Rob's Historic Sites

The irony of Lincoln’s armies attacking and imprisoning many of the grandchildren of our most famous Revolutionary War era Heroes and Founding Fathers (including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, etc) was not lost on the grandson of Francis Scott Key, author of the lyrics of our National anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” His fascinating story of arrest and imprisonment follows along with my photos of famous sites related to Francis Scott Key, his parents, and many of his grandchildren, including Fort McHenry, his birthplace at Terra Rubra, his gravesite in Frederick, Maryland, his grandchildren's graves in Owing Mills, Maryland (north side of Baltimore), the Courthouse he used in Frederick Maryland, etc. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FRANCIS “FRANK” KEY HOWARD FOUND THE IRONY OF BEING IMPRISONED BY YANKEES AT THE SAME LOCATION THAT HIS GRANDFATHER FRANCIS SCOTT KEY WAS DETAINED BY THE BRITISH 47 YEARS EARLIER. AFTERALL, WHIL...

This is the extraordinary story of southern American/Confederate soldiers trying to save homes and stores in a northern town in Pennsylvania after Yankees burned a nearby bridge. Confederates had entered Pennyslvania primarily to pressure politicians in Washington DC to end the war. These stories are an interesting stark contrast to the many stories of Yankees burning southern towns during their conquest (list found below). Unlike Yankee orders, Confederates were operating under an order from Lee not to destroy private property. This historical marker in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania explains how the town caught fire after northern Yankees burned the bridge. After Gordon's Confederates failed to save the bridge, they went to work trying to save the town. Read the marker for an interesting story of how one of the women responded. Just up this street are the guns with the marker: "these guns presented by US Government mark Wrightsville as the farthest point east reached...

Today in history, Feb 17, 1864, the CSS Hunley became the world’s first successful combat submarine, a full 50 years before submarines were widely adopted for use in WW1. After completing the mission, the submarine vanished and remained lost at sea for over +130 years until it was finally discovered and recovered in 2000. Today, the Hunley is Charleston South Carolina’s #1 historic tourist attraction. Overall, the Confederacy lost 21 southern American crewmen in three separate sinkings of the Hunley during her short career. Here’s my visit to the final resting place of all three crews over a year ago in Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, South Carolina. It happens to be located directly across from my 2nd cousin's Heyward plot. Another interesting historical tidbit: Although the Confederacy had a small navy, it is recognized for at least one other unusual maritime record. Raphael Semmes, a 30yr US Naval Officer who joined the Confederacy become the most successful raider in mar...

Visiting historic sites around Virginia related to the great John Tyler, 10th President of the United States and arguably the best President in US history (and my 5th cousin, 6x removed). “John Tyler is not a household name, but he should be; perhaps he should even be given a spot on some denomination of American currency. He was arguably the best president in American history—according to the Constitution as ratified. Tyler’s life and administration almost always come in near the bottom of presidential rankings because of his staunch defense of states’ rights both before and after he occupied the presidency, including his support for secession and the Confederate States of America… Tyler, more than any other president, took his oath of office seriously. He came closer to representing the proper mix of executive energy and Jeffersonian restraint that the ratifiers had argued the presidency required than any other man who held the office, either before or after his administration. T...