CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON “NARRATIVE HISTORY” AMOUNTS TO FABULATION, THE REAL STUFF BEING MERE CHRONOLOGY “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project William Lewis Herndon HDT WHAT? INDEX WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON 1813 October 25, Monday: William Lewis Herndon was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia. On the Chateaugay River, British troops and their native allies defeated a United States force that actually outnumbered them 7 to 1. This forced the United States to abandon its invasion of Québec. October 26, Tuesday: Austrian forces defeated the French at Valsarno, thus returning Austrian arms to Italy. At Chateauguay, Charles de Salaberry defeated an American invasion. NOBODY COULD GUESS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT William Lewis Herndon “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON 1828 November 1, Saturday: William Lewis Herndon enlisted in the US Navy, as a midshipman. LIFE IS LIVED FORWARD BUT UNDERSTOOD BACKWARD? — NO, THAT’S GIVING TOO MUCH TO THE HISTORIAN’S STORIES. LIFE ISN’T TO BE UNDERSTOOD EITHER FORWARD OR BACKWARD. “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project William Lewis Herndon HDT WHAT? INDEX WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON 1834 Midshipman William Lewis Herndon was promoted to Passed Midshipman. THE FUTURE IS MOST READILY PREDICTED IN RETROSPECT “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project William Lewis Herndon HDT WHAT? INDEX CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON 1841 William Lewis Herndon received a US Navy commission as a Lieutenant. THE FUTURE CAN BE EASILY PREDICTED IN RETROSPECT “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project William Lewis Herndon HDT WHAT? INDEX WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON 1842 The new naval Lieutenant William Lewis Herndon was assigned to work with his relative Matthew Fontaine Maury in preparation of ocean charts at the Depot of Charts and Instruments. Lieutenant Uriah Phillips Levy, the only Jewish officer in the US Navy, was promoted to Captain by President John Tyler. JUDAISM DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION? GOOD. William Lewis Herndon “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON 1846 The Free Soil Party was formed as moderate Whigs broke with conservative, status quo Whigs over the issue of slavery. This disruption drew much of the political strength toward the Democrats as the USA declared war upon Mexico. Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft of Massachusetts refused to support this act of aggression, and both the Whigs and the Democrats became divided on the merits of the action. HDT WHAT? INDEX WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft of Massachusetts HDT WHAT? INDEX CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON Alexander William Doniphan became colonel of the 1st Regiment of Missouri Mounted Volunteers, and would participate during the war on Mexico in several campaigns, including General Stephen W. Kearny’s campaign for capture of the settlement at Santa Fe and then continuing into a northern region of Mexico (present day northern New Mexico). During the War upon Mexico, Lieutenant William Lewis Herndon would be in command of the brig Isis. WAR ON MEXICO Governor George Nixon Briggs of Massachusetts refused to grant commissions to militia officers unless they pledged to not to take their units beyond the borders of the state. Caleb Cushing raised a regiment which would serve in the war as a unit of the Regular US Army. In Massachusetts, the Liberty Party received larger voter support than it had ever before received. “HUCKLEBERRIES”: In this country a political speech, whether by Mr. Seward or Caleb Cushing, is a great thing, a ray of light a little thing. It would be felt to be a greater national calamity if you should take six inches from the corporeal bulk of one or two gentlemen in Congress, than if you should take a yard from their wisdom and manhood. SLAVERY HDT WHAT? INDEX WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON During this year, in his journal of his trip to Maine, and later in his published account of the trip, Thoreau would mention this Liberty Party: Fall 1846: One after another we filed into the rude lumberers’ camp at this place built of logs like those I have described. Here was only the cook to receive us A phlegmatic well fed personage who set about preparing a cup of tea and hot cakes for his visitors. His fire had been entirely put out and his fire fire place filled several inches deep by the rain but now it was kindled again –and we sat down on the log benches around it to dry us. The chinks were not filled against the winter –and light & air came in on every side Here was an odd leaf of the bible –some genealogical chapter to prove their Christianity– And the next things that turned up was Emerson Address on W I Emancipation –which had made two converts to the liberty party here, an odd number of the Westminster Rev. for 1834 –& a pamphlet entitled Hist. of the Erection of the MYRON HOLLEY Monument on the grave of Myron Holley –& these were well thumbed and soiled The men employed in such works as this are Jacks at all trade, who are handy at various things and accustomed WALDO EMERSON to make shifts –skilful with the axe and ruder implements of good judgement and well skilled in wood and water-craft. I observed by their poles that they sometimes indulged in fishing. Their hands not restricted to the processes of one trade only –but free and as it were intelligent to practise many. tea was served out to us in tin cups from a huge coffe pot with molasses but no milk of course and hot cakes for solid food We did ample justice to this fare and when we had done filled our pockets with the never failing sweet cakes which remained –foreseeing that we were not soon to meet such fare again. And so informing John Morrison that we had pocketed all his sweet cakes and exchanging our batteau for a better we made haste to improve the little daylight that remained. The dam had smoothed over many a rapid for us where formerly there was a rough current to be resisted – Beyond there was no trail –and the river and lakes was the only practicable rout. We were from 25 to 30 miles from the summit of the Mt –(though not more than 20 perhaps –in a straight line1 WEST INDIES EMANCIPATION 1.The Twin Lakes, like Quakish Lake, are enlargements of the Penobscot River. It is easy for a canoeist, unfamiliar with the area, to spend long hours seeking the river inlet to the lakes. Thoreau’s party was fortunate to have an experienced guide, in attempting a crossing at night. HDT WHAT? INDEX CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON THE MAINE WOODS: We filed into the rude logger’s camp at this place, such as I have described, without ceremony, and the cook, at that moment the sole occupant, at once set about preparing tea for his visitors. His fireplace, which the rain had converted into a mud-puddle, was soon blazing again, and we sat down on the log benches around it to dry us. On the well-flattened and somewhat faded beds of arbor-vitae leaves, which stretched on either hand under the eaves behind us, lay an odd leaf of the Bible, some genealogical chapter out of the Old Testament; and, half buried by the leaves, we found Emerson’s Address on West India EMERSON Emancipation, which had been left here formerly by one of our company, and had made two converts to the Liberty party here, as I was told; also, an odd number of the Westminster Review, for 1834, and a pamphlet entitled History of the Erection of the Monument on the grave of Myron Holly. This was the readable, or HOLLEY reading matter, in a lumberer’s camp in the Maine woods, thirty miles from a road, which would be given up to the bears in a fortnight. These things were well thumbed and soiled. This gang was headed by one John Morrison, a good specimen of a Yankee; and was necessarily composed of men not bred to the business of dam- building, but who were Jacks-at-all-trades, handy with the axe, and other simple implements, and well skilled in wood and water craft. We had hot cakes for our supper even here, white as snow- balls, but without butter, and the never-failing sweet cakes, with which we filled our pockets, foreseeing that we should not soon meet with the like again. Such delicate puff-balls seemed a singular diet for back-woodsmen. There was also tea without milk, sweetened with molasses. And so, exchanging a word with John Morrison and his gang when we had returned to the shore, and also exchanging our batteau for a better still, we made haste to improve the little daylight that remained. This camp, exactly twenty-nine miles from Mattawamkeag Point, by the way we had come, and about one hundred from Bangor by the river, was the last human habitation of any kind in this direction. Beyond, there was no trail; and the river and lakes, by batteaux and canoes, was considered the only practicable route. We were about thirty miles by the river from the summit of Ktaadn, which was in sight, though not more than twenty, perhaps, in a straight line. HDT WHAT? INDEX WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON HDT WHAT? INDEX CAPTAIN WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON WILLIAM LEWIS HERNDON 1851 May 21, Wednesday: Lt.