User:Mostboaring/sandbox

Bold textEarly History'

"During the Reconstruction era, Union Leagues were formed across the South after 1867 as working auxiliaries of the Republican Party, supported entirely by Northern interests. They were secret organizations that mobilized freedmen to register to vote and to vote Republican. They taught freedmen Union views on political issues and which way to vote on them, and promoted civic projects. By the end of 1867 it seemed that virtually every black voter in the South had enrolled in the Union League, the Loyal League, or some equivalent local political organization. Meetings were generally held in a black church or school."[1]

Little is known for certain outside the exclusive Membership of the Chassahowitzka Hunt Club (“The Club”). Apparently, The Club was an outgrowth of a Southern Union League Club referenced above, and seems it was founded (1873) as a men’s political, social, sporting and hunt club. It is said to be the oldest and most exclusive “Country Club” in the United States. Although not originally a “Country Club” in today’s sense. Membership has always been and remains by invitation only. Due to its long history, secretive nature and elite membership, The Club and has a near mythical status.

Founding Members notably included a number of Irish-American Union Army Generals including Lt. General William Tecumseh Sherman. While Lt. General “Uncle Billy” Sherman was not of significant Irish lineage himself, his adoptive mother and father were Irish. General Sherman converted to Catholicism, married his Irish step-sister; and together they produced eight children. President Ulysses S. Grant was an early Member; and by all accounts, remains the greatest horseman and polo player in Club history. Like Sherman, founding Members were also Members of the Northern Union League Clubs.

The Union League Clubs of New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago were founded during the Civil War 1862-1863. In part as a reaction to the anti-war “Know Nothings”. The Know Nothings were a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The Know Nothings were originally a secret society. It was primarily an anti-Catholic, Anti-Irish, anti-immigration.(1) The Founders of both the Union League Clubs and “The Club” all considered the Know Nothings as traitors to the Union.

The original idea for a home for “The Club” was likely borne of Major General Sherman's time in the area during the Seminole Indian War. Evidently, during those early years, Sherman occasionally spent recreational time hunting around the Chassahowitzka River basin.

By all accounts, it was in 1873 that the Club was formed and purchased over 70,000  acres for the purpose of polo and hunting. Polo was being played in Ireland as early as 1870. However, by 1878 it seems the Members (a majority veterans all of the Civil War) became rather bored with Polo and began hunting wild boar on horseback with pistols. Thus the wild boar and pistols logo.

As Golf also became popular near the turn of the century 1883-1899, golf was also sponsored by the Club. A golf course was designed and built by Member, General James Patrick MacIvor under the advice and direction of John Reid "America's Father of Golf".

Much later, on December 6th, 1941 the then President of The Club, Philemon Tecumseh Sherman (oldest son of Lt. General Sherman) died. On December 8th (the day after Pearl Harbor), The Club donated its land holdings to the U.S. Military for training purposes during the war. Post WWII, the land reverted to green space.

Rumors persist that, since WWII, The Club has maintained a small Membership with occasional seasonal events around golf and boar hunting in Florida.

Bold textNew Era

There is recent talk that, in response to the new rise of Nativism/White Nationalism within the Republican Party; The Club is once again expanding Membership, and returning to a decidedly more politically active phase. It is a United States Golf Association Member Club. Some are pointing to recent covert and overt acts of sedition (including the Jan 6th coup attempt, and the 147 elected Republicans who then voted against the ratification of a fair and free election) have revived the original mission of The Club.