Fragments of an Emperor Augustus statue found in Germany

Fragments of a statue depicting Augustus, the Roman Emperor, were found in Germany. While Roman artifacts are nothing new, archeologist believe, “There has never been a find of such quality and preservation in Germany,” a statement from the ministry said, adding that it was a “sensational” discovery.

Sunken Pirate Ship - Whydah

You hear so much about pirates in the age of sail, but rarely do we hear about pirate shipwrecks. The pirate ship Whydah is the exception. From the expeditions website:

"The Whydah was the first pirate shipwreck to be positively identified, and, nearly a quarter of a century later, remains the only pirate shipwreck whose identity is unquestionably authenticated."

The Whydah lies off the coast of Cape Cod and is still providing treasures 25 years after its discovery.

Gettysburg and Gen. Lee's Lost Cause

This long, but fantastic article on Gettysburg is a must read for any Civil War Buff. It discusses how General Lee and his failure to communicate properly with his generals may have been one of the reasons why the Confederates lost the battle. As the author notes in his article

"While any commander expects there will be differences between what is planned and what occurs, it is sobering to realize how much of Lee’s plan was either mistaken in its assumptions or misunderstood by its participants."

It is a must read for any Battle of Gettysburg enthusiast.

J. Booth threaten's the life of President Andrew Jackson

Junius Brutus Booth, the father of John Wilkes Booth wrote a threatening letter to President Jackson demanding that he pardon a couple of pirates or "I will cut your throat whilst you are sleeping." For over 170 years this "letter" was consider to be a fraud, but it wasn't until PBS' "History Detectives" took the time to figure out what has been considered as "fake" was actually a written letter by J.B. Booth.

Learn more about the story behind the letter and President Jackson's relationship with Booth here and here.

If you find this article interesting, you may also want to learn about President Jackson's duel against one of the premier duelist of the times...

British Troops in American (circa 1775-1783)

In history classes across the country, rarely do children learn about the British soldier who served in the American Revolution. But if you are one of the few who is turned on by redcoat jackets, sparkling bayonets and stories long forgotten, then the blog British Soldiers, American Revolution is for you


Don Hagist, the blog author, touches upon the soldier's experience serving the British army, providing remarkable stories of deserters, prisoners of war and career soldiers. It's a must read for any British reenactor.

Thinking about George Washington...

Great little article providing an quick recap of George Washington's military and political career. Tossed throughout the article are quotes by George himself, one which I enjoyed, “Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.”

This was written in 1759 to the Captains of the Virginia Regiments. 19 years later, it would be General Baron von Steuben who would come into Washington's camp at Valley Forge and instill that discipline which Washington's speaks of.

Washington may not have been a brilliant tactical leader, but he knew what made a great army, with discipline being one of them.

Save Brandywine!

More sad news in the world of losing our battlefields. Brandywine Battlefield, one of the largest and of the bloodiest battles fought in the Revolutionary War, is due to close in the coming future. Closing the battlefield will have an impact on the visitor center, Washington and Lafayette's headquarters as well as the cancellation of a battle reenactment.

Visit Save Brandywine to learn how you can help keep it open.

10 Paces for Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson - 7th President, Military Hero and Duelist?!

Back in 1806, Charles Dickinson , a renowned duelist met his fate when he went 10 paces against Andrew Jackson. Charles wounded Jackson, but Jackson survived, leveling his pistol and killing Charles. Up until now, the grave site of Charles has not been cleary identified, but Archaeologist Dan Allen believes he has found the location in Nashville. If confirmed, this would put to the end to the mystery of Charles Dickinson's final resting place (even if his remains have vanished...)

Read more about the duel here.

John Quincy Adams - Tweets from the 1800s...

Ever wonder what someone would tweet about in the 1800s? Well the Massachusetts Historical Society is answering your call. John Quincy Adams seems to have had a fondness for short diary entries, perfectly constructed for tweets.

The Massachusetts Historical Society is under taking a project which provides you with line a day entry that John Quincy Adams wrote in his diary.

For today, August 10th, he writes:
8/10/1809: Squally Night and rainy Morning. Saw a Ship. Lat: 43-49. Long: 56-30. Read Plutarch's life of Romulus.

Added bonus, MHS provides a link showing you the exact location.

Continue to follow his adventures at twitter.

Band of Brothers and the Berchtesgaden Myth

Band of Brothers, a tremendous book by Stephen Ambrose which turned into a great mini-series by HBO contains an error. As John McManus points out in his excellent blog posting, there is an error regarding Easy Company being the first unit to arrive at Berchtesgaden, home of Hitler's mountain top retreat. Read his blog entry to learn who really arrived first and how historians are trying to correct this erroneous mistake!

Russian Court: To Be Seen and Learned...

In continuation with the Russian Monarchy theme, comes the news of the reopening of Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and is now home to the exposition “At the Russian Court: Palace and Protocol in the 19th Century.”

The article mentions "The grand exhibition offers visitors an impression of the 19th century Russian Court and a varied display of more than 1,800 treasures, including court dresses, paintings, jewelry, chessboards, and royal shoes.

The treasures, all from the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, display the elaborate social hierarchy and richly layered traditions of the Tsarist court.

The exhibit is divided into two sections. A left wing is devoted to the 19th century court—a period that spanned the reigns of tsars from the little-known Paul I, son of Catherine the Great, to the tragic Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. The other wing focuses on the parties and themed balls hosted by the tsars."

Russian Monarchy Rising Again?

Emperor Nicholas II of Russia was unceremoniously deposed of his crown on July 17, 1918 by the Bolsheviks. Since that time, there has not been a Russian Monarch, but recently there has been talk of re-establishing the Monarchy in hopes of unifying the country during these troubling times.

The idea is rather enticing and will need approval from the Russian parliament as well as the Russian people, but it would be rather interesting to see the Romanov's rise to power once again (albeit in a constitutional role).

Altinum Rises Again...

Altinum, a former Roman city, which dates back to the Bronze Age has been recently uncovered north of Venice's airport.

Unlike most ancient cities, you won't find half standing structures, lone columns or half covered fresco's decorating the landscape. Altinum, has since been replaced by a rising lagoon and farms in the surrounding area.

In July 2007 a team from University of Padua in Italy, and his team took aerial photos of the surrounding countryside and noticed something..."a buried metropolis emerged. The researchers discovered that the crops planted on the land were in different stages of ripening, thanks to differences in the amount of water in the soil. Lighter crops traced the outlines of buildings--including a basilica, an amphitheater, a forum, and what may have been temples--buried at least 40 centimeters below the surface." The article shows these images providing a unique perspective on a lost city.

Sunk Treasure Ship and the $495 Million Question

In 2007 the Spanish treasure ship was re-discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration. The Spanish government argues that the galleon "Mercedes" belongs to Spanish government and was sunk by a British warship in 1804. Meaning, the lost treasure of $495 million belongs to the Spanish government under sovereign immunity rules. Odyssey argues that the treasure ship was a commercial vessel and falls under the Salvage Law and the Law of the Sea Convention, allowing for them to keep the treasure. Add in a claim by the descendants of the crew of the Mercedes and the Peruvian government, this is a legal nightmare that won't be coming to end anytime soon...