Over the past week and a half, I had the opportunity of presenting at two major conferences: the Society for Military History annual meeting in Mobile, Alabama, and the Wellington Congress in Southampton, England. The itinerary, which was scheduled many months ago, was intense and rather exhausting. Nonetheless, I greatly enjoyed reconnecting with longtime friends and meeting an impressive array of researchers and scholars.
Between conferences, I took some time to explore the rich culture and cuisine of the Gulf Coast. Highlights included touring the massive battleship USS Alabama and exploring the French Quarter and National WWII Museum in New Orleans. I also made my way to the Chalmette battlefield, the site of a disastrous British assault on Andrew Jackson’s lines at the close of the War of 1812.
1812 and all that 