1 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: Good morning and Merry Christmas. I'm Patrick K. 2 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 2: O'Donnell, and I'm hosting today the Combat History of Christmas 3 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 2: through America's Eyes. It's something that Stephen K. Bann and 4 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 2: I have done for over fifteen years. I've been a 5 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 2: historian for twenty six years, written fourteen books, and been 6 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 2: on dozens of radio TV shows hundreds thousands of them actually, 7 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 2: but this is my favorite show that we do annually. 8 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,959 Speaker 2: Steve's traveling today, so I'm hosting the show and we're 9 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 2: going to take you back in time into the most 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 2: important inflection points in the combat history of the United 11 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 2: States that happens to be at Christmas time. It's here 12 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,639 Speaker 2: that in many cases, history changes in turns on the 13 00:00:53,680 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 2: actions of individuals. Individual agencies changes history, and I'm going 14 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 2: to take you through several periods of time where this 15 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 2: change was dramatic that changed. These were inflection points in history, 16 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 2: and it will be focused today on the individuals and 17 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 2: the actions that they performed. In many cases, this is 18 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,960 Speaker 2: some untold stories or little known stories that we're going 19 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 2: to focus on that you haven't heard on the War Room. 20 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 2: And the first individual that I'd like to talk about 21 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 2: is Henry Harrison Young, who's the leader of Sheridan Scouts, 22 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 2: And I want to take you back in time to 23 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 2: Christmas eighteen sixty four. The lines were stalemated at Petersburg. 24 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 2: Many things weren't moving in the front, but things were 25 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 2: very active and hot in and around Loudun County and 26 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 2: specifically the border area of West Virginia. And it's here 27 00:01:55,200 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 2: that Mosby's Rangers are very active and Harris inherits what's 28 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 2: left of what's known as the Jesse Scouts. Mosby's Rangers 29 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 2: just demolished an entire hunter killer team that was part 30 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 2: of the Jesse Scouts. These are men that were actively 31 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 2: pursuing John Singleton Mosby and his Rangers. An entire company 32 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 2: of men was annihilated at a place called Myerstown or 33 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 2: Cables town of that old Cablestown. And what was left 34 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,839 Speaker 2: were some of the men that Henry Harrison Young had 35 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 2: to put together shared in Scouts with. 36 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: And this is an epic story. Harrison Young. 37 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 2: Henry Harrison Young is really one of the great untold, 38 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:43,920 Speaker 2: unsung heroes of the American Civil War. He begins the 39 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 2: war in eighteen sixty one at bull Run and is 40 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 2: immediately drawn to battle. He's extremely heroic. He actually kind 41 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 2: of has this sense of thrill in battle and craves it. 42 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 2: He is not a man. He's completely fearless in the 43 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 2: saddle and in battle, and. 44 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: He rescues a man. 45 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 2: For instance, at the battle at Saint Mary's Heights at Fredericksburg, 46 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 2: rides into battle in the middle of a massive maelstrom 47 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 2: of lead and cannon fire and picks up a man 48 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 2: that's gravely wounded and takes him, carries him off the battlefield, 49 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 2: and does this multiple times. But in eighteen sixty four 50 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 2: he finds himself being tapped to be to lead the scouts. 51 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 2: And this guy is extraordinary. He is a chameleon, that 52 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 2: is a shape shifter. He wears a Confederate uniform at 53 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 2: times to go behind the lines, he'll wear civilian clothes. 54 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 2: He'll act as a peddler even And you know, one 55 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 2: of my favorite stories with Young is that he is 56 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 2: able to impersonate anybody. And the Confederates are still in 57 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 2: eighteen sixty four very actively recruiting soldiers because they sperately 58 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 2: need them. And in the Shenandoah Valley, he goes to 59 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 2: a recruiting station and impersonates a young soldier that you know, 60 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 2: wants to join the Confederate Army, and a Confederate sergeant 61 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 2: recruits him into the Confederate Army and he's asked to 62 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 2: show up the next. 63 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: Day and join the army. 64 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 2: And he literally shows up the next day with a 65 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 2: company of his men and captures that Confederate sergeant at 66 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 2: Pistol Point. He goes after high value targets, but he 67 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 2: has to somehow mold his men into a combat fighting force. 68 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: And it's Christmas. 69 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 2: It's right around Christmas Day that he puts them on 70 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 2: an impossible mission to really to forge unit cohesion. And 71 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 2: he arms his fifty eighty eighty so men who are 72 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 2: in Confederate uniform. These are Jesse Scouts and they are 73 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 2: This story is chronicled in my new best selling book 74 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 2: called The Unvanquished. 75 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: And what he does is the impossible. If you go to. 76 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 2: The area around Strausburg, there's a place called the Back Road, 77 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 2: and it's it's literally called the back Road. 78 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: It's that's the title of the road. 79 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 2: And it's here on the back Road, in and around 80 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 2: the trees that Harrison, that Henry Harrison Young knows that 81 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 2: Confederate cavalry always kind of moves into this area and 82 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 2: on a patrol and he positions his men behind a 83 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 2: series of trees to ambush them. And it's not just 84 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,359 Speaker 2: a small group of men that he's going after. He 85 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 2: literally takes on an entire Confederate cavalry battalion, hundreds of 86 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 2: men strong. 87 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: He arms his men with the spencer carbing. This a 88 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: repeating carvings. 89 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 2: After you pull the trigger, a bullet will fire, unlike 90 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 2: a regular muzzle loading action. You can fire up to 91 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 2: twenty rounds or more minute with these weapons. They were 92 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 2: kind of the machine gun of the Civil War. And anyways, 93 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:19,600 Speaker 2: they're also armed with Colt pistols to the teeth. They're armed, 94 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 2: and they are behind the trees, and they wait for 95 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 2: that right opportunity right at Christmas time, and they pounce 96 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 2: and they attack and they basically disrupt this entire Confederate 97 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 2: cavalry battalion, which is then set running to the hills. 98 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:42,919 Speaker 2: And it's just one of the actions that Henry Young 99 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 2: and Sheridan's Scouts. 100 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: Become kind of renowned for. 101 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 2: They use this sort of terror psychological warfare against their 102 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:55,159 Speaker 2: enemy to basically show up at any time, this element 103 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 2: of surprise and then stealth and then they kill and 104 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 2: then they disappear or vanish. And this is something that 105 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 2: is a hallmark of today's special operators. Harrison Young, Henry 106 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 2: Young welds these men into a very cohesive unit. 107 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: This is called Lincoln Special. 108 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 2: Forces in the Unvanquished or the Jesse Scouts or otherwise 109 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 2: known as Sheridan Scouts. They literally lead his army in 110 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 2: battle UH at multiple. 111 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: Points and it's it's really an extraordinary story. 112 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 2: They capture multiple high level targets, including Harry Gilmore who 113 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 2: is a partisan alongside John Singleton Mosby, and they capture 114 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 2: him in the Shenandoah Valley in a midnight raid. 115 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 3: UH. 116 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: And it's extraordinary story. 117 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 2: I have a great article on Breitbart that's that that 118 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 2: that that that that records that the capture of of Gilmore, 119 00:07:55,320 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 2: but also the the capture of Captain Stump. And this 120 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 2: guy's nickname was Stump's Arsenal because he was a Confederate 121 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 2: that was so armed to the teeth. He would literally 122 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 2: have five or six pistols and a car being at 123 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 2: all times on his body. And he was rounded up 124 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 2: along with gilmour By Young's men and captured. But what 125 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 2: made Stump. Unique was he had killed in cold blood 126 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 2: a number of the Jesse Scouts and they said, he 127 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 2: to Stump, we will give you an opportunity to to 128 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 2: for your life. And that opportunity was, will give you 129 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:39,679 Speaker 2: fifteen paces or so on your horse, and we will 130 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 2: allow you to put the potential to escape. And that's 131 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 2: exactly what they did. They allowed us Stump, you know, 132 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 2: several seconds to run on his horse, and then the 133 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 2: men were such excellent shots with the. 134 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: Pistol that he was taken down. And the men continue. 135 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 2: To to lead Sheridan's army in battle, and they would 136 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 2: play a very crucial role at the Battle of the 137 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 2: Battle campaign, the final campaign at Appomattox, it would be 138 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:20,680 Speaker 2: the Jesse Scouts under Young that would determine the weak 139 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 2: points in the line at a place called five Force, 140 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 2: which is the most in some ways one of the 141 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 2: most decisive battles. 142 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: Of the American Civil War. 143 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 2: They determined the weak points in the line and Pickets line, 144 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 2: and it would be here that with the Jesse Scouts 145 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 2: at his side, the General Sheridan literally charged the line 146 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 2: single handedly and broke it. And this precipitated General Lee's 147 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 2: retreat by about two or three weeks they were planning 148 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 2: on leaving the lines at Petersburg, but now they were 149 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 2: forced to leave because they had been outflanked. And as 150 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 2: they were being outflanked, it would be the Jesse Scouts 151 00:09:57,800 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 2: that would pursue them. 152 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:00,200 Speaker 1: You know. 153 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 2: The scouts were made up of just really fascinating individuals. 154 00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 2: One of them was a guy by the name of 155 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 2: Woodson who was a conformer Confederate that had come into 156 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 2: Young's lines and Sheridan's lines, and he told them that 157 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:23,680 Speaker 2: he was his sister was killed or was I'm sorry, 158 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 2: it was insulted by the Confederates and as a result 159 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 2: he killed his captain. He was by the insult and 160 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 2: he had to flee Confederate lines and then offered his 161 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 2: services as a as a as a Jesse scout, and 162 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 2: he would receive the Medal of Honor near five Forks 163 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 2: for capturing a Confederate battle flag and helping capture General Behringer, 164 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 2: who was a Confederate general at the time. Along with Young, 165 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 2: they pursued Lee's retreating army, and it's here that they 166 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 2: may have played a very decisive role in the entire 167 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 2: war by leading Lee's supply trains in the wrong direction. Uh, 168 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 2: instead of when their first rotting pointed a place called 169 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 2: Amelia Courthouse. 170 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:10,439 Speaker 1: Uh, they they. 171 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:14,080 Speaker 2: Got instead of food and supplies, they received a bunch 172 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 2: of uniforms and caissons for wagons. 173 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: It was exactly what they didn't need. 174 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 2: And it's it's rumored and possible there's evidence that it 175 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 2: was Young's men that misdirected the right the food trains 176 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 2: to the right source and from there they capture the 177 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 2: supply trains at Appomattox and uh and and this is 178 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 2: a decisive blow because General Lee's army is starving and uh, 179 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 2: they are, you know, very desperate for supplies. The the 180 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 2: key here, though, is that Henry Young then spends another 181 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 2: another winter or another Christmas in Mexico. In Mexico is 182 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 2: really one of the great untold stories of the American 183 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 2: Civil War because at the time it was occupied by 184 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 2: Emperor Maximilian, and there were forty thousand troops down there 185 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 2: at the time, and it would be a regular warfare 186 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 2: special operations that would thwart them, and it would be 187 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 2: General Sheridan and his fifty or so jesse scouts that 188 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 2: were led by Henry Young that were arming the resistance 189 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 2: down there and basically creating what we now see as 190 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:31,199 Speaker 2: a regular warfare today. 191 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 1: These were these men. 192 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 2: Were really true commandos, and they were working with the 193 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 2: Mexican guerrilla forces that were down there, arming them, blowing 194 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 2: up bridges, destroying French outposts. And it's here that Henry 195 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 2: Young and many of the Jesse Scouts mysteriously disappear and 196 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 2: they are never heard or seen again. And it's unknown 197 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 2: exactly what you know, where where they went. There was 198 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:08,320 Speaker 2: is likely a cover up in terms of his actions 199 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 2: down there, because his duties were unofficial, uh, covert operations 200 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 2: if you will, and you know this is a true 201 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 2: unsung hero along with many of the other men that 202 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 2: were Jesse scaffs. They would receive seven Medals of Honor 203 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 2: during the Civil War for their for their. 204 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 1: Valor and actions. 205 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 2: But this was a he would never he would never 206 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 2: return home and uh, it was a very solemn time 207 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 2: for his mother. The book actually ends with his mother's 208 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 2: story and every year after his capture, after that Christmas, 209 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 2: she would she would wait for him. He would write 210 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:59,680 Speaker 2: every month to her about just to keep her informed, 211 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 2: to keep her aware of their relationship was that close 212 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 2: and special. But every every every time that a stagecoach 213 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 2: would come into Providence, Rhode Island, she would wait for 214 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 2: her son that never returned home. 215 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: Uh. 216 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 2: And that is that that those were many long Christmases 217 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 2: without without her son, and many of the Jesse Scouts 218 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 2: UH face the same you know trial and hardship that 219 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 2: you know of that the families faced of missing their 220 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 2: their loved ones, which covert warriors of today, you know, 221 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 2: we've seen that over and over in Vietnam in particular, 222 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 2: we're special operators go behind the lines and. 223 00:14:50,320 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 3: Never return home for Christmas. 224 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 1: I'm Patrick k. 225 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 2: O'Donnell, and I'm hosting the Combat History of Christmas. This 226 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 2: has been an annual tradition that we've had on the 227 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 2: War Room for almost fifteen years. Steve Bannon and I 228 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 2: this is really one of my favorite shows that I've done. 229 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: What I'd like to talk about now. 230 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 2: Is the continuing with the American Civil War. The great 231 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 2: adversary of Henry Young and many other Jesse Scouts was 232 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 2: John Singleton Mosby, and Moseby was a Confederate partisan and 233 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 2: really arguably the many ways the organizer of modern American 234 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 2: modern special operations forces. His ideas and principles begin on Christmas, 235 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 2: and it's Christmas eighteen sixty two, specifically in Middleburg, Virginia, 236 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 2: at a place called Oakham, Manor. And one thing that's 237 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 2: amazing about these stories is you can still visit Oakham, 238 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 2: and visit Middleburg and Loudun County where many of the 239 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 2: actions that I'm talking about, you can go there. You 240 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 2: can visit these places and feel the history and walk 241 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 2: the ground. 242 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: At Oakham. 243 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 2: That wintery Christmas Day, he approached his boss, Jeff Stewart, 244 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 2: who is the leader of the Confederate Calvary, with a 245 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 2: specific request if he could have a small band of 246 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 2: men to create a partisan group to attack the Union 247 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 2: supply rent lines in and around Middleburg and loud and 248 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 2: Prince William Counties. His request was granted, and he was 249 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 2: given about six men, and that is the origin in 250 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 2: many ways of monern and Special Operations forces. These six 251 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:06,879 Speaker 2: men would then grow into nearly a thousand, and they 252 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 2: would tie down thirty to forty thousand Union troops over 253 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 2: the course of the American Civil War. They would ambush 254 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 2: supply trains, they would blow up bridges, they would capture 255 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:25,199 Speaker 2: Union generals and do in many cases the impossible and 256 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 2: moseby was behind all of this. 257 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: And it was his vision and leadership. 258 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:32,679 Speaker 2: He was only about five foot seven, kind of a 259 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 2: wiry guy that was a law student that had kind 260 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 2: of a bit of a hothead. Initially, he literally he 261 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,400 Speaker 2: was accosted and insulted and pulled a pistol on his 262 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 2: one of his fellow law students and nearly killed him, 263 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 2: which put him in jail. 264 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:49,639 Speaker 1: For several months. 265 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 2: But at the beginning of the American Civil War, he 266 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 2: was initially very reticent to secession, didn't really believe in slavery, 267 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:03,879 Speaker 2: but fought for his state like many other members of 268 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 2: the South, and his beginnings are extraordinary. He's a scout 269 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 2: within the Confederate Army leads along one of Stuart's long 270 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:19,680 Speaker 2: cavalry rides around Richmond, which is epic and legendary. He's 271 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 2: known for gathering intelligence. This isn't his first time as 272 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:29,719 Speaker 2: a potential partisan leader. Stuart gives him the opportunity several 273 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 2: months earlier, and he's given him only one man, this 274 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 2: time with a club foot and Jeff's John Singleton. Mosby's 275 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:44,840 Speaker 2: days as a partisan are very numbered. He travels to 276 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 2: a train station and literally a union company of cavalry 277 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 2: surround him and his horse along with the club footed individual, 278 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:56,359 Speaker 2: and he is taken into captivity. In the middle of 279 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 2: eighteen sixty two. He is quickly imprisoned at a federal 280 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 2: prison and languishes there for several months until there's a 281 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 2: prisoner or exchange. And this is where John Singleton Mosby 282 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:14,160 Speaker 2: really shines. He makes lemons out of lemonade, and literally 283 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:22,640 Speaker 2: in the exchange, he's able to create actual strategic level 284 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 2: intelligence out of nothing, basically just his own sources and intuition. 285 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: He's on a riverboat, but he. 286 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 2: Senses that the captain of that river boat is a 287 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 2: Confederate sympathizer, a Southern sympathizer, and indeed he is. He 288 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 2: pumps him for information about Union troop movements who this 289 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 2: captain had had moved around initially, and through that information, 290 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,840 Speaker 2: along with his kind of keen eye where he's able 291 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 2: to sort of see some of the units in around 292 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 2: the area, he's able to determine that the Union army 293 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 2: is going to attack and where, which is really extraordinary 294 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 2: and miraculous. After he gets off the boat, he immediately 295 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 2: goes to General Robert E. Lee and he arrives at 296 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 2: Roberty Lee's headquarters in Richmond, this kind of lowly lieutenant, 297 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 2: and they initially kind of are very skeptical of what 298 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:17,920 Speaker 2: Moseby could bring to the table or offer because he's 299 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 2: just a lieutenant. But he remembers sort of the ride 300 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 2: around Richmond with Stewart and some of Mosby's other exploits 301 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 2: and listens to him and this is this actually literally 302 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 2: changes the course of the Battle of Cedar Mountain, which 303 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 2: Mosby provides and furnishes actionable strategic level intelligence to Lee 304 00:20:39,119 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 2: through his through his efforts going back to eighteen sixty three. 305 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 2: Now Moseby is very active within the sort of the 306 00:20:53,640 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 2: area in and around Middleburg, and he he pulls off 307 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 2: one of his greatest exploits by capturing General Stowton in 308 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 2: in in Fairfax City itself. And this is one of 309 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 2: the great special operations stories of all time to capture 310 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 2: high value target. The key to it is a deserter 311 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:22,879 Speaker 2: from the fifth New York Calvary Guy the name of 312 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,880 Speaker 2: Yankee Ames, who deserts to Mosby into the Mosey Line. 313 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 2: He doesn't like the emancipation Proclamation. He feels he's being 314 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 2: lied to for why he's fighting. He's not fighting for 315 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 2: the Union per se and he joins Mosby shows up unexpectedly, 316 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,879 Speaker 2: and Mosby believes that Yankee Ames is telling the truth, 317 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 2: and he's given an opportunity to to then get a horse, 318 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 2: and he has to go back into Union lines to 319 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 2: Centerville where there's a massive Union encampment and steal a 320 00:21:56,320 --> 00:22:00,639 Speaker 2: horse with another with another ranger, and they are successful 321 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 2: in that. And it's big Yankee Aimes that is put 322 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 2: in the very front of the vanguard on the raid 323 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:11,480 Speaker 2: to Fairfax to capture Stoteen, and he understands the call 324 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 2: signs and the signals, and they ride in a raging 325 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 2: snowstorm and sleet and hail, and they they're in in 326 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:23,720 Speaker 2: some cases they're in Union uniform or in rain jackets 327 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 2: in most cases with their Confederate uniforms underneath them. And 328 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:32,240 Speaker 2: they ride into Fairfax and they they basically they seize 329 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 2: anybody that they can that that could potentially alert any 330 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 2: of the guards. And then they continue to Stotent's residence 331 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 2: and they knock on the door uh go in, and 332 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:50,160 Speaker 2: the general is sleeping at the time, and Moseby wakes 333 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 2: him up and says, sort of these immortal worlds, do 334 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:57,160 Speaker 2: you know who John Singleton Mosby is, and the General 335 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 2: says back to Mosby, have you captured him yet? No, 336 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 2: it is he who has captured you, and he's brought 337 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:09,880 Speaker 2: into captivity and Moseby's scrolls on the fireplace, I am 338 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 2: Mosby just sort of a psychological bit of terror to 339 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 2: you know, let him. 340 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:18,119 Speaker 1: Know, let people know his calling card who he is. 341 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: And they then. 342 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:25,639 Speaker 2: They go back and to back through the lines and 343 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 2: with the General intew this continues that they have a 344 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 2: number of raids and amazing actions that the Rangers are 345 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 2: part of, and one of them is at in and 346 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 2: around Christmas, and this is the Battle for Louden Heights 347 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:50,360 Speaker 2: as it's called. And right around Christmas, Cole's Cavalry, which 348 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 2: is a Union outfit that is made up of Maryland 349 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:57,399 Speaker 2: or As Pennsylvanians and other loyalists to the Union cause, 350 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 2: form a cavalry unit and they are base in Louden 351 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 2: Heights and it's here that they then conduct forays into 352 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 2: Mosby's confederacy, which is in and around Middleburg and Warranton 353 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:14,439 Speaker 2: in other areas, and they lead an entire unit into 354 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:20,440 Speaker 2: Mosby's confederacy. Moseby has his men shadow them provide kind 355 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:23,879 Speaker 2: of a psychological terror just to let them know that 356 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 2: they're there. And as they shadow them, they pounce and 357 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 2: destroy this entire force of about almost two hundred Union cavalrymen. 358 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: They're surrounded and attacked. 359 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:40,199 Speaker 2: One man, the leader of the group, is able to 360 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:44,119 Speaker 2: Hunter is able to escape on foot forty miles to 361 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 2: Louden Heights. It's then that Mosby determines that they are 362 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,919 Speaker 2: going to destroy the Cole's cavalry on Union Heights and 363 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 2: he organizes over one hundred men to attack this nest 364 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:03,359 Speaker 2: of Union ca cavalry and in the middle of a snowstorm, 365 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:08,639 Speaker 2: they mount up and they move towards towards Louden Heights 366 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,920 Speaker 2: and it's, you know, an interesting figure sort of emerges here, 367 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 2: a guy, I think it was Frank Stringfellow, who is 368 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 2: somebody that is in and in through the unvanquished multiple times. 369 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 2: He's ninety four pounds, sometimes dresses in drag to literally 370 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:29,359 Speaker 2: act as a spy to illicit information. And it's here 371 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:33,119 Speaker 2: he finds a weak spot in the Union lines and 372 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 2: they attack. They move through, you know, over forty miles 373 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,080 Speaker 2: of territory in the dead of night with you know, 374 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 2: freezing rain, and sleet and snow, and they creep up 375 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:49,719 Speaker 2: to this Union encampment and it's Stringfellow that initially attacks 376 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 2: before he's supposed to, and he lets out a shout 377 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:56,640 Speaker 2: and it alerts the camp and many men are are 378 00:25:56,840 --> 00:26:00,640 Speaker 2: are wounded from the attack. This is an article also 379 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:05,399 Speaker 2: wrote in bright Bart History in many ways called Crimson Snow. 380 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 2: And many men are killed, are gravely wounded, and the 381 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:16,119 Speaker 2: rangers Coole's Cavalry has standing orders to shoot anyone on horseback. 382 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 2: One of the men that is gravely wounded as a 383 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 2: guy by the name of Paxton. And Paxton, there's an amazing story. 384 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 2: Paxton his family saved a Union cavalryman and nursed him 385 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:32,440 Speaker 2: back to health and then brought him back to the unionions. 386 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:35,760 Speaker 2: And they had a standing agreement that if Paxton was 387 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:39,640 Speaker 2: ever wounded, they would save him. And he called that 388 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 2: Union cavalryman forward, and they gave him a sustenance even 389 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:48,520 Speaker 2: though he was gravely wounded, and allowed him the dignity 390 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:53,040 Speaker 2: to die with respect. And this is what the unvanquishes about. 391 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:56,199 Speaker 2: It's the hidden war of the American Civil War that 392 00:26:56,240 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 2: you haven't seen. Good Morning, a Merry Christmas. I'm Patrick 393 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 2: k O'Donnell and I'm hosting our annual Combat. 394 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:23,480 Speaker 1: History of Christmas, and we. 395 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:27,880 Speaker 2: Are now talking about the American Civil War and many 396 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:32,720 Speaker 2: of the actions of individuals that are in the inflection 397 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:37,000 Speaker 2: points of history. John Singleton Moseby being one of them 398 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 2: who is a great partisan or grilla leader, arguably one 399 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:46,680 Speaker 2: of America's greatest grilla leaders in modern history, that changes 400 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:50,119 Speaker 2: the course of history with only six men and forms 401 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:53,160 Speaker 2: an entire grilla group that ties down thirty to forty 402 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:56,679 Speaker 2: thousand Union troops over the course of the war. He 403 00:27:56,840 --> 00:28:02,679 Speaker 2: pioneers the tactics and techniques that we now see in 404 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 2: modern special operations forces. And one of my favorite Christmas 405 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 2: stories of Mosby is his multiple escapes and woundings. He 406 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 2: was a man that was only five foot seven about 407 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:23,160 Speaker 2: one hundred and twenty seven pounds or so, but escaped 408 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 2: death constantly and escaped at Union dragnets. And one of 409 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:32,280 Speaker 2: those actions was in and around Christmas at a place 410 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 2: called Lakeland. And this house, like many of the others 411 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 2: in the Unvanquished, are still there. You can visit these 412 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 2: places and Lakeland. At the time, he was riding back 413 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 2: from a wedding in his finest clothes. He had an 414 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 2: ostrich plumed hat and a cape, and he was coming 415 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 2: back from a wedding in the middle of a snowstorm, 416 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 2: and they stopped at Lakeland for dinner, and it's here 417 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 2: that they're they're eating dinner, and suddenly the house is 418 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 2: surrounded by over one hundred Union caliveri. 419 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: And they storm the house. 420 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:18,000 Speaker 2: Mosby puts his hands up and then all of a sudden, 421 00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:20,240 Speaker 2: a shot comes through the window. 422 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: And hits him right in the stomach, right. 423 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:26,239 Speaker 2: Near the heart, and he is pushed down, and then 424 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 2: there's an ensuing melee within the room, and the lights 425 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 2: are kind of put out, and they then the Union 426 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 2: officers that are there then sort of come, you know, 427 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 2: basically are able to sort of sort things out. In 428 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 2: the meantime, Mosby realizes that it's probably he's probably about 429 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 2: to be not only dead or killed from this mortal wound, 430 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 2: but also captured somehow. He has the presence of mind 431 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 2: to take his coat off, which has two stars on 432 00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 2: it representing his rank, moves it slightly off to the 433 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:07,560 Speaker 2: left near another room and hides it. He then goes 434 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 2: back on the floor and they capture him, and a 435 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 2: doctor comes and they sense they see where his wound is, 436 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 2: and they say it's in his heart, and it's a 437 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 2: mortal wound. And Mosby is the presence of mind to 438 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 2: almost laugh because he realizes that his heart is up 439 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:33,480 Speaker 2: a little higher. It didn't pierce his heart, but he 440 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 2: still thinks he's mortally wounded, and he slays there. They 441 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 2: take off his pants and his boots and they pronounced 442 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 2: that he is a mortally wounded soldier, and then they 443 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:48,400 Speaker 2: start to ask the room who this guy is, and 444 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 2: the daughter of the room says, we've never seen him before. 445 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:54,360 Speaker 2: He just showed up for dinner, and it's one of 446 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 2: the great lives of the Civil War. 447 00:30:57,080 --> 00:30:58,239 Speaker 1: They literally believe it. 448 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:02,880 Speaker 2: And they leave this guy on the floor leading to death, 449 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 2: and Mosby is gravely wounded. He recognizes that he somehow 450 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:17,200 Speaker 2: survived this bresci of death and miraculously gets up and 451 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 2: moves to the other room, and his guests are absolutely astounded. 452 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 2: He then they then put him in a number of 453 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:29,840 Speaker 2: blankets and he's moved to a safe house and the 454 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 2: Union cavalry then come back looking for their their query 455 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,120 Speaker 2: because they think that they may have they may have 456 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 2: killed Mosby, and he's gone he just disappears. He's the 457 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 2: Gray Ghost, and the Gray Ghost then makes his way 458 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:50,680 Speaker 2: towards Richmond. The newspapers are all ablaze that this guy, 459 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 2: that Mosby was killed. And my favorite, my favorite anecdote 460 00:31:57,240 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 2: from one of the newspapers is the devil takes care 461 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 2: of his own as Mosby is somehow survives just another 462 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:07,480 Speaker 2: one of these mortal mortal what would have been a 463 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 2: mortal wound for pretty much anybody else, and then gets back. 464 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,600 Speaker 1: On, you know, in his command and leads his. 465 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 2: Men throughout the rest of the American Civil War, where 466 00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:28,640 Speaker 2: they do really extraordinary things. The story then is, you know, 467 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 2: it shifts a little bit back in time to where 468 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 2: the Jesse Scouts formed for the one of their first rates, 469 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 2: which is in and around Christmas. But this is eighteen 470 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 2: sixty three and it's West Virginia, which is a cauldron 471 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 2: of partisan activity. 472 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:51,320 Speaker 1: It's here that gorilla groups are formed. 473 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 2: On both sides, and it's the Jesse Scouts that are 474 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 2: formed to hunt them. The book is about several Jesse Scouts, 475 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 2: including a group by under the command of Richard Blazer, 476 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 2: who's in Ohio and he's really from my home state, 477 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 2: and one of the great unsung heroes of the American 478 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:17,239 Speaker 2: Civil War. Richard Blazer was a riverboat captain uh in 479 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 2: before the Civil War. He transported supplies up and down 480 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 2: the Ohio River near Galla Police, Ohio. 481 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:28,880 Speaker 1: That's was his hometown and at the Civil War. 482 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:31,640 Speaker 2: At the start of the Civil War, he is a 483 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 2: officer in the Indian Army and he's tapped to hunt 484 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 2: Grillis because he's got this like innate sense of finding people. 485 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 2: By the way, I always visit the graves if I can, 486 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:46,360 Speaker 2: of the individuals that I write about, I also walk 487 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:50,560 Speaker 2: the ground of all the individuals that I the stories 488 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 2: and the battles that I that I that I that 489 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:57,800 Speaker 2: I write about, and I spend years in the archives 490 00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:02,040 Speaker 2: piecing together the story of these men to give you 491 00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:08,319 Speaker 2: an accurate narrative history. It's nonfiction that many that's one 492 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,239 Speaker 2: minif of reviewers of said read like fiction. It puts 493 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 2: you there, but it's all based on fact. And one 494 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:17,880 Speaker 2: of the things I did is I went to Richard 495 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:25,520 Speaker 2: Blazer's grave to find him. And I went there assuming 496 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 2: that it would be a small cemetery. And I went 497 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,360 Speaker 2: to Mount Hill Cemetery, gal Police, which is a beautiful cemetery. 498 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:35,839 Speaker 2: It overlooks the Ohio River, but it has I got 499 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:39,680 Speaker 2: there and there were literally thousands upon thousands of tombstones 500 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:44,560 Speaker 2: and graves for these people, and I immediately went to 501 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 2: where I thought would be a directory. There wasn't one, 502 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 2: but I knew that I would find him, and I 503 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 2: just prayed, and within maybe ten minutes I found Richard 504 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:05,279 Speaker 2: Blazer's final resting place. Blazer, as I mentioned, was part 505 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:10,400 Speaker 2: of Blazer's Independent Scouts, and he leads these scouts by 506 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:13,640 Speaker 2: leading the army. And one of these raids was in 507 00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:16,839 Speaker 2: and around West Virginia where they were trying to take 508 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:21,680 Speaker 2: out the Southern railroad that bordered West Virginia and Virginia. 509 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:22,719 Speaker 1: This is a main. 510 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:28,120 Speaker 2: Lifelineer artery and Averill's Raid or Christmas Raid, took place 511 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:32,200 Speaker 2: in the winner of eighteen sixty sixty three. Background on 512 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:38,399 Speaker 2: that is the Confederate Army under General Longstreet, who had 513 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:44,359 Speaker 2: been basically loan to to the south near Chattanooga, where 514 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:48,600 Speaker 2: they have an amazing battle at Chickamaugua. He then is 515 00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:52,200 Speaker 2: bringing he's been coming back towards Roberty Lee and they 516 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:57,480 Speaker 2: surround Knoxville, Tennessee, and a siege and they need to 517 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:01,960 Speaker 2: relieve pressure on that city from Longstreet's forces, so they 518 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:05,520 Speaker 2: launch a desperate and bold raid behind the lines. And 519 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:09,640 Speaker 2: it's the Jesse Scouts and Blazers scouts that lead General 520 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:16,560 Speaker 2: Averril's army. And this is an epic story behind the 521 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:20,480 Speaker 2: lines where these men have to march and ride four 522 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 2: hundred miles to various depots that are in southern Virginia. 523 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:27,600 Speaker 1: Uh. 524 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:30,799 Speaker 2: And they you know, it's through the mountains, it's through 525 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:35,320 Speaker 2: the sleet and rain, it's there they are in many cases, 526 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:39,480 Speaker 2: they're it's so rugged and treacherous that they that they're 527 00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:43,880 Speaker 2: wearing out the horses. It's so Uh. The area is 528 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:46,880 Speaker 2: is such difficult terrain and they have to walk in 529 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:50,239 Speaker 2: many cases. But it's also an area that is infested 530 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:55,239 Speaker 2: with the Confederate the Confederate forces and the Confederates. It's 531 00:36:55,239 --> 00:36:57,920 Speaker 2: the Jesse Scouts that lead these men. They're able to 532 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:00,719 Speaker 2: do some amazing things. They're able to see some bridges 533 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:06,920 Speaker 2: ahead of time by impersonating Confederates and allowing the Avril's 534 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:09,759 Speaker 2: rating force to cross before they were able to burn 535 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:12,600 Speaker 2: the bridges. But the Confederates know what's going on and 536 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 2: they send out six different commands thousands of Confederates to 537 00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:22,680 Speaker 2: annihilate General Avril, and it's the jesse Scouts that have 538 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:27,480 Speaker 2: to somehow weave their way through all of this. One 539 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:31,040 Speaker 2: of my favorite stories is they're deep behind the lines 540 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:34,200 Speaker 2: and it's near Christmas time and they need to find 541 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:39,400 Speaker 2: another crossing point. There's rivers everywhere and they literally enlist. 542 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:42,800 Speaker 2: They try to enlist the services of a doctor that's there, 543 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:46,959 Speaker 2: and Avril puts a pistol to this guy's head. First, 544 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:50,120 Speaker 2: he initially says, we'll hire you for five hundred dollars, 545 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:54,080 Speaker 2: and they said, no, there's no way because my family's 546 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 2: going to be known as a trader. I won't do it, 547 00:37:57,280 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 2: and then they put a pistol to his head. Avrol 548 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:01,080 Speaker 2: put a pistol in his head and said you need 549 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:01,680 Speaker 2: to lead us. 550 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:04,680 Speaker 1: Out of here. If you don't, I'll kill you. 551 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 2: And he gave him one minute to respond and basically 552 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:09,440 Speaker 2: put a stop. 553 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:10,759 Speaker 1: What is watch out? 554 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:15,040 Speaker 2: The doctor complied and they were able to thread their 555 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 2: way through Southern lines to. 556 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 1: Captivity. But there's an epic story. 557 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:24,840 Speaker 2: Of how one of those one of those commands, the 558 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:29,520 Speaker 2: fourteenth Pennsylvania, is trapped by the bridge by one of 559 00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:33,160 Speaker 2: the bridges, which is the Confederates burn and they're they're 560 00:38:33,239 --> 00:38:35,399 Speaker 2: stuck on the on the wrong side of the river. 561 00:38:35,719 --> 00:38:41,560 Speaker 2: They have to ford the river. Amazing stories of resilience. 562 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:47,880 Speaker 2: And somehow this group has to then trudge another hundreds 563 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:51,960 Speaker 2: of miles through all these Confederates that are following them 564 00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:56,280 Speaker 2: and the mountains, and they make they make this epic, 565 00:38:57,120 --> 00:39:04,960 Speaker 2: this epic march that is, you know, truly extraordinary. And 566 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:09,160 Speaker 2: as they they make their way back towards the Union camp, 567 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:16,880 Speaker 2: they are they were somehow expected two to pay for 568 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:21,239 Speaker 2: their uniforms and the shoes that they that they utilized. 569 00:39:22,239 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 2: It's one of the most extraordinary stories that I found. 570 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:27,160 Speaker 1: In the book. 571 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,560 Speaker 2: They they had done this extraordinary thing. And many of 572 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:32,279 Speaker 2: these men were like the veterans of the Battle of 573 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:35,680 Speaker 2: the Bulge that I interviewed. They had frostbite, their uniforms 574 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:40,319 Speaker 2: are rags after all this traversing all these mountains, and 575 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:43,600 Speaker 2: somehow the Union Army was expecting them to pay for 576 00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 2: new uniforms and shoes. And it's here that Averril interceded 577 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:52,320 Speaker 2: and and was able to get that the the government 578 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:57,319 Speaker 2: to not to not do their typical policy. But this 579 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:00,720 Speaker 2: is a this is a Christmas Story for the Ages. 580 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:05,439 Speaker 2: It's about human endurance, it's about individuals that do the impossible. 581 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:09,439 Speaker 2: And in the next segments, we're going to go back 582 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:14,279 Speaker 2: in time to our founding, to our greatest story, the 583 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:17,879 Speaker 2: story of the American Revolution, the story of the Revolutionary War, 584 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:22,879 Speaker 2: where our founders do the impossible. 585 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:25,400 Speaker 1: They go against the. 586 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:27,760 Speaker 2: Greatest army and navy in the world at the time, 587 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:34,080 Speaker 2: and they somehow prevail, but they also create the greatest 588 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:39,280 Speaker 2: ideas in world history, our ideas of freedom and liberty, 589 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:44,440 Speaker 2: which resonate today and have changed the course of history, 590 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:49,040 Speaker 2: have changed empires, and are more important. 591 00:40:48,480 --> 00:41:03,920 Speaker 1: Today now than ever. I'm Patrick K. 592 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:07,239 Speaker 2: O'Donnell and I'm hosting the Combat History of Christmas. It's 593 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:10,640 Speaker 2: our annual tradition that we've done for almost fifteen years. 594 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:11,040 Speaker 1: Stephen K. 595 00:41:11,239 --> 00:41:14,080 Speaker 2: Bannon and I and we're going to go back in 596 00:41:14,160 --> 00:41:18,239 Speaker 2: time to a topic that we've never really done. We've 597 00:41:18,280 --> 00:41:22,520 Speaker 2: never discussed on the warrem the Forgotten Christmas of seventeen 598 00:41:22,640 --> 00:41:27,080 Speaker 2: seventy five, and this is really an epic story in 599 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:32,360 Speaker 2: many ways. Our first first units within the United States 600 00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:38,160 Speaker 2: Army were rifle companies, the American Long Arm, known as 601 00:41:38,160 --> 00:41:43,440 Speaker 2: the Pennsylvania long rifle would change history. It was about 602 00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:46,680 Speaker 2: nine pounds, but it could shoot farther than any other 603 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:49,560 Speaker 2: rifle in the world at the time, and it was 604 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:56,239 Speaker 2: a weapon that was a circumstance of its environment, and 605 00:41:56,280 --> 00:42:00,000 Speaker 2: that would be the American Frontier where Americans in rug 606 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:04,760 Speaker 2: individuals had to fend off Native Americans, had to shoot 607 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:11,040 Speaker 2: wild game in this rifle, which has its origins at 608 00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:16,360 Speaker 2: the beginning of the seventeen hundreds, is it's in America, 609 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:19,800 Speaker 2: and it's unique because it can shoot about one hundred 610 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:24,440 Speaker 2: yards more than its European counterparts, which are there have 611 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:29,560 Speaker 2: their origins in Switzerland and Germany. But it's these rifle 612 00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:33,360 Speaker 2: companies that are the foundation of the United States Army. 613 00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:37,279 Speaker 2: And they answer the call shortly after the Battle of 614 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:42,000 Speaker 2: Lexington and Concord, and they make their way up to Boston. 615 00:42:43,239 --> 00:42:46,320 Speaker 2: And it's in and around the siege lines that the 616 00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:49,920 Speaker 2: rifle companies have a play a major role in keeping 617 00:42:50,360 --> 00:42:53,759 Speaker 2: British heads down and then taking off British heads by 618 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:59,799 Speaker 2: their sniping ability and the British fear of this weapon tremendously. 619 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:04,759 Speaker 2: There's a fascinating story of how one of these Pennsylvania 620 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:10,120 Speaker 2: companies has a mutiny. Because rifle companies are specialized men. 621 00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:14,600 Speaker 2: They are able to shoot at a target two hundred 622 00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:17,399 Speaker 2: yards away, in many cases the size of a small plate. 623 00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:19,440 Speaker 2: Many of these guys could shoot that an eye out. 624 00:43:19,239 --> 00:43:19,880 Speaker 1: On a squirrel. 625 00:43:20,239 --> 00:43:24,040 Speaker 2: They were extremely rugged individuals from the frontier and in 626 00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:27,080 Speaker 2: many cases very undisciplined individuals. They didn't have the same 627 00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:33,560 Speaker 2: discipline requirements as the regular army or militia in and 628 00:43:33,600 --> 00:43:35,920 Speaker 2: around the siege, and they could do what they want. 629 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:39,560 Speaker 2: In one case, they literally win company mutinies, and that 630 00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:42,440 Speaker 2: what that does is it leads them with a ticket 631 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:50,280 Speaker 2: to Canada and an epic Christmas and seventeen seventy five, 632 00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:57,040 Speaker 2: and that story is incredible. They have to go through 633 00:43:57,560 --> 00:44:01,040 Speaker 2: nearly four hundred miles of main wilderness to get to 634 00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:06,440 Speaker 2: Quebec and Canada to somehow to take the capital city 635 00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:10,400 Speaker 2: of Quebec City. And they are under the command of 636 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:16,400 Speaker 2: Benedict Arnold who leads them through the wilds, the wilds 637 00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:20,000 Speaker 2: of Maine and the rivers. 638 00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:23,200 Speaker 1: And to get there they. 639 00:44:24,800 --> 00:44:29,120 Speaker 2: Have to basically go through whitewater rapids. They have to 640 00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:33,839 Speaker 2: ford multiple waterfalls, and they have to take all their 641 00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:37,080 Speaker 2: provisions with them as they get up to Maine. They 642 00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:41,319 Speaker 2: are given these crude rafts which are made out of 643 00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:45,960 Speaker 2: in many cases wood that's still green, and when they 644 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:49,200 Speaker 2: hit the water, they expand and many of these rafts 645 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:53,400 Speaker 2: fall apart as they're going through this whitewater or the water. 646 00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:59,560 Speaker 2: And it's an epic, epic story of endurance and survival. 647 00:45:00,840 --> 00:45:05,080 Speaker 2: Months in the main wilderness, weeks in the main wilderness, 648 00:45:05,680 --> 00:45:11,920 Speaker 2: and these men are constantly under the potential attack from 649 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:15,919 Speaker 2: the British as well as hostile Native Americans. But they're 650 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:20,640 Speaker 2: also have to deal with starvation because there's never enough 651 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:25,920 Speaker 2: provisions around and as this journey through these rivers and 652 00:45:26,120 --> 00:45:28,239 Speaker 2: mountains train there's snow. 653 00:45:28,600 --> 00:45:29,600 Speaker 1: The men are starving. 654 00:45:29,640 --> 00:45:33,640 Speaker 2: They're literally eating the buckles or the belts that they 655 00:45:33,680 --> 00:45:37,319 Speaker 2: have in their cartridge boxes. They're boiling them because they 656 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:43,640 Speaker 2: don't have enough food. And it's an incredible story of survival. 657 00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:49,759 Speaker 2: And it's Arnold and Daniel Morgan and the Pennsylvanians and 658 00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:54,719 Speaker 2: Virginians and other members of the Continental Army that have 659 00:45:54,840 --> 00:45:59,920 Speaker 2: to make this epic trek towards Canada and near the 660 00:46:01,080 --> 00:46:04,719 Speaker 2: in the Canadian border area. It's Arnold that is able 661 00:46:04,760 --> 00:46:08,480 Speaker 2: to get some a number of cattle and livestock to 662 00:46:08,520 --> 00:46:11,640 Speaker 2: his men, and they literally have this kind of orgy 663 00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:14,560 Speaker 2: of food, but they literally they eat some of these 664 00:46:14,680 --> 00:46:19,240 Speaker 2: uh these these the cattle nearly as as are alive, 665 00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:22,920 Speaker 2: and which causes many of these men, which were had 666 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:27,000 Speaker 2: not eaten for days to literally die from from what 667 00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:31,160 Speaker 2: they had eaten. They then make their way up to 668 00:46:31,239 --> 00:46:36,040 Speaker 2: Quebec city and they are under strength. They don't have 669 00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:40,719 Speaker 2: artillery for a proper siege, but they siege Quebec and 670 00:46:40,760 --> 00:46:45,480 Speaker 2: they wait for the ultimate opportunity, which is a nor'easter 671 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:50,839 Speaker 2: that occurs right after Christmas, and it's it's a massive snowstorm, 672 00:46:51,680 --> 00:46:56,960 Speaker 2: and they attack in that snowstorm to the city gates. 673 00:46:58,000 --> 00:47:03,680 Speaker 2: And this story is one for the ages. They literally 674 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:07,720 Speaker 2: they come within a hair's breadth of taking Quebec. There's 675 00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:11,440 Speaker 2: two different wings that assault from two different sides, and 676 00:47:11,600 --> 00:47:16,480 Speaker 2: on the on the the western side, it's General Montgomery 677 00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:20,360 Speaker 2: that's leading the attack, and they make their way towards 678 00:47:20,600 --> 00:47:24,359 Speaker 2: a sort of a crude roadblock which is manned by 679 00:47:24,400 --> 00:47:27,799 Speaker 2: a number of troops, including a there's a there's a 680 00:47:27,840 --> 00:47:31,120 Speaker 2: British sailor that's brought off of a ship who's drunk 681 00:47:31,160 --> 00:47:36,320 Speaker 2: at the time and they see the approaching this force 682 00:47:36,360 --> 00:47:39,239 Speaker 2: of led by Montgomery, of hundreds of men, and he 683 00:47:39,320 --> 00:47:42,160 Speaker 2: says to them their order to retreat. They just decide 684 00:47:42,160 --> 00:47:44,920 Speaker 2: to flee the area. He's like, he said to the 685 00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:47,760 Speaker 2: people around him, I'm in a flyer of my cannon 686 00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:51,840 Speaker 2: one last time, and he touches off the cannon and 687 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:55,560 Speaker 2: it's a lucky shot. The grape shot literally hits General 688 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:59,640 Speaker 2: Montgomery in the forehead and kills him, which has a 689 00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:04,680 Speaker 2: tremendously negative effect on the entire attack. That entire wing 690 00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:08,600 Speaker 2: then retreats and it's Daniel Morgan and his men that 691 00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:12,959 Speaker 2: assault on the opposite side, and they make their way 692 00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:18,120 Speaker 2: through various barricades against all odds and are this close 693 00:48:19,040 --> 00:48:24,720 Speaker 2: to seizing Quebec and taking Canada for the United States. 694 00:48:25,760 --> 00:48:32,000 Speaker 2: It's an incredible story of human endurance, and it's a 695 00:48:32,080 --> 00:48:37,960 Speaker 2: story that is important because as Americans, we often like 696 00:48:38,040 --> 00:48:41,440 Speaker 2: to look at the victories, but this is a situation 697 00:48:41,560 --> 00:48:45,160 Speaker 2: where it was a defeat, but it was a victory 698 00:48:45,239 --> 00:48:47,920 Speaker 2: of human endurance and courage. 699 00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:53,439 Speaker 1: That is something that we need we can look back 700 00:48:53,480 --> 00:48:54,080 Speaker 1: at now. 701 00:48:55,000 --> 00:48:58,120 Speaker 2: It's so important in today's age, which is one of 702 00:48:58,160 --> 00:49:00,800 Speaker 2: the most turbulent times in our history. We are currently 703 00:49:00,880 --> 00:49:03,480 Speaker 2: making history as we speak.