Where Florida begins

I. Am. So. Jealous.

My Big Sister got to go with her class to St. Augustine, Florida for thei annual Big Trip ... and I wasn't allowed to go with her!

St. Augustine is a city in Northeast Florida and the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement and port in the continental United States.

San Agustín was founded in September 1565 by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, and subsequently served as the capital of Spanish Florida for 200 years. It remained the capital of East Florida as the territory changed hands between the Spanish and British, and remained the capital of the Florida Territory until it was moved to Tallahassee in 1824.

If I can't go to St. Augustine with her, I'll just go by myself.

St. Augustine was under Union control for most of the Civil War. Its Confederate history was exceedingly brief. One Union general and one Confederate general were natives of the Ancient City. 

Many black Union soldiers either came from St. Augustine, or settled there after the war. Many of the city's old cemeteries feature the distinctive marble tombstones marked "USCT" for the United States Colored Troops.

This week in the Civil War,: April 27, 1864

Fighting in Arkansas

Union troops who had been backing a failed federal Army and Navy incursion up the Red River into northern Louisiana found themselves bogged down in fighting in neighboring Arkansas this week 150 years ago in the Civil War. The troops under the command of Union Maj. Gen. Fred Steel were crossing the Saline River at Jenkins’ Ferry in Arkansas when Confederate forces arrived and began to attack on April 30, 1864. The Union fighters fended off several attacks by the rebels and managed to cross the river with their supply wagons. Ultimately the Union force would regroup at its base in Little Rock, Arkansas, successfully in slipping away from the Confederate force bent on destroying the Union force.

The Emperor Penguins Strike Back

I thought today would be a good day to introduce my Empire of steampunk Emperor Penguins.

Why?

Because April 25th is World Penguin Day!

Thanks to Momma's friend Jessica I now have 15 of these Captain Pennys.

Like Oz, my army is all Captains. (Well, Oz is all generals and one private but you get the idea. I hope.) 

My goal? World domination, one penguin at a time.

Mwa ha ha!