Charles Stuart Tripler, U.S. Surgeon-- Part 3: Wrote Medical Books

He was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan.  His wife and others supported him for a promotion to brigadier general and President Andrew Johnson did so, backdating it to March 1865.  In 1920, the hospital at Fort Shafter in Hawaii was renamed Triplet Army Medical Center in his honor.

His military career was not considered remarkable while he was living.  But in 1858, he wrote the "Manual of the Medical Officer of the Army of the United States" which outlined the basic physical requirements for army recruits and it was almost immediately accepted by the Army.

In 1861, he wrote "Handbook for the Military Surgeon" which standardized many Army medical practices to include administration, hygiene and surgery.

Tripler is also credited with inventing the first army four-wheeled medical ambulance.

--Old Secesh

North Grove School in Sycamore-- Part 2: Descendants of Henry Beard Come Back

About 25 descendants of Henry Beard, first black resident of Sycamore, came from the Detroit area to see the school where their ancestors attended.  Beard was a member of the 105th Illinois Infantry regiment from the DeKalb County area.

One of them was Eddie Beard, whose grandfather, Richard Beard, appears in an 1889 class photograph that is hanging in the school.

The North Grove School Association has an open house in June and November as well as on the Saturday of Sycamore's Pumpkin Festival.

--Old Secesh

Detroit's GAR Building Gets New Life

From the Nov. 4th Detroit Free Press "Historic Grand Army of the Republic building Detroit to be given new life."

Brothers Tom and David Carleton and partner Sean Emery have bought the historic Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Hall at Cass and Grand River streets from the City of Detroit for $220,000.

They plan on reopening the building in 2013 after a $2-3 million renovation. Part of it will be used for their multi media production firm, Mindfield, on the top two floors and want the ground floor to be let out to a retail or restaurant operation.

Some space will remain a Civil War memorial. The building was designed by architect Julius Hess in the castle-like Romanesque style that was popular in 1899. As a GAR Hall, it was used for meetings and had other uses later until the building closed some 30 years ago. There has been much damage since then.

The building's location, just 1000 feet from the MGM Grand Detroit Casino definitely helps as well.

The Carleton brothers had two ancestors who fought for the Union Army.

A photo accompanied the article of the brothers and partner crossing the street in front of the building in a Beatlesque Abbey Road style.

Always Good to Save Any Historic Building of Architectural Significance. --Old B-Runner

USS Yantic-- Part 2

At the First Battle of Fort Fisher, the Yantic;s 100-pdr, Parrott rifle burst, mortally wounding six. The ship's commander pulled the ship out of bombardment line without authorization. It was ordered back and continued.

The next day, December 25, 1864, Christmas Day, the Yantic helped protect the landing of General Butler's troops north of the fort.

At the Second Battle of Fort Fisher, the Yantic provided a landing party for the Naval Column where two men were killed in the assault and one later died from wounds sustained in it.

The next month, the ship also participated inthe attack on Fort Anderson up the Cape Fear River from Fort Fisher.

From 1865 to 1882, the Yantic showed the US colors along the eastern US seaboard, the West Indies, South America and the Far East.

In 1898, the ship was loaned to the Michigan Naval Militia for a training ship until 1917, when it moved to Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois. From 1921 to 1926, the ship operated out of Cleveland.

The ship began showing her age and suddenly sank at dock at the foot of Townsend Avenue in Detroit on Oct. 22, 1929. The hull is buried in a filled-in boatslip in Gabriel Richard Park along the city's river walk.

That's a 65-Year-Long Career. --Old B-Runner