Balladeer's Blog

Tomorrow is Presidents Day, so here’s another seasonal post.

ANDREW JOHNSON

Conflict – U.S. Civil War: Service – From 1862-February 1865 Johnson held the rank of general in the Union Army. He held that position as Military Governor of Tennessee and saw no action in the field.

ULYSSES S. GRANT

NOTE: As I observed previously, Washington, Grant and Eisenhower would require thousands of words to capture their full military careers. I will write such blog posts in the near future but for this post I’ll be very brief.

Conflict – Mexican War: Service – From 1846 to 1848 Lieutenant Grant served in Zachary Taylor’s campaigns in northern Mexico and later in Winfield Scott’s campaign to take Mexico City to the south.

Conflict – U.S. Civil War: Service – The heroic Grant rose to command of all the Union’s armies during the 1861-1865 conflict and defeated Confederate General Robert E. Lee. A future blog post will cover his extensive service in the war.    Continue reading →

With Presidents Day coming up fast here’s another seasonal post.

FRANKLIN PIERCE

From 1831-1847 Pierce served in the peacetime New Hampshire Militia, rising to the rank of colonel.

Conflict – Mexican War: Service – Because of his experience with military norms and exercises Franklin Pierce was named a General of Volunteers. In 1847 he led his men to Vera Cruz, which had been taken in an amphibious operation in March by General Winfield Scott. He then led his 2,500-strong troop in transporting additional supplies for Scott despite guerilla attacks and fighting in his ongoing campaign to take Mexico City.

General Pierce saw further action in battles at Contreras, Churubusco, Molina del Ray, Chapultepec and Mexico City itself. Pierce had an unfortunate tendency toward undignified injuries, and an early bashing of his testicles caused complications which surfaced again and again throughout the war. Continue reading →