MM#141--American Dunkirk

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Welcome to the theory to action podcast where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time to help you take action immediately, and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life. Now, here's your host, David Kaiser.

Hello, I am David and welcome back to another Mojo minute. In keeping with our mojo minute from yesterday, we are going to continue with US history and we're going to go back even further than the Civil War to the American Revolution. And let's pick up our book of the day their quote, two days earlier, the Americans had lost several significant engagements in Brooklyn. Now the British in Hessians had Washington's army trapped with their backs to the East River and it looked like a rebel. This looked like the revolution might end. Just weeks after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Marblehead regiment rode from Manhattan on August 28 To reinforce Washington's troops on Long Island. Quote, it was evident that this small reinforcement inspired no in considerable degree of confidence. The faces had all been saddened by the disasters of yesterday. Assume the gleam of animation on our approach, accompanied with a murmur of approbation. And the spectators occasionally greeting each other with a remark that quote, these were the lads that might do something. And of quote, 

These are the lads that might do something. How fascinating and this This quote comes to us from our book of the day, Patrick cay O'Donnell's truly fascinating work on the American Revolution titled The indispensables, the diverse soldier mariners who shaped the country formed the Navy and rode Washington across the Delaware. And this book specifically walks us through the Marblehead regiment from Massachusetts. And they're very important, if not to steal the subtitle, or to steal the title rather of the book, their indispensable contribution to the winning of the American Revolution. Now let's turn to Patrick K O'Donnell, let's find out who he is. Patrick K. O'Donnell is a best selling critically acclaimed military historian and an expert on elite units, the author of 12 books, including the unknowns in Washington's immortals, and a fellow at Mount Vernon. He is the recipient of numerous national awards. O'Connell or O'Donnell rather, served as a combat historian in the Marines in a marine rifle platoon during the Battle of Fallujah and as a professional speaker on America's conflicts, espionage, Special Operations and counterinsurgency. He has provided historical consulting for Dream DreamWorks award winning miniseries Band of Brothers and for documentaries produced by the BBC the History Channel and discovery and check him out at Patrick K. Oh donald.com And he's at Twitter at combat historian and that quick bio comes to us from the back of the the physical book, which I had sent to me by my brother for Christmas and I got around to reading or I'm sorry, II send it to me for my birthday My bad. Sorry about that brother. 

But it was a fascinating read. I crushed it on Audible. Just loved this author's writing. It's the first time I had read him. He has another book we're probably going to review as well. I'm not sure if you caught the subtitle. Let's go back and read it again the divert Verse, Soldier mariners who shaped the country formed the Navy and rode Washington, across the Delaware. So we had some diversity in late 18th century America, who would have thought it, especially after reading Howard sin, I guess he missed that in depth part of his research. So for that, let's actually go to the book and read about this diversity because it's fascinating. Quote, the challenges presented by this hostile lifestyle instilled a distinct character in to the inhabitants of the town. Quote, Life at Sea encouraged risk taking and numbness term to tremendous danger. Overcoming daily hazards forged through hard work, teamwork and enterprise, a spirit of general equality of condition, and common wants prevented any claim of superiority and produced a social field which United most of the men
I'm sorry, which United most of them in one great family unquote, noted a contemporary observer. Marblehead was progressive at the time with a mix of people from different races and socio economic backgrounds. While slavery existed in the town free people of various races, and natural national origin lived together side by side. In fact, the Marblehead regiment would become something of a haven for black soldiers and Native Americans, a mix of European immigrants and longtime residents worked alongside black Freeman, and most attended church together. Only about two to 3% of Massachusetts population was black. Massachusetts, however, was progressive for colonial times, and blacks could challenge their masters in court. Marblehead itself was fairly cosmopolitan, free African Americans and Native Americans lived and worked in the town alongside a smaller population of enslaved African Americans. Over 1700, African American and Native American men served among the 10s of 1000s of soldiers involved in the Revolutionary War for Massachusetts. 

Of the 4800 black Americans living in Massachusetts in 1776. The highest concentration some 1000 resided in Essex County, which encompassed Marblehead and nearby Beverly. Slavery was on its way out in Massachusetts, it would be abolished there in 1783. For the 18th century, Essex County was ahead of its time, and of quote, how very cool is that? O'Donnell makes the point that white, black, Hispanic, and Native Americans, uniquely, this whole diverse group of soldiers work side by side. And there was very little animosity they all shared in the common work. They all fish, the Grand Banks, off of Nova Scotia. And so that rigorous lifestyle, employed everybody just simply to work hard, not care about race, and care about Content of Character, which we wouldn't learn until Martin Luther King reminded our country over and over, that that's how we should judge each other by the content of our character, not by the color of our skin. So I found it fascinating when I was reading this that we had a diverse group of soldiers back in the American Revolution. And guess what this group of soldiers was like an operations, special operations force. These dudes were probably the most confident group are the group that Washington grew the most confident in. During his whole time in the American Revolution, that point is made over and over in the book. So this this book is fascinating. 

It was a great read, I highly recommend it. Just because the story has never been told. Let's go back to book to recalibrate ourselves. Quote, The fate of the army in fact, the fate of the entire revolution now lay on the muscle shoulders of the fishermen and sailors of the Marblehead regiment. The Americans not only face 10s of 1000s of British regulars and hessian troops arrayed in front of them, but in addition, they would pit their skills and strength against three extremely potent natural enemies, time, wind and tide and of quote so the Marblehead regiments trying to evacuate some 9000 men and all the arms, all the cannons, all the provisions, all the horses, wagons, cattle, etc, everything that comes With moving a very large army, and in front of them is Psalm 27,000 British regulars and hessian troops and we know hessian troops or professional mercenaries from Germany or the German area. And then as we just learned behind them is the East River. And it's a full mile wide river, certainly not a wandering brook of a creek. So the Americans are in a pickle, and things are not looking great. And the Marblehead regiment, a sense essentially comes to the rescue. Now, I'm not going to give you all the details, because that would be a disservice to Mr. O'Donnell in his incredible writing, but I highly encourage you to get the book, especially if you love us history. 

This is essential reading for the American Revolution surely. And just reading in general, these are stories that we've never heard in our public school education at all. And I just found it fascinating. So we're going to fast forward a little bit. The Americans, especially the marble hitters are trying to get everybody across to Manhattan. They face a fickle tide, they face decreasing time. They were kind of slow in the beginning, and wind shifts and shifts back works in their favor doesn't work in their favor. But anyhow, check out the book for the details. It's fascinating. It's gripping reading. And let's, let's, let's find out what happens. Quote, The Marblehead soldier mariners worked through the night and accomplished an ostensibly impossible task, transporting most of the Continental Army 1000s of men across these River in just nine hours. One marble had a record making a breathtaking total of 11 trips across the mile wide river. However, even this was not enough. When the first rays of Dawn crept over the entrenchments, Americans were still maintaining fortifications for those who remained in the trenches, including the Marylanders. The approach of daylight brought the chance of a renewed attack from the British in a certain death. But then a thick fog miraculously appeared and cloak the rest of the escape. 

Quote, As the dawn of the next day approached, Benjamin Tallmadge, one of the officers in the rear guard later wrote, those of us who remained in the trenches became very anxious for our own safety. And when the dawn appeared, there were several regiments still on duty. At this time, a very dense fog began to rise, and it seemed to settle in a particular manner over both encampments. I recollect this peculiar providential occurrence perfectly well. And so very dense was the atmosphere that I could scarcely discern a man at six yards distance, and of quote, Dang, this is an amazing story. Just amazing in every turn, the Americans get a break. It has it was certainly providential. You understand reading the contemporary quotes from the folks there that O'Donnell minds and puts in the book. Everybody understood that this was God's providence. So some 9000 men would be ushered across from Long Island to Manhattan to complete the retreat and their cover of night. And this incredible, newly forming dense fog, the whole retreat was accomplished in 13 hours. Let's go to our final quote from the book. 

Quote, As one historian later observed, this event, one of the most remarkable in the ward did much toward establishing the fame of Washington, and the confidence in his ability as a military leader. It would, however, have been impossible but for the skill and activity of Glover, and his Marblehead regimen. O'Donnell goes on to say Glover's waterborne retreat revealed the added flexibility that his amphibious capabilities contributed to Washington's army. In this case, it saved them from destruction or annihilation, but on later occasions, it would allow them to put an enormous force in a key place using waterways as avenues of approach. And all this comes to us. In a chapter titled America's Dunkirk and we have learned the intimate details of that great escape from the expertise of those marble headers Now please remember, the most famous Dunkirk was the British Dunkirk that happened from May 26 to June 4 1940. That evacuate Shouldn't retreat involved the rescue of some 338,000 British and French troops, after they were outflanked by the German storming across Europe. And initially Prime Minister Churchill and his advisors had expected that they would only be able to rescue some 20 to 30,000 30,000 at the most was the initial reports. But with some over 800 boats in from big ships to small fishing trolleys they commandeered literally everybody pitched in. 

The evacuation obviously took part from the French port of Dunkirk it ended like I said, on June 4, and when word began reaching and spreading throughout England, this event boosted morale, and ultimately would be called the Miracle of Dunkirk. And so too, we have our own miracle that took place on our shores, the American Dunkirk. And it should be a story shared from parents to their children and learned with renewed vigor in our civic classrooms. I'm sure the revolution and homeschoolers it will certainly add this to the incredible miracle of how our country was formed. And certainly, there's tons of history lessons that we can glean from this and the American Revolution. This is just one such book. I think, Patrick to Donald for writing and telling us the story. Cannot believe it hasn't been told yet. But thank you, thank you. Thank you. And so in today's Mojo minute, let us having just celebrated our country's 240/6 birthday. Let us again, renew our sense of patriotism. And be thankful that we now have the full telling of the incredible deeds of the Marblehead regiment from Massachusetts and over our own American Dunkirk.

Thank you for joining us. We hope you enjoyed this theory to action podcast. Be sure to check out our show page at T Mojo academy.com where we have everything we discussed in this podcast as well as other great resources. Until next time, keep getting your mojo on