Category: All Age of Sail

Battles of December 17 including descriptions of the battles, geographic locations, associated artwork, and museums where a person can find associated artifacts and artwork.

1. The Siege of Godesberg (1583)

Date: November 18 – December 17, 1583

War: Cologne War (1583–1588)

• Description: A pivotal siege in the conflict between Protestant and Catholic factions for control of the Electorate of Cologne, a state of the Holy Roman Empire.
• Cause: Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg, the Prince-Elector of Cologne, converted to Calvinism and attempted to secularize the electorate, prompting a Catholic counter-force led by Ernest of Bavaria to intervene.
• Result: Catholic Victory. On December 17, Bavarian forces successfully breached the walls of the Godesburg fortress using mines. The castle was stormed, and the defenders were defeated, securing a major stronghold for the Catholic faction.

Art & Museums

• Painting/Artwork:
  • Siege of Godesberg (Engraving) by Frans Hogenberg (c. 1583). Hogenberg documented the Cologne War in a series of detailed engravings.
• Museums with Artifacts:
  • Godesburg Fortress Ruins (Bad Godesberg, Bonn, Germany): The site itself serves as a monument, with preserved ruins and historical markers.
  • Rheinisches Landesmuseum (Bonn, Germany): Holds artifacts and documents from the Electorate of Cologne era.
• Book: The Cologne War by various historians (often covered in general histories of the Holy Roman Empire, such as German Armies: War and German Politics, 1648-1806 by Peter H. Wilson).

Location

• General: Bad Godesberg, Bonn, Germany.
• Coordinates: 50.6844° N, 7.1517° E

2. The First Battle of Springfield (1776)

Date: December 17, 1776

War: American Revolutionary War

• Description: A skirmish during the New Jersey campaign following the British capture of New York.
• Cause: British and Hessian forces attempted to advance toward Morristown to crush Washington’s retreating army. New Jersey militia forces made a stand to delay them.
• Result: Strategic American Success. The militia, though outmatched, harassed the British forces enough to delay their advance, buying crucial time for George Washington to regroup the Continental Army across the Delaware River (setting the stage for the Battle of Trenton).

Art & Museums

• Painting/Artwork:
  • Battle of Connecticut Farms (Depicts the region and similar militia actions) by Larry Felder (Contemporary).
  • The Spirit of ’76 (General association) by Archibald Willard (c. 1875). While not of this specific battle, it captures the militia spirit of the NJ campaign.
• Museums with Artifacts:
  • Caldwell Parsonage (Union, New Jersey): Features displays on the NJ battles of Springfield and Connecticut Farms.
  • Washington’s Headquarters Museum (Morristown, New Jersey): Holds extensive Revolutionary War artifacts relevant to the NJ campaign.
• Book: The Forgotten Victory: The Battle for New Jersey – 1780 (Covers the strategic context of both Springfield battles) by Thomas Fleming.

George Washington’s Revenge: The 1777 New Jersey Campaign and How General Washington Turned Defeat into the Strategy That Won the Revolution by Arthur S. Lefkowitz

Location

• General: Springfield, New Jersey, USA.
• Coordinates: 40.7182° N, 74.3073° W

3. The Battle of the Mississinewa (1812)

Date: December 17-18, 1812

War: War of 1812

• Description: An expedition by U.S. forces against the Miami Indian villages in the Indiana Territory.
• Cause: In response to Native American attacks on Fort Wayne and Fort Harrison, General William Henry Harrison ordered Colonel John B. Campbell to destroy Miami villages to prevent them from supporting British forces.
• Result: U.S. Victory. American troops destroyed several villages and inflicted casualties. However, a counterattack the next morning and severe frostbite among U.S. troops forced a retreat.

Art & Museums

• Painting/Artwork:
  • Trooper, 2nd Regt. of US Light Dragoons (Uniform study associated with the unit at the battle) by H.C. McBarron (c. 1970s).
  • Map of the Camp of Lt. Col. John B. Campbell, Dec 18, 1812 (Historical drawing) – Library of Congress.
• Museums with Artifacts:
  • Indiana War Memorial Museum (Indianapolis, Indiana): Features exhibits on the War of 1812 in the territory.
  • Mississinewa 1812 (LaFontaine, Indiana): An annual reenactment site that maintains a living history museum atmosphere.
• Book: The Battle of the Mississinewa 1812 by Murray Holliday.
• The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict, Bicentennial Edition by Donald R. Hickey

Location

• General: Near the Mississinewa River, Grant County, Indiana, USA.
• Coordinates: 40.6789° N, 85.8111° W

4. Capture of Laguna de Terminos (1846)

Date: December 17, 1846

War: Mexican-American War

• Description: A naval operation led by Commodore Matthew C. Perry to secure the Mexican Gulf coast.
• Cause: The U.S. Navy sought to cut off supplies to central Mexico and control the logwood trade in the Yucatan peninsula.
• Result: U.S. Victory. Perry captured the town of Carmen (Laguna de Terminos) without firing a shot, effectively occupying the island and securing a strategic port.

Art & Museums

• Painting/Artwork:
  • Commodore Matthew C. Perry (Portrait) by William Sidney Mount (c. 1850s).
  • Naval Expedition to Tabasco (Lithograph illustrating the campaign) by Sarony & Major (1847).
• Museums with Artifacts:
  • U.S. Naval Academy Museum (Annapolis, Maryland): Holds artifacts related to Commodore Perry and the Mexican War naval campaigns.
  • Naval History and Heritage Command (Washington, D.C.).
• Book:

  The Mexican War, 1846-1848  by K. Jack Bauer

Location

• General: Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico.
• Coordinates: 18.6323° N, 91.8385° W

5. First Battle of Artois (1914)

Date: December 17, 1914 – January 13, 1915

War: World War I

• Description: A major offensive by the French Army intended to break the trench stalemate on the Western Front.
• Cause: French General Joffre ordered attacks on the Lorette Spur and Vimy Ridge to relieve pressure on other fronts and seize high ground from the Germans.
• Result: Indecisive / Stalemate. The offensive began on December 17 but bogged down due to mud, fog, and entrenched German machine guns. It resulted in heavy casualties for minor territorial gains.

Art & Museums

• Painting/Artwork:
  • Algerian Spahis in Artois (Lithograph) by Charles Huard (1914). Depicts North African troops in the region during the early winter battles.
  • Battle of Artois (Lithograph from “Europe During the War” series) by Anonymous (c. 1920). Held by the Met Museum.
• Museums with Artifacts:
  • Lens’ 14 – 18 Great War Museum (Souchez, France): Dedicated to the battles of Artois.
  • National WWI Museum and Memorial (Kansas City, Missouri): Holds artwork and artifacts from the Western Front.
• Book: Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War by Robert A. Doughty.

Location

• General: Artois region (near Lens and Arras), France.
• Coordinates: 50.3980° N, 2.7180° E (Notre Dame de Lorette)

6. Battle of St. Vith (1944)

Date: Intensified December 17, 1944 (Part of the Battle of the Bulge) (December 16-21, 1944)

War: World War II

• Description: A critical defensive battle where the U.S. 7th Armored Division held the town of St. Vith against the German Ardennes Offensive.
• Cause: Hitler launched a massive surprise attack to split the Allied armies. St. Vith was a vital road junction needed for the German advance.
• Result: U.S. Defensive Success (Tactical). Although the town eventually fell days later, the defense on December 17 choked the German advance, disrupting their timetable and preventing them from reaching the Meuse River on schedule.

Art & Museums

• Painting/Artwork:
  • Battle for Monte in the Ardennes (Watercolor painted near the front) by Robert Noel Blair (1945).
  • Message Center, 101st Airborne Division (Watercolor) by Olin Dows (1945).
  • Hold to the Last Round (Depicts the 28th Division on Dec 16-17) by James Dietz (Contemporary).
• Museums with Artifacts:
  • National Museum of Military History (Diekirch, Luxembourg): Renowned for its Battle of the Bulge collection.
  • Bastogne War Museum (Bastogne, Belgium).
  • Airborne & Special Operations Museum (Fayetteville, North Carolina).
• Book: A Time for Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge by Charles B. MacDonald.

Location

• General: St. Vith, Belgium.
• Coordinates: 50.2803° N, 6.1264° E

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