Battle Briefs

We Caught the Bloody British:
The Battle of New Orleans, 1814

Tuesday, Oct 6, 2026 | 7 p.m. ET | Virtual

Tuesday, Oct 13, 2026 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-person

In the closing months of the War of 1812, a large British army attacked American forces led by Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson near New Orleans on January 8, 1815. Despite having Napoleonic War veterans in their ranks and Royal Navy support, the British were soundly defeated in what was the final major engagement of the conflict. Learn how U.S. troops and local militiamen won the battle for the American southwest with minimal losses and made Jackson a hero and eventually a United States president.

John R. Maass is a historian and educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. He received a BA in history from Washington & Lee University, and a PhD in early U.S. history from the Ohio State University. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve (80th Division). His most recent book is “The Battles of Spencer’s Ordinary and Green Spring, 1781” (2025).

Register for VIRTUAL Battle Brief on October 6 here

This program is offered VIRTUALLY and IN-PERSON on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Museum guests may attend in-person. Seats are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Register for VIRTUAL Battle Brief on October 13 here

Register for IN-PERSON Battle Brief on October 13 here

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Battle Brief – In Pursuit of Lee: The 1863 Battle of Williamsport and the Gettysburg Campaign, with John Maass

Tuesday, Nov 3, 2026 | 7 p.m. ET | Virtual

Tuesday, Nov 10, 2026 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-person

The Battle of Williamsport, Maryland, took place from July 6 to July 16, 1863, during the U.S. Civil War. It marked the perilous retreat of General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army after their defeat at Gettysburg, when a flooded Potomac River trapped the rebels on the northern banks as they tried to cross into Virginia. Learn how Union forces under Maj. George G. Meade tried to crush Lee’s troops, and how a slow pursuit failed to bag Lee and frustrated the President of the United States.

John R. Maass is a historian and educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. He received a BA in history from Washington & Lee University, and a PhD in early U.S. history from the Ohio State University. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve (80th Division). His most recent book is “The Battles of Spencer’s Ordinary and Green Spring, 1781” (2025).

Register for VIRTUAL Battle Brief on November 3 here

This program is offered VIRTUALLY and IN-PERSON on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Museum guests may attend in-person. Seats are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Register for VIRTUAL Battle Brief on November 10 here

Register for IN-PERSON Battle Brief on November 10 here

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