This Date in History: February 24

 

Gerd von Rundstedt, Army Field Marshal, born December 12, 1875 in Aschersleben, winner of the Iron Cross 1st Class in World War I, retired in 1938/recalled to service in 1939, commander Army Group A, commander Army Group South, Commander-in-Chief West (Oberbefehlshaber West), president of the Army Court of Honor, winner of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, died on February 24, 1953 at Schloss Oppershausen near Celle, often told a joke about Adolf Hitler and Moses:

“Back in 1940, Hitler was standing on the French coast over the Channel and planning the invasion of England.  Suddenly he saw a small black cloud soar up from the cliffs of Dover and swirl toward him, growing bigger and blacker as it came.  As it approached, he was shocked to see the figure of Moses in the cloud, speaking to him with a voice like thunder.  And this is what Moses said – ‘Führer, had you treated my people better, I might be showing you the Red Sea trick.'”  (2,000 Quotes From Hitler’s 1,000-Year Reich)

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February 24, 1874.  Sunrise was at 7:02 a.m.; it began to snow again.  The expedition moved east into the high country over the prairie to avoid the high bluffs north of the Yellowstone River and headed toward Sweet Grass Creek (some 74 ground miles from Bozeman,) arriving at 3:00 p.m.  Sunset occurred at 5:54 p.m.  Addison M. Quivey described the immediate plan of action.

“…leaving the Yellowstone at the mouth of Big Timber creek, crossing Sweet Grass creek (12 miles) about five miles from its mouth; thence following up a small right-hand branch of Sweet Grass to the summit of the divide or table-land between the Yellowstone and Musselshell rivers, which we followed for eight days (two of which we lay by,) descending to the Yellowstone again a few miles above the mouth of Prior’s creek, and near the place where Colonel Baker and his command had their fight with the Indians in 1872.”  (Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Gold and Guns: The 1874 Yellowstone Wagon Road and Prospecting Expedition and the Battle of Lodge Grass Creek)