I
July 4, 1187, Knights Templers fought one of the
Bloodiest crusade's battles at the Horns of Hattin.
In the hot desert sun they found no water to quench
Their thirst. Saladin's men completely enclosed
The crusaders sealing their fate. Saladin spared none
Except for their Grand Master. Saladin said to
King Guy, "Have no fear. It is not the custom of kings
To kill kings," after giving him a drink of water.
Thirst brought their failure-defeated.
II
Battle of Ankara, July 20, 1402,
Fought around Cubuk, Anakara.
Sultan Bayazed I, faced Timur
The conqueror, Ruler of Timurid
Empire Turku-Mongol forces.
Battle raged at Catal Hill, in Cubuk Valley.
Timur diverted the water supply to off-stream
Reservoir leaving Sultan Bayazed's army
Thirsty. Sultan Baized escaped into mountains
Timur pursued, captured Bayazed-defeated.
III
Battle of Maychew, March 31, 1936,
Northern Front Second Italo-Abyssinian War.
Haile Selassie send message to wife
Empress Menen Asfaw, "Soldiers dead,
Wounded, enemy also injured, 20,000 battle
Weary, thirsty survivors." Emperor's thirsty
Army marched to Lake Ashangi. Water of Lake
Ashangi was sprayed with deadly chemicals
By the Italian Royal Air Force, poisoned.
Emperor's thirsty army-defeated.
IV
Battle of Medina, August 18, 1813,
20 miles south of San Antonio, Texas.
Gutierrez-Magee Republican Forces
Fought the Mexican War of Independence
Against Spanish Gen. José Olivarez de Toledo,
And Dubois Spanish Royalist Army led by
Gen. Joaquín de Arredondo. Republicans, hot,
Thirsty, tired, broke ranks and ran-defeated.
V
Conquest of Egypt, summer 1798, invaded
and occupied by Napoleon's army. French
Troops landed at Alexandria. Marched, tired,
And thirsty to Cairo. Beset by Bedouin
Irregular fighters. Towns and villages
Leading to Cairo turned violently deadly
Against occupiers. August 1799, Bonaparte
abandoned Egypt, left his troops-defeated.
VI
Bataan Death March 1942,
78,000 U.S. and Philippine soldiers
Surrendered to Japanese. March more
Than 65 miles to prison camps in
Scorching heat of Philippine's jungle.
Fifteen thousand died en route
Thirsty and had no water. Most
Devastating time of conflict during
World War II-captured.
VII
Battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778,
Heroine Mary Ludwig Hayes, was
Nicknamed "Molly Pitcher."
Fought at Valley Forge beside
Her husband William Hayes, a gunner.
Legendary-she cooled hot guns,
And bathe parched throats.
Across bullet-swept ground
Her striped skirt fluttered.
Brought pitcher after pitcher of
Cooled spring water to exhausted
Thirsty soldiers. Towns named
"Molly Pitcher Spring."-Survivalist!
© Joseph S. Spence, Sr., 8/8/09
© All Rights Reserved
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