Discover how Huck's Defeat spurred on the South Carolina militiamen to future victories during the Revolutionary War.

In July of 1780, when the Revolutionary War in the Southern states seemed doomed to failure, a small but important battle took place on James Williamson's plantation in what is now York County, South Carolina. The Battle of Williamson's Plantation, or Huck's Defeat as it later came to be known, laid the groundwork for the vicious partisan warfare waged by the militiamen on the Carolina frontier against the superior forces of the British Army, and it paved the way for the calamitous defeats that the British suffered at Hanging Rock, Musgrove's Mill, Kings Mountain, Blackstock's Plantation and Cowpens, all in the South Carolina backcountry. In this groundbreaking new study, historian Michael C. Scoggins provides an in-depth account of the events that unfolded in the Broad and Catawba River valleys of upper South Carolina during the critical summer of 1780. Drawing extensively on first-person accounts and military correspondence, much of which has never been published before, Scoggins tells a dramatic story that begins with the capture of an entire American army at Charleston in May and ends with a resounding series of Patriot victories in the Carolina Piedmont during the late summer of 1780-—victories that set Lord Cornwallis and the British Army irrevocably on the road to defeat and to surrender at Yorktown in October 1781.

Volume I of this landmark series traces the military groups raised from Charleston and McClellanville, Sumter and Clarendon, Horry and Marion and parts in between. In this anticipated four-volume series, author Robert Seigler presents a comprehensive review of South Carolina's Civil War troops in incomparable detail. Revealing the origination of military organizations from the three major geographical regions of the state, as well as those units whose men came from all parts of the state, Seigler outlines the frontline infantry, cavalry and artillery units, as well as militia, reserves and state troops that were critical to the Confederate efforts. For every regiment and battalion, Seigler analyzes when, where and under what legal authority each one was organized, and then provides a biographical sketch of the field officers for every unit. Included in each company history, in addition to its geographical origins, are a wartime biography of each captain and Seigler's special interest, company nicknames. Finally, a summary is provided of each unit's major movements and engagements.

In an exciting exposition, Michael R. Bradley brings to life the Confederate cavalry operations during the winter of 1862. These strategic plans centered on an unprecedented use of horsemen in carefully orchestrated maneuvers to successfully strike behind enemy lines. The series of daring raids by Confederate riders were led by Nathan Bedford Forrest, John Hunt Morgan, Earl Van Dorn and Joseph Wheeler. Although of widely different backgrounds and military expertise, these men earned a spot in history by taking advantage of the one area in which the Confederacy held superiority - their cavalry. Under their leadership, relatively small numbers of horsemen in gray held vastly superior Union forces in place for five months. Through a detailed, day-by-day analysis of their bold forays deep into Union territory, Bradley presents a clear and concise picture of exactly how these leaders revolutionized mobile warfare. This fascinating exploration of military strategy includes a final section that contains a breakdown of the regiments and individuals who were a part of what Bradley terms the "horsemen of the Confederate apocalypse."

Relive the World Series upset that gave rise to St. Louis's baseball obsession

With a legacy of 11 World Series wins, the culture of St. Louis intertwines with the Cardinals. It all started in 1926 with a legendary World Series upset against Babe Ruth’s Yankees. But what goes untold are compelling stories—like Ruth charming the city into what became a tradition of cheering opposing players—that made St. Louis fans go baseball crazy for the first time while early radio broadcasts helped turn the region into “Cardinal country.” These forgotten anecdotes made 1926 more than another championship. The victory transformed St. Louis into a baseball town, putting in place practices, traditions, loyalties, and an energy that have been passed down through time.

Terry Lemons, a St. Louis native, brings a reporter’s eye to recover faded memories that shine new light on the story that began in 1926.

From the moment that the surveyor set down his tools in 1846 to the instant that the Flying Farmers crossed the sky at the centennial celebration, the history of Centerville, Iowa, has gifted us with a unique insight into the mid-American experience. Though the population never exceeded 8,600, immigrants from more than forty different countries created a community that was both melting pot and crucible--just like the nation at large. The town forged an identity through the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, race relations, education debates and World Wars I and II while its people survived the dark history of Prohibition, crime, the Ku Klux Klan, the Mafia and the Depression. In this definitive history, Enfys McMurry captures both the particular feelings of Centerville's citizens and how they reflected and participated in the larger American story.

The cities of Los Angeles and San Diego were boomtowns during World War II. California aviation companies designed many of the greatest combat aircraft of the era, and bustling armies of women and men helped quickly churn them out by the thousands. An astounding 41 percent of all US warplanes came from California drawing boards during the war. These planes saw combat service everywhere—from the deserts of North Africa to the frozen tundra of Alaska. Southern California planes were the first to bomb Japan. They turned the tide at the Battle of Midway and dropped paratroopers behind enemy lines on D-Day. They flew tons of fuel, ammunition, and supplies over the treacherous Himalayan Mountains, relentlessly hounded enemy submarines and ships, and helped smash Nazi Germany's war-making industry with thousand plane raids.