April 10: ON THIS DAY in 1942, Fighting on Bataan ceases

April 10, 2020 Brooklyn Eagle History

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1865, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reprinted the following letter: ‘“Headquarters, Army of Northern Virginia, April 9, 1865. Lieut. General U.S. Grant, Commanding U.S.A.: General: —I have received your letter of this date containing the terms of surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, as proposed by you; as they are substantially the same as those expressed in your letter of the 8th inst., they are accepted. I will proceed to designate the proper officers to carry the stipulations into effect. Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, R.E. Lee, General.’”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1871, the Eagle reported, “The celebration of Easter Day yesterday was very general in this city, and while it has been generally supposed that only Catholics and Episcopalians made it a full holiday, yesterday all classes of people seemed, under the bright sun, which shone with almost too much warmth on the crowded streets, to enter heartily into the spirit of the occasion. Early in the morning thousands of children jumped out of their little beds to see the ‘sun dance,’ as it is the custom of children to believe that luminary does on every Easter Sunday morning, and the rich smell of the traditional bacon and eggs, which from time immemorial has graced the breakfast table on Easter Sunday morning, pervaded every kitchen. Later in the day people began to pour toward the churches in all directions, and the streets were literally crowded. It was pleasant to observe the prosperity which seemed to be shown in the abundance of new clothes, which in accordance with another time-honored custom, nearly everyone who could afford them wore.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1917, the Eagle reported, “A pet parrot in the family of Herman Heroux, who lives in the four-story brick apartment at 265 Seventh avenue, saved the lives of all the members of the family, and the lives of other tenants as well, in a fire that destroyed four rooms on the fourth floor early today. The fire itself was supposed to have been caused by mice gnawing matches in a storeroom in Mr. Heroux’s apartments. The parrot began sneezing and yelling when the flames broke out. Mr. Heroux was roused, and awakened his wife and two daughters, Lillian and Bessie. Lillian rushed in to save the parrot. The damage is estimated at $700.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1940, the Eagle reported, “TORONTO — Hell hath no fury like a goaler scored. Walter (Turk) Broda, who packed plenty of venom into that 3-0 shutout he plastered on the Rangers last night, haunted the Blueshirts today as they pursued their fast-vanishing Stanley Cup. A week ago tomorrow the Rangers sniped six straight goals past Broda in New York, and then heaped insult to injury by tabbing the Toronto puck-blocker an ‘easy mark.’ ‘He’s duck soup to me,’ Bryan Hextall said. Then after shooting the Patrick hat trick, ‘He’s the easiest goaler to beat. How can we miss the Stanley Cup with him to shoot at?’ The Rangers lived to rue those words today. Definitely going downhill, Les Patrick’s boys were stunned to see the usually affable Turk, riled aplenty now, on top looking down at them. Mad as a hornet, he shut them out; and it was his first shutout in 44 games, or since Dec. 9. It doesn’t pay to get Broda mad. … ‘I read what those Rangers said about me,’ he grinned last night after turning back the Blueshirts, who peppered rubber at him like rain on the roof. ‘And I’ll have more to say about this Stanley Cup series, thank you.’”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1942, the Eagle reported, “AUSTRALIA — Gen. Douglas MacArthur said today that the little army he commanded on Bataan Peninsula ‘went out as it would have wished — fighting to the end.’ … MacArthur sent word to the mothers of Bataan’s fallen heroes, telling them their sons gave their lives in never-to-be-forgotten valor. ‘To the weeping mothers of Bataan’s dead, I can only say that the halo of Jesus of Nazareth has descended upon their sons and that God will take them unto Himself,’ he said. ‘No army has ever done so much with so little,’ said MacArthur. ‘Nothing became it more than its last hour of trial and agony.’”