Battles of December 21 including descriptions of the battles, geographic locations, associated artwork, and museums where a person can find associated artifacts and artwork.
1. The Fetterman Fight (The Fetterman Massacre)
Date: December 21, 1866
War: Red Cloud’s War
Cause: Tensions rose in the Dakota Territory as the U.S. Army built forts along the Bozeman Trail, trespassing on treaty-guaranteed Lakota hunting grounds. On December 21, a wood train near Fort Phil Kearny was attacked. Captain William J. Fetterman was sent to relieve the train with explicit orders not to pursue the Native American warriors over Lodge Trail Ridge. Disobeying command, Fetterman took the bait of a decoy party led by Crazy Horse and crossed the ridge into a massive ambush.
Result: It was a total victory for the coalition of Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho forces. The entire U.S. detachment of 81 men was wiped out in roughly 30 minutes. It remained the worst defeat of the U.S. Army on the Great Plains until the Battle of the Little Bighorn ten years later.
Paintings & Art
Painting: The Fetterman Fight
- Artist: J.K. Ralston
- Year: 1963
- Note: This large-scale oil painting is considered one of the most historically accurate depictions of the topography and combat of the event.
Painting: After the Fetterman Fight
- Artist: Z.S. Liang
- Year: 2008
Museums & Artifacts
Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site (Banner, Wyoming, USA): Located at the actual site of the fort and near the battlefield, this museum houses an interpretative center with artifacts from the battle, weapons from the era, and detailed dioramas.
National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, D.C., USA): Contains vast collections of Plains Indian artifacts, including items from the Lakota and Cheyenne tribes relevant to the period of Red Cloud’s War.
Location
General: Near Story and Banner, Johnson County, Wyoming, USA.
Coordinates: 44°34′18″N 106°50′50″W
Recommended Book
The Fetterman Massacre by Dee Brown.
2. The Battle of Konya
Date: December 21, 1832
War: First Egyptian-Ottoman War
Cause: Muhammad Ali, the rebellious Khedive of Egypt, demanded control of Greater Syria as a reward for his assistance to the Ottoman Empire during the Greek War of Independence. When Sultan Mahmud II refused, Muhammad Ali sent his son, Ibrahim Pasha, to invade Ottoman Syria and Anatolia. The Ottoman Grand Vizier, Reshid Mehmed Pasha, was sent to stop the Egyptian advance deep within modern-day Turkey.
Result: The battle was a decisive victory for the Egyptian forces. Despite being outnumbered, Ibrahim Pasha’s disciplined modernized army routed the Ottomans. The Grand Vizier was captured, and the path to Constantinople (Istanbul) was left virtually undefended, marking a low point in Ottoman power and forcing the Empire to seek Russian aid.
Paintings & Art
Painting: Portrait of Ibrahim Pasha (The Egyptian Commander)
- Artist: Jean-François Portaels
- Year: Approx. 1847
- Note: While contemporary battle scenes are rare in Western art, portraits of the victorious commander Ibrahim Pasha from this era are held in high regard for depicting the uniform and demeanor of the Egyptian leadership.
Painting: Mahmud II (The Ottoman Sultan)
- Artist: Unknown (School of Art in Constantinople)
- Year: Early 19th Century
Museums & Artifacts
Harbiye Military Museum (Istanbul, Turkey): One of the leading military museums in the world, it holds extensive collections of Ottoman weaponry, uniforms, and tents from the 19th century, including items from the reforms of Mahmud II.
Topkapi Palace Museum (Istanbul, Turkey): Houses the imperial treasury and archives, including firmans (edicts) and personal items belonging to Sultan Mahmud II.
Location
General: Just outside the city of Konya, Central Anatolia, Turkey.
Coordinates: 37°52′00″N 32°29′00″E
Recommended Book
Osman’s Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire by Caroline Finkel.
3. The Capture of Savannah (Culmination of the March to the Sea)
Date: December 21, 1864
War: American Civil War
Cause: Union General William Tecumseh Sherman undertook his famous “March to the Sea” from Atlanta to the Atlantic coast to destroy the Confederacy’s economic and psychological capacity to wage war. Upon reaching Savannah, Sherman besieged the city. The Confederate commander, General William J. Hardee, realized he would be encircled and escaped across the Savannah River on December 20.
Result: On December 21, Savannah Mayor Richard Arnold surrendered the city to Union forces. Sherman occupied the city and famously telegraphed President Abraham Lincoln, offering the city of Savannah as a “Christmas gift.”
Paintings & Art
Painting: Sherman’s March to the Sea
- Artist: F.O.C. Darley
- Year: 1868
- Note: A famous engraving and print series that depicts the movement of Sherman’s army through Georgia, often used to visualize the campaign that ended in Savannah.
Painting: General Sherman at Savannah
- Artist: Various 19th Century Illustrators (Harper’s Weekly)
- Year: 1864-1865
Museums & Artifacts
Savannah History Museum (Savannah, Georgia, USA): Located in the historic Central of Georgia Railway passenger shed, this museum features exhibits on the Civil War and the occupation of the city.
Georgia Historical Society (Savannah, Georgia, USA): Holds the oldest collection of Georgia history, including manuscripts, maps, and artifacts directly related to Sherman’s occupation.
Location
General: Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia, USA.
Coordinates: 32°04′52″N 81°05′28″W
Recommended Book
Southern Storm: Sherman’s March to the Sea by Noah Andre Trudeau.
Books for sale
Contact Information
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