Horse & Musket VI: Sunset of an Era

With the final defeat of Napolon Bonaparte, a new conservative era of anti-liberal and anti-republican politics began in Europe. It was a false dawn for the forces of reaction. In the Americas, Spains empire evaporated in a series of rebellions. The defeat of the republicans led to a renewal in great power struggles, such as the Crimean War, and nationalist and expansionist wars. The middle of the century saw the unification of Italy and Germany through warfare. America, wracked by division over slavery, politics, and economics, was ripped apart by a civil war that ended in the reunification of the nation.

The great changes in government and ideology were matched by a shift towards industrialized war. By the 1850s railroads, telegraphs, and photographs were changing the face of battle. The smoothbore flintlock was replaced by the rifled musket, which was in turn replaced with repeating rifles. The era of linear combat, the basic tactics of western warfare for thousands of years, now gave way to a looser form of warfare, where technology was as important as training and generals. It was the end of an era.

The battles included are…

Ayacucho – December 9, 1824 If from Romulus, Rome; from Bolvar, it is Bolivia.

The Alamo – March 6, 1836 What are the lives of soldiers, than so many chickens?

Mudki – December 18, 1845 Opening Battle of the First Anglo-Sikh War

Buena Vista – February 23, 1847 Tell him to give em hell!

Cerro Gordo – April 17-18, 1847 Mexico no longer has an army.

Novara – March 22, 1849 The Abdication of Charles Albert I

Balaclava – October 25, 1854 There, my lord, is your enemy! There are your guns!

Inkerman – November 5, 1854 I tell you, we gave em a hell of a towelling.

Second Sevastopol – September 8, 1855 Im here, and I shall stay here.

Solferino – June 24, 1859 The Birth of the Red Cross

Volturno – October 1, 1860 Victory all along the Line!

First Bull Run – July 21, 1861 There is Jackson standing like a stone wall.

Second Bull Run – August 28-30, 1862 The Confederacy at Flood Tide

Antietam – September 17, 1862 The Bloodiest Day of the American Civil War

Irish Bend – April 14, 1863 Grover had stopped just short of the prize.

Rangiriri – November 20, 1863 Death Knell of the Kngitanga Movement

Lookout Mountain – November 24, 1863 It is all poetry.

Missionary Ridge – November 25, 1863 When those fellows get started all hell cant stop them.

First Petersburg – June 15-18, 1864 You cannot strike a full blow with a wounded hand.

Peach Tree Creek – July 20, 1864 Hood Takes Command

Cedar Creek – October 19, 1864 God DAMN you, dont cheer me!

Selma – April 2, 1865 Go in boys, give them hell, we have the city…

First Tuyut – May 24, 1866 The South American Waterloo

Kniggrtz – July 3, 1866 Kniggrtzer Marsch

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