“I had taken my station close on the left of Major Andre’s left hand officer; and continued in that station the whole march. The guard marched a short distance when it wheeled to the left, turning a corner of the road, and marched a short distance, when they again wheeled to the left, in order…
This week, on my drive from Buffalo to Seneca Falls, I made a quick detour to visit a rock. I live in the Granite State, so I know a thing or two about rocks, but the rock I was visiting is unique because of a tablet mounted to it commemorating the Treaty of Canandaigua on…
During the beginning stages of the French and Indian War, the British Army led by General Edward Braddock and officers that included Thomas Gage and George Washington marched to modern-day Pittsburgh to drive the French out of Fort Duquesne. During the march, Gage’s Advance Guard failed to secure the high ground. As they marched towards Fort…
One of the biggest heroes for the American Colonists in the Revolutionary War in 1776 was a fisherman from Marblehead, Massachusetts. Actually, he was more than a fisherman, he was also a cordwainer (shoemaker), rum trader, merchant and notably, the first Captain (of the Hannah) in the Continental Navy a later in the war he commanded…
In the Southeastern corner of Brooklyn, New York is an oddly-named village named Gravesend. The definitive origin of the name is lost to history, but it’s generally agreed that it comes from the Dutch phrase “Count’s Beach”. This was part of New Amsterdam in the 17th century, and it remains one of the only place…
Long before present-day Syracuse dominated the lake that bears their name, the Onondaga lived in this area. Onondaga means “hill people”, and there are certainly plenty of those in the region. If you look at a map of the area, you see that there’s another dominant feature in this region: water. Lake Ontario is just…
Growing up in the United States of America, you heard a version of history that made our Founding Fathers and the generals who fought the American Revolution out to be heroes. And in many ways they were. The winners write the history, no doubt, but they did create a democracy that was the envy of…
Smallpox During the Revolutionary War more than 130,000 people living in North America died from Smallpox. Of those fighting in the war, about 7000 died in the war, while more than 17,000 died from disease. And smallpox was the biggest killer on the continent. Variola virus, or smallpox is spread through physical contact, airborne through…
Perspective on the Weather It’s bitterly cold outside. Snow boots, winter parka, bomber hat flaps tight to the face when you’re letting the dog out cold. In general I don’t complain about the weather. Hell I live in New England and while some call it our birthright, I view it as whining about something you…