On this solo episode of Battles & Banter, Avery takes on one of the most important engagements to come out of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. Fought on March 7-8, 1862, the Battle of Pea Ridge would end in a major Union victory that would secure the border state of Missouri as a bastion for Federal forces against Confederates in the area for the rest of the war. Avery would also like to take this time to send kind regards to any listeners in Ukraine who are living through the current conflict. We here at Battles & Banter Podcast stand with Ukraine and will be covering the conflict at a later date to be decided. In the meantime, enjoy this episode on the 160th Anniversary of Pea Ridge!

Join Avery, Codie & Tony as the BnB "Holy Trinity" reunites for the 160th Commemoration of the Forts Henry & Donelson Campaign of February 1862 during the American Civil War. In the midst of a rainy, cold and snowy winter, U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant launched an ambitious campaign to open Tennessee to Federal invasion by capturing two forts on the Tennessee & Cumberland Rivers. Coordinating with U.S. "brown-water navies", Grant's plan was a smashing success and the joint victories at Forts Henry & Donelson made him a national hero, especially in the eyes of President Abraham Lincoln. The guys discuss the major significances of the campaign and how it impacted how the rest of the way played out from there. Enjoy!

On the first Battles & Banter episode of 2022, Avery takes a solo look at one of the more overlooked and significant U.S. victories from the American Civil War: The Battle of Mill Springs. Also known as the Battle of Logan's Crossroads, the engagement that took place in southeastern Kentucky on that rainy day of January 19th, 1862, marked the first major land victory for the North. Not only did it put General George H. Thomas on the map as a reliable U.S. commander, but it opened the gates for the Federal forces to invade Tennessee and led to the more famous battles of Forts Henry and Donelson a few weeks later. Join Avery as he summarizes the battle and its significance and lays out the upcoming plan for the 2022 BnB schedule. Enjoy!

On the final BnB episode of 2021, Avery & Codie are joined by recurring guest host Ryan Quint to discuss one of the lesser known battles of the American Civil War. On December 20, 1861, the Confederate forces under General J.E.B. Stuart collided with a brigade of Pennsylvania Reserves at the small village of Dranesville in Fairfax County, Virginia. While the engagement was brief, and small in terms of troops engaged, it was the first time that U.S. forces had defeated the Confederates in Northern Virginia. For a victory-starved North, Dranesville was a light in the darkness as the first year of the war came to a close. Join Avery, Codie & Ryan in exploring this engagement and its significance to the larger context of the Civil War. Enjoy!

On this episode of Battles & Banter, Avery and Codie continue the Petersburg Campaign series with the long-awaited third installment. The guys take on the months that followed the Battle of The Crater leading all the way to the Presidential Election of 1864 in November. Actions at the Weldon Railroad, New Market Heights, and Boydton Plank Road all marked some of the final offensive actions by U.S. forces south and southwest of Petersburg, Virginia for the year before the long winter set in. Avery and Codie also discuss the importance of the 1864 election and how the armies in the field dealt with the conundrum of giving all of the troops the opportunity to exercise their right to vote. Enjoy!

On this episode of Battles & Banter, Avery is joined by his good friend and Civil War historian, Ryan Quint, to discuss the first combat action for Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War: The Battle of Belmont. One of the more overlooked and misunderstood actions of the war, Belmont served as the first taste of combat for General Grant against the Confederate forces along the western banks of the Mississippi River. Avery & Ryan discuss the actions at Belmont Landing and the significance of the fight in regards to the rest of the conflict. Most importantly, they talk about the importance of Belmont to Grant's military career and how it marked the beginning of his rise to fame and glory during the American Civil War. Enjoy!

On this episode of Battles and Banter, Avery, Codie & Tony reunite after a brief hiatus to discuss one of the smaller engagements of the American Civil War that ended up having deeper repercussions for how the Union high command conducted themselves during military campaigns, specifically the heavily politicized Union Army of the Potomac. Fought on October 21, 1861, the Battle of Ball's Bluff occurred along the banks of the Potomac River near Leesburg, Virginia when a Union reconnaissance under Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone triggered a larger engagement with a brigade of Confederate soldiers under Nathan "Shank" Evans. The small battle ended in disaster for the Union and led to the formation of the Committee for the Conduct of War. The guys evaluate the fight and the consequences it had on the overall war, while making an abundance of "ball" jokes throughout that'll just drive ya nuts. Enjoy!

Returning with another solo installment of the Korean War 70th Anniversary Series, Avery discusses another battle during the "Attrition Period" of the conflict that followed the fighting on Bloody Ridge: the more renowned Battle of Heartbreak Ridge. After a month of fighting on a 7-mile long mass of hills that towered over the Mundung-ni & Sat'ae-ri Valleys of Gangwon Province, South Korea, the United Nations forces were successful in destroying the North Korean and Chinese defenses at the cost of 3,700 men killed, wounded, captured or missing. Avery walks us through the battle and points out some of the reasons why the ridge earned it's ominous nickname. Enjoy!

On this retrospective episode of Battles & Banter, Avery, Codie and Tony take a look back on their personal experiences and thoughts from the day of September 11, 2001. On that tragic day, over 3,000 people lost their lives due to the heinous terrorist attacks inspired by Osama Bin Laden. Two planes flew into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, one plane hit the Pentagon, and a final plane went down in the quiet fields outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The country and the world changed that day, and the last two decades of war came to a somber end for the United States and its Afghan allies this past August. The guys reflect on 9/11 from their personal memories of that day and the following weeks, months, years that shaped the world we now live in today. Released on the 20th anniversary, this episode is a retrospective commemoration to a world event that has impacted our lives and our society since. So strap in and join your the B&B fellas as they take a look back on the day the world never forgot.

On this episode of Battles & Banter, Avery is joined by recurring guest hosts Ryan Quint and Justin Voithofer to cover BnB's first dive into the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th Century by taking on the Battle of Waterloo. Fought on June 18, 1815, the massive armies of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Duke of Wellington (Arthur Wellesley), and Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher converged on the open fields around the village of Mont-Saint-Jean about a mile south of the village of Waterloo, Belgium and proceeded to fight one of the most infamous battles in European history. Avery, Justin & Ryan discuss the battle and the lasting impacts of the final War of the Coalitions, and how the history surrounding Waterloo has shaped public memory of historic figures like Napoleon himself. Enjoy!