On the morning of August 5, 1864, Rear-Admiral Farragut, commanding the Gulf Blockading Squadron, entered Mobile Bay, passing between Forts Morgan and Gaines to engage the rebel ram Tennessee and the Confederate gunboats Selma, Morgan, and Gaines. Mobile Bay, AL | August 5, 1864 © American Battlefield Trust The defenses Read more
On a clear summer morning in 429 BC, the Athenian admiral Phormio cruised the northern coast of the Corinthian Gulf, stalking a Corinthian-led fleet sailing parallel to them along the southern coast. Phormio was based at the Athenian-controlled city of Naupactus, nestled strategically in the upper “teeth of the Corinthian Read more
In the summer of 210 BC, Publius Cornelius Scipio ‘the Younger’ sailed from the mouth of the Tiber to take command of the remnant of the Roman armies left in Iberia (Spain). He was young when elected by popular assembly to the post, according to Polybius, around 27, with real Read more
Since we were old enough to hold wooden guns, my brother and I have shared an interest in great battles. Pittsburgh Landing, a forgotten piece of land skirting the border of Mississippi and Tennessee, is one of those places. Driving up from Florida, we are engulfed in farm country, endless Read more
“See what a lot of land these fellows hold, of which Vicksburg is the key! The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket…We can take all the northern ports of the Confederacy, and they can defy us from Vicksburg.” – Abraham Lincoln Read more
Philip II of Macedonia in a message to Sparta: “You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city.” Sparta’s reply: “If.“ I was planning this trip for months. Ever since Read more
I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell. – William Tecumseh Sherman I took a Read more
This is the second part to my “Alamo” story. I have tried to recreate this event, locales and conversations from my memories of them. Writing this post has been a challenge. In order to maintain their anonymity, in some instances I have changed the names and home towns of individuals Read more
Rules of War: Young warriors die You cannot change Rule #1 Someone must walk point I’m writing this post about a day I lived and should have died, in August 2010. It was nearing the end of my seven month deployment. “Alamo” is the code-word used over the radio informing Read more
History is full of examples of successful military surprises. Examples of effective early warning strategies are more difficult to find, but they range from the simple to the sublime. Animals such as dogs, horses, and even guinea hens have been used to warn of the enemy’s approach. According to the Read more