The Brunckow Cabin -- The Bloodiest Cabin In Arizona

By Terry McGahey

Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

About six and a half miles Southwest of Tombstone along the old Charleston Road between Tombstone and Sierra Vista is the site of the old Brunckow Cabin. It sets approximately 200 yards off of the Charleston Road to the East, (left side) and is known as the bloodiest cabin in all of Arizona. At least 21 or 22 men were killed on this site between 1860 and 1890 with 17 killed on the site before 1880, supposed by the Apaches. 

Many of those unknown men are buried near the cabin itself, which makes this site an unofficial graveyard in my opinion. This site had also been owned by, or used by, men such as Fredrick Brunckow, Ed Schieffelin, Frank Stilwell, and Milton B. Duffield.

Fredrick Brunckow was a German immigrant who was born in 1830 and who had migrated to the U.S. in 1850. By 1858, Brunckow had found silver near the San Pedro River and built the cabin as a place to live and assay his ore. He also began mining very near the cabin. 

Brunckow hired W. M. Williams as a mine superintendent, his cousin James Williams as a machinist, John Moss as an assayer, and a German cook by the name of David Brontrager, along with several Mexican laborers when he began mining a shaft near the cabin.

On July 23rd 1860, W. M. Williams went for supplies to Fort Buchanan which was about three miles Southwest of present day Sonoita. W. M. Williams returned on July 26th to find his cousin dead within the supply room with supplies scattered everywhere. He immediately ran out of the door and headed back to tell the soldiers what had happened. 

When the soldiers arrived at the scene the following morning they found two more bodies. They found John Moss dead in the dirt just outside of the camp and animals had ravaged him. Fredrick Brunckow was found at either the entrance or just inside of the mine-shaft with a rock drill run clean through him. All three men were buried at the site.

When the cook, David Brontrager arrived at a mining camp named camp Jecker; he told the miners that the Mexican laborers had taken him hostage after the robbery and murder of the others. He stated that the Mexicans didn't kill him and even released him when they reached the international border because they believed him to be a good Catholic. The murders were never solved.

When Ed Schieffelin, the founder of Tombstone, first came into the area in 1877, he used the Brunckow Cabin as a base of operations while he prospected the rocky outcroppings Northeast of the cabin. He aslo used the fireplace to smelt any ore he had found. 

A few months later Ed had worked his way over to Goose Flats where he found the mother load of silver and registered his claim under the name Tombstone because of the soldiers who had told him, "The only stone you will find out there is your tombstone."

Frank Stilwell, who was known as taking part in the murder of Morgan Earp on March 18th 1882 for retribution of the killings of Billy Clanton and the McClaury brothers at the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, also had involvement with the Brunckow site. Stilwell who had once been a deputy sheriff under Johnny Behan also owned several businesses.

He owned interests in several mines, a saloon, a wholesale liquor business, a stage line, and at the time of his death at the hands of Wyatt Earp in the Tucson train yards. Stilwell also was the recorded owner of the Brunckow mine site.

The last well-known man to be killed at the Brunckow cabin was Milton B. Duffield. Duffield is best known as being the first United States Marshal appointed to the Arizona territory, a post he held form March 6th 1863 to November 25th 1865. Duffield was not a well liked individual because of his nasty demeanor and champion of his own opinions, but he did have a reputation for being fearless. 

One man by the name of John Bourke described Duffield as a man who carried 11 firearms and one knife upon his person, mostly concealed. 

Milton B. Duffield acquired the Brunckow mining site in 1873, but another man by the name of James T. Holmes also claimed ownership. On June 5th 1874 Duffield arrived at the Brunckow cabin to evict Holmes. As he approached he began waving his arms and shouting like a madman in his usual manner. 

Holmes, assuming Duffield was armed to the teeth as he normally was, walked out the front door carrying a double barrel shotgun and without hesitation shot and killed the 64-year-old ex-marshal. It was at this point that Holmes realized that Duffield was unarmed, which seems strange.

John Holmes was arrested and sentenced to three years in prison, but he escaped before serving anytime what so ever. The authorities did not really go after Holmes and he was never again seen in the Arizona territory. 

Milton B. Duffield was also buried at the Brunckow Cabin site and his remains are still interred there to this day. He is just another one of many in an unmarked grave and in an unknown location surrounding the cabin.

On May 20th, 1897, The Tombstone Prospector, reported that Brunckow's Cabin was where a gang of bandits fought each other over what they just stole from a Wells Fargo gold shipment. Since they could not decide on how to divide their spoils, they turned against one another and shot it out. They reportedly shot each other to death as all five of the bandits were later found dead. The stolen gold was recovered at the scene and returned.

Back in the early 1990s, the Brunckow Cabin was a good place to set up camp because it was secluded, quiet, and dark as three feet down a cow's throat. This made a great location to get away from people, enjoy the solitude, think, and look at the stars. 

I had camped at the cabin on three different occasions, twice with a friend of mine whom I had worked cows with, and once by myself. Back then there was no fence blocking the dirt road or any signs declaring the spot as a historic landmark, and you could drive right up next to the cabin itself.

Ever since the ghost hunting fad began taking place, the Brunckow Cabin has been one that the paranormal societies seem to want to investigate. Even the show, "The Ghost Hunters," has been to this site doing their investigation. 

I am not debating weather ghost or spirits exist, but it seems strange to me that these folks usually find some proof of paranormal activity in most cases. 

Having camped there myself three different times I will tell you, the only sounds I heard while there were coyotes, Javalina running through the brush, pack rats, and one rattle snake. Most city folks do not understand how well sound travels through the open desert. 

The rustling sound of the Javalina busting through the brush at a distance can sound as though it is nearby and the sound is not distinguishable to folks who haven't heard it before. This sound can easily be mistaken for something or someone close by, which is why when they investigate the area they believe the noise had come from the cabin, yet nothing is found.

I believe that the people searching for ghosts already have the paranormal on their mind when they reach their location so their minds can play tricks on them, only my opinion. 

When I spent my time at the cabin, I had no such thoughts of the paranormal, therefore, I had no ghostly experiences at all. It was only a nice quiet evening enjoying what the solitude of the desert has to offer.

Terry McGahey is a writer and Old West historian.

This once working cowboy is best known for his fight against the City of Tombstone and their historic City Ordinance Number 9, America's most famous gun-control law.

He was instrumental in finally getting Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 repealed and having Tombstone fall in line with the state of Arizona. If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, please click: The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

This Is About Our War With Islam

Dear Friends,

Guns are not the problem in America. Gun availability is the scapegoat of the Democrat Party for every shooting. The availability of guns to people wanting to commit a crime will not stop if criminals want to find them. Criminals will steal them. Criminals will buy them from other criminals illegally -- all while laughing about Background Checks and Gun Shows.

And let's be frank here, criminals will lie to good people and befriend them just to buy their guns. Criminals know more scams, con games, ways of getting over on people, way more, than most of us will ever know. It is the life they live. It's the reason they're called criminals.

As for stricter gun laws, Chicago is a great example of how nothing stops criminals from getting guns illegally. Friends, it is not just ironic that 50+ Black people are shot in Chicago on any given weekend -- and they have the strictest gun laws of any city in the United States.

What goes on in Chicago lends creed to what happened in Orlando, stricter gun laws wouldn't have stop what took place in Orlando because Chicago proves criminals find guns illegally all the time.

But the Muslim Jihadist who massacred those Americans bought his gun legally? Well, as for buying semi-automatic rifles of any sort legally, a Radical Islamist hear in America can do that. He or she can do that the very same way a Black Panther Party and Black Live Matter terrorists can do that legally. But my point is that buying it legally doesn't stop a criminal. They can get guns illegally if they have the money, just as anyone can.

While Chicago has the strictest gun control for a city, the state of California has the strictest gun control laws nationwide. So as for some Muslim Terrorist getting a gun legally, do people thing that a 10 Day Waiting Period like we have here in California will stop some Muslim from killing a bunch of non-Muslims?

The Muslim who bought the guns legally to wage Jihad in San Bernardino, California, went through both the Background Check and the mandatory 10 Day Waiting Period. Now it has become very apparent that the Muslim Terrorist in San Bernardino used California's mandatory 10 Day Waiting Period as time to plan out how they were going to conduct a massacre of innocent people.

And frankly, that just goes to show that even after a Background Check with the state and a 10 Day Waiting Period -- that still didn't stop Radical Muslims in San Bernardino from slaughtering the unarmed and helpless in the name of their pathetic prophet who preaches baby raping and murder.

Now here's another aspect of Muslims getting guns. Do Muslims have another options if they decide to conduct an attack but not buy them legally or illegally? What if the guns that a Muslim Jihadist wants isn't available to the public?

Before scratching your head, this is why what happened in Orlando has nothing to do with guns and everything to do with Muslims. Muslims can get guns that we can't.

You see, in Europe right now, Muslims who are Jihadists are getting "military grade" weapons from Mosques being built and sponsored by Saudi Arabia. Yes, the same Saudi Arabia government who gave millions to the Clinton Foundation is sponsoring Islamic Terrorism.

And friends, this is why the Muslim attack in Orlando is a Muslim problem and not simply a gun problem. This is about our being at war with Islam.

The French who have the strictest gun control laws in the world, have found that Muslims are getting "military grade" weapons from their Mosques. A recent news story stated that French officials are finding all sorts of "military grade" weapons in the Mosques that they have now closed since the attacks there last November.

Reports from the police investigating the Muslim Terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13th of last year have now shut down a number of Mosques in a series of raids meant to round up Islamic extremists. While closing those Mosques, officials there have found Jihadist documents and over 400 "military grade" weapons and explosives -- all destined for terrorists.

Friends, the guns which the Muslims used in the terrorist attacks in Paris are not sold to the French public at all. Those weapons came from outside of France. 

I've read reports that say the very same thing is taking place here in the United States. And no, I'm not talking about the Democrat Party's bullshit version of "guns of war" which they call ALL semi-auto rifles -- but instead guns of the same "military grade" used by nations around the world in their militarys.

This problem is being spread throughout Europe as Muslims are obtaining fully automatic weapons from their Mosques all over the European continent. This problem is not confined to France.

This in itself proves that Muslim Terrorists laugh at gun bans because they do not need to buy guns through regular channels if the guns they want are unavailable.

Since Obama created ISIS and Syrian Refugees have invaded Europe, many shipments of arms have been stopped in route to Mosques. One such shipment meant for Muslim Refugees in Greece was labeled furniture.

Because Muslims can get weapons from their Mosques, what's going on in France and the rest of Europe proves that Mosques are not being used as places of worship but instead are being used as military command posts. Mosques are in reality places where Jihadists plan out their attacks. They are also places where they receive funding and supplies, and armed to kill non-Muslims. This is not my opinion. This is fact of what's going on right now.

Every aspect of the Muslim attack in Orlando screams a failure on the part of our Federal government with Obama in charge. Instead of bowing to Political Correctness and deciding not to keep records on Jihadists and treating them as our enemies, the FBI and Homeland Security were ordered by the Obama administration to scrub the records and allow known Jihadists to walk free to kill Americans.

The blood of those 50 Americans who died in Orlando is on the hands of the Obama administration, which has done everything it can to support and defend Islam -- when they should have been doing so for the American people.

Please do not let the Democrat Party, Obama, Clinton, or any of their bought dogs, make this a gun issue when in fact it is about how they are not waging war on our enemy which is Islam. The issue here is about their failure to wage war on our behalf and the Democrat Party appears to be OK with that!

Yes, it is not about guns as Obama and the Left wants people to think. It is about how we wage war with fanatical killers, a murderous cult, all bent on our destruction. It is about the laziness of an inept Obama administration that spends most of its time defending Muslims who want us either converted to Islam or dead!

We should round up those on the Terrorist Watch List and question them starting yesterday. If the Obama administration refuses to instruct Homeland Security and the Justice Department to round up all Muslim threats on that list, then Congress should order one or all of the 70 Federal law enforcement agencies to do so.

If we determine an individual is real threat, then charge him with treason and try him or her as a threat to the security and safety of our nation. If we determine that it is just a matter of where, when, and how, then we need to arrest him or her and detain them until we can deport them.

We also need to identify where the Jihadist are getting their orders from and who is funding, supplying, and arming them, then take actions against them as an enemy state -- whether it's Saudi Arabia or the Obama White House.

And yes, that's just the way I see it.
Tom Correa  

Why I Don't Befriend Hillary Clinton Supporters

Dear Friends,

As a matter of full disclosure, I made and posted the above meme to my Facebook page a few days ago. 

Since then, I have received email and messages telling me that I'm going to lose readers to my blog because of my position on Hillary Clinton. I've also been told that I'll lose readers because of my support for Donald Trump. 

While I'd hate to lose readers of any sort, but besides my blog being about Old West history, American history, horses, guns, Native American history, and such, my blog is here to support and defend America, our Constitution, and Conservative values. 

While I've tried to move my blog away from 2016 Presidential Race simply because there are a lot of much better Conservative websites to get information on current events, I've not given up on seeing Hillary Clinton defeated in November. 

I see Clinton as someone interested in lining her own pockets while working to destroy our nation. I see her as an opportunist who will take money from anyone -- even our enemies. I see her as a liar just like Barack Obama, always spinning away from the truth and saying one thing while doing another. And yes, she certainly sees herself above the law.

I see Hillary Clinton's recent criminal conduct and her propensity to completely disregard established ethics and standards, her willingness to break the law, as being dangerous for our nation. I see her as a political psychopath who is toxic for America.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have proven themselves to have many things in common. But more than anything, they are both political psychopaths.

Psychopaths seem superficially normal but tend to be cold-hearted, lack empathy, egocentric, manipulative, and extremely irresponsible -- per Scientific American 2007. And yes, that describes both Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Scientific American stated, "Superficially charming, psychopaths tend to make a good first impression on others and often strike observers as remarkably normal. Yet they are self-centered, dishonest and undependable, and at times they engage in irresponsible behavior for no apparent reason other than the sheer fun of it. Psychopaths routinely offer excuses for their reckless and often outrageous actions, placing blame on others instead."

Yes, that very accurately describes both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

So now as for my simply request on Facebook? Since anyone supporting Hillary Clinton makes no sense to me and makes me question their own personal rules, ethics, and morals, I do not want friends who are Hillary Clinton supporters. 

I will never understand how anyone can support a low life like Hillary Clinton (1) who got 4 Americans killed in Libya when in fact there were U.S. Marines a little over an hour away and could have saved them; (2) who as our nation's top diplomat took what many are calling "bribes" in the way of millions of dollars from Muslim countries for the Clinton Foundation; (3) who wants to bring millions of Muslim radicals here; (4) who refuses to use the term "Radical Islam", (5) who has not admitted that she willfully and intentionally broke National Security laws and knowingly breached National Security with her private email server; (6) who came out in defense of Planned Parenthood, a Billion dollar Corporation that receives government subsidies, after that Corporation was found to be selling the parts of dead babies; (7) who has been caught in lie after lie after lie. And yes, these are only a few of the reason why I don't want Hillary Clinton supporters as friends.

Of course there are other reasons that I don't want Clinton supporters as my friends. If someone supports Clinton, I can't help but wonder if they're like her. I can't help but wonder if they relate to her. I can't help but wonder if they have the same disregard for ethics as she does. I can't help but wonder if they too only use people and lacks values.  

Yes, I can't help but wonder about the character of anyone who supports Hillary Clinton, or if they approach the world in the same way!

Lie, cheat, and steal is the Clinton Legacy no matter how hard her and her loyal supporter try to rewrite it. 

According to the FBI Director, Hillary Clinton is under "criminal investigation" but she calls it a "review." And yes, she has millions of supporters who I can't help but wonder if they are just like her?

Frankly, the bottom line here is simple. If you are friends with a Hillary supporter, ever wonder if they can be trusted or if they're just like her? Every wonder why they think it's OK for her to be above the law or as crooked as she is? Ever wonder if they have the same lack of morals that she does?

Ask yourself if you would like to be friends with someone who condones what Hillary Clinton has done? Ask yourself if you want to be friends with people who see nothing wrong with supporting someone who is the most dishonest, untrustworthy, conniving person, man or woman, short of Barack Obama?

If I befriend a Hillary Clinton supporter, isn't that the same as associating with someone who condones criminal and unethical behavior? Isn't that the same as being friends with someone like Hillary Clinton?  

I don't want those people as my friends because they're probably as crooked and shady as she is. They're probably without morals or a stitch of honesty as she is. They're probably the very same people who put Obama in office. And yes, that means that they are the same people who haven't cared about how he's screwed over America.

Ask yourself why they support her efforts to be president when she has shown by her actions, not by just talk but by her actions, that she is no different than Obama?

And yes, I believe the very best reason for not befriending Hillary Clinton supporters is that they're probably anti-American Obama supporters. And since I see Obama supporters as people who hate America, Liberals who see America as being what's wrong with the world instead of what's right, I don't associate with such people.

It's not the Cowboy way to associate with people who hate America. It's not the Cowboy way to befriend those with questionable character, and supporting Hillary Clinton should be enough to question someone's character.     

And yes, that's the way I see it! 

Tom Correa

World War Three Has Already Begun

By Terry McGahey

Associate Writer/ Historian

For the life of me, I cannot understand how people can bury their heads in the sand and not face reality. I have personally heard people make the statement, "If Trump gets in we will end up in World War Three."

Wake up! World War Three has already begun!

Just as people and countries had turned a blind eye to Hitler's aggression early on, they are now turning a blind eye to the aggression by the Islamic radicals taking place in Europe, and yes even here in our own country.

Do you not call September 11th, 2001, an attack by the Islamic State? Do you not call the Boston Marathon Bombing an attack by the Islamic State? Do you not call the San Bernardino murders an attack by the Islamic State? Not to mention others and what just took place in Florida.

If anyone truly believes that this isn't the beginning of World War Three, they need to wake up, pay attention, and also realize that radical Islam has declared war on us.

Do you believe these are just words? These radicals have been telling us what their intentions are, which is world domination. So why are we not paying more attention to these rapists, murderers, and Islamic Religious Communists who will do anything to progress the world domination for Islam?

As I am writing this article, this so-called president of ours has already begun beating the drum for gun control and Hillary Clinton will do the same. More gun control will not stop these attacks from taking place as we all know.

If need be, the Islamic terrorists will supply weapons to their followers through the black market. Already, as I am writing this article, Obama is trying to down play the involvement of radical Islam by making statements of how we don't know anything because the FBI is investigating the situation.

He and others will most likely try to call this "domestic terrorism" because this murderer had an American citizenship. Just because he was a so-called citizen that does not make him a true American.

I refuse to use this murderers name in this article, but as we all know his name is of Islamic origin. This murderer's father has already made the statement that his son saw two men kissing and that's what set him off, not because of religion.

What a load of crap!

Obama made the statement that this incident was caused by a man filled with hate and called it terror, but he will not use the term Islamic radicals. I agree with him to a certain point. But this murderer's hate was for the Western world as an Islamic terrorist,  And if I am wrong, I will apologize at a later date.

I seriously doubt that an apology is going to happen with the Islamic State, ISIS, already taking credit for this action and with witnesses stating that the killer hollered "Allah Akbar" before opening fire.

By all means Obama, and Clinton, keep bringing these so-called Syrian refugees into our country even though bringing them in will add to the numbers of people who hate us and want to kill us. Keep trying to enforce more gun control so our people will become defenseless. Keep denying that these radical Muslims are coming across the border from Mexico. Keep denying that the illegal Mexicans are contributing to our national debt, and no matter what, keep denying that you two want to tear down our Constitution.

Actions speak louder than words, and Obama and Hillary Clinton have proven to me that they both want to turn this country onto the path of Socialism and Communism.

No matter if you like Donald Trump or not, he is the only candidate who speaks of building a wall to control our border and to help keep our country safe. He is the only candidate who believes in the Second Amendment and the right of the people to own firearms. He is the only candidate who speaks of fair trade, and the only candidate who speaks of making our military stronger.

Having a strong military is what has made this country great and has allowed us as a nation to help other countries. Right now we need our military to be prepared because as I stated in the beginning of this article, I believe we are in the beginning stages of World War Three. It just hasn't escalated to the point where people with their heads in the sand can see it yet.

While I don't know how you see things, that's how I do!

Rock Island 1911-A1 CS: An Update

Dear Friends,  

Back in June of 2014, I did a review of the Rock Island Armory 1911-A1 CS. Folks can find that review here: Rock Island Armory M1911-A1 CS -- A Nice Shooter!

I liked the pistol so much that I bought one. Well, here's an important update on my Rock Island 1911-A1 CS.

First, you need to know that it's now June 2016 and I've put about 600 rounds through my Rock Island Armory 1911-A1 CS without a single hiccup.

Second my friend Sean Hollingshead, a Navy Veteran, told me about a problem that Rock Island 1911 pistols are having with their firing pin springs. Then I had two readers write to inform me that their Rock Island 1911-A1 Compacts have had problems with their firing-pin springs in that they needed much heavier duty springs.

The Problem: From what I was told, the Firing Pin Spring becomes less effective after a lot of use and it doesn't give the Firing Pin enough tension to keep the Firing Pin Stop in place during operation. The Firing Pin Stop actually comes loose because there isn't enough tension on the Firing Pin to keep it in place.

The Solution: A stronger Firing Pin Spring will take care of the problem. And frankly, it is a really cheap fix at about $5.

I bought a Spring from Wilson Combat and replaced my firing-pin spring. Since it is just a drop in procedure, and anyone can do it, there is no need to have a Gunsmith replace it for you if you do the same.

I bought my firing pin spring, also known as a firing pin return spring, from Brownells at WILSON COMBAT - 1911 FIRING PIN RETURN SPRING

Remove the firing pin stop, the firing pin and the firing pin spring in that order: 

Using a very small Phillips screwdriver or other small pointed object, push in on the firing pin to release the firing pin stop.

Use your finger nail or a standard screwdriver to push the firing pin stop down to free the firing pin stop from its recess in the slide. Remove the firing pin stop by sliding it downward. 

It is recommended that you use the tip of your thumb to keep the firing pin and firing pin spring under control and not allowing them to pop out while removing the firing pin stop. 

Once the firing pin stop is removed, remove the firing pin and firing pin spring. 

Replace the firing pin spring, the firing pin, and the firing pin stop in that order: 

Now insert the new heavy duty firing pin spring and firing pin. Push the firing pin in and slide the firing pin stop back into the recess. When the firing pin is centered and the firing pin stop is firming in position, you are done. 

So now, someone might ask why I did this even though I haven't had a problem? My reasoning goes back to my training as a United States Marine in that I would rather know about a potential problem and take action on it now then wait for a problem to occur later.

The absolute worse case scenario is that the problem with the firing spin spring doesn't show up on the range, but does when I need my pistol to operate proficiently during a life and death situation. That's why I would rather make the fix just in case.

And yes, that's how I see it.
Tom Correa

Old Bluffton, Texas, Under Lake Buchanan

Dear Friends,

Above is the remnant of a child's grave site which is normally at least 20 to 30 feet underwater. It is part of other remnants of the old town of Bluffton, Texas, that resurfaced as 2011's drought shrank the state's largest inland lake.

Bluffton, also known as New Bluffton, is on Farm Road 2241 near the western shore of Lake Buchanan twelve miles northeast of Llano in northeastern Llano County. According to a Texas history site, Bluffton was one of the earliest settlements in the region that was to become Llano County.

The town of Bluffton actually originated when Billy Davis settled on the west bank of the Colorado River there in 1852. He was followed by a relative, I. B. Maxwell, in 1853. Maxwell reportedly named the settlement for his hometown of Bluffton, Arkansas. Of course, some say it was due to the bluffs facing the new community on the east bank of the Colorado River. 

Bluffton grew to some significance because it was near an early saltworks operated by Davie Cowan and was also near several Colorado River crossings between Burnet and points west. 

In 1873, a post office was established there with John O. Brown as the first postmaster. By 1883, besides having having a blacksmith shop, a cotton gin, a hotel, a few saloons, and shops and stores, the town of Bluffton was a stage stop between Burnet and Llano.  

In that year, 1883, a fire which was supposedly started by drunken cowboys, destroyed the town. That didn't stop Texans from rebuilding the town just a half mile north. 

Now, as most who know Old West history, for economic reasons it was not unusual for towns back in the day to lobby railroads to come through their towns. This was the same case with Bluffton, but it was for naught. 

You see, although Bluffton was once more prosperous than the county seat of Llano, Bluffton was bypassed by the railroad and subsequently declined as most towns did when passed by by the railroads. 

During the Great Depression when the worse drought in American History created the Dust Bowl, our Federal government saw that positive action needed to be taken to alleviate this from happening again. That was when the project to create Buchanan Dam came about. 

Work on the dam began in 1931, but it was the Great Depression and funding was pretty tight so the project was suspended. Work resumed in 1935, and the dam completed three years later. 

Initially the dam was to be called Bluffton Dam, then it was to be known as Hamilton Dam and Reservoir, but its name was changed to honor Texas State Representative James P. Buchanan who was responsible for securing the funding for the project.

Lake Buchanan was artificially created upon the completion of the adjacent Buchanan Dam in 1938. The flooding of the lake forced the community of Bluffton to relocate 5 miles west. Remember, the original town of Bluffton was moved a half a mile after the 1883 fire wiped it out, so now with the creation of Lake Buchanan, Bluffton moved again. This time five miles west. 

To add insult to injury, Lake Buchanan caused the relocation of State Highway 29 between Burnet and Llano, the town of Bluffton became even more isolated. According to research, in 1986 the local economy focused on ranching, tourism, and retirement, and the community had seventy-five residents, a post office, and a store. The population was still reported to 75 in 2000.

While the flooding of Lake Buchanan forced Bluffton to move 5 miles west, the original town of Bluffton has been under water since then. A drought in 2011 caused Lake Buchanan's water level to drop so significantly that it exposed the remains of the town.

News agencies reported that the original Bluffton was resurfacing. Along with remnants of the town were graves that were lift behind. 

Johnny C. Parks died two days before his first birthday more than a century ago. His and other graves slipped from sight along with the rest of the tiny town of Bluffton.

In 2011, it was reported that the cracked marble tombstone engraved with the date Oct. 15, 1882, had been eerily exposed as a yearlong drought shrank Lake Buchanan. Yes, the graves were a mere 20 to 30 feet under water.

If the gravestones of our pioneers make you wonder what else was revealed, you should know that reports from across the state of Texas stated that receding lakes have revealed a prehistoric skull, ancient tools, fossils, and even a small cemetery that is believed to contain the graves of freed slaves. 

A century-old church has emerged at Falcon Lake, which straddles the Texas-Mexico border on the Rio Grande.

Some of the discoveries have attracted interest from local historians, but also looters who see dollars in scavenging pieces of Texas history and other artifacts. And yes, it was reported that more than two dozen looters had been arrested at Lake Whitney, about 50 miles south of Fort Worth, for removing Native American tools and fossils that experts believe could be thousands of years old.

At Lake Georgetown near Austin, fishermen discovered what experts determined was the skull of an American Indian buried for hundreds or thousands of years. It's not clear what will become of the skull, said Kate Spradley, a Texas State University assistant anthropology professor who is keeping it temporarily in a lab. Strict federal laws governing American Indian burial sites bar excavations to search for other remains.

But for the most part, reports state that there are no such restrictions for the nearly two dozen unmarked graves discovered in a dried-up section of a Navarro County reservoir about 50 miles south of Dallas. Some coffin lids are visible just under the dirt. As for that graveyard, it was supposedly excavated moved remains to a cemetery, said Bruce McManus, chairman of the county's historical commission. He said the area of Richland-Chambers Lake is on property formerly owned by a slave owner.

And no, it's not only old Texas which is resurfacing, reports state that the low water levels revealed the long-submerged building foundations of Woodville, Okla., which was flooded in 1944 when the Red River was dammed to form Lake Texoma. 

As for old Bluffton, most there say that it has been exposed occasionally during times of drought. The receding waters have revealed concrete foundations of a two-story hotel, scales of an old cotton gin, a rusting tank and concrete slabs from a Texaco station that also served as a general store. The tallest structure is what's left of the town well, an open-topped concrete cube about 4 feet high. And yes, Johnny Parks' tombstone is among a few burial sites.

In this picture is a rusting tank and concrete slabs from that Texaco service station. It would normally be under at least 20 to 30 feet of water. 

Pat Mercado-Allinger, the Texas Historical Commission's Archaeological Division Director, stated at the time, "In an odd way, this drought [2011] has provided an opportunity to view and document, where appropriate, some of these finds and understand what they consist of. Most people in Texas probably didn't realize what was under these lakes."

Local historian Alfred Hallmark, whose great-great-great grandfather helped establish Bluffton, said his research showed that 389 graves were moved starting in 1931 when dam construction began. But frankly, I don't know if they got all buried there. And if they did move all, why leave the grave stones behind? 

For me, from small town to big city, I'm fascinated by Old West towns, gold rush towns, towns that survived, the ghost towns that didn't. And yes, I'm fascinated by those places now under water or simply paved over. 

To me, while I could be wrong, it seems that every once in a while those who were left behind for one reason or another call out to us. 

And yes, that's just the way I see it.

Tom Correa

Dylan McCabe vs North Point High School

Dear Friends,

Ever wonder how truly petty school administrator can get considering all of the really important issues facing our schools? Ever wonder if we have young people who will stand and fight for their heritage and values?

Well, every once in a while you send me an article from the news and ask me to comment on it. This is one of those that I really want to comment on because this just made me shake my head in wonder.

I get a lot of email from my readers about the rampant drug use, the increase in pot smoking, the increase in cigarette smoking, the violence both student on student and student against teachers, the sexual activity both between students and between teachers and students, Muslim indoctrination in our schools, and of course how schools are dumbing-down American kids. With all of this, it is very apparent that our schools are a mess these days.

Yes, our kids are being dumbed-down compared to what was expected academically years ago. So for those who will write to say that American kids are not being dumbed-down, please understand that "dumbing down is the deliberate oversimplification of intellectual content within education, literature, cinema, news, video games and culture in order to relate to those unable to assimilate more sophisticated information." And yes, whether people want to face it or not, that's what's taking place in our schools today.

As for the term "dumbing down", it originated in 1933 as movie-business slang, used by motion picture screenplay writers, meaning "to revise so as to appeal to those of little education or intelligence".

So why stress dumbing-down? Well, after reading the article sent to me, I now understand that some school administrators may indeed be products of a combination of dumbing-down and political correctness that is screwing up America today.

As I was reading the article, fully aware of all of the information as to what's taking place in our schools across America, I couldn't help put wonder what sort of individuals are running North Point High School in Waldorf, Maryland. And frankly, with all of the real problems going on in our schools, why would administrators bother with such a minuet issue as a student wanting to wear Navajo moccasins to her graduation ceremony.

Yes, believe it or not, a student wanting to wear Navajo moccasins to her graduation ceremony is what the administrators at North Point High School in Waldorf, Maryland, found so important that they initially refused senior Dylan McCabe the ability to attend her graduation ceremony.

Ms McCabe is a graduating senior at North Point High School. She is also very proud of her Native American heritage. And frankly, that's great to see.

She is Comanche, Fort Sill Apache, and Navajo. And yes, to celebrate her roots, she wanted to wear a traditional Navajo dress, leggings, and moccasins at her graduation on June 2nd.

Does that sound unreasonable to you? Probably not because you understand people, history, and the importance of keeping tied to one's family and ancestry. Yes, my readers appreciate history because it speaks to how we've become who we are as a people.

The history of the Comanche, Fort Sill Apache, and Navajo Native Americans is rich with traditions that they hold in high importance. The old teach their young so that their history is passed along and doesn't die. And today, they hold tradition dances and gatherings, dress in traditional clothing, and perform rites that are their's alone.

Not all Native American tribes have lived in the areas where they ended up. Tribes relocated over hundreds of years. Yes, long before the arrival of the Europeans for a number of reasons including famine, weather, and war.

Many tribes waged genocidal war upon other tribes. Many tribes were chased out of regions where they could have traced generations of their own by warring tribes who wanted their land and livestock and game. And yes, even though that is a fact, tribes were also chased and relocated by the Spanish, the French, the British, the Mexicans, and of course the United States, all for the same reasons.

But friends, as with the buffalo, the American bison, Native Americans have adapted and they have survived. And frankly, they have a history to be proud of.

So when the school approved her request to wear the dress, since it will not be visible under her graduation robes, why didn't they respect her wanted to wear her moccasins? Yes, as foolish as it sounds, since school administrators require flat or low-heeled black shoes, she was told that she could not wear the traditional Navajo moccasins or leggings to her graduation.

"My Navajo clothing is a reflection of my religious and cultural identity," Ms McCabe wrote in her petition. "My grandparents sent me this ceremonial dress and indicated that it was also appropriate for this occasion. My leggings and moccasins are what complete this ceremonial attire. They are essential to one another and sacred to me."

She wore them during her Kinaaldá ceremony, which was the four-day "coming-of-age" ceremony she completed when she was 11.

During the Kinaaldá, she explained, "I performed various rites of passage and was considered holy during this time. One of my responsibilities included running at daybreak, noon, dusk. I ran three times a day, farther and farther each time in these moccasins. They spiritually carried me and supported me through this ceremony. They are incredibly important to me and signify that I have the personal endurance and strength to take on any challenge that's given to me."

After her request was denied, her mom submitted an appeal to the Charles County School District's superintendent and the Board of Education. She also created an online petition, which has since garnered more than 6,000 signatures. Dylan's mom scheduled a meeting with the superintendent to discuss the conflict on May 31st. 

It has been reported that Dylan's request has been approved. Yes, she will be able to walk at graduation wearing the dress, moccasins, and leggings from her grandparents.

While it did work out well, when I first heard about this story, it reminded me of the absurd incident that took place when Chelsey Ramer who is a Poarch Creek Indian was fined $1,000 for wearing an eagle feather at her high school graduation in 2013.

American Indian Graduate Fined for Wearing Eagle Feather at Graduation

That incident in 2013 is truly the dumbest thing that I've ever heard of coming out of school administrators.

While this story made me shake my head in disbelieve as to just how truly petty school administrator can get considering all of the really important issues facing our schools, it was refreshing to see Ms McCabe stand and fight for her heritage and values.

And yes, that's just the way I see it.

Tom Correa

Communists Calling Trump a Fascist

By Terry McGahey
Associate Writer / Historian

It truly amazes me how the left-wing media and others get away with calling Donald Trump a Fascist. Mr. Trump shows less propensity to Fascism than Hillary shows as being a Communist and a believer in the One World Order.

I use to believe Hillary to be a Socialist but it's this person's opinion that she has graduated into Communist tendencies more so than Socialist tendencies, and the left-wing media is marching along beside of her carrying the banner on high. Let me give you just a few examples of which I speak.

Hillary Clinton believes that our borders are secure enough and also believes in bringing in more so called Syrian refugees, and that's by her own words. She has also stated that she is coming after our guns and the 2nd Amendment, again her own words.

Let me start with the One World Order. In order to achieve that goal all countries must be on the same economic plane. Third world countries must be propped up to become Second world countries and First world countries, such as the United States, must be brought down to be a Second world country. With open borders, which the left firmly stands behind, that's the perfect way to allow this to begin. This policy allows people with non-American values to flood into our country causing a collapse in our principals and our way of life itself.

Being that Socialism is only a very small step into Communism, which is what the One World Order would amount too, the Communist ideals of Socialism are being pushed to our young children from elementary school all the way through college.

Why? Because teaching Socialism and convincing our young people that it would be some kind of Utopian world, the transformation into Communism at a later time would be an easy step to take, especially if Hillary is able to win the presidency and appoint her anti-gun buddies into the Supreme Court, which is exactly what she will do.

If anyone believes that gun control is not a Communist agenda then they are ignorant people with their heads in the sand just like a bunch of ostriches, or just like the three monkeys of hear no evil, speak no evil, and see no evil.

In my opinion these people are nothing more than brain washed robotic idiots who will allow themselves to be led to slaughter just as the sheep that they have become. I will give you a few more examples below that proves my point about the gun control issue that Hillary is so adamant about.

"All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The Communist Party must command all of the guns, that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party." -- Mau Tze Tung, November 6, 1938

Germany established gun control in 1938. From 1939 to 1945, 13 million people, mostly Jews, were rounded up and exterminated because they could not defend themselves.

In 1929 the Soviet Union established gun control, and from 1929 to 1953, 20 million dissidents who could not defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, approximately 20 million dissidents, just like the Soviet Union, were exterminated because they could not defend themselves.

As late as 1970, Uganda established gun control, and from 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians were rounded up and exterminated. Again, these people had no weapons to defend themselves with.

If Donald Trump was anything but an American, he would not be for putting up a wall on the border to keep people out who want to destroy our way of life which falls into the agenda of the One World Order.

If Donald Trump was anything other than an American, he would be against the Second Amendment just like a Fascist, Socialist, or a Communist would be, but this is not the case with Mr. Trump. On the other hand, this is the case with Hillary Clinton who has made me believe that she is actually a Communist and no longer just a left-wing nut job and Socialist.

Don't you find it funny that the people who are calling Mr. Trump names and labeling him as a Fascist are the same people who are for open borders, gun control, and bringing in more and more radical Muslim refugees into our society which is nothing but a danger to our people and our way of life?

I don't know if Mr. Trump will be a great president or not. But I do know this, with Mr. Trump we at least have a chance. With Hillary Clinton, we are going to head down the path to destruction of our values, our way of life, and even our Constitution.

And while I don't know how you see it, that's the way I see it.

A Child's Century-old Coffin Found Under San Francisco Home

Dear Friends,

Researching history is full of the unexpected. For example, I was reading recently how both Fort Larned and Fort Dodge, Kansas, abandoned their military cemeteries when they closed those forts in 1886. And frankly, I was a little surprised at that. I guess I made the mistake of assuming that the folks back then would have had a little more respect for the honored dead.

Then of course, I started remembering about what took place when the City of San Francisco banned cemeteries within its city limits. Reading a lot of the newspapers of the time, you find that there were all sorts of excuses used to get them banned -- and even more excuses were made to get them moved. Yes, moved.

In 1776 during the De Anza expedition, the Presidio and the Mission Dolores Catholic Church were established within what is today's city limits of San Francisco. While military personnel were buried in the Presidio cemetary, Catholics were buried in the Mission cemetary.

By the mid-1800s during the California Gold Rush, there were commentaries in local newspapers regarding the need for a cemetery for others.

"A CEMETERY. A committee has been appointed by the Protestant, Episcopal Church to confer with other city churches on the propriety of memorializing the Ayuntamiente to set aside a portion of the public domain for the purposes of a burial ground. We trust this worthy work will be carried forward, and we have no doubt the council will cheerfully pass the necessary regulations." -- Daily Alta California, 1849.

By 1850, San Francisco opened the first public cemetery called the Yerba Buena Cemetery. But with the tremendous influx of more and more people, by 1870 the city closed the Yerba Buena Cemetery and had the graves moved to the "newer" cemeteries on Lone Mountain. These included the City Cemetery, the Masonic Cemetery, the Odd Fellow's Cemetery, and two others on Telegraph Hill and at North Beach.

By the 1890s, San Francisco's growth was such that the city saw cemeteries as something that was simply unnecessary -- something that was simply taking up valuable land.

First in 1914 and then in 1924, the city passed an Ordinances demanding the removal of all 120,000 to 150,000 persons buried in all of the cemeteries in the city be moved. With that, during the 1920s, the Masonic and Odd Fellow's were moved to the Town of Lawndale, south of San Francisco in San Mateo county. Lawndale changed its name to Colma in the 1940s.

The removals for the Calvary and Laurel Hill cemeteries were held up in court challenges, and it wasn't until about 1941 that the removals were thought finished. The National Cemetery at the Presidio was left alone because it was a U.S. Army base. It still exists to this day. As for the City Cemetery, it was moved at some point.

Eventually everyone thought to be buried within the City of San Francisco was supposedly moved. Yes, "supposedly"!

You see, though it's thought that the city simply knocked down all of the tombstones and monuments back in 1909 to put in a golf course, coffins and tombstones have been surfacing in San Francisco for years since the supposed removal.

One such case took place during the summer of 1993 when renovations and expansion work on the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, revealed:

"about 300 corpses from the Gold Rush era --two of them still clutching rosaries, others were wearing dentures and Levis --were unearthed from what appears to be an old pauper's graveyard. Some experts say another 11,000 bodies might lie underneath the museum grounds" -- The Los Angeles Times, 1993. 

During that find, Archeaologists actually found over 700 individual bodies.

Now as most of us know, in most of the United States, by law, cemeteries are required to keep records regarding burial or cremations of individuals. Cemetery records will usually contain the name of the deceased, the date of passing and the location of where he or she is buried within a cemetery. 

Records may also have information on the burial itself,  the maker of the casket, the making of the headstone as well as specific text that may have been requested for it. And besides information on the deceased itself, the text itself is valuable as it often indicates existence of relatives.   

So with knowing this, one would think that all of those records were turned over to the city of San Francisco or are still in the hands of the cemeteries who were supposed to have moved all of those graves. But not, that's not the case at all.

And yes, the fact of how those being dug up, moved and re-buried, can somehow losing their identification has again come home to roost in San Francisco with a find that took place just a few days ago on May 26th. 

The headline read:

145 year old coffin holding a child's remains found under San Francisco garage

News outlets reported that workers remodeling a home in the Richmond District of San Francisco made a shocking discovery under the garage. To there surprise was a small metal coffin holding the remains of a little girl. 

The coffin is believed to have been there since the 1870s, as records show the property used to be part of a cemetery. And while thousands of caskets were moved out of all of San Francisco in the 1920s, '30s, and '40s, many including this one were simply left behind.

Construction worker Kevin Boylan reported that the homeowner, Ericka Karner, was out of town at the time. He called her to inform her of what they unearthed. Ms Karner's house near Stanyan and Golden Gate Avenue was once an Odd Fellows cemetery.

San Francisco's Odd Fellows Cemetery before the eviction

When she heard about the discovery, she said she was torn, "On one hand, this was slightly creepy. And then also, you know, sad. The next thing was, now what do we do?"

Ms Karner called the San Francisco Medical Examiners Office who arrived and opened the metal casket. Inside was the body of three year old little girl almost perfectly preserved. And yes, the officials were said to be very surprised at the remarkable state of the child considering she had been buried there since the 1870's.

There when the casket was opened, Boylan said he was shocked that the remains inside were so well-preserved, saying, "All the hair was still there. The nails were there. That was a giveaway. There were flowers -- roses, still on the child's body. It was a sight to see."

And though one would think the City of San Francisco would take responsibility for this since it was their laws that had the cemeteries shut down in the first place, and it was the city who demanded that those buried be moved after decades in the ground, believe it or not, Ms Karner reported that the City of San Francisco has a policy that stated "the coffin was her responsibility" as it was on her property.  

It is understandable that she might not have known what to do next, but Ms Karner did in fact reach out to a San Diego based organization "Garden of Innocence." The group arranges burials of unidentified children.

The group's founder, Elissa Davey, stated, "This little one has no voice. So we need to give her a voice."

Since there are no clues as the girl's name, her family, or how she died, and no one may ever learn her full story, Ms Karner has named the child "Miranda."

While records might never be found, the casket was moved to a refrigerated storage in Fresno. The plan now is to hold a new burial for the child on June 4th in nearby Colma. And no, not in the mass grave where most of those from the Odd Fellows Cemetery ended up back when.

As for the Odd Fellows, Peter Sellars, San Francisco historian for the Odd Fellows, is reported to have said, "This kind of thing happens all the time. I personally know where two burials are on the USF campus that nobody wants to acknowledge." He says the Odd Fellows are committed to helping fund the new internment, estimated at $7,000. "We will bury our own."

Granted that it's not everyday that a 145 year old coffin with a little girl's remains is found under a home's garage, but I really believe it's only a matter of time before more of San Francisco's forgotten resurface. Yes, it is only a matter of time before another of San Francisco's forgotten souls that were left behind and simply paved over actually resurface again -- as if consciously seeking a resting place more fitting than that of under some garage or parking lot. 

And yes, that's just the way I see it.

Tom Correa 

Fed Judge Strikes Down Washington D.C. Concealed-Carry Restriction

Dear Friends,

Back on May 17th, a significant event took place when U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon ruled that a key provision used by the city of Washington D.C. in their new concealed-carry law requirements was unconstitutional. 

City officials there were demanding that a person trying to obtain a concealed-carry permit show "good cause" -- a stipulation which as been struck down nationally. The city was using that provision in their law to disapprove a concealed-carry request. It was meant to stop their residents from being able to exercise their Constitutional right. 

Now, as of May 17th, Judge Leon ordered Washington D.C. police to stop requiring individuals to show "good reason" to obtain a permit to carry a firearm when in fact they do not have to do so.

U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon found that the law violates the "core right of self-defense" granted in the Second Amendment. 

"The enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table," Judge Leon wrote in a 46-page opinion, quoting a 5-to-4 Supreme Court decision in 2008 in another District case that established a constitutional right to keep firearms inside one’s home.

Judge Leon said the right applies both inside and outside the home, he wrote, "The District’s understandable, but overzealous, desire to restrict the right to carry in public a firearm for self-defense to the smallest possible number of law-abiding, responsible citizens is exactly the type of policy choice the Justices had in mind."

Judge Leon's ruling automatically imposed a preliminary injunction, pending further litigation. Judge Leon's decision now means that the city cannot deny concealed-carry permits to residents by demanding they show "good cause" for needing a gun. 

This is great news for Americans living in Washington D.C. because this means if a law abiding citizen wanting a permit just has to qualify for the permits, and not be denied because the department deems their "good cause" not good enough.

Of course city officials are probably pretty angry since Judge Leon did not accept the same old anti-gun arguments that insists that such anti-gun regulations are needed to prevent crime and protect the public. 

And yes, there is the part of this story that angers me. City officials who use that excuse as to say that anti-gun laws prevent crime and protect the public are just lying. Statistics show that guns in the hands of law abiding citizens prevents crime and protects the public. But no, you will not hear that from those supporting anti-gun laws.

And by the way, what really irks me is that the city officials in Washington D.C., our nation's capital, would use such dubious methods to restrict their residents from obtaining a concealed-carry permit. They must have known that the "good cause" requirement was struck down for a while now?

If not, then they are ignorant of the law. If they did know, then they are trying to get away with things they know is illegal.

In February 2014, a Federal Appeals Court struck down a requirement by San Diego County that residents show "good cause" to carry a concealed firearm, a ruling that forced local governments across California to revisit the way they license handguns. But it wasn't only California, since it was a Federal Appeals Court, the ruling applied across the nation. 

The city of Washington D.C. is a very violent place. As with most big cities, the majority of the crime there comes from the Black community. Today, citizens need arms to defend themselves -- and the city's attempt to stop citizens from doing just that by using deceitful tactics is criminal on their part. 

Violence in Washington D.C. is rampant and security challenges are multiplied by the fact that the city does not trust it's citizens to provide their own security. Yes, Americans in our nation's capital, in Washington D.C., are not trusted to provide their own security if they have the means to do so. 

The city government there mirrors the Anti-Gun lobby's belief that Americans should die rather than have the ability to defend themselves. And friends, that's something Americans should not accept.

And yes, that's just the way I see it. 

Tom Correa

The Battlefield Cross & Memorial Day

The Battlefield Cross

Dear Friends,

For me, Memorial Day has always been a very special day.

Maybe it's because I grew up being taught to respect our military and understand what they sacrifice. Maybe it's because I learned at a young age that those who fight for our liberty and freedoms, themselves live lives without many of the liberties and freedoms that civilians take for granted. 

Of course, maybe it's because I knew of those who served and died in Vietnam. Maybe it's because I was in the last Operation during the fall of Saigon in those last days of the Vietnam War. 

And yes. it could be that I really understand how those serving die in all sorts of places in all kinds of circumstances. Yes, whether it is in war upon war, engagement after engagement, conflicts big and small, those serving in our military die for us. 

Yes, besides the great wars such as World War One and World War Two, Korea, and Vietnam, there are those who were sent in to retrieve the SS Mayaguez and free 33 American Merchant Marines -- and were Killed In Action freeing those Americans. 

Yes, there were those sent serve in Beirut, Lebanon, when a Muslim suicide truck bomber killed hundreds of our troops there. And yes, our troops have died in Granada, Panama, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, aboard the USS Cole, and even at the Pentagon during 9/11.   

For me, I don't take them for granted. And frankly, that's probably because I know that while those serving carry the load of the nation and die while doing that, there are those who demand all of the benefits of citizenship -- yet shirk their duty to serve our nation.

So yes, we should understand and appreciate that Memorial Day is our time to pay them some respect to those who died while serving, to salute them, and honor them. It's our day to set a few moments in a year aside to thank those who paid the biggest price there is for us. All for us, all so that we may remain free.

Now with the addition of a Battlefield Cross to our American Legion post here in tiny Glencoe, California, we have come close to completing our memorial to those who have died while serving in our nation's armed forces. Yes, to those who've paid the supreme price in defense of our nation.

For those who have never been taught or simply wonder how I and others know they died making the supreme sacrifice in defense of our nation, it is because they died while serving as the defenders of our way of life, our society, our culture and traditions, our America, our family and friends. Yes, they died while serving in defense of you and me and those we love. 

While some may argue the politics of every war, before, during, and after every war, we are not going to do that here. Today, we are not going to do that. 

Instead, today, I'm going to talk about the Battlefield Cross which is also known as the Fallen Soldier Battle Cross or simply a Battle Cross. It is a symbolic replacement of a cross. It acts as an appropriate marker on the battlefield or at a base camp, or at a Memorial Day service, to honor Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines.

The practice of using the Battlefield Cross is said to have started during the American Civil War when so many died on American soil and the dead filled field upon field. But their are reports that say the practice was started earlier as a means of identifying dead bodies on a battleground before they were buried or removed. One report says the practice may go back to ancient times when helmets were placed atop swords stuck in the ground next to fallen warriors. 

While today the cross is used a lot less as a means to identify the dead where they lay, it is used for those on bases as a way of attending the funeral when not possible to do so. And yes, it is used as a way for those still living to mourn.

Today, for us, the purpose for the Battlefield Cross is that and to show respect and honor our dead. And since memorial ceremonies are tributes to the deceased, the Battlefield Cross is a visible reminder of our comrades, sons or daughters, brothers or sisters, fathers or mothers, all who have died while serving in our nation's armed forces.

The Cross itself is made up of a service rifle stuck into the ground with the fallen's helmet placed atop the inverted rifle. While the fallen's dog-tags are sometimes placed on the rifle, the fallen's boots are placed next to the rifle. 

The helmet, as personal an item as a warrior can have, signify who he or she is. The inverted rifle signals a time for prayer. The combat boots represent the final march of their last battle.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday. It is a day for remembering. Memorial Day is observed every year on the last Monday of May and is the one day a year we honor all of those who fought their last battle.

On Memorial Day we honor those who's dying breath stirs Old Glory, and who's memories and love we hold dear. God Bless them all.

And yes, that's just the way I see it! 

Tom Correa

Nellie Cashman -- Woman of the West

By Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

When the majority of people who understand the terms used back in the 1800s hear the term "camp followers," they understand that for the most part this term related to the "soiled doves". Or by today's definitions, ladies of the evening or hookers.

But unlike what many believe, it's not quite true that all camp followers from that time period made their living through the dubious trade of prostitution. That is especially true for one very smart business woman by the name of Ellen Cashman -- better known as Nellie.

Nellie Cashman was born in 1845 in Queenstown, County Cork, Ireland. She and her sister Fannie were brought by their mother to the United States in 1850 to escape the great famine of Ireland. The family first settled in Boston where when they were old enough, Ellie and Fannie both held jobs before moving on to Washington D.C. and then onto San Francisco California about 1865. 

Nellie who had a wondering spirit then decided to move again bringing her to several mining towns within the state or territory of Nevada, including Pioche and Virginia City where she worked as a cook while all the time saving her money. 

In 1872, Nellie opened "The Miners Boarding House" at Panaca Flat, Nevada, while always being a friend to the miners by helping them even when they had no money. She helped by feeding them, giving them a room, and even taking care of them when they were ill. Miners and others began to call her the "Angel of the Camp." 

In 1874, Nellie headed North with about 200 other miners from Nevada to a gold strike in the Cassair Mountains in British Colombia where on Telegraph Creek she opened another boarding house for the miners.

During this time Nellie heard about several miners that had been trapped in a snowstorm in the Cassiar Mountains. Nellie organized a rescue party with six men and several pack animals carrying approximately 1,500 pounds of supplies and set off to find the miners in peril. 

The situation was so dangerous that the Canadian Army wouldn't even mount a rescue mission. But after hearing about Miss Cashman's attempt, the commander sent his troops to find her party and return them to safety. Nellie refused to return without the trapped miners. 

After 77 days with snow as deep as 10 feet in places, Nellie and her rescue team trudged on until they found 75 stranded miners with most of them suffering from scurvy. So Nellie, along with her team, nursed them back to health by loading them up with Vitamin C.

Once the Cassiar gold strike played out Nellie moved on to Tucson, Arizona, in 1879 where she opened the Delmonico Restaurant which was the first in Tucson owned by a woman. The Delmonico was a very successful restaurant and holding true to herself, Nellie often gave food to the hungry for free as she had done time and time again before coming to Tucson. 

Only a short time later, by 1880, Nellie decided to move to the new silver boom town of Tombstone, Arizona, with excitement and riches exploding in the area known as Goose Flats.

Once Nellie arrived in Tombstone, for a short while, she ran a shoe and boot store before opening the Russ House Restaurant. Legend has it that Doc Holliday was present at the time in which one of the customers began complaining about the food which everyone else seemed to be enjoying. Holliday then pulled his side arm and told the customer "repeat that!". The customer then replied, "Best I ever ate."

No one knows if this legend is true or false in this day and age, but with everything I have read about Holliday being quick tempered I would not be surprised if this were true.

While in Tombstone, Nellie helped many different people in many different ways. Being of Catholic faith she helped raise money to build the Sacred Heart Church by raising funds for the project while at the same time working as a nurse. Even before the church was completed she convinced the owner of the Crystal Palace Saloon to allow Sunday services to be held there until such time the building would become ready. 

She also helped raise money for a miner's hospital, the Salvation Army, and the Red Cross, all while still helping the miners who had fallen upon hard times, earning the respect of all in Tombstone, she soon became known as the "Angel of Mercy" and the "Angel of the Camp" once again.

Nellie's sister's husband died in 1881, and at that point Fannie and her 5 children came to live with her in Tombstone. 

In 1883, the Bisbee Massacre had taken place and the men were sentenced to hang on March 8, 1884. Tickets for the hanging were handed out by Sheriff Ward and when there were no more tickets to be had, a business man in Tombstone built bleachers around the scaffold planning to sell more tickets to the event. 

Nellie did not believe that death should be celebrated, so she pleaded with Sheriff Ward to place a curfew upon the town at the time the hanging was to commence. Sheriff Ward conceded to Miss Cashman and the majority of people in Tombstone were not allowed to witness the gruesome event.

After the executions of those five men was complete, they were buried together in Tombstone's Boot Hill cemetery and a plan was hatched to steal the bodies for research at a medical school. Nellie got wind of this deed and hired a few miners to stand guard over the graves for ten days straight, and to this day the remains of those five killers still reside in their Boot Hill resting place.

Fannie died in Baja, California, leaving Nellie to raise her five children, so she sold the Russ House in 1886 leaving Tombstone with the children and traveled around Arizona to such places as Nogales, Prescott, Harqua Hala, Yuma, and Jerome. Nellie began working part time at prospecting and setting up more restaurants. 

Later Nellie and the children wondered to the mining camps in Wyoming, Montana, and New Mexico. Despite constantly moving around, all five of Fannies children became successful citizens.

In 1898, Nellie headed for the Yukon setting up yet another restaurant and a mercantile in Dawson City where once again she helped miners in need. Later on, Nellie moved to Fairbanks where she opened a grocery store in 1904 while working claims she had purchased in the area when she had the time.

Nellie finally settled down in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1923 where she died of pneumonia in 1925. Nellie never married, it never fell within her plans. 

She was truly an amazing woman and at the age of 80 she drove a dog sled team a distance of 750 miles from Koyakuk to Seward through snow, ice, and bitter cold.

How many women, or big strong men, living in this day and age, could do the things this lady accomplished during her time? Not many I suspect.

Terry McGahey is a writer and Old West historian.

This once working cowboy is best known for his fight against the City of Tombstone and the historic Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9, America's most famous gun-control law. He was instrumental in getting it repealed and having Tombstone fall in line with the state of Arizona.

If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, please click: The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

America's No. 3 Killer Needs More Regulations

Where is the demand for more regulation? Where's the demand for Background Checks? Why aren't these people being screened for mental health problems? 

Am I talking about gun buyers? Gun owners? Gun violence? Am I talking about a shooter who is performing some heinous act of violence on the innocent? Am I talking about a criminal act by someone who should have been stopped?

No, I'm not talking about a shooting, a fellow gun buyer, a fellow gun owner. No, I'm not talking about any of us who are considered society's "villains."

I am talking about Medical Errors! I am talking about the dangers of Health Care. I'm talking about professionals who should not be working in the field of medicine. I'm talking about the exact same thing that happened to me just a few months ago when a medical error almost cost me my life.

In my case it had to do with my being prescribed an increase in high blood pressure medicine. The increase dropped my blood pressure to dangerously low levels. My wife rushed me to the ER and they couldn't believe that I was even on such medicine.

I was informed that night that I was close to dying and that after I was stabilized, the my treating physician found that I did not need high blood pressure medicine at all. Today, I don't take any high blood pressure medication. And yes, I feel great. 

So now you say, that was me but really how big a problem can it be? And frankly, I can understand how people can be a little suspect that I may be blowing things out of proportion. When I told a friend that I was doing this article, he asked, "Is it really dangerous or am I just exaggerating the problem?"

How bad is Medical Errors in America?

Well, a report came out on May 4th, 2016, which speaks directly to the dangers of going to a hospital, or being treated by people who we are conditioned to trust. Yes, dangers! Dangers because the studies revealed that Medical Errors are the 3rd leading cause of deaths in the United States.

Yes, Medical Errors are now the number three killer in America right behind Heart Disease and Cancer.

In fact, if we combine all of the annual deaths from guns, suicide, and car accidents, then double that amount, and that still wouldn't add up to the known 251,454 people the Johns Hopkins Hospital researchers estimate have lost their lives to medical errors each year. And guess what, another report stated that that figure is only half of the true number.

Yes, according to the studies, the 250,000 number may be understating things. It may be much much higher. As stated in the study: "We believe this understates the true incidence of death due to medical error because the studies cited rely on errors extractable in documented health records and include only inpatient deaths." 

Those records are hampered by the way we report medical errors: poor to none is what the researchers found. Why, well because the CDC doesn't even track these deaths. And frankly, even the New York Times has noted that Medical Error is not a cause of death that would appear on a death certificate.

While the researchers of this study would like to see a "preventable complication" field added to death certificates, they know full well that that will never happen because it opens Medical practitioners up to lawsuits.

The study notes that "the most commonly cited estimate of annual deaths from medical error" is a 1999 Institute of Medicine report that put the ceiling at 98,000 deaths, and the head of health care quality at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center tells the Washington Post that what's happened in the 17 years since that report is "discouraging and alarming": Basically, there has been no improvement, with the exception of hospital-acquired infections.

So now, we demand mental health screening and Background Checks for citizens wanting to purchase a firearm but we do not require any sort of screening process of people who have our life in their hands?  

And yes, besides killing over a quarter of a million Americans each year, the people making these "errors" are what is driving Heath Insurance through the roof. Our Heath Insurance costs go up because of someone's decision and that creates deaths, lawsuits, and higher Malpractice Insurance premiums which are passed on to us.  

Now, I would like this cause of death to be called "Staff Incompetence," but that's just me. You see, I feel calling a bad or wrong decision by a medical staff a "Medical Error" -- that only downplays the fact that their decision resulted in the death of someone in their care. 

Calling someone's death which resulted by "medical error" downplays the fact that it was someone's fault, lapse of judgement, someone's transgression or wrongdoing. 

So where's the hoopla? Why isn't there regulations as to how long one can work a shift and still make decisions? Why isn't their screenings to find out if a person is even qualified to prescribe or administer medications? Why isn't there Background Checks to stop practitioners who have had one too many malpractice lawsuits, or has had mental health problems? 

Why not vet those in the medical profession with the same concern that we do someone buying a gun? After all, we should not give a free pass to heath care professionals who are administering medications and treatments that can kill us -- and are doing just that! 

And yes, that's just the way I see it.

Tom Correa