Our Visit To Cape Cod

     When we were invited by our Grandma and Poppy to visit Cape Cod in September, we got very excited.  We packed up our car for the two hour trip and when we finally got to the cottage they had rented, my brother Cooper and I decided to have a look around.  Since the sand the cottage was built on was sloped, the cottage was on the sand on one side and stilts held up the other side.
 

     There was a path of sand that led to the gravely road, and when you walked across it there was another path that led to the beach.  We checked out the beach, and the water was very cold!  I had brought along my surfboard, but I never rode it because the waves were very high, but I did skim board a lot.
     
     The whole of the week we stayed was as enjoyable as possible.  All around the house there was cool, soft sand, and we played in it every day.  The dunes were also very good for running on.  We also noticed that grasshoppers were common.  The people who owned the cottages had two dogs, Clover and a chocolate lab.  Since the water was cold, we usually did not go far out, but we did play and jump in the waves.  It was so cold we saw seals in the water all the time.
      
     Before the end of the week, our uncle, Tommy came to visit us.  The first day he was there, we spotted whales from the porch.  We saw their spouts and backs, and, occasionally, a tail.  When we had to go back to our boat, I almost wanted to stay there a little longer.  We had a great time there and saw many interesting things and places, but I loved the whales the best.                

    

The Monitor and the Virginia Battle it Out!

The deck of the Monitor's replica

It was March 8, 1862, and the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia sailed into the James river to battle with five major Union ships. The Virgina, formally the Merrimac, was at first gutted, old remains of a wooden ship in the Confederates' navy, and they decided to build an ironclad out of it. First, they made a wooden frame; then they built iron plating around it and added ten cannons and a smokestack. The first ironclad in the world was built. Many described it as,"A roof of a barn with a chimney pouring out smoke."

Now, as she cruised straight for the Cumberland, the Cumberland opened fire. But, to their surprise, the cannonballs bounced off the Virginia. Now it was the Virginia's turn. Outgunned as she was, she blew up many guns and killed many crew. At last, the Cumberland sank, and as she did crew still manned the guns. Having finished off the Cumberland, she headed toward a frigate, the Congress. After a while, the Congress, with several major fires, surrendered. Then another ship, the Minnesota, ran aground. By then, it was getting dark and the tide was receding, so the Virginia, being heavy on the draft, retired for the night. But all was not lost.

The Union was working on another ironclad; the Monitor. Built pretty much like the Virginia, it was dubbed,"The cheese box on a raft," and she was ready to take on the Virginia; and protect the Minnesota. When she arrived, many crews were doubtful it could save them, because it was so small and with less men than the Virginia.

A model of the Monitor's single turret

The battle began on March 9, 1862. It was the most important sea battle in the civil war. Early on, the Virginia ran aground, but shoved off. During the battle, the Monitor's captain was blinded and he passed command to Lieutenant Greene, who was only in command for that day. The Monitor's turret was revolving around and firing at the Virginia. Both vessels were dented and smoking by the time it was over. The battle was a draw.

A model of the Monitor underwater

Later on in the war, the Virginia was scuttled by her crew in order to avoid capture. As for the Monitor, she was rounding "The graveyard of the Atlantic," Cape Hatteras, she encountered heavy storms and sank; with four officers and twelve crewmen going down with her. The survivors eventually reached the Monitor's escort: the Rhode Island. Nearly two hundred years later, the Monitor's turret and two cannons were salvaged. You can see them in south Virginia's Mariner's Museum, today!

The "Spider" that brought the Monitor's Turret Up

The Monitor's turret in a chemical bath to preserve it

A cannon from the Monitor being preserved

The Wet-Foot Walk

We are in Bahia Honda Key and just attended the Wet-Foot Walk.  At 9:00 a.m. we came to Loggerhead Beach for the walk.  

Loggerhead beach

Our guide was Monet and she led us up the beach.  She explained that all the islands in the Keys were made of dead coral and sand washed up onto them to make the Keys.  On the walk we saw many crabs and crab-holes made by ghost crabs.  We also saw a live Horse Conch (pronounced 'konk') in the water next to a dead Queen Conch shell; it had eaten it.  We also saw many colorful fish and a peculiar fish called a Bat Fish.  

It does look a little like a bat

It walked along the seabed with it’s fins and looked a little bit like a frog with a long tail.  Many different sea pods washed up on shore.  We saw a sea heart pod with barnacles on it, and a type of pod that looked like beans. 
                                                                                 
After the walk I tried to eat an edible plant, called a Sea Purslane, and it tasted salty and bitter!  We also saw a plant called the Nickerbean.  

Nickerbean beans

It was thorny and had grey seeds inside them that were the size of a marble.  We had a good time with Monet and I learned a great deal!

Pirates

Will They Ever Go Away?

Pirates wanted money, valuable goods, and important people to ransom, but not all of them were cruel.  Stede Bonnet was a bad pirate; he would make foolish mistakes, but he was not at all cruel.  Charles Gibbs, however, would murder all the crewmen he captured in cold blood.  Not all pirates were men though, Anne Bonny was one pirate that was a girl!  Cuba was a haven for pirate families.  But most pirates cruel or not, would be hanged.  Charles Gibbs was hanged on April 27, 1831. Some pirates though, would ask for a pardon.  Thomas Pound was pardoned and when he died in 1803 he was honored by all as a respectable businessman.  Charles Towne, SC (now Charleston, SC) was a target for many pirates because it was very wealthy.  Blackbeard blockaded Charles Towne and subdued the proud port without firing a shot!

One famous pirate named John Davis attacked St. Augustine because a surgeon named Piques wanted revenge on the fort’s commander, Guerra, because he had cheated him out of money.  Davis did not want to attack the fort because he was only used to sea battles.  To encourage him, Piques told Davis that the fort was wooden and could easily be destroyed.  That made Davis confident.  He planned to attack at night, but when they were sneaking into the town, a man spread an alarm.  While they were attacking the fort, Piques saw Guerra and fired is gun, but he missed.  Davis also fired but it hit Guerra’s secretary instead.  Personally, I think Piques was tricking Davis into attacking the fort!

Meanwhile, the pirates were killing anyone who got in their way.  But instead of attacking the fort, they started plundering the town.  Davis tried to make them attack by firing pistols over their heads and the pirates started attacking the fort, but the Spanish repelled them time after time.  Finally, Davis withdrew.  He wanted to try to attack again, but behind his back pirates were taking the loot and rowing back to the ship to deliver it.  More pirate ships also came for their share of the booty.  Davis watched helplessly as 80 Spaniards arrived to reinforce the fort.  Finally, Davis went back to his ship without Piques , but when he got there he saw that his men had captured 70 men, women, and children.  What was he supposed to do with them?  He counted 11 pirates dead and 19 wounded.  John Davis never attacked a settlement again! 

The Powder Magazine

Brown Bess Musket

The Powder Magazine is a building that held firearms, powder, and swords.  It was built by the Lords Proprietors.  When we went to the Powder Magazine, there were a lot of interesting things to see.  The guide told us that the Magazine was used by the British.  It was repeatedly attacked by Spanish, pirates, and Native Americans.  The walls were very thick so if the powder caught on fire, it would implode.  We got to hold spears, Brown Bess Muskets, cannonballs, and bombs.  One cannonball was very long and thin, so when it was fired at an enemy ship, it would swing sideways and break a mast.  In the American Revolution, the Americans took it over. It was used until after the Civil War, and then it was retired from service.

The Front of the Powder Magazine

Guilty of Something, I'm Sure

Old Santee Canal Park

     We went to Old Santee Canal Park today. We hiked on the trail and there were observation points where you get to look out over the marsh to see if there is any wildlife.  It was very hilly and bumpy.  We got to walk near the canal and we saw turtles on logs in the water, basking in the sun.    

    

     We also went to a herpetology class.  There we got to touch a Corn Snake, an Eastern Box Turtle, and a baby American Alligator.  The herpetologist taught us about each reptile.  All reptiles are cold-blooded which means they are the temperature of their surroundings.  They also like to bask in the sun to get warm.

         
     The Corn Snake is not poisonous, and it lives in cornfields.  The poisonous snakes have a triangular-shaped head while the Corn Snake has an oval-shaped head.  It is colored to look like red corn, but it does not eat corn, it eats mice.  He felt very soft and slightly scaly.  The Eastern Box Turtle does not live in the water, they live on land because they are tortoises.  They are very messy eaters, and eat lots of lettuce. 

     The baby American Alligator was 2 feet long and felt leathery and it's back was spiky.  When it is small, their body is striped for blending into the marsh, but when it gets big it won't need any protection, and it becomes all black.  They only live in fresh water.  It, when fully grown, could eat a deer.           

Fort Moultrie

         Fort Moultrie is in Charleston, SC.  It guarded the strait that led into the harbor.  It was used in the American Revolution when Adm. Sir Peter Parker of the British Royal Navy attacked the fort with a squadron of ships on June 28, 1776.  The fort repulsed the attackers and was named Fort Moultrie in honor of the commander of the fort, William Moultrie. 
        
         After the American Revolution, a second fort Moultrie was built, but it suffered from disrepair and was destroyed in a hurricane.  By 1809 a third fort stood complete.  In the Civil war,  it shelled Fort Sumter until it surrendered.  The Union attacked Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie.  Both withstood the attacks, but they were very damaged.  It remained in service through the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War I, and World War II.  In 1947, the fort was removed from service. 

          When I went to Fort Moultrie, we walked into the fort and saw that Fort Moultrie was bigger than Fort Sumter!  We walked into the powder magazines and up to the batteries.  We also walked to the beach next to the fort.  I liked the fort because it had a lot of different rooms and it was almost like a maze.  My brother and I got junior ranger badges for completing the program by answering different questions about Fort Moultrie.

Don't smoke near the powder!