The Hemp Bale Battle – Ingenious Idea Won the Siege of Lexington
The Missouri State Guard (MSG) had just been put together some months prior to the Lexington battle that shook the small town of Lexington for…
Final Days of the Civil War: Battle of Fort Blakely, Alabama
In an attempt to force their way into the last Confederate stronghold in Mobile, Alabama, the Federals launched two separate assaults on the Spanish and…
Attack of the Fire Balloons – Japan’s Intercontinental Weapon
On November 3, 1944, Japan released “fūsen bakudan,” or balloon bombs, into the Pacific jet stream. They each carried four small bombs and one thirty-pound…
Defending the Danevirke – The Battle of Mysunde
With a bitter winter came the onset of the Second Schleswig War. It was February 2, 1864 in Mysunde and the Danish troops were positioned…
Pirate or Privateer: The Lafitte Empire and the Raid of Barataria Bay
While the War of 1812 raged on between Great Britain and the United States, a group of gentleman pirates or as they would so often…
Betrayed Under a Flag of Truce – Seminole War Hero Osceola Was Defiant to the End
Born of the mixed parentage of an English father and a Creek mother, Osceola is a prominent figure in Seminole tribal history, recognized by many…
Skill, Luck, and Help From a Friend: Victory at Yorktown
The siege of Yorktown was considered to be the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was fought from 28 Sept – 19…
A Hard Dose of Reality for North and South – 1st Battle of Bull Run
Merriment rang out in the streets of Washington on July 16, 1861 as Gen. Irvin McDowell’s army, 35,000 strong, marched out to begin the campaign…
For Fur and Beads: The 1637 Mystic Fort Massacre in Connecticut
The Mystic Massacre was an armed invasion of a Pequot village at Mystic, Connecticut in New England that took place on May 26, 1637, during…
Wars You Never Heard Of – The Beginning of the Mormon War in Gallatin Missouri
Following the establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) in the 19th century by Joseph Smith, the religion soon gathered…
Failed Texas Rebellion: Battle of Medina 1813
Texas recorded its most ferocious battle on August 18, 1813 some miles south of San Antonio in the el encinal de Medina. The battle was…
Outsmarted and Outflanked – Washington’s Defeat at Long Island
The Battle of Long Island took place in Kings County, New York on August 27, 1776 as part of the New York and New Jersey…