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| The Battle on the Monongahela (Source) |
Rather than dwell on my recent loss, I've decided it's time to move forward and get on with life, at least the blogging portion of it. It's a tough thing, it's gonna hurt until the day I die (like every other loss does) but I can't stop living. Not really ready to be creative (i.e. continue on the book for the moment) but I can write about other things. Like the history behind the book.
The more attentive of you may have noticed that the label on the bottom of the posts changed from La Rivière (The River, specifically the Connecticut River) to Le Lac (The Lake, specifically Lake Champlain) on the 2nd of July.
La Rivière marked the first part of our story and covered some of the events (fictional and otherwise) of what was known as King George's War (1744 to 1748, King George II by the way, not III). Le Lac marks the second part of the story and will cover some of the events of the French and Indian War (1754 to 1763). Of course, only the events which involve the characters in the book will be covered.
You might recall that our own Lieutenant Will Jefferson was kicked out of the His Majesty's Foot Guards, however he managed to wangle a commission with the 44th Regiment of Foot. Which is a fancy way of saying an infantry regiment, by the way.
Anyhoo, the 44th had an interesting history during this time period. They performed badly at the Battle of Culloden (which I'll get to at some point) in April of 1746 (oops, a bit o' bad data there, the 44th wasn't at Culloden), then managed to get to the New World in time to participate in Braddock's defeat on the Monongahela River in July of 1755. Which I do plan to cover in my book. Which requires a bit of research, though I'm familiar with the broad outlines of the battle, to do it justice I need to dig further.
Suffice to say, Lt. Jefferson is in for some "interesting times."
Oh, a map might be in order at this time...
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| (Slightly modified from Source) |
If you look at that map, you'll see the path that British General Braddock's expedition took to get to the Battle on the Monongahela. The Nuke used to live on a street in Alexandria, VA. which part of Braddock's army used to march from their debarkation point to the starting point for that disastrous expedition. Oh, and the Washington mentioned above? Yup, our first President when he was an officer in the Virginia service. As a matter of fact, he was instrumental in saving the remnants of that expedition.
At any rate, the map will give you an idea of the ground to be covered in Part Two of the book. While the Battle on the Monongahela is nowhere near Lake Champlain, it's important to further the story. Yes, the Gaudry brothers and Little Wolf will be present at that battle as well. Just to let you know.
Now I'm off to do the research, we'll see how far I get for Saturday's post...
Thanks for this Sarge. Hoping "things" become easier (as I write this one of our 11-year old dogs has surfaced from the basement to hang out with me) for once he didn't need to go out - and I woke anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe map certainly helps me better understand how our currently over populated, over developed (in many places) northeast was in fact the frontier.
You've got me thinking I need to revisit Hackett Fisher's book on Champlain.
Boat Guy
I read his book Washington's Crossing, good stuff. Might have to track down the Champlain book.
DeleteYep, it is always interesting to contemplate how undeveloped various areas were not that long ago - I remember overlooking Manhattan from the hills of eastern NJ and thinking how that area must have been somewhat easy (relatively speaking, of course) for natives to survive and even thrive - wetlands, oceans, rivers, and forests would have provided ample food resources. I also remember travelling up the Susquehanna near Harrisburg and thinking, "this used to be the western frontier!" (They are hard to find, but Chandler's novels of early settlements in Perry County, PA, are pretty good.)
DeleteEvery time I drive through that area of NY/NJ I imagine what it was like 250 years ago, much like you said, everything the natives would need was right there.
DeleteAnd then I come back to reality.
And it was in this time frame that Johnny Chapman's ancestors were forcibly removed from Nova Scotia and transported to what is now the bayous of Louisiana. There were folks from out in the swamp who still held a nebulous grudge passed down through the generations. Fun-loving and friendly people but clannish and do not make them angry...
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping the research work makes your loss a bit easier to bear...
-Barry
Yup, I've read of that time period before, there's a reason many folks didn't particularly care for the English back in the day.
DeleteOr for the FedGov from the 30's and 40's.
DeleteMy dad used to rail loudly and longly about "Press Dos por Espanol" as there was a concerted effort by said FedGov to eliminate Cajun French as a language during, well, FDR's years.
He didn't have a problem with English being the primary language. It was the widespread push to allow Spanish as a primary language that peeved him most furiously. His reasoning was that if his people who were here before the United States had to learn English, then newcomers should also learn said English. Or the Americanized version of English.
Exactly!
DeleteI looked it up, I wanted to see (in today's world) where the "Battle on the Monongahela" happened (Outside Pittsburg PA).
ReplyDeletehttps://goo.gl/maps/cydKYfsAnitZNEfu9
Maybe if I get up that way I'll remember to take a look.
Pretty built up these days, it will be hard to get a feel for the battle.
DeleteVisiting historical sites will give an idea of the terrain.
ReplyDeleteValley Forge comes to mind.
But, mostly, I prefer to just picture the scenes in my mind because, while location is important, it is secondary to the plot in fiction.
I find it helps to keep the mind working constantly.
I was reminded, electronically, that today is GS and my 28 wedding anniversary.
That said, it was 20 years before I got a handle on what the date actually is.
Sometimes some dates aren't nearly as important as some folks think they should be, and don't generate memories like others.
They're important only for the chronology.
Sometimes the historical site has been rendered nearly unrecognizable over the years for various reasons. The site of the Battle of Bunker Hill springs to mind almost immediately. Modern Boston is completely different from 1700s Boston, a lot less water for one thing, many areas were filled in to build upon.
DeleteThe battlefield at Waterloo (technically Mont St. Jean) has some differences, for one, the most interesting section of the field was dug up to create a big earthen pyramid to commemorate the battle. Though the view from the top is nice, it ruined the terrain.
Dates are important only for the chronology that are in 'em. But never tell your wife that around birthday/anniversary time!
Ah... Fort Necessity. Nothing like putting the fort in the wrong place. Great job there, George...
ReplyDeleteThat map... Just doesn't convey how rugged that area was and is. You really don't get an idea until you see where the Appalachians run, see the river valleys and such. From a flat-lander's perspective, it just looks like short distances and easy walking. Until you realize that to go 4 miles as the crow flies you have to meander 10-12 miles around or over mountain ridges and valleys and such other non-flat-land nonsense.
Thanks for the history lesson behind the history lesson. Again, learning stuff that my American History teachers didn't teach. Apparently it was much more important in the 70's to talk about The Grange and how the railroad barons were so bad, and the suffragette movement and the legal use of drugs before the FedGov regulated against it. And, of course, how wonderbar both Wilson and FDR were, with a fawning love for JFK. (Truman, on the other hand, was bad because he dropped the bombs...)
Ah, to go back in time and use a clue by four on the various (lack of) Education departments...
I had some pretty good teachers back in the day, before Vermont was overrun by radical assholes.
DeleteOne of my daughters had a history teacher at the local HS who was abysmally bad, it's almost as if he was an ideology teacher! She spotted the BS immediately for two reasons, 1) Dad loves history, and 2) she had a GREAT history teacher in the Netherlands at AFCENT (which later became AFNORTH ... 2000?).
Ideology = how to raise slaves, not citizens.
Clue by four? I'd go with a mace to the cranium, pour encourager les autres.
I prefer the Catherine's Wheel, that way, if they survive, they have a great job as a circus or sideshow freak.
DeleteOuch!
DeleteWashington's trip with Braddock was 18 months after his first trip to western Pennsylvania.
ReplyDeleteIn December 1753, the 21 year old (child on his parent's health insurance policy?) Colonel in the Virginia militia went to newly established Ft. LeBouf (present Waterford, PA) to deliver the Governor's ultimatum to the French commander to get out of Virginia's territory. The Frenchman politely hosted Washington, and his seven companions, for three days, before sending him home to tell the Governor to send his demands to Quebec, not him.
(My wife few up a few miles from there, so I get back often- nothing to see, and most people have only the vaguest idea that anything happened there, or if so, what role it played in our history. Guess they need to wait for your book...)
Braddock's road, at least near Ft. Necessity, is preserved, and anyone at the Huertgen Forest would feel the same willies. Dark, quiet, injuns behind every tree, maybe.
Looking forward to more chapters as you superbly (q) tell a story and (b) teach some history.
John Blackshoe
A young George Washington was also involved with The Battle of Jumonville Glen, also known as the Jumonville affair, was the opening battle of the French and Indian War,[5] fought on May 28, 1754, near present-day Hopwood and Uniontown in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. A company of colonial militia from Virginia under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Washington, and a small number of Mingo warriors led by Tanacharison (also known as "Half King"), ambushed a force of 35 Canadiens under the command of Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville. (Source)
DeleteA very controversial affair to say the least.
Yeah, there’s an argument to be made thst Washington started the war.
DeleteIndeed, a valid argument as well.
DeleteGlad you're back in the saddle, Sarge. I also appreciate the "Actual" history of the area. Unlike your previous fiction, I don't have nearly the historical knowledge of wars in this locale, this helped. I've been to a lot of those places, just never understood the flow. So...Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a rough week, but I awakened on the 8th with a desire to write.
DeleteWhich continues...
Was sorry to hear about your loss, sir. I've had three dogs, gave them all good happy lives, and then had to let them go on that far shore. At least I was with them all the way to the bitter end.
ReplyDeleteI'm on dog #4. When my own time ends, I just wanna go where they go.
Amen brother.
Deletenot wishing to gild the lily, but this is exactly what should be taught in grade schools in every state.
ReplyDeletejust my opinion
Which I share!
DeleteI have read (One's mileage may vary) that Braddock's defeat on the Monongahela was what started the train of the thought in Washington that led to a change in tactics from the traditional European model.
ReplyDeleteLike others have said, a pity this is not taught anymore. Looking forward to learning.
It's quite possible. Washington learned from his mistakes.
DeleteHey Old AFSarge;
ReplyDeleteThis is what history should be taught, I had good history teachers when I was a kid, they didn't dwell on the politically correct subjects like they do now. My son when he was in elementary school and Junior high would use my books as references for his history reports and he had to bring in the books to the teachers because they didn't believe initially that he had them, until he brought them in and they called me and I told them with a certain amount of pride "Well I do have a bit of a library that my son has access to. Glad that you are starting to scribble again and the pain will lessen, although the memories will still be with you. You will want to take the misses fairly soon and get another kitten, I know right now you are saying "Hell to the No, Nothing will replace my Sasha", but the kitten will not replace Sasha, but you do have a cat sized hole in your heart that does need to be filled. I speak from experience. Don't do it immediately, but don't wait 10 years either if you know what I mean. Much respect Old AFSarge.
Sasha's sister Anya is still with us, she's healthy and pretty spry. She is all we need right now, she needs us too, she misses her sister as much as we do, maybe more.
Delete