William Eaton was a U.S. Army officer who led an expedition of U.S. Marines and hired mercenaries to Derna, Tripoli during the First Barbary War in 1805. He was the first American to lead forces into battle on foreign soil and raise the American Flag in victory over the enemies of the United States. WilliamContinue reading “Heroes From History: William Eaton”
Author Archives: Louis
When Honor Fades to Pride: A Haiku Series
I feel it has been some time since I wrote a haiku series, and I was starting to miss the simplicity of it. I was also reading about the Battle of the Wilderness during the American Civil War in early May of 1864. The Union forces threw themselves at Confederate positions to no avail, andContinue reading “When Honor Fades to Pride: A Haiku Series”
Iconic Weapons: The Messer
The “messer,” meaning “long knife” in German, is a weapon which was prominent in Germanic territories during the Renaissance era. It was called this for its hilt, which was constructed with a full tang and lacked a pommel, making it akin to a very large knife. The weapon was used throughout the 15th and 16thContinue reading “Iconic Weapons: The Messer”
Iconic Weapons: Falchion
The falchion is a one-handed, single-edged sword of European design which saw widespread use in the 13th and 14th centuries. It was noted to have seen service as late as the 16th century, but then began to fall out of use. The blade of the falchion is similar in design to the Persian scimitar andContinue reading “Iconic Weapons: Falchion”
He Has Not Yet Begun to Fight
John Paul Jones is often considered one of the Fathers of the United States Navy. He was a privateer who joined the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. However, since he worked with mercenaries, pirates, and other soldiers of fortune under his command, he found himself betrayed by his own crew on more thanContinue reading “He Has Not Yet Begun to Fight”
Triumphant Is He
Evils rise and demons scheme to lead to humans astray, time and time again throughout history. The path of darkness is seductive and leads to self-destruction, whereas the path of the righteous leads into the light where we find our true selves. The darkness of sin resides in all of us, and it is incumbentContinue reading “Triumphant Is He”
Historic Events: John Paul Jones’ Whiteraven Raid
On this day, 244 years ago on April 10, 1778, John Paul Jones set sail aboard the USS Ranger from Brest, France on mission to harass British ships near the mainland. John Paul Jones was commissioned as a first lieutenant with the Continental Navy on December 7, 1775. His crew on the USS Ranger, however,Continue reading “Historic Events: John Paul Jones’ Whiteraven Raid”
The Enemy Within: A Haiku Series
The Book of Revelation has long been my favorite book of the Bible. I find the lessons contained within about living through dark times surrounded by agents of the adversary to be some of the greatest wisdom ever imparted upon Humanity. The stories about people who want to be good and do what is rightContinue reading “The Enemy Within: A Haiku Series”
Heroes From History: Thomas Jefferson
On March 27, 1775, 247 years ago today, Thomas Jefferson was elected to the Second Continental Congress as a Virginia delegate. During this time, he worked on drafts for several important documents, including the Virginia Constitution and The Declaration of Independence. Throughout his political career, Jefferson also served as the governor of Virginia, the firstContinue reading “Heroes From History: Thomas Jefferson”
Humanity’s Repetitious Tale
As any who follow my work know, I love both the ABAB rhyme scheme and haiku. ABAB poems consist of four-line stanzas with the first and third lines rhyming together and the second and fourth lines rhyming together. A haiku is a short poem of three verses consisting of 5, 7, and 5 syllables each.Continue reading “Humanity’s Repetitious Tale”
The Pensive Warrior 