Elizabeth (Betty) Lack Myers

Elizabeth (Betty) Lack Myers

August 12th 1916-November 21st 2012

R.I.P.
JM

Quick update on NHD

Hello everyone!
 Sorry for the long time between posts. I just wanted to give a quick update on NHD. After picking The Homestead Act of 1862 as our topic, we began our research slowly. We read several books as well as several websites. We then interviewed Willliam's great grandpa, who went with his parents to homestead at the age of three in Montana. (He has an incredible memory.) then, we went to Homestead National Monument in Beatrice, Nebraska. There we looked over several hours of video footage taken by the rangers for a documentary that they made. We also interviewed the park historian (Who was extremely helpful) and we met the Park Superintendent who gave us park coins. (I will write about those in the next post.) We are now beginning the intense research, which means working for a couple hours each day on the project. More later! Thanks for reading!
JM

Person of the Week

Person of the Week #6

Hubert Alt

Born: February 26th, 1894, Butler County, Nebraska
Married: February 15th, 1927, Polk County, Nebraska to Vynetta Albers
Died: August 30th, 1977, Osceola, Polk County, Nebraska

Hubert Alt was born in 1894 in Nebraska. He married Vynetta Albers in 1927 in Nebraska. They had two children:
Maxine Alt
Richard Alt

Hubert died in Osceola, Nebraska on 1977 and is buried in Osceola.
Thanks for reading!
JM

Book Report

Hello everyone!

 Here is a report from last year's school work about my favorite Civil War general, George H. Thomas.

George H. Thomas

By: Justin Myers, 

 Simply put, George Henry Thomas was one of the best Union generals. Historians rank him as one of the three generals who won the Civil War for the Union. He is put with General Ulysses Grant and General William Sherman. He was an organizer like George McClellan and a fighter like Ulysses Grant. Here is his story.

 George Henry Thomas was born in July 31st, 1816 in Southhampton County, Virginia. His parents were John and Mary Thomas. His father was a plantation owner who owned many slaves. his father died when George was only 14. At the age of 18 Thomas became a cadet at West Point in New York, where he graduated 12th in his class in 1840. He was assigned to Texas, where he fought the Comanches. and Mexicans before returning to West Point in 1853 to teach. There, he married Frances Kellog at age 36.He was then assigned to Texas for a time. Everything was well..... for awhile. George Thomas' life was about to turn upside down.

 When the southern states seceded from the Union in 1861, George Thomas had a tough choice to make. He could go and join the Confederate States of America, which included his home state of Virginia. The governor there had already offered him a high ranking position there. Or, he could stick with his home country. Thomas decided on the latter. He refused the high ranking position in the Confederate army and declared that he was going to fight for his country, not his state. Soon afterwards, Thomas got a letter from his family, disinheriting him from the family. Even this didn't change his mind.

 George Thomas soon became a general in the United States army. (This was a time when the Union was short on decent generals.) He was affectionately called "Old Pap" by his soldiers because of how he cared for them. If they didn't eat, neither did he. He kept their uniforms neat and their stomachs full. He never marched until he was completely ready. But when he did, he struck like lightning, destroying everything in his path. Thomas won lasting fame at the battle of Chickamauga in Georgia. Moving slower than everyone else, his scouts were able to detect a Confederate trap wven while the rest of the soldiers where running. Thomas rallied his army, and held against the enemy onslaught for several hours. He saved the Army of the West from complete obliteration. From then on he was known as "The Rock of Chickamauga."

 George Thomas continued to win battles and was the man who broke the seige of Chattanooga in Tennessee. After the battle he ordered the mento bury the dead on a beautiful hillside. When it was time for the burials, a chaplain asked him if they should bury the men by states. He famously replied, "No, no. mix them up, mix them up. I am tired of state's rights."

After the Civil War ended, George Thomas reviewed his troops one last time, and then took control of the Department of the Cumberland, where he ordered his men to re-build houses and buildings in the South. He refused payment, and became loved by the people of Tennessee. In 1869, He took control of the Army of the Pacific in San Frisisco. He was only 53 when he died on March 28th, 1870, of a stroke. General George Thomas is remembered as one of the greatest generals in the Civil War. One of his fellow officers remarked, "He was a patriot without flaw, and a soldier without reproach."

The End

Thanks for reading!

Justin Myers

Person of the Week

Person of the Week #5

John Leedy

Born: 1779 in Washington County, Maryland
Married: March 4th, 1806 to Elizabeth Keith
Died: September 6th 1851

John Leedy, Known as "Big John", was born in Maryland during the revolution. As far as I can tell, he only had a daughter, Susan Leedy. He was married to Elizabeth Keith. He died in 1851. If you have more information or questions, please leave a comment so that I can get back to you! Thanks for reading!
JM