April 18

1847     American troops under General Winfield Scott defeated Mexican forces under General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna at the Battle of Cerro Gordo during the Mexican War. Scott's engineers, including future Civil War generals R.E. Lee, G.B. McClellan, J.E. Johnston, and U.S. Grant, were instrumental in locating a flanking mountain trail, which Scott used to bring up his main force.

1875  Rain In The Face, with the aid of a sympathetic soldier, escaped from the stockade at Ft. Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory.

1887   Shakespearean actor Edwin Booth appeared in "Hamlet," in Cheyenne.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1890  The National Land & Livestock Co., incorporated with capital of $250,000, a massive amount at that time, given the value of the 1890 dollar.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1898  The U. S. House of Representatives passed the following resolution:

 1. That the people of the Island of Cuba are, and of right ought to be, free and independent.
2. That it is the duty of the United States to demand, and the Government of the United States does demand, that the Government of Spain at once relinquish its authority and government in the Island of Cuba, and withdraw its land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban waters.
3. That the president of the United States be, and he hereby is, directed and empowered to use the entire land and naval forces of the United States, and to call into the actual service of the United States the militia of the several states to such an extent as may be necessary to carry these resolutions into effect.
4. That the United States hereby disclaims any disposition or intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction or control over said island, except for the pacification thereof, and asserts its determination when that is accomplished to leave the government and control of the island to its people.

1916   Casper Daily Press for April 18, 1916
 

The following evening, the paper was doubting the news of Villa's demise the day prior, and in a whimsical fashion.

A civil war in China, amazingly enough, managed to make the front page, in spite of the nearer strife.

1919  Apostol post office established.  Apostol would become Osage in 1920.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Library.

1920  Pilot Butte oil field abandoned.  Attribution:  Wyoming State Historical Society.

1924  Harry Jackson, an artist heavily associated with Wyoming, born in Chicago.

1934     The U.S. Army stops officially issuing sabers to the cavalry.  Sabers would continue on, unofficially, in at least some National Guard units.  Unit returns of the Wyoming National Guard's 115th Cavalry Regiment demonstrated that it was still issuing them as late as 1940.

Elsewhere:

 1923     The first baseball game was played at Yankee Stadium in New York City.  The Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 4 to 1.  Babe Ruth hit a home run in the inaugural game.

1942     B-25s from the USS Hornet raided Tokyo and other Japanese cities.