Category: United States

Battles of December 17 plus museums and artwork information

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

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:

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

Books for sale

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Contact Information

For more “Military History Inside Out” please follow me at www.warscholar.org, on Facebook at warscholar, on twitter at Warscholar, on youtube at warscholar1945 and on Instagram @crisalvarezswarscholar. Or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Tags: military museum, military artwork, battles, Military History, War History, Battle Art, War Paintings, War Art, Military Art, Museum Visit, Art History, Historical Artifacts, Museum Collection, Battlefield Tours, History Museum, December 17, On This Day, History, Military History, War History, Historical Events, History Buff, World History, Battle Of The Bulge, WWII, WWI, War Of 1812, Revolutionary War, St Vith, Artois 1914, Cologne War, Commodore Perry, Siege Warfare

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Battles of December 15 plus museums and artwork information

Battles of December 15 including descriptions of the battles, geographic locations, associated artwork, and museums where a person can find associated artifacts and artwork.

1. Battle of Nashville

  • Date: December 15–16, 1864
  • War: American Civil War
  • Cause: Confederate General John Bell Hood attempted to reclaim Nashville, Tennessee, and cut off Union supply lines to force General William T. Sherman to withdraw from Georgia. Union General George H. Thomas, after weeks of preparation, launched a massive attack to destroy Hood’s Army of Tennessee.
  • Result: A decisive Union victory. The Confederate Army of Tennessee was routed and effectively destroyed as a fighting force for the remainder of the war.

Location:

  • General: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
  • Coordinates: 36°06′36″N 86°47′33″W

Art & Artifacts:

  • Painting: The Battle of Nashville
    • Artist: Howard Pyle
    • Year: 1906
  • Museums:
    • Tennessee State Museum (Nashville, TN): Holds a vast collection of Civil War uniforms, weapons, and flags related to the western theater.
    • Minnesota State Capitol (St. Paul, MN): The original Howard Pyle painting hangs in the Governor’s Reception Room.
    • Battle of Nashville Monument Park: Preserves key locations of the battlefield.

Recommended Book:

2. Battle of Fredericksburg

  • Date: December 11–15, 1862 (The battle concluded with the Union withdrawal on Dec 15)
  • War: American Civil War
  • Cause: Union General Ambrose Burnside attempted to cross the Rappahannock River and race toward the Confederate capital of Richmond. He was delayed by pontoon bridges, allowing General Robert E. Lee to entrench his army on high ground behind Fredericksburg.
  • Result: A major Confederate victory. The Union army suffered staggering casualties in futile frontal assaults against Marye’s Heights and was forced to retreat across the river on December 15.

Location:

  • General: Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA
  • Coordinates: 38°17′42″N 77°28′12″W

Art & Artifacts:

  • Painting: The Battle of Fredericksburg
    • Artist: Carl Röchling
    • Year: Circa 1890s
  • Museums:
    • Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park (VA, USA): Maintains the battlefield, Sunken Road, and Chatham Manor.
    • National Museum of Civil War Medicine (Frederick, MD): Contains artifacts related to the medical treatment of the thousands wounded at this battle.

Recommended Book:

3. Battle of Colenso

  • Date: December 15, 1899
  • War: Second Boer War
  • Cause: British General Sir Redvers Buller launched a frontal assault to cross the Tugela River and relieve the besieged town of Ladysmith. The Boers, led by Louis Botha, were heavily entrenched and camouflaged on the opposite bank.
  • Result: A decisive Boer victory. The British suffered heavy casualties and lost many field guns. It was one of the three defeats during the British “Black Week.”

Location:

  • General: Colenso, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
  • Coordinates: 28°44′20″S 29°49′49″E

Art & Artifacts:

  • Painting: The Last Shot at Colenso
    • Artist: Richard Caton Woodville
    • Year: 1900
  • Museums:
    • Colenso Museum (R.E. Stevenson Museum) (Colenso, South Africa): Houses specific artifacts and memorabilia from the battle.
    • National Army Museum (London, UK): Holds significant collections of Boer War art and weaponry.

Recommended Book:

4. Battle of St. Lucia (Battle of the Cul de Sac)

  • Date: December 15, 1778
  • War: American Revolutionary War (Anglo-French War)
  • Cause: A British fleet under Admiral Samuel Barrington captured the island of St. Lucia to monitor the French base at Martinique. A much larger French fleet under Count d’Estaing arrived to retake the island.
  • Result: A British victory. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Barrington anchored his ships in a defensive line across the Cul de Sac bay and repelled two massive French attacks, securing the island.

Location:

  • General: Grand Cul de Sac Bay, St. Lucia, Caribbean
  • Coordinates: 14°01′01″N 60°58′59″W

Art & Artifacts:

  • Painting: Barrington’s Action at St Lucia, 15 December 1778
    • Artist: Dominic Serres
    • Year: 1780
  • Museums:
    • National Maritime Museum (Greenwich, UK): Houses the original Serres painting and ship models from the era.
    • Pigeon Island National Landmark (St. Lucia): Contains ruins of the 18th-century forts and batteries used during the conflict.

Recommended Book:

5. Battle of Mount Austen

  • Date: December 15, 1942 – January 23, 1943 (Offensive began Dec 15)
  • War: World War II (Pacific Theater)
  • Cause: As part of the Guadalcanal Campaign, U.S. forces (specifically the Army’s XIV Corps) launched an offensive to eliminate pockets of entrenched Japanese resistance in the hills overlooking Henderson Field.
  • Result: A hard-fought American victory. The capture of Mount Austen and the “Gifu” strongpoint secured the airfield from artillery fire and paved the way for the final Japanese evacuation of the island.

Location:

  • General: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
  • Coordinates: 9°28′00″S 159°58′00″E

Art & Artifacts:

  • Sketch/Art: Privates Driving Down a Jeep Trail from Mt. Austen (Combat Art)
    • Artist: Howard Brodie
    • Year: 1942
  • Museums:
    • National WWII Museum (New Orleans, LA, USA): Features extensive exhibits on the Guadalcanal campaign.
    • Solomon Islands National Museum (Honiara, Guadalcanal): Displays war relics recovered from the jungle battlefields.

Recommended Book:

Books for sale

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Contact Information

For more “Military History Inside Out” please follow me at www.warscholar.org, on Facebook at warscholar, on twitter at Warscholar, on youtube at warscholar1945 and on Instagram @crisalvarezswarscholar. Or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Tags: military museum, military artwork, battles, Military History, War History, Battle Art, War Paintings, Military Art, December 15, Civil War, Boer War, Royal Navy

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Battles of December 12 plus museums and artwork information

Battles of December 12 including descriptions of the battles, geographic locations, associated artwork, and museums where a person can find associated artifacts and artwork.
Battle of Nineveh (The Sasanian Empire at War: Persia, Rome, and the Rise of Islam, 224–651)

Date: December 12, 627 AD

War: Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 (The final climactic battle of the Roman–Persian Wars).

Cause: Byzantine Emperor Heraclius launched a bold, high-risk winter invasion directly into the Persian heartland of Mesopotamia to force a conclusion to the decades-long conflict, bypassing major Persian armies to threaten the capital.

Result: Decisive Byzantine Victory. The Persian army was shattered, leading to the overthrow of King Khosrow II by his son, who sued for peace. The Byzantines regained all lost territories and the True Cross, restoring the empire’s boundaries.

Location: The plains near the ancient city of Nineveh, modern-day Mosul, Iraq.

Coordinates: 36°21′34″N 43°09′10″E

Paintings:

Battle of Heraclius and Chosroes by Piero della Francesca (c. 1452). This famous fresco is part of the History of the True Cross cycle.

Museums & Collections:

Basilica of San Francesco (Arezzo, Italy): Houses the original Piero della Francesca frescoes.

The British Museum (London, UK): Holds extensive collections of Assyrian reliefs and artifacts from the site of Nineveh (though predating the 627 battle, they define the location’s history).

The Louvre (Paris, France): Contains Sasanian and Byzantine artifacts relevant to the period.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, USA): Features Sasanian era silver plates and weaponry.

Action of 12 December 1782 (The Struggle for Sea Power: A Naval History of the American Revolution)

Date: December 12, 1782

War: American Revolutionary War.

Cause: The British Royal Navy ship HMS Mediator, commanded by Captain James Luttrell, intercepted a French and American convoy off the coast of Spain that was transporting military supplies to the American colonies.

Result: British Victory. Despite being outnumbered, HMS Mediator successfully cut off and captured the American privateer Alexander and the French transport Ménagère.

Location: In the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Ferrol, Spain.

Coordinates: 43.471°N 8.252°W

Paintings:

HMS ‘Mediator’ engaging French and American vessels, 11-12 December 1782 by Thomas Luny (1783).

HMS Mediator in action, 12 December 1782 by Thomas Wishart (1798).

Museums & Collections:

National Maritime Museum (Greenwich, London, UK): Holds the original Thomas Luny painting and other naval records from the engagement.

Action of 12 December 1917 (Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea)

Date: December 12, 1917

War: World War I (The North Sea Campaign).

Cause: A flotilla of German destroyers launched a raid against a British convoy in the North Sea to disrupt the vital flow of coal and supplies between the UK and Scandinavia.

Result: German Victory. The German destroyers sank the British destroyer HMS Partridge, damaged HMS Pellew, and destroyed the entire convoy of six merchant ships.

Location: The North Sea, approximately 25 nautical miles off the coast of Bergen, Norway.

Coordinates: 56°00′00″N 03°00′00″E

Paintings:

Note: No famous fine art painting specifically depicting this exact engagement is widely recognized. Visual records primarily consist of period naval photography and technical sketches of the vessels involved (HMS Partridge, SMS G101).

Museums & Collections:

Chatham Naval Memorial (Kent, UK): Commemorates the crew members of HMS Partridge lost during the action who have no known grave.

Portsmouth Naval Memorial (Hampshire, UK): Honors additional naval casualties from the engagement.

Imperial War Museum (London, UK): Holds vast archives of WWI naval history, including logs and reports of the North Sea convoys.

Battle of Tolvajärvi (The Winter War: The Soviet Attack on Finland 1939-1940)

Date: December 12, 1939

War: The Winter War (World War II).

Cause: Following the Soviet invasion of Finland, Finnish forces under Colonel Paavo Talvela launched a counter-offensive in Ladoga Karelia to halt the Soviet 139th Rifle Division’s advance.

Result: Finnish Victory. This was the first major offensive victory for Finland in the war. It provided a critical morale boost, proving the Red Army could be defeated despite their superior numbers.

Location: Near Lake Tolvajärvi, formerly Finland, now in the Republic of Karelia, Russia.

Coordinates: 62°17′17″N 31°29′24″E

Paintings & Art:

While specific canvas masterpieces are rare, the battle is immortalized in the SA-kuva (Finnish Wartime Photograph Archive), which contains iconic images of the frozen battlefield.

Winter War Monument (Sculpture) by Pekka Kauhanen (2017, Helsinki). Though not a painting of this specific battle, it is the primary artistic tribute to the conflict.

Museums & Collections:

Winter War Museum (Kuhmo, Finland): Dedicated entirely to the history of the Winter War, featuring artifacts, maps, and dioramas of the battles in Karelia.

Military Museum of Finland (Helsinki, Finland): Houses weaponry, uniforms, and extensive historical accounts of the battle.

Books for sale

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Contact Information

For more “Military History Inside Out” please follow me at www.warscholar.org, on Facebook at warscholar, on twitter at Warscholar, on youtube at warscholar1945 and on Instagram @crisalvarezswarscholar. Or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Tags: military museum, military artwork, battles, Byzantine history, American Revolution, WWI, WWII

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