History's Trainwrecks

It occurred to me that we’ve been doing quite a lot of talking about George Washington in this series—or more accurately, talking AROUND George, so I thought it would be a good time to stop and focus on the man himself, and delve into what made him so darn indispensable. I didn’t exactly HAVE a George Washington episode, but I knew someone who did. If you’ve been listening for a while, you know that I am a huge fan of the Drinks With Great Minds in History Podcast. The show is not only lots of fun to listen to, but the host, Mr. DGMH, otherwise known as Zach Debacco, has a historical insight that I truly admire. His approach to his great minds in history is unique, and he comes up with brilliant revelations about these historical figures that I had never before considered. It's a great show, and if you aren’t already subscribed to it, you should be. If it helps, I can tell you that Drinks With Great Minds in History is the only history podcast that Mrs. History’s Trainwrecks listens to. With all that that implies. Check out the Drinks With Great Minds in History Podcast . Cheers!

American major general Charles Lee is free of British captivity and gets one more chance to redeem himself at the Battle of Monmouth Court House in summer, 1778. But he doesn't take it. By the time of the second anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Charles is facing a court martial. He never commands troops in the field again. Being Charles, he goes on the attack against Washington and the Congress, which doesn't work out for him. We reach the end of our series on Charles Lee, and talk about what makes him such a historical trainwreck. Thanks for listening, and click here to support the show!

Christmas 1776 wasn't such a great time for two American generals. George Washington was wrapping a Christmas present for the Hessian garrison at Trenton, New Jersey. He was going to cross the Delaware and drop it down their metaphorical chimney like some kind of badass Santa Claus.Second in command Charles Lee had checked into a tavern and sent his dogs and his army down the road a ways. With only a few guards and a dirty shirt, he was cooling his heels while waiting to decide to follow Washington's orders to join up with him.In the meantime, British General Cornwallis, who was way more scared of Lee than Washington, sent Charles's old regiment of dragoons to find him and capture him.Which they did. Merry Christmas, Charles...

As Christmas, 1776 approached, it sure looked like the cause of American liberty was going to find a lump of coal under the tree.The British had taken New York and had George Washington's army on the run. They had a massive force pointed right at Philadelphia, the American capital. The Continental Congress had placed their hopes in one man to swoop in and save them.And it was NOT George Washington.This gave General Charles Lee the idea that he could be the man of the hour, and then take George Washington's job away from him.As long as he didn't run out of time. Click here to support the History's Trainwrecks Patreon page and thanks for listening!

1776 was a great year for Charles Lee. He had overseen the defensive preparations in New York, Virginia, and North Carolina. The British didn't attack those places, which Charles called a win. He successfully led the defense of Charleston, South Carolina against a British assault, which he also put in his win column. Then he was ordered to New York, which was under serious threat from the British, and where he would be, for the first time in his Revolutionary War service, under the command of someone else. This wasn't one of Charles's strong suits. But his luck was holding, and he was greeted in New York as the savior of the cause. George Washington's luck, on the other hand, was pretty bad. The British had him trapped between a massive army and navy, and the Continentals were suffering major setbacks. Plus, he had to listen to the cheers of his men when the most battle-tested general in the army showed up. But George's luck was going to change come December. He was going to have a great Christmas. Charles Lee, on the other hand, was not. If you've enjoyed this episode, please rate the show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast outpost. Click here to support our Patreon page, which is a great way to keep the trainwrecks on the tracks and get access to fun bonus content.

Brand new Major General Charles Lee was looking pretty darn indispensable in the early days of the American Revolution.After the British abandoned Boston, their next move was unclear. The Continentals believed that the next attack would either hit Canada, New York City, or the Southern colonies.It is worth noting that new General Charles Lee was appointed to each of these commands. He became the early Revolution's troubleshooter.And there was a lot of trouble to shoot.There were British Loyalists, runaway slaves, poorly equipped and trained Continental militia, and civilian governments who didn't seem to realize that the British were about to rain hell and damnation down on them.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Click here to support us on Patreon!