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History Dinner

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Joe and I have been attending a historical dinner series at a local joint - the Black Powder Tavern. It's been very entertaining! First off, the tavern itself was built in 1746. During the encampment at Valley Forge, George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, and General Von Steuben had strategy meetings there.

Now we get dinner and a lecture on an American Revolution battle once a month! Here's what I have learned and eaten so far:

  • Battle of the Clouds - This wasn't even a real battle, but an aborted fight. A torrential downpour - likely a hurricane - caused both sides to retreat. I had the Chicken Marsala.
  • Battle of Paoli - "Remember Paoli!" is the cry; the Paoli Massacre is the event that is to be remembered. The lore is that the British carried out a sneak attack in the middle of the night and bayoneted the American soldiers in their sleep. It's probably not entirely true. I had the Flank Steak.
  • Battle of Germantown - George Washington led an assault on the British forces holed up in the Cliveden Mansion in Germantown, outside Philly. Alas, some of the American forces got lost in a heavy fog and the British prevailed. I had the Short Ribs.
  • Battle of Whitemarsh - British General Howe and George Washington engage in a three-day battle, with Howe pretty much winning. But instead of one last attack, Howe decides to move his troops to Philadelphia for the winter. I had the Chicken Pot Pie.
  • Battle of Fort Mifflin - Originally built by the British on a mud island in the Delaware River just at the confluence of the Delaware and the Schuylkill River, Fort Mifflin was strategically important. The Americans occupied it, completed the construction, and planted chevaux de frise in the water around it. Unfortunately, the British were able to bombard the fort with massive numbers of cannonballs, effectively destroying the fort. But! The Americans managed to delay the British long enough for George Washington and the Continental Army to make it to their winter encampment in Valley Forge. I had the Baked Salmon.

Next month, we'll be learning about the Battle of Philadelphia! Whatever I have, it will be delicious.

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