Civil War Navy

The USS Monitor was a single turret naval vessel that was launched during the Civil War and saw battle until it was lost at sea on December 31, 1862. Over the years, several other monitors were added to the fleet and joined in the war.

It should be noted that the word 'monitor', while reflecting the name of the Navy's original vessel, became a reference term for all shallow-draft type vessels. The US Monitor Onondaga, a double turreted vessel, is pictured in 1864 near Aikens Landing, Virginia along the James River.

July 4, 1826

John Adams

John Adams, the 2nd President of the United States, was born in Braintree, Massachusetts on October 19, 1735.

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the United States, was born in Albemarle County, Virginia on April 13, 1743.

Coincidentally, both men died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Adams died on his farm in Quincy, Massachusetts, while Jefferson died in his Monticello, Virginia home. 

Adams' last words were 'Thomas Jefferson survives', never knowing that Jefferson had passed away a few hours earlier.                                           

The Spite House

A 1924 picture of "The Spite House" in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. The house was built in 1830 by John Hallenbury in order to keep horse-drawn wagons and trespassers out of the alley between his two houses.

The Spite House, pictured today, is seven feet wide and twenty five feet deep. The two story structure has a total of 325 square feet of living space. The current owners utilize it as a second home.

Arlington Memorial Bridge

The Arlington Memorial Bridge is pictured in 1931 during its' construction over the Potomac River. The Lincoln Memorial can be seen at the photo's edge on the left just beyond the bridge. In November 1963, the funeral procession for President John F. Kennedy crossed Memorial Bridge in route to Arlington National Cemetery, which is located just beyond the bridge in Arlington, Virginia.

Vince Foster

On July 20, 1993, White House Deputy Council Vincent Foster was said to have scheduled a meeting with then President Bill Clinton in order to tender his resignation. He would later mysteriously disappear from his office and eventually be found dead in his car in a nearby Virginia park.

The official ruling on his death was suicide, but many unanswered questions and inconsistencies continue to surround his passing, and there are some who dismiss the suicide ruling outright.

To this day, it is still unclear how Vince Foster left the White House that day, as there is no video surveillance evidence that shows that he left under his own power shortly after lunch. We may never know what really happened to Vince Foster.

Mt. Vernon

Mt. Vernon, pictured above, was the plantation home of the first President of The United States, George Washington. Built in 1757 along the shores of the Potomac River near Alexandria, Virginia, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 19, 1960.

Audie Murphy

Photo to the right shows Audie Murphy, a much decorated American soldier who served in the European theatre during World War II. Murphy went on to become one of the most highly decorated United States soldiers during World War II, with his awards including the Medal of Honor, and the Distinguished Service Cross. After the war, he successfully pursued an acting career. On May 28, 1971 Audie Murphy died in a plane crash just outside of Roanoke, Virginia at the young age of 47.

Sargeant William Harvey Carney

William Harvey Carney is the first African American to earn the Medal of Honor. Born a slave on February 29, 1840 in Norfolk, Virginia, he and his father escaped to Massachusetts via the Underground Railroad. They later would arrange for the rest of their family to be freed.

Carney served the W54 Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry as a Sergeant. He was awarded the medal for saving the American flag in battle on July 18, 1863 during the assault on Fort Wagner in Charleston, South Carolina.