I should have written about this event last November but I hadn't started blogging yet at that time.
Remember what it was like to learn history in school? Yes, all those torturously thick history books containing unattractive black & white texts and photos of dead historical figures. And, not to mention the memorizing we had to endure just to pass some pop-quiz or public exam.
Wouldn't it be great to be able to go outdoors and see with our own eyes how past people lived and what soldiers do during times of war?
Here's some interesting stuff I gathered from the Retreat Weekend at Fort Lee.
We learned about keeping cannons clean and prepping it for fire. Cannons were strategically placed here, at this spot, in the 18th. Century to defend New York and the Hudson Valley from the British during the Revolutionary War.
Ladies sitting by the camp. Yes, they helped out during the War by doing sewing, cooking and tending to wounded soldiers.
P.S. Just pretend you didn't see the yellow pick-up in the foreground. Photo spoiler! :(
A Hessian soldier and a lady. Hessians were German soldiers loyal to King George III. King George was of course of German descend from Hanover. About 30,000 of them fought in this war against the New World (American) soldiers led by George Washington.
American Continental army.
Militia in the Revolutionary War. Just like Heath Ledger in "The Patriot". Hee..hee!
The anti-climax at Fort Lee is that eventhough it was a stronghold for George Washington's army, it never saw any serious battle at the site. The area had arsenals of military weapons but Washington was forced to abandon the Fort and retreat through New Jersey in the winter of 1776-1777; whereby they eventually defeated some intoxicated Hessian soldiers on Christmas Day. Prost! or Zum Whol! Hic...hic!
N.B. If history lessons in Malaysia were that interesting, I would have passed my exams with flying colors. I would probably have appreciated it a lot better too (*sigh*).
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