A Life of General Robert E. Lee: Recent Episodes
John W. Michaels
A Life of General Robert E. Lee by John Esten Cooke, and narrated by John Michaels is from the Audio Book available at http://www.audiobooksbymikevendetti.com.
Another episodic request from a listener on my travel hacking strategies and some updates in 2024 in how we are doing it.
Answering a listener's question, "What would have you done differently at the age of 30?". Well this is the complete answer, and you might be surprised by it.
I received this request for an episode from a listener. ‘First, thanks for doing the show. I’ve been a loyal listener from back to the start. I’m from the USA and I am uncomfortable with where things are heading here. Can you explain your experiences with expatriation since you are now in Mexico?’ Absolutely. Here’s the full details.
If you were to Google search the word ‘Debt’ you would find (in general) that most comments on it put it in a bad light. Our parents taught us not to go into debt. But after receiving a request from a listener to talk about debt, I’m going to give you the truth about debt and all the arguments for and against it.
This was a request from one of our Patreon subscribers who asked, ‘Can you talk about home security and camera for home monitoring if you have experience with them’. So here’s the answer to how I approach it. Hope you can get some value out of this.
After 5 years of doing this podcast, and other podcasts for my patrons, I’ve decided to stop doing it, and will be stopping on episode 250. Why? Well take a listen and I’ll explain it all.
This episode attempts to give a state of the union in regards to AI, where we are, where we are going and the social and freedom impacts of this massive change we are all going to be faced with in the short term.
In 2024, at the recent SXSW convention in Austin, Texas, a movie was premiered that will be airing in April, called ‘Civil War’ by Alex Garland. There’s been a lot of post-apocalyptic movies and TV series released over the past decade, but this one seems to have touched a nerve with the American people. I want to talk about why in this episode.
Over the past 10 or so years, I’ve been noticing the divide between rich & poor is changing. After the 2008 GFC, the “Occupy Wall Street” movement protested against the 1% owners of the world, at the expense of the 99%, but alas – this didn’t change a thing. In fact it seems to have emboldened the uber rich, and the mission as just accelerated to consolida3on of power & wealth with a handful of players, at the expense of the rest of the world.
My wife & I were at a friend’s place in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico a few weeks back, and we were chaJng with a local Mexican lady who has built up a small fortune in real estate. When I asked her how she did it, it was a massive contrast to western methods and yet seemed enNrely logical. Growing up poor with no money, how she did it is amazing and her story brings hope for all of us.
While you are sleeping, there’s a risk to your enIre wealth and you probably never saw it looming. Your media never talked about it, most of those that are at least aware of it dismissed it as silliness or some conspiracy theory. But the risk has grown exponenIally in the past 12 months and now I think we are at Defcon levels of risk on this, and we should be openly talking about BRICS+
Age brings wisdom. Age also loses flexibility in so many ways. Things don’t stand still and one must adjust to the universe because it won’t adjust to you. Having said that, I think that the attitudes to those seeking early retirement vs. those that are retiring because of end of career is very different and they don’t see eye to eye. Let’s talk about that in this episode.
On a recent news story in Arizona, I was amused to see two news anchors (one an older gentleman and one younger lady) talking about a new AI infused technology that created handwriting of a person by using a robot. Their reactions to this tell a generational story about social life & expectations in the USA, and so I wanted to expand upon this in this episode.
The advancement in technology brings a lot of fear, uncertainty & doubt to us. And recently one such invention appears to be doing this – GLP-1 inhibitors, used for diabetes but discovered to have massive impact on weight. The most common name you will hear is ‘Ozempic’. On this episode, I’m going to delve into this both from a medical & financial angle, and yes…. I’ve been taking Ozempic now for the past 2 months, so I’ll tell you my story with it as well.
On January 3rd, the US Federal short term debt showed up at $34 Trillion dollars. This doesn’t take into consideration of the long term liabilities on the balance sheet of country that go to the promised social security & Medicare payments for seniors. That would add another $80 Trillion to the tally. But this simply is the accumulation of decades of losses on the profit & loss statement of the country. In this episode, I’m going to float a theory on how the USA will clear this debt quickly, but I don’t think you are going to like it…
In this off script episode, I get real about the lies they tell you about 401Ks, IRAs, Superannuation funds, etc. I explain what they promised and what was delivered and why it is far from optimal for retirement vs. residential rental real estate properties.
This is a little tale about the dangers of proprietary technology and, when I broke my own rules, it came back to bite me big time. Let this be a warning to you all – your first option should always be to find an open source version of anything you need.
I’ve made about 16 flights between the USA & Mexico in the past 12 months, and I’ve learned where the deals are, even if you are not using frequent flyer miles. On this episode, I’ll let you know what I found and where you can look to find super cheap deals.
This episode is a reset moment. Maybe one that is sorely needed. Our attention is all over the place these days, and yet we forget the simplest things that leads to true peace. As an embracement of the principles of a Simple Life, I give you something to think about – how you can survive in our journey through life, and to realize the wrong path that most of us are on.
A good friend of mine who works in the community college world in Arizona sent me an article that he found on why international students won’t come to the USA to study. I spent the next 30 minutes or so explaining the entire reasons, and I thought you might be interested in the whole story. Here we go…
The episode continues from 224. More of the things you need to consider as part of an early retirement strategy.
Everyone who slaves over a 50 hour a week job, sacrificing time from the family, the stress of meeting other people’s expectations, living paycheck to paycheck, dreams of exiting the rat race. The hope of early retirement drives them to save more, work harder now, and one day they can tell their boss, “Take this job & shove it”. But few understand the reality of what it looks & feels like after that event, and how it is easy to become a non-person in early retirement.
I am recording this episode at the end of the calendar year of 2023. It is at these times, when workers often get some break for the holidays, that their employers will praise them for their annual contribution – and often with some paltry “Christmas bonus” that typically is best portrayed in Charles Dickens “The Christmas Carol” with Ebeneezer Scrooge not rewarding Bob Cratchit with some hopeful bonus for a year of toil. And yet if only Bob Cratchit recognized his contribution and talents, and had the courage to ask for what he was really worth…
Recently the state of Arizona had one of its border checkpoints in Lukeville closed by the US Federal Government. This was in response to an unexpected surge of inbound travelers and asylum seekers coming into the USA. The immigration challenges that we hear about on the Nightly news are far from the real story here, so I wanted to delve into the real story of what is going on and how it affects those of us attempting to be unconstrained.
As many of you know, I had a career in the early 90s as a recording engineer in Hollywood. I left that to make money to feed my family, as I didn’t want to put them through the ‘hit & miss’ nature of that industry. After 25 years back in the tech space, I didn’t agree with where it was going, and in my mid 50s left it to return to my recording work. The result was the building of a massive private recording studio in central Mexico. I wanted to talk through the business case for this and why we need some serious ‘out of the box’ thinking when it comes to funding art in all forms for the future.
I’ve recorded a number of episodes on the perils of AI a few months back. As we march towards this innevitable chapter of our evolution, I realize that most of my issues with it is not because the technology is bad. It is the very limited few that will wield it like a weapon against us. So in what I think will be a thought provoking episode, I’m going to look int to the humans behind all of this and dig deeper as to what we have allowed our species to become.
The song ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year’ might hold up well for a warm feeling as the temperatures drop, but it was co-opted by the retail industry in a way to control the mind of the masses into mass consumption. Retailers make more money in this season than at anytime in the year, and the constrained are enslaved in debt from being guilted into buying stuff for other people. Let’s go through a few tricks you can use to survive this period without having to be Uncle Scrooge to get through it.
The second half of the answer to the question "How much do you really need to retire?" after my shock of hearing the personal financial industry stating $4 million. As someone who has been living financially free for quite some time, I can tell you that this is a total lie and I'll explain the truth of what really is required.
I came across this study on Seeking Alpha recently. It found that younger millennials — those around age 30 — would likely need at least $3.6 million saved up to enjoy a comfortable retirement. To be on the safe side, it might be wise to round that up to an even $4 million. This assumes that you want to retire no later than age 62 and have not yet saved anything except emergency cash. How the hell can anyone do that? Well in this episode, I’ll prove why this traditional mindset is just plain wrong, and how you really can do this with 1/10th of the savings that these so called experts are saying.
I’ve had a lot of first hand experience in the USA at trying to get to simply see a doctor, and I’ve never seen it this bad before. When I hear recent news that the billionaires are inserting themselves into the tech AI space for healthcare research, and all these unicorn & rainbow stories we hear about how AI will change the game for healthcare research and curing viruses, it seems so disengenuous when the average US person can’t get to see a doctor in a timely basis, or even afford to. Let’s get the truth of this failed healthcare system in the USA and why it affects your safety and your very life expectancy in your attempt to be unconstrained.
I have tried to avoid any topic on politics because it just divides people. This episode has little to do with politics, however. But I would like to have an open, honest and frank discussion about government – particularly the US government, what I thought it was, what I discovered it was, and where I see this whole thing going.
This is a discovery that I came across while hanging out with other expats here in Mexico where I am as I record this. But few people in the USA or other western countries seem to understand this opportunity. So let’s talk about it.
This is the 2nd episode in an update on what it's like to build a dream home in Mexico and my experiences so far.
If you have been listening to me for any length of time, you know that I’m currently developing a large property in central Mexico. Well in this episode I’ll do an update on where I’m at, what I’ve learned so far in the process and the trials & tribulations of doing what most people would fear to do, but to keep an eye on the epic results you can achieve if you are careful.
After selling our rental real estate, we were left with few forms of smart income. I began searching for alternatives. I realized that for the next few years, much of my time would be spent outside of the USA, so I needed something that didn’t require me to be physically present to manage them, but paid me a tidy sum each month. This led me to dividend stocks, and so far I am very happy with the results.
In 2008, at the height of the global financial crisis in the US, I was heavily exposed to real estate debt due to some deals that had been done in the prior year, and ran the risk of being entirely wiped out. If it wasn’t for having assets in another country and sold them to fund the underwater position I found myself in, I would never have survived it. In this episode, I want to fast forward to 2023 and explain why you MUST have an international diversification strategy for your assets if you wish to mitigate the risk of an adverse event in your country.
Central planners are at it again. The fear of a ‘housing crisis’ has empowered government to create government housing by proxy. By using building regulations as a weapon, AZ government has created a trajectory towards 1970s style ghetto housing reminiscent of the low income apartments of Brooklyn. This model seems to be a reflection of the California model, which didn’t work either. Is this what we want in America and how is this happening?
It is now the third quarter of 2023, and already the media are gearing up to distract you, extort your attention and pumble your brain with more FUD, and anxiety than ever before. This is all in the lead up to the US 2024 Presidential Election. Regardless of the barrage of lies and distorted facts you will be subjected to, in this episode I want to give you a set of tricks you can use to hack the media and keep your sanity through these trying times.
You work hard, you earn money, but you are broke. Why? In this episode I’m going to put out there a theory in the western world why people are broke, and it isn’t the reasons the media and society will tell you. It is not rampant inflation. It is not that you are not paid enough. It is actually far simpler – it is about the decisions you make, and the fight to control your mind.
What happens with capitalism when AI takes over the economy? I’ve been giving this some thought, but to be honest I don’t have a conclusion yet. I cannot see an upside to this, and despite all the WOW factor that AI seems to have in the social construct, I don’t think anyone has really thought through the impact on capitalism & economics yet. Let’s give it a shot in this episode…
I just was reading the recent paper produced by the WEF entitled ‘Pathways to the regulation of crypto-assets – a Global Approach’ and it is frightening. Those that frequent Davos each year seem are throwing more and more resources in crafting a future for all of us, and it is a future that no-one other than the ruling elite would want.
In this third and last part of my series on what's on my investment radar, we are going to talk about energy and what I’m doing in terms of investment strategy regarding it for the next 3, 5 and 10 years.
In this 2nd part of a 3 part series, I'm unveiling my investment strategy regarding AI. No, not my philosophical position, but my investing position. Yes, there is a difference. Enjoy.
If you are looking for financial advice, that’s not what I do. But I do share with people what I’m doing from a holistic position on my own investments, and this episode will cover some major strategic shifts I’m doing in light of new technologies and changing macro dynamics. So settle back and relax and I’ll share what I’m looking down the barrel at.
I was having lunch with my accountant and the subject of how different life felt outside the USA than within came up. I told him that after I had returned from a few weeks in Mexico, I found that I wasn’t getting anywhere near as much productive work done in the USA. And the one reason – distractions.
The temptation when a podcast gets to 200 episodes is to celebrate how we got this far. But when I did that, I realized that my success with this podcast came because of those who came before me, had faith in my work and befriended me. Gary Collins was one such person, and with his passing last year, I was shocked to see how his work was being lost to Internet fade. So in this episode, I'm joined by my friend Remso Martinez, who also was a good friend of Gary, and we look back at the message of The Simple Life and how it touched and affected all of us.
I was recently interviewed on another podcast in which the subject of why they thought Bitcoin was a poor store of value. I argued that Bitcoin is a perfect store of value – the question really comes down to what you are actually valuing it in. Where most of us choose our local currency as the basis of value and our wealth, I’m here to tell you that this is why most of society is dead broke. Let’s discuss.
Once in a while, you bump into someone that is doing something unusual and creative and seems to understand the concept of Smart Income, as we teach it. Today I’m going to introduce you to one such person - Josh Lawlor, founder of The Film Shoot Rental Roadmap, and he’s going to explain how you can make big bucks by renting out access to your home or other real estate for film and video shoots.
While your attention was being distracted towards the war in Ukraine, Debt ceiling negotiations, and even inflationary challenges, the central planners have been at work crafting the ultimate set of handcuffs the world has ever seen – FedNow. And in July 2023, this weaponized freedom grabber will go into full effect. In this episode, we will look at this new tool, how it works and why you should run away from it.
Sometimes I get people asking me, “Myles, why is it that you left Australia where the government provide free healthcare, education, and a social security for the US where you have to work for it all, pay 12x more? And then you take that to the next level and are building in Mexico where the government provide almost nothing?”. There’s a simple answer to this. If you live on the principle that you will be 100% responsible for you and your family, then you can choose where and how you want to live. But for those that have just given up on personal responsibility on the premise that their government will take care of you, this is your wake up call. Because they WON’T!
In this episode, I continue on the previous summation of income lost and costs overspent for those that are literally ‘Leaving money on the table’. This is the 2nd of a 2 part series, and this one has a ton of things you should be considering in order to fight inflation and live an unconstrained life
Things are tough out there, and family budgets are tight. Yet so many people are missing out on income and over paying on expenses. In this episode, I want to do a quick audit of personal finances and show some shocking discoveries of lost money that could have been reclaimed. Let’s see if this information helps you get through the tough money times.
The rapid advancement of AI will create opportunities for early adopters. Even by the time you listen to this podcast, those opportunities have probably already been acquired, since only those with enormous capital reserves can afford the data centers to own the robots. But what will be left will be a perfectly laid out design document of totalitarian control from the George Orwell playbook. In this episode, I’m going to talk about my fears of the AI empowered future and how governments may be the early adopters.
Let’s face it – the world needs more creative and out of the box thinkers. These ‘disruptors’ change the future – look at people like Elon Musk as an example. Despite Elon’s businesses and residence being in the USA, Elon is not from here, yet he has a cult like following in the USA. The reality is that we immigrants see the world as a huge playground rather than limiting ourselves to one country. So why is it that so many parents (and students) limit their education to only one country? In this episode we will explore how any student can get a free bachelors degree that will be respected and propel them forward like Elon Musk, by using the very creative and out of the box thinking that is the very essence of what employers and society is screaming out for in these challenging times.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-04-18/higher-education-in-the-us-faces-a-systemic-crisis
https://www.bachelorsportal.com/articles/2460/where-to-apply-for-english-taught-bachelors-degrees-in-germany-in-2023.html
https://edurank.org/medicine/do/
In this episode, we review the results of one of the early pioneers of the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement, and his journey from early retirement at the age of 34 in 2012 through to back to work to put his kids through college 10 years later. This is from an article in Fortune Magazine.
On March 15th, 2023, the world changed forever. The release of GPT4 expanded the capability of AI to the point where a software bot could pass the bar exam and get a law degree, could get a degree in Biology at university, could understand images & sound as well as text, and even exhibited signs of AGI – Artificial General Intelligence, where it became self-aware. Let’s talk about how this will change all of our lives and what opportunities present.
If you currently or wish to embrace the idea of doing the polar opposite of everyone else, you will be ridiculed, ostracized and even in some cases made an outcast of the social norms. Dealing with this can be the biggest challenge of anyone seeking extraordinary results in life. In this episode we will talk about the psychology of being a contrarian and how to maintain and thrive in an alternative world.
As I record this, the news headlines are about failing banks and managing inflation. Generally those that feed us with the information about what is happening in the world are negligent at telling the true story about risks & rewards. In this episode I want to bring some sanity to the discussion and challenge much of the fear mongering with a reality check – there is no progress without risk.
For about a year now, we’ve had a thing we offer for free to people called our Matrix Server. Other than just a quick announcement about it, I have not gone into details on the why and how of this, but more the importance of having a decentralized and uncensored means of our community communicating. That’s all about to change now. Let’s talk about it.
We are entering a world where you are a data point and they are creating a ruleset in which you must live. AI puts the human flaws of dominance and fear on steroids, and oversight will be years behind implementation. The warning of Orwell’s Big Brother have not been taken seriously, so now what do you do? In this episode, we’ll explore the current state of AI and where this is going, and why it is probably the greatest threat to anyone questing to be unconstrained.
Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad stated, ‘ Your house is not an asset. Rather it is a liability.’ Whereas I agree with this statement, as a contrarian I have to see this more of a challenge rather than statement of fact. In this episode I want to explore how you can make your home an asset rather than a liability.
Cheap Crypto Miner: https://evergreenminer.com
Music income: https://52cues.com
https://makemusicincome.com
Stock photography income:
https://shotkit.com/making-money-with-stock-photography/
Dividend Bull YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@DividendBull
Sure Dividend champions list:
https://www.suredividend.com/dividend-champions-list/
I am recording this episode at a time when the banking stocks are crashing, people panicking that their deposits may be gone without their control, inflation continues to reveal its truth and there seems to be no upside in the economy today. Why? It is because EVERYTHING is a Ponzi scheme.
It is no secret that the western world is going through economic hard times right now. It might not feel that way if you look at the stock markets, but the average family is dealing with company lay-offs and wage reductions, while costs are souring due to economic mismanagement by central planners. As a result, the average person has to find a way to do more with less. But few are well trained in this, and most will make what can often be considered fatal mistakes in how they attempt to remedy this situation. Referenced video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5qvBKbMd74
On January 25th 2023, the world of smart income took a big hit in the form of the Biden Administration’s ‘Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights’. This bill, which would likely be an executive order by the president, attempts to address the rental housing affordability crisis as they would see it, reduce homelessness and other progressive ideals. But the unintended consequences of such a bill would destroy freedom, reduce housing affordability, penalize independent rental property ownership , eliminate the biggest part of smart income for financial sustainability, and constrain all of us to the world of predictable worker slaves until the day we die.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/25/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-actions-to-protect-renters-and-promote-rental-affordability/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/01/25/biden-proposes-renters-bill-of-rights---heres-what-it-will-do/?sh=61e257b950f3
Today I want to talk to you about the extreme danger of having a job. Or even thinking that Jobs are a good thing. Because it seems that the wizards of hypnosis and social manipulation - the governments and bankers - are at it again, lying and championing their success based on jobs. So ask yourself this - if you had the perfect life, would it include the crappy job you are forced to spend 75% of your waking life going to each day?
In the world of computer software, we design code based on what we call ‘tight’ or ‘loose’ coupling. Tightly coupled systems make assumptions about what they connect to – that they are stable and predictable. Loosely coupled systems better account for flexibility and change. However when I look at the world today, I see the 21st century is the result of humans building ONLY tightly coupled systems. In this episode, I’m going to deep dive what this means and why it leads to this boom & bust world that we are all being subjected to.
On a recent trip to Las Vegas, a friend of mine & I commented on the state of tipping. As someone who came from a country where tipping is not customary or expected, it was a culture shock to an immigrant in the USA. However there are pros & cons for tipping, so in this episode I want to deep dive the culture of tipping and how to protect yourself from vultures, yet incentivize the individual.
I do a lot of traveling, and with at least one international flight per month and peppering in the odd domestic route, there’s a lot I’ve learned with decades of international travel experience. In this episode, I’m going to give you my current tips & tricks to make your traveling super cheap or free in 2023.
The press loves to have a field day when some service we rely on gets hacked. In this episode, I’m going to tell you how to have a smaller attack footprint – that is how to not be a target in this digital world, how we got to this point and what we can do going forward.
For as long as I have been alive, technology has shaped our world. In fact, it created my wealth since I bought the first commercially available personal computer in 1977 – I turned it into a career. But after over 40 years of being a part of that world, there’s something going on in the road forward now that is unusual, scary and you need to know about this if you intend to be a part of that industry, or someone that is punting on massive returns in that sector.
In this episode, I’m going to take you on a little journey with me – an experiment that I’ve just undertaken successfully, to spend NO money in 10 days. All during the most spend-heavy time of the year – the December Christmas period. Why? Because I wanted to prove just how insane society in the USA has gotten regarding consumption and why this will ultimately lead to a horrible ending.
The biggest misconception that most people chasing financial independence is that it is all about investing. They do everything to save as much money and invest it. Yet 90% of those doing this are not experts in investing. They just put the money in the hands of counterparties to invest for them and hope & pray. Then get back to earning money to put more money in those investments. In this episode we are going to explain the weaknesses in this approach and why it won’t help you unless you know what you are doing.
Rather than the typical predictions of 2023, or new years resolutions, I've recorded this podcast to talk about action. What I'm doing in 2023, and why. Enjoy.
Tis the season to be grabbing all those last minute tax saving deductions you can, and in this episode that's what we are talking about. So buckle in and take some notes, because you don't have much time left.
There are dozens of advocates on the Internet, YouTube, Podcasts, etc. that tell you to get second or third residencies, multiple passports, etc. But few will ever disclose the level of effort to maintain these things. In this episode, I’m going to tell you my own challenges with these things over time, and what is required as a US person to be compliant and yet have the freedom of movement to be unconstrained.
I came to a realization recently that most of the reasons you are broke, hopeless, and can’t get out of the rut we find ourselves in, is because we make decisions based on the spirit of something, but then we come face to face with the reality of implementation. So let’s talk about that.
I haven't done an episode on Health insurance and healthcare for a while, but realized that with more indepth knowledge and information on Mexico options - not just for surgeries but general and emergency healthcare, I need to update what I'm doing with my health strategies, why and how you might also be able to benefit with this knowledge.
In this episode, I will make some predictions for the short and medium term future and how we got to this place, and where the unconstrained can go to avoid losing their power and sovereignty for the future.
It has been a while since I did a show on Mexican immigration, but so much has changed, which I have personally been affected by. So on this episode, I'm joined with my friend Ernie Baca to talk about what has changed in regards to Mexican immigration, changes in financial solvency requirements, getting appointments, the airports, etc.
I’ve always been an advocate of making sure your physiological needs are in your control. But we live in a world where housing has become a reality TV show, rather than something that is critical to our survival. In this final episode of the series, ‘You will own nothing and be happy’ we are going to talk about shelter and where you live.
The world is rapidly shifting away from currency towards electronic payments. In fact, in some countries they have basically outlawed the very legal tender they were previously issuing. In this episode we discuss why this is all happening, and why – when it comes to money – You’ll own none and be happy, according to your central planners
In our ongoing series of ''You'll own nothing & be happy'', this one is about technology. The truth that the industry probably doesn't want you to know about, and how you can reclaim your power and have it all for free.
The concept of ownership and property rights has been a core part of our history, our laws and our freedom. Most people believe they have the right to own title to things and protect those things our homes, our businesses, our financial assets, etc. But we are moving towards a world of You own nothing and be happy and this is being pushed upon us both aggressively through the WEF, but also covertly through the idea of the subscription model. In this episode, we are going to unveil the pure evil of this movement and what you can do to fight back and regain your control.
In this episode I talk about the recession we find ourselves in, how similar and different it will be to past recessions, how to transition to it, how to prepare for it, and what opportunities it will present to contrarians and those seeking to be unconstrained.
As we move to a bear market and what some would call a recession, it is important to understand that markets are just collections of humans and their perception of value. Understanding that human mindset and how we deal with the changing times is important in positioning for growth in your asset investing.
Weve probably all seen and be entertained by TV shows on Extreme Frugality those people who do insane things to save money, dumpster diving, etc. They are obsessed with not spending money. On this episode I want to talk about balanced frugality. How you can do amazing things to save money, yet not be some oddball that others laugh at as you quest towards being unconstrained.
As I record this, the Fed Reserve is on the cusp of more interest rate increases in an attempt to curb inflation. But this is one big game of illusion, shadow economics and making numbers look the way you want to present them, rather than fixing the problems of the world population.
When you travel, you meet a lot of interesting people. If you are not from around their parts, they let their guard down and tell you what is really going on. These simple conversations are important to bring us back to reality and compare the contrarian lifestyle with the traditional. Oh, and there will be stories about ducks!
Since the 1990s, when China entered the World Trade Organization, there has been a euphoric move towards outsourcing to cheaper countries for manufacture and labor services. Although this brings down pricing, and helps curb inflation rise, it means the emerging market countries benefit while the client countries reduce expenses, but adjust their labor force accordingly. In this episode I want to explore the current and future trends of de-globalization, when countries retreat to their own borders and what both causes this, and what impact it has for all of us going forward.
Government & their best intentions can destroy the hope and future of a country. Whether it is from corruption, or just poor management, putting all of your faith & trust in central planners never seems to work out. In this episode, I tell the story of exactly that - government taking away the future from a country with so much promise and trying to sell it as a victory for the average Joe.
All over the world, the dreaded ''R'' word is being thrown about. For many people, they never remembered what a recession was like. For some, particularly here in Australia where they had a bull market economy for the past 30 years, memories of recessions may either be faint or non-existent depending on age. In this episode I'm going to tell you how to survive (and thrive) in a recession and what you need to do to adjust your mindset.
Having landed in Australia after being away for 3 years, I report on what I discovered and also what I acknowledge about life and our future. I talk about strategy in how to overcome the challenges of our world based on what I've seen others successfully doing.
Most of this seems obvious when you look at it in the rear view mirror, but there were times in my life where debt took over my world. Rather than retreating into a fetal position in the corner, I made hard decisions and it kept me from being destroyed by it. In this episode, Im going to go through the methodology that I used to remove debt from my life and become unconstrained.
It is rare, but from time to time I get asked about this phenomenon. It happens in many countries, particularly those that have a more socialized culture and politic, but it is the #1 reason why the individual is constrained and the country's potential is curtailed.
I wanted to share with you how my family does this, because although I've been telling you to run your life like a business for a while, I never explained how to structure it to your advantage - both to handle the impact of income changes, but also to protect yourself against predators.
I discovered a TV series on the Reality TV network called Self Employed, which has the description Entrepreneur Jonathan Morris travels the country to share the inspirational stories and new challenges of small business owners and their journeys to building their dream jobs.. In this episode, Im going to get real with you about small businesses - why they succeed and fail and why a TV series sends a dangerous message to those looking to break free and become unconstrained.
Here's my review, thoughts, musings, etc. about the new HBO TV Documentary series ''The Anarchists'' that just came out. Considering that the Unconstrained share so much in common here with Anarcho-Capitalists, I thought I'd chime in with my perspective on this phenomenon.
Chris Odegard is the guy behind theprolificinvestor.net and the author of the book ''Get off Your A$$ and Manage Your Money: Why You Need Alternative Investments''. On this episode, we are discussing alternative investments including ATM machines and other interesting ideas you may not have had.
Life is complicated. Surely, you cant be expected to manage your own life, right? You deserve the benefits of just showing up where every child wins a prize. And why not? Your central planners have got your back and know what is good for you. These are cynical statements, if you didnt know that already. But in this episode lets just illuminate why putting your faith & trust in counterparties to have your back doesnt work out well particularly when they are the US Federal Reserve.
Being unconstrained has always been about active pursuit of freedom. Freedom from financial obligations, having the right to speak freely, freedom from overt surveillance and privacy, and freedom to travel. Anyone who achieves all of these things is a hero. And on todays episode I am going to introduce you to one of my heroes. A humble regular guy who did, what most people who dont enjoy those freedoms I have explained, what some could call a radical thing and left the country of his birth to find his utopia. You will see how I relate to Jerrys story in so many ways, but more important I think it validates why pursuing a life of being unconstrained is so important to all of us.
Whether you are in your 50s and looking at when you want to pull the trigger & retire, or if you are in your 30s and think you can retire early, you need to hear this episode. Im going to tell you that it isnt rainbows & unicorns out there and most have no plan for how this period of their life will play out.
In this episode, I explore why most new entrants to becoming financially free fail - misunderstanding the basics of humans vs. science, and what is needed to understand and be responsible in betting against the herd to gain wealth.
In this episode I explore the freedom of movement - travel, and how to find wealth in opportunities on our planet. I discuss how having a domestic only view excludes all the gems that exist outside of your homeland and explore the concept of ''You can never be a wise man in your home town''.
The concept of retirement assumes a finite end of work. When one is older, they may not be able to work due to age, but for those capable and younger, the idea of retiring early assumes you are not doing what you love to begin with. In this episode, I react to many that are defending the idea of retiring early in a world of high inflation, low stock market returns, etc. rather than addressing whether the entire strategy is flawed to begin with. And I offer an alternative.
In this episode I will take the long held social position and faith-based retirement planning industry and blow it out of the water - whether it be for someone looking to retire in their 60s or someone looking to retire a lot earlier.
In this unscripted episode, I talk about my own personal experiences since the age of 26 in buying my own home, the numerous homes (and mortgages) I've had, and how I eventually paid off the home mortgage. I talk about the differences between investment property and your principal residence, and how many view this unrealistically.
For the past couple of years, weve been dealing with a biological virus that has turned people into fearful victims, and given tacit permission to evil to prevail in governance. But for far longer than that, weve been dealing with a very different plague the plague of insecurity. In this episode Im going to deep dive this plague, and how this is turning out.
In this episode, I spend the first half talking about how I stumbled into Bitcoin and left the space after getting 1,800x my original investment. In the second half, I talk about what Bitcoin & cryptocurrencies have become and where I see this all heading.
Throughout the western world, we have generations that have been raised on the idea of getting things that they want with other peoples money. Understandable since earning & savings hasnt been wise for a very long time due to low interest returns. But things are about to change, and I fear that western society will be faced with a shocking scenario it is not prepared for. In this episode we will talk about the debt mindset and what you need to do to shake it, and be unconstrained.
I would hope that in todays world, the general rule of thumb is that it is better to invest than to speculate. I think Warren Buffet really underscored this principle, but I see all around me people not understanding the difference and even those that do, seem to follow the herd into the world of speculation when they should be investing. So in this episode, we will deep dive the different approaches to help you become unconstrained.
Over the past 100 years, weve seen the western world go through massive change, but one such change that is rarely discussed is towards an increased focus on the mind. In this episode, I invite you to join me on exploring the concept of the cerebral society a world in which you explore the dimensions of thought, and often at the peril of physical reality.
Imagine if you knew next weeks lottery numbers? Would you have to work in that crappy job and deal with that crappy boss any more? Well demographics give you a long term view of where things are going and for those (like me) that pay attention to them, weve enjoyed not working for a very long time.
The only time Ive paid for an airline ticket or a hotel room in the past 8 years, is when it was literally cheaper to buy it than to use my points. Otherwise Ive traveled the world for free using travel hacking. In this episode, Ill tell you how Ive done it and how you can to.
Much of the chaos that we see surrounding us right now was predicted and fortold. But few took notice. Those that did, already set themselves up for the greatest wealth transfer that will be seen in 100 years. But those that idly sit by watching, are doomed to be victims to it. In this episode, we are going to explain The Fourth Turning, and why this is critical in understanding why things are the way they are right now.
In this episode I will deep dive the opportunities and traps of a species changing the underlying protocol of its existence. Real entrepreneurs know you make money when you solve problems and anytime a major social change is underway, problems unveil themselves and opportunities generate wealth. So if you are interested in finding the diamonds in the rough, this is the episode for you.
If there is one thing I think we unilaterally agree on is that George Orwells 1984 was a brilliant work of fiction that has become a playbook by governments & humanity to enslave us. How we could take a warning like that and turn it into a standard operating procedure just shows how we do things against our best interest. So I decided to try and fight back and built my own De-Googled privacy phone, and took it to Mexico to test it out. Lets find out just how well I did.
I'm doing something different this week - this is the normal ''This Week in Freedom'' podcast that I do for our Patreon supporters. I'm giving you a taste of it - if you like what you hear, please consider becoming a Patron of our efforts over at https://www.beunconstrained.com/patreon and you can have this podcast every week.
I get asked a lot about my experiences in medical tourism. As many of you know, I had major surgery in Guadalajara, Mexico, that saved me about $120K vs. having it in the USA. But it was a massive leap of faith, and if anyone is looking down the barrel at a similar situation, Im hoping what I learned from it might just help you out.
In this out of sequence episode, I'm going deep into the importance of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and why this changes everything. Including the risks to you and your family and western reaction to this situation.
On this episode, I'm joined by Brandon Miller who is an expert in helping people move to Canada. I was surprised to find out that the barriers to entry to Canada that I thought were there change everyday, and Brandon knows of literally 100 different methods that people can use to migrate to Canada if they choose to. Additionally, we talk about Brandon's own experience in living in Asia for many years, what he learned by being an actual nomad himself so that he can completely relate to what his clients want for themselves and their families.
As I record this, Goldman Sachs have stated that they expect the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates 6 times this year. And many speculators are thinking the Fed will try and get to about a 2.5% base interest rate in order to try and reign in inflation. But although we had this only a couple of years ago, this could result in a lot of changes in the economical world that we all live in. In this episode I want to discuss different strategies that you can have to deal with rising interest rates in your own personal finances.
Something noticeable appears to be happening. Countries are starting to get real with COVID, and move from a strategy of containment to a strategy acceptance and learning to live with it. Calls for some countries to accept that past strategies of containment havent worked, and have in fact destroyed individual freedoms, commerce and mental health, are being heard everywhere. No more so than in my home country of Australia. So in this episode I put out the same call for sanity here, and how the future may look for all of us.
Your dollar is not worth as much as you think it is. Thats hard to accept and process. But even though Ive been telling you this for years now, it seems more of us are starting to accept it. The question now is How can I learn to live with inflation, and how can I combat it?
Since the days of George Orwell in the 1940s, we have been warned of a dystopian future a future of Big Brother, lack of personal freedom and individual sovereignty, but it wasnt until about 25 years ago, that the technologies became available that would give Big Brother the weaponry to entrap humanity at scale. As we launch into a new year, I want this episode to remind us all of the perilous descent to enslavement that we find us on, and what you need to do to remain vigilant and unconstrained.
Marc Clair is a leader in the Liberty movement in the USA, having been involved since the early 2000s with Ron Paul and his presidential campaigns, to eventually starting the popular ''Lions of Liberty'' podcast in 2013. Well after almost 9 years, he's still roaring and I was delighted to have him join me on the show to talk Liberty and its relevance to the unconstrained.
As someone who was raised in another country, and came to the USA at the age of 25, I already had the ideology of the country of my birth stamped into my psyche, but I was still at an age where I could carve it into the American experience. But 30 years later, the molding of my past with my American experience has unveiled so many observations that are often unseen by my American friends. So in this episode I wanted to talk about these things, and maybe youll hear something that will be unexpected.
In this first episode of 2022, I'm going to talk about my experience in my early 20s that helped form much of my world view as to the connection between nature, our planet and our economy. I'm going to do a historical look back at events and how things could have turned out so much differently than what we are dealing with today, and what you may need to do for you and your family as a result.
In this annual wrap up for 2021 episode, I look at whether we have progressed to or strayed from being unconstrained in 2021. I review many aspects of freedom - money, thought & expression, travel and health. This episode is full of factual statistics that help you make some real sense of what is going on.
The round peg & the square hole the concept of amassing liquid capital and saving, living frugally, and having a nest egg as some magical method for a life of leisure, quitting the 9-5 workforce and retiring, seems to be the dream sold to all of us by the financial services industry. But it doesnt work in a world of inflation, out of control govt spending and an economy that only survives based on consumption. Yet this is the continual debate on whether this method works, particularly for those in the FIRE community.
Having gone through the adventures of buying rental real estate many decades ago, and now living a free and unconstrained life with no job because of it, I was interested to hear that Im not alone. Today on the show I am joined by Jac k Allweil who, at the age of 32, is well on his way to building his real estate empire, having purchased property creatively and in only 3 years time, he has 12 rental units, with a goal to purchase 100 in 5 years. I think youll enjoy hearing his story.
I told our Patreon subscribers about this, but it is now far enough along that I thought that it was time to share a personal story of a dream project. Partly because I wanted to invite you, the listeners, along on this journey but also because I want to demonstrate the adventures you can have if you are living an unconstrained life.
Following the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland and it seems, particularly in Europe, that the only discussion on the table is about green energy. Look, I get it. We humans are a messy bunch and weve decided to burn sequestered fuel (fossil fuels) rather than take advantage of other energy sources. But are the solutions being discussed really the answer?
Today on the program I have a special treat for you. I have been trying to get Anthony Parent, the co-founder of IRS Medic law firm on the show. Anthony is an expert attorney on tax law, specifically with helping US persons who are either thinking about expatriation, expats, or those that find themselves accidentally falling foul of the US tax system. But what came out in this episode is an inside baseball view of the IRS, what being an attorney for his clients and dealing with the IRS is like, and just how this affects all of us. I think youll find this episode very special.
Often it makes me laugh how the macro economists, government advisors and banking experts pontificate on supply chain disruptions, unemployment rates and other statistical data as they pour over spreadsheets trying to find the reasons why things happen. But the answers are simple for this yet few people are willing to address the truth. Lets talk about this.
When people think about farming they typically think about growing food or animals for consumption. Whereas that is an important part of human survival, to be completely self-sufficient and sustainable in the 21st century, it takes more than that. In this episode Im going to delve into different aspects of farming and how you can do this yourself in the quest to regain control and your freedom back.
I realize that it takes time to build up wealth, but you gotta start somewhere. Although I had years of business experience before I bought my first rental property, none of that experience actually yielded real wealth. It wasnt until I spoke with another business owner I was friends with, and realized he bought his own commercial building that he operated in, that I realized the building was where the money was. Like McDonalds, it wasnt about the burgers. It was about the real estate. That began my start in rental real estate investing, and it worked out pretty good for me.
I was recently talking with a self-proclaimed personal finance coach, about being interviewed on his podcast. He wanted my input on how people who are in debt can deal with it. The interview didnt happen, because he thought my methods were unusual and wouldnt work for his audience. But it got me thinking who is this audience, and why the hell are they in debt in the first place. Then I realized it is 99% of the people in the USA, and it is no wonder they are in that position.
I've been realizing just how statistics dont tell a complete story of the decline of civil liberties, individual freedoms and life quality. For most people who have some memory of the cold war, or are students of 20th century history, it is well accepted that giving up all power and control to the state, in return to get your physical needs met, is a deal with the devil that has continually failed. Yet we seem to have done this without even realizing it. I call this Communism by proxy. Let this episode be a warning about our current world and society.
At some point in all of our lives, we are faced with challenges of being asked to do something we dont agree with. Organizations are notorious to be populated with individuals of differing levels of ethics & morality, and yet the challenge to protest against doing something you believe to be morally wrong is a deeply personal thing. In this episode we will explore how you can mitigate against the risk of having your personal morality challenged with work.
It is somewhat amusing to read through the countless posts on various forums on Facebook on the early retirement movement. I use the term Movement intentionally because this has become more of a cult that follows a fictional future event. That is not to say that the intentions are bad it is that often the endpoint is flawed.
Having spent a career as a software engineer, I encountered a world of problems in hundreds of different industries. I knew nothing about the industries at all, but what I did know was that a method to gather their needs, analyze them, design something to solve their needs and build to that design worked. We call that a methodology. When I looked outside of the engineering space, I found a few implementations of methodologies in particular, business methodologies used in large organizations. I guess I naturally use methodologies without thinking, but it provides a way to codify something repeatable. In this episode Im going to offer you a methodology that I use, that has helped me become and continue to be unconstrained.
In this episode, Im going to address a question I have received numerous times in the past week Is Australia a totalitarian state? It is one of those episodes that I would have preferred not to record, but it is... well... complicated. I hope that people take this information for what it is - Im sure Ill upset some people, and maybe Ill help educate others. But Ill let you be the judge.
What if you decided to take the plunge, quit your job, be unconstrained, buy property in a far away land, and in the process of doing this, you get diagnosed with cancer? Well on todays show Im talking to my friend Ernie Baca, a US expat who lives in San Miguel de Allende, in which exactly this happened. Ernie will tell us how the US medical system failed him, how he took on the battle with cancer in Mexico, and how he won that battle. This is a detailed accounting of the whole ordeal, it will get emotional at times but it is a testimonial to a guy who is a real hero and shows that taking back control of your life is your best path to truly being unconstrained.
In this episode, I continue the ''Unconstrained Bill of Rights'' series to healthcare. Why those that don't have it, are seriously constrained and those that think they have coverage, may be right in line for the worst wake up call of their lives.
We have all been told and encouraged to buy insurance. Insurance for health, your assets like housing, real estate, your car, etc. In many cases, insurance is mandated. If bad things happen, you better have insurance. But it has created a society of irresponsible and ill-prepared citizens who dont have any idea about personal responsibility and are ill equipped to manage their lives. In this episode Im going to deep dive the concept of insurance and the promises & lies we are told about it.
My wife & I completed the long process of obtaining permanent residency VISAs in Mexico last week, so I decided (after receiving a large number of requests on the details) to cover the entire process for anyone that may wish to do the same.NOTE: Most of the information out there on other podcasts or YouTube channels is either wrong, incomplete and doesn't take into consideration the details of the work required INSIDE your home country (ie. USA) before you come to Mexico. This episode is a complete process from start to finish, so I'm hoping it can be used as a reference material for the future.MX attorney: Magdelana Rios Phone: +52-415-153-3497 prolegalsanmiguel.com
For those that have never left their home land, they might have a hard time understanding the importance of the right to travel. But for those that are living under some totalitarian regime, have family in a place you cannot visit, or just feel that the walls are closing in on them and need to get out, this right is mission critical.
We kick off a series called ''The Unconstrained Bill of Rights'' in which I introduce a set of guidelines that those seeking to be unconstrained should follow. In this first installment, we talk about your right to financial freedom, but more so what that actually means - it may not be what you think it is.
Holy cow! 100 episodes already. That went by fast. But although this might be a milestone in our show, I'm not celebrating yet. Because there is so much to do. But in this episode, we'll cover how the show came about, what has happened since episode 1, the ongoing challenges we all face and how we must win this fight for our future.
First, let me say this. I hate the word retirement. I think our social mantra of working for 40 years has turned the act of choosing not to be employed to be misunderstood, and the term retirement has become the end game for those enslaved in employment. I dont see it that way, but I have to use a term that people seem to understand. Regardless of your age, the choice to leave the 9-5 world and become your own person again can be scary and threatening, so in this episode I want to explore the process of leaving the workforce safely.
I honestly believe that to be unconstrained requires you to succeed in three things - finance, health and purpose. Yet the hardest of these three things is to find purpose in your life. I cant tell you the answer to finding your purpose it is a deeply personal journey we must all face, but I can tell you the real costs of not finding it in this episode.
In this episode I am joined by my friend Mike from over at Rethinkingthedollar.com as we discuss how we both came to our conclusions about money, the economy, why things are the way they are and what can be done about it. Enjoy!
We have a lot of arguments in todays society. Arguments over politics, ideology, methodology, etc. But the one thing you cant argue is math. And when math tells you the truth of how to live a rich & unconstrained life, you cant ignore it. Better to understand and embrace it. In this episode I will tell you a very simple formula that will increase your power and reduce your stress by doing what the rich know stop spending money you dont have.
For many years, Ive been seeking out the right balance of financial investments that support an unconstrained lifestyle. Something that keeps things in order, and doesnt become a burden to those seeking to achieve or maintain financial sustainability. I think I have it. I want to share what Im doing with you.
In this special podcast episode, Im recording this from the rooftop of a condo in the beautiful town of San Miguel de Allende, in the heart of Mexico. I came here to explore life outside of the United States, and why so many expats come here, what they find and whether this is a solution to the growing problems in the western world. Today I want to discuss whether staying in the USA is sustainable in the long term and whether coming to a place like this might be worth your consideration.
In this episode, I sit down with my accountant, Scott Rulon, and we discuss the viability of what is called ''Infinite Banking Concept'' (IBC) and whether it is a solution to regaining control of your money by allowing you to be your own bank.
There are so many resources available that explain techniques you can adopt that respect your privacy, however few put in context why this is a mandatory requirement of the unconstrained, and why you MUST begin to change your habits and take back your right to privacy. In this episode we will explore privacy as a factor of being unconstrained and financially free.
Recently I've been seeing the direct contrast of how we live our lives to be unconstrained and our friends who dont. In this episode I want to explore mindset. It is one thing to WANT to be unconstrained, but an entirely different thing to give yourself PERMISSION to do it. And that seems to be the #1 obstacle that most of my friends have.
The fallacy of The one with the most toys, wins is one of the worst betrayals to be executed on the human being. We are constantly challenged by social mantra to spend more, support the economy, buy that boat or that ATV, get a better car, etc. Yet we all know that this only leads to depression, hurt and a loss of hope. In this episode I want to explore the psychology of consumption and how the small actions of saying No are the secret of having much, much more in life.
In this episode I talk with writer, philosopher & cryptographer Paul Rosenberg about the current state of the western world, history of the fall of empires and how a common theme in most was the existence of parallel societies that often thrived as a result of the collapse of the empire in which they lived. Let's see if we can draw some parallels and advantages to our lives by looking to the recent past.
Theres a fine line between wholesale embracement of a failing system, and the extreme decision to escape it. Much like mainstream thinking vs. conspiracy, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. In this (and the next few episodes) Im going to talk about trying to find balance between two systems the current Western banker backed economic system, and what could become a new and somewhat better system for us all.
In a world of bankers who wish to enslave you from the ripe old age of 18 until the day you die, theres a time when we have to say enough is enough. On this episode I sit down with Garrett Charity, attorney at McCarthy Lawyers and we learn the inside baseball of debt negotiation and elimination, and talk about how his firm reduces or even eliminates student loan and credit card debt for their clients.
At whatever stage one is at in ones life, knowing that we all have an expiration date is a constant consideration in all things that we do. Yet few of us actually see the forest for the trees in our lives, and our planning is often done reluctantly rather than strategically. In this episode Im going to attempt lay out the facts of life expectancy and how the current planning of the financial services industry & government policy needs a serious amount of rework.
We live in a time where out of control government spending and tax policy reminds me of growing up in business in the 1980s in Australia when taxes were mega high, interest rates over 20% for a home mortgage and we learned to build a quality life while being poor. Today is much the same, yet we are not seeing things for what they are and we all fall victim to that mistake. In this episode I will explain the social & financial climate we live in, the massive risks and how you can get out of the blast zone of high inflation, high taxation and be unconstrained.
A technique I have used for years that has helped me become unconstrained is to compartmentalize my expenses. In this episode I will explain what this means, how to use it to your advantage and the organic ripple effect it has to becoming financially sustainable and unconstrained.
We all go through transitions during our lives. Whether it is going to college for the first time (either as a student or as the parents of the student), moving out of the house into our first place, moving due to a job, a job loss, marriage, divorce, economic hardship or economic wins, leaving employment, self-employment, retirement, financially free. It is all about transitions. In this episode I want to talk about how to cope through transitions and what often are the side effects and underlying issues at stake.
Recently I was being interviewed on another podcast where the question came up, ''Myles, what do you think was your biggest failure?''. After contemplation, I've come up with the true answer, what it was, how to fix it, what I did and how to avoid it in the future.
Gary Collins from thesimplelifenow.com joins me on this episode as we talk about how we can all live a better and more simple life by following his principles of the ''3 legged stool'' of success. Gary's story is amazing and I hope you enjoy his wisdom on this episode.
When Forbes magazine state that 78% of United States workers are living Pay check to pay check, it should be a wake up call to all of us. What we are doing with our lives and our finances isnt working. Yet the vast majority blindly go back to the regular 9-5, celebrating that they have employment. On todays show Im going to show you just how much money you are probably losing having a job, and maybe it should be a time to rethink what we consider a normal path to success in the 21st century.
After spending a career building computer systems in software for organizations all over the globe, and being one of the very early career Systems Analysts, I know a thing or two about systems. But what the world has turned into today is a far cry from the mission of the systems I built back in the early days. In this episode I want to explore when systems, automation, AI, robotics, etc. goes horribly wrong, and how it can hurt rather than helps humanity and what you can do to be unconstrained by them.
Words matter. I hear that a lot. But few people realize that removing words from our conversations matter as well. And one term that I think has run its course is middle class. In this episode I want to explore what the middle class is, its hey day, its demise and why it is an impediment to anyone looking to live an unconstrained lifestyle. But also what you should be focusing on to thrive in the future.
This is an inspirational episode. I recently had the opportunity to sit down and interview Rachel Richards. At the age of 27, she became financially free after leaving a short lived career in the financial services industry. Her methodology focuses on cashflow generation and smart income, rather than saving millions and investing. She would have told her clients in the financial advisory industry she was in this, but she was not allowed to. So she left, did it herself and now is a best selling author on her story.If you ever thought you were too young or too old to find financial freedom, Rachel's story will prove you wrong.
This week no less than 5 people have called me and asked this question... ''Myles, should I buy Bitcoin?''. Well as someone who bought BTC back in 2011 and held it, it has been very good to me. In this episode I'm going to unravel (for the newbies), what Bitcoin and crypto-currency is, why it is important, but also whether I would buy it today.
In 2020, I started to hear rumors of an upcoming movie about those that choose to live in Vans & RVs in America. I thought it was some documentary. Well I recently had the opportunity to watch Nomadland - the very same movie, after finding out that it had won or been nominated for so many awards, and in this episode Im going to give you both my review, but also how important seeing this movie is, if you want to do all you can to protect your future and your freedom.
In 2020, we saw an unprecedented number of small businesses closing down due to COVID19. As a contrarian, I have to admit that this is an opportunity for those willing to fill that void. And as more of us have had to work from home, shelter in place, etc., more of us have had more time to think freely and with that we probably came up with some brilliant idea that will change the world. So if you are brave enough to want to go once more unto the breach and start a business, Im going to give you my advice having done that a few times in my life.
Today on the show Im joined by Stewart Patton, attorney at law and the guy behind ustax.bz. Stewart is an expert in the world of internationalization, specifically taxation & compliance for US persons. He gave us an hour of his time to do a deep dive on the advantages and obligations that comes with having an international life, from work, residencies, and how (if you do it right), you can minimize your taxes and have all the nomadic experiences all over the world.
This episode is a great summation as to why you probably lack hope for the future. But rather than dwelling on the negative, Im going to lay out the Why and What you can do to change it. This is an important episode to reset our thinking about our freedom & money in the western world.
About this time of year, you are going to hear a lot of New Years Resolutions and many waxing philosophically about the coming year. In this episode, Im going to discuss the various common New Years Resolutions out there, and why they are all going to fail you. But Ill also tell you what you can actually do to succeed in your future as well.
I prefer not to do these ''Year in Review'' episodes, but 2020 was a unique chance to test the philosophy of Financial Sustainability against a pandemic. I mean it has been 100 years since the last pandemic, so by putting this together I hope it codifies why Financial Sustainability is probably the most valuable thing that anyone could use to get through a SHTF year such as 2020.
The definition of rich differs from one person to the next, but I think that whatever your definition, we can all agree that the quest to obtain wealth is worthy. Anyone who tells you anything to the contrary isnt doing you a service. In this episode I want to explore the concept of rich and break down some false assumptions that people have to help you break free of the shackles of western society and find your path to freedom.
The first time I ever went to Mexico was in 2007. A friend of mine from India suggested it. It was probably some of the best advice I ever received. Since then I have spent a considerable amount of my time in Mexico, and have seen it evolve over that almost 14 year period. But today geopolitics and world affairs now has it poised for exponential growth, and in this episode I will explain how you can take part in it, if you choose to.
It is rare to have a conversation with someone who is uniquely positioned to be an adjunct professor in a university and also a business leader in the private sector - someone who can describe the path that students actually find when coming out of college and looking for a career. Eric Stoddard, one of our Patreon community members, joins me to deep dive the misinformation about tertiary education, career guidance and planning and how what we are doing just isn't working for both the student and also the employers.
If you believe that you are being lied to by the government, Federal Reserve, etc. and that the real cost of living increases you are seeing everyday at the supermarket, your rent, your health insurance premiums, etc. is going WAY up faster than the supposed target inflation rate, then you will want to hear this episode. We unveil the truth as to how you could be losing half of your entire wealth to the devaluation of the $USD in 5-10 years and if that doesn't force you to rethink your retire early strategies, I don't know what will.
This is an important episode. I lay out the ground work for how anyone can set or change their trajectory towards success, by detaching from the herd and facing their own obstacles - their own fear. I get into the weeds of how fear rules our lives and not to our benefit, and how those that have overcome fear are more likely able to get through any adversary than those living in the groupthink of the masses. You need to hear this episode - start to finish, and I would encourage you to share it around to your kids, friends, family members and work mates.
In this episode, we talk about the Federal Reserve in the USA, the government and how the system is truly rigged against you. I cover the systemic risk of banking collapse and how a short, sharp, shock event would be a far better outcome than the current long, slow decay of your future and buying power. But as in all things, there is light at the end of the tunnel.....
I recorded this interview back in August with George Gammon, when he was in Puerto Rico, and I really enjoyed it. You will have the chance to get to know the man who is a legend on YouTube for his Financial Education videos, and his Rebel Capitalist podcast. George is a true free market capitalist and explains just how he made it, what it took and what he does these days.
This question came up recently in a chat I was having with one of our Patreon supporters. It spoke loudly on the importance of understanding exactly what an Asset is, and how you should consider balancing your portfolio of true Assets and not fictional assets as you might have been told in the past.
We rely on technology more and more, and yet it is one of those most expensive and shortest lifetime investments we can make. In this episode, Im going to explain how you can save mega-bucks by changing how you think about technology, and specifically how you can use the Linux operating system and open source software to get advantages most never see. And I promise I wont get technical and geeky either.
The enemy to owning and deploying assets to generate rent or dividend yield is the eventual destruction of the asset itself. Per the second law of thermodynamics (Entropy) eventually everything turns to dust. Having a solid strategy for handling long term asset management is critical to Smart Income. In this episode, Myles gives you all the details on how to think about entropy in regards to your assets.
There are many thought leaders in the world that I respect, but rarely do we get the chance to sit down with them and seek their wisdom on topics that they rarely talk about. Well in today's show, we break that norm as I sit down with Lynette Zang, Chief Market Analyst at ITM Trading, and we talk a little about money, but a lot about life and her wisdom for living a rich one.
If you haven't heard of DeFi yet, you will. This is the next leap forward in Fintech and extends on the brilliance of Bitcoin & Crypto currency. Whereas Bitcoin reinvented the concept of money back in 2009, DeFi reinvents the concept of Financial Services.In this episode I will show you how to generate Smart income using DeFi, giving you the double whammy of capital appreciation and cashflow dividends using crypto currency investing.
I'm releasing this out of sequence - this is a quick episode I put together after fuming over the recent New York Times release of Trump's tax returns. But this is more about out of control government spending, Federal Reserve money printing to infinity, and how all of this together represents ''taxes''. I'll give you my actual position in regards to Trump - it isn't positive, BTW. But I'll also give you my position in regards to government policies on unbridled spending and why you are being kept constrained because of it.
In this episode, I sit down with my friend Joshua Sheats of the Radical Personal Finance podcast, and we talk about life, the universe & everything. I pose the question, ''If you received $1 million dollars, what would you do with it?''. You might be surprised by his answer.
Myles gives you a ton of information in this episode from his 20+ years of experience in successful landlording. Rental real estate is a key part of any smart income portfolio and it is hard to be financially sustainable without it. Know the tricks of the professionals which are laid out here for you to digest. Whether you are a landlord, thinking of becoming one, or just wanting to know what life looks like as a landlord, this show is for you.
In this episode I get down into the weeds of why people can't find peace in the western world, what it takes to break free of the hypnosis and find your inner success. I will tell you exactly what the problem is, and it prepares us to embark on a future journey of discovery of where the opportunities lay and how we can uncover them.
This is one of those ''if I could talk to my 20 year old self'' episodes, but this cuts to the very core of how NOT to end up constrained, burdened and without your freedoms. I would encourage anyone who is in their 20s or parents that have kids in their teenage years or 20s to take a listen. It isn't a hard listen - I'm not going to lecture anyone. I'm just going to explain to you how it is - how the world will be for you, and what you can do early on to protect yourself from your potential future.
In this week's episode, I'm going to talk about the Bitclub Network. This was one of the many scams that hit the Bitcoin community back in around 2015 and how it took what I believe to be a very good business model, a cooperation based system and ability to pool resources to mine and help keep the Bitcoin protocol safe, and turned that into a MLM scam, and now three of the four founders are in jail in New Jersey, and the fourth one was scooped up on an Interpol warrant in Indonesia.
In this episode, I acknowledge that when I explain my position regarding kids going to college, 4 out of 5 people immediately disagree. I then explain that once I have given the full argument for my position, the number drops to 1 or 2 out of 5. Therefore I think the problem might be the messaging, so in this episode I go into detail about what I think students (and parents) should consider before making the assumption that their kid has to go to college, and all the peripheral issues associated.
In this episode we are introducing our new sister podcast, ''This week in Freedom''. This will only be available to our Patreon supporters, but here's a free episode to give you a taste of the quality and timeliness of this information.
Yes, it is true. You don't have to earn some six figure salary to generate wealth and become financially sustainable. In our 50th episode, I will show you how it is done. I did it, and when I did it the interest rates were nowhere near as low as they are now. So what's your excuse?
In this episode we talk about inflation and how those that are not keeping an eye on the looming threat could become a victim to it. Inflation is a cancer that erodes wealth in its path and the government numbers that are used to calculate base interest rates are just plain wrong. We will look at alternative inflation calculations that are more consistent with your normal experiences of shopping for groceries, fuel, health insurance, etc. and why you need to factor in these numbers in your projection calculations.
This is the final episode in this mini-series ''Get out of Dodge''. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Jonathan Lockwood and we talk about his journey out of the USA and into San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Jonathan's journey involves leaving his religion and the turmoil that came with that, effectively driving him out of his home country in search of finding his truth.
The legendary Nomad Capitalist, Andrew Henderson, joins Myles on this episode to talk about going where you are treated best. Andrew tells his story, and why he decided to expatriate from the USA, along with renouncing his US Citizenship, what that was like, how it worked out and if he has any regrets. We discuss how you can move either your physical self overseas, or your financial wealth, or both. The choice is yours but having an expert to discuss strategies is an incredible opportunity, so sit down, lean in and start to learn with Andrew Henderson.
We continue our journey down the path of expatriation, finding opportunities outside of your native land and looking at those who have done it. In this episode, Myles talks with his friend James Guzman from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico on his journey, why he chose to leave the USA in search of his future outside and what he discovered almost 10 years later. Enjoy!
Author Travis Luther has just released a new book ''The Fun side of the Wall'' and it is all about those that wish to retire in Mexico. In this episode, I do a deep dive with Travis as we talk about the reasons that people do this, what they go in search for, what they find and whether they stay. Enjoy!
This is my first ''fireside chat'' with Mikkel Thorup on the subject of internationalization, expatriation, living a free life and escaping the clutches of western society. Mikkel is the best selling author of ''Expat Secrets'' available on Amazon, the host of the popular ''Expat Money Show'' and the guy behind the recent Offshore Escape summit.In this episode we sit down and talk about Mikkel's amazing story, how he has traveled to over 100 countries and spent the past 20 years living and traveling the world, thriving and raising his family along the way.
I am introducing a series of five (5) interviews on how to prepare your life and your finances for internationalization. Being able to have a ''bug out'' strategy should the USA go through a possible financial collapse, social uprising, civil war or other potential catastrophic situation is critical in 2020. We will be describing how other countries have been down this road before, and introduce our upcoming interviews with thought leaders in this space.
The one rule that I think everyone agrees to - whether you are Suzie Orman or a FIRE advocate, is that you CANNOT retire with any debt. When we use the term debt we are referring to personal debt - Im not talking about holding debt for income producing assets like real estate. But with this generally accepted rule, why is it that everyone is being hypnotized to think of debt as a currency?
I've questioned this for all of my working life. What drives us to work? What is the real reason why we do what we do? And in this episode not only do I explore why, but I also explain the dangers of not working, how retirees run the risk of psychological issues, depression regardless of when they retire and what must be understood in order to successfully transition from wage slave to financially independent and survive mentally.
This is an out of cycle podcast recorded June 1st 2020. In this episode I cover the recent riots, martial law, lock downs and all things that threaten your freedom and being unconstrained.
Last year, I had a total shoulder replacement surgery done in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was a major success. I was quoted $125,000 for the surgery in the USA, and got it done for a total cost of $9,000 in Mexico.On this episode, I am interviewed on the Evan Brand podcast on the whole experience. Evan is a medical practitioner and wanted to know about the whole experience. Enjoy.
Since many companies have decided to either close entirely or cut back as a result of the pandemic, those that have been on the path to FIRE are looking at whether they should exit work now, often earlier than planned, since the economic outlook is bleak.I'm going to give you my take on this and my suggestions. We'll do a deep dive on the economy and what the real decisions have to be in this episode.
In this final episode in the Frugal Millionaire mini-series we cover how to be healthy and extend your life without destroying your finances.
In this episode Myles covers how to save a ton of money with technology, but more importantly how to avoid being shackled by it. We discuss costs, obsolescence and most important, your privacy & freedom.
Cars are the most expensive technological purchase that most of us will make. Yet saving money with them seems to be something we fail at more than succeed. In this episode we will revisit general best practices at frugal car ownership and you might be surprised at the recommendations.
We continue on with the theme of frugality. In this episode, I dig into home costs and how I have reduced them way down. These techniques may seem atypical for many, but the results are outstanding.
This is the first in a small series I've been wanting to do on the podcast for a while. I thought it was timely since people are living in a world where they are losing their jobs, reduced income, small business closures, etc. and the natural path is to find ways to get by with less. This typically means cutting expenses. However the reality for the unconstrained is that frugality is just a way of life, so they are the best prepared for the ups and downs of the economy.
In this episode I revisit why the quest to be unconstrained matters more during times of instability and crisis, and how mental clarity is the only hope of keeping you on the right path towards your freedom. Although we are in very interesting times, this is when those that can see what is going on with clarity are able to find the opportunities before others.
One major part of my Smart Income stream is rental real estate. Although it is not all of our income, it represents at least 50% of it, so when all of my tenants were forced to Shelter in Place and a large percentage lost their jobs, it brought back memories of 2008. Let me explain the strategies that we are doing so that it might help you determine yours.
Those with clarity of mind will see opportunities when all others see disaster. So how do you find mental peace and get that clarity? Simple. Get through the grief process faster than everyone else.
As we navigate through these uncertain times, we take the opportunity to test the methods of Financial Sustainability against crisis and show it to be the best strategy to secure your future and your wealth going forward.
This is a impromptu show that i recorded to get timely information out as people are grappling with the effects of a pandemic and the facts that the mainstream media probably are not telling you.
On today's show I am joined by the legendary economic analyst Lynette Zang on the big picture of why things are how they are, where they are going and what is likely to be the best investment and security option for the future.
Decentralization is the key to survival both from a human population perspective, but also and probably more importantly from a financial perspective. In this episode we talk about why decentralization is critical, we celebrate crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin and how decentralization survives the greatest human challenges.
On this weeks episode, I speak with Will - a journeyman on the mission to financial sustainability. Will is far further ahead on this journey than most, having already begun his acquisition of rental properties and already proven the power of smart income when faced with work interruptions. However like all journeys, he needs to optimization and improvement so we deep dive with him on how he can meet his goals and objectives faster.
Ive heard for many years about the end of the boom times. This is nothing more than natural cycles in the universe coming into balance. So yeh, I agree. But when you artificially inflate a stock market to record highs for so long, the fall is coming from much higher points and you can imagine how that will feel for those falling off that cliff. Best you be prepared for this, so well go into details on what you can do now to avoid destruction now and find opportunities.
Brian has an interesting story. He works in the financial services industry, has a regular 9-5 job, has a great family, etc. The perfect representation of Americana and middle class success. But he lacks hope and wants to be unconstrained. Are you Brian too? Take a listen and find out.
In this episode, Im going to take you on a little journey with me as you watch how a contrarian sees the future, and acts in order to position for what could be the best ride of the 21st century so far. Strap in and enjoy the ride.
This is the first recorded listener interview in which Myles sits down with listener Alex and talks about his journey and challenges to be unconstrained. We hope you enjoy hearing his tale and how he has committed to the unconstrained journey.
I speak to a lot of people who are trying to attain financial independence and the reasoning goes something like this - I dont like my job, so I want to make a lot of money, save it and quit.. I also speak to those that have done that, and they are not necessarily happy either. Lets put this all into perspective, and talk about Why we do this.
I was recently asked by a listener who is in his 20s, what my life looked like back then, and what did I do in my career, and what I learned from it. Let me venture down my memory lane, tell you what I learned and you might get to know me a bit better by the end of this episode. Strange thing is that I think I know myself better from recording this now.
It has taken me decades of mistakes to come to the realization of all the time wasting business endeavors that Ive pursued and how stupid they were. Not because they didnt make money, but because they became an albatross around my neck due to misunderstanding the entire point of Smart Income. In this episode Im going to tell you the secrets, so you can avoid my mistakes and fast track yourself to financial freedom.
We've been programmed into thinking about saving for retirement like it is a ceremonial event throughout our working lives, and that if we dont do this we are doomed to live on the street, in a cardboard box, or die early. Im going to dispel some of these myths and explain some alternative thinking you might want to entertain in this episode.
When I speak with people that are working a 9-5 job, investing in their 401K, etc. they ask me why they are not getting ahead. It is hard to tell them this, but Ill tell you - it is because they are not taking any responsibility for their lives and deferred it to a third party. The unconstrained know the buck stops on their desks so lets have a chat about responsibility.
There is no progress without risk. Investment returns are tied to risk. You get up in the morning and live your life - thats a risk. There are risks everywhere. The key is knowing your tolerance for risk, how to manage and live with them, and seek out enormous returns with proper risk management.
The traditional thinking of Financial Independence is to amass a large amount of cash by savings, then invest it at interest rates that return more than a draw rate, and eventually you can retire. In this episode we are going to burst that bubble by focusing on the falacies of this approach and how Financial Sustainability offers a contrarian position that you might want to entertain.
This episode shines a light on the choice of going to college. Parents and students are trying to make the right decisions for this important choice. I am going to give you some ideas you may not be yet considering... The Red Pill approach.
I am 100% financially sustainable because of my rental real estate investments. But it didnt start out that easily, so Im going to share what worked and what didnt work in my real estate portfolio and how, once you discover what works for you, you can scale it to the moon and live 100% financially independent and sustainable.
History teaches us that the path to immense wealth involves punting on the future. Today Im going to focus on what I see as innevitable changes coming to the world in the next five or ten year horizon, how this impacts those pursing financial independence and early retirement and how that may underscore the importance of being unconstrained.
After a recent discussion with someone on Twitter, I tried to explain how simple it is to achieve financial sustainability. All I received back after offering this information were excuses... But I cant do that? or How can I get enough money to make a downpayment on a rental property?. It seemed that every answer to how to live unconstrained was rebutted with a perception on why that person couldnt do it. I was confused. I didnt understand how to every solution offered, the recipient countered with some reason why they couldnt do it. Then I realized why... They dont have the mindset for this yet.
I've seen with my own eyes how Australia sold itself out to China and may as well now be a province of Beijing. But this happens at the ground floor with individual decisions so lets expose some of the danger here and what you can do to avoid becoming constrained by yet another rising empire regardless of where you live on this planet.
Spoiler Alert: I dont know the answer to this question. But in my quest to understand it, and the art of using it to acquire what we need, Ive discovered many stories and hacks along the way. In this episode Im going to tell a few of them, including an overview of my adventures with Bitcoin.
What is the #1 thing that new retirees do? Travel. By reclaiming their right to their time, travel becomes the best use of it. But if you consider yourself to be a free spirit and a citizen of the planet, you will already know that travel comes with huge benefits and many are not obvious until you get out there and see the world. Lets talk about why internationalization and travel are critical activities for the unconstrained.
On this episode we discuss the methods of protecting yourself, your assets and your businesses in the 21st century, and how most of the time you are your own worst enemy when it comes to asset protection.
On this episode we delve into the dysfunction and constraints of the US healthcare system and how I recently got better outcomes for 1/10th of the cost, by having major surgery in a foreign country.
In this episode we will talk about how to make your income with Smart money, how to focus your brain and habits to find opportunities that no one else finds, and Ill give you a real world example one investment strategy, not the only one, but one that has worked for me before.
In this episode we look at the first stage in setting up a life for financial sustainability - getting your expenses under control and your BURN RATE.BURN RATE is critical to having the flexibility to move towards a life based on passive income generation (or financial sustainability as we call it) and we show you the truth behind the concept that $1 saved = $3 earned.
We discuss the secret to living an unconstrained life by disclosing the secret of how one must use Financial Sustainability and focus on their burn rate. We introduce the math of the process and how the current FIRE followers are basing their efforts on a flawed paradigm.
This is the philosophy of Financial Sustainability. In this first FS episode, we talk about the concepts and methodologies of FS, introducing the concept of how capitalism works and the expectations it has for any participant. We explain about accounting and record keeping, so give you the tools you will need to measure and optimize your finances to keep you unconstrained.
Introducing the Unconstrained Podcast and the concept of being unconstrained through the art of Financial Sustainability.Similar to the concept of Financial Independence and the FIRE movement, being unconstrained focuses on the mistakes of most people in the 21st century that results in a life of debt, enslavement and lack of freedom. We provide solutions to these problems, so spend some time with us to find out more about how to be truly unconstrained
PART IV.THE WAR ADVANCES NORTHWARD.VI. The Second Battle of Manassas Lee's order of battle for the coming action was peculiar. It resembled an open V, with the opening toward the enemy--Jackson's corps forming the left wing, and extending from near Sudley, to a point in rear of the small village of Groveton, Longstreet's corps forming the right wing, and reaching from Jackson's right to and beyond the Warrenton road which runs to Stonebridge.The field of battle was nearly identical with that of July 21, 1861. The only difference was, that the Confederates occupied the ground formerly held by the Federal troops, and that the latter attacked, as Johnston and Beauregard had attacked, from the direction of Manassas, and the tableland around the well-known Henry House.The Southern order of battle seems to have contemplated a movement on one or both of General Pope's flanks while he attacked in front. An assault on either wing would expose him to danger from the other, and it will be seen that the fate of the battle was decided by this judicious arrangement of the Confederate commander.The action began a little after noon, when the Federal right, consisting of the troops of Generals Banks, Sigel, and others, advanced and made a vigorous attack on Jackson's left, under A.P. Hill. An obstinate conflict ensued, the opposing lines fighting almost bayonet to bayonet, ''delivering their volleys into each other at the distance of ten paces.'' At the first charge, an interval between two of Hill's brigades was penetrated by the enemy, and that wing of Jackson's corps was in great danger of being driven back. This disaster was, however, prevented by the prompt stand made by two or three regiments the enemy was checked, and a prompt counter-charge drove the Federal assaulting columns back into the woods.The attempt to break Jackson's line at this point was not, however, abandoned. The Federal troops returned again and again to the encounter, and General Hill reported ''six separate and distinct assaults'' made upon him. They were all repulsed, in which important assistance was rendered by General Early. That brave officer attacked with vigor, and, aided by the fire of the Confederate artillery from the elevated ground in Jackson's rear, drove the enemy before him with such slaughter that one of their regiments is said to have carried back but three men.This assault of the enemy had been of so determined a character, that General Lee, in order to relieve his left, had directed Hood and Evans, near his centre, to advance and attack the left of the assaulting column. Hood was about to do so, when he found a heavy force advancing to charge his own line. A warm engagement followed, which resulted in the repulse of the enemy, and Hood followed them a considerable distance, inflicting heavy loss.It was now nearly nine o'clock at night, and the darkness rendered further operations impossible. The troops which had driven the enemy were recalled from their advanced position, the Southern line was reformed on the same ground occupied at the commencement of the action, and General Lee prepared for the more decisive struggle of the next day.Morning came (August 30th), but all the forenoon passed without a resumption of the battle. Each of the adversaries seemed to await some movement on the part of the other, and the Federal commander made heavy feints against both the Confederate right and left, with the view of discovering some weak point, or of inducing Lee to lay himself open to attack. These movements had, however, no effect. Lee remained obstinately in his strong position, rightly estimating the advantage it gave him, and no doubt taking into consideration the want of supplies General Pope must labor under, a deficiency which rendered a prompt assault on his part indispensable. The armies thus remained in face of each other, without serious efforts upon either side, until nearly or quite the hour of three in the afternoon.General Pope then resumed the assault on Lee's left, under Jackson, with his best troops. The charge was furious, and a bloody struggle ensued but Jackson succeeded in repulsing the force. It fell back in disorder, but was succeeded by a second and a third line, which rushed forward at the ''double-quick,'' in a desperate attempt to break the Southern line. These new attacks were met with greater obstinacy than at first, and, just as the opponents had closed in, a heavy fire was directed against the Federal column by Colonel S.D. Lee, commanding the artillery at Lee's centre. This fire, which was of the most rapid and destructive character, struck the enemy in front and flank at once, and seemed to sweep back the charging brigades as they came. The fire of the cannon was then redoubled, and Jackson's line advanced with cheers. Before this charge, the Federal line broke, and Jackson pressed forward, allowing them no respite.General Lee then threw forward Longstree
PART IV.THE WAR ADVANCES NORTHWARD.V. Lee follows The contest of generalship had now fully begun, and the brain of General Lee was matched against the brain of General Pope. It is no part of the design of the writer of this volume to exalt unduly the reputation of Lee, and detract from the credit due his adversaries. Justice has been sought to be done to General McClellan the same measure of justice will be dealt out to his successors on the Federal side nor is it calculated to elevate the fame of Lee, to show that his opponents were incapable and inefficient. Of General Pope, however, it must be said that he suffered himself to be outgeneralled in every particular and the pithy comment of General Lee, that he ''did not appear to be aware of his situation,'' sums up the whole subject.It is beyond our purpose to enter upon any thing resembling a detailed narrative of the confused and complicated movements of the various corps of the army under General Pope. These have been the subject of the severest criticism by his own followers. We shall simply notice the naked events. Jackson reached Manassas on the night of August 26th, took it, and on the next day destroyed the great depot. General Pope was hastening to protect it, but was delayed by Ewell at Bristoe, and a force sent up from Washington, under the brave General Taylor, was driven off with loss. Then, having achieved his aim, Jackson fell back toward Sudley.If the reader will look at the map, he will now understand the exact condition of affairs. Jackson had burned the Federal depot of supplies, and retired before the great force hastening to rescue them. He had with him about twenty thousand men, and General Pope's force was probably triple that number. Thus, the point was to hold General Pope at arm's-length until the arrival of Lee and, to accomplish this great end, Jackson fell back beyond Groveton. There he formed line of battle, and waited.It is obvious that, under these circumstances, the true policy of General Pope was to obstruct Thoroughfare Gap, the only road by which Lee could approach promptly, and then crush Jackson. On the night of the 27th, General McDowell was accordingly sent thither with forty thousand men but General Pope ordered him, on the next morning, to Manassas, where he hoped to ''bag the whole crowd,'' he said--that is to say, the force under Jackson. This was the fatal mistake made by General Pope. Thoroughfare Gap was comparatively undefended. While General Pope was marching to attack Jackson, who had disappeared, it was the next thing to a certainty that General Lee would attack _him_.All parties were thus moving to and fro but the Confederates enjoyed the very great advantage over General Pope of knowing precisely how affairs stood, and of having determined upon their own plan of operations. Jackson, with his back to the mountain, was waiting for Lee. Lee was approaching rapidly, to unite the two halves of his army. General Pope, meanwhile, was marching and countermarching, apparently ignorant of the whereabouts of Jackson,[1]General Lee, in personal command of Longstreet's corps, reached the western end of Thoroughfare Gap about sunset, on the 28th, and the sound of artillery from the direction of Groveton indicated that Jackson and General Pope had come in collision. Jackson had himself brought on this engagement by attacking the flank of one of General Pope's various columns, as it marched across his front, over the Warrenton road, and this was the origin of the sound wafted to General Lee's ears as he came in sight of Thoroughfare. It was certainly calculated to excite his nerves if they were capable of being excited. Jackson was evidently engaged, and the disproportion between his forces and those of General Pope rendered such an engagement extremely critical. Lee accordingly pressed forward, reached the Gap, and the advance force suddenly halted: the Gap was defended. The Federal force posted here, at the eastern opening of the Gap, was small, and wholly inadequate for the purpose but this was as yet unknown to General Lee. His anxiety under these circumstances must have been great. Jackson might be crushed before his arrival. He rode up to the summit of the commanding hill which rises just west of the Gap, and dismounting directed his field-glass toward the shaggy defile in front.[Footnote 1: ''Not knowing at the time where was the enemy.''--_General Porter_.] and undecided what course to pursue.[Illustration: Lee Reconnoitring at Throughfare Gap.]The writer of these pages chanced to be near the Confederate commander at this moment, and was vividly impressed by the air of unmoved calmness which marked his countenance and demeanor. Nothing in the expression of his face, and no hurried movement, indicated excitement or anxiety. Here, as on many other occasions, Lee impressed the writer as an individual gifted with the most surprising faculty of remaining cool and unaffected in
PART IV.THE WAR ADVANCES NORTHWARD.IV. Jackson flanks General Pope It was thus necessary to act with decision, and General Lee resolved upon a movement apparently of the most reckless character. This was to separate his army into two parts, and, while one remained confronting the enemy on the Rappahannock, send the other by a long circuit to fall on the Federal rear near Manassas. This plan of action was opposed to the first rule of the military art, that a general should never divide his force in the face of an enemy. That Lee ventured to do so on this occasion can only be explained on one hypothesis, that he did not highly esteem the military ability of his opponent. These flank attacks undoubtedly, however, possessed a great attraction for him, as they did for Jackson, and, in preferring such movement, Lee was probably actuated both by the character of the troops on both sides and by the nature of the country. The men of both armies were comparatively raw levies, highly susceptible to the influence of ''surprise,'' and the appearance of an enemy on their flanks, or in their rear, was calculated to throw them into disorder. The wooded character of the theatre of war generally rendered such movements practicable, and all that was requisite was a certain amount of daring in the commander who was called upon to decide upon them. This daring Lee repeatedly exhibited, and the uniform success of the movements indicates his sound generalship.To command the force which was now to go on the perilous errand of striking General Pope's rear, General Lee selected Jackson, who had exhibited such promptness and decision in the campaigns of the Valley of Virginia. Rapidity of movement was necessary above all things, and, if any one could be relied upon for that, it was the now famous Stonewall Jackson. To him the operation was accordingly intrusted, and his corps was at once put in motion. Crossing the Rappahannock at an almost forgotten ford, high up and out of view of the Federal right, Jackson pushed forward day and night toward Manassas, reached Thoroughfare Gap, in the Bull Run Mountain, west of that place, passed through, and completely destroyed the great mass of supplies in the Federal depot at Manassas. The whole movement had been made with such rapidity, and General Stuart, commanding the cavalry, had so thoroughly guarded the flank of the advancing column from observation, that Manassas was a mass of smoking ruins almost before General Pope was aware of the real danger. Intelligence soon reached him, however, of the magnitude of the blow aimed by Lee, and, hastily breaking up his camps on the Rappahannock, he hurried to attack the force assailing his communications.The first part of General Lee's plan had thus fully succeeded. General Pope, who had occupied every ford of the Rappahannock, so as to render the passage difficult, if not impossible, had disappeared suddenly, to go and attack the enemy in his rear. General Lee promptly moved in his turn, with the great corps under Longstreet, and pushed toward Manassas, over nearly the same road followed by Jackson.
PART IV.THE WAR ADVANCES NORTHWARD.III. Lee advances from the Rapidan General Lee, it will thus be seen, had proceeded in his military manoeuvres with the utmost caution, determined to give his adversaries no advantage, and remain in front of the capital until it was free from all danger. But for the daring assault upon General McClellan, on the Chickahominy, his critics would no doubt have charged him with weakness and indecision now but, under any circumstances, it is certain that he would have proceeded in the same manner, conducting operations in the method which his judgment approved.At length the necessity of caution had disappeared. General Burnside had gone to reinforce General Pope, and a portion of McClellan's army was believed to have followed. ''It therefore seemed,'' says General Lee, ''that active operations on the James were no longer contemplated,'' and he wisely concluded that ''the most effectual way to relieve Richmond from any danger of attack from that quarter would be to reenforce General Jackson, and advance upon General Pope.'' In commenting upon these words, an able writer of the North exclaims: ''Veracious prophecy, showing that _insight_ which is one of the highest marks of generalship!'' The movement, indeed, was the right proceeding, as the event showed and good generalship may be defined to be the power of seeing what is the proper course, and the decision of character which leads to its adoption.General Lee exhibited throughout his career this mingled good judgment and daring, and his cautious inactivity was now succeeded by one of those offensive movements which, if we may judge him, by his subsequent career, seemed to be the natural bent of his character. With the bulk of his army, he marched in the direction of General Pope the rest were speedily ordered to follow, and active operations began for driving the newly-formed Federal ''Army of Virginia'' back toward Washington.We have presented Lee's order for the attack on General McClellan, and here quote his order of march for the advance against General Pope, together with a note addressed to Stuart, commanding his cavalry, for that officer's guidance.HEADQUARTERS ARMY NORTHERN VIRGINIA,_August_ 19, 1862.SPECIAL ORDER No. 185.I. General Longstreet's command, constituting the right wing of the army, will cross the Rapidan at Raccoon Ford, and move in the direction of Culpepper Court-House. General Jackson's command, constituting the left wing, will cross at Summerville Ford, and move in the same direction, keeping on the left of General Longstreet. General Anderson's division will cross at Summerville Ford, follow the route of General Jackson, and act in reserve. The battalion of light artillery, under Colonel S.D. Lee, will take the same route. The cavalry, under General Stuart, will cross at Morton's Ford, pursue the route by Stevensburg to Rappahannock Station, destroy the railroad bridge, cut the enemy's communications, telegraph line, and, operating toward Culpepper Court-House, will take position on General Longstreet's right.II. The commanders of each wing will designate the reserve for their commands. Medical and ammunition wagons will alone follow the troops across the Rapidan. The baggage and supply trains will be parked under their respective officers, in secure positions on the south side, so as not to embarrass the different roads.III. Cooked rations for three days will be carried in the haversacks of the men, and provision must be made for foraging the animals. Straggling from the ranks is strictly prohibited, and commanders will make arrangements to secure and punish the offenders.IV. The movements herein directed will commence to-morrow, 20th instant, at dawn of day.By command of General R.E. Lee:A.P. MASON, _A.A. G_.HEADQUARTERS CRENSHAW'S FARM, _August_ 19, 1862._General J.E.B. Stuart, commanding Cavalry_:General: I desire you to rest your men to-day, refresh your horses, prepare rations and every thing for the march to-morrow. Get what information you can of fords, roads, and position of the enemy, so that your march can be made understandingly and with vigor. I send to you Captain Mason, an experienced bridge-builder, etc., whom I think will be able to aid you in the destruction of the bridge, etc. When that is accomplished, or when in train of execution, as circumstances permit, I wish you to operate back toward Culpepper Court-House, creating such confusion and consternation as you can, without unnecessarily exposing your men, till you feel Longstreet's right. Take position there on his right, and hold yourself in reserve, and act as circumstances may require. I wish to know during the day how you proceed in your preparations. They will require the personal attention of all your officers. The last reports from the signal-stations yesterday evening were, that the enemy was breaking up his principal encampments, and moving in
PART IV.THE WAR ADVANCES NORTHWARD. I. Lee's Protest General Lee remained in front of Richmond, watching General McClellan, but intelligence soon reached him from the upper Rappahannock that another army was advancing in that quarter, and had already occupied the county of Culpepper, with the obvious intention of capturing Gordonsville, the point of junction of the Orange and Alexandria and Virginia Central Railroads, and advancing thence upon Richmond.The great defeat on the Chickahominy had only inspired the Federal authorities with new energy. Three hundred thousand new troops were called for, large bounties were held out as an inducement to enlistment, negro-slaves in regions occupied by the United States armies were directed to be enrolled as troops, and military commanders were authorized to seize upon whatever was ''necessary or convenient for their commands,'' without compensation to the owners. This indicated the policy upon which it was now intended to conduct the war, and the army occupying Culpepper proceeded to carry out the new policy in every particular.This force consisted of the troops which had served under Generals Banks, McDowell, and Fremont--a necleus--and reenforcements from the army of McClellan, together with the troops under General Burnside, were hastening to unite with the newly-formed army. It was styled the ''Army of Virginia,'' and was placed under command of Major-General John Pope, who had hitherto served in the West. General Pope had procured the command, it is said, by impressing the authorities with a high opinion of his energy and activity. In these qualities, General McClellan was supposed to be deficient and the new commander, coming from a region where the war was conducted on a different plan, it was said, would be able to infuse new life into the languid movements in Virginia. General Pope had taken special pains to allay the fears of the Federal authorities for the safety of Washington. He intended to ''lie off on the flanks'' of Lee's army, he said, and render it impossible for the rebels to advance upon the capital while he occupied that threatening position. When asked if, with an army like General McClellan's, he would find any difficulty in marching through the South to New Orleans, General Pope replied without hesitation, ''I should suppose not.''This confident view of things seems to have procured General Pope his appointment, and it will soon be seen that he proceeded to conduct military operations upon principles very different from those announced by General McClellan. War, as carried on by General Pope, was to be war _a l'outrance._ General McClellan had written: ''The war should not be at all a war upon population, but against armed forces ... all private property, taken for military use, should be paid for pillage and waste should be treated as high crimes all unnecessary trespass sternly prohibited, and offensive demeanor by the military toward citizens promptly rebuked.'' The new commander intended to act upon a very different principle, and to show that he possessed more activity and resolution than his predecessor.General Pope's assumption of the command was signalized by much pomp and animated general orders. He arrived in a train decked out with streamers, and issued an order in which he said to the troops: ''I desire you to dismiss from your minds certain phrases which I am sorry to find much in vogue among you. I hear constantly of taking strong positions and holding them, _of lines of retreat and bases of supplies_. Let us discard such ideas. The strongest position which a soldier should desire to occupy is the one from which he can most easily advance upon the enemy. Let us study the probable line of retreat of our opponents, _and leave our own to take care of itself. Let us look before, and not behind. Disaster and shame look in the rear_.'' The result, as will be seen, furnished a grotesque commentary upon that portion of General Pope's order which we have italicized. In an address to the army, he added further: ''I have come to you from the West, where we have always seen the backs of our enemies--from an army whose business it has been to seek the adversary, and beat him when found--where policy has been attack, and not defence. I presume I have been called here to pursue the same system.''Such was the tenor of General Pope's orders on assuming command--orders which were either intended seriously as an announcement of his real intentions, or as a blind to persuade the Confederates that his force was large.Unfortunately for the region in which he now came to operate, General Pope did not confine himself to these flourishes of rhetoric. He proceeded to inaugurate a military policy in vivid contrast to General McClellan's. His ''expatriation orders'' directed that all male citizens disloyal to the United States should be immediately arrested the oath of allegiance to the United States
PART IV.THE WAR ADVANCES NORTHWARD.II. Lee's Manoeuvres General Pope had promptly advanced, and his army lay in Culpepper, the right reaching toward the Blue Ridge, and the left extending nearly to the Rapidan.The campaign now became a contest of brains between Lee and the Federal authorities. Their obvious aim was to leave him in doubt whether a new advance was intended under McClellan from James River, or the real movement was to be against Richmond from the North. Under these circumstances, General Lee remained with the bulk of his army in front of Richmond but, on the 13th of July, sent Jackson with two divisions in the direction of Gordonsville. The game of wits had thus begun, and General Lee moved cautiously, looking in both directions, toward James River and the Upper Rappahannock. As yet the real design of the enemy was undeveloped. The movement of General Pope might or might not be a real advance. But General McClellan remained inactive, and, on the 27th of July, A.P. Hill's division was sent up to reenforce Jackson--while, at the same time, General D.H. Hill, commanding a force on the south bank of the James River, was directed to make demonstrations against McClellan's communications by opening fire on his transports.The moment approached now when the game between the two adversaries was to be decided. On the 2d of August, Jackson assumed the offensive, by attacking the enemy at Orange Court-House and, on the 5th, General McClellan made a prompt demonstration to prevent Lee from sending him further reinforcements. A large Federal force advanced to Malvern Hill, and was drawn up there in line of battle, with every indication on the part of General McClellan of an intention to advance anew upon Richmond. Lee promptly went to meet him, and a slight engagement ensued on Curl's Neck. But, on the next morning, the Federal army had disappeared, and the whole movement was seen to have been a feint.This state of indecision continued until nearly the middle of August. An incident then occurred which clearly indicated the enemy's intentions. General Burnside was known to have reached Hampton Roads from the Southern coast with a considerable force, and the direction which his flotilla now took would show the design of the Federal authorities. If a new advance was intended from the James, the flotilla would ascend that river if General Pope's army was looked to for the real movement, General Burnside would go in that direction. The secret was discovered by the afterward celebrated Colonel John S. Mosby, then a private, and just returned, by way of Fortress Monroe, from prison in Washington. He ascertained, when he disembarked, that Burnside's flotilla was about to move toward the Rappahannock, and, aware of the importance of the information, hastened to communicate it to General Lee. He was admitted, at the headquarters of the latter near Richmond, to a private interview, and when General Lee had finished his conversation with the plain-looking individual, then almost unknown, he was in possession of the information necessary to determine his plans. The Rappahannock, and not the James, was seen to be the theatre of the coming campaign, and General Lee's whole attention was now directed to that quarter.Jackson had already struck an important blow there, cooeperating vigorously, as was habitual with him, in the general plan of action. General McClellan had endeavored by a feint to hold Lee at Richmond. By a battle now, Jackson hastened the retreat of the army under McClellan from James River. With his three divisions, Jackson crossed the Rapidan, and, on the 9th of August, attacked the advance force of General Pope at Cedar Mountain. The struggle was obstinate, and at one time Jackson's left was driven back, but the action terminated at nightfall in the retreat of the Federal forces, and the Confederate commander remained in possession of the field. He was too weak, however, to hold his position against the main body of the Federal army, which was known to be approaching he accordingly recrossed the Rapidan to the vicinity of Gordonsville, and here he was soon afterward joined by General Lee, with the great bulk of the Confederate army.Such were the events which succeeded the battles of the Chickahominy, transferring hostilities to a new theatre, and inaugurating the great campaigns of the summer and autumn of 1862 in Northern Virginia and Maryland.
PART IV.THE WAR ADVANCES NORTHWARD. I. Lee's Protest General Lee remained in front of Richmond, watching General McClellan, but intelligence soon reached him from the upper Rappahannock that another army was advancing in that quarter, and had already occupied the county of Culpepper, with the obvious intention of capturing Gordonsville, the point of junction of the Orange and Alexandria and Virginia Central Railroads, and advancing thence upon Richmond.The great defeat on the Chickahominy had only inspired the Federal authorities with new energy. Three hundred thousand new troops were called for, large bounties were held out as an inducement to enlistment, negro-slaves in regions occupied by the United States armies were directed to be enrolled as troops, and military commanders were authorized to seize upon whatever was ''necessary or convenient for their commands,'' without compensation to the owners. This indicated the policy upon which it was now intended to conduct the war, and the army occupying Culpepper proceeded to carry out the new policy in every particular.This force consisted of the troops which had served under Generals Banks, McDowell, and Fremont--a necleus--and reenforcements from the army of McClellan, together with the troops under General Burnside, were hastening to unite with the newly-formed army. It was styled the ''Army of Virginia,'' and was placed under command of Major-General John Pope, who had hitherto served in the West. General Pope had procured the command, it is said, by impressing the authorities with a high opinion of his energy and activity. In these qualities, General McClellan was supposed to be deficient and the new commander, coming from a region where the war was conducted on a different plan, it was said, would be able to infuse new life into the languid movements in Virginia. General Pope had taken special pains to allay the fears of the Federal authorities for the safety of Washington. He intended to ''lie off on the flanks'' of Lee's army, he said, and render it impossible for the rebels to advance upon the capital while he occupied that threatening position. When asked if, with an army like General McClellan's, he would find any difficulty in marching through the South to New Orleans, General Pope replied without hesitation, ''I should suppose not.''This confident view of things seems to have procured General Pope his appointment, and it will soon be seen that he proceeded to conduct military operations upon principles very different from those announced by General McClellan. War, as carried on by General Pope, was to be war _a l'outrance._ General McClellan had written: ''The war should not be at all a war upon population, but against armed forces ... all private property, taken for military use, should be paid for pillage and waste should be treated as high crimes all unnecessary trespass sternly prohibited, and offensive demeanor by the military toward citizens promptly rebuked.'' The new commander intended to act upon a very different principle, and to show that he possessed more activity and resolution than his predecessor.General Pope's assumption of the command was signalized by much pomp and animated general orders. He arrived in a train decked out with streamers, and issued an order in which he said to the troops: ''I desire you to dismiss from your minds certain phrases which I am sorry to find much in vogue among you. I hear constantly of taking strong positions and holding them, _of lines of retreat and bases of supplies_. Let us discard such ideas. The strongest position which a soldier should desire to occupy is the one from which he can most easily advance upon the enemy. Let us study the probable line of retreat of our opponents, _and leave our own to take care of itself. Let us look before, and not behind. Disaster and shame look in the rear_.'' The result, as will be seen, furnished a grotesque commentary upon that portion of General Pope's order which we have italicized. In an address to the army, he added further: ''I have come to you from the West, where we have always seen the backs of our enemies--from an army whose business it has been to seek the adversary, and beat him when found--where policy has been attack, and not defence. I presume I have been called here to pursue the same system.''Such was the tenor of General Pope's orders on assuming command--orders which were either intended seriously as an announcement of his real intentions, or as a blind to persuade the Confederates that his force was large.Unfortunately for the region in which he now came to operate, General Pope did not confine himself to these flourishes of rhetoric. He proceeded to inaugurate a military policy in vivid contrast to General McClellan's. His ''expatriation orders'' directed that all male citizens disloyal to the United States should be immediately arrested the oath of allegiance to the United States
PART III.ON THE CHICKAHOMINY.VI. Lee and McClellan--their Identity of Opinion General Lee had thus, at the outset of his career, as commander of the Confederate army, saved the capital by a blow at the enemy as sudden as it was resistless. The class of persons who are never satisfied, and delight in fault-finding under all circumstances, declared that a great general would have crushed the enemy on their retreat these certainly were in a minority the people at large greeted Lee as the author of a great deliverance worked out for them, and, on his return to Richmond, he was received with every mark of gratitude and honor. He accepted this public ovation with the moderation and dignity which characterized his demeanor afterward, under all circumstances, either of victory or defeat. It was almost impossible to discover in his bearing at this time, as on other great occasions, any evidences whatever of elation. Success, like disaster, seemed to find him calm, collected, and as nearly unimpressible as is possible for a human being.The character of the man led him to look upon success or failure with this supreme composure, which nothing seemed able to shake but in July, 1862, he probably understood that the Confederate States were still as far as ever from having achieved the objects of the war. General McClellan had been defeated in battle, but the great resources of the United States Government would enable it promptly to put other and larger armies in the field. Even the defeated army was still numerous and dangerous, for it consisted, according to McClellan's report, of nearly or quite ninety thousand men and the wise brain of its commander had devised a plan of future operations which promised far greater results than the advance on Richmond from the Chickahominy.We shall touch, in passing, on this interesting subject, but shall first ask the reader's attention to a communication addressed, by General McClellan, at this time to President Lincoln. It is one of those papers which belong to history, and should be placed upon record. It not only throws the clearest light on the character and views of General Lee's great adversary, but expresses with admirable lucidity the sentiments of a large portion of the Federal people at the time. The President had invited a statement of General McClellan's views on the conduct of the war, and on July 7th, in the very midst of the scenes of disaster at Harrison's Landing, McClellan wrote these statesmanlike words:''This rebellion has assumed the character of a war as such it should be regarded, and it should be conducted upon the highest principles know to Christian civilization. It should not be a war looking to the subjugation of the people of any State in any event. It should not be at all a war upon population, but against armed forces and political organization. Neither confiscation of property, political executions, territorial organizations of States, nor forcible abolition of slavery, should be contemplated for a moment. In prosecuting the war all private property and unarmed persons should be strictly protected, subject only to the necessity of military operations. All private property taken for military use should be paid or receipted for pillage and waste should be treated as high crimes all unnecessary trespass sternly prohibited, and offensive demeanor by the military toward citizens promptly rebuked. Military arrests should not be tolerated, except in places where active hostilities exist, and oaths not required by enactments constitutionally made should be neither demanded nor received. Military government should be confined to the preservation of public order and the protection of political right. Military power should not be allowed to interfere with the relations of servitude, either by supporting or impairing the authority of the master, except for repressing disorder, as in other cases. Slaves contraband under the Act of Congress, seeking military protection, should receive it. The right of the Government to appropriate permanently to its own service claims to slave-labor should be asserted, and the right of the owner to compensation therefor should be recognized.''This principle might be extended upon grounds of military necessity and security to all the slaves of a particular State, thus working manumission in such State and in Missouri, perhaps in Western Virginia also, and possibly even in Maryland, the expediency of such a measure is only a question of time.''A system of policy thus constitutional, and pervaded by the influences of Christianity and freedom, would receive the support of almost all truly loyal men, would deeply impress the rebel masses and all foreign nations, and it might be humbly hoped that it would commend itself to the favor of the Almighty.''Unless the principles governing the future conduct of our struggle shall be made known and approved, the effort to obtain requisite forces will be almost hope
A LIFE OF GEN. ROBERT E. LEE.BY JOHN ESTEN COOKE. ''Duty is the sublimest word in our language.'' ''Human virtue should be equal to human calamity.'' LEE. 1876 PART III.ON THE CHICKAHOMINY.V. Richmond in Danger--Lee's Views We have presented a sufficiently full narrative of the great battles of the Chickahominy to enable the reader to form his own opinion of the events, and the capacity of the two leaders who directed them. Full justice has been sought to be done to the eminent military abilities of General McClellan, and the writer is not conscious that he has done more than justice to General Lee.Lee has not escaped criticism, and was blamed by many persons for not putting an end to the Federal army on the retreat through White-Oak Swamp. To this criticism, it may be said in reply, that putting an end to nearly or quite one hundred thousand men is a difficult undertaking and that in one instance, at least, the failure of one of his subordinates in arriving promptly, reversed his plans at the most critical moment of the struggle. General Lee himself, however, states the main cause of failure: ''Under ordinary circumstances,'' he says, ''the Federal army should have been destroyed. Its escape is due to the causes already stated. Prominent among them is the want of timely and correct information. This fact, attributed chiefly to the character of the country, enabled General McClellan skilfully to conceal his retreat, and to add much to the obstruction with which Nature had beset the way of our pursuing columns. But regret that more was not accomplished, gives way to gratitude to the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe for the results achieved.''The reader will form his own opinion whether Lee was or was not to blame for this want of accurate information, which would seem, however, to be justly attributable to the War Department at Richmond, rather than to an officer who had been assigned to command only three or four weeks before. Other criticisms of Lee referred to his main plan of operations, and the danger to which he exposed Richmond by leaving only twenty-five thousand men in front of it, when he began his movement against General McClellan's right wing, beyond the Chickahominy. General Magruder, who commanded this force of twenty-five thousand men left to guard the capital, expressed afterward, in his official report, his views of the danger to which the city had been exposed. He wrote:''From the time at which the enemy withdrew his forces to this side of the Chickahominy, and destroyed the bridges, to the moment of his evacuation, that is, from Friday night until Saturday morning, I considered the situation of our army as extremely critical and perilous. The larger portion of it was on the opposite side of the Chickahominy. The bridges had been all destroyed but one was rebuilt--the New Bridge--which was commanded fully by the enemy's guns from Goulding's and there were but twenty-five thousand men between his army of one hundred thousand and Richmond.... Had McClellan massed his whole force in column, and advanced it against any point of our line of battle, as was done at Austerlitz under similar circumstances by the greatest captain of any age, though the head of his column would have suffered greatly, its momentum would have insured him success, and the occupation of our works about Richmond, and consequently the city, might have been his reward. His failure to do so is the best evidence that our wise commander fully understood the character of his opponent.''To this portion of General Magruder's report General Lee appended the following ''Remarks'' in forwarding it:''General Magruder is under a misapprehension as to the separation of troops operating on the north side of the Chickahominy from those under himself and General Huger on the south side. He refers to this subject on pages 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, of his report.''The troops on the two sides of the river were only separated until we succeeded in occupying the position near what is known as New Bridge, which occurred before twelve o'clock M. on Friday, June 27th, and before the attack on the enemy at Gaines's Mill.''From the time we reached the position referred to, I regarded communication between the two wings of our army as reestablished.''The bridge referred to, and another about three-quarters of a mile above, were ordered to be repaired before noon on Friday, and the New Bridge was sufficiently rebuilt to be passed by artillery on Friday night, and the one above it was used for the passage of wagons, ambulances, and troops, early on Saturday morning.''Besides this, all other bridges above New Bridge, and all the fords above that point, were open to us.''To this General Magruder subsequently responded as follows:''New Bridge was finished on Friday evening, the 27th, instead of Saturday, 28th of June.''I wrote from memory in reference to the time of its being
PART III.ON THE CHICKAHOMINY.IV. The Retreat The battle of Cold Harbor--or, as General Lee styles it in his report, the ''battle of the Chickahominy''--was the decisive struggle between the great adversaries, and determined the fate of General McClellan's campaign against Richmond.This view is not held by writers on the Northern side, who represent the battle in question as only the first of a series of engagements, all of pretty nearly equal importance, and mere incidents attending General McClellan's change of base to the shores of the James River. Such a theory seems unfounded. If the battle at Cold Harbor had resulted in a Federal victory, General McClellan would have advanced straight on Richmond, and the capture of the city would inevitably have followed. But at Cold Harbor he sustained a decisive defeat. His whole campaign was reversed, and came to naught, from the events occurring between noon and nightfall on the 27th of June. The result of that obstinate encounter was not a Federal success, leading to the fall of Richmond, but a Federal defeat, which led to the retreat to the James River, and the failure of the whole campaign against the Confederate capital.
PART III.
ON THE CHICKAHOMINY.
III. The Battle of the Chickahominy
On the morning of the 26th of June, 1862, all was ready for the great encounter of arms between the Confederates and the Federal forces on the Chickahominy. General Jackson had been delayed on his march from the mountains, and had not yet arrived but it was known that he was near, and would soon make his appearance and, in the afternoon, General Lee accordingly directed that the movement should commence. At the word, General A.P. Hill moved from his camps to Meadow Bridge, north of Richmond crossed the Chickahominy there, and moved rapidly on Mechanicsville, where a small Federal force, behind intrenchments, guarded the head of the bridge. This force was not a serious obstacle, and Hill soon disposed of it. He attacked the Federal works, stormed them after a brief struggle, and drove the force which had occupied them back toward Beaver Dam Creek, below. The Mechanicsville bridge was thus cleared and, in compliance with his orders from Lee, General Longstreet hastened to throw his division across. Hill had meanwhile pressed forward on the track of the retreating enemy, and, a mile or two below, found himself in front of a much more serious obstruction than that encountered at the bridge, namely, the formidable position held by the enemy on Beaver Dam Creek.
General Lee had been hitherto regarded as a soldier of too great caution, but his plan for the assault on General McClellan indicated the possession of a nerve approaching audacity.Fully comprehending his enemy's strength and position, and aware that a large portion of the Federal army had crossed the Chickahominy, and was directly in his front, he had resolved to pass to the north bank of the stream with the bulk of his force, leaving only about twenty-five thousand men to protect the city, and deliver battle where defeat would prove ruinous. This plan indicated nothing less than audacity, as we have already said but, like the audacity of the flank movement at Chancellorsville afterward, and the daring march, in disregard of General Hooker, to Pennsylvania in 1864, it was founded on profound military insight, and indicated the qualities of a great soldier.
The Chickahominy, whose banks were now to be the scene of a bitter and determined conflict between the great adversaries, is a sluggish and winding stream, which, rising above Richmond, describes a curve around it, and empties its waters into the James, far below the city. Its banks are swampy, and thickly clothed with forest or underwood. From the nature of these banks, which scarcely rise in many places above the level of the water, the least freshet produces an overflow, and the stream, generally narrow and insignificant, becomes a sort of lake, covering the low grounds to the bases of the wooded bluffs extending upon each side. Numerous bridges cross the stream, from Bottom's Bridge, below the York River Railroad, to Meadow Bridge, north of the city. Of these, the Mechanicsville Bridge, about four miles from the city, and the New Bridge, about nine miles, were points of the greatest importance.
A LIFE OF GEN. ROBERT E. LEE.BY JOHN ESTEN COOKE. ''Duty is the sublimest word in our language.'' ''Human virtue should be equal to human calamity.'' LEE. 1876 PART II.IN FRONT OF RICHMOND.V. Stuart's ''Ride around McClellan'' General James E.B. Stuart, who now made his first prominent appearance upon the theatre of the war, was a Virginian by birth, and not yet thirty years of age. Resigning his commission of lieutenant in the United States Cavalry at the beginning of the war, he had joined Johnston in the Valley, and impressed that officer with a high opinion of his abilities as a cavalry officer proceeded thence to Manassas, where he charged and broke a company of ''Zouave'' infantry protected the rear of the army when Johnston retired to the Rappahannock, and bore an active part in the conflict on the Peninsula. In person he was of medium height his frame was broad and powerful he wore a heavy brown beard flowing upon his breast, a huge mustache of the same color, the ends curling upward and the blue eyes, flashing beneath a ''piled-up'' forehead, had at times the dazzling brilliancy attributed to the eyes of the eagle. Fond of movement, adventure, bright colors, and all the pomp and pageantry of war, Stuart had entered on the struggle with ardor, and enjoyed it as the huntsman enjoys the chase. Young, ardent, ambitious, as brave as steel, ready with jest or laughter, with his banjo-player following him, going into the hottest battles humming a song, this young Virginian was, in truth, an original character, and impressed powerfully all who approached him. One who knew him well wrote: ''Every thing striking, brilliant, and picturesque, seemed to centre in him. The war seemed to be to Stuart a splendid and exciting game, in which his blood coursed joyously, and his immensely strong physical organization found an arena for the display of all its faculties. The affluent life of the man craved those perils and hardships which flush the pulses and make the heart beat fast. He swung himself into the saddle at the sound of the bugle as the hunter springs on horseback and at such moments his cheeks glowed and his huge mustache curled with enjoyment. The romance and poetry of the hard trade of arms seemed first to be inaugurated when this joyous cavalier, with his floating plume and splendid laughter, appeared upon the great arena of the war in Virginia.'' Precise people shook their heads, and called him frivolous, undervaluing his great ability. Those best capable of judging him were of a different opinion. Johnston wrote to him from the west: ''How can I eat or sleep in peace without _you_ upon the outpost?'' Jackson said, when he fell at Chancellorsville: ''Go back to General Stuart, and tell him to act upon his own judgment, and do what he thinks best, I have implicit confidence in him.'' Lee said, when he was killed at Yellow Tavern: ''I can scarcely think of him without weeping.'' And the brave General Sedgwick, of the United States Army, said: ''Stuart is the best cavalry officer ever _foaled_ in North America!''
''What was the amount of the Confederate force under command of Lee?'' it may be asked. The present writer is unable to state this number with any thing like exactness. The official record, if in existence, is not accessible, and the matter must be left to conjecture. It is tolerably certain, however, that, even after the arrival of Jackson, the army numbered less than seventy-five thousand. Officers of high rank and character state the whole force to have been sixty or seventy thousand only.
It will thus be seen that the Federal army was larger than the Confederate but this was comparatively an unimportant fact. The event was decided rather by generalship than the numbers of the combatants.
General Lee assumed command of the army on the 3d of June. A week afterward, Jackson finished the great campaign of the Valley, by defeating Generals Fremont and Shields at Port Republic.Such had been the important services performed by the famous ''Stonewall Jackson,'' who was to become the ''right arm'' of Lee in the greater campaigns of the future. Retreating, after the defeat of General Banks, and passing through Strasburg, just as Fremont from the west, and the twenty thousand men of General McDowell from the east, rushed to intercept him, Jackson had sullenly fallen back up the Valley, with all his captured stores and prisoners, and at Cross Keys and Port Republic had achieved a complete victory over his two adversaries. Fremont was checked by Ewell, who then hastened across to take part in the attack on Shields. The result was a Federal defeat and retreat down the Valley. Jackson was free to move in any direction and his army could unite with that at Richmond for a decisive attack upon General McClellan.
This untoward event rendered it necessary to find a new commander for the army without loss of time. General Lee had returned some time before from the South, and to him all eyes were turned. He had had no opportunity to display his abilities upon a conspicuous theatre--the sole command he had been intrusted with, that in trans-Alleghany Virginia, could scarcely be called a real command--and he owed his elevation now to the place vacated by General Johnston, rather to his services performed in the old army of the United States, than to any thing he had effected in the war of the Confederacy. The confidence of the Virginia people in his great abilities had never wavered, and there is no reason to suppose that the Confederate authorities were backward in conceding his merits as a soldier. Whatever may have been the considerations leading to his appointment, he was assigned on the 3d day of June to the command of the army, and thus the Virginians assembled to defend the capital of their State found themselves under the command of the most illustrious of their own countrymen.
By the latter part of that month, General McClellan, in command of an army of more than one hundred thousand men, landed on the Peninsula between the James and York Rivers, and after stubbornly-contested engagements with the forces of General Johnston, advanced up the Peninsula--the Confederates slowly retiring. In the latter part of May, a portion of the Federal forces had crossed the Chickahominy, and confronted General Johnston defending Richmond.Such was the serious condition of affairs in the spring of 1862. The Federal sword had nearly pierced the heart of Virginia, and, as the course of events was about to place Lee in charge of her destinies, a brief notice is indispensable of the designs of the adversaries against whom he was to contend on the great arena of the State.
''Heaven bless you! Heaven bless you! and give you wisdom for your important and arduous duties!''These were the last words uttered during the interview. General Lee pressed the dying man's hand, released it, stood for several minutes by the bedside motionless and in perfect silence, and then went out of the room.On the next morning Bishop Meade expired
''The time will yet come when his superior abilities will be vindicated, both to his own renown and the glory of his country.'' The time was now at hand when these abilities, if the individual possessed them, were to have an opportunity to display themselves.
The War Begins
''when reenforcements subsequently reached the field under General Kirby Smith and General Early, the Federal troops retreated in great disorder toward Washington.''
Lee in 1861. ''Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or keep one.'' ''Duty is the sublimest word in our language ... do your duty in all things ... you cannot do more.''
Lee Resigns. '' He went with his State because he believed it was his duty to do so, and because, to ascertain what was his duty, and perform it, was the cardinal maxim of his life.'' Lee's sense of duty to his State was so strong, he left his Estate, Arlington, Martha Washington's furniture and china, and over 25 years of service to the Union behind to ''Draw his sword'' for a cause he disagreed with.
Lee's Reception at Richmond.For weeks, reports had been rife that he had determined to adhere to the Federal Government in the approaching struggle. Such an event, it was felt by all, would be a public calamity to Virginia and the general joy may be imagined when it was known that Lee had resigned and come to fight with his own people. He assumed command, therefore, of all the Virginia forces, in the midst of universal public rejoicing and the fact gave strength and consistency to the general determination to resist the Federal Government to the last.
Robert E.Lee faces one of the most difficult decisions of his life thus far. He is given every reason except one to remain in the Union Arny. If he chose to remain in the Union Army a promotion was imminent, and he would no doubt soon command that Army. His loyalty, however, like most men of the era was with his home state, Virginia
Lee enters West Point, graduates 2nd in his class, without a demerit. Receives high praise for his work as an engineer in the Mexican War. Joins an elite group of West Point grads. Commands a force of Marines putting down the rebellion at Harpers Ferry.
From A Life of General Robert E. Lee. by John Esten Cooke, published as an audio book at http://www.audiobooksbymikevendetti.com