Final 2013 War of The Roses series is “Battle of Palmito Ranch”

We don’t talk nearly enough Civil War history on this blog…until now!  As you know, the weekend of August 23-25, the Revolution are merely trying to run up the score on the Barnstormers in Lancaster in the 2013 War of The Roses, already having clinched the Community Cup by winning 11 of the first 17 games between the two this season.

Since I graduated high school, and to the best of my recollection, college, allow me to explain how this is parallel to the final, confusing battle of the Civil War:

Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate Army in Virginia in a meeting with Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, VA on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the war.  As news spread, each remaining Confederate army also surrendered wherever they were fighting once news of Lee’s surrender reached them.

The news reached the western-most front of the war last, as news traveled slow.  Over May 12-13 in Cameron County, Texas the Battle of Palmito Ranch took place nearly a month after the war ended, with each side still thinking it was going on.  Despite only having 300 soldiers to the Union’s 500, the battle is considered a resounding Confederate victory; 101 Union soldiers were captured (and shortly released thereafter), to go with four killed and 12 wounded.  The South only suffered five wounded and three captured.

So much like Palmito Ranch, any Lancaster victories this weekend in the 2013 War of The Roses wouldn’t change anything in the 2013 War of The Roses.  Hopefully the Revolution win this weekend anyway, although they’ve already won the “War.”

Either way, at least none of them will be captured.

-Paul Braverman

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