”January 17th”
On Jan. 17, 1781, Washington’s southern army defeated the British
troops at Cowpens. In hot pursuit, Lord Cornwallis reached the
Catawba River just two hours after the American troops had crossed,
but a storm made the river impassable. He nearly overtook the
Americans again at the Yadkin River, just as they were getting out
on the other side, but a torrential rain flooded the river. This
happened a third time at the Dan River. British Commander Henry
Clinton wrote: “Here the royal army was again stopped by a sudden
rise of the waters, which had only just fallen (almost miraculously)
to let the enemy over.”
”January 18th”
By a resolution of the Senate, he was esteemed as one of the five
greatest senators in U.S. history. An outstanding orator, his
political career spanned almost four decades, serving as Secretary
of State for Presidents William Henry Harrison, John Tyler and
Millard Fillmore. His name was Daniel Webster, born this day,
Jan. 18, 1782. Webster fought to end the slave trade, opposed
creating a national bank and settle the Northeast boundary of the
United States. Daniel Webster stated: “If our posterity neglects
religious instruction…no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may
overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”
”January 19th”
William Orville Douglas died this day, Jan. 19, 1980. He was a
Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court for 36 years, after teaching law
at Yale and Columbia University. In the 1952 case of Zorach v.
Clauson, Justice William Douglas asserted: “The First
Amendment…does not say that in every respect there shall be a
separation of Church and State…. Otherwise the state and religion
would be aliens to each other.” Justice Douglas continued: “We are a
religious people and our institutions presuppose a Supreme Being….
When the state encourages religious instruction…it follows the
best of our traditions.”
”’William J. Federer is a nationally known speaker, best-selling author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc., a publishing company dedicated to research America’s noble heritage. For more information, go to:”’ https://www.amerisearch.net ”’or send him an email at:”’ mailto:mail@amerisearch.net