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Nov 24 7 tweets 4 min read
HISTORIC THANKSGIVING AND THE ARMY

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE U.S. ARMY CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY!

Thanksgiving wasn’t always the fourth Thursday of November.

#Armyhistory #USArmy #Thanksgiving #TRADOC #MilitaryHistory Image
While the holiday has roots dating back to the Pilgrims and post-harvest celebrations, it wasn’t until the late 17th century that a Thanksgiving-style holiday became customary throughout New England.
The New England colonists were accustomed to regularly celebrating "thanksgivings"—days of prayer thanking God for blessings. During the revolution, the Continental Congress decided to declare several days of thanksgiving to help inspire our troops to victory. Image
The first such day fell on Nov. 1, 1777, when news of victories against the British reached their ears. Gen. George Washington also called for a day of thanksgiving on Dec. 18, 1777, as a victory celebration for the colonial army’s win during the Battle of Saratoga that October. Image
In 1789, Pres Washington was the first president to proclaim a day of national thanksgiving, which happened to be Nov 26, "a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed..." Image
Sarah Josepha Buell Hale, a 74-year-old magazine editor, and the author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, wrote a letter to #AbrahamLincoln in 1863, urging him to have the "day of our annual Thanksgiving made a National and fixed Union Festival." Image
President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving to fall on the last Thursday of November, and the modern holiday was created. He proclaimed a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

What are your Army Thanksgiving memories?

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More from @USArmyCMH

Nov 24
24-25 November 1863 - BATTLES OF CHATTANOOGA #CivilWar
After defeating Union Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans at Chickamauga in Sept., Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee took up positions south and east of Chattanooga, TN. on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. Image
The CSA force lay siege to Rosecrans' Army of the Cumberland in the city, cutting it off its rail access. The War Dept. dispatched about 20,000 men under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker from the Army of the Potomac by rail in late Sept. to relieve the beleaguered Union army.
In late Oct., Hooker attacked CSA positions southwest of Chattanooga to restore rail access. Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant arrived and took overall command; Maj. Gen. W. T. Sherman led Grant's Army of the Tennessee, while Maj. Gen. George Thomas replaced Rosecrans. Image
Read 6 tweets
Nov 23
WEDNESDAY WISDOM - THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION
"In the midst of a Civil War," President Lincoln felt compelled to offer a Proclamation to the nation expressing his thoughts about why a national day of Thanksgiving is needed.

#armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC #Thanksgiving
Like some of his predecessors, this was done in a time of war as a way to express gratitude for our forces' victories and for the blessings of the American people.

This proclamation in 1863 began the official annual holiday of Thanksgiving we celebrate today. It reads, in part
"The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies... these bounties...can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.
Read 6 tweets
Nov 22
UNIT PROFILE – U.S. ARMY INDIAN SCOUTS
#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth
Instrumental to U.S. Army success in the post-Civil War Indian Wars were the Indian Scouts, an enlisted cadre of Native Americans who performed reconnaissance and auxiliary duties.

#Armyhistory Image
First formed in 1866, the Indian Scouts were a force of up to 1,000 men (although this slowly declined as the years passed) whose members were be compensated the same as a white cavalryman.
#USArmy #MilitaryHistory #IndianWars #GreatPlains #AmericanSouthwest #IndianScouts Image
The Indian Scouts supplied desperately needed knowledge of the terrain and enemy belligerents to an Army short on expertise and struggling to accomplish its mission. Indian Scouts were essential to Army’s efforts across the greater frontier. Image
Read 5 tweets
Jun 28
28 JUNE 1918 BIRTHDAY of the US ARMY CHEMICAL CORPS BRANCH
Established as the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service (CWS) on 28 June 1918 during #WWI, the Chemical Corps was originally tasked with delivering chemical weapons against the enemy.

#Armyhistory Image
In #WWII CWS units assumed a variety of non-chemical warfare related missions, including incendiary weapons like flame throwers and flame tanks, smoke generation, and chemical mortar battalions firing high explosive, illumination and smoke rounds.

#ChemicalCorps @TRADOC @USArmy
On 2 Aug 1946, the CWS was re-designated the U.S. Army Chemical Corps. The post-war corps assumed responsibility for biological warfare (BW) defense and relinquished its mortars to the infantry after the Korean War.

#VictoryStartsHere #JoinUs #ServeWithUs Image
Read 6 tweets
Jun 28
28 JUNE 1778 - BATTLE OF MONMOUTH - #RevolutionaryWar
On 18 June 1778, LT General Sir Henry Clinton, British Commander, ordered Philadelphia evacuated, and led 10,000 of his men and a large baggage train on an overland march to New York City.
Gen George Washington had his Main Army follow closely behind, looking for an opportunity to strike the British. On the morning of 28 June, the American advance guard, commanded by Maj Gen Charles Lee, attacked Clinton's rear guard.
Although they outnumbered their foe then on the field, Lee lacked confidence in his men and failed to press his early advantage. Maj Gen Lord Charles Cornwallis, commander of the British army's rear division, counter-attacked. The confused Americans began to retreat.
Read 6 tweets
Jun 27
SOLDIER PROFILES – ONLY THREE RECIPIENTS OF THE BADGE OF MILITARY MERIT
The Purple Heart is one of America’s most iconic military decorations, awarded to service members in recognition of injuries sustained while in service.

#RevolutionaryWar #ArmyHeritage ImageImage
The decoration’s origins lay in the Revolutionary War, when General George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit, the first military decoration intended expressly to be awarded to enlisted men.

#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC @USArmy @TRADOC @SecArmy @ArmyChiefStaff
Three badges were awarded at the end of the Revolutionary War. On May 3, 1783, Sgt. Elijah Churchill and Cpl. William Brown received badges from Gen. Washington at Continental Army HQ in Newburgh, New York. Sergeant Daniel Bissell, Jr., received the award on June 10, 1783. Image
Read 7 tweets

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