NM Stanley, 'Sir' Henry Morton

Sir Henry Morton Stanley
a.k.a. John Rowlands

Born: January 28, 1841
Stanley.jpg


Birthplace: Denbigh Wales

Wife:
Dorothy Tennant 1855 – 1926
(Buried: Saint Michael and all Angels Churchyard England)​

Children:

Denzil Morton Stanley 1895 – 1959​
(Buried: Saint Michael and all Angels Churchyard England)​

Explorer, Journalist. Born John Rowlands in Denbigh Wales, he was journalist noted for his expeditions to the African continent and remembered for the words uttered to Livingstone upon finding him: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?". In 1859, he went to the United States to start a new life, participated in the Civil War first as a Confederate and later in the Union Army. Following the Civil War, he began a career as a journalist and wrote about an expedition to the Congo region of Africa. In 1867, he was recruited to serve as a correspondent to cover the work for several newspapers to find missionary David Livingstone in Africa. This 700-mile expedition through the tropical forest, resulted in Stanley finding Livingstone in November 1871. His diaries became published in newspapers world wide as well as in the Encyclopedia Britannica and Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. On his return to England in the 1880s, he entered Parliament as a member for Lambeth North, serving from 1895 to 1900. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Bath in 1899, in recognition of his service to the British Empire in Africa and died in London in 1904.

Died: May 10, 1904

Place of Death: London, England

Age at time of Death: 63 years old

Burial Place: Saint Michael and all Angels Churchyard, England

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He lived a very interesting life. I did not know he participated in the war. I will have to read more about this gentleman.
 
He lived a very interesting life. I did not know he participated in the war. I will have to read more about this gentleman.
He was wounded and captured while serving as a member of an Arkansas infantry regiment in the April, 1862 Battle of Shiloh. While serving as a prisoner of war he was given the choice of becoming what was known as a galvanized Yankee, a POW who turns coat and serves on the opposite side, though usually not in combat against his former associates.
 
The first 15+ years of his life He was John Rowlands,then after leaving Wales enroute to New Orleans as a cabin boy He suddenly became Henry Stanley after jumping ship at New Orleans and taking the name of his benefactor. While studying plantation management in Arkansas He ran off and joined the Dixie Grays in July 1861. These Dixie Grays later became Co. E , 5th Arkansas. He was captured the second day of Shiloh and sent to Camp Douglas, Chicago. At Camp Douglas Stanley took the oath of allegiance and became a "Galvanized Yankee". His Union Army career was with an artillery unit assigned to Harper's Ferry. Stanley became ill and was discharged. He went to Cuba looking for his benefactor. Upon learning of "Mr. Stanleys" death He returned to New York where He enlisted in the Union Navy. He served aboard the USS Minnesota. Stanley later deserted in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Thus ended the career of probably the only man to serve in the Confederate Army, the Union Army and the Union Navy.
 
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One of the reasons for the capture of some of the Dixie Grays (co.E, 6th Ark.) at Shiloh was the disadvantage they had by being armed with outmodeled flintlocks.

Id say that was a massive disadvantage , smoothbore would be bad enough but flintlock was awful. How many rounds per minute could a skilled soldier discharge with a flintlock musket.
 
Id say that was a massive disadvantage , smoothbore would be bad enough but flintlock was awful. How many rounds per minute could a skilled soldier discharge with a flintlock musket.
Three or four (with an unfouled musket) - not really any different than during the Civil War - BUT there's of course the greater problem with misfires, bad flints, wet powder, etc., etc.
 
Very interesting reminds me of the British officer who came over from England who was at Gettysburg. Arthur Lyon Fremantle.

Not too sure about this. Stanley was a Welshman and Fremantle was English. Fremantle was a British officer while Stanley was pretty much an adventurer. Other than the fact that they both came from the UK they were quite different.
 
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