We will close the benediction, but we do hope each of you will come over and join us. Just across the street youll get some instructions. Its the moment to join us for the first fine of the civil war here in the District Of Columbia since 1864, 150 years ago today. Fire a canon, yes. Please welcome again reverend louis as he leads us through the benediction. Please stand. Now lord we ask for our blessings that as we leave this place, that the street fellowship of the Holy Communion will rest, rule and abide with us now and forever more and all gods people said amen. American history tv in primetime continues wednesday with the civil war battle of the crater, which took place during the siege of petersburg, virginia, on july 30th, 1864. The battle failed with heavy losses for union troops. At 8 00 p. M. , the National Parks service commemorates the 150th anniversary of the battle and honors the role of u. S. Color troops. At 9 20, emanuele dabny discusses how the attack failed and why u
For years nobody believed it. The confederate soldiers themselves claimed to see the dome of the capital. Thats hock um. Theres nowhere to see the dome of the capital. You can see its below where visual would have gotten it out in Silver Spring. Probably saw the lights of georgetown. But mccauslin had gotten up there. Theres claims to ride up in broad daylight. No substantiating that. Old soldiers have vivid memories. One little comment, not a question. I was a surveyor in washington, d. C. For 42 years. In our office we had 1880 i think u. S. Gs topographic maps. First put out by the city and government and fortifications still on there. Cool set of maps. If you havent seen them, library of congress i think has them. Thanks. With that id like to again thank the National Archives for hosting this really wonderful event. Our speakers, please join me one last time in a round of applause for them. Union forces tried to create a gap in the forces but the attack failed. Here is a preview. O
Then the senate. As they get more and more influenced by what they are drinking, they boast, tomorrow well march down massachusetts avenue and well escort general breckenridge into the capitol, into the senate chamber, which he had presided over and place him back there. Well, the president is going to pay a visit out here again on the wealth. Hes going to arrive out here and hes going to bring mary with him. Now mary and he, there have been causalities out here, and close to the walls of fort stevens is a hospital. They go in and visit several Wounded Union soldiers there and then mary sits down. Out here also is the secretary of state. The secretary of state, of course, is william seward. Soon to arrive is going to be gideon wells, secretary of the navy, and his wife. Now mary gets the one cabinet member that mary gets along well with, mrs. Wells. She doesnt get along with others. The president will go up and stand on that paraben, where in the 1960s theyll put up a monument there. T
General ham let me start with you. Sort of going in proposition with africom in many ways is youre not going to have large amounts of american troops under your command on the ground, if any. Did you feel at times that you were a general in charge of the contractor army . No, not at all. There is a proper role i think for the contractors but theres also a proper role for the uniformed military. Like the other Combatant Commanders and the Service Chiefs i was part of a discussion with the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and secretary of defense that yielded the defense strategic guidance of 20 to which was approved by the president , and conduct with regard to advocate says they will seek a light footprint innovative and it reads lowcost, approach to africa. Not only because i was part of that discussion but i think that is the right approach. I dont think there is a need for a large standing u. S. Uniformed military presence in africa. But there is a role and there are places whe
Author sean mcfate is next on booktv. The associate professor of the National Defense university and former military mercenary talks about the use of mercenaries in wars around the world today. He says we are headed towards a future that will resemble the middle ages hiring mercenaries to fight in wars is the norm. [applause] thank you. Thank you to Atlantic Council for hosting us and thank you for making at out on a less than auspicious weather day. This book is about the return of private military force International Relations today. I wrote this not simply as an International Relations scholar but also as a practitioner that i work for a Company Called dyncorp national for several years in africa and while i was working there i saw many press reports, many think tank reports, a lot of leftwing and rightwing kneejerk reaction to simply did not get what i thought the industry was right. The genesis of writing this book was not in any way a whistleblower book. It was really to paxton s