The parole system originated in Europe and was used in America for the first and only time in the Civil War. It basically involved the exchange of prisoners. Until an exchange could be arranged, the prisoner was paroled meaning they could not participate in any military activities that would benefit Read more…
On his return from India, Alexander and his army had to traverse the very dry Gedrosian Desert. At one point, the army was down to its last canteen of water. It was brought to Alexander. He asked if there was enough for everyone and when he was told no, he Read more…
Taverns were the multi-purpose establishments of colonial and early America. The name comes from the Roman word taberna. An American tavern could be defined as a place for alcoholic beverages, food, and lodging. But that was just the basics. Taverns were the hubs of villages and towns. They were like Read more…
Alexander’s last great battle was in India at the River Hydaspes. He faced his most worthy opponent in this battle. King Porus fought from elephant-back and very nearly defeated Alexander. Porus was wounded by a spear in the battle and his elephant supposedly pulled the spear out. After the battle, Read more…
Interesting Facts about the Battle of Chancellorsville Gen. Joseph Hooker had replaced the incompetent Ambrose Burnside after his frontal lunacy at Fredericksburg. Hooker quickly whipped the Army of the Potomac into shape and stole a march on Lee by crossing the Rappahannock River and descending on Lee’s left. Lee’s Army Read more…
After Alexander had defeated the Persians in the Battles of Granicus and Issus, he went on to conquer Egypt. Everyone knew the job of conquering the whole Persian Empire was not finished, but Alexander had half and Darius still had a huge army. Darius sent a message to Alexander offering Read more…
Drummer boys go back hundreds of years. They were used in the Revolutionary War, but are most famous for their role in the Civil War. If you were too young to enlist as a soldier, you could join the army as a drummer boy. Some were as young as 12. Read more…
History teachers are probably aware that we have a rare WWI movie now showing in theaters across the country. It has been heavily promoted and recently won the Golden Globe for Best Drama. It certainly will get Academy Awards recognition. Should you go see it and should you encourage your Read more…
Battle of Antietam – Interesting Facts Most history books use the Northern names for the battles because the victors write the history books. Many Civil War battles had a Northern name and a Southern name. Northerners tended to name battlefields after natural landmarks like rivers because they were memorable for Read more…
Once upon a time, there was a small kingdom in Asia Minor called Gordium. It was ruled by a wise king, but when he died he had no son to replace him. The people were without a leader so they went to the chief priest for his advice. The priest Read more…