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One of the greatest military defeats suffered by the United States in terms of the number of lives lost in a single battle was the result of an organizational blunder. While rarely remembered by contemporary Americans and surprisingly, rarely a subject of historical documentaries, the Dudley massacre is worth revisiting. In All But Forgotten, Emch attempts to expound, question, and conduct a detailed examination of this historic event.
Emch starts his probe by introducing one of the three main causes of the war in 1812 on the first chapter of the book. From there, he delves into the events that caused members of the 13th Regiment of Kentucky militia to chase the Indians against the orders of their officers. It culminated with an unimaginable human butchery that serves as the final chapter of the Indian's warfare. Generations later, the death toll that springs from the militiamen's inability to heed orders is still uncertain.
All But Forgotten is a brave attempt to acknowledge heroic actions of our military, to re-learn the value of strategic planning and execution, and to remember that sometimes victories emerge from seemingly unbearable defeats. The Dudley's Defeat is, indeed, one of the brutal losses of the United States military. However, the destruction of the British cannon due to the event swayed them to halt their plan to occupy the then-Fort Meigs. While the British attempted to attack the fort again in the future, the American defenders are now better prepared and ready for nothing but victory. While the book's premises and sources are subject to critique and discussion, it can be a valuable resource for students and teachers of American history.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review