Two amazing people. Two amazing stories. Sometimes the most curious tales are found in everyday lives.
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Welcome to Aaron Benky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. George Washington is often remembered as a fierce general, commanding his army of trained soldiers from one battle to the next, from the Battle of Trenton to the Siege of Yorktown to the Battle of Princeton. History books have painted the American army at that time as a collection of the finest soldiers ever assembled. However, reality couldn't have been farther from the truth. Washington was indeed a powerful force during the war. He was calm, organized and intelligent. He was also soft spoken, not relying on loud outbursts to corral his troops. In fact, thanks to several illnesses contracted throughout his life, Washington most likely had a high pitched, breathy voice due to his weakened lungs. But that didn't stop him from leading his troops to victory. Of course, they weren't always successful. The American Army was made up of young men, many of whom had never served in the military before. They were inexperienced and scared, a combination that led to a rocky start for the war. One battle in particular happened to be the biggest of the entire revolution, and it has largely been forgotten for one big reason. The battle occurred in late August of seventeen seventy six, weeks after the Declaration of Independence had been signed in Philadelphia. The British had been in Boston but were run out of town back in March. They traveled up to Canada as they waited for a backup to arrive. Washington started moving his troops to New York a few weeks later, arriving in the Big Apple by mid April. His focus was on building up defenses in and around Brooklyn, as he believed New York would be the British Army's next target. His forces were thin, only several thousand. He had several forts built, each with an array of cannons and surrounded by a large ditch. The British came to town from Canada with more than thirty thousand troops ready to put an end to a war that had just begun. Their goal was not only to take over New York, but to take down Washington himself and destroy the Continental Army once and for all. British soldiers and Hessian mercenaries took over Brooklyn with ease. General William Howe moved nearly five hundred ships into the East River while his men stormed the beaches of Long Island. American forces paled in comparison, with a paltry nine thousand soldiers to keep up the entire defense. The British all but wiped out Washington's defenses as he rearranged his regiments and moved half of his troops from Long Island to Manhattan, partly to salvage the situation, partly because he that the British were more interested in the main island than they were in using Brooklyn as a distraction. Unfortunately, on August it was too late. British loyalists in the area helped General Howe and his men navigate the hills of the Jamaica Pass. Late that night, along with the assistance of a local tavern owner and his son, the British managed to capture the five Continental soldiers guarding the past without incidents before coming up behind the Americans In a surprise attack, Hessians rushed Washington's troops while Red Coats surrounded them. A brave four hundred Maryland soldiers stayed behind to fight them head on in order to let their fellow men escape, but over half of those four hundred were killed. Washington saw the writing on the wall. There was no way his army could outlast or outfight the British onslaught, but he refused to surrender. Instead, during a bad rainstorm, he orchestrated an evacuation of nine thousand American soldiers, moving them across the East River under the cover of night. He worked for hours putting his men on boats, but by the next morning there was still many left to go and the British weren't far behind. Washington was worried that he'd be found out before everyone had gotten away. Luckily, a heavy fog moved into the area, hiding his actions from the enemy long enough for every last soldier to get out of harm's way. Washington was the last person to get on a boat. He and all nine thousand of his men reached Manhattan by seven o'clock that morning. When House forces finally reached the American fortifications, they were stunned to find them empty. So why has the Battle of Brooklyn gone relatively unnoticed by the history books? Well because we lost, and history tends to remember the winners. The Battle of Brooklyn went down as the largest battle of the war. Roughly three hundred American soldiers lost their lives compared to the sixty three or so British casualties that day. But their defeat in New York taught Washington and his men a valuable lesson and how to organize an army, and in December of seventeen seventy six they put what they learned to good use. The Battle of Trenton became a turning point in the Revolution. It was a much needed win for America, and it inspired others to join the fight. Had it not been for Washington's quick thinking back in Brooklyn, though, the war might have ended a lot differently, and a lot sooner. Sometimes the best way to win a fight is not to fight at all. He was insanely talented even as a young child. A prodigy, he entertained local audiences, not just with his gift for music, but with his distinctive stage performance. While the press initially ridiculed him for his facial expressions and animation as he played, the crowd ate him up. As he grew older, he perfected that technique, developing a certain swagger. He'd tossed his shoulder length hair over his shoulders as he moved to the beat and pounded out tunes unlike anyone else in his genre. His good looks helped with his popularity. His dark hair, handsome face, and his physique spurred one writer to say how powerful and shattering he was to see in person. When his father passed away, grief overtook him. He stopped performing and taught piano lessons. For a short while, he fell in love with Marie, a students and the wife of an affluent aristocrat. When the affair was discovered, Marie left her husband and family to join her young lover. The two went on to have two children together, but marital bliss didn't last long. Relations between them became strained, and she returned to her homeland while he joined a tour to help fund a charitable cause. The separation from Marie took its toll, and for a short time he considered dedicating his life to the church instead of music. Three things changed his mind. His undying love of music, his mother's insistence that he followed his dreams, and attending a charity concert where he became so moved that he out to be as good or better than his idols. He wrote new music and practice his showmanship techniques designed to set him apart from his peers. His efforts at redefining his music and stage performances paid off. Royalty treated him like one of their own. Women practically threw themselves at his feet. The press always had a story about his escapades, the length of his performances, and the feverish audiences who couldn't get enough when he took to the stage. Crowds of women screamed and cried. On more than one occasion, they rushed the stage to be near him, to rip off a shred of clothing or cut off a lock of his hair. As a souvenir. Women tore at each other's hair and fought bitterly for a glass that he might have touched. The audiences bordered on downright delirious. Female fans held him in their dreams and fantasies. He'd reached fame far beyond his musical heroes. Europe had never seen anything like the mania that surrounded him. He was bold, charismatic, and deliver the style of playing the piano unlike anyone before him. He turned the piano sideways to allow the audience to better view. Sometimes he sat, other times he stood, pounding so hard on the keys at times that one reporter dubbed him the smasher of pianos. It was common for him to play so powerfully that pianos required repair after his shows. Though he continued to spend holidays with Marie and their children, the couple soon called it quits for good. He threw himself fully into his work, some say his best work. Over eight years, he visited one d fifty cities and played in over a thousand concerts. His work influenced other musicians and sparked new trends. Performing became as much showmanship as talent. Though he was financially stable, he never forgot his poor beginnings and gave away large portions of his wealth and performed for fundraisers. After a fire destroyed much of one city, he played several venues to raise money for the homeless. To this day, some consider him one of the most talented pianists to have ever lived. So who was the superstar who brought audiences to their feet like Jerry Lee Lewis and had women screaming and swooning as they did when The Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. Hungarian concert pianist Ron's list who passed away in eighteen forty seven, ten years before Lewis and a hundred and thirteen before the Beatles ever took the stage? Rock on France, Rock On. I Hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Manky in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can learn all about it over at the World of Lore dot com. And until next time, stay curious. Yeah