More on Lee and my, Sweet William The Scot's, trip last Fall up the Ohio River.
Squirrel Men were civilian men who assisted the federal government in defending Ohio from Confederate attacks in 1862.
Confederate forces captured Lexington, Kentucky, in the second year of the American Civil War.
They were then ordered to capture Covington, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Martial law was declared in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan and for a volunteer militia. All business owners were to close their shops, and civilians were to report for military duty.
The cannon and the Historical Marker sits in front of the Ripley, Ohio library.
Men in the regular army would fight on the battlefield, while the civilians would prepare trenches and other defensive features to prepare the communities along the Ohio River for the war that was reaching us.
Civilians from sixty-five counties numbering 15,766 men reported for duty along the Ohio. These volunteer men became known as the "Squirrel Hunters" or "Squirrel Men".
"They called them 'Squirrel shooters'; farm boys that never have to shoot at the same squirrel twice."
Yep these farm men came and answered the call!
All were given a discharge certificate, and the sum of $13 (a month's pay).
This is small town Ohio.
These men provided for their families with one shot guns. They had to be able to take down game with a single shot.
These were the true men of history!
Our Second Amendment provides U.S. citizens the right to bear arms. Ratified in December 1791, the amendment says: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
O.K. Lee is going to get into deep crap here and we will probably be shoveling out for a long time.
But we believe that the Second Amendment means the type of guns people used in the time the Amendment was written.
Our forefathers never pictured these weapons of mass killings.
Lee's Dad took his NRA stickers off all the farm equipment and his truck when Charlton Heston, former president of the NRA stood up for these semi automatic weapons. Lee's fathers quote was "if you kill an animal with those semi automatics why you won't even get a piece of tenderized meat to cook".
Oh and yes my Lee knows how to shoot, she has never shot an animal but she now has her Dad's two guns. Lee was better at skeet shooting than her Dad. Yep that really made him mad.
So between me and Lee if we need to get a squirrel to eat well we will have more than a rock in our pot to flavor our stew!
See you next week.
Thanks for being a friend
Traveling down the road and back again
Your heart is true and your a friend of mine
Signing Off
Sweet William The Scot
Yay, another great history lesson. Don't ya know the Squirrel Men were great shots and hit what they were aiming for. Just think how young some of the boys must have been. Mom believes young people need to have more responsibilities these day than luxuries.
ReplyDeleteAroo to you,
Sully
that was a great post... we love to learn more about the past, that is useful to manage the future... and I think your Lee is right about the weapons... but I hope that a situation where we have to use them to protect our lives never will happen...
ReplyDeleteWars are terrible. The civil war was especially bad-sibling vs. sibling.
ReplyDeleteOh boy, I can't wait to have a cannon of my very own, then!!
ReplyDeleteWell if you can bear that arm meaning carry that cannon which weights over 1,000 lbs and carry 128 pound cannonball which was a common ordinance shot then I guess our Second Amendment would be O.K. with that. These cannons around the Midwest are not anchored down no one worries with their weight that anyone could steal them easily. They took horses or mules to pull them. Single shot yep but not easily bearable. That is just this dogs opinion.
DeleteSWTS
How cool is that! We are Squirrel hunters too
ReplyDeleteSnorts,
Lily & Edward
Hi Sweet William,
ReplyDeleteYet another really interesting and informative post. You are such a star! Now Gail says she knows better than to start a discussion about guns with someone from your side of the Pond, but it strikes me, Bertie, that Lee is talking good sense on this issue.
Toodle pip!
Bertie.
Dear Sw Wm. (AKA Sugar Billy) and Miss Lee. This is a GRAND post. We loved learning More about the Squirrel Hunters.
ReplyDeleteWE totally agree with EVERYTHINGY you said.
They are called 'assault' rifles for a reason. Enjoyed learning about the Squirrel Hunters. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWe feel the same - no person needs to own a semi auto weapon
ReplyDeletehugs
Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel
Crikey ...... how interesting was all that!! My Mum used to be a pretty good shot too but, like Lee, has never shot at an animal. Just a target. Her Dad used to go rabbit shooting but he only shot enough to keep the family in food. I don't need a gun to kill rabbits. I have real skill!!
ReplyDeleteHari om
ReplyDeleteOh... though I knew about the militias, their name I did not; love learning something new! hugs and wags YAM-aunty
I remember you getting a squirrel's tail back when. Scotties Rock. I agree with you and Lee no way does anyone need that type of gun. Only if you need to put food on the table and there are very few people around that hunter for dinner.
ReplyDeleteBentley & Pat
We still see Stumpy the squirrel with his short tail. He remembers Wills. It is just not hunters. Lee spent her summers on her grandmothers farm, you had to protect your animals which were your livelihood from wolves, wild dogs, foxes. A cow that produces six consecutive calves has an economic value of $1,489 then add the value of the calves then the value of the milk.
DeleteIf your livestock are struck by lightning and hurt badly you cannot wait for a vet to come in. It is merciful to put them down.
Lee's grandmother showed her how to fire a gun. Farming is not the glory job which many think.
SWTS
Very interesting post - thank you for sharing. Peeps don't generally have guns over here and we think your Lee is talking good sense about that Second Amendment. Nose licks and love from Moth xx
ReplyDeleteWe loved reading about all that History, especially about those pesky squirrels !!!
ReplyDeleteOh SW, I loooves this postie! I didn't knows abouts these squirrel men! I wonder, did they have coool hats like Daniel Boone, except instead of a coon-tail-cap, did they have a squirrel-tail-cap??! Oh, that would be pawsome! hehehehe Seriously, that is so cool, and you knows that we totally agree with you, no one needs military weapons except the military! (oh, and Gpa did the same thingie with his NRA stickers too! it used to be such a good organization...)
ReplyDeleteKisses,
Ruby ♥
So educational. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWe always love your tours around your area and thank you for bringing us a history lesson. We totally agree with you on the gun stuff too.
ReplyDeleteWow, I am way late...sorry 'bot that...
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, SWTS! And I know petcretary and pawppy agree with you about the Second Amendment.
So far I have not seen pawppy use his gun...and I hope he doesn't evfur need to...and petcretary also knows where it is...but, she needs some lessons. Pawppy is a mean shot, but her?? Has not evfur tried, BOL! Maybe some day will have the neighbors show her how, they practice a lot on targets.