USMC born today, 1775.

On the 5th November 1854 a  smaller British and (yes) French army beat off an assault by the Russians at Inkerman in the Crimea. It was known as “The  Soldier’s Battle” as men fought small engagements due to poor visibility in dense fog.
The Russians had massed 32000 men on the Allied flank and headed for the 2700 man 2nd Division, commanded today by the aggressive Pennefather. Instead of falling back in the face of superior numbers, he advanced. The British had their rifles to thank this day as they took a terrible toll on the musket armed Russian Infantry, who were hemmed in by the valley’s bottle neck shape. The British 2nd Division pushed the Russians back onto their reinforcements and should have been routed by the Russians’ numbers, but the fog and the British Light Division saved them. Three successive Russian commanders were killed in this engagement.
The Russians other 15000 men approached and assailed the Sandbag Battery, but they were routed by 300 British defenders vaulting the wall, blunting the lead Battalions, who were then attacked in the flank. More Russian attacks ensured the Battery exchanged hands several times.
The British 4th Division was not as lucky. Arriving on the field, its flanking move was itself flanked and its commander, Cathcart, killed. This enabled the Russians to advance, but not for long. They were soon driven off by French units arriving from their camps and made no more headway.
The battle was lost and they had to withdraw.
This was the last time the Russians tried to defeat the Allied troops in the field. Despite this reverse, however, the Russian attack had seriously stalled the Allies from capturing Sevastopol. They had to instead, spend one harsh winter on the heights overlooking the city, before it fell in September of 1855.
The British suffered 2573 casualties, the French 1800 and the Russians 11959.

I believe the number to be in excess of 100.
Which is extraordinary  for a one eyed, one armed old man from Norfolk.

@Makoshark13:

I’ve always found it interesting that the confederate army at Manassas was the Army of the Potomac, while the Union army was the Army of Northeastern Virginia. It’s like afterwards, both commanders decided to switch names.Â

And on a similar note: “Many [Confederate volunteers] were from state militia outfits which had their own state-issued uniforms, and in the early battles some Confederate units who wore dark blue uniforms were often mistaken on the field of battle for the enemy. Conversely, many Union units which were originally militia units went to war wearing grey.”

I am not sure Napoleon was ever really himself after the Russian campaign. What he expected after his victory at Borodino and what really turned out was very different. Expecting the Russians to surrender only having them chase him all the way back to France may have put some doubt in his mind. Maybe that doubt is what affected his decisions at a place like Waterloo. I know in sports that if you loose your confidence it can be hard to get back. I imagine the same could be said about war generals. Just a thought. Enjoyed the post.

Jackson’s 1862 Valley Campaign ended with another victory today at Port Republic, in Rockingham County Virginia. With a smaller force than the Federals he had marched from field to field, thwarting the Northern generals, McDowell, Banks and now Fremont. Lincoln and the Administration were in uproar and feared for the Capital.
Today, the 9th June 1862, Major General Thomas J Jackson, West Point professional and original leader of the now famous “Stonewall Brigade”(2,4,5, 27 and 33 Va Inf) commanded 7 Brigades of Infantry. All were Virginiians, many recruited from the very region on which they had been fighting, except a large Brigade of very fine Louisianans under Richard Taylor, son of President Zachary Taylor.
As was usual with Jackson, he attacked the enemy and with his Stonewall Brigade, now commanded by Marylander Charles Winder, opened the battle. Finding things hard going Jackson had to throw in more troops. By day’s end he had pushed the smaller Notlrthern force back enough for their commander, John Fremont , to feel he had been beaten and withdraw.
As a consequence of this, yesterday’s Cross Keys battle and the campaign as a whole, Jackson was able to rejoin Lee’s large North Virginia army to help push the cautious Northern commander all the way from the gates of Richmond, which looked like falling to his enormous Northern army.

Four weeks and counting. My brother says he will take over, but he has his children on Monday and Tuesdays. Opening just four days will not leave me much to buy A&A games!
Kind of him to offer.

I wonder if you are hanging there thinking: I hope they do not snap. Or are you thinking I hope they do and I tumble 100ft to my death?
How can you not be on the point of passing out?

In San Gimignano(near Siena, Tuscany) they have a Torture Museum.
I love it. One of the first instruments you view is an anal pear.
I believe it was used on sodomites.
Of course the Rack was much used here and that was a hell of an instrument.

I suppose if you ste commiting treason, the lesson is: do not get captured alive!

Yes there is a point.  That point is WHEN YOU WIN.

I’m sure Eisenhower would have stood trial and been executed had the allies lost the war.

Interesting that at this point there are 2 votes down.  I wonder if you had said “I’m sure Churchill would have stood trial and been executed had the allies lost the war.”  Would you still get two votes down?  Perhaps Roosevelt and Churchill were in the same category and Eisenhower being a military man is different.