Who Am I????? (Decatur, influence, 70s, USA)

[Grandstander]

John Sedgwick?

Could it be that easy?

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by Grandstander

John Sedgwick?

Could it be that easy?

Civil war generals are all easy for you. You can name them all in alphabetical order. Your turn.

[Grandstander]

I was an American general who commanded the successful attack attack and capture of a foreign city. Unfortunately I was killed in the explosion when the retreating enemy blew up its ammunition dump.

However, my more lasting fame is linked to an earlier adventure and a particular piece of geography which still carries my name.

[jtur88]

Let me see if I have this correct. You had some military succes (at least two), but died in a particular circumstance, and a place was named after you, like a mountain or a town or a park. And the place you attacked was not in the USA, but in Vietnam or Germany or Haiti, or somewhere. So this would be any general who died when a retreating enemy blew up an ammo dump anywhere in the world in any historical period. Is that it?

[Grandstander]

Yes, except for the part about "at least two" miltary succeses, how did you conclude that?

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by Grandstander

Yes, except for the part about "at least two" miltary succeses, how did you conclude that?

So, amid the extreme paucity and ambiguity of clues, even that one is less illuminating than it appeared.

[Grandstander]

Tough world, isn't it?

[skinem]

Gen. Richard (or Robert?) Montgomery...killed at Montreal and Montgomery, AL is named for him...that's the only guy I can think that it may be.

Quite a few more generals killed in battle than most would think...so I may be waaaay off.

[Grandstander]

No, not Montgomery.

[Grandstander]

Looks like this one was a stumper.

The answer is Zebulon Pike. He led the victorious American Army when it captured York (today Toronto) during the War of 1812, and was killed as described above.

Pike earlier had served as the Lewis & Clark of the SW portion of the Louisiana Purchase, exploring up the Arkansas River and attempting to summit the mountain which carries his name...Pike's Peak. (He never made it to the top, forced back by snow.) That expedition ended badly, with Pike straying into Spanish lands and getting himself and his entire party arrested.

Okay, we shall try another:

I was born in Delaware in a township which is now a city which carries my name. I joined the navy and rose through the ranks during the actions against the Tripoli pirates. In the War of 1812 I was assigned to command in a specific theater and at first suffered losses to the British, but then with a rebuilt fleet, I won a decisive battle and forever ended the British threat in that region. The opposing commander was killed in this battle.

I remained in the service after the war, eventually dying at sea five weeks shy of my 42nd birthday.