captain O'Rourke told me the story - the true story of how Santa helped a rabbit named Espo and how Espo came to help Santa and in so doing Christmas was changed forever. You see, I know its true, the Captain told me so and he would never lie. He told me and now I will tell you - exactly as he told me the story. You see (the Captain began telling his story) the men and I were in camp outside of Petersburgh and winter had come early that year. The tents were cold, food was scarce and everyone was tired of the war. I sent out a group of men to see if they could find anything to eat. We used to call this foraging for food. When the men returned from foraging they had scant little to offer. One man, a Sargent, had his hand inside of his coat. With a smile he pulled a plump rabbit out of his coat and held him out to me. "For you Sir" he said "And a Merry Christmas to you as well." "He should make a fine meal sir!" the man said as he held out the rabbit to me. I thanked the Sargent and accepted the rabbit. I had a cage brought to my tent and placed the rabbit inside thinking that he would indeed make a fine dinner. What happened next would change my way of thinking about rabbits forever! I no more than closed my tent flap when that rabbit commenced to speaking to me. He said "Please Captain, you must, umm, you must help me. I have an important mission that I just must complete. If you insist on eating me for dinner I will fail and you see I so did promise. You understand don't you?" Well I can tell you I certainly did not understand. In fact I thought someone was playing a joke on me and was about call for my watchman to check around the back of the tent to see who was playing such a joke when that same rabbit said to me "I just can't let Santa down not after all he did for me. And especially not on Christmas Eve!" Christmas Eve! Why I had not even thought of that. Most people know that at special times animals, if they wish, can talk and one of those times is Christmas Eve. I decided not to call the watchman and instead turned back to the rabbit. "Now Talk" I told him. "Tell me everything and be quick about it. I am a busy Captain and yes even hungry. Your words will decide your fate. Let's here your story." And so began the tale of Espo. Espo explained to the Captain that several years before he and his family had been living way up north. As Espo was very fond of the grass that grew as the snow melted in the spring he and his family had traveled further and further north in search of this early grass. They had traveled north following the green grass as first spring and then summer had arrived. The grass was good and they ate their fill and traveled on. Thinking that by continuing north they would continue to find this delicious grass they had traveled so far north that they found themselves in a land without any grass. And then the weather turned towards winter and before they knew it the little family of rabbits was in a very bad way. Espo and the others huddled together for warmth and wondered what to do. Just as things looked beyond all hope an unfamiliar sound was heard. It was the sound of sleigh bells. Beyond all belief the little family looked on as a jolly fat man with a hugh white beard landed on the ice just a short distance from them. The reindeer, glad for a short rest, began to paw at the ice in search of a morsel or two. "Ho Ho Ho what do we have here?" the fat man exclaimed. "Are you looking to become a Polar Bear meal?" he laughed as he said this and even though Espo and the others didn't know what a Polar Bear was they began to like this man who had found them. "I'ts a good thing I have sharp eyes and spotted you as I was flying over. Why you folks are southern rabbits. You should be far from here this time of year. It's a good thing I spotted you as we returned from delivering all those toys. You might not have lasted through the night." Espo, to cold to reply just nodded his head towards the fat man. "Well, lets go then. I can't leave you out here like this, mamma will want to see you." And with that the fat man gathered up the rabbits and, after putting the babies inside his beard, gave the order for the reindeer to move out. And so it was, Espo and the others found themselves at the North Pole itself. Santa, by now they knew it was Santa, and Mrs. Clause were delighted to have the rabbits at the village. The rabbits played, ate green grass Mrs. Clause grew for them and generally had a great time. Espo, understanding the great gift that Santa had given him and his family, wanted to do something nice for Santa. He watched and listed and learned all about how the North Pole worked. You know, what the elves do, what the reindeer do all of that sort of thing. He tried his hand at making toys but his ears kept getting in the way. He tried to pull the sleigh but although he could hop a very long way he could not fly like the reindeer. And then an opportunity came for Espo to help. As Santa toiled over his great list of Children, his heart and his head weary with the task of trying to watch all of the children the world over a thought came to Espo. I could do that, we could do that, the rabbits of the world could do this. He spoke to the others about his idea and all were in complete agreement. The rabbits would help Santa keep track of the good boys and girls as well as the bad. Santa, upon hearing the idea, proclaimed it to be a capital idea and all agreed to start right away. And so it has been ever since. Rabbits all over the world watch the little children to see which are naughty and which are nice. If you don't believe this simply look outside your window and you will probably see a rabbit sitting there. He's not just enjoying the grass. He's keeping watch for Santa. In this way Santa can keep track of all the worlds children all year long. And thanks to Espo he always knows exactly who is behaving and who isn't. In this way Espo related his story to the Captain. Then the captain said "I have one final question for you. If you are so good at this watching business and have been doing it for so long how come you got caught by my Sargent?" Espo, if it's possible for such a thing to happen, reddened in the face just a bit from embarrassment. "Well, I'm not as young and spry as I used to be and the grass around here is especially tasty and, well, I ate a bit more than I guess I should have." As he said this he patted his round belly. "Rather like Santa's now I'm afraid." With this the Captain burst out laughing. "All right what can I do to help?" he asked Espo. Espo replied that he was terribly late in meeting Santa and due to his capture he would probably miss him altogether. It would be the first time since promising to help Santa that he would fail and he felt terrible about it. "Santa won't know where to look for me now" he cried. The Captain replied with a wink in his eye "I think I have an idea." With that the Captain picked up Espo and tucked him into his own coat. He picked up his pillow from the bead and then, leaving the tent he headed towards a group of men. In a hushed tone he told Espo "You'll need to be quiet now. Good luck!" When he arrived at the group of men they all snapped to attention and saluted. He returned the salute and asked that the men load one of the cannon's with a 1/2 charge of powder. The men dutifully loaded the powder into the gun. The Captain explained that he intended to fire a "Christmas Salute" and that no cannon ball was needed. Since a louder sound can be produced from a cannon that has wadding or stuffing in front of the powder than without the men were not surprised when the Captain stuffed the pillow he was carrying into the end of the barrel. "Now, when I tell you to fire do so right away". What the men had not seen was that the Captain had allowed a very nervous Espo to climb into the barrel after the pillow had been put in. It was the Captain's intention that if Santa could not come to Espo then Espo would go to Santa! Everyone stood in silence staring at the night. The men's breath was visible against the black sky lit up by the full moon. Suddenly and without warning something was seen crossing the sky. High up and moving fast it went. The Captain, standing a short way from the cannon heard a small voice call out "That's him! That's Santa!" As the sleigh moved into sight the Captain gave the order to "Fire!" and the gun roared to life. For just a split second Espo could be seen waving back at the Captain and then the Sleigh dipped from its course and swooped him up. As the sleigh slipped from sight all of the men thought they heard a hearty "Ho Ho HO! but none could be sure of it. The Captain, thinking it's a good thing he has sharp eyes, returned to his tent still hungry but happy nonetheless. The next day upon awaking the Captain found that his men had found a large bag of sweets just outside of the camp and had determined that they had been lost by a passing column of wagons the day before. The Captain knew better and said to himself "Thanks Espo and Merry Christmas". And that's exactly how the Captain told it and its true every word of it. I know it for the Captain wouldn't make something like that up. Besides, if everyone knew the secret then children might try to be good just in front of the rabbits and not all the time but trust me - they will see you! Still not convinced? Take a look at any Christmas card or picture, look at the wrappings that come from the North Pole and will see Espo and his family right there for all to see. They are always there and will always be there right at Santa's side. But now that you know the entire story you will know that's its the rabbit that's keeping an eye on you and not the other way around and you will know that you better be good for goodness sake!

When Johnny left Fort Mulligan

Fort Mulligan is a Civil War era fort that resides just outside of Petersburg, West Virginia. Many people know that the fort was built by Union troops under the command of Colonel James. A. Mulligan. What many people do not know is that the artillery officer in charge of his battery of light artillery was none other than Captain John Rourke of Wisconsin. Yes, this Captain John Rourke is the same man named in the song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" by Patrick Gilmore. During the period of time that the Captain served under Colonel Mulligan he utilized the name Rourke rather than O'Rourke but that is a subject for another day. For today I bring you an interesting story about a historic man, a historic location and a life changing event or "pivot point" as Glenn Beck would call it. Before telling this story I would like to thank the South Branch Valley Civil War Society Inc., McNeill’s Rangers Camp #582, Sons of Confederate Veterans and the 7th WV Infantry Camp #7, Sons of Union Veterans for their hard work in maintaining and supporting Fort Mulligan. Although I have only seen the fort through photographs I do intend to visit the actual site at some point and would love to meet the members of this group. I would also like to thank Linda Cunningham Fluharty and Lindapages.com for her tireless efforts in researching civil war soldiers in order to preserve their stories for posterity. Without Linda's efforts a portion of this story would not be know. OK, as you know the original fort was built between August and December of 1863. If you look at the photographs online of the fort you will notice that there appears to be positions for seven cannon's rather than the normal six assigned to a battery. The records show that the 1st Illinois Light Artillery Battery L commanded seven tubes or cannons. I have been unable to identify where the seventh gun came from but it is more than likely the original six came from the state of Wisconsin. Why Wisconsin you may ask? Well Captain O'Rourke was an Irish immigrant who had settled in Milwaukee and then moved to Mauston within the state of Wisconsin. He had originally entered the service as John O'Rourke, had immediately been promoted to Captain by a vote of his peers and, when the 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was ready he shipped out to Washington D.C. with his troops. Now, there is another story here but we will tell that one on another day. For now what you need to know is that the good Captain resigned and returned to Wisconsin where none other than the Governor Louis P. Harvey reenlisted O'Rourke, this time as Rourke and offered him command of the 17th Wisconsin Infantry. O'Rourke turned down the offer. Why? Because he wanted to serve with his pre-war friend James A. Mulligan. That's why! The two men had met during business conducted between John Fitzgerald, a railroad contractor, and the firms represented by Mulligan who was a lawyer. When Mulligan learned that O'Rourke was unattached and available he requested the Illinois governor extend a request to the Wisconsin governor to allow O'Rourke to serve under the Illinois flag. The Wisconsin Governor went one better on the offer and, while he didn't have enough men to form a complete unit, the governor sent O'Rourke and his partially organized unit the 11th Wisconsin Light Artillery to Chicago, Illinois and had them attached to Mulligan as battery L of the 1st Illinois Light Artillery. Now it is true that the cannons used by this group could have been provided by either Wisconsin or Illinois I would assume they came from Wisconsin as it would be bad manners to send the men unarmed so to speak. Together the men would travel to the east to pursue the war. Mulligan, is recorded as being a man of 6ft 4 inches in height with Hazel colored eyes and brown hair. O'Rourke it is believed, from examining period pictures of the man was of similar height. Unfortunately his eye color and hair color have not been found to be recorded in the records so far. Mulligan, a man of some wealth chose to wear his business when photographed. On the field he was known to wear flamboyant clothing that made him stand out and allowed him to be seen by all his soldiers at just a glance. O'Rourke, from the images, also believed in a well kept appearance. The remaining photographs show a man well groomed in a finely kept uniform. Later images show a man in neat and orderly suits as were common during his day. Together these two men must have been quite a sight. Both taller by far than their subordinates on the field. Together these men would build the new fort. In off hours one can almost imagine the Irish playing at road bowling as is told about in stories of the fort while in use. The rules of the game called for small metal balls to be rolled towards pins set up on grassy flats. What better to use than a solid shot meant for say a six pound cannon? Plentiful and available it would be a natural fit for the game. During his time at the fort O'Rourke would be singled out several times by his superiors. In one recorded event he is singled out for having captured a large shipment of tobacco. In this action he had utilized 60 of his cannoniers as cavalry and had captured the shipment while foraging. In another action he was praised by Lieutenant Colonel James Quirk of the 23rd Illinois for having positioned and fired the guns himself that lead to the recapture of a large herd of cattle after a grueling all night chase on the outskirts of Petersburgh. There were good times and bad at the fort but for the Captain things would soon go from bad to worse. According to the records of the Headquarters of the Second Brigade dated February 14, 1864 the events we are about to discuss happened on the 30th of January 1864. This record was written out and forwarded to Headquarters by J. Thoburn, Colonel, Commanding the units involved in the action. According to Thoburn Fort Mulligan was to be abandoned due to the advance of Early's troops on the position. The position, it was thought at the time could not be held due to the short amount of supplies on hand and the potential that the train bringing in new supplies may or may not reach the agreed upon delivery point. With this in mind Thoburn gave the order to evacuate the fort and the army moved out and Johnny left Fort Mulligan for the last time. Now, with most historic facts or events there is usually only one account of what happened. For this event, as it pertains to the Captain, there are three. The three accounts consist of 1. the J. Thoburn report, 2. A testimony of Captain William S. Robb the case of Corporal Theopilus W. Richardson of and 3. What the Captain himself had to say about the matter. First up lets see what Thoburn had to say: The column arrived in good condition, without casualty or disaster on the way, with the exception of a few stragglers that were picked up by the enemy while in a state of intoxication. Among these I am sorry to say were Captain John Rourke, Illinois Light Artillery, and Captain William S. Robb, First West Virginia Volunteer Infantry. Sounds like the Captains had a bit to much to drink. This explanation of the event always left me wondering because O'Rourke was a highly educated and deeply religious man. Might not stop him from drinking then again it just might. The second testimony comes from Captain Robb. In documents uncovered by Linda and available for viewing at Lindapages.com you can read the entire description. For our purposes its important to note that when testifying on behalf of Theophilus Richardson at a veterans benefit hearing he states that he came across Captain Rourke being tended by two Corporals after he was thrown by his horse. He, Robb, was looking for stragglers and making sure no useful supplies or equipment had been abandoned during the evacuation. It can be surmised that Rourke was doing the same when he was thrown from his horse. Robb goes on to say that all four of the Union Soldiers, including himself, were at that time captured by the Confederates and taken to prison camps. He does not mention being drunk or drinking with Rourke. He simply states that he came across Rourke while performing his duties. The third and final testimony on this event comes from O'Rourke himself in sort of an offhand manner. As a prominent citizen of Plattsmouth, Nebraska during 1881 he was asked if he would like to have his bio printed in the "Andreas History of Nebraska" book that was to be published. At the time it was kind of like a who's who of today. O'Rourke chose to include a bio of himself that had been published in a paper some years after the war but previous to the request by Andreas. This account designated by O'Rourke himself as accurate states: While in advanced line of the army before Petersburg, W. VA., his left shoulder was broken and himself taken prisoner, being first confined to Libby Prison Hospital, ...... Again, no mention of drinking or of being with Captain Robb. Kind of makes one wonder if Thoburn was covering his own bottom by saying they were lost due to drunkenness rather than lost in the line of duty. Either way, Captain O'Rourke had left Fort Mulligan and had begun one of the roughest periods of his entire life - that of a prisoner of the Confederate States of America. Finally, as I always do with the historic articles I invite you to ask questions, do the research yourself to validate what I say or simply write it off as a fanciful story. What I can tell you in defense of my research is that the stories I tell of O'Rourke come from hard, factual in period articles that have been uncovered during five years of research. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed finding them. Thank you for reading.

Creating the official O'Rourke house medallion a true Nebraska Token

In 2005 I decided that what the Captain John O'Rourke House needed a party its 125th birthday celebration. The party, which took place in 2006 celebrated the groundbreaking in June of 1881 when construction on the home began. For the party to be big it needed to have many things. There would be descendants of the original owners on hand, a Civil War reenacting band, guided home tours, local politicians making speeches, yard games, cake and much more. As I worked on the event I felt that even with all of the items that were planned something was missing. As I thought on this the idea of souvenirs came to me. Why not create something that would last long beyond the event? Why not give away tokens of remembrance to those who attended? It was a good idea and work began on creating just the right things to give away. For those who worked the event the souvenirs included reproduction Civil War Kepi's purchased through A&M Surplus. These served two purposes, first they reminded people of the Captain's service in the Union Army. Second they easily identified the volunteers to the visitors to the event and allowed anyone in need of assistance to spot help in an instance. Next I created a simplified version of the token above and had wooden nickles made up with the images seen above. These were given out to every one of the more than 500 people who attended the event. As wooden nickles are not expensive to make up there was a large surplus after the event and these were given out as souvenirs to the Boy Scouts at the 2007 Jamboree event held at Mahone State Park in Nebraska. The highlight of the souvenirs for that day had to be without a doubt the token that is shown in the images above. An expensive item to have created the idea here was to create something that would last a lifetime and possibly beyond. In a real sense this particular souvenir may actually last longer than the O'Rourke House itself. Now, before we discuss how it was created it is important to note that the name on the token is the Dugan-O'Rourke House. This is the name that the home carries and is known by in Plattsmouth. The official name on the National Register of Historic Places is the Capt. John O'Rourke House. The Dugan-O'Rourke House name is listed as a secondary name on the same form. OK, now that the name thing is settled lets look at the token. After shopping for a company that could create a high quality medallion for this project I settled on The Highland Mint located in Melbourne, FL. I worked with several of their employees on the project and found them to be highly professional and always helpful. I would highly recommend this company to anyone in search of a company to to this kind of work. To start with the Highland Mint asked that I send them draft images of what I was looking for in a medallion. In response I sent them, after many hours of negotiations with my wife, what I thought would be a good representation of what I wanted. My artwork to say the least was childish. I am not an artist and worried that the tokens would reflect this. What I got back from Highland Mint is what you see in the first two images above. Cleaned up the artwork clearly reflected what I wanted. The people at Highland suggested the stars separating the words and adding the black band of separation between the house and the words. The image of the house itself is lifted from the book Andrea's History of Nebraska from 1882. As such it is the earliest known image of the newly completed house. I insisted that the image contain enough of the front yard so that the Captain can be seen in the lower right hand side of the image. Not a problem I was told and as you can see he is right there where he should be. The date of 1882 reflects date of completion of the home. Liking what I saw I signed off on the artwork. The reverse side of the token holds a special meaning on several levels. The first of the two crossed four leaf clovers reflect the fact that the original owners were Irish. Irish born immigrants who chose to live in Nebraska. The second clover represents my personal Irish heritage as I myself am the descendant of Irish immigrants. Immigrants who chose to call Nebraska home even prior to the state becoming a state. The Irish blessing "May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow and may trouble avoid you wherever you go" was included and is self explanatory as to what we want for you. The line "Celebrating the Past, Present and Future" was included for the party and shows our pride in the home's past and our hope for its future. The name of the home was included on both sides of the token so that there can be no doubt from which it came. Finally the dates 1882 -2007 were included in Roman Numerals to reflect the 125th anniversary of the homes completion in 1882. Originally planned as just normal numbers Roman Numerals were chosen to "class up" the token. How many were made? Originally 500 of these were made in Antique Bronze. The size is 39MM. There were also 30 tokens made in Sterling Silver. Each of the tokens was encapsulated in a plastic capsule to keep them from damage or tarnish. These tokens were given out to dignitaries, band members, descendants and volunteers. In addition each adult visiting the home on the day of the event was given a token to keep as a remembrance. Since the party the remaining supply of tokens was given away to those who visited the home over the past two years. The two "die" that were created for the tokens was tuned over to me at the end of the project as was the 3-d large engraving used to make the dies from. In the photo above you can see this engraving as it is the blue token shown above. The dies are the same size as the tokens the 3-d engraving is about 14 inches across in size. Some would ask what it cost to produce these tokens. I will withhold that information as it is not relative to what it would cost to do the project again today. If you are really interested in what it would cost please access the Highland Mint's website for details. Will I do another token for the house? I would like to do so with the next token featuring the actual image of the Captain. Possibly this will be done for the 130th anniversary of the home. Thanks for reading.

The original Plattsmouth Cannon

There are many questions about the Plattsmouth cannon. Is it real? How old is it? What size is it? Where did it come from? Is it bronze or iron? Is it a Napoleon? I don't have all the questions and I certainly do not have all of the answers. What I do have is some of the answers and the photo's above.

Some background: the cannon supposedly arrived in Plattsmouth sometime around 1857. It was supposedly brought here to help prevent attack by Indians. Later, this same cannon was supposed to protect the city from Quantrel's Raiders as they ranged in and out of Missouri during the Civil War. Even later the cannon spent time in several other Nebraska cities such as Nehawka. Not sure where all it went or what it was used for at those times. What is certain is that the cannon does exist - I have personally seen and photographed it as can clearly be seen above.

I can not disclose to you where the cannon is located for security purposes. What I can tell you is that, with luck, at some point this fine example of a mid-century cannon will be on permanent display for all to see.

Now let's take a look at the cannon. Overall it has the same length and approximate weight as a Federal six pound cannon. The cannon also has several strange characteristics that if any reader can assist in identifying I would much appreciate hearing from. To start with the cannon has what appears to be an extra heavy casting where the trunions are located. If you look at the photo's that show this you will see a band cast around the barrel, a square section cast onto the band and the trunion extending from this square section. I have been unable to find any images of cannons with this configuration.

Next, if we look towards where the vent piece should be located you will see an iron band. This band is not a part of the cannon and appears to be a ring that was added so that the cannon could be mounted onto a cement stand in one of its earlier display assignments. I believe it was at this same time that the barrel was filled with cement. The vent hole is not visible due to the iron band but interestingly enough a hole was drilled in the band to simulate a vent hole.

The trunions do not appear to have any markings on them. Neither does the barrel's business end. In fact I could not find any markings of any kind on the barrel. What you can see from the photo's is that at some point in time the barrel was fitted with sights. This would have been appropriate for a cannon of this type so that's ok.

The cascabel is in tact and easily seen in one of the photo's. Typical of an 1841 pattern cannon this section of the barrel looks to match up with that type of barrel. In fact, with the exception of the strange trunion area on the gun it almost line for line matches an 1841 pattern cannon.

As it is assumed this barrel weighs in at around 800+ lbs I had no way to turn it over to see the condition of the other side or if there are any markings to be found there.

The barrel appears to be cast iron.

I wish I could provide the reader more information but that's about it except for several suggestions that were made as to the creation of the cannon as it now sits. One suggestion is that the cannon had a "belt" cast onto it at some point. This could account for the strange mid-section of the gun. It was suggested that this could have been done if the gun were cast iron and one of the trunions had been damaged beyond use. The other suggestion is that the gun is not a cannon at all but just a lawn ornament created by the Plattsmouth Iron Foundry that existed sometime before 1900. Casting large posts, columns and commercial building parts the company would certainly have had the ability to cast a cannon barrel if they so desired. One last rumor is that this very barrel was fired on a regular basis by a team of men from Nehawka who started a club around the use of the gun. The only photo of these men with the cannon shows them all wearing fire department helmets. Interesting to say the least.

Well, there you go, the cannon is real. If you can help identify its make, model and potential origins I would certainly appreciate hearing from you. If not, I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about this historic cannon.

Thank you.

A restored Italianate Victorian comes full circle

This blog entry is to show readers how the Captain John O'Rourke House looked at the very beginning and how it has evolved over the years. This will be done through the use of several photographs/images and a review of each.

Image #1 shows the Italianate Victorian home as it first appeared upon completion. This image comes from a book called Andrea's History of Nebraska. It was published in 1882. If you look closely you will see the Captain in the front yard looking at the home and his daughter looking back at him from the front porch. Notice that the home has a large overhang, corbels under the roof line, a porch railing on both the upper and lower levels of the house. Since the Captain died in May of 1882 and we know the home construction began in June of 1881 the photo from which the image must have been made had to have been taken in either late 1881 or early 1882.

Truly Italianate Victorian in style and design the home matched time wise the buildings of the same design on mainstreet Plattsmouth located four blocks away.

Image #2 shows the home as it stood in the period of World War I. This is known by the service star in the front window designating that someone living here was in the military service. The picture is significant as it shows in clear detail the remaining railings on the front porch. In addition the photo shows the upper porch posts still connected to the house at this point in time. When I moved into the home five years ago these posts were discovered underneath the front porch of the home. Unfortunately the photo does not show the underside of the eves to show if the corbels still exist at this point or not.

Image #3 shows the home as it looked when I purchased it five years ago. Note that the corbels are missing from the front of the home. Also note that the balusters on the porch are of a completely different design than what was originally used. No railing or evidence of a railing exists at his point on the upper level of the porch. This image would date to roughly 2003/2004.

Image #4 shows the home as it exited for its 125th anniversary. At this point I have recreated the balusters to as close a resemblance as those in the WWI photo. The lower half of the porch posts have been rebuilt so that they once again have an Italianate look and feel to them. The upper porch railing was created completely from scratch based on the 1882 image shown above. At this point the majority of the painting still needs to be undertaken to properly colorize this Victorian lady. This image dates to late summer 2006.

Image #5 This image shows the home as it now looks. In addition to the porch work I also undertook the task of recreating the missing corbels. This was done by closely examining one of the corbels on the side of the home, taking detailed measurements and then simply spending enough time to create the pieces and put everything together.

As an interesting note when we removed some of the trim on the front of the home to make repairs we found that the current body color for the home is virtually the same as that originally used on the home. The colors we chose are based on a Sherwin Williams Victorian color palate and fit our home perfectly.

So, what you see in image #5 is the home, with the exception of shutters and storm windows, the way the O'Rourke's would have seen their new home when they moved into it in early 1882. The home is currently listed in the National Register of Historic places for both its building type and because a person of historic significance (Captain John O'Rourke) lived here.

Hope you like it - it was a great deal of work to hand recreate and install everything but we here feel it was very, very worth it.

Thanks for looking!

G.I. Joe & the Talking Adventure Team Commander

When I was a young boy growing up in Omaha during the late 60's and early 70's I remember being excited to be going to the stores with my mother. We would normally go to Hinky Dinky or some other grocery store but from time to time we would go to a Hesteads or a Woolco or possibly a Kresgies. When things were really really good we might even get into a Brandies, a Sears or a J.C.Penny. I remember we would go to "grand openings" and I would get little free trinkets from the store owners. Most often these would be along the lines of small plastic baskets with flowers on top and "rain bonnets" inside. Now these bonnets were simply a thin plastic that was accordion folded with a longer piece of plastic used to tie it to a ladies head. When folded down to nothing it would fit into the basket that was of a size useful to Barbie. Why did I want these? I mean, after all I was a young boy and not a girl and one would think I wanted something useful to a boy right? Well, actually I did want something more in line with what boys wanted and I would immediately discard the hat inside and the flowers on the outside of the basket and then I would have an item that possibly could maybe be used for my favorite hero growing up - G.I.Joe. So when I tell you I was excited to go to the stores it was not to see the clothes or the shoes or who knows what else they had on hand. No, I was simply there to see G.I.Joe and as soon as I had the chance I would be off to the toy section to do just that. Now back then it was much safer for a parent to let a child wile away time in the toy department of the store just dreaming about the possibilities..... I would not recommend it today without parental supervision. So when we got to the store I would make for the toy department and peruse the Adventure Team. It seems to me this must have been right around 1970 or 1971 as the only experience I ever had with the soldier lines of Joe was when I would visit my Aunt and play with my cousins snow trooper. Anyway, I remember the boxes of Joe's most vividly at the Brandies that was next to the Hinky Dinky where mom would do her grocery shopping. There were always at least a couple of Joe's in boxes on the lowest shelf of the display. I would open the boxes and inspect each and every one. Most often there would be Land Adventurers and Sea Adventurers. I would inspect each head for fullness of hair as sometimes they had strange beards or bald spots. I would make sure each had a dog tag and a pistol. I still remember to this day how mad it would make me to see them with the guns missing. Why would anyone want a G.I.Joe without a gun I would ask myself. Way back then I really didn't know about people called shoplifters but I guess we had them even then. Occasionally the holy grail of the Joe line would be present on the shelf. The G.I.Joe Talking Adventure Team Commander. When he would show there would never be more than one of him on the shelf. I would carefully open the lid and then pull the string to make him talk. I so clearly remember the time I was doing this that I was "caught" by a store employee who took the figure away from me, put him back into the box and told me that only buying customers were allowed to play with the merchandise. Now this hurt me through and through. True, I didn't have any money. True, my family didn't have much money either so at this point I had not actually ever bought a Joe - but - and this is a big point - I had never taken anything from a Joe nor had I ever damaged one either. To me, even at this early point, Joe was a thing of reverence. A toy to be looked at, admired and hopefully someday even owned. To add injury to insult the employee took the figure with them and dragged me over to Hinky Dinky where they paged my mother to the front desk to come get me. Once at the desk the Brandies employee proceeded to berate my mother for letting her brat run wild in the Brandies and to finger all the merchandise. "Do you know how much this costs?" I remember her asking my mother. Well, my mom didn't know but I did and by providing the answer I just inflamed the situation even further. After that incident and for a long time I was forced to sit in the car with my teen aged sister whenever we visited Hinky Dinky. I thought it terrible punishment for me but as I look back on it now it was probably worse punishment for my sister who had nothing to do with the situation and yet had to sit with me week after week till mom felt it was safe to take me back into the store. Now that year for my birthday the best and the worst occurred on the very same day. I remember awakening to the excitement that is a birthday and I remember running from my shared room with my little sister to the kitchen where I knew that a cake and presents would be awaiting me. I could not have been more wrong... It was a "working day" for my father. He was an Omaha Fireman and at the time they would work one day on and then one day off on a rotating schedule. One day on meant a 24 hour day of work and then a 24 hour day away from work. Well it just so happened that on that day my dad had his day on. We had breakfast and I was told that we would go to the fire station later in the day to celebrate with dad. Later meant almost all day but we got there eventually and there was cake shared by all the three men working with my father, my mom, sisters and myself. That year we even had ice cream malts from the Burger Chef & Jeff located next to the fire station. It was great and then the best part. I got one present that year. It was of course the dreamed of but never in a million years expected Talking Adventure Team Commander. Yes, I will say it right now he was to me the best present ever. Looking back I can only assume that my mom got the idea from that Brandies lady the day I got into so much trouble. Not sure, doesn't matter. I had him and he was mine! I drifted off into thoughts of the adventure's we would be having in the back yard together and when it was time got back into the car. We were off to another relatives house who lived close by because they wanted to give me a birthday present. I honestly do not remember what they gave me but I do remember this. I was told to leave my new Joe in the car so that nothing would happen to him or be left behind when we went home. This particular relative had lots and lots of kids and mom just wanted to make sure my prized possession made it home safe and sound. I don't know how long we were inside the house but I do know that when we came out the car was empty. That's right, I had my dream Talking Adventure Team Commander for less than a couple of hours and he had disappeared. Been stolen right out of the car. He had been placed in his box and set in the back window of our 67 Impala and one would have thought would have been A-OK but no. Some lowlife had taken advantage of the unlocked car and absconded with my birthday present. I was devastated. My mom was beside herself upset more because she knew that there was no money to replace him with and that he had been my only present from her and dad. Now I want you to think about this as I looked it up. In 1970 a Talking G.I.Joe cost $4.99 and now that he was gone there was no money to buy another. I was, to say it politely, simply crushed. I am not sure exactly how things panned out from there but what I can tell you is that my favorite Uncle Bill did what he could to salvage my bad luck. The next day he came to the house with a present for me and upon unwrapping it I found that it was a Sea Adventurer. It didn't talk and it had red hair rather than the brown of the Commander but he was mine and I loved him. I loved him so much that for the next couple of years he was my constant companion. Even when a Land Adventurer joined him in his adventurers it was always the Sea Adventurer who led the way. I never got another Talking Commander as a child but I have never forgotten that first one either and have from time to time wondered what his life turned out to be like in that den of thieves he was taken to. I have also never forgotten the efforts of my mom and dad and my uncle to make sure that for at least one birthday a small boy got exactly what he wanted for his birthday. In so doing they created memories that have lasted a lifetime. And all I can say is: Thanks guys I appreciate it.

The new Democrat Mayor speaks April 16th 1881

The following is taken directly from the minutes of the City of Plattsmouth, NE. The occasion was the regular meeting of the Council and the installing of the new Mayor Captain John O'Rourke. Before reading the speech given by Mayor O'Rourke please know that he was a Democrat in a Republican part of the country. Not given high odds to win the election due to the overwhelming number of Republicans in the area he had still managed to win. Today, when I listen to the words of Barack Obama I think of the speech below and wonder how different the Democrats of today are from those of the 1880's. It almost appears that the two parties the Republicans and the Democrats have completely switched sides over the years as I feel I would more likely hear John McCain say these words than Barack. Read the speach and let me know if you think I am right or wrong on this as I am certainly interested in your views. Anyway in honor of the Republican and Democrat conventions I now give to you without further ado the acceptance speech of Captain John O'Rourke as he became Mayor of the city he called home: Council Chamber Plattsmouth Neb April 16th 1881 His Honor the Mayor Mr. Johnson then administered the oath of offices to the Members of the Council and to Mayer elect & declaring said official duly installed in the respective offices. His honor the Mayor John O'Rourke in taking the chair made the following remarks. Gentlemen of the Council In assuming the office of Mayor of the City of Plattsmouth it is with deep appreciation of the burdens that the assumption will impose upon me, made none so by the able and careful administration of my predecessor Mayor Johnson. The future permanent and prosperous growth of our city is on measure assured by the amount of capital now in the city and being continually augmented by business new and capitalists who look with favor upon on advantages of our city. And it becomes the duty of those entrusted with the legislative and administrative interest of our city government to encourage the good completion of work under way by a course of most prudent and economical action. I would especially direct your attention to the adoption of measures for the punctual collection of all back taxes now on the City Treasurers books which if paid to day would give very material aid to our city and which have been allowed to accumulate from year to year without legal excuse or justice to those tax payers who pay their taxes. I direct your attention to the condition of our Main street and the side walks and crossings on those streets believing that their is no burden that our taxpayers and property owners would respond to as cheerfully as having our Main streets in a condition calculated to challenge their attention instead of the ambush of a stranger who chances to visit our city. The law instructs these improvements to be assessed directly to the abutting property and when vacant and unimproved property is worth what it is in Plattsmouth it shall bear this burden. The condition of our city should be improved, and to that end care should be exercised in contracting indebtedness and all reasonable means exercised to discharge all legal outstanding claims. I would suggest measures for an adornment of streets and public grounds and rigid protection to trees, shrubbery each planted per that purpose. I would urge the cleaning of our streets, alleys and grounds, and the alteration of the sanitary condition of our city and thereby add to present reputation of our city for health. I would ask reasonable and legal means of creating the revenue by our levy of special taxes on such business calling and property as are calculated to bear the same and would especially adopt and confirm the collection of tax upon the dog population of the city. I ask in conclusion the individual and unified assistance of your body as well as the hearty cooperation of our citizens in this exercise and discharge of my duties wile knowing that without that aid I can hope to accomplish little. Very Respectfully John O’Rourke Mayor