Nicks 'n Tags
I've been tagged by Ste. Em over at Quicunque vult... , and tasked with providing five random facts about myself.
Ok. Here goes:
1.
I am descended from Henry Joy McCracken, the son of a prominent Presbyterian family in Belfast, and one of the founders (along with another Protestant patriot, Theobald Wolfe Tone) of an organization seeking the independence of Ireland, the United Irishmen. Wolfe Tone's 1798 rebellion was the first of the three great risings against British rule which ultimately led to the establishment of the Irish Free State 126 years later.
When the person who was supposed to lead military phase of the the 1798 rebellion in Ulster chickened out, McCracken stepped into the role himself, despite being seriously ill at the time. He led an attack on the city of Antrim, and actually captured it from the Brits, but was unable to retain it when the Lobsterbacks were reinforced.
Seeking to escape incognito to America, he was recognized, betrayed, and condemned to be hanged. He was offered his life, however, if he would merely name the individual to was originally supposed to have commanded the Ulster rebels. He refused, and went heroically to the gallows, a Protestant martyr to the cause of Irish nationalism.
Something of a romantic figure, he is the subject of at least two ballads, one of which - Henry Joy- is well-known in Irish folk music. His sister, Mary Ann, is famous as an early Irish feminist, abolitionist, and philanthropist. The two of them founded Belfast's first Sunday School.
Sunday School founder or not, McCracken had his failings. After his death, Mary Ann raised his illegitimate daughter, my ancestor, Maria. The two are pictured here:
Some years ago I received a letter from some distant McCracken relatives in Australia. I was in the process of moving at the time, and lost it before I could reply. I've always regretted that fact, and I hope to re-establish contact some day.
2.
Leo "Gabby Hartnett," Hall of Fame catcher and manager for the Cubs, was a distant cousin by marriage. My father lived across the street from the old Cubs Park on the West Side of Chicago- the predecessor to Wrigley Field- when the Cubs won their last World Series, in 1908. He was seven years old at the time.
3.
My uncle, Walter Munford Harrison, (he married my dad's sister, Anne) was a legendary editor of the Daily Oklahoman and twice president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. He also edited Stars and Stripes during World War II.
Uncle Walt was responsible for giving Chester Gould, the cartoonist who did Dick Tracy, his start. He did the same for Bill Mauldin, who drew Willie and Joe for Stars and Stripes. He had the horrifying experience of being in the room when Gen. George Patton ordered Mauldin to give the bewhiskered infantrymen he drew a "shave," since it would not do for soldiers of the Third Army to exhibit such poor grooming habits.
I heard the story third-hand, but supposedly Mauldin pointed out that very few soldiers in the Third Army had the opportunity to shave regularly; that doing as Patton ordered would be absurd, and would merely get Mauldin and Patton alike laughed at by the troops; and that, finally, he had an excellent suggestion as to what Patton could do with his "shave."
The universe caught its breath, the spheres hesitated in their courses, and Uncle Walt tried to disappear into the upholstery of his chair as the General glared at Maudlin. And then, the story goes, Patton's features slowly relaxed, and- fighting a smile- the general solemnly agreed that it if Mauldin felt that strongly about the negative effect his order would have on morale, perhaps Willie and Joe should keep their beards after all.
When Mauldin left, Patton is supposed to have grinned broadly, and told Uncle Walt, "I like that kid. He has guts."
Decades later, Mauldin- an editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Sun-Times- won a Pulitzer Prize for this cartoon, printed the morning after John F. Kennedy was assassinated:
Uncle Walt was one of the few people in history ever to be the target of an attempted assassination by a United States Senator (well, it never was actually attempted; he merely barged into Uncle Walt's office with a loaded revolver in his pocket).
4.
My favored alcoholic beverages are either Irish (preferably Bushmill's) or Scotch whisk(e)y (the "e" is an indication that the beverage originates either in Ireland or the United States; the Scottish and Canadian varieties are spelled "whisky") and draft Guinness. I prefer stouts, porters, and other dark beers to the swill...er, stuff more frequently consumed in this country.
5.
Holiday customs: Rather than waiting for Epiphany, we generally took our Christmas tree down on my mother's birthday, January 3. One exception was the year she accidentally knocked it over while trying to plug it in a few days after Christmas. Thereafter, my sister and I solemnly explained that we left our tree up until Mom's birthday, unless she knocked it down first.
I hereby solemnly tag The Aardvark, Othniel, Mutti Beck , Pastor Walt Snyder, and Pastor Scott Stiegemeyer.
Ok. Here goes:
1.
I am descended from Henry Joy McCracken, the son of a prominent Presbyterian family in Belfast, and one of the founders (along with another Protestant patriot, Theobald Wolfe Tone) of an organization seeking the independence of Ireland, the United Irishmen. Wolfe Tone's 1798 rebellion was the first of the three great risings against British rule which ultimately led to the establishment of the Irish Free State 126 years later.When the person who was supposed to lead military phase of the the 1798 rebellion in Ulster chickened out, McCracken stepped into the role himself, despite being seriously ill at the time. He led an attack on the city of Antrim, and actually captured it from the Brits, but was unable to retain it when the Lobsterbacks were reinforced.
Seeking to escape incognito to America, he was recognized, betrayed, and condemned to be hanged. He was offered his life, however, if he would merely name the individual to was originally supposed to have commanded the Ulster rebels. He refused, and went heroically to the gallows, a Protestant martyr to the cause of Irish nationalism.
Something of a romantic figure, he is the subject of at least two ballads, one of which - Henry Joy- is well-known in Irish folk music. His sister, Mary Ann, is famous as an early Irish feminist, abolitionist, and philanthropist. The two of them founded Belfast's first Sunday School.
Sunday School founder or not, McCracken had his failings. After his death, Mary Ann raised his illegitimate daughter, my ancestor, Maria. The two are pictured here:
Some years ago I received a letter from some distant McCracken relatives in Australia. I was in the process of moving at the time, and lost it before I could reply. I've always regretted that fact, and I hope to re-establish contact some day.
2.
Leo "Gabby Hartnett," Hall of Fame catcher and manager for the Cubs, was a distant cousin by marriage. My father lived across the street from the old Cubs Park on the West Side of Chicago- the predecessor to Wrigley Field- when the Cubs won their last World Series, in 1908. He was seven years old at the time.3.
My uncle, Walter Munford Harrison, (he married my dad's sister, Anne) was a legendary editor of the Daily Oklahoman and twice president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. He also edited Stars and Stripes during World War II.Uncle Walt was responsible for giving Chester Gould, the cartoonist who did Dick Tracy, his start. He did the same for Bill Mauldin, who drew Willie and Joe for Stars and Stripes. He had the horrifying experience of being in the room when Gen. George Patton ordered Mauldin to give the bewhiskered infantrymen he drew a "shave," since it would not do for soldiers of the Third Army to exhibit such poor grooming habits.
I heard the story third-hand, but supposedly Mauldin pointed out that very few soldiers in the Third Army had the opportunity to shave regularly; that doing as Patton ordered would be absurd, and would merely get Mauldin and Patton alike laughed at by the troops; and that, finally, he had an excellent suggestion as to what Patton could do with his "shave."
The universe caught its breath, the spheres hesitated in their courses, and Uncle Walt tried to disappear into the upholstery of his chair as the General glared at Maudlin. And then, the story goes, Patton's features slowly relaxed, and- fighting a smile- the general solemnly agreed that it if Mauldin felt that strongly about the negative effect his order would have on morale, perhaps Willie and Joe should keep their beards after all.
When Mauldin left, Patton is supposed to have grinned broadly, and told Uncle Walt, "I like that kid. He has guts."
Decades later, Mauldin- an editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Sun-Times- won a Pulitzer Prize for this cartoon, printed the morning after John F. Kennedy was assassinated:
Uncle Walt was one of the few people in history ever to be the target of an attempted assassination by a United States Senator (well, it never was actually attempted; he merely barged into Uncle Walt's office with a loaded revolver in his pocket).
4.
My favored alcoholic beverages are either Irish (preferably Bushmill's) or Scotch whisk(e)y (the "e" is an indication that the beverage originates either in Ireland or the United States; the Scottish and Canadian varieties are spelled "whisky") and draft Guinness. I prefer stouts, porters, and other dark beers to the swill...er, stuff more frequently consumed in this country.5.
Holiday customs: Rather than waiting for Epiphany, we generally took our Christmas tree down on my mother's birthday, January 3. One exception was the year she accidentally knocked it over while trying to plug it in a few days after Christmas. Thereafter, my sister and I solemnly explained that we left our tree up until Mom's birthday, unless she knocked it down first.I hereby solemnly tag The Aardvark, Othniel, Mutti Beck , Pastor Walt Snyder, and Pastor Scott Stiegemeyer.
Comments