Jim Butcher Lexington, KY 6-7-18

[wardenferry419]

Is it confirmed that Charlemagne had a Sword? In the books, Molly just says that they're descended from him, not that he used to be a Knight of the Cross, unless I missed something.

I won't say much about George Washington's less savory qualities except to point out that applying 21st century values and science to 18th century people is an exercise in futility. DISCLAIMER: I do not want to start an argument about this. I understand the immorality of slavery and racism. I'm merely pointing out the values dissonance people often overlook when looking at historical figures.

On the flip side: there are countless stories about George Washington that defy logic, to the point that he was basically a folk hero. Riding up and down in front of his lines at the Battle of Princeton when he was 30 yards away from the enemy, then ordering a volley; a Native American Chief, years after the Seven Years War, tracked down Washington to pay his respects to the man "who could never die in battle," (during one battle in the French and Indian War, Washington, as an Aide, basically started giving orders himself, riding back and forth between officers; during that battle, his horse was shot out from under him twice, but he was untouched); the Ticonderoga raid, where a river that should have been frozen was miraculously unfrozen despite the cold, which let him execute an insane plan to float countless cannon and gunpowder down the river (it should be noted that the river needed to be unfrozen for the plan to work at all, and it was frozen at the time he authorized the raid); there are multiple times when weather conditions seemed to just happen precisely when he needed them (the escape from Manhattan Harbor, for instance, was only possible because of a sudden batch of fog)... the list goes on.

Basically what I'm saying is that being a Knight of the Cross neatly explains the feeling of Divine Providence that let him survive, let alone win the American Revolution. I don't know how long he had Esperacchius; it may be that he was a Knight of the Cross for the duration of the Revolution, or from Valley Forge through Yorktown, or that he picked it up during the French and Indian War/Seven Years War/Great War for Empire (it was actually nine years, and the F&I War was just the Western theater of the GWfE). The point is that his position as a Knight of the Cross may have been temporary, for a specific purpose (such as winning the Revolution). TWG probably had plans that required an independent USA.

Some interesting bits of history.

[Kindler]

Honestly, I barely scratched the surface. There are countless firsthand accounts of him doing things that should not have worked. Aside from all of that, he mastered the art of the Fighting Retreat, wherein he kept the Continental Army relatively intact, falling back in good order, and fighting every step of the way. He "lost" pretty much every pitched battle, in that he gave up ground, but successfully attritted (which is a word, Google; update your dictionary) the British over the course of several years.

Also, Jim's right about Valley Forge; it was arguably the most pivotal moment in the American Revolution. Not just because morale was low and the Continental Army was almost out of supplies, but because it gave the troops time to actually learn how to fight. Baron von Steuben (a Prussian Baron who had a score to settle with Britain after the Great War for Empire) took the opportunity to drill the Continentals, teaching them basic firing discipline. He used a very simple method; drill and instruct 120 soldiers, who then went and instructed the rest of the army.

He's one of the unsung heroes of the American Revolution, someone whose name everyone should know, but I don't think I've ever met someone who did except for my dad and my old professors. Anyway, when the Continental Army left Valley Forge, they were far more effective than they ever were before.

Final fun fact: Von Steuben Day is actually a holiday in the US. It's September 16th this year. Fire some muskets to honor his memory!