Old Fort Western

Location:  Augusta, Maine

Features: colonial era fort, local historical makers

History:  Old Fort Western was built in 1754 on the Kennebec River as a colonial outpost.  It served as the starting point for Benedict Arnold as he organized the ill fated invasion of Quebec in 1775 during the American Revolution.

Traveler's Notes:  The Fort is situated in a scenic park overlooking the Kennebec River in downtown Augusta.  In addition to information about the Fort, many placards are located nearby as part of Augusta's "Museum In The Streets" series relating information about the city's local and natural history.

Resources:  www.oldfortwestern.org, Fort_Western, expedition_to_Quebec

American Civil War Monument, Boothbay, Maine

Location: Boothbay, Maine

Features: single monument

History: Unknown

Traveler's Notes:  Encountered by chance while driving to Maine's Atlantic coast, October 2013.

Resources:  http://www.maine.gov/civilwar/monuments/boothbay.html

The Powder House

Location: Hallowell, Maine

Features: 1820's era Powder House, cannon from HMS Boxer

History: This cannon was captured by the USS Enterprise from the HMS Boxer during the War of 1812.  This naval engagement took place off the coast of nearby Portland, Maine.  According to the placard it was converted to a field piece and now serves as a memorial to the Hallowell Light Infantry.

Traveler's Notes: This cannon was discovered by chance while wandering the beautiful historic streets of downtown Hallowell, Maine with my family in October 2013.  Hallowell is a small community adjacent to the state capitol of Augusta.  The city of Hallowell offers a series of placards, "The Museum In The Streets", relating local historical information.

Resources: Capture_of_HMS_Boxer; Hallowell,_Maine

Cantigny Park

Location: Wheaton, Illinois

Features: First Division Museum, Tank Park, 500 acre park with golf course, garden, McCormick Museum

History:  The park was created by Robert R. McCormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune and founder of the Tribune Media empire.  McCormick served as a Colonel in the US Army First Division during World War I and participated in the Battle of Cantigny in France.  His estate was converted to Catigny Park as a place to educate, preserve and honor his experiences.

Traveler's Notes:  I thought I would start off this blog with a major local Chicago attraction, Cantigny Park.  The First Division Museum offers first rate exhibits about the history of the unit.  There are two major set piece displays in the museum that must be experienced.  The first is a mock up of a World War I trench under attack that you can walk among the ruins.  The other is a D-Day "simulation" as you step off an invading landing craft onto the Normandy beach.  The Tank Park outside features a nice selection of armored vehicles from World War I, World War II, and modern conflicts.

Resources: www.cantigny.org

It Never Snows On Tuesday

Spending the afternoon trying to squeeze in all the maps for MMP's "It Never Snows," the SCS treatment of Operation Market Garden.  Tonight I take the German defenders against Dan K.'s Allies.

Stonewall Jackson's Way II

At long last the newest entry in the GCACW has arrived: Stonewall Jackson's Way II.  It is unfortunate that MMP decided to market this game as SJW 2.0 because the box contains so much more than the original.  It provides two complete modules sharing one map set.  The "All Green Alike" module features scenarios and campaigns from the July 1861 1st Bull Run period, while "Stonewall Jackson's Way" contains those actions from the 2nd Bull Run campaign of 1862.  A more appropriate title for the game should have been something in the vein of "Stonewall Finds His Way to Bull Run - Twice!"   Well, perhaps something a little snappier, but you get idea.  With over 2x the content of the original game a little rebranding might have been in order.

The components use the new standard design established with MMP in "Battle Above the Clouds."   The manpower counters included now go up to 18 making it now possible to use the new informational counters in most of the older games.  The map is another GCACW wonder, with very crisp detail and lighter hues making it much easier to read than some of the older maps.  The maps have been completely updated to the standard rules, incorporating new terrain features such as hills and ferries.

The "All Green Alike" module contains 5 scenarios and 2 modules from the 1861 early war period.  The units here are all appropriately "green" with leadership values ranging from 1 to -1.  Even the mighty Stonewall himself rates only a 1.  It should be noted that two of the scenarios and one of the campaigns require the use of the west map from "Here Come the Rebels," which would be problematic for those without that edition.

The "Stonewall Jackson's Way" portion contains 7 scenarios and 2 campaigns.  This is two more scenarios than were included in the original.  The new scenarios are all rebalanced and Jackson is now leadership 4 as per the standard rules, down from his superman 5.  Mike L. plans on playing these all out with me over the next month so I'll report on the individual games.  All in all a worthy successor to the original.  Now, when can we expect Atlanta.....

History Traveller: Fort York

Over the past year I have continued my exploration of the sites of the War of 1812.  A recent trip to Ontario allowed me to visit several of the major forts and battlefields in the region.  First up was Fort York.  Now nestled in the heart of downtown Toronto, the Fort once defended the harbor of York, as the city was then named, on the shores of Lake Ontario.  In 1813 its stone walls were sited right at the water's edge, but years of coastal development have claimed much new land from the lake and the fort now finds itself at a considerable distance from the shore.  In these modern times the Fort sits in a perpetual siege not of musket or cannon, but of skyscrapers and highways, outliving its purpose of physical protection while withstanding the forces of time and progress that would have us forget our common heritage.

Fort York was attacked by a combined naval and infantry force from the United States on April 26, 1813 as part of the ongoing battle for the Great Lakes.  York was targeted because it was both the capital of Upper Canada and a major depot of supplies and shipbuilding materials.  The Americans landed from the lake and attacked the Fort.  The British defenders and Native allies attempted to withstand the assault but were eventually forced to retreat.  One notable casualty was Zebulon Pike, the famous explorer of the American West, who was killed when the Fort's magazine exploded.  The US forces took the Fort and the city of York proper.  Over the next few days the occupying force looted and burned many local homes and government buildings.  It has been said that the burning of the White House the following year was in retribution for the plundering of York.

Today the Fort remains well preserved in its easily accessible location close to the Canadian National Exhibition fairgrounds.  Each of the standing barracks, blockhouses and other buildings contains various artifacts, displays and maps relating the history of the war, life and culture of the period and the specifics of the battle.  Currently, it is not a large park so it can be toured comfortably in a few hours.  However, the venue is undergoing a major upgrade to enlarge the grounds and facilities, so it might be worth checking in on completion before planning a visit.