Christopher J. Petty – författare

The Battle Digest summary includes all the key aspects of the campaign and battle, including maps, images, and lessons learned.In the weeks following the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord, Colonial militia and volunteers rallied around Boston to besiege Lt. Gen. Thomas Gage’s British garrison. But when reinforcements arrived from England, Gage devised a plan to regain the initiative by occupying Dorchester Heights south of town. When the Colonials heard of Gage’s plan, however, they preempted him by occupying different high ground ? the heights of Bunker Hill near Charlestown. When Gage awoke on 17 June to the sight of rebel positions on Breed’s Hill, he quickly attacked in what would be the first pitched battle of the American Revolution. The misnamed Battle of Bunker Hill would prove a costly and shocking victory for the British, while giving the Colonials faith in their militias and an important boost of confidence for the long struggle ahead.

The Battle Digest summary includes all the key aspects of the campaign and battle, including maps, images, and lessons learned. After his early success in the Civil War’s Western Theater, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant moved south to capture the key railroad hub at Corinth and further cut into the Confederate hold on the Tennessee and Mississippi River Valleys. But Confederate Gen. Albert S. Johnston wasn’t playing by Grant’s script. Instead of waiting for Grant to combine armies with Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell, Johnston moved north for a surprise attack. It almost worked. But after taking a beating the first day, a resolute Grant rallied his army and pushed the Confederates back, salvaging victory from what appeared to be certain defeat and further opening the Confederacy’s vulnerable Western flank. But Shiloh was also a sobering wake-up call for both sides. With carnage on a scale not seen before, all illusions of a short and low-cost war were shattered.

Get facts, maps, historical significance, strategies, and more in this concise summary of the Texas Revolution’s legendary “last stand.” During the Texas Revolution, the Mexican Army clashed with Texan forces on several battlefields—the most famous of which was the Alamo. During this thirteen-day siege, a small group of defenders held out against overwhelming odds only to die in the final Mexican assault on the Alamo mission. Although it was clearly a tactical defeat for the Texans, this legendary “last stand” was a sentinel event during the Texas Revolution. Today, the Alamo still evokes sentiments of patriotism, courage, and determination against great odds.Learn how Bowie, Travis, and Neill fought a desperate fight against the vastly superior army of General Santa Anna. Also learn how Santa Anna inadvertently let tactical victory turn into strategic defeat.The Battle Digest summary includes all the key aspects of the campaign and battle, including maps, images, and lessons learned.

A concise summary of this turning point in the American Revolution with facts, maps, historical significance, strategies, and more. By the summer of 1780, Great Britain held the advantage in the American Revolution. A strategic shift to the south had borne fruit. British forces controlled the major ports of Savannah and Charleston, and Maj. Gen. Charles Cornwallis had recently trounced American forces under Gen. Horatio Gates at Camden, South Carolina. But Gen. Nathanael Greene, Gen. George Washington’s newly appointed southern commander, was about to turn things around. Instead of massing his forces, he divided them, sending Brig. Gen. Daniel Morgan southwestward.When British forces caught up to Morgan at Cowpens in January 1781, he was more than ready. Morgan’s victory was a tactical masterpiece, echoing Hannibal’s ancient triumph over the Romans at Cannae. Cowpens set in motion a chain of events leading to Yorktown and, ultimately, American independence.Learn how Daniel Morgan effectively used the Continental militia while designing a tactical plan to exploit the overconfidence and aggressiveness of his British opponent, Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton.The Battle Digest summary includes all the key aspects of the campaign and battle, including maps, images, and lessons learned.

Get facts, maps, historical significance, strategies, and more in this concise summary of the notoriously bloody Civil War battle. During the late summer of 1862, Confederate forces launched their first invasion of the North. When Union forces met them near Sharpsburg, Maryland, along Antietam Creek, the result was the “bloodiest day” in American military history. Although the battle of Antietam was a tactical draw, Union Gen. George McClellan stopped Lee’s invasion. It was a significant enough strategic “victory” to discourage European intervention in the Civil War and for President Abraham Lincoln to broaden the moral aspects of the conflict by issuing his famous Emancipation Proclamation.Learn why Robert E. Lee took great risk in dividing his army as he moved north, and how General McClellan squandered an opportunity for victory with his uncoordinated assaults during the battle.The Battle Digest summary includes all the key aspects of the campaign and battle, including maps, images, and lessons learned.

Get facts, maps, historical significance, strategies, and more in this concise summary of Andrew Jackson’s, and America’s, War of 1812 triumph.The War of 1812 was not going particularly well for the United States. The British were blockading America’s coasts, damaging commerce, and thwarting any hopes for U.S. territorial gains in Canada. After two years of fighting, Americans were further humiliated when, in August of 1814, the British burned the U.S. Capitol. The people in the young republic yearned for respect. Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson would finally give them what they wanted with his lopsided victory at New Orleans. The victory was significant enough for the U.S. to earn the respect of Britain, which never again treated America as anything less than an independent power. It would also launch the political career of a future president.Learn how Andrew Jackson’s unique leadership propelled a ragtag American army to victory against great odds, while overconfidence and coordination errors contributed to British defeat.The Battle Digest summary includes all the key aspects of the campaign and battle, including maps, images, and lessons learned.

A concise guide to this resounding American victory in the Revolutionary War, with facts, maps, historical significance, and more.In 1781, after six years of fighting, the future of the American colonies was far from resolved. The British were still dominant on land and sea, and except for a few bright spots like Trenton and Saratoga, the Americans had been unable to match the skills of the strongest army of the time. Against this backdrop, the brilliantly executed Yorktown campaign, in the autumn of 1781, would effectively decide the war. With America’s resounding victory, the American Colonies would formally gain their independence two years later.Learn how General Washington outfoxed the British with deception and maneuver, while the French Navy cleared the way for the final checkmate of General Cornwallis at Yorktown.The Battle Digest summary includes all the key aspects of the campaign and battle, including maps, images, and lessons learned.

A concise guide to the Normandy invasion with facts, maps, historical significance, strategies, and more. Operation Overlord, commonly referred to as "e;D-Day,"e; was the Allied invasion to secure a foothold in northern France to enable the final offensive into Germany. The Normandy invasion would be the largest combined air-sea assault landing in history. This massive feat would finally enable the Allies to deploy forces on the continent, of sufficient size and scale, to bring about the beginning of the end of Hitler and his Third Reich. Learn how General Eisenhower managed to attack German weakness with Allied strength as well as how intelligence and deception were crucial to the outcome. The Battle Digest summary includes all the key aspects of the campaign and battle, including maps, images, and lessons learned.

A concise guide to the Japanese attack on Hawaii that plunged America into WWII, with facts, maps, historical significance, and more.As America prepared for WWII, everything changed on December 7, 1941—described by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a “date which will live in infamy”—when Japan launched a successful surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor. The devastating attack crippled the fleet, while showing the world the new dominance of carrier-borne aircraft in naval warfare. Japan’s tactical success, however, belied her strategic failure. With America’s declaration of war the following day, Japan had created a determined and powerful enemy. And while Japan did gain time to expand in the Pacific, that time would be short-lived. Japan had awakened the “sleeping giant” of America.Learn how Admiral Yamamoto’s bold plan caught America by surprise yet doomed the larger Japanese cause. Learn also about Japan’s lost opportunities during the attack—opportunities that would have tilted the scales decidedly more in her favor.The Battle Digest summary includes all the key aspects of the campaign and battle, including maps, images, and lessons learned.

A concise guide to this dramatic Revolutionary War campaign with facts, maps, historical significance, and more.In 1777, the British had the confidence to launch a plan to divide the Colonies along the Hudson River. After a promising British start, however, the Saratoga campaign would grind to a halt before turning into a stunning American victory. The battle rejuvenated the cause of independence while sowing the first seeds of doubt in Britain’s Parliament. Most significantly, the American victory also convinced France’s King Louis XVI to officially enter the war in support of the Americans. This critical French alliance would make Saratoga the turning point in the American Revolution.Learn how General Gates and Benedict Arnold outfoxed and outmaneuvered the British to create this stunning American victory.The Battle Digest summary includes all the key aspects of the campaign and battle, including maps, images, and lessons learned.

Get facts, maps, historical significance, strategies, and more in this concise summary of Robert E. Lee’s victory in Virginia. The Confederate victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville is considered the crowning military achievement of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Against the numerically superior Union Army of the Potomac, Lee took a calculated risk by dividing his Army of Northern Virginia in what would become the largest flanking maneuver of the Civil War. The risk paid off with a stunning victory.Learn how “Fighting Joe” Hooker squandered his good strategy with his timid leadership, and how Robert E. Lee took prudent risk to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.The Battle Digest summary includes all the key aspects of the campaign and battle, including maps, images, and lessons learned.