ARTHUR WELLESLEY, 1ST DUKE OF WELLINGTON “[The railroad will] only encourage the common people to move about needlessly.” — Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington HDT WHAT? INDEX ARTHUR WELLESLEY DUKE OF WELLINGTON 1769 May 1, Monday: Birth of Arthur Wellesley, who would become the 1st Duke of Wellington, at 6 Merrion Street in Dublin, Ireland: that family had changed its name from the plebeian Wesley to the aristocratic Wellesley as they were on their way up the social scale, in becoming the “Earls of Mornington.” As he would later comment about his Irish origins, “Because a man is born in a stable, that does not make him a horse.” Hey, big guy, who do you suppose is the most famous white dude ever born in a stable with livestock — John Wayne? How about “If a dude is born in a manger, does it make him a messiah?” –Try that one on for size. ESSENCE IS BLUR. SPECIFICITY, THE OPPOSITE OF ESSENCE, IS OF THE NATURE OF TRUTH. Duke of Wellington “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX ARTHUR WELLESLEY DUKE OF WELLINGTON 1805 During this year Arthur Wellesley resigned in India. ESSENCES ARE FUZZY, GENERIC, CONCEPTUAL; ARISTOTLE WAS RIGHT WHEN HE INSISTED THAT ALL TRUTH IS SPECIFIC AND PARTICULAR (AND WRONG WHEN HE CHARACTERIZED TRUTH AS A GENERALIZATION). Duke of Wellington “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX ARTHUR WELLESLEY DUKE OF WELLINGTON HDT WHAT? INDEX ARTHUR WELLESLEY DUKE OF WELLINGTON June 20, Thursday: Major General Sir Arthur Wellesley stopped by St. Helena aboard the Trident after his victory at Assaye, India. The conqueror commented favorably on the climate of the island. (This is a small island with few amenities: the Duke of Wellington occupied the same small pavilion in the garden of “The Briars,” home of the Balcombe family, that Napoléon Bonaparte would use until he relocated to “Longwood.”) ST. HELENA THE HISTORIC “THE BRIARS” OF ST. HELENA “HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE” BEING A VIEW FROM A PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME (JUST AS THE PERSPECTIVE IN A PAINTING IS A VIEW FROM A PARTICULAR POINT IN SPACE), TO “LOOK AT THE COURSE OF HISTORY MORE GENERALLY” WOULD BE TO SACRIFICE PERSPECTIVE ALTOGETHER. THIS IS FANTASY-LAND, YOU’RE FOOLING YOURSELF. THERE CANNOT BE ANY SUCH THINGIE, AS SUCH A PERSPECTIVE. Duke of Wellington “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX ARTHUR WELLESLEY DUKE OF WELLINGTON 1809 July 28, Friday: French forces attacked the British and Spanish at Talavera southwest of Madrid. After a furious seesaw battle the French would retreat toward the capital. Because of this victory, the British commander, Arthur Wellesley, would be ennobled as Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington of Talavera and of Wellington. Friend Stephen Wanton Gould wrote in his journal: 6th day 28th of 7th Mo 1809// The mind most of the day in somewhat of an unfeeling state, tho’ I tried to feel after the best things -In the eveng from our window we had an opportunity to hear some very harmonious Singers perform several pieces of what is called sacred Music If I was ever attracted by musick it was then, but I do not consider that my organic System is so constructed as to be as much pleased with its sound as many others - while setting attentive to the sounds of their voices I endevor’d to turn my mind a little to examine what kind of sensations it was that it excited & came to the conclusion that it was the passionate part that was affected, & tho’ it occasioned Solemn & tender sensations, I could not find that I was affected with that devotion that I have felt many times when no human voice was heard, & silence was felt thro’ out the whole man - hence I conclude that if singing in that way is worship - there is a worship that far exceeds it ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS YOUR GARDEN-VARIETY ACADEMIC HISTORIAN INVITES YOU TO CLIMB ABOARD A HOVERING TIME MACHINE TO SKIM IN METATIME BACK ACROSS THE GEOLOGY OF OUR PAST TIMESLICES, WHILE OFFERING UP A GARDEN VARIETY OF COGENT ASSESSMENTS OF OUR PROGRESSION. WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP! YOU SHOULD REFUSE THIS HELICOPTERISH OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORICAL PAST, FOR IN THE REAL WORLD THINGS HAPPEN ONLY AS THEY HAPPEN. WHAT THIS SORT WRITES AMOUNTS, LIKE MERE “SCIENCE FICTION,” MERELY TO “HISTORY FICTION”: IT’SNOT WORTH YOUR ATTENTION. Duke of Wellington “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX ARTHUR WELLESLEY DUKE OF WELLINGTON 1812 August 12, Wednesday: British, Portuguese, and Spanish troops under Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington of Talavera and of Wellington entered Madrid. Amos Perry was born in South Natick, Massachusetts. After graduating from Harvard College with Henry Thoreau in 1837 (he was a member of the Hasty Pudding Club, which Thoreau was not) he would teach in New London, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island. He would visit Europe several times and would be from 1862 till 1867 the United States consul at Tunis. In 1873 he would become the secretary of the Rhode Island historical society and in 1880 its librarian, and in 1885 he would be made the superintendent of the state census. In 1841 Brown University would award him the degree of A.M. He would publish, in 1869, CARTILAGE AND TUNIS, in 1883, MEMORIAL OF ZACHARIAH ALLEN, 1795-1882, and in 1887, RHODE ISLAND STATE CENSUS, 1885. Friend Stephen Wanton Gould wrote in his journal: 4th day 8M 12 / Our little boy is but poorly at best, but I hope he will not be much worse. — This evening I went to Tennys meeting house & heard John Gloucester the man of colour mentioned yesterday preach & I thought he misaplied Scripture exceedingly, yet he appread to be a man of some ingenuity & readiness of utterance. — RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS THE TASK OF THE HISTORIAN IS TO CREATE HINDSIGHT WHILE INTERCEPTING ANY ILLUSION OF FORESIGHT. NOTHING A HUMAN CAN SEE CAN EVER BE SEEN AS IF THROUGH THE EYE OF GOD. September 22, Tuesday: A Kyrie in C by Antonio Salieri was performed for the initial time, in Vienna. The Spanish cortes offered the post of commander in chief of its armed forces to Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington. Friend Stephen Wanton Gould wrote in his journal: 3rd day 22 of 9 M / Aunt Molly Wanton was this eveng taken ill with faintness & sickness of the stomach but got most renewed before bed time. RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS NEVER READ AHEAD! TO APPRECIATE SEPTEMBER 22D, 1812 AT ALL ONE MUST APPRECIATE IT AS A TODAY (THE FOLLOWING DAY, Duke of Wellington “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX ARTHUR WELLESLEY DUKE OF WELLINGTON TOMORROW, IS BUT A PORTION OF THE UNREALIZED FUTURE AND IFFY AT BEST). October 4, Sunday: In London a spendthrift 19-year-old heir to a baronetcy, Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was just getting his bride Harriet Westbrook Shelley pregnant, met William Godwin, a liberally oriented man whose defenseless daughter Mary Godwin Wollstonecraft had just turned 15. Hot damn! WILLIAM GODWIN’S LIFE US forces defeated British forces at Ogdensburgh, New York after a British raid out of Prescott, Ontario had failed and their two gunboats had been forced to return. The French garrison of the Spanish city of Burgos was besieged by British and Portuguese troops under Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington. The siege would fail when French forces would be relieved, but Wellington would capture the city during June 1813 shortly before the battle of Vitoria. Friend Stephen Wanton Gould wrote in his journal: 1st day 3 [sic] of 10 M / C R was concern’d in testimony in the Duke of Wellington “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX ARTHUR WELLESLEY DUKE OF WELLINGTON forenoon & Afternoon Meetings — Visited the Work & Alms houses — RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS NEVER READ AHEAD! TO APPRECIATE OCTOBER 4TH, 1812 AT ALL ONE MUST APPRECIATE IT AS A TODAY (THE FOLLOWING DAY, TOMORROW, IS BUT A PORTION OF THE UNREALIZED FUTURE AND IFFY AT BEST). June 18, Thursday: Franz Schubert begins instruction in counterpoint with Antonio Salieri in Vienna. Unaware of course that Great Britain had already rescinded its offending actions two days before, President James Madison signed the joint congressional Declaration of War. This 2d war of the United States of America upon Great Britain, which would take place over a number of years, is now denominated in our history books the “War of 1812” (evidently we spare ourselves embarrassment when we do not give this war an accurate name).1 –Not that any of this makes any difference (only a fool would suppose that nations go to war for the reasons they proffer)! Upstate New York was woefully unprepared. Fort Niagara had deteriorated during the decade after 1800 as its garrison had become increasingly smaller. Many of the old buildings, some of them dating to the French occupation, had disappeared. The walls on the land side remained in place, but there was never a large enough workforce to keep them in good condition. At the outbreak of hostilities the Americans could muster only 150 soldiers to man this strongpoint. However, the British preparedness was not much better. The Napoleonic Wars in Europe had been sucking up all of England’s attention, with Canada on the back burner at best, so there were in this year only a couple of thousand of British regular soldiers in all of what is today the province of Ontario. The United States Army although far larger was composed mostly newly organized units consisting of untrained recruits. The Americans were confident, but without justification.