Early Modern | War History

Robert Smalls: The Slave Who Stole A Warship, Escaped The Confederates, And Became A U.S. Congressman

The life of Robert Smalls is an epic underdog story of an illiterate slave from South Carolina who managed to free himself by escaping from…

Strange Military Truces and How They Happened

Turks and Anzac Troops Truce

Apart from a few exceptions, truces and ceasefires are not normally known to be eventful, with most consisting of either a white flag or the…

Loreta Janeta Velázquez disguised herself as a man to fight alongside her husband in the Civil War

Loreta Janeta Velázquez and her husband Lieutenant Harry Buford

The life of Loreta Janeta Velázquez is one of adventure, twists, and turns. She was born in the mid-1800s, and later disguised herself and fought…

Brig. Gen. Martin Green Bragged About His Invincibility – He Was Quickly Proven Wrong

Painting of the fighting at the Siege of Vicksburg + Military portrait of Martin Green

The sheer scale of the American Civil War meant a number of seemingly improbable events occurred. Among them were bullets colliding and fusing in mid-air,…

Robert E. Lee Statue Removed From Richmond, Virginia Following State Supreme Court Decision

Top half of the Robert E. Lee statue in harnesses

The statue of Confederate Army general Robert E. Lee that stood over Richmond, Virginia’s Monument Avenue has been removed from its pedestal. The removal of…

Pentagon Requests Public Assistance In Renaming Of Military Installations

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin standing behind a podium + the entrance to Fort Bragg

The Pentagon has asked for the public’s help in renaming military installations named after Confederate Army soldiers. The request follows the passing of the Defense…

The Mistake That Led To The Confederate Loss At The Battle Of Antietam During The Civil War

Robert E Lee Statue

It was early September in 1862, and General Robert E. Lee was drafting plans for his Confederate invasion of Maryland. Lee drew up a detailed…

Virginia Supreme Court Rules General Robert E. Lee Statue Can Be Removed

Robert E. Lee statue surrounded by concrete barriers

Virginia’s Supreme Court has unanimously ruled on the fate of the 21-foot-tall statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Richmond. The state capital served…

16th-Century Rocket Cats: Brilliant Warfare Tactic or Terrible Idea?

Illustration of a pigeon and a cat with incendiaries attached to their backs

The Medieval era is known for its unique takes on just about everything. From strange hygiene habits to medical practices, it was certainly a different…

Effort To Rename Fort Benning After Decorated Lieutenant General Gains Traction

A petition calling for Fort Benning to be renamed “Fort Moore” after Lieutenant General Harold “Hal” Moore and his wife, Julie, has gained steam. It…

Civil War Air Balloons Existed And Had Their Own Corp

An air balloon and gunfire is not something you’d usually want to mix together, but the Union Army certainly did so with respectable results during…

The Items Found In Abraham Lincoln’s Pockets On the Night He Was Assassinated

Portrait of Abraham Lincoln + Abraham Lincoln's death mask and the items found in his pockets

US President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth, a moment that has immortalized the country’s 16th president. The assassination…