Wednesday "Filler": Friendly Faces at River Raisin National Battlefield Park

I have been putting this off for a while now, because I wanted to give it a serious post, but my guilt has got the better of me.  If you are even still reading, hello to my friends down at River Raisin National Battlefield Park, you have not been forgotten!

The Raisin was an important fight in the western theater of the War of 1812.  The second battle was an important victory for the Americans on the road to the Battle of the Thames, where Tecumseh finally met his demise.  The battles also largely spelled the end of any French-American cultural independence in Michigan, as the town of Monroe (then Frenchtown) was devastated by the assaults, and the locals just decided it was better to pack up and move on.

The park is also one of the newest units in the National Park system!  It's nice that south east Michigan is getting a bit more national attention, to say nothing of how 1812 is starting to get some recognition. Expect a series of posts on this place as I explore it in more depth in the coming year.  For now, be treated to a cannon, on a sled.  Yes, how much more Michigan/Ontario can you get than that?

If you live in the region, consider giving it a visit.  They have an impressive museum there, one of far better quality than I have seen at civil war sites.