Thursday, November 28, 2019

Battle of Island Number 10 in the Civil War

Battle of Island Number 10 in the Civil War Battle of Island Number 10 - Conflict Dates: The Battle of Island Number 10 was fought February 28 to April 8, 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Armies Commanders Union Brigadier General John PopeFlag Officer Andrew Foote6 gunboats, 11 mortar raftsapprox. 20,000 men Confederates Brigadier General John P. McCownBrigadier General William Mackallapprox. 7,000 men Battle of Island Number 10 - Background: With the beginning of the Civil War, Confederate forces began making efforts to fortify key points along the Mississippi River to prevent Union attacks south. One area that received attention was the New Madrid Bend (near New Madrid, MO) which featured two 180-degree turns in the river. Located at the base of the first turn when steaming south, Island Number Ten dominated the river and any vessels attempting to pass would fall under its guns for protracted period. Work commenced on fortifications on the island and adjacent land in August 1861 under the direction of Captain Asa Gray. The first to be completed was Battery No. 1 on the Tennessee shoreline. Also known as the Redan Battery, it had a clear field of fire upstream but its position on low ground made it subject to frequent flooding. Work at Island Number Ten slowed in the fall of 1861 as resources and focus shifted north to the fortifications under construction at Columbus, KY. In early 1862, Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant captured Forts Henry and Donelson on the nearby Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. As Union troops pressed towards Nashville, the Confederate forces at Columbus came under threat of being isolated. To prevent their loss, General P.G.T. Beauregard ordered them to withdraw south to Island Number Ten. Arriving in late February, these forces began work to strengthen the areas defenses under the guidance of Brigadier General John P. McCown. Battle of Island Number Ten - Building the Defenses: Seeking to better secure the area, McCown commenced work on fortifications from the northern approaches to the first bend, past the island and New Madrid, and down to Point Pleasant, MO. Within a matter of weeks, McCowns men built five batteries on the Tennessee shore as well as five additional batteries on the island itself. Mounting a combined 43 guns, these positions were further supported by the 9-gun floating battery New Orleans which occupied a position at the western end of the island. At New Madrid, Fort Thompson (14 guns) rose west of the town while Fort Bankhead (7 guns) was built to the east overlooking the mouth of a nearby bayou. Aiding in the Confederate defense were six gunboats overseen by Flag Officer George N. Hollins (Map). Battle of Island Number Ten - Pope Approaches: As McCowns men worked to improve the defenses at the bends, Brigadier General John Pope moved to assemble his Army of the Mississippi at Commerce, MO. Directed to strike at Island Number Ten by Major General Henry W. Halleck, he moved out in late February and arrived near New Madrid on March 3. Lacking the heavy guns to assault the Confederate forts, Pope instead directed Colonel Joseph P. Plummer to occupy Point Pleasant to the south. Though forced to endure shelling from Hollins gunboats, Union troops secured and held the town. On March 12, heavy artillery arrived in Popes camp. Emplacing guns at Point Pleasant, Union forces drove off the Confederate vessels and closed the river to enemy traffic. The following day, Pope began shelling the Confederate positions around New Madrid. Not believing that the town could be held, McCown abandoned it on the night of March 13-14. While some troops moved south to Fort Pillow, the majority joined the defenders on Island Number Ten. Battle of Island Number Ten - The Siege Begins: Despite this failure, McCown received a promotion to major general and departed. Command at Island Number Ten then passed to Brigadier General William W. Mackall. Though Pope had taken New Madrid with ease, the island presented a more difficult challenge. The Confederate batteries on the Tennessee shore were flanked by impassable swamps to the east while the only land approach to the island was along a single road which ran south to Tiptonville, TN. The town itself was sited on a narrow spit of land between the river and Reelfoot Lake. To support operations against Island Number Ten, Pope received Flag Officer Andrew H. Footes Western Gunboat Flotilla as well as a number of mortar rafts. This force arrived above the New Madrid Bend on March 15. Unable to directly assault Island Number Ten, Pope and Foote debated how to reduce its defenses. While Pope desired Foote to run his gunboats past the batteries to cover a landing downstream, Foote had concerns about losing some of his vessels and preferred to commence a bombardment with his mortars. Deferring to Foote, Pope agreed to a bombardment and for the next two weeks the island came under a steady rain of mortar shells. As this action ensued, Union forces cut a shallow canal across the neck of the first bend which allowed transport and supply vessels to reach New Madrid while avoiding the Confederate batteries. With the bombardment proving ineffective, Pope again began to agitate for running some of the gunboats past Island Number Ten. While an initial council of war on March 20 saw Footes captains refuse this approach, a second nine days later resulted in Commander Henry Walke of USS Carondelet (14 guns) agreeing to attempt a passage. Battle of Island Number Ten - The Tide Turns: While Walke waited for a night with good conditions, Union troops led by Colonel George W. Roberts raided Battery No. 1 on the evening of April 1 and spiked its guns. The following night, the Footes flotilla focused its attention on New Orleans and succeeded in cutting the floating batterys mooring lines leading it to drift away downstream. On April 4, conditions proved correct and Carondelet began creeping past Island Number Ten with a coal barge lashed to its side for added protection. Pushing downstream, the Union ironclad was discovered but successfully ran through the Confederate batteries. Two nights later USS Pittsburg (14) made the voyage and joined Carondelet. With the two ironclads to protect his transports, Pope began plotting a landing on the east bank of the river. On April 7, Carondelet and Pittsburg eliminated the Confederate batteries at Watsons Landing clearing the way for Popes army to cross. As Union troops commenced landing, Mackall assessed his situation. Unable to see a way to hold Island Number Ten, he directed his troops to begin moving towards Tiptonville but left a small force on the island. Alerted to this, Pope raced to cut off the Confederates sole line of retreat. Slowed by fire from the Union gunboats, Mackalls men failed to reach Tiptonville before the enemy. Trapped by Popes superior force, he had no choice but to surrender his command on April 8. Pressing forward, Foote received the surrender of those still on Island Number Ten. Battle of Island Number Ten - Aftermath: In the fighting for Island Number Ten, Pope and Foote lost 23 killed, 50 wounded, and 5 missing while Confederate losses numbered around 30 killed and wounded as well as approximately 4,500 captured. The loss of Island Number Ten cleared the Mississippi River to further Union advances and later in the month Flag Officer David G. Farragut opened its southern terminus by capturing New Orleans. Though a key victory, the fighting for Island Number Ten was generally overlooked by the general public as the Battle of Shiloh was fought April 6-7. Selected Sources History of War: Battle of Island Number 10CWSAC Battle Summary: Battle of Island Number 10New Madrid: Battle of Island Number 10

Sunday, November 24, 2019

British English vs. American English

British English vs. American English Playwright George Bernard Shaw once claimed, England and America are two countries divided by a common language. Since the Americas were colonized over 400 years ago, the form of English used in the United States has deviated from that used in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the form of English used in the United Kingdom is called British English, and the form of English used in the United States is called American English.During the course of writing, you may be asked to write in your non-native format. For example, some academic journals require articles to be formatted in a particular style. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the ways in which the two forms differ. It is also important to point out that the differences in style extend beyond what your spell check may highlight. This article will address the differences between the two forms, including spelling, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary, idioms, and formatting of dates and numbers.SpellingFor spelling issues, the safe st option is to consult a dictionary. Use the Oxford Dictionary for British English and the Merriam Webster Dictionary for American English. A few common differences are listed below.American English or vs. British English our:Examples include color/colour and favorite/favourite.American English ze vs. British English se:Examples include analyze/analyse and criticize/criticise.American English ll vs. British English l:Examples include enrollment/enrolment and skillful/skillful.American English er vs. British English re:Examples include center/centre and meter/metre.American English e vs. British English oe or ae:Examples include encyclopedia/encyclopaedia and maneuver/manoeuvre.PunctuationThe most important difference involves the use of quotation marks. Double quotation marks are used as primary quotes in American English, whereas single quotation marks are used in British English.For quotes within quotes, single quotation marks are used in American English, and double quotations m arks are used in British English.To add to the confusion, periods and commas are generally placed inside closing quotes in American English and placed outside closing quotes in British English. In both styles, question marks and exclamation points are placed inside the quotation marks if they belong to the quotation and outside otherwise.The following sentences highlight the key differences.My father always said, Be careful what you wish for. (American English)My father always said, Be careful what you wish for. (British English)Another difference appears in letter writing. In American English, a comma follows the salutation in an informal letter (Dear John,), and a colon follows the salutation in a business letter (Dear John:). In British English, a comma follows the salutation in all letters.Writers should also be careful when using the term i.e. as the punctuation that follows also differs. In American English, a comma follows i.e. or e.g. No comma is used in British English.Abbr eviations may also be expressed differently. In American English, a period is typically used with abbreviations (Ph.D and Mr.), but in British English, no period is used (PhD and Mr).Finally, it is also worthwhile to note that ( ) marks are referred to as brackets in British English. In American English, ( ) marks are referred to as parentheses (singular parenthesis), whereas [ ] are called brackets.GrammarWill/ShallIn British English, it is fairly common to use shall with the first person to talk about the future. Americans rarely use shall.I will never forget this favour. (American English)I shall/will never forget this favour. (British English)Collective NounsCollective nouns like jury, team, family, and government can take both singular and plural verbs in British English. In American English, they normally take a singular verb.The committee meets tomorrow. (American English)The committee meets/meet tomorrow. (British English)VocabularyThe greatest difference between the two for ms may be in vocabulary. Some differences in usage and/or meaning can cause confusion or embarrassment:Apartment vs. FlatArea code vs. Dialing codeATM vs. CashpointBaby carriage vs. PramBathroom vs. Loo/water closetCookie vs. BiscuitElevator vs. LifePeriod vs. Full stopThere are also a few differences in preposition use, including the following:American English on the weekend vs. British English at the weekendAmerican English on a team vs. British English in a teamIdiomsThere are a number of English idioms that have essentially the same meaning but show lexical differences between the American and British version, for instance:Knock on wood vs. Touch woodA drop in the bucket vs. A drop in the oceanBeating a dead horse vs. Flogging a dead horseLay of the land vs. Lie of the landDates and numbersIn American English, the date is expressed as April 17, 1978. Conversely, in British English, the date is expressed as 17 April 1978.The time may also be expressed differently in British Engli sh since the 24-hour clock (18:00 or 1800) is routinely used in the UK and Europe in applications including air, rail, and bus timetables; however, it is largely unused in the US outside of military, police, and medical applications.Finally, in most cases, British English and American English can be used interchangeably. However, in formal writing, it is important to know the distinctions and apply them appropriately.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Tourism in Switzerland and Kenya. Advantages and disadvantages Essay

Tourism in Switzerland and Kenya. Advantages and disadvantages - Essay Example Kenya and Switzerland have registered an impressive record in tourists’ attendance, especially international tourists. Both countries have diverse tourist attractions sites and locations, receiving recognition across the globe. In Kenya, tourism is an industry that has sustained thousands of people in their daily living. It remains the second great foreign exchange earner, after the leading agriculture. Wildlife remains the core tourist attraction. Kenya is also rich in cultural heritage especially along its coastal region (Akama, pg. 8). This too acts as a source of tourist attraction. The coastal beaches are a superb place to visit especially during winter in the West. Switzerland also remains a famous tourist destination location. It does possess an abundance of natural resources and beautiful landscape. The Alps peaks creates a fascinating site. Their rich culture attracts tourists from various locations across the world (Banfi, Filippini, and Hunt, pg. 690). Both countries do acknowledge that tourism does fetch immense income. A major exchange earner has steered the growth of the various locations in both countries. There has been a steady rise in the number of revenues collected from tourism activities. Such revenue goes a great way in improvement of Gross Domestic Product. Essentially, it is the business and the fastest growing service industry in the mentioned countries. It does hold immense potential in it. The growth of t tourism sector has led to the upsurge and development of other sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, retailing, and hotel industry. Tourism contributes directly or indirectly to the macro-economic growth of the countries. Dues to the stimulation of development ion technology, investments, industries and infrastructures, there is creation of an environment that favours economic growth. The foreign currencies stimulate growth. Taxes emanating from

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Cultural Beliefs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Beliefs - Essay Example This paper describes the perceptions in the PEN and how affects the sub-African Saharans behavior regarding their health problems. Cultural Beliefs Culture is a set of rules and beliefs, traditions among other things like art and religion, that is shared by a society. It is where values and behavior is rooted and it is therefore enough to influence perception, judgment, and of course, behavior. AIDS is one of the prevalent diseases in the Sub-Saharan Africa with the rate of 6.1%. It is in fact, one of the worst diseases in the continent, affecting 22.5 million people (HIV positive). AIDS is caused sexually, and sexual practices are behavioral. Since behavior is cultural, it is therefore logical to conclude that one can actually control certain behaviors through culture. In this case, the PEN-3 model, which was created to address and integrate culture in the development, implementation and evaluation of health programs. The PEN-3 model is composed of three domains. These three domains are also composed of another 3 sections each. The three domains are: cultural identity, relationships and expectations and culture and empowerment. Culture and empowerment is a domain that is composed of three more factors which are positive, existential and negative perceptions. They represent all the good and bad facets of culture, hence the positive and negative perceptions.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Ethical Behavior at Bayview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ethical Behavior at Bayview - Essay Example Ironically, many individual despise it, yet research shows that most of them have been involved in cheating at one instance or another during their academic activities. In the global year 2008 and 2009, there were different forms of accusations by financial managers, corporate officers, and street executive which involved the unethical cheating character (Bowers, 2004). One article that mostly featured in the public domain, argued out that, in the area of business, academic cheating is a chronic challenge which had escaped successfully without a lasting solution. This article came up with an estimate of 56% as a percentage ratio of students who study business that were claimed to be involved in academic cheating during their career. Additionally, the article states that, on approximation, 47% of the non business students were involved in the academic cheating of a certain type. This raised the concern that this might have been the case at Bayview University, more significantly affect ed wad the dean. Different members of the faculty have come to belief that academic cheating in this institution is more widespread than at other universities (Cole, 2000). A significant number of other faculty members argue that academic cheating can never qualify to be categorized to be a challenge in the institution (Keith-Spiegel, 2008). In attempts to have this issue resolved satisfactorily, this report presents an analysis of the current ethical character of business students at the University of Bayview. In this study, we hypothesize that the proportion of Bayview University’s business students involved in a form of academic cheating is smaller than that of other institution’s business students. Managerial Report. Methodology. Participants. The sample for this study constitutes about 90 business students. The sample was obtained from this year class that was going to graduate. The sample was made up of about 42 female students and 48 male students. Procedure. A survey was given to the ninety business students. The participants of this study were given three questions on different types of academic cheating. The first question sought to find whether the subjects were involved in some internet copying during their career at Bayview. The second question sought to find out whether the participants attempted to copy the work of other students during an examination. The third question sought to reveal whether some students collaborated with other students on an assignment meant to be handled  individually. A participant who gave a yes as an answer in one or more of the questions was classified to have taken part in some form of academic cheating. The responses to the given questions gave out data in respect to about three categories of academic cheating. The data collected was recorded in tables 1 and 2.Results. Table 1: Cases of academic cheating in business students at Bayview University. Student Copied from Internet Copied on Exam Collabora ted on Individual Project Gender 1 No No No Female 2 No No No Male 3 Yes No Yes Male 4 Yes Yes No Male 5 No No Yes Male 6

Friday, November 15, 2019

Powers Of and Limitations On the UK Prime Minister

Powers Of and Limitations On the UK Prime Minister Parliament is the legislative body of the UK; it is composed of bicameral parliaments; The House of Commons (HOC) is responsible for considering and proposing new laws as well as scrutinizing governmental policies and legislation, oversees governments finances and administration. The House of Lords (HOL) participates within the law-making process, investigates matters of public interest independently and examines the administration of government. The party with the largest number of members in the HOC forms the government under the office of the Prime Minister (PM). This arrangement exists by a whereby the Monarch must appoint a PM to oversee government and lead the HOC; this position has evolved overtime as a consequence of historical and political acts with origins in the early 1680s. This appointment results in a transfer of power from the sovereign to parliament under the Royal Prerogative Powers (Bradley 2011). The role of the PM is to serve as the head of the Her Majestys government having been elected as the premiership winning party in the UK elections. He / she are not elected as head of their respective party by the public but from within their respective party (Braizer, 1999). Serving as the Chief of the Executive, the PM has a number of functions which include; overseeing Parliament, overseeing the operation of the Civil Service and government agencies, serving as the link among the executive and legislative branches of the assembly, responsibility for policy and governmental decisions ensuring that they are scrutinized and implemented once Royal Ascent has been granted and serving as the figure head in the HOC (Heffernan, 2005). They are responsible for managing a number of relations which include those between; the Government and the Monarch, Government and the Opposition and between the UK and the devolved assemblies. Through the power of patronage, the PM has the power to select the Cabinet The Executive and can appoint ministers to the Cabinet and appoint ministers to lead on specific policy areas such as education, health, foreign and commonwealth; extending the ministerial responsibility for the respective areas of work to them. The PM will also appoint special advisors and other political advisors within the Cabinet, on the basis of political viewpoint, skills and expertise. The PM is required to ensure that the order of precedency is upheld in Cabinet as well as ensuring that ministers adhere to and uphold the ministerial code. Holding power over ministerial conduct (1997 revised 2007) and if required they can appoint, reshuffle or dismiss ministers. The PM can use their power of collective responsibility to silence any critics avoiding dissention and ensuring cohesion exists with the cabinet. Decisions made with Cabinet meetings chaired by the PM must have support of the ministers irrespective of agreement on such matters, they are required to publicly support the PMs decision / mandate, failure to do so can result in dismissal / resignation as was the case of the late Robin Cook, Leader of the Commons and former Foreign Secretary, 2003. In order to encourage support from the cabinet the PM can use their power of patronage as a tool for reward and recognition bringing about change in behaviour and ensuring loyalty. It could be argued that this is both a power and a limitation, to some it is perceived as an elitist method of promotion on the basis of political support and rather than on the merit of work. Whilst the PM has many powers, one of the greatest limitations is the threat and in fighting from within their own respective party; without majority support, their position is weakened significantly as was the case with Margaret Thatcher in 1990, her former cabinet colleague Geoffrey Howe initiated a revolt against her leadership style leading to her resignation as PM. Interestingly, her successor John Major was subjected to a revolt following the lack of support from his party on the issue of Britain developing greater links with Europe, when the 1997 general election was undertaken he and the Conservatives suffered the largest electoral defeat in history. Without consulting the electorate, the governing party can at any time seek to replace the PM, as was the case in 2007 when Tony Blair was replaced by Gordon Brown as PM. The style of leadership style (Norton) of a PM can work for or against them during their time in office (Norton 2013). Thatcher gained significant popularity in the early 80s but went on to lose support as she was perceived as being too over-bearing and out of touch. Her famous statement This Ladys not for turning demonstrated how aggressive her leadership style was. Blairs leadership was strong and presidential like, he, like Thatcher did not always use his Cabinet for scrutiny or consultation giving rise to accusations of utilizing a kitchen-cabinet and increased use of special advisors, ultimately this caused much mistrust and dissention within the party and executive (Buckley, 2006). Although the PM serves as head of Cabinet; Ministerial members of the cabinet have equal powers primus inter pares, yet the PM is accountable to the nation and the electorate and is not above reproach. They are responsible not just for their decisions but those of their ministers. How the PM deals with contentious political or social issues and how they seek resolution can impact greatly on their popularity and confidence in them as a leader (Quinn, 2012) as was the case with Heath (Miners Strike 1974), Thatcher (Poll Tax 1989) and Blair (Iraq 2003). Browns popularity waned over the issue of calling a general election (2007) and tax rate reductions (2008) resulting in a call for leadership contest, this was usurped on the basis of his handling of the financial crisis (2008). Media can grossly influence public perception on the PM depending on their readerships left or right wing views (McCombs, 2013). To conclude, the PM is granted numerous powers, many of which bestowed from the Monarch and others from their position of PM and leader of their respective party. All powers come with limitations; the powers will work for or against a PM. Fundamentally their position is dependent on their interpretation and execution of said powers, a majority support of ministers on their mandate or how well he or she can secure their support. The office of Prime Minister is what its holder chooses and makes of it H H Asquith (Hennessy, 2001). Their leadership style can affect how ministers react; their position on changing legislation, how accountable they are politically and socially or when subjected to scrutiny can sway the balance of power to eventually become a limitation. (Word count 1094) Bibliography BRADLEY, A., 2011. The sovereignty of Parliament-form or substance? The changing constitution, 23, pp. 54-56. BRAIZER, R., 1999. Constitutional Practice: The Foundations of British Government. Oxford University Press on Demand. BUCKLEY, S., 2006. Prime Minister and Cabinet. Edinburgh University Press. HENNESSY, P., 2001. The Prime Minister: the office and its holders since 1945. Palgrave Macmillan. MCCOMBS, M., 2013. Setting the agenda: The mass media and public opinion. John Wiley Sons. NORTON, P. and JONES, B. 2014. Politics UK. 8th Edition. Harlow, Pearson QUINN, T., 2012. Electing and Ejecting Party Leaders in Britain. Springer.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Sinking of the Titanic :: essays research papers

Introduction The R.M.S. Titanic sideswiped an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912. Estimated to be able to stay afloat for 2 days under the worst scenario, the ship sank in less than 3 hours [Gannon, 1995]. Main Cause for Sinking The iceberg created a 300-foot gash in the Titanic's hull above and below the waterline. Structural Errors That Accelerated the Sinking Steel brittleness Tests on Titanic's steel showed that the steel had high sulfur content, which increases the brittleness of steel by disrupting the grain structure [Hill, 1996]. This increase in brittleness contributed to the severity of the hull's damage. Titanic's steel showed high levels of oxygen, which leads to an increased ductile-to-brittle transition temperature. For Titanic's steel, that temperature was determined to be 25 to 35 degrees C [Hill, 1996]. The water temperature that night was below freezing. The wrought iron rivets that fastened the hull plates to the Titanic's main structure also failed because of brittle fracture during the collision with the iceberg. Low water temperatures contributed to this failure [Garzke and others, 1994]. Shipà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Midsection Contributing to this failure in the midsection was the design of Titanic's huge spiral staircase. The staircase not only weakened the midsection's structure, but served as a means for water to pass up through the ship. As it filled with water, the bow submerged, raising the stern out of water. When the stern reached an angle of about 45 degrees, the stresses in the ship's midsection (15 tons per square inch) caused the steel to fail and the bow to rip loose and sink [Gannon, 1995]. Conpartments The lower section of the Titanic was divided into sixteen major watertight compartments. Actually, the compartments were watertight only in the horizontal direction--their tops were open. After the collision, six watertight compartments began filling with water. Soon, water spilled over the tops. Scientists have concluded that the watertight compartments contributed to the disaster by keeping the flood waters in the bow of the ship [Gannon, 1995]. If there had been no compartments, the incoming water would have spread out, and the Titanic would have likely remained afloat for another six hours. Human Errors that Accelerated the Sinking Captainà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mistake Captain E. J. Smith had not slowed the ship's speed that night, although the ship's wireless operators had received several ice warnings. The ship was moving at more than 22 knots. Crewà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mistake The sea was a "flat calm," a rarity for these waters.