#joseph hooker

[falling-through-a-trapdoor]

Shoutout to Joseph Dalton Hooker for screaming so loudly at a picnic in Tasmania that he scared Lady Jane Franklin into thinking he’d been bitten by a snake, when he’d actually just discovered a new type of orchid.

[tenth-sentence]

Dr. Hooker informs me that the Flora has an undoubted Western American character; nor can he detect in it any affinity with that of the Pacific.

"Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visited During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle Round the World, 1832-36" - Charles Darwin

[chaotic-archaeologist]

Also i know pretty much nothing about the civil war what do you want to tell us all about it

Sweet, let's talk about two unfortunate Union generals whose names live on in our everyday speech.

First up is General Ambrose Burnside:

Burnside was selected to command of the Army of the Potomic after McClellan was sacked due to his poor performance at Antietam. Burnside's promotion came despite his protestations-- Burnside was capable enough when in command of a couple of corps, but he was poorly suited to command a whole army, and he knew it. He was removed from command after the disastrous battle of Fredericksburg.

But that's not what we're here to talk about. Take a look at his picture, and then think about his name:

Burnside. Burn side. Side burns. Sideburns!

Yep, Burnside's magnificent facial hair quickly caught the attention of the rank and file soldiers, and they flipped the words around to coin the term sideburns that we know and love.

Next we'll talk about General Joseph Hooker.

Hooker was given command of the Army of the Potomac after Burnside's removal. His tenure was marked by an efficient reorganization and refitting of the army, and the men were fairly happy under his leadership. This came to an unfortunate end after the battle of Chancellorsville, where Hooker's poor decision making under pressure cost the North a tactical victory. He would be transferred to the Western theater, where he would partially redeem himself.

But yet again, that's not why we remember good ol' Fighting Joe. Nope, Hooker was notorious for gambling, drinking, and enjoying the company of woman of the night (no disrespect to sex workers). Indeed, these ladies became so synonymous with the general's presence that people began to refer to them with his last name.

Hooker = a term for a prostitute.

TL;DR you don't get to determine your legacy. You can command an entire army and still wind up being remembered for your beard or your enjoyment of prostitutes.

-Reid

[laissezferre]

Ross

Crew of HMS Terror ––– Departure ––– Cape of Good Hope ––– Kerguelen Islands ––– Van Diemen's Land ––– First tour of the Antarctic: Discover

there's a new section in @tttack's crozier shrine about the antarctic expedition!! it's wonderful to see the multiple sources laid out so clearly. the bits that made my heart swell:

A similar wish list existed for the lieutenants, and among the candidates for the Terror was James Fitzjames, later of Franklin's North-West Passage attempt. Had the circumstances been different, Crozier might've been Fitzjames' Parry.

They [Crozier and Ross] have been messmates and intimate together.

By chance there was a new navy list which contained the promotion of four of the Officers of the expedition our own worthy Commander [Crozier] Posted at which we were all heartily glad.

The Captn informed me [Cunningham] he would write to Head Qrs with a View of Doing something for me.

I [Hooker] was sent by the Admiralty to Aylesbury to recover some instruments which he [Ross] had retained I found in the backyard of the house a huge pile of rubbish amongst which were the broken & unbroken empty bottles that contained his collections, the contents of course destroyed.

[quicksiluers]

Photos of generals and their staff officiers are just a challenge for photographer’s to see how many people they can stuff into a frame

[theamericanparlor]

Abraham Lincoln to Joseph Hooker, Wednesday, June 10, 1863

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Abraham Lincoln to Joseph Hooker, Wednesday, June 10, 1863 (Lee's army is Hooker's objective)Source citation: Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress

[museumwales]

Joseph Hooker discovered many new species of rhododendron on his expeditions to the Himalaya. W.H. Fitch, at Kew, reworked his illustrations and produced lithographs. Hooker later reportedly told his mother “All the Indian world is in love with my Rhododendron book”.

From our Library collections.

[marykk1990]

Joseph Hooker in Creation.