Army

On September 4, 1812, the Siege of Fort Harrison began. It would end 11 days later in the first American land victory of the War of 1812.

On August 28, 1862, Union and Confederate forces met a second time at Bull Run (also known as Manassas Junction) in a bloody three-day battle.

Benjamin Harrison was born in North Bend, Ohio, on August 20, 1833. America’s 23rd president, he was also a Civil War veteran and lawyer.

Revolutionary War commander Nathanael Greene was born on August 7, 1742, in Potowomut (Warwick), Rhode Island. One of the Continental Army’s most dependable officers, his leadership was instrumental to the Southern Theater of the American Revolution.

On August 5, 1864, Admiral David Farragut led a successful naval attack that led to a Union victory at Mobile Bay, Alabama. Though the important city of Mobile remained part of the Confederacy, Mobile Bay was in Union hands and closed to blockade-runners.

On July 23, 1966, George Rogers Clark National Historical Park was established in Vincennes, Indiana.  The park honors this Revolutionary War hero and his role in the expansion of the Northwest Territory.

On July 15, 1918, the Germans launched the Second Battle of the Marne. The battle resulted in a major Allied victory, bringing a much-needed morale boost following a string of losses to the Germans.

Explorer and soldier John C. Frémont died on July 13, 1890, in New York City. Nicknamed “The Pathfinder,” Frémont led several expeditions to the American West, served in the Civil War, and was a promising presidential candidate.

Journalist and writer John Hersey was born on June 17, 1914, in Tientsin, China. He accompanied the Army on several operations in World War II and is best remembered for his collection of stories from survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima.