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Louis Morin, Source Code and Modus FX
Eric Philpott
Building a Thriller with Invisible VFX
Montreal, Que: April 1, 2011... Visual effects supervisor Louis Morin's latest project, Source Code, comes to the big screen across North America today. Modus FX, who collaborated recently with Morin on Barney's Version, was one of six facilities that contributed stunning, seamless CG for the new thriller by emerging British director Duncan Jones. The film is just the latest in the new generation of films blending brilliant, yet imperceptible, visual effects with live action. "Some people still think of visual effects as something artificial,� said Louis Morin, "but digital tools are no different from any of the other illusions that we use to tell great stories. I think it is because some of the early CG work was not as sophisticated, that visual effects got a bad reputation, but that time has passed. Visual effects have become a powerful tool for the filmmaker at the same time as they have become mostly invisible for the audience.� VFX supervision is actually Morin's second turn in the international limelight. In his teens he was a competitive freestyle skier. "When I was 14, I saw the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey,� he recalled. "I decided then that my first goal was to become a world champion skier, and after that I wanted to become a filmmaker.� He came very close to realizing his skiing dream, reaching the World Cup, but ultimately knee surgery forced him to retire from competition. Meanwhile, in 1981, the young Morin had started film school, and soon after that moved to Europe where he spent several years making ski films. "I learned as a director and camera man about shooting, lighting, lenses and so much more,� said Morin. "That experience was so important for the work I do now. Filming forces you to think constantly about how to grab reality with a camera, how reality is perceived by the audience, and how to capture it and make it look great on the screen.� Back in Montreal, Morin moved on to producing commercials and became involved in visual effects. "Commercials are a great place to learn the craft,� he related. "You have good budgets and the best tools.� His breakthrough came in 2004, as VFX supervisor on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which was nominated for a VES award. Since then, Morin has worked on a range of high-profile projects, including Brokeback Mountain, The Aviator, Mr. Nobody, The American, Barney's Version and Source Code.
Bringing Source Code to Life
The new film, Source Code, is a sci-fi thriller. While the storyline involves obvious fantasy, the visuals for the film are almost entirely based on live-action reality. Visual effects shots for the film involved CG trains, snarled traffic, complex set extensions and incredible explosion scenes. "To create photo-real effects, I try to make as many live elements as possible available to the artists,� explained Morin. "For example, on Source Code we went to a quarry and set off all kinds of explosions, shot at different speeds and angles, to use as plate elements. Later, we bring the live elements into compositing, and only then do we go to CG for enhancements, or to fill in any gaps.� In total, Source Code has over 850 visual effects shots, the majority of which are set inside a commuter train. These included hundreds of greenscreen windows showing passing landscapes or train station backdrops. Here the use of CG in post allowed the director and the actors to work without outside distractions during production. "I wanted to give the director total freedom inside the train, so that he could focus on storytelling,� said Morin. Set extensions on the train station in Source Code provide another example of the critical link between digital and traditional filmmaking tools. Production designer Barry Chusid based the set design on an actual train station in Chicago. The postproduction component called for extending the train station building and the surrounding parking lot. "At some point in post we decided to change the parking lot,� recalled Morin. "As a result, in the final sequences the whole side of the train station is digital. That meant more than 65 new shots, but it was a small price to pay. This is how CG gives the director more room to maneuver, not only in planning the shots, but also in the final stages of fine-tuning the story.� Director Duncan Jones, whose first feature, Moon, won him kudos from audiences and critics alike, worked closely with the team, designing transition shots and carefully storyboarding the film's climactic scene. "Duncan's background is also in commercials, so he has an excellent understanding of the tools,� explained Morin. "He has a very respectful and collaborative way of leading that was critical on a complex project like this.� Editorial was done in tandem with the visual effects. "As they were cutting the film in L.A., I had a VFX editor with me with a mirror image of the cut,� explained Morin. "As the editors worked, we got the new EDLs, so if they changed the cut, we knew right away where we'd have to change the effects. This way we were always ahead of the curve.� Six facilities, including Modus FX, participated in the project. Rodeo FX crafted most of the greenscreen windows for the train interiors. MPC Vancouver handled the big explosions and crash sequences. Fly Studio provided key transitions, Mr. X did additional window backgrounds, and Oblique FX created bomb interiors, a virtual stuntman, and slow-motion explosion sequence.
Modus FX on Source Code
Modus started early on in the project doing pre-visualization, including the film's climactic explosion scene. Once those sequences were roughed out, the shots were handed over to MPC Vancouver for completion. Modus also created the CG commuter and cargo train models for the team at MPC, as well as producing shots depicting enormous traffic jams. "There is widespread panic at one point in the story and everybody is trying to escape the city,� related Morin. "Modus created virtual crowds and cars for plates of the superhighway in Chicago, which we had shot from a helicopter.� The focus of Modus' work on Source Code, however, were the exteriors of the train and the station, including reflective windows and the metallic surfaces of the train. "Even though it's a science-fiction story, visually the film is set in our everyday world,� explained Morin. "The story takes place in modern Chicago, so the audience should never imagine that they are looking at anything but a real train.� Modus has shown considerable skill at creating hard surface vehicles on projects like this, having recently completed a full-CG water plane in Barney's Version. "In terms of the final product on the screen, the distinction between visual effects and physical elements is becoming almost irrelevant,� reflected Morin. "It is now sometimes cheaper to create a shot in CG than to build a set or use an expensive prop. We had this on Barney's Version where we decided to create a large water plane digitally for the film's central scene. Financially, it made sense to do this, but of course we had to achieve it visually and artistically.� "This kind of CG work is not easy,� he continued, "but Modus has built digital trains and planes which are completely believable when we see them on the big screen.� "We are big fans of Louis Morin,� said Marc Bourbonnais, president of Modus FX. "It was a pleasure to work with him and so many great facilities on this challenging and exciting film.� Source Code was produced by the Mark Gordon Company and Vendome Pictures, and is a Summit Entertainment release. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga, and was directed by Duncan Jones. Source Code premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March and sees theatrical release on April 1, 2011.
About Modus FX
Since launching in 2007, Modus FX has become an industry leader in high-end feature film visual effects, boasting an international clientele and a talented team of hand-picked artists from around the globe. Led by co-founders Marc Bourbonnais and Yanick Wilisky, Modus has developed a unique approach to creating digital effects, combining a cutting-edge production pipeline with personalized ongoing project coordination. The studio collaborates with each director through the artistic process, from editorial script and on-set supervision to final delivery. Based just outside Montreal, Modus offers a full scope of services in its modern 12,000-square-foot studio. For more information, visit
www.modusfx.com


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No. 9 Hawkeyes Qualify for NCAA Championships
posted by Breanna Kellogg - Apr 11, 2018
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The No. 9 University of Iowa men's gymnastics team has been selected to the 2018 NCAA National Collegiate Men's Gymnastics Championship Qualifier, the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Committee announced Tuesday.
The championship qualifier, which consists of two pre-qualifying sessions, will be held at the UIC Pavilion on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago on April 20.
The top three squads from each session plus the top three all-around competitors not on one of the qualifying teams and the top three individuals on each event not already qualified on a team or as an all-around competitor from each session will advance to the NCAA finals on April 21.
The Hawkeyes are 1-of-12 teams selected to compete at the NCAA Championship Qualifier. Iowa, who qualified with a score of 402.850, enters the qualifier with a No. 9 national ranking.
In its history, the Iowa men's gymnastics program has made 51 NCAA Championship appearances, crowned 11 individual event champions, and won one national championship in 1969.
A link to purchase tickets for the 2018 NCAA Championships is available on the Iowa men's gymnastics schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.
Institution/Qualifying ScoreOklahoma414.713Minnesota409.463Michigan408.588Illinois408.463Ohio State408.350Stanford407.775Nebraska407.175Penn State407.038Iowa402.850Navy401.550Air Force396.625California395.275

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Value: As a rough estimate of this coins value you can assume this coin in average condition will be valued at somewhere around 25 cents, while one in certified mint state (MS+) condition could bring as much as $15 at auction. This price does not reference any standard coin grading scale. So when we say average, we mean in a similar condition to other coins issued in 2001, and mint state meaning it is certified MS+ by one of the top coin grading companies. [?].
Additional Info: The info above is for the Silver proof version of this coin the Quarter. Rhode Island had its coin released in May of 2001 by the US Mint. The coin has a Yacht or Boar on the reverse, and the words The Ocean State. The Pell bridge is in the distance. All the state quarters have the words E Pluribus Unum on the reverse bottom middle.
Current silver melt value* for a 2001 S is $2.7 and this price is based off the current silver spot price of $14.95 This value is dynamic so bookmark it and comeback for an up to the minute silver melt value.
**When we say that 889,697,000, of these coins were produced or minted in 2001 this number doesn't always match the actual circulation count for this coin. The numbers come from the United States mint, and they don't reflect coins that have been melted, destroyed, or those that have never been released. Please keep that in mind.


Forums - General Discussion - Is there anything stopping Trump from becoming God Emperor of mankind?
Mark my words: Hillary is evil, beyond evil. She will win and you guys will regret it.
Or not... maybe it is better to not mark my words after all.
Who's stopping him from being the emporer of the world? Um, the rest of the world outside of the US?
We all mostly hate the guy.
Iran is sending mercenaries into Iran to protect the butcher, child killer of Damascus. Their atrocities have been well documented. Saudi Arabia should be embargoed as well for promoting wahhabism in the world.
Trump is supporting Erdogan. They're gonna be good friends, Trump will consult Erdogan on how to deal with this part of the world. My hopes: Trump allowing Turkey to rule the entire middle east like it was the Ottoman Empire again. Crackdown on all extremists.
lol unlikely. Trump is in cahoots with Putin by the way. Erdogan is the same ol' crap that's dragging the entire Middle East down, another religious conservative wannabe dictator. At least the old brand (Saddam) were secular dictators.
LMAO! Under Erdogan Turkey's GDP tripled, living standards and medical care is much improved, Istanbul has now more skyscrapers than any city in Europe and high speed rail roads are second to only like France in Europe!
Hilarious you mention Saddam, the butcher who gassed children and massacred many innocent people. Yeah that guy with blood on his hands is obviously better, because "he's secular". Iraq is obviously better than Turkey right now!
Also Trump supports Erdogan, look up his thoughts after the attempted coup. There are Trump Towers in Turkey.
How long do those Trump Towers stay there as Turkey becomes more and more an Islamic state?
Secularism is a good thing, it's about time the Middle East learned that, having a bunch of religious nuts running your government leads to third world countries.
There's a reason Westerners now are avoiding Turkey like the plague and Russians too. Instead of embracing the ideals of Western secularism they're running backwards to a mideval/dark ages ideology.
Fact 1: Turkey has been a muslim state for over 1000 years, ain't nothing gonna change that.
Fact 4: The "Islamist dictator" Erdogan tripled Turkey's GDP and brought welfare to the country, unlike the butcher you worship that brought nothing but misery and pain, even 10 years after his death Iraq is still a mess, may he burn in hell for eternity.
Who cares what you Westerners think? It's the West that turned the middle east into this mess, the British Empire came here a 100 years ago, drew some artificial borders and the region is still hurting because of it. The middle east had stability and peace for over 700 years under the Turks.
Might consider not taking sides in the next European war, then. And, if you do, don't do it through a secretive alliance with the Germans. Blaming Western Europe for coming in and redistributing territories after the Turks allied against them in WW1 is like kicking an enraged lioness and then complaining when you get turned into cat food.
God help the world if that maniac gets access to nuclear codes.
I wouldn't put too much stock in the polls over the next week. Candidates usually get a bump after the convention.
To answer your question: we the voters can and will stop this thin-skinned narcissist from winning the most powerful job on the planet.
You, the voters, elected Bush twice. Might as well place a bet on the Browns winning the next Super Bowl, that's equally dependable.


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'Teen Mom 2' Star Jenelle Evans Reportedly Drops Restraining Order Against Estranged Husband David Eason
Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images
Stacy Carey
There appears to be a mild thaw of sorts in the tense relationship between Teen Mom 2 star Jenelle Evans and her estranged husband, David Eason. After the two split several months ago, Jenelle got a restraining order against David. Now, reports indicate that the order has been dismissed upon Jenelle's request.
According to Radar Online, the restraining order dismissal happened Monday morning via a judge in Tennessee. Both David and Jenelle had been slated to appear in court for a hearing on Monday morning, but that was canceled.
Apparently, Jenelle initiated a request on January 10 to have the order dismissed. A Davidson County Clerk confirmed that the Teen Mom 2 star filed the notice of a voluntary dismissal without prejudice, meaning that Jenelle requested to drop the restraining order.
As The Inquisitr previously detailed, Jenelle is believed to have left North Carolina and the home she had with David, and relocated to Tennessee for a fresh start after splitting from him. The initial restraining order request was granted last fall and had reportedly been extended since then.
At this point, Jenelle's reasoning for requesting the dismissal of the restraining order has not been revealed. While the order was in place, David needed to stay away from Jenelle, their daughter Ensley, and the Teen Mom 2 star's other two children, Jace and Kaiser.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas from my family to yours! ????❤ #MerryChristmas #HappyHolidays
A post shared by Jenelle Evans (@j_evans1219) on Dec 25, 2019 at 8:16am PST
The terms of the restraining order reportedly required that David stay at least 100 yards away from Jenelle and all of the kids. In addition, he supposedly was not allowed to post about them on social media.
What comes next in this fairly contentious divorce case? Neither David or Jenelle is saying anything at this stage. Teen Mom 2 fans will be curious to see if this restraining order dismissal means that he will start getting an opportunity to spend time with 2-year-old Ensley, whom he seemingly has not seen in a while.
This canceled Monday court hearing is not the only appearance David has had on his schedule in recent days. Last week, he was supposed to appear in court in North Carolina to deal with another case.
While David's attorney did appear in court last week, Jenelle's estranged husband did not. The judge reportedly approved an arrest warrant for David after that. It seems that David has held back on posting anything on his social media pages since before that missed court hearing.
Despite the drama associated with her split and divorce, Jenelle seems to be happy and looking forward as she builds a new life with her three children. Teen Mom 2 fans will be curious to see how this divorce is ultimately resolved.


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About Abortion
Terminating Pregnancy in Twenty-First-Century America
Carol Sanger
$29.95 • £23.95 • €27.00
15 halftones
Belknap Press
LAW: Medical Law & Legislation
SOCIAL SCIENCE: Abortion & Birth Control
LAW: Gender & the Law
HISTORY: United States: General
HISTORY: Women
Educators: Request an online exam copy »What's this?
Carol Sanger is the Barbara Aronstein Black Professor of Law at Columbia Law School.
At Jezebel, read Carol Sanger's analysis of the legal origins of 2019 draconian antiabortion legislation in the 1992 Supreme Court decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which, rather than overturning Roe v. Wade, "dismantled" it
At Vice, read a thought experiment in which the author discusses with Professor Sanger and other experts how a reversal of Roe v. Wade and a return to the broad outlawing of abortions throughout the United States would play out for Americans over the immediate, medium, and long term
On the NBC News feature Think, watch Sanger explain why overturning Roe v. Wade—and thus losing the demographic-uniting force of anti-abortion belief—might end up being a bad move for the Republican Party
In the New York Times, read Sanger's observation that in addition to willfully ignoring decades of stare decisis, a conservative-majority Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade would destroy Republican political access to a "super fuel that energizes the right"
Read a New Yorker feature on the current state of abortion rights in the U.S. that draws extensively on Sanger's research
Read a conversation with Sanger at the Intercept
Listen to Sanger discuss abortion in twenty-first century America with WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show and the Sex Gets Real podcast
Read an Irish Times story, featuring Sanger, on the push in Ireland to overturn that country's abortion ban
In the wake of the Sutherland Springs mass shooting, read Sanger's comments to the New York Times on the legal personhood of a fetus in cases of homicide
On Radio New Zealand's Saturday Morning, listen to Professor Sanger discuss threats to defund Planned Parenthood and the increasingly difficult climate for legal abortion in the United States
At Bloomberg Businessweek, read what Sanger thinks the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court would mean for abortion rights
Listen to Sanger in conversation with Lindy West on the Papercuts podcast
Read Sanger's New York Daily News essay looking back on the experience of Norma McCorvey (1947–2017), the woman who became known to the world as "Jane Roe"
On Hawaii Public Radio's The Conversation, listen to Sanger discuss the Supreme Court's history surrounding abortion, the results of the 2016 election, and how American women seeking to make reproductive choices should navigate the unsettled political climate
Watch Sanger discuss About Abortion in a Columbia Law School interview
Read Sanger's response to the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President, in terms of changes in the availability and legality of abortion, at Globe and Mail and PopSugar
Buy Elsewhere
Bookshop.org »
Barnes & Noble »
Find at a Library »Cite This Book » About HUP eBooks About Exam Copies
A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of 2017


Here is the final picture from the shoot.
Here is a shot we took after shooting the flaming one before packing up. I played around with the editing a bit and here is something a bit different.
I have had this image in my mind for a while and with the help of Siyara Automotive and a full IPE exhaust here it is.
If people are interested in the before/after here it is..


SB Sports Injury & Physiotherapy Clinic was first launched in January 2004 in Shifnal Shropshire. The aim of the clinic was to use the experience gained by our physiotherapists from treating professional sports persons and deliver the same level of care to you the general public. We pride ourselves in the delivery of physiotherapy to all members of the public from young to old with all manner of musculoskeletal conditions from age related problems to work related pain and sports injuries.
As musculoskeletal physiotherapists our ultimate aim with each individual is to rehabilitate you to the level of function you were achieving during your pre injured state by restoring normal function and reducing pain.
All our physiotherapists are monitored, regulated and registered with both the Health Professionals council and the chartered Society of Physiotherapy. This demonstrates that all our physiotherapists are professionally trained to a degree level and follow a code of practice, which includes a commitment to continual professional development in order to maintain high standards of care.
As Physiotherapists we typically assess and treat any injuries, dysfunctions, weakness, or pain through advice, hands on treatments, electrotherapy and patient centred exercise. Here at the clinic we are keen to emphasise the importance of self-management and prevention of injuries.


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Waterford Airport hits record 100,000 passengers mark
Pictured is Manchester-bound Leona Taylor with her partner Mark Wakefield and daughter Molly-Jo Wakefield (3) from Stockport, Manchester, who is this year's 100,000th passenger to travel to the UK or the Continent through Waterford Airport, receiving complimentary Aer Arann tickets to fly to Amsterdam and a champagne toast from Graham Doyle, CEO, Waterford Airport.
Photography: Patrick Browne
This year has been a record-breaking one for Waterford Airport as it today checked-in its 100,000th passenger of 2008.
The regional airport, which serves the South East with scheduled flights to a wide range of destinations Amsterdam, London-Luton, Birmingham and Manchester as well as summer routes to a number of Continental destinations, has hit this year's 100,000 passenger mark a full two months ahead of last year.
The celebration was marked by Airport CEO, Graham Doyle, when Leona Taylor from Stockport, Manchester travelling with her partner Mark Wakefield and Daughter Molly-Jo Wakefield (3) to Manchester on the 11.25am Aer Arann flight, brought the annual passenger total into six figures for the first time in 2008.
Leona, Mark and Molly-Jo were visiting Marks sister Amanda Carson to celebrate her 40th birthday; Amanda resides in Kilcohan, Waterford. Leona and Mark celebrated in Champagne style courtesy of Waterford Airport and were presented with complimentary tickets for flights from Waterford Airport to Amsterdam.
"Having hit 100,000 passengers in mid-November of 2007, to reach this benchmark so early in 2008 is further evidence of the growing popularity and convenience of Waterford Airport for passengers from all over the five counties of the southeast and even further afield," said the CEO.
"The summer sun flights are always popular, but this year we've seen growth across all services. Our passengers can now fly direct from Waterford Airport to Amsterdam all year round, which means great access not only to Europe, but to the rest of the world through connections from this major hub," said Graham Doyle. "Aer Arann is now operating this route on a five times weekly basis, increasing the possibilities for business and leisure passengers throughout the region."
"We are now enjoying better support than ever from the people of Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Carlow and further afield as word spreads that Waterford is the hassle-free way to get to the UK and the Continent," added the CEO.
Chairman of Waterford Airport, Nicky Fewer, said that enormous potential still remains to be exploited at Waterford Airport.
"The positive growth we've seen in recent years resulted in a total of 116,295 passengers last year, growing to 100,000 so far this year with three months still to go. This is a great achievement for everyone at Waterford Airport, and I wish to thank our loyal customers who continue to support us and spread the word that Waterford is the stress-free gateway to the UK, Europe and beyond." added Mr Fewer.


Atheist Inmates In their Own Words: Innocent on Death Row?
This post is part of a series on what it's like to be an atheist in prison. To read other parts in the series, click here. Some of these inmates have done things that, to many of you, will be unforgivable. I will be disclosing some of their names, so you can easily find out what they've done to end up in lockup. You may be disgusted to find out their crimes, and you have every right to be. This series, however, will not be about their crimes for the most part. I'm interested in painting a picture of what life is like for nonbelievers in the joint. If you find it is too upsetting to be part of giving them a platform, please choose not to read this. You don't have to be part of it.
With that said, I've sent each inmate some preliminary questions to get the conversation going. If you find you have questions that arise as you read their responses, please post them in the comments below or email them to me @ mommy@godlessmom.com and I will make sure the person gets them.
This wasn't supposed to happen. When I started this series, I reached out to many atheist inmates across the U.S. but could only find one on death row. At least, one that had an ad up soliciting penpals. Pablo Melendez in Texas.
I wrote to him just like I wrote to a handful of others before him, expecting a remorseful reply. If there's one thing I've learned in my years raising awareness for prison issues, it's that the old cliche that all inmates claim innocence is simply not true. The vast majority of convicted felons I have spoken with are pretty open about their guilt. Especially those on death row. I expected Pablo to be no different. I wrote to him and awaited his reply.
In the time between writing to Pablo and hearing back from him, I'd gotten a few letters back from other inmates. The tone in all of these letters was low and depressing. The men spoke of their many regrets; of their frustrations with prison life; of who they missed on the outside. When I got a letter back from Pablo, it was different. Pablo was full of positivity. Pablo seemed happy just to have life. He was the only inmate to ask me how I was doing and his letter was filled with such relative cheerfulness that, to be honest, I was a little bit taken aback.
I decided I needed to know more about Pablo. My interest in writing to him had never been his crime nor his guilt, but rather how he was treated on death row as an atheist inmate. As such, I had never looked up what he'd done to get there. I knew it had to be bad, though. Texas may be all too happy to hand out death sentences, but they still only do it in response to murder. Polunsky Unit residents, like Pablo, were all convicted of murder.
In Pablo's case, I came to find out; it was a man he'd robbed. It was at a gas station in Fort Worth, Texas. Pablo pointed a gun at two men, demanded money and then shot them both. At least, that's the version of events the prosecutors in the case would have you believe. One of the men survived, but Michael Sanders died from his gunshot wound, turning it into a murder case. A run-of-the-mill murder case that ends with the death penalty, I thought… until I noticed the date.
The crime that Pablo is on death row for happened in 1994. Now, there are a lot of death penalty states where inmates sit in their cell for decades awaiting their turn with the needle. The thing is, Texas isn't one of them. Texas is a rabid dog, snarling and drooling, held back from consuming the flesh of those who dare to break its laws only by the letter of the law itself. Texas is perfectly giddy to whip out the needle and be done with it, so executions tend to happen fast out there. Unless, of course, there has been a stay.
I decided to look further, to find out what obstacles had been in the way of executing this very cheerful Pablo in Polunsky Unit, Texas. He should be dead, not writing back to foreign heathens. What I found out was that Pablo had had an execution date in 2005, but received an eleventh-hour stay, just as I had predicted. His life was spared thirteen years ago by the Tarrant County District Court who wanted to examine his case for innocence.
If you've been a reader of Godless Mom for long, you know that raising awareness for wrongful convictions is very important to me. I did not, however, go out and find a man on death row whose guilt was in question. I suppose, given the statistics suggested by the Innocence Project, that I shouldn't have been surprised that one of the inmates I contacted ended up having a strong case for their innocence, but I was. It never crossed my mind that I might reach a man who was wrongfully convicted, a victim himself of the overzealous, vengeful, entirely emotional criminal justice system in the United States.
I certainly was not prepared for it to be the only man I contacted on death row. Here he was, though. Mr. Melendez, on death row in Texas, whose case for innocence was strong enough to stop his execution.
The details of the case that put the conviction in question are pretty straightforward. First, the only evidence they have against Melendez is eyewitness testimony. If you read my series, Reasonable Doubt, you know that eyewitness testimony is, in a word, useless. The eyewitness testimony in Pablo's case is even more so because it came from people who were also suspects in the same crime. In testifying against Pablo, these men avoided his fate. Second, a description of the killer was given to police by a bystander. The description was of a man with full facial hair, a ponytail and a tattoo. A photo of Pablo taken two days before the murder took place shows a clean-shaven boy with no ponytail and lacking a tattoo where the murderer's description had claimed one to be.
Despite the only evidence against Pablo being what equates to jailhouse snitches and the other evidence in the case being exculpatory, the 18-year-old boy struggling with addiction was tried and convicted of a capital crime and has been on death row for over 20 years. Even the mother of the murder victim is convinced Pablo is innocent.
I wandered into this hoping for the perspectives of godless inmates in the U.S. prison system. I have now found myself communicating with a man about my age whose letter legitimately brightened my day and who could be put to death at any time for a crime he maybe didn't commit.
It wouldn't be the first time Texas did this if you'll recall the Cameron Todd Willingham case.
Thank you for your letter. It was very surprising, and yes I very much would like to be a part of this! Before I keep going, I hope this finds you in the best of health. How is life in Canada? Very cold, I believe? Me, I'm all here, and that's all that really matters in my life because if I still have my mind, I still have a life. To me, it's a challenge or fight to make it through another day and hope for another. Not sure but I think you got my info from a penpal ad which I haven't had any luck with except for two people that try to preach to me. Since they took the time to write, I did the same and was respectful about it. I don't want to hear it, but that's all they seem to want to talk about! I respect people's religion, I really do, but it seems at times that some can't respect my beliefs.
Thank you for the opportunity! A lot of friends in here (which are not many) told me not to put atheist in my ad because I wouldn't get any hits. I almost didn't, but in the end, I just wanted to be myself. Also, I want to tell you that I learned to read and write in this place. It was hard, but I kept at it. I read my first book in here, which took me about a month, and it opened a new escape from doing time in this cell 22 hours 5 days a week and 24 hours 2 days a week. No job, no TV and no religious services in this place! I think a Catholic preacher and a Christian preacher walk around once in a blue moon to talk to some inmates. They have a list, but that's it. An officer will be right there listening. There are some inmates that do get Minister visits for two hours, and that's through a phone at the visiting room. Reading has helped me express myself better, but I'm still learning so when I write I'm really straightforward.
More from Pablo in part 2, click here. Sign up for the newsletter in the sidebar, right at the top so you can be notified when new posts in this series come out.
"The facts or data of science include such things as "copper is a metallic chemical ..."
How to Know If You're Scientifically ..."
"What "beliefs," specifically, are "a part of science," that aren't facts?"
With the evidence they had, why on earth did they cheat?
Yes, it's a problem everywhere.
It's just unthinkable to me that anyone could prosecute a capital case on nothing but eyewitness testimony. Even law-and-order types admit that juries often acquit defendants rather than send them to Death Row without forensic evidence of some sort.
Someone needs to call Netflix for a season 2 of Making of a Murderer!
Oh my gosh, that would be amazing!
Do you know whether Pablo's case is actively being looked into for reasons to overturn the conviction or at least for enough doubt to commute his sentence from death to life or time served? As you point out, such a long time on Texas' infamously bloodthirsty death row is unusual. The last action you mentioned was the court staying his execution 13 years ago. Anything more recent to your knowledge?
Hi Tom! No, I don't know if anything is currently being done but I am going to pass your question on to Pablo and I will publish his response. I am very curious also. Thanks for reading!
Actually, convicting on such little evidence happens a lot. Innocence Project estimates 120,000 innocent men and women are in U.S. prisons at any given time.
I don't doubt it. What disturbs me is that a jury would convict in a capital case without any kind of physical evidence. Sending someone to the pokey for a few months on a breaking-and-entering rap is one thing, but sending someone to death row with nothing but eyewitness testimony is quite another.
153 exonerated from death row since 1973. Most of those wrongful convictions were based on eyewitness testimony and nothing more.
Oh, there was also the case of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was not exonerated and actually executed. There was no physical evidence in his case, and when the world's best arson investigators reviewed the case, they all agreed it wasn't arson at all. No murder had taken place at all. Executed February 17th, 2004.
We talked about that on my discussion on "How Scientific Is Forensic Science?" I remember seeing a Frontline episode about the miscarriage of justice.
It was just devastating. Forensic science is such an interesting topic. Parts of it are almost like woo but for law enforcement.
Thank you, Maura. I wholeheartedly agree.
I want to know more about Pablo and this case. Thank you for posting.


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Adam Price: 'No coalition under any circumstances with Conservatives'
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price.
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has said that he would not enter a coalition under any circumstances with the Conservative party, and wouldn't consider a junior role under a Labour government either.
Speaking to the Western Mail, he said that the political divide between Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives, the second and third largest parties at the Senedd, was unbridgeable.
"I have also made it clear that we would not enter a coalition under any circumstances with the Conservative Party," he said.
"This is not to be churlish or petty but there is just too big a political divide between us.," he said.
"Certainly ideologically it has moved to the right quite significantly. It is after all the Conservative and Unionist Party so it would never be a natural ally for us. But now the ideological gulf for us is far too wide, it just wouldn't work."
'Self-determination'
He suggested however that he would be willing to join forces with Labour, but only if Plaid Cymru were the largest party or if it were an equal partnership.
However he "certainly" would not consider it if they were the junior coalition partner as in 2007-11.
"That wouldn't deliver the level of transformational change we need," he said. "We have had one party in power for 21 years and it is the oldest slogan in politics – it is time for a change. So I have taken that off the table because it wouldn't deliver.
"I will give you a hypothetical. If we were short of a majority and Labour were prepared to consider becoming a junior partner to us then obviously we would not reject that out of hand.
"The other scenario is equal partners such as we have seen happen in Ireland. Those options are qualitatively different because you are not in a position of having another party effectively driving the political agenda. Being a junior party in a coalition would not deliver the kind of change that we would need.
"In terms of red lines in any discussions, my experience is that you don't want to hold those discussions in advance. But clearly from our perspective self-determination is an absolutely critical principle. We would never trade away our principle of self-determination for the Welsh people."


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Fair Play man arrested for assault with a knife
A man from Fair Play was arrested on Monday, Jan. 9 after allegedly attacking someone with a knife. more
By BH-FP news staff news@bolivarmonews.com | 1/21/23
Bolivar couple accused of abuse and neglect related to child's death
A man and woman from Bolivar face charges for allegedly neglecting a child, resulting in the child's death. more
By BH-FP news staff news@bolivarmonews.com | 1/7/23
House fire leads to manhunt for "armed and dangerous" man
A man is now in the custody of Polk County Jail after a manhunt was conducted by The Polk County Sheriff's Office on Monday, Dec. 19. more
By BH-FP news staff news@bolivarmonews.com | 12/21/22
Manhunt for 'armed and dangerous' man ends in arrest
A man considered "armed and dangerous" is now in the custody of the Polk County Sheriff's Office following a manhunt Monday morning, Dec. 19.Polk County Sheriff Danny Morrison said … more
Sheriff's Office searches for man considered 'armed and dangerous'
The Polk County Sheriff's Office is actively searching for a man considered armed and dangerous in the southwest part of Polk County. more
Man in murder case remanded to state hospital
Chad Baker, charged with allegedly killing his 12-year-old son in Bolivar back in August 2020, has recently been placed in the custody of the Fulton State Hospital for an undetermined amount of time after a plea hearing on Thursday, Dec. 1 in Cedar County Circuit Court. more
Praying for answers
A crowd gathered Friday, Dec. 1, at Woods Supermarket parking lot for a community vigil, praying for answers regarding the whereabouts of a missing 16-year-old, Kaitlynn Dooley. Family, friends and co-workers are praying for Kaitlynn's safe return. To report any information about Kaitlynn, contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office at 417-777-9020. more
Man from Bolivar faces child molestation charge
A 25-year-old man from Bolivar faces a felony child molestation charge after allegedly inappropriately touching a minor between August 23, 2022 and September 2, 2022. more
CIVIL ACTIONS more
Domestic assault case leads to high-speed car chase
A woman attempted to outrun Polk County authorities in a high-speed chase on Mo. 13 on Thursday, Oct. 27. more
Bolivar man charged with molestation, sodomy, and incest
A 48-year-old man from Bolivar faces felony charges after allegedly sexually assaulting a family member. more
Former Bolivar Schools custodian faces molestation charges involving a student
A former employee at Bolivar R-1 Schools faces felony charges for allegedly having sexual contact with a student.According to online court records, Scott R. Bryson, 25, was arrested on Monday, Oct. … more
By BH-FP news staff | 10/19/22
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 … 8 | Next »


What is a swap transaction?
A swap transaction is one in which a trader switches over from its existing position to another position and comes back to his original position with a benefit.
There are two types of swap transactions. One is currency swap and the other is interest swap. These can be better explained with the following examples.
In this type of swap transaction, the foreign currency rate may be taken advantage of by banks due to the arbitrage. An arbitrage is the difference in the exchange rate between two different markets. We can explain the currency swap by the following example.
In India, a bank may have 6,000 U.S. dollars. The exchange rate prevailing in India for 1 U.S. dollar = INR 66, Pound Sterling = Rs. 100. So, the cross exchange rate between Pound Sterling and Dollar in India is 1 Pound Sterling = 1.52 U.S. dollars.
Suppose, in London market, 1 Pound Sterling = 2 U.S. dollars, the commercial bank in India will first convert 6,000 U.S. dollars into rupee and obtain INR 396,000. For this amount, it will buy Pound Sterling amounting to 3,960 Pound sterling. This will be taken to the London market and converted into dollars at 2 U.S. dollar per Pound Sterling. The bank will be able to obtain 7,920 U.S. dollars. This will be brought back to India. Thus, in the process of swapping, the bank continues to hold dollar but instead of holding 6,000, it has now have 7,920, an increase of 1,920 dollars. This is what we call currency swap. Thus, when 2 currencies are exchanged in swap, it is called cross currency swap.
Suppose, a person takes a housing loan in 2000 at 17% interest rate, he can approach a bank now for taking over his old loan for a fresh loan at a lesser rate of interest. The bank will settle his loan with his previous creditor and takes over the security. The borrower is now in the same old position, but his loan with the bank carries a lower rate of interest. This is known as interest swap. This is made possible due to floating rate of interest and in a floating rate of interest, the interest rate gets reduced according to market conditions. The borrower switches over from a fixed to floating interest rate and gains. This is the advantage of swap transactions.
There are 3 different types of interest swaps.
Fixed to floating rate of interest.
Floating to floating rate of interest.
Fixed to fixed rate of interest.
A fixed rate of interest is one where the interest on the loan does not change until the loan is settled. But in the case of floating interest rate, the interest rate fluctuates according to the market forces of supply and demand. As a result, the interest rate may go down or it may rise also. But, when the interest rate comes down, the borrower can take advantage of it by swapping it with the help of the lender.
In the first case of fixed to floating rate of interest, the borrower takes the advantage of floating rate by switching over from the fixed interest rate.
In the second case (floating to floating rate of interest), one floating interest rate may be lesser than another floating rate or one market floating rate may be lesser than another market floating rate and so the borrower takes advantage of it.
In the last case of fixed to fixed rate of interest, the existing return on a government bond may be lower and a future bond may have a higher fixed return and so the investor takes advantage of it by swapping the existing one to the future one.
Here is an useful link where you can find the 30-year Dollar Interest rate swap chart.
The following are the benefits of swapping in a swap transactions.
Swap transaction reduces the cost of borrowing as the borrower can take advantage of lower rate of interest.
Investors can be benefited by switching over their investments to different securities in swap transaction which provide higher return.
In a swap transaction, the fluctuations in the exchange rate, can be smoothen out by swapping currencies.
Capital market helps investors by swapping contracts to minimize their loss.
The development of information technology has made swap market more attractive and global transactions could be made instantly through internet.


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Tag Archives: Army of the Tennessee
Georgia: Sherman Crosses the Chattahoochee
Georgia, Military July 8, 2019 Leave a comment
July 8, 1864 – Leading elements of Major General William T. Sherman's Federal forces began crossing the Chattahoochee River and getting ever closer to the vital railroad and industrial city of Atlanta.
Maj Gen W.T. Sherman | Image Credit: Wikispaces.com
General Joseph E. Johnston's Confederate Army of Tennessee held strong defenses along the Chattahoochee, just eight miles northwest of Atlanta. President Jefferson Davis wrote Johnston that the army's pattern of retreating made him "more apprehensive for the future." Davis urged Johnston to hold firm on the north bank of the Chattahoochee, but he had no reinforcements to send.
Sherman, whose three Federal armies had forced Johnston to fall back southward from Marietta and Smyrna, observed the enemy positions from Vining's Station and called them "the best line of field intrenchments I have ever seen."
Sherman would not directly assault the Confederate defenses, having tried that and failed at Kennesaw Mountain. But neither would Sherman move against Johnston's left flank as he had always done in the past either. Instead, Sherman would feint to the left and cross the Chattahoochee to Johnston's right. According to Sherman's plan:
Major General George H. Thomas's Army of the Cumberland would demonstrate in the Confederates' front, keeping them in their defenses.
Major General James B. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee, supported by Major General George Stoneman's cavalry from the Army of the Ohio, would threaten Turner's Ferry, downriver (southwest) from Johnston's left.
Major General John Schofield's Army of the Ohio would cross the Chattahoochee at the mouth of Soap Creek, upriver (northeast) from Johnston's right.
Federal cavalry would cross even farther upriver, near Roswell.
After two days of positioning and skirmishing, Sherman's plan was ready for execution. McPherson and Stoneman began demonstrating against Turner's Ferry on the afternoon of the 8th. Meanwhile, Schofield crossed the Chattahoochee at Pace's Ferry, and Federal horsemen destroyed the textile factories at Roswell before crossing as well. The Federals secured high ground on Johnston's right and began building a pontoon bridge that night.
The next morning, a group of Confederate congressmen visited Johnston and informed him that Davis expected the army to stop retreating and start fighting very soon. In fact, Davis had ordered Chief of Staff Braxton Bragg to come to Georgia and learn Johnston's intentions. Specifically, Davis wanted to know if Johnston planned to give battle before Sherman reached Atlanta.
Johnston said to the congressmen, "You may tell Mr. Davis that it would be folly for me under the circumstances to risk a decisive engagement. My plan is to draw Sherman further and further from his base in the hope of weakening him and by cutting his army in two. That is my only hope of defeating him."
The meeting was interrupted by news that Schofield's army had crossed the Chattahoochee. Johnston announced that this was good news because it meant that Sherman had finally divided his army, making him vulnerable to attack. But Johnston did not attack; he instead issued orders for the army to fall back across the river to meet the new threat to its right. Thus, Johnston abandoned the last major waterway in front of Atlanta.
Sherman reported that his Federals were the "undisputed masters of north and west of the Chattahoochee." His armies had made remarkable gains into Georgia since beginning their campaign two months before. Sherman wired Washington, "We now commence the real game for Atlanta," which was "too important a place in the hands of the enemy to be left undisturbed, with its magazines, stores, arsenals, workshops, foundries, &c., and more especially its railroads, which converged there from the four great cardinal points."
By Sunday the 10th, the Confederates were behind defenses at Peachtree Creek, a westward-flowing tributary of the Chattahoochee just four miles from Atlanta. Panic swept through the city as residents hurrying to evacuate caused major traffic jams on southbound trains. Georgia Governor Joseph E. Brown called for every able-bodied man in the state to take up arms. The city soon had 5,000 men between ages 16 and 55 defending Atlanta.
Meanwhile, Georgia Senator Benjamin Hill arrived at Richmond following his conference with Johnston on the 1st. Meeting with Davis in the residential office of the Executive Mansion, Hill imparted Johnston's suggestion that Nathan Bedford Forrest or John Hunt Morgan wreak havoc on Sherman's supply lines in Tennessee. Davis said that neither officer was available; Forrest was opposing Federals in northern Mississippi and Morgan was just coming off a failed raid.
Davis then showed Hill a dispatch from Johnston announcing that he had just withdrawn across the Chattahoochee. Hill, who had hoped to get Davis to support Johnston, now joined Davis in turning against him. Discussing a command change, Davis said he knew "how serious it was to change commanders in the presence of the enemy," and he "would not do it if I could have any assurance that General Johnston would not surrender Atlanta without a battle."
Bailey, Ronald H., The Battles for Atlanta: Sherman Moves East (Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1983), p. 76-80; Castel, Albert, Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War (New York: Harper & Row, 1986, Patricia L. Faust ed.), p. 565-66; Davis, Jefferson, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government: All Volumes (Heraklion Press, Kindle Edition 2013, 1889), Loc 20826; Denney, Robert E., The Civil War Years: A Day-by-Day Chronicle (New York: Gramercy Books, 1992 [1998 edition]), p. 433-34; Foote, Shelby, The Civil War: A Narrative: Volume 3: Red River to Appomattox (Vintage Civil War Library, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Kindle Edition, 2011), Loc 8467-87, 8520-40, 8670-721, 8743-63; Fredriksen, John C., Civil War Almanac (New York: Checkmark Books, 2007), p. 465-67; Long, E.B. with Long, Barbara, The Civil War Day by Day (New York: Da Capo Press, Inc., 1971), p. 533-36; Longacre, Edward G., Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War (New York: Harper & Row, 1986, Patricia L. Faust ed.), p. 132-33, 305; McPherson, James M., Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States Book 6, Oxford University Press, Kindle Edition, 1988), p. 751-52
Georgia: Johnston Falls Back to the Chattahoochee
July 1, 1864 – General Joseph E. Johnston, commanding the Confederate Army of Tennessee, looked to fall back once again after Major General William T. Sherman's three Federal armies threatened to outflank him north of Atlanta.
Confederate General J.E. Johnston | Image Credit: CivilWarDailyGazette.com
As July began, Johnston held a defensive line that included the Western & Atlantic Railroad and Kennesaw Mountain. The Confederates faced northwest, protecting the key cities of Marietta and Atlanta behind them. Sherman's Federals were in their front, with Sherman looking to move around the Confederate left to avoid a second defeat after his sharp repulse at Kennesaw Mountain in late June.
The Confederate high command had grown increasingly dissatisfied with Johnston's habit of retreating to avoid being outflanked. Senator Benjamin Hill of Georgia visited Johnston, his personal friend, to assess the military situation on the government's behalf. Johnston explained that he had neither the strength to attack Sherman nor the size to prevent Sherman from wrapping his troops around the Confederate flank.
Johnston recommended assigning cavalry under Nathan Bedford Forrest or John Hunt Morgan to destroy Sherman's supply line, which was the railroad running all the way from Georgia to Louisville, Kentucky. Johnston said that in just one day, Forrest or Morgan "could destroy the railroad to an extent that as to require two weeks or a month to repair it."
Without supplies, Sherman would have no choice except to attack or retreat. If he attacked, Johnston was sure his army could defeat him. Hill asked Johnston about recent scouting reports stating that Sherman was trying to work his way around the Confederate flank again to cross the Chattahoochee River, the last waterway between the Federals and Atlanta. Johnston assured Hill that he could prevent Sherman from crossing the river for two months. In the meantime, Johnston would seek to block Sherman's way to Atlanta while trying to destroy the Federals in sections.
On the Federal side, the rains ended and the roads dried enough for another movement around Johnston's left (southern) flank. Sherman explained, "The object of the contemplated movement is to deprive the enemy of the great advantage he has in Kennesaw as a valuable watchtower from which to observe our every movement; to force him to come out of his intrenchments or move farther south." According to Sherman's plan:
Major General John Schofield's Army of the Ohio, facing the Confederate left, would shift southward to prepare for the flanking maneuver.
Major General George H. Thomas's Army of the Cumberland, facing the Confederate center, would follow Schofield out of the line.
Major General James B. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee, facing the Confederate right, would move out of its line and march south behind Thomas to reinforce Schofield.
Above all else, Sherman urged, "All movements must be vigorous and rapid." The Federals would stage a series of diversions to prevent the Confederates from learning their true intention. However, the Confederates discovered the movement almost as soon as it began on the 2nd.
Anticipating that Sherman would try this (though perhaps not so soon), Johnston had arranged for slaves to build defenses on a ridge along the Western & Atlantic Railroad at Smyrna, southeast of Marietta. The Confederates began moving out that night, abandoning the line they had held so strongly for nearly two weeks.
Sherman learned of the Confederate movement that night and, fearing an attack, ordered the part of McPherson's army that had not started moving yet to stay put. It was not discovered until a few hours later that Johnston was retreating. Sherman wrote in his memoirs:
"By the earliest of dawn of the 3rd of July, I was up at a large spy-glass mounted on a tripod… I directed the glass on Kennesaw, and saw some of our pickets crawling up the hill cautiously; soon they stood upon the very top, and I could plainly see their movements as they ran along the crest just abandoned by the enemy. In a minute I roused my staff, and started them off with orders in every direction for a pursuit by every possible road, hoping to catch Johnston in the confusion of retreat, especially at the crossing of the Chattahoochee River."
Sherman directed Thomas to pursue the Confederates. When probing Federals found them stopped outside Smyrna, Sherman told Thomas that night, "The more I reflect the more I know Johnston's halt is to save time to cross his material and men. No general, such as he, would invite battle with the Chattahoochee behind him…Press with vehemence at any cost of life and material…" Meanwhile, McPherson's Federals continued extending their right around Johnston's left, moving closer to the Chattahoochee.
On the 4th, Major General Oliver O. Howard's IV Corps in Thomas's army advanced and skirmished with Confederates from Lieutenant General William Hardee's corps north and west of Smyrna. When Howard reported that Confederate resistance was unexpectedly strong, Sherman replied, "You are mistaken, there is no force in your front."
Howard launched a frontal attack, led by Major General David S. Stanley's division. The Federals captured some of the forward rifle pits, but they were then forced to fall back under what Stanley called "the severest and most continued cannonade the rebels had ever used upon us." Such strong Confederate resistance surprised Sherman because it indicated that Johnston intended to make a stand north of the Chattahoochee.
The Federals moving against Johnston's left had better success. McPherson's XVI Corps under Major General Grenville M. Dodge crossed Nickajack Creek and pushed back Lieutenant General John Bell Hood's Confederates before Hood was reinforced by cavalry and state militia. The Federals fell back until they were augmented by more of McPherson's men and Schofield's cavalry. They counterattacked and secured positions a mile past Nickajack. This put the Federal right closer to the Chattahoochee than the Confederate left, thus ensuring that Johnston would have to fall back yet again.
Later that day, Johnston's Confederates began withdrawing to a line six miles south of Smyrna astride the railroad on the north bank of the Chattahoochee. Slaves had been building defenses there since late June. Johnston directed the men to build pontoon bridges in case of another retreat. They were now just eight miles from Atlanta. Sherman's Federals approached this new line of fortifications the next day.
Bailey, Ronald H., The Battles for Atlanta: Sherman Moves East (Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1983), p. 76; Castel, Albert, Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War (New York: Harper & Row, 1986, Patricia L. Faust ed.), p. 565-66; CivilWarDailyGazette.com; Davis, Jefferson, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government: All Volumes (Heraklion Press, Kindle Edition 2013, 1889), Loc 20817-26; Denney, Robert E., The Civil War Years: A Day-by-Day Chronicle (New York: Gramercy Books, 1992 [1998 edition]), p. 432; Foote, Shelby, The Civil War: A Narrative: Volume 3: Red River to Appomattox (Vintage Civil War Library, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Kindle Edition, 2011), Loc 8425-77, 8649-69; Fredriksen, John C., Civil War Almanac (New York: Checkmark Books, 2007), p. 463-65; Long, E.B. with Long, Barbara, The Civil War Day by Day (New York: Da Capo Press, Inc., 1971), p. 531-33; Longacre, Edward G., Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War (New York: Harper & Row, 1986, Patricia L. Faust ed.), p. 132-33, 786-87; McPherson, James M., Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States Book 6, Oxford University Press, Kindle Edition, 1988), p. 751
The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain
Georgia, Military June 27, 2019 Leave a comment
June 27, 1864 – Major General William T. Sherman's Federals assaulted Confederates heavily defended on an eminence 15 miles north of Atlanta.
Sherman had resolved to directly attack the Confederate line anchored on Kennesaw Mountain. General Joseph E. Johnston, commanding the Confederate Army of Tennessee, had strengthened his flanks to prevent them from being turned, so Sherman felt he had no choice but to try breaking through his center.
The 27th began hot and humid, with temperatures quickly reaching 100 degrees. At 8 a.m., 200 Federal guns opened on the Confederate lines, and Confederate gunners responded. A witness wrote, "Kennesaw smoked and blazed with fire, a volcano as grand as Etna."
Sketch of firing on Kennesaw Mountain | Image Credit: CivilWarDailyGazette.com
A half-hour later, about 5,000 Federals from Major General James B. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee began advancing toward Little Kennesaw and Pigeon Hill, which were held by the Confederate corps led by Major General William W. Loring (formerly under Leonidas Polk). McPherson hoped to break the enemy defenses and isolate Loring to the northeast. About 5,000 entrenched Confederates awaited the Federals' approach.
As the Federals scaled the steep ridges, Confederate artillerists fired down into them. When their guns could not be depressed any lower, the Confederates rolled rocks and other impediments down the hill. The Federals reached the forward rifle pits, with many using their rifles as clubs, but they could not reach the main line. The fight raged for two hours before the Federals were ordered to fall back.
About two miles south, 9,000 Federals began advancing across a mile-wide front at 9 a.m. They belonged to Major General George H. Thomas's Army of the Cumberland. Facing them were two divisions of Lieutenant General William Hardee's corps under Major Generals Patrick R. Cleburne and Benjamin F. Cheatham.
The Federals marched in columns to apply maximum power against specific points on the line, thereby increasing their chances for a breakthrough. However, this left them vulnerable to artillery, which cut swaths into the formations. The Confederate defenders noted the Federals' bravery, with one recalling, "They seemed to walk up and take death as coolly as if they were automatic or wooden men."
Only a few Federals managed to reach the Confederate lines, including Colonel Daniel McCook, who was killed after shouting, "Surrender, you traitors!" He was the fourth of 15 "Fighting McCooks" to die in combat. Vicious hand-to-hand fighting ensued, and this area of the field became known as the "Dead Angle."
Thomas issued orders around 10:45 for the Federals to fall back, but those pinned down by enemy fire had to wait until nightfall. Sherman wrote Thomas at 1:30, "Do you think you can carry any part of the enemy's line today?… I will order the assault if you think you can succeed at any point." Thomas replied, "We have already lost heavily today without gaining any material advantage. One or two more such assaults would use up this army."
Johnston, not yet aware of the extent of his victory, wired Richmond, "The enemy advanced upon our whole line to-day. Their loss is supposed to be great; ours known to be small." But the Confederates were not in good shape, despite their victory. One soldier recalled:
"I never saw so many broken down and exhausted men in my life. I was as sick as a horse, and as wet with blood and sweat as I could be, and many of our men were vomiting with excessive fatigue, over-exhaustion, and sunstroke; our tongues were parched and cracked for water, and our faces blackened with powder and smoke, and our dead and wounded were piled indiscriminately in the trenches."
The Federals sustained 2,051 casualties (1,999 killed or wounded and 52 missing), while the Confederates lost 442 (270 killed or wounded and 172 missing). These numbers were small compared to the terrible battles in Virginia, but they were the greatest losses in this campaign thus far. Sherman came under severe criticism for this failed attack, but he wrote in his report:
"I perceived that the enemy and our officers had settled down into a conviction that I would not assault fortified lines. All looked to me to outflank. An army to be efficient, must not settle down to a single mode of offence, but must be prepared to execute any plan which promises success. I wanted, therefore, for the moral effect, to make a successful assault against the enemy behind his breastworks, and resolved to attempt it at that point where success would give the largest fruits of victory."
This was Johnston's greatest tactical victory of the campaign. However, Sherman turned this into a strategic victory for the Federals when Major General John Schofield's Army of the Ohio extended its right flank beyond Johnston's left. This allowed Sherman to turn Johnston's flank once more, even though it would force the Federals to detach themselves from their supply line on the Western & Atlantic Railroad.
That night, Sherman wrote Thomas, "Are you willing to risk (a) move on Fulton, cutting loose from the railroad?" Thomas responded that such a move was risky, but, "I think it decidedly better than butting against breastworks 12 feet thick and strongly abatised."
Sherman later wrote, "Satisfied of the bloody cost of attacking intrenched lines, I at once thought of moving the whole army to the railroad at a point about 10 miles below Marietta, or to the Chattahoochee River itself…" Kennesaw Mountain proved to be Sherman's last large-scale frontal attack of the war.
Two days later, Federals and Confederates agreed upon a seven-hour truce to bury the dead and alleviate the overwhelming stench around Kennesaw Mountain. Confederates helped Federals drag bodies, using bayonets as grappling hooks, into deep trenches. The opposing soldiers fraternized, and some Federals impressed by General Cheatham's leadership at the Dead Angle asked for his autograph.
Meanwhile, Sherman wrote to his wife, "I begin to regard the death and mangling of a couple of thousand men as a small affair, a kind of morning dash. It may be well that we become hardened… The worst of the war is not yet begun."
Johnston soon learned that Sherman was trying to flank him again. But he was confident that Sherman would eventually overextend his supply line, leaving him isolated in enemy territory. This did not satisfy Johnston's superiors, who were growing more impatient with his retreats. When Johnston told Richmond that he could not take the offensive without more men, General Braxton Bragg, advisor to President Jefferson Davis, expressed frustration:
"Every available man, subject to my control, has been sent to General Johnston, and he had retained several commands deemed absolutely necessary elsewhere, after receiving orders to move them. No doubt he is outnumbered by the enemy, as we are everywhere, but the disparity is much less than it has ever been between those two armies."
Since this campaign began, Sherman lost nearly 17,000 men while Johnston lost just over 14,000. This represented 14 percent of Sherman's total force and 25 percent of Johnston's. Contrary to Johnston's boasts that Federal supplies would soon run out, Sherman still had enough men to guard the supply line all the way back to Chattanooga.
As June ended, Georgia Governor Joseph E. Brown issued a third call for state militia to oppose Sherman's drive on Atlanta. President Davis informed Brown that he had sent Johnston "all available reinforcements, detaching troops even from points that remain exposed to the enemy." Davis did not know what else he could do.
Brown then turned to Senator Benjamin Hill, a personal friend of Davis's. Brown asked Hill to write the president and ask him to send more troops to Johnston. Hill replied, "Time is too precious and letters are inadequate," and announced that he would consult with Johnston and then travel to Richmond in person.
Angle, Paul M., A Pictorial History of the Civil War Years (New York: Doubleday, 1967), p. 175-76; Bailey, Ronald H., The Battles for Atlanta: Sherman Moves East (Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1983), p. 18, 66-67, 75; Catton, Bruce, The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War (New York: American Heritage Publishing Co., 1960), p. 481; CivilWarDailyGazette.com; Crocker III, H.W., The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War (Washington: Regnery Publishing, 2008), p. 82-84; Denney, Robert E., The Civil War Years: A Day-by-Day Chronicle (New York: Gramercy Books, 1992 [1998 edition]), p. 430; Foote, Shelby, The Civil War: A Narrative: Volume 3: Red River to Appomattox (Vintage Civil War Library, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Kindle Edition, 2011), Loc 8328-48, 8371-424, 8638-58; Fredriksen, John C., Civil War Almanac (New York: Checkmark Books, 2007), p. 462; Linedecker, Clifford L. (ed.), The Civil War A to Z (Ballantine Books, 2002), p. 23-24, 155-56; Long, E.B. with Long, Barbara, The Civil War Day by Day (New York: Da Capo Press, Inc., 1971), p. 529-30; Longacre, Edward G., Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War (New York: Harper & Row, 1986, Patricia L. Faust ed.), p. 413; McPherson, James M., Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States Book 6, Oxford University Press, Kindle Edition, 1988), p. 749
The Battle of Kolb's Farm
June 22, 1864 – As Major General William T. Sherman continued advancing through Georgia, Confederates on General Joseph E. Johnston's left flank attacked a portion of Sherman's force near Marietta, Georgia.
Confederate General J.B. Hood | Image Credit: Flickr.com
By this time, Johnston had arranged his Army of Tennessee in a semicircular line with his right north of Marietta, his center running southwest through Kennesaw Mountain, and his left curving to south of Marietta. On the left flank, Lieutenant General John Bell Hood deployed his corps near a plantation called Kolb's Farm, about four miles southwest of Marietta.
The constant rains of the past three weeks gave way to warm sunshine on the 22nd. Sherman directed Major General Joseph Hooker's XX Corps of Major General George H. Thomas's Army of the Cumberland to move southeast to flank the Confederate left and cut the Western & Atlantic Railroad below Marietta. Hooker's right flank was to be supported by Major General John Schofield's Army of the Ohio.
As the Federals approached, Hood issued orders to attack without consulting Johnston. Confederate skirmishers taken prisoner confirmed that an attack would come, so the Federals were ready. About 11,000 Confederates struggled to advance across swampy ground, with about 14,000 Federals and 40 guns waiting for them. The attack began after 5 p.m.
Major General Carter L. Stevenson's Confederate division advanced from the woods south of the Powder Springs Road to the open fields of Kolb's Farm. They were met by Federal artillery and small arms fire, which enfiladed their line and pinned them down until they could retreat after dark. Major General Thomas C. Hindman's division north of Powder Springs Road struggled to advance across swampy terrain and was easily repelled by artillery alone.
Battlefield map | Image Credit: Civil War Preservation Trust
Hood sustained 1,000 casualties, 870 of which came from Stevenson's division. The Federals lost less than 300 men. Hooker reported to Sherman, "We have repulsed two heavy attacks and feel confident, our only apprehension being our extreme right flank. Three entire corps are in front of us." This implied that Schofield was not covering Hooker's right as ordered, even though Schofield was. Sherman admonished Hooker for exaggerating the danger and warned him that "such things must not occur again."
Sherman continued his flanking effort the next day, as the weather continued improving. He reported to Chief of Staff Henry W. Halleck:
"We continue to press forward on the principle of an advance against fortified positions. The whole country is one vast fort, and Johnston must have at least 50 miles of connected trenches, with abatis and finished batteries. We gain ground daily, fighting all the time. Our lines are now in close contact and the fighting incessant, with a good deal of artillery. As fast as we gain one position, the enemy has another already."
Despite the Federal success at Kolb's Farm, Hood's Confederates prevented the Federals from getting any closer to either Marietta or Atlanta. Sherman had extended his lines as far as they could possibly reach, and he could not penetrate Johnston's left or right. He met with his army commanders on the 24th and later wrote:
"We all agreed that we could not with prudence stretch out any more, and therefore there was no alternative but to attack 'fortified lines,' a thing carefully avoided up to that time. I reasoned, if we could make a breach anywhere near the rebel centre, and thrust in a strong head of column, that with the one moiety of our army we could hold in check the corresponding wing of the enemy, and with the other sweep in flank and overwhelm the other half."
Sherman issued a special field order for his commanders to "make full reconnaissances and preparations to attack the enemy in force on the 27th instant, at 8 a.m. precisely… All commanders will maintain reserve and secrecy even from their staff officers." For the first time in the campaign, Sherman would "feign on both flanks and assault the center. It may cost us dear but in results would surpass an attempt to pass around."
The Federals were to make preliminary feints to draw Johnston's attention from the concentrated attack:
Major General James B. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee would demonstrate against Major General William W. Loring's Confederate corps (formerly Leonidas Polk's) north of Marietta.
Schofield's army would extend its right to Olley's Creek while demonstrating against Hood's Confederates southwest of Marietta.
Thomas's army, supported by part of Major General John A. Logan's XVI Corps from McPherson's army, would launch the main attack against Lieutenant General William Hardee's corps on Kennesaw Mountain.
Schofield began extending his right on the 26th, crossing Olley's Creek with only Confederate cavalry putting up a token resistance. Although this indicated that Johnston's left flank was weak enough to attack, Sherman was still determined to launch his main attack against the Confederate center. Sherman wrote his wife:
"My lines are 10 miles long, and every change necessitates a large amount of work. Still we are now all ready and I must attack direct or turn the position. Both will be attended with loss and difficulty, but one or the other must be attempted."
Bailey, Ronald H., The Battles for Atlanta: Sherman Moves East (Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1983), p. 63-66; CivilWarDailyGazette.com; Davis, Jefferson, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government: All Volumes (Heraklion Press, Kindle Edition 2013, 1889), Loc 20817; Denney, Robert E., The Civil War Years: A Day-by-Day Chronicle (New York: Gramercy Books, 1992 [1998 edition]), p. 429-30; Foote, Shelby, The Civil War: A Narrative: Volume 3: Red River to Appomattox (Vintage Civil War Library, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Kindle Edition, 2011), Loc 8245-66, 8277-319, 8324-28; Fredriksen, John C., Civil War Almanac (New York: Checkmark Books, 2007), p. 460-62; Linedecker, Clifford L. (ed.), The Civil War A to Z (Ballantine Books, 2002), p. 157; Longacre, Edward G., Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War (New York: Harper & Row, 1986, Patricia L. Faust ed.), p. 305, 413; McPherson, James M., Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States Book 6, Oxford University Press, Kindle Edition, 1988), p. 749
Georgia: Sherman Sidesteps Johnston Again
Georgia, Military June 1, 2019 Leave a comment
June 1, 1864 – Federal cavalry seized Allatoona Pass in Major General William T. Sherman's effort to move northeast around General Joseph E. Johnston's right flank.
Generals W.T. Sherman and J.E. Johnston | Image Credit: Bing public domain
Near May's end, Sherman had led his three Federal armies away from the Western & Atlantic Railroad to try moving around the left (southern) flank of Johnston's Confederate Army of Tennessee. But after inconclusive fighting at New Hope Church, Pickett's Mill, and Dallas, Sherman opted to swing back to the northeast and reconnect with the railroad, which transported supplies from Chattanooga.
Federal cavalry under Major General George Stoneman seized Allatoona Pass on the railroad as the Armies of the Ohio and the Cumberland shifted northeast. Major General James B. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee finally disengaged from the Confederates in front of Dallas and began following the other two armies.
Johnston recognized the movement and reported, "Today the enemy is moving his forces from his right to his left. We are making a corresponding movement to our right." Johnston was confident that he could win a war of attrition if he just continued inflicting casualties and pulling the Federals away from their supply base at Chattanooga.
It rained the next two days, during which the Confederates tried stopping the Army of the Ohio's eastern shift. The Confederates attacked from behind rocks and forests, prompting Sherman to worry that he was being drawn into "a big Indian war." The Federals used large amounts of ammunition while inflicting few casualties, but they finally pushed through and reached the railroad. The other two armies soon followed.
Advance Federal units reached Acworth, a railroad town south of Allatoona Pass, on the 3rd. Sherman told Major General George H. Thomas, commanding the Army of the Cumberland, "Joe Johnston is shrewd enough to see that we have begun such a movement, and will prepare the way."
That night, Johnston issued orders for his army to fall back from its New Hope Church-Dallas line to previously prepared entrenchments that bisected the railroad about eight miles below Acworth. Facing north, Johnston's men held a line that connected several mountains:
Lieutenant General William Hardee's corps held the left (west) on Lost Mountain and at Gilgal Church.
Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk's corps held the center from Pine Mountain to the railroad.
Lieutenant General John Bell Hood's corps held the right (east) across the railroad, along the base of Brush Mountain.
Behind the Confederate center was Kennesaw Mountain, through which the railroad ran. Past Kennesaw was Marietta, and then Atlanta. Sherman reported, "Kennesaw is the key to the whole country." He arranged his three armies on a line to match Johnston's, with Major General John Schofield's Army of the Ohio on the right (west), Thomas in the center, and McPherson on the left (east).
The Federals began shifting around Raccoon Creek, with McPherson along the railroad at Big Shanty, about halfway between Allatoona and Marietta. Skirmishing broke out around Pine Mountain as the Federals probed the Confederate defenses.
By the 8th, all of Sherman's Federals had reached Acworth and were assembling to confront Johnston's army in full force. Major General Francis P. Blair, Jr.'s Federal corps finally arrived as reinforcement, but Sherman was forced to detach more troops to go back and deal with Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest's Confederate cavalry wreaking havoc on the Federal supply line. This caused delays in Sherman's preparations against Johnston.
On the Confederate side, it was hoped that troops from General Edmund Kirby Smith's Trans-Mississippi Department could be rushed east to reinforce Johnston, but this was becoming increasingly unlikely. President Jefferson Davis wrote on the 9th:
"I do not think General Smith could re-enforce General Johnston in time for the battle which must be fought for Georgia. Unless General Johnston strikes before the enemy have brought up all the re-enforcements reported to be moving, his chances will be greatly diminished for the success which seemed attainable before he retreated, and still seems to be practicable."
The Federals continued probing forward the next few days as railroad crews opened the rail line to Big Shanty. This ensured that Sherman's 100,000 men, most of whom had been well rested over the past week, would also be well supplied. However, there were still many obstacles to overcome, as Sherman later wrote, "The rains continued to pour, and made our developments slow and dilatory, for there were no roads, and these had to be improvised by each division for its own supply-train from the depot in Big Shanty to the camps."
Sherman reported to Chief of Staff Henry W. Halleck on the night of the 13th:
"We have had hard and cold rains for about 10 days. A gleam of sunshine this evening give hope of a change. The roads are insufficient here, and the fields and new ground are simply impassable to wheels. As soon as possible I will study Johnston's position on the Kennesaw and Lost Mountains, and adopt some plan to dislodge him or draw him out of his position."
But Sherman added, "We cannot risk the heavy loss of an assault at this distance from our base."
Meanwhile, Johnston met with his corps commanders to discuss how they could shorten their lines because the Confederates were spread too thin. As they talked, two of Thomas's corps moved around the base of Pine Mountain, where the Confederates were most vulnerable. Hardee, concerned that this could isolate one of his divisions on the mountain, asked Johnston to reconnoiter the movements with him. That fateful reconnaissance would take place on the 14th.
Bailey, Ronald H., The Battles for Atlanta: Sherman Moves East (Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1983), p. 59-61; CivilWarDailyGazette.com; Davis, Jefferson, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government: All Volumes (Heraklion Press, Kindle Edition 2013, 1889), Loc 20808; Denney, Robert E., The Civil War Years: A Day-by-Day Chronicle (New York: Gramercy Books, 1992 [1998 edition]), p. 417-24; Foote, Shelby, The Civil War: A Narrative: Volume 3: Red River to Appomattox (Vintage Civil War Library, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Kindle Edition, 2011), Loc 7390-410, 8213-23; Fredriksen, John C., Civil War Almanac (New York: Checkmark Books, 2007), p. 447, 450, 452; Long, E.B. with Long, Barbara, The Civil War Day by Day (New York: Da Capo Press, Inc., 1971), p. 512-15, 517-18
Battles at Pickett's Mill and Dallas
Georgia, Military May 27, 2019 Leave a comment
May 27, 1864 – Federals and Confederates continued fighting in Georgia, as Major General William T. Sherman tried turning the Confederates' right flank.
Sherman was now convinced that General Joseph E. Johnston's entire Confederate Army of Tennessee opposed his Federals east of Dallas. But after the fight at New Hope Church on the 25th, Sherman was also convinced that Johnston's right (north) flank could be turned. He directed Major General Oliver O. Howard's IV Corps, along with supporting divisions, to do the job.
Maj Gen O.O. Howard | Image Credit: Wikipedia.org
Howard led 14,000 Federals through dense woods to Pickett's Mill, a grist mill two miles northeast of the "Hell Hole" at New Hope Church. By the time the Federals approached, Johnston had strengthened this sector of his line with Major General Patrick R. Cleburne's division.
The Federals struggled through the brush to find the end of the Confederate line, and therefore did not get into attack positions until early evening. Both sides began exchanging fire around 6 p.m., when Howard received a message from Sherman urging him to disengage: "It is useless to look for the flank of the enemy, as he make temporary breastworks as fast as we travel."
As Howard tried pulling back into the woods, the Confederates counterattacked and inflicted heavy losses. Howard, who was shot through the foot, later wrote:
"That opening in the forest, faint fires here and there revealing men wounded, armless, legless, or eyeless; some with heads bound up with cotton strips, some standing and walking nervously around, some sitting with bended forms, and some prone upon the earth–who can picture it? A few men, in despair, had resorted to drink for relief. The sad sounds from those in pain were mingled with the oaths of the drunken and the more heartless… That night will always be a sort of nightmare to me. I think no perdition here or hereafter can be worse."
The Federals sustained about 1,600 casualties, while the Confederates lost no more than 500. Sherman made no mention of this defeat in his official report or his personal memoirs. He merely notified Washington, "We have had many sharp, severe encounters, but nothing decisive. Both sides duly cautious in the obscurity of the ambushed ground."
The engagement at Pickett's Mill prompted Johnston to try probing for weaknesses in other parts of Sherman's line. He ordered Lieutenant General William Hardee's corps to conduct a reconnaissance in force southeast of Dallas on the 28th. The Confederates advanced to a portion of the enemy line held by Major General James B. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee, specifically Major General John A. Logan's XV Corps.
Fighting began around 3:45 p.m., with the Confederates pushing the Federals out of their entrenchments. Logan rushed up to his straggling men, shouting, "Damn your regiments! Damn your officers! Forward and yell like hell!" The Federals then counterattacked and drove the Confederates off. Both sides returned to their original lines as Sherman continued trying to find a way to outflank Johnston.
Sherman had initially planned for McPherson to pull out of the line and move north to extend the Federal left flank. But this changed when Sherman learned of the fight with Hardee's Confederates. Sherman directed McPherson to stay put, hopeful that the dense forest between the two armies would prevent Johnston from noticing a wide gap between the armies of McPherson and Major General George H. Thomas. Johnston did not notice it, and Sherman did not notice a similar gap in Johnston's line either.
Johnston held a council of war on the night of the 28th, where it was decided that Hood would shift his corps beyond Cleburne and attack the Federal left flank while the two corps of Lieutenant Generals Leonidas Polk and Hardee held the Federals in line on the center and right. However, this attack was aborted the next day when Hood discovered a Federal division blocking his proposed line of march. Johnston ordered the Confederates to resume strengthening their defenses.
The two armies remained within striking distance of each other on the 29th, with skirmishing taking place at various points along the line. Sherman tried moving McPherson's army to the left that night, but Confederate picket fire prevented any major movements.
The next day, Sherman resolved to try getting his forces to Allatoona Pass, on the Western & Atlantic Railroad beyond his left flank to the northeast. He hoped to use Major General Francis P. Blair, Jr.'s XVII Corps to seize the pass, but Blair still had not arrived from Vicksburg. Sherman wrote, "As Blair cannot be expected as soon as I contemplated, I must use the cavalry to secure Allatoona Pass."
Having a notoriously low opinion of cavalry, Sherman reluctantly tasked Major General George Stoneman and Brigadier General Kenner Garrard to lead their troopers in seizing the objective. He instructed them:
"If you find the road occupied, attack the cavalry with cavalry and the infantry with dismounted men, and force your way into and through the pass along the railroad till you secure some commanding position… Do not be deterred by appearances, but act boldly and promptly; the success of our movement depends on our having Allatoona Pass."
During the night of the 30th, McPherson's Federals successfully fell back from their entrenchments and closed the gap with Thomas's army. Major General John Schofield's Army of the Ohio held the Federal left and launched diversionary attacks to prevent the Confederates from discovering McPherson's shift. As May ended, Sherman was ready to shift his massive force northeast, around Johnston's flank once more, to reconnect with the railroad and resume his drive on Atlanta.
Bailey, Ronald H., The Battles for Atlanta: Sherman Moves East (Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1983), p. 53-56, 59; Castel, Albert, Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War (New York: Harper & Row, 1986, Patricia L. Faust ed.), p. 525; CivilWarDailyGazette.com; Davis, Jefferson, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government: All Volumes (Heraklion Press, Kindle Edition 2013, 1889), Loc 20808; Denney, Robert E., The Civil War Years: A Day-by-Day Chronicle (New York: Gramercy Books, 1992 [1998 edition]), p. 414-17; Foote, Shelby, The Civil War: A Narrative: Volume 3: Red River to Appomattox (Vintage Civil War Library, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Kindle Edition, 2011), Loc 7302-32; 7342-71; Fredriksen, John C., Civil War Almanac (New York: Checkmark Books, 2007), p. 445-46; Long, E.B. with Long, Barbara, The Civil War Day by Day (New York: Da Capo Press, Inc., 1971), p. 509-12
The Battle of New Hope Church
May 25, 1864 – Major General William T. Sherman's Federals and General Joseph E. Johnston's Confederates clashed northeast of Dallas, Georgia, as Sherman tried maneuvering around Johnston's flank.
By the morning of the 25th, two corps of Johnston's Army of Tennessee–Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk's and Lieutenant General William Hardee's–held a line centered on New Hope Church, located at a crossroads about four miles northeast of Dallas. Polk's troops were on the road leading east to Marietta, and Hardee's men lined up at Polk's left. Johnston's third corps under Lieutenant General John Bell Hood came up on Polk's right.
Sherman, commanding the three Federal armies marching toward Dallas, expected Johnston to fall back to Marietta, on the Western & Atlantic Railroad. He did not expect Johnston to block him at New Hope Church. Sherman was told that Confederates were east of Dallas, but he thought they were just part of a small force there to stall his advance.
The Federals approached Dallas from the north after marching through dense forest for two days. Brigadier General John W. Geary's division of XX Corps led the advance, five miles ahead of the rest of the armies. Geary's men began exchanging fire with Hood's troops around 10 a.m., and Geary soon learned that the entire Confederate army was in the area. He informed his corps commander, Major General Joseph Hooker, who hurried his other two divisions under Major Generals Alpheus Williams and Daniel Butterfield in Geary's support.
Battlefield around New Hope Church | Image Credit: Wikipedia.org
Geary established defenses while awaiting reinforcements. Hood would not attack because he believed the rest of Sherman's force would be arriving soon. The two sides faced each other until late afternoon, when Sherman finally directed Major General George H. Thomas, commanding the Army of the Cumberland over Hooker, "Let Williams go in anywhere as soon as he gets up. I don't see what they are waiting for in front now. There haven't been 20 rebels there today."
Hooker arranged his three divisions in line of battle and sent them forward after 4 p.m. The Federals advanced through heavy brush, which the Confederates behind their fortifications used to their advantage as they fired into the attackers. Visibility through the woods around New Hope Church was so poor and fighting was so intense that Federals called the area the "Hell Hole."
Hooker's men began running out of ammunition, and a heavy thunderstorm began around 7 p.m. that rendered much of the gunpowder useless. Hooker ordered a withdrawal around sundown, having sustained 1,665 casualties. Hood lost about half that total, with Major General Alexander P. Stewart's division having done most of the fighting.
As the rest of the Federals came up during the night, Sherman still did not believe that Johnston's whole army was at New Hope Church. He admonished Hooker for waiting so long to attack, believing that Geary alone could have broken through the Confederate line that morning. But Hood had been there all day, and considering he had repulsed Hooker's entire corps, he might have destroyed Geary's lone division.
Sherman wrote Major General James B. McPherson, commanding the Army of the Tennessee, "I don't believe there is anything more than Hood's corps (at New Hope), but still Johnston may have his whole army, and we should act on that hypothesis." The Federals therefore came up and formed a line parallel to Johnston's and began building defenses of their own. This campaign, which had been dominated thus far by maneuvering, would now focus more upon fortifications.
As dawn rose on the 26th, the Federals and Confederates were entrenched on a muddy six-mile front. Sherman ordered a series of probes to gauge Johnston's strength:
McPherson's army cautiously moved east from Dallas toward New Hope Church.
Major General John Schofield's Army of the Ohio scouted Hardee's defenses on the Confederate left
Thomas's army opposed Hood on the right (northeast).
After sporadic skirmishing all along the line, Sherman decided to try turning the Confederate right.
Bailey, Ronald H., The Battles for Atlanta: Sherman Moves East (Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1983), p. 16, 50-53; Castel, Albert, Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War (New York: Harper & Row, 1986, Patricia L. Faust ed.), p. 525; CivilWarDailyGazette.com; Denney, Robert E., The Civil War Years: A Day-by-Day Chronicle (New York: Gramercy Books, 1992 [1998 edition]), p. 413-14; Foote, Shelby, The Civil War: A Narrative: Volume 3: Red River to Appomattox (Vintage Civil War Library, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Kindle Edition, 2011), Loc 7274-7284, 7293-322; Fredriksen, John C., Civil War Almanac (New York: Checkmark Books, 2007), p. 444-45; Long, E.B. with Long, Barbara, The Civil War Day by Day (New York: Da Capo Press, Inc., 1971), p. 508-09; McPherson, James M., Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States Book 6, Oxford University Press, Kindle Edition, 1988), p. 747


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Love · Prayer · St Kyrillos VI
How St Kyrillos saved the life of Patriarch Ignatius Zakka Iwas I
December 23, 2021 December 23, 2021 Bishoy
Fr Kyrillos Massoudi, parish priest of St Mary's Syriac Orthodox Church in Egypt, relates:
Let me tell you a story. I have been extremely blessed and honoured to have witnessed a giant pillar of faith, wisdom and joy for three years as a personal disciple to the great saint and hero among the fathers Patriarch Ignatius Zakka Iwas I. There is no doubt this man lived a saintly life in every way not only as the Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church but for all of humanity. He was a true disciple of Christ in his sacrificial love, zeal for peace and unity.
I learnt a lot from him. It seems that the saints connect with one another and know by the Spirit only things known to God. As I was being consecrated a monk, my saintly father and teacher asked me what name I wanted to mark my new life at the monastery of St Ephraim, Damascus. "Your Holiness, thank you for giving me the option of choosing my monastic name," I said.
"I want to be named Kyrillos after my beloved patron saint Pope Kyrillos VI who worked this and that miracle with me, please." The Syriac Orthodox Patriarch looked and smiled. "Well, isn't that funny," he said. "I know Pope Kyrillos well myself and know firsthand he is a man of prayer and faith." The pontiff recounted a story when he was the archbishop of Baghdad and Basra in 1969 by the name of Mor Severios Zakka.
"I was sent to Alexandria to represent the then Patriarch Ignatius Yacoub III as the archbishop to the Coptic Church to meet Pope Kyrillos for a certain matter," he said. "On my way from Beirut to the Alexandrian port, Pope Kyrillos had sent a bishop on his behalf to welcome me and told him hours earlier, without me knowing at the time, 'His Eminence Mor Severios Zakka will be late and the Lord will deliver him from death. The trip will be treacherous, the waves great and a real dangerous journey. I must start praying for his safe arrival from now. So, wait till I tell you to go meet him. Don't go yet.'"
"When I finally arrived after a perilous trip in which I saw death flash before my eyes on the water, I apologised to Metropolitan Athanasius for my extended delay thinking he had been waiting hours for me." The Syriac bishop recounted to the Coptic bishop the near-death experience he had on the way to Alexandria. "You don't know Father how tough the journey was!" he said. "The ship was about to capsize and everyone was going to drown but thank God it passed."
The Coptic bishop smiled. "Thank God you are here Father," he said. "His Holiness was praying you would be delivered. He told me what your journey would be like, how dangerous it would be, while he prayed for hours that you be spared death. Now, let's go see him." Patriarch Ignatius Zakka l paused for a few moments. "I will never forget that act of love Pope Kyrillos did for me," he said to the new monk. "Truly he is a man of prayer and miracles."
A rare picture of two great saints – His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Zakka Iwas I, then Mor Severios Zakka (with the arrow above his head) and St Pope Kyrillos VI.
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Rabatat Rural District () is in Kharanaq District of Ardakan County, Yazd province, Iran. At the National Census of 2006, its population was 2,329 in 712 households. There were 4,431 inhabitants in 658 households at the following census of 2011. At the most recent census of 2016, the population of the rural district was 4,113 in 737 households. The largest of its 144 villages was Robat-e Posht-e Badam, with 770 people.

References

Ardakan County

Rural Districts of Yazd Province

Populated places in Yazd Province

Populated places in Ardakan County

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The threat followed the disruption of the group's daily sit out on two different occasions by the Nigerian Police at the Unity Fountain, Abuja.
The co-convener of the Bring Back our Girls movement, Oby Ezekwesili, said the Police' action is unhealthy for the country's democracy.
The group has also tasked the Federal Government of Nigeria to come up with proof to indicate that the abducted 112 Chibok school girls and Leah Sharibu are still alive.
This is the second time within six days that the movement had their meetings disrupted by the Police who took over the Unity Fountain.