Early Modern | War History

Civil War Air Balloons Existed And Had Their Own Corp

An air balloon and gunfire is not something you’d usually want to mix together, but the Union Army certainly did so with respectable results during…

The Items Found In Abraham Lincoln’s Pockets On the Night He Was Assassinated

Portrait of Abraham Lincoln + Abraham Lincoln's death mask and the items found in his pockets

US President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth, a moment that has immortalized the country’s 16th president. The assassination…

Military Events That Prove Just How Unlucky Friday the 13th Really Is

King George VI and Elizabeth, the Queen Mother standing with a man near a damaged part of Buckingham Palace

Friday the 13th is considered one of the unluckiest days of the year. While many feel it’s just everyone being overly superstitious, others believe there’s…

Comparing Historic Battlefields, Then and Now

French troops standing together in a trench

Battles typically have a lasting physical impact on the places where they occur, leaving behind scars that hint at what happened. The following in a…

Swiss Pikemen: The Most Fearsome Medieval Mercenaries

Swiss pikemen against German Landsknechts

One of the most formidable military infantries from the Middle Ages was the Swiss pikemen. Despite being a small contingent with little in the way…

Statue Of Confederate General Robert E. Lee Removed From Charlottesville Park

Robert E. Lee statue being hoisted in the air + the statue on a truck surrounded by people

The debate surrounding Civil War-era monuments in the United States has been gathering steam over the years. With movements like Black Lives Matter raising issues…

Battle of Nassau: The Continental Marines’ First Amphibious Landing

Oil painting of the Continental fleet landing in the Bahamas during the Battle of Nassau

The Battle of Nassau was a naval operation and amphibious assault by the newly formed Continental Navy and Marines. It was the latter’s first amphibious…

The Curious Case of the US Camel Corps

Man standing with a camel in a grassy field

On May 10, 1855, Secretary of War Jefferson Davis wrote one of the most bizarre orders in US Army history. Addressed to Brevet Maj. Henry…

Charlottesville City Council Votes To Remove Robert E. Lee Statue

A statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is seen in Market Street Park on April 1, 2021 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Action is being taken in Charlottesville, Virginia, to remove statues of former Confederate American Civil War generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson from the…

Weird Ways To End A Siege — Some Strange Strategies

The storming of the fortress of Stampace in Pisa, 1568-1571. Artist: Vasari, Giorgio

The constant battle between defenses and breaking those defenses has raged throughout the history of humanity. Today, the war is mostly over, with offensive weapons…

Igor I of Kiev: History’s Mysterious Viking Prince

AI rendering of what Igor I of Kiev may have looked like when alive

Igor I of Kiev ruled from 913, until his death in 945. While his reign was relatively long, numerous aspects of his story remain a…

Pauline Cushman: The Union Civil War Spy Who Was Also a Stage Actress

Pauline Cushman dressed in her military uniform

Pauline Cushman may have been considered a mediocre actress, but she’s seen as one of the most successful Union spies of the American Civil War.…