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Though he was only fourteen years old, Hiram Cronk enlisted in the United States Army when British forces threatened Upstate New York. He participated in the defense of Sackets Harbor on Lake Ontario, serving for three months. Then he went home, became a shoemaker, got married and had children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Cronk died in 1905 at the age of 105. He was the last American veteran of the War of 1812, so his funeral was a major public event in New York City. Watch the funeral procession, featuring veterans from the Civil War and Spanish-American War, move through Brooklyn.
Link -via American Digest | Photo of Cronk's Grave
Some people have to inject politics into everything. I've never understood why.
Here's a guy that was born in 1800. He lived just long enough for his funeral to be captured in a new technology. It's now accessible to us thanks to another now-emerging technology. Isn't that neat?
Now you've taken this opportunity to insult another country. Congratulations. Go feel proud of yourself. It was clever, witty, and gentlemanly.
Well, looking at a bit of history, I suppose the Brits were acting a bit like douchebags.
Actually, they were acting a whole lot like how America is acting right now. Mindless sanctions, confinement and capture of foreign nationals, support of 'freedom fighters', anger over insults and possibly the desire to annex and take over a country's resources...
Brits then, America now. How the torch has been passed.
Amazing that someone filmed this event. Amazing that it's survived, too.
Gerard Van der Leun, the blogger responsible for American Digest, frequently links to Neatorama. So, at minimum, he's a connoisseur of the finest cat videos and Jabba the Hutt cakes.