Training Ground by Martin Dugard
A few months ago I saw a video on YouTube which was examining the inherent geographical advantages that the USA has. And, from what it covered, it talked about how much of what was once Mexico's most arable and verdant land was lost to the US during the Mexican-American war.
Now, I know about the war in the very broad strokes, but I didn't really have a strong sense of it. So, I went looking for some books to read on the topic and eventually landed on Training Ground by Dugard, as I thought the framing of the war as also a place that many of the notable names from the Civil War was interesting.
Here's the blurb on Amazon:
For four years during the Civil War, Generals Grant and Lee clashed as bitter enemies in a war that bloodied and scorched the American landscape. Yet in an earlier time, they had worn the same uniform and fought together.
In The Training Ground, acclaimed historian Martin Dugard presents the saga of how, two decades before the Civil War, a group of West Point graduates—including Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson, and William Tecumseh Sherman—fought together as brothers. Drawing on a range of primary sources and original research, Dugard paints a gripping narrative of the Mexican War, which eventually almost doubled the size of the United States.
The Training Ground vividly takes us into the thick brush of Palo Alto, where a musket ball narrowly misses Grant but kills a soldier standing near him; through the mountains and ravines of Cerro Gordo, as Lee searches frantically for a secret route into the Mexican army's seemingly invincible position; to Monterrey, as future enemies Davis and Grant ride together into battle; down the California coast, where war-hungry Sherman seeks blood and vengeance. And we are there as the young troops mount the final heroic—and deadly—assault on Mexico City.
So, for the past few weeks I've been working through it. The truth is, I am not a big war history buff and I found the book hard to get through for that reason. It's not just four biographies, it is an overview of the war which zooms in on portions relating to the four of them, but still maintaining the overall narrative of the war. Today, on my flight to Las Vegas for work, I finally finished it.
(The above is from Wikipedia, not the book. Including it for the reader's benefit.)
Overall, if you're like me and wanting to learn about the Mexican-American war, or its connections to the Civil War, I recommend this book. But I don't think I recommend it as a general book for most people.
I did export the segments I highlighted from the book, and will share them here as well as giving some small notes after each:
"They may shout and hurrah, and dance around the bonfires that will be lighted, the cannon that will roar in honor of some field of human butchery; but to what end? Is not life miserable enough, comes not death soon enough, without resort to the hideous energy of war? People of the United States! Your rulers are precipitating you into a fathomless abyss of crime and calamity! Why sleep you thoughtless on its verge, as though this was not your business, or murder could be hid from the sight of God by a few flimsy rags called banners? Awake and arrest the work of butchery ere it shall be too late to preserve your souls from the guilt of wholesale slaughter! Hold meetings! Speak out! Act!"
This comes from a segment which described the anti-war efforts against this war. I found the verbiage and tone very interesting to see, with some echoings to today.
"Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart," said Tecumseh.
One thing the book highlights is that some names I know historical figures by were modified because of their enrollment in West Point. "William" Tecumseh Sherman was not born William. It was added to his name by his father when he was submitted for admittance to West Point.
Ulysses S. Grant had no S. initial until he arrived at the school due to some clerical error. And because his name would be listed as U. S. Grant, he got nicknamed (Uncle) Sam Grant, which he chose to just go by and not fight.
But, I found this quote from Sherman interesting, while not revolutionary to hear in this modern era it speaks a great deal to his mindset and that which became evident in the Civil War.
The result was an appalling number of deaths. Unmarked graves soon lined the San Juan. Regimental bands so often played a death march for funerals that Camargo's mockingbirds learned to mimic the refrain.
I found this just so dark. Again, I've heard this concept before of birds learning songs from humans, but under the framing of this war it struck me enough that I highlighted it while reading.
President Polk's Democratic Party had a long-standing distrust of the armed forces, believing that the nation had little need for a standing army. Volunteers like Davis were his ideal soldiers. "It has never been our policy to maintain large standing armies in time of peace," Polk had declared before the war began. "They are contrary to the genius of our free institutions, would impose heavy burdens on the people and be dangerous to public liberty. Our reliance for protection and defense on the land must be mainly on our citizen soldiers, who will be ever ready, as they have been ever ready in times past, to rush with alacrity, at the call of their country, to her defense."
Oh how far this country has come, and learned. The book points out that the Mexican-American war was basically the first war for the US after the war of 1812. And it jumped out to me how different the political landscape was where they questioned even needing a standing army at all. Obviously, Polk here is meaning that the country would rely more on the militias, rather than the standing army. It's like saying that cities shouldn't have paid fire departments and should rely entirely on volunteer fire departments. Or, I suppose, perhaps it is even more about state vs national in the structure, but, regardless - the correct decision won out.
Polk's greatest dilemma over Taylor's armistice, however, lay not with the opinions of the British or the French, and certainly not with that of the Mexicans. It was the American people whom he feared most. The problem had its roots in democracy and a politician's need to be elected by the people before being allowed to serve. Americans had historically been an easily malleable, highly illiterate, and ill-informed mass of voters. But that was changing, and quickly. Technological advances in papermaking and the invention of the steam printing press (which printed well over 1,000 pages per hour, as opposed to the 240 of the Gutenberg-style manual press) had made newspapers affordable and more easily mass-produced beginning in the 1830s. Once only for the well-off, papers sprang up all around the country; New York alone had eleven dailies, a quick source of news and opinion available for as little as a penny a day.
Another interesting insight outside of the war; that the changing face of the populace thanks to the industrial revolution's innovation of the printing press threatened to interfere with the politics behind and around the war. Another echoing moment for today and the land of social media, etc. Obviously the question around algorithms etc., is inherently different at a base level, but still, I see interesting parallels still today - 200 years later.
Scott's invasion of Veracruz was the largest-ever landing of American troops on foreign soil and would not be surpassed until June 6, 1944 — D-day.
This passage jumped out at me. It lasted nearly 100 years.
Grant's job during the three-month delay in Puebla was to ride out with empty wagons and purchase produce and goods from local farmers. As a result, he often returned looking dirty and unkempt, his uniform unbuttoned for comfort. The date has been lost to history, but sometime during this period, Lee paid a visit to Garland's command and remonstrated Grant for his lack of spit and polish. It was the first time the two men ever met, and the wording was harsh enough that Grant would remember it for the rest of his life — and would remind Lee of it again when next they met on a Palm Sunday far in the future.
A bit poetic here.
By 4:00 a.m., Mexico City's authorities had sent a delegation to Scott, requesting terms of surrender. As the sun rose over the capital the following morning, the American flag was raised over Mexico's National Palace. Scott slept there that night, guarded by a squad of U.S. Marines, in what was also known as the Halls of Montezuma.
It's one of the few lines I know from the Marine Corp. anthem, and I had forgotten it was a direct reference to the Mexican-American war.
Homesick for Julia and their growing family, he abruptly resigned his commission in 1854 and returned home. Rumors that drunkenness was the cause have been greatly exaggerated, as Grant was known for his inability to drink more than a few sips of alcohol owing to his light weight and diminutive size. He struggled to find a new profession and soon failed at a number of business ventures that included farming, tanning, and bill collecting. When the Civil War began, Grant was commissioned as a colonel in the Illinois militia. Within three years he had risen to become general-in-chief of all U.S. armies. Following the war, he returned to civilian life. Grant successfully ran for president in 1868 and served two terms. He died on July 23, 1885, shortly after completing his memoirs, which were edited by Mark Twain.
The Epilogue gave a post-war summation of each of Grant, Lee, Sherman and Davis; this passage from Grant was interesting to me. I had forgotten that Mark Twain edited Grant's autobiography, and also I didn't know about his non-war life and how he had attempted a few businesses before being called back to war and rising through the ranks to Commander-in-Chief.
And that's it. As I said, overall I enjoyed the book and it accomplished what I set out to do, but it didn't floor me such that I am going to urge everyone to read it.
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Logistics Win Wars
I continue to slowly make my way through a book about the Mexican-American war, and looking at how it was so impactful on the American Civil war. It shares the stories of Robert E. Lee, Ulysses Grant, Tecumseh Sherman, Jefferson Davis, and a few others, by sharing their stories from the Mexican-American war. It's a very interesting look at what was the first war fought by the US Military other than England, or the native tribes, etc.
One thing that really struck me is that both Lee and Grant held logistics roles during their time serving in the Mexican-American war. Lee was the Inspector General for the unit under one of the Generals, and Grant was quartermaster.
I'm far from a war historian, but it's no secret that wars are won and lost largely due to their ability to fund, fuel, and feed their armies. And to have the two main Generals from the Civil War shown in such clear comparison, knowing what comes in their future just is very interesting to me.
As for the book, we've reached the point where I am speed skimming rather than forcing myself to read in-depth. The reality is, I don't want to know the details of the urban warfare as the US Military took control of Monterrey, etc. So I'm hoping to finish the book soon so I can move on to something new.
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Ukraine legalizes marijuana as tool for veterans to combat PTSD
Ukraine's parliament voted Tuesday to legalize medical marijuana, after the war with Russia left thousands of people with post-traumatic stress disorder that many believe could be eased by the drug.
The new law, which will come into effect in six months' time and which also allows cannabis to be used for scientific and industrial ends, passed by 248 votes in the 401-seat parliament in Kyiv.
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Ukraine has recaptured half of the territory taken by Russia according to Blinken
"It's already taken back about 50% of what was initially seized," Blinken said in an interview to CNN on Sunday.
"These are still relatively early days of the counteroffensive. It is tough," he said, adding: "It will not play out over the next week or two. We're still looking I think at several months."
Hopes that Ukraine could quickly clear Moscow's forces from its territory following the launch of a summer counteroffensive are fading as Kyiv's troops struggle to breach heavily entrenched Russian positions in the country's south and east.
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Biden's statement on the end of the chemical weapons stockpile
For more than 30 years, the United States has worked tirelessly to eliminate our chemical weapons stockpile. Today, I am proud to announce that the United States has safely destroyed the final munition in that stockpile—bringing us one step closer to a world free from the horrors of chemical weapons.
Successive administrations have determined that these weapons should never again be developed or deployed, and this accomplishment not only makes good on our long-standing commitment under the Chemical Weapons Convention, it marks the first time an international body has verified destruction of an entire category of declared weapons of mass destruction. I am grateful to the thousands of Americans who gave their time and talents to this noble and challenging mission for more than three decades.
Today—as we mark this significant milestone—we must also renew our commitment to forging a future free from chemical weapons. I continue to encourage the remaining nations to join the Chemical Weapons Convention so that the global ban on chemical weapons can reach its fullest potential. Russia and Syria should return to compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention and admit their undeclared programs, which have been used to commit brazen atrocities and attacks. We will continue to stand with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to prevent the stockpiling, production, and use of chemical weapons around the world. And together with our partners, we will not stop until we can finally and forever rid the world of this scourge.
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Germany's final decision to send tanks to Ukraine opens the door
This morning, after Germany's announcement yesterday, President Biden announced the US would also be sending tanks to Ukraine.
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Jon Stewart talks with Safi Rauf about how America is failing Afghanistan
I listened to the podcast (mostly, not quite finished), but found the episode fantastic and eye opening. I was familiar with the issues for Afghanistan translators and others who worked with us while we ran the country, but some of the numbers discussed are eye opening. We've allowed 123 (I think that's the number they said) Afghani using the application process (which also costs almost $600, which is more than the annual salary for someone in Afghanistan.)
But, when compared to the process done for Cuba, Vietnam, and Iraq, it is laughable how bad it is. But then, comparing it to Ukraine, a current example, where they waived the fee and processed half a million applications in a few months - it's wildly openly racist all because of the fear of one of them being a terrorist.
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"Tedros: Tigray, the Triple Billion, and a second term"
As Ukraine's coverage grew I recall seeing a few call outs that the media was hammering on Ukraine while there were a number of other countries undergoing invasions / wars / crises which got nowhere near as much coverage. This editorial highlights Dr. Tedros' calling attention to the Ethiopian crises and calls out the lack of western news coverage.
"Maybe the reason is the colour of the skin of the people in Tigray." Dr. Tedros confronted world leaders last week for their neglect of "the worst disaster on earth"—a storm of conflict in Ethiopia, extreme weather across the Horn of Africa, and soaring food, fuel, and fertiliser prices exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Tedros is not politically neutral, given his Tigrayan background and former high-level roles in the Ethiopian Government. But his suggestion that racism underpins the world's apparent indifference is worthy of consideration, by both the political and health communities.
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"Russia's Brutal Honesty Has Destroyed the West's Appeasers"
It bears reminding that there is a war in Ukraine. The larger press coverage has moved on to some extent, but Russia continues to invade and deny the sanctity of Ukraine's borders. The excerpt below refers to a video a survivor of Mariupol provided them, the video is not in the article but speaks to the blantant acts of Russia during this assault.
I'm forced to wonder, at what point are other countries responsible for allowing this to continue while acts like this take place, ignoring the global laws regarding conflicts? Yes, the threat of nukes is real, but it is something which is solvable.
What makes the video so chilling wasn’t just the fact that targeting civilians is a war crime. It’s that the clip bears the unmistakable logo of RT, the Russian channel that started off in 2005 as a mostly benign attempt to improve Russia’s international image and ended up as a domestic disinformation bullhorn. The video’s unequivocal message: This is what we’re doing in Ukraine, and we’re not even going to pretend anything else.
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Redditor /u/Hoyarugby delivers great insights and context about American black men volunteering to go fight in Ethiopia and defend it from Mussolini
Reddit title for this photo: "African Americans in Harlem volunteering to go to Ethiopia and fight to save Africa’s last uncolonized nation from fascist Italian dictator Mussolini. Almost all volunteers were blocked from leaving by the US government. Few managed to go to Ethiopia. Summer 1935."
The top comment, which I linked, is super interesting and yet another example of a moment in American history I had no awareness of.
The war that is being discussed is The Second Italo-Ethiopian War which I did know about (only at the highest level of awareness, no real in depth knowledge) but I was completely unaware of this aspect of it from the US history perspective.
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Chief of Britain’s intelligence service said that Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine was likely to “run out of steam” soon
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Notes on Ukraine
Some interesting insights from someone who went to Ukraine and visited it while this conflict is going on.
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Moldova fears Russian invasion after the war in Ukraine
I can only imagine what these people are thinking. It's like watching a 2 week long gun fight at your next door neighbor's house and hoping they don't come over to your house, while the neighbor's already got a cousin staying with you.
The article makes mention of 'Transnistria.' Up until a few months ago, I'd never heard of the place. The only reason that changed was because of this YouTube video with some folks decided to go check it out:
[{embed}]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXzhcfYlKFQ\[{/embed}]
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Transcript of Ukraine's President Appeal to Russia
Today, I initiated a call with the president of the Russian Federation. The result? Silence. Although the silence should be in Donbas. That is why I come today with an appeal to all citizens of Russia. Not as President. I am appealing to the people of Russia as a citizen of Ukraine.
We share more than 2000km of border. Around it, today, is your army: almost 200,000 soldiers; thousands of military units. Your leadership has approved their movement towards us. Towards the territory of another country. This step can become the start of a huge war on the European continent. The whole world is talking about what can happen any day now. A reason can appear at any moment. Any provocation. Any spark. A spark that has the potential of burning everything down.
You are told that this flame will bring freedom to the people of Ukraine. But the people of Ukraine are already free. They remember their past, and are building their own future. They are building it, not destroying it, as you are told every day on TV. Ukraine in your news and Ukraine in reality are two completely different countries. The most important difference is that ours is real.
You are being told that we are Nazis. But how can a nation be called Nazist after sacrificing more than 8 million lives to eradicate Nazism? How can I be a Nazi, when my grandfather survived the whole war as part of the Soviet infantry, and died a colonel in an independent Ukraine? You are told that we hate Russian culture. But how can a culture be hated? Any culture? Neighbours are always enriching each other culturally. Yet, that does not make them one entity, and does not separate people into "us" and "them". We are different, but that is not a reason to be enemies. We want to build our own history. Peacefully, calmly, and truthfully.
You are told that I am ordering to attack Donbas. To shoot. To bomb without question. Although there are questions: To shoot who? To bomb what?
Donetsk? Where I have been dozens of times? I have seen their faces and eyes.
Artema? Where I've walked with friends before?
Donbass Arena? Where I have rooted with the locals for our boys during the Euros?
Shcherbakova Park? Where we drank together after our team lost?
Lugansk? The home of my best friend's mom? The place where his father is buried?
Note that I am now speaking in Russian, yet no one in Russia understands what these names, streets, and events mean. This is all foreign to you. Unknown. This is our land. This is our history. What are you going to fight for? And against whom?
Many of you have visited Ukraine before. Many of you have relatives in Ukraine. Some of you studied in our universities. Befriended Ukrainians. You know our character, you know our people, you know our principles. You know what we cherish the most. Look inside you, listen to the voice of reason, of common sense. Hear our voices. The people of Ukraine want peace. Ukrainian authorities want peace. We want it, and we make it. We do everything in our power.
We are not alone. It's true, Ukraine is supported by many countries. Why? Because we are not talking about "peace at any cost." We are talking about peace, and about principles, justice. About everyone's right to define their own future, of safety, and everyone's right to live without threat. All of this is important to us. All of this is important for peace. I know this is also important for you. We know for sure that we don't want war. Not cold, not hot, not hybrid.
But, if we are threatened, if someone is trying to take away our country, our freedom, our lives. The lives of our children. We are going to defend ourselves. Not attack -- defend. By attacking us, you are going to see our faces. Not backs -- our faces.
War is a big distress, and it has a big price, in all meanings of this word. People lose their money, reputation, quality of life, freedom, and most important, people lose their loved ones. Lose themselves. A lot of things are always lacking in war. But what is in abundance is pain, dirt, blood, and death. Thousands, tens of thousands of deaths.
You are told that Ukraine is a threat to Russia. This was not true before, not now, and won't be in the future. You want security guarantees from NATO. We also want guarantees of our security. The security of Ukraine - from you. From Russia, and from other guarantors of the Budapest memorandum. Today, we are not part of random security alliances. The security of Ukraine is tied to the security of our neighbours. That is why we are now talking about the security of all Europe. But our main goal is peace in Ukraine, and the safety of our citizens. Of Ukrainians. We are determined to let everyone know about this, including you. War is going to deprive everyone of guarantees. No one will have guarantees of security.
Who is going to suffer from this most? The people.
Who doesn't want this more than anyone? The people.
Who can prevent all this from happening? The people.
If these people are among you -- I am sure they are. Public figures, journalists, musicians, actors, athletes, scientists, doctors, bloggers, stand-ups. Tiktokers, and more. Ordinary people. Ordinary, simple people. Men, women, old, young, fathers, and most importantly -- mothers. Just as much as the people in Ukraine, no matter how much they try to convince you of the opposite.
I know that my announcement will not be aired on Russian television. But the citizens of Russia have to see it. They need to know the truth. And the truth is, that this needs to stop, before it's too late. And if the authorities of Russia don't want to talk to us, for the sake of peace, maybe they will talk to you.
Do the people of Russia want war? I would like to be able to answer this, but the answer depends only on you: the citizens of the Russian Federation. Thank you.
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Ukraine
I'm really struggling this morning. My empathy is cranked to 11. A video online of a father saying goodbye to his daughter as he sends her and his wife to a safe zone before he stays behind to fight put me into tears and I haven't really recovered.
This doesn't affect me directly. I could turn it off and block it all out, but I can't. I'm powerless watching this go down on the other side of the world.
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30 Years Ago today, the US launched missiles over Baghdad as part of the Gulf War
I remember this clearly. Dad watching on the TV, me sitting on the floor. I was too young to fully grasp what was going on, but I remember the night vision shots of the missles landing.
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