GENTLEMAN JOHNNY’S BAGGAGE

                Gen. John Burgoyne had a brilliant plan to march from Canada into New York and cut the New England colonies off from the rest.  Divide and conquer – a tried and true tactic.  And it would be so easy because his British army with its ferocious Indian allies could Read more

KEEP THE CAMPFIRES BURNING

                One week after his game-changing victory at Trenton, Washington decided to tempt fate by recrossing the Delaware.  It was a very risky move that could have (and should have) lost the Revolution. British General Cornwallis, seeking revenge, swooped down on the Rebel army.  His superior army arrived in the Read more

ARNOLD’S LEG

                The Battle of Saratoga was the turning point of the Revolutionary War.  The victory resulted in France’s entry into the conflict on the side of the Colonies.  The win would not have happened without the valorous leadership of Benedict Arnold.  He led a decisive charge and was wounded in Read more

JONES’ GRENADE THROWER

                John Paul Jones was famously losing the battle with the HMS Serapis when he uttered his famous response to a surrender demand:  “I have not yet begun to fight!”  At the time, this seemed an act of false bravado and the statement would have been forgotten if Jones had Read more

BUTTON GWINNETT:  DUEL LOSER

            Button Gwinnett was born on March 3, 1735 in England.  He became a merchant, but in 1762 he and his family moved to America.  He ended up purchasing a plantation (with its slaves) in Georgia.  He went into politics and was elected to the Second Continental Congress.  He signed Read more

VIKING MYTHS

They were giants. –  the short summers and harsh winters did not provide the food necessary to grow big –  their skeletons indicate the men were about 5’6” –  not much taller than the average European male in the Middle Ages Viking kings were cremated on their ships with a Read more

SCIPIO SAVES HIS FATHER

Publius Cornelius Scipio (Scipio Africanus’ father) crossed the Po River to try to make contact with Hannibal’s army which had recently completed its crossing of the Alps. Scouts reported that the Carthaginian army was at the Trebia River. He had a pontoon bridge constructed. He crossed and established a camp. Read more