FORT PULASKI Fort Pulaski, built by the U.S. Army before the war, is located near the mouth of the Savannah River, blocking upriver access to Savannah. Fortifications such as Pulaski, called third system forts, were considered invincible, but the new technology of rifled artillery changed that. On February 19, 1862, Brigadier General Thomas W. Sherman ordered Captain Quincy A. Gillmore, an engineer officer, to take charge of the investment force and begin the bombardment and capture of the fort. Gillmore emplaced artillery on the mainland southeast of the fort and began the bombardment on April 10 after Colonel Charles H. Olmstead refused to surrender the fort. Within hours, Gillmore's rifled artillery had breached the southeast scarp of the fort, and he continued to exploit it. Some of his shells began to damage the traverse shielding the magazine in the northwest bastion. Realizing that if the magazine exploded the fort would be seriously damaged and the garrison would suffer severe casualties, Olmstead surrendered after 2:00 pm on April 11. Confederate cannon (10-inch Columbiad) Which U.S. city has the most sunshine? ??? PASS YOUR MOUSE OVER THE QUESTION MARKS FOR THE ANSWER! DERWENTWATER DERWENTWATER Derwentwater (or Derwent Water) is one of the principal bodies of water in the Lake District National Park in North West England.  It lies wholly within the Borough of Allerdale, in the county of Cumbria. The lake occupies part of Borrowdale and lies immediately south of the town of Keswick.  It is both fed and drained by the River Derwent.  It measures approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) long by 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and is some 72 feet (22 m) deep.  There are several islands within the lake, one of which is inhabited.  Derwent Island House, an 18th century residence, is a tenanted National Trust property open to the public on five days each year. Derwentwater is a place of considerable scenic value.  It is surrounded by hills (known locally as fells), and many of the slopes facing Derwentwater are extensively wooded.  A regular passenger launch operates on the lake, taking passengers between various landing stages.  There are seven lakeside marinas, the most popular stops being Keswick, Portinscale and the Lodore Falls, from which boats may be hired.  Recreational walking is a major tourist activity in the area and an extensive network of footpaths exists within the hills and woods surrounding the lake. PART II There was no question in Jefferson's mind: "About three o'clock in the night," he wrote, "he did the deed ..." The early American republic, despite its great advances in government and politics, was still a world of ignorance when it came to medical and mental science. Doctors possessed little to no understanding of the causes or treatments of mental illness. As a result, many early Americans were forced to deal with the various forms of mental illness on their own. Such was the case for the heroic early American explorer, Meriwether Lewis. As a young man, Lewis was labeled as being "prone to long bouts of melancholy." In fact, Lewis' good friend, Thomas Jefferson, described him as, "a man of good sense, integrity, bravery and enterprise" but also, "prone at times to sensible depressions of the mind...that seem to persist in the family." Even during his infamous trek across the American countryside, Lewis seemed troubled by what his subordinates called "deep bouts of melancholy." Though Lewis never mentioned such troubles himself, one can easily see a pattern of highs and lows in his journal. For instance, Lewis would go weeks without writing a single thing down (even though President Jefferson had insisted that he keep a record of every day), while on other occasions he would fill several pages with his ramblings on mundane issues. In addition, William Clark and others noted how Lewis would refuse to get out of bed one day, while being the first to rise and go full throttle on another. By most standards, it appears that Lewis suffered from Bipolar Disorder. One of the typical features of this disorder is a pattern of extreme highs and extreme lows. The individual will commonly experience a profound period of deep depression, in which they are unable to cope with common daily issues. After a period of time, the individual will experience a complete change in their emotional state, in which the depression is replaced by a state of extreme euphoria. During this period, the individual may feel that they can literally conquer the world. Again, after time, this stage will cycle back to depression. And while "psycho history" is virtually impossible to document with any degree of certainty, Meriwether Lewis appears to be a textbook case for this disorder. During his "low" times, Lewis was inconsolable, often seeking seclusion from society. During the "high" moments, Lewis was a fireball of energy and ambition. Throughout the trek west, Lewis would commonly attempt to cross several dangerous rapids or stare danger in the face without flinching. At other times, he was virtually impossible to motivate or talk to.   President Thomas Jefferson knew that no doctors would accompany the expedition and that there were no hospitals to be found once the crew left the St. Louis area. He therefore sent Capt. Meriwether Lewis to Philadelphia to spend three months learning not just the scientific subjects of biology, botany, zoology and map making, but how to take care of his expedition's health needs. Dr. Benjamin Rush was Lewis's contact with the American Philosophical Society. Dr. Rush was considered to be one of the leading physicians and thinkers of his time. Dr. Rush is also generally recognized as the father of American psychiatric care because he was the first to look at why people acted like they did, not just respond to the symptoms that they would present. Perhaps President Jefferson (being aware of Lewis's melancholy or depression) sent him to Dr. Rush because Jefferson knew that Rush was seriously researching mental illness and could possibly provide some help.  There are no references to Lewis's state of mind in any correspondence from Rush to Jefferson, or back. Perhaps we will never know for certain. pixdaus.com The American Water Spaniel was the first breed developed in the United States as an all-around hunter that could retrieve from boats.   This breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1940.   Before its recognition by the AKC, the American Water Spaniel had never been introduced to the show ring because it's admirers feared it might damage its prowess as a hunter. The American Water Spaniel has a friendly, eager to please attitude that can fit in well with many families.  It is a great retriever and can handle any type of game.  Besides being an excellent swimmer, the American Water Spaniel is an efficient watch dog.      The American Water Spaniel was developed in the United States as an all-around hunting dog, bred to retrieve from skiff or canoes and work ground with relative ease.  He is an active muscular dog, medium in size with a marcel to curly coat.  Males weigh 30-45 pounds and females weigh 25-40 pounds.  Height is 15-18 inches.  Females tend to be slightly smaller than the males.This dog is slightly longer than tall--not too square or compact--solidly built, well-muscled, and full of strength and quality.  The breed has as much substance and bone as necessary to carry the muscular structure but not so much as to appear clumsy. There are about 500 different kinds of cone snails around the world. All have a sharp, modified tooth that stabs prey with venom like a harpoon. Most cone snails hunt worms and other snails, but some eat fish. These are the ones most dangerous to people. The nerve toxin that stops a fish is powerful enough to also kill a human. If you walked into a classic lunch counter or diner and said: "Squeeze a full house seaboard" what would you get? ??? PASS YOUR MOUSE OVER THE QUESTION MARKS FOR THE ANSWER! ABRAHAM DARBY ROSE THE ROSE -- UNITED STATES NATIONAL FLOWER The term rose is applied to numerous shrubs and vines in the genus Rosa. They come in a variety of colors, have a fragrant scent and thorns on their stems. The rose has been favored by many everywhere. The edible petals have been added to salads and used in medicines since the times of antiquity. It was sacred to Aphrodite. It is the national flower of the United States. It is the official flower of New York State. The wild rose is the Iowa State flower and the prairie rose the state flower of North Dakota. The American Beauty is the flower of the District of Columbia. The rose is also the emblem of England. Two of the most famous roses are the white rose that served as the emblem for the house of York and the red rose for the house of Lancaster in the Wars of the Roses. The Making of the National Floral Emblem September 23, 1986, the House of Representatives passed a joint resolution naming the rose as the "national floral emblem" of the United States. The Senate had passed the resolution in 1985. The measure then went to President Ronald Reagan. He signed the resolution into law on October 7, 1986 in a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. On November 20, 1986, President Reagan signed Proclamation 5574: The National Floral Emblem of the United States of America: The Rose. (Note: a proclamation announces an act by the government; it does not have the effect of law.) DISCLAIMER: Material used in Bitts and Bytes is gathered from various sources--mainly the World Wide Web.   Authorship cannot always be credited nor the source defined.   Authenticity of material is assumed to be correct, but is not guaranteed.