Professor'ette's History Lesson

[Teresa]

Good Morning Students:
Today we are going to cover the death of an American hero, Davy Crockett.

Many of you think that Davy went down fighting.
Well...this isn't true.  And here's the real truth.
This comes from a diary of a Jose Enrique De La Pena, who was an officer in Santa Anna's Army.

        In the thirteenth day of the siege the Mexicans opened a cannon barrage on all for sides of the Alamo.  About 6000 Mexican troops stormed the sides.  Three sides turned back the assault, but the South wall crumbled under the cannon shot and the Mexicans stormed in.  Within minutes it was over.
  There were seven defenders left.  Crockett was one of them.  The women and children who had been hiding in the chapel were spared.  Santa Anna said he didn't conduct war on women and children.
The last seven defenders were taken before Santa Anna.
They were accused of making war on Mexico and were sentenced to death by the sword.  Several Mexican officers stood in their defense.  They considered them heroes because they held off the entire Mexican Army for 13 days.  Their defense was overruled by Santa Anna.
The seven were taken outside and subsequently put to death by sword thrusts.  De La Pena wrote that they died honorably and without a whimper.
        And so....students there is the truth.
Davy Crockett didn't go down fighting and it has been reported by those who wrote a rather fanciful version to this story.

        I hope you all took notes on this.  There will be a test on Friday.
Professor'ette Teresa

[Teresa]

Good Afternoon Class:
        Todays history lesson will be on General George Armstrong Custer.

        General Custer was known as the "Boy General" during the Civil War because he had received his brevet promotion to General while was in his 20's.  The youngest soldier to ever get that high at that age.  Unfortunately this promotion went to his head and he became over zealous and under cautious.  He would do things that a sane man wouldn't...only to be noticed.  When the war was over he was reduced in rank to Colonel and he remained as such until his death at the Little Bighorn.  He was then posthumously awarded the rank of General and buried as such.

        During his career in the Army after the war he made many enemies because of his brashness and his task master attitudes.  He was hated by both his fellow officers and the enlisted that served under him.  He would punish enlisted soldiers for the minor offenses that weren't worthy of being punished for.  For failing to brush down a horse properly a soldier could expect to spend a week in the guard house on bread and water and with no contact with his fellow enlisted friends.  Custer would often write false reports on fellow officers to show them in a bad light.

        At Fort Lincoln Custer made enemies of both Major Reno and Captain Benteen.  They hated him with a passion and would often go out of their way to make Custer look foolish.

        When the 7th Cavalry mounted up and rode off to their destiny at the Little Bighorn, both Reno and Benteen suggested to Custer that they take the Gatling Guns along.  Custer would have nothing to do with this because he said there wasn't enough Indians to use them on.  Had they taken them, the outcome of the battle would have been different.

        The first error Custer made at the Little Bighorn was to split his entire troop into three separate ones.  Reno and Benteen both got into scrapes with the Indians, but there were few losses of troops.

        The second error Custer made was riding into the Little Bighorn valley not knowing how many Indians were waiting for him.  He was told by his scouts that there were many, but he didn't believe them.  He rode into the valley and his way out was blocked by the Indians.  When they attacked, Custer had no choice but to take the high ground and stand.

        By the time the Custer battle was in full swing.  Benteen and Reno had formed up together and went back to where Custer was. They came upon a ridge overlooking the valley and saw that Custer was out numbered and his troops were falling rapidly.  They knew, right there and then, that Custer had no chance.   Rather than ride in and help, they sat back and watched it happen.
  By then all of the Indians were concentrated in the valley and going after Custer and were no threat to their troops.

        After it was over, Reno and Benteen rode in and buried all the dead where they had fallen, then rode back to Fort Lincoln and filed their reports.  At the inquest they were asked why they didn't ride in and assist Custer.  They stated that they were out numbered and they didn't wish to lose any more lives on a hopeless cause.
They were wrong in what they had done, but no punishment is given them.

        There was a story that came from the Sioux Nation that Custer had not been killed in the battle.
He had received a glancing head wound that had rendered him senseless.  When the battle was over, Custer was still alive but didn't know who he was, or where he was.
The story tells that he was taken by the Sioux and he was moved with them in their exodus to Canada and remained with them until his death some years later.  The story tells that Custer never regained his full mental capacity and remained somewhat of an idiot until his death.  This story has never been proven, but it is said that it came from reliable sources.
        And there you have the brief history of General Custer.

        I hope you took notes on this.  There will be a test next Tuesday.

        Professor'ette Teresa

[Teresa]

Good Morning class:
    Your history lesson for to day will cover a single Mexican word and that word is "Gringo".
Students...this is not a harsh word, nor is it an uncomplimentary word.
The basic translation for the word is "Foreign" , or North American.

Now class here are the words to a very old song.  Please remember these:

Green Grow the Lilacs


Green grow the lilacs, all sparkling with dew
I'm lonely, my darling, since parting with you;
But by our next meeting IU'll hope to prove true
And change the green lilacs to the Red, White and Blue.

I once had a sweetheart, but now I have none
She's gone and she's left me, I care not for one
Since she's gone and left me, contented I'll be,
For she loves another one better than me.

I passed my love's window, both early and late
The look that she gave me, it makes my heart ache;
Oh, the look that she gave me was painful to see,
For she loves another one better than me.

I wrote my love letters in rosy red lines,
She sent me an answer all twisted and twined;
Saying,"Keep your love letters and I will keep mine
Just you write to your love and I'll write to mine."

Now class...this song was sung by our troops during the Mexican Wars around the campfire at night.

It's a sad little song and tells of a soldier who lost a love because of the war.
While our troops were singing this song, the Mexican troops heard it being sung.
They tuned in on two words from the song:  Green and Grow. 
The chorus starts off "Green grow the lilacs..."

From those two words, the Mexicans came up with "Gringo"........
which they began calling the American troops.  "Gringos".

    And that, class is where the word "Gringo" comes from.

    I hope you took notes on this.  There will be a test on Wednesday

Professor'ette Teresa

[Teresa]

Good very late evening class:
    Tonight we are going to discuss the origin of another word.
That word is "poop deck".  I am quite sure you have heard that term, but know nothing about its origin.

    Back in the days of sail and wooden ships and iron men, the ships didn't come equipped with lavatory facilities...in other words there were no toilets aboard.

Below decks there was a bucket for this purpose and the one who used it was required to clean it out after the use.
Above decks where the deck hands worked...there was a special place for them to go to do their business.  This was located on the main deck, often on the very end of the ship.
Here the sailors could go to answer the call of nature.

  Standard procedure was to hang ones backside over the rail (grips were provided) and drop their deposit in the ocean.  This became known as the "poop deck" because men went there to poop! 
As time progressed and larger ships came to be, pump type toilets were placed on them.  These worked with sea water.  There was a seat type affair and a pump handle on it.  One did ones business.. then pumped the handle. 
This caused the water and material in the bowl to be taken out and fresh water to be pumped in.  Far better than hanging the backside over the back rail!

        Most modern ships now have toilet facilities that work off suction.  There are large suction motors running and keeping constant negative pressure on the pipes.  When one flushes the toilet, this opens up a hole in the system and the negative pressure literally sucks the bowl empty, then replaces the water in it.  Here again it is sea water, not fresh water.
  The waste material is transported to a large holding tank in the bowels of the ship, far below deck.  It is not dumped at sea anymore.  When the ship reaches port the holding tanks are pumped dry and refilled.  The waste material is then taken to a sewage facility for proper disposal.

        And that was your lesson for the rest of the week.
No need to take notes,.. I am sure that you will rememeber this lesson.

There will be a test next Monday..
Have a good weekend..

        Professor'ette Teresa

[Teresa]

Good Afternoon class:
    Today we will be discussing another frequently used term and where it came from.  The term we will discuss today is "Lady of the evening".  This is a commonly used term for one who dabbles in the horizontal recreation business.
    This term is military in origin.  Back in the days when great Armies went on campaigns there were camp followers.  These were the wives and sweethearts of the soldiers and also vendors and merchants.  There were also ruffians and those who would take from the soldiers without their permission.
    Among the camp followers were ladies who practiced the art of horizontal recreation, in other words....prostitutes.  They made themselves available for soldiers and officers to relieve their biological tensions
    If a soldier, or officer wanted to avail himself of these ladies he had to ask permission of the field marshal, or who ever was in charge of the army if he could have a "lady for the evening".  If permission was granted, the soldier, or officer would go find one of these ladies and they did the wild thing.
    So...The original term was "Lady for the evening", but as time progressed it was changed to "Lady of the evening".

No ned to take notes.. there won't be a test on this.

Professor'ette Teresa

[mtcookson]

"He had a broad but normal face, an advance sized belly, and laughed "Lady of the Evening, Lady of the Evening, Lady of the Evening""

[Teresa]

Now that's funny~~~ I don't care who you are.

[jensarlou]

Hey Teresa,
I keep taking notes and am waiting for the tests but you haven't had one yet.     I am hoping to get better grades hseouere than I did in school.  hahaha!!!
Andrea

P.S.  We are all moved in to our new house.

[Teresa]

Glad to hear you are all settled. Is everything going good for you? And are you happy there?
Lots of questions, I know.. but hope everything is nice for you.

[jensarlou]

Yes we are all very happy.  So far Fl has been very good for us.  We love the house.  The children love school.  If I could figure out how to upload a picture I will post a picture of our house.  Ok well take care and I hope to hear from you soon. 
Andrea