American Revolution
War at Saber Point: Book Review
“Bloody Tarleton,” “Bloody Ban,” or “Tarleton’s Quarter” is how Banastre Tarleton is known, if known at all today. Movies like The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson, created a fictional Colonel Tavington loosely (very loosely) modeled on the real Banastre Tarleton. In the film, Tavington earned the epithets “Bloody Tarleton” and “Tarleton’s Quarter.” In his War at Saber […]
Jack Scruby Figures American War of Independence
Here’s a link to my one of my other blogs for those interested in military history, wargaming and miniature collecting. (Jack Scruby Figures American War of Independence) Link to Historifigs.com where Jack Scruby figures can still be purchased.
The American Revolution in Miniature_Saratoga Campaign
In 1975 there was a lot if interest in the upcoming Bicentennial. A friend and I put aside our interests in Napoleonic wargaming to produce war-game armies for what is now called the American War for Independence or AWI for short. At the time metal war-game figures were just becoming readily available and they were […]
War in UpState New York 1777
Upstate New York, August, 1777 “Gentleman” Johnny Burgoyne is leading a British Army from Canada in an invasion of New York during the American War of Independence. His goal would be Albany. By securing upstate New York the British hoped to take the steam out of the American War for Independence by 1777-78 when the British […]
The Regulars are Coming Out_April 19th, 1775
One of the enduring myths about the American War of Independence is that Paul Revere and William Dawes rode through the New England countryside shouting, ‘the British are coming, the British are coming.” Had they done so it would have been incomprehensible to to the average colonist who thought themselves British and indeed they were. […]
History for 2015
Like most book geeks I have a wish list on Amazon for the benefit of those wishing to bless me with books. So, this year I received two books from the list plus a third not on the list. All three dealt with the Revolutionary War. Two deal with the British side of the American […]
Victory at Yorktown_Book Review
Victory at Yorktown The Campaign That Won The Revolution By Richard M. Ketchum October 19th, 1781-a British Army under Major General Lord Cornwallis marched out of their entrenchments at Yorktown Virginia and surrendered to General George Washington commanding the American forces and to Lieutenant General de Rochambeau commanding the French. The Revolutionary War would go […]
Molon labe
Molon labe (μολὼν λαβέ) The phrase molon labe means “Come and take”. It is a classical expression of defiance reportedly spoken by King Leonidas I in response to the Persian army’s demand that the Spartans surrender their weapons at the Battle of Thermopylae. Today the expression molon labe has become a motto for Americans that […]
Longbows, Brown Bess and The Constitution
The link is to an article published in History Magazine in 1999 on the English Longbow. If you don’t want to read it here’s some interesting facts. English archers using the longbow were largely responsible for defeating numerically superior French armies on three separate occasions during the 100 Years War (1337-1453). 1. Crecy (1346) 2. […]
History and Hobbies 
Stand Your Ground
One character from the War of Independence that I’ve found interesting, even intriguing, is Captain John Parker. Captain Parker’s main claim to fame comes from his role as the Captain of Colonial Militia for the area around Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. Parker was a militia captain served served in the French and Indian War in […]