Super Tidbit
In May 1776, the American colonies were on a collision course with Great Britain and King George
III. The idea of breaking away from the British Empire was not to King George's, nor Parliament's, liking. The colonies' ideas of freedom had to be swatted like a fly. It should have been easy to do... after all, Great Britain had the best and most powerful, innovative army and navy in the history of the world. A lot of people never consider how innovative the British military was in 1776. Great Britain was going to let the world know what was going to happen if
they dared defy the mighty British Empire.
The American colonies didn't have much in the way of military readiness. Their military was made up of militias, most of which were poorly trained. One of the great problems the American colonies had was the lack of gunpowder. There were a few powder mills but they couldn't keep up with the everyday demand as it was, let alone fight a war.
To give you an idea about how much black
powder was required calls for simple mathematics. Gunpowder came in 100-pound barrels, 50-pound half barrels and 25-pound kegs. Each one of these was filled to only 90 percent for safety reasons. Copper was used in making barrels and kegs to prevent sparks. A hundred-pound barrel of powder only contained 90 pounds of powder. Muskets were .75 caliber and required 150 grains of powder. A pound of gunpowder weighs 7000 grains. Out of a pound of gunpowder,
there was only enough powder for 46 shots. Assuming nobody spilled any powder, there were 4200 shots per 100-pound barrel. Field artillery ( 6 pounders ) took from two to three pounds per shot ( one third to one half the weight of the cannon ball ). Bigger cannons took 10 pounds per shot. At one time, Washington's army was down to 36 barrels of gunpowder. It sounds like a lot until you are fighting a war.
A prime example of how important a
shortage of powder could be was the Battle of Bunker Hill in June, 1775. The militia had only two or three shots per man. Had they had 10 shots, the war would have been over, but the patriots had to retreat. The British literally had boatloads of gunpowder.
When one reads about the Revolutionary War, the capturing of stores of powder and shot were critical goals. France's support of the Revolutionary War is well publicized and was critical. What is
not well known is the vital role Spain secretly played.
In 1776, Spain thought it was in their best interest to support the American Colonies. While Benjamin Franklin was getting all the publicity, a couple of George Washington's officers were secretly negotiating with Spain. One of the topics was gunpowder. Spain secretly supplied 300,000 pounds of gunpowder to Washington's army. The Spanish brought the gunpowder though New Orleans and up the Mississippi,
skirting the British Blockade. The supply of gunpowder would be a critical item for George Washington.
More about Spain to come in the next exciting issue of the Thursday Bulletin!
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Tidbits
May 21, 2000 – The bones of President James Garfield, particularly his spine, was put on display at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington D.C. It was put on display and showed where one of two assassin's bullets had
passed through. Wow! The exhibit was supposed to feature medical oddities from the museum's archives. I think it showed multiple pieces from politicians in Washington. Well, Garfield's spine looked fine. Maybe those in Washington today should go find their own spines sometime.
May 22nd is Poppy Day. What is Poppy Day? Many people have never heard of it. Poppy Day
memorializes those who have fought in war. After World War I, the devastated battle fields in France and Belgium suddenly became covered with brilliant red poppies. It is thought that the artillery shells broke up limestone that mixed with the nitrates and other residue from the artillery shells which fertilized the ground and made the perfect seed bed for the native poppies. The fields were covered in endless poppies that waved in the breeze where just months before hundreds of
thousands had been killed or wounded.
In 1920, the poppy was adopted as the official flower of the American Legion. Each year, on the Friday before Memorial Day, poppies are distributed to memorialize those who fought and died in World War I and after. There is no charge for the poppy. If you choose to make a donation, those funds are earmarked for assisting veterans and can only be used for providing necessary items for veterans in
hospitals, homeless veterans, grocery cards or gas cards for veterans, food pantries or assistance in Honor Flights. Be sure to take a moment from your busy day and get your poppy!
May 22, 1892 – Dr. Washington Sheffield invents the metal, collapsible, toothpaste tube. Today, toothpaste comes in plastic tubes. Originally, toothpaste and artists paint tubes were made of tin and lead. Tin is a rare earth
metal and was a scarce commodity because the United States had no large-scale tin mines. In WWII, tin was mostly mined in South America. Tin was important for making solder for make electronic equipment and in for use in various alloys. During WWII, druggists required you to turn in your old tooth paste tube before they would give you a new one. My father, a WWII veteran, kept a box filled with old toothpaste tubes just in case the Korean War spread across the
globe.
May 23, 1900 – Army sergeant William Harvey Carney receives the Medal of Honor. Sergeant Carney was the first black American to receive the Nation's highest honor. The Carney family were slaves in the south and made their way to Massachusetts before the Civil War. Carney was originally planning to go into the ministry but, when the Civil War started, he thought the best way to serve his God, his country, and his
brothers would be to enlist in the Army. Carney enlisted in the 54th Massachusetts, the first black regiment.
In the attack on Fort Wagner, Carney saw the flag bearer shot and the flag descending to the ground. He leaped forward and grabbed the flag, carrying it uphill to the fortress wall where he planted it in the sand. He held the flag up despite many bullet wounds. He nearly died, but was determined not to let the flag fall. His wounds were so
bad, he was discharged from the United States Army and returned to Massachusetts where he worked for the United States Post Office and, eventually, in the Massachusetts State House.
May 24, 1775 – John Hancock becomes the first president of the second Continental Congress. He is best known for his signature on the Declaration of Independence. His large, over-sized signature was made, it is said, so that King George
could read it clearly.
May 24, 1935 – The Cincinnati Reds defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 2 – 1 in Major League Baseball's very first night game. The first night game ever played by a baseball team was in Des Moines, Iowa, on May 2, 1930. Night games saved major league baseball. In the depression, the number of fans attending games dropped dramatically. The introduction of lights helped
to bring the crowds back.
May 25th is Memorial Day! The first Memorial Day Ceremony north of the Mason/Dixon line was at Woodlawn Cemetery in Carbondale.
Be sure to attend your local ceremonies to commemorate and thank all those who fought and died for this great country!
May 25, 1787 – The
Constitutional Convention begins in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. The Articles of Confederation, which had been ratified in 1781, wasn't doing the job. George Washington was elected president of the convention.
May 25, 1935 – Babe Ruth hits his last home run at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It would be his 714th home run. Many players thought “The Babe” was all washed up, but
they were mistaken. He went three for four, which included three home runs, driving in a total of six runs. Not bad for a guy they thought was all washed up.
May 26, 1907 – John Wayne is born in Winterset, Iowa. His real name was Marion Robert Morrison. When he was six years old, his family moved to Glendale, California. Wayne wanted to join the United States Navy and attend the Naval Academy, but he
was rejected. He went to Southern California University on a football scholarship but was then injured.
He began working in the movie industry in 1930, starring in the movie “The Big Trail”, but the movie did poorly. Finally, in 1939, John Ford gave Wayne his big break, casting him in “Stagecoach”...and the rest is history.
May 27, 1986 – The United States Patent Office issues a patent to Lonnie
Johnson for his toys. Simply titled “squirt gun”, his toys, after a few name and design changes, became known as the “Super Soaker”. It is the best selling water toy of all time. I know the origin of the “Super Soaker” has been on your mind.
Gun Shows
While the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be accurate,
sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only.
If your club or organization is holding a gun show, event or class, let us know the details, and we’d be happy to post it in our Weekly Range Schedule.
June 19 – June 21, 2026 Pecatonica Gun Show, Winnebago County Fairgrounds, Pecatonica, IL.
Sept. 19 – Sept. 20, 2026 Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club Gun & Knife Show,
Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club House, Chillicothe, IL.
Sept. 19, 2026 National Civil War, Military, and Collector Arms Show, DuPage County Fairgrounds, Wheaton, IL.
Oct. 24 - 25, 2026 Belleville Gun & Knife Show, Belle-Clair Fairgrounds, Belleville, IL.
Oct. 24 - 25, 2026 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL.
Nov. 7 - 8, 2026 Bloomington
Gun & Knife Show, Interstate Center, Bloomington, IL.
Nov. 28 - 29, 2026 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL.
Dec. 6 – Dec. 7, 2026 Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club House, Chillicothe, IL.
ISRA Town Hall Monthly
Meetings
Come and meet fellow activists and learn the latest on protecting our Second Amendment Rights!
Livingston County – 4th Tuesday of the month – South Post Guns, 104 Livingston Rd., Streator, IL; Social half-hour from 6:00pm – 6:30pm; Meeting at 6:30pm.
Madison County – 1st Wednesday of the month – Piasa Armory,
625 Lewis and Clark Blvd., East Alton, IL; Doors open at 6:15pm; Meeting starts at 6:30pm
Northwest Suburban - 3rd Tuesday of the month – Golden Corral, 1591 S Randall Rd., Algonquin, IL; This meeting is temporarily canceled until further notice.
South Suburban/Cook County - 2nd Thursday of the month – New Location: Papa Joe's Italian Restaurant, 14459
LaGrange Rd, Orland Park, IL; Doors open 6:00pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
Will County - 3rd Wednesday of the month – Silver Dollar Restaurant, 422 E. Mississippi Ave., Elwood, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
