Young Historian Spotlight: Ben Olex

Ben Olex, giving a presentation to visitors at the Stony Point Battlefield and Lighthouse

Today, we are continuing with the second of a series of interviews with a number of young historians. By the time this series concludes in early November, we will have heard from Jack Weaver, Andrew Warren, Ben Olex, Casey Hill, Samantha Sproviero, and Davis Tierney. All of these individuals are broadly interested in the Kabinettskriege era, and have been selected as a result of recent promotion, impending graduate school applications, or work recently begun in graduate school or at a historic site. Today's young historian Ben Olex, a gifted young historian interested in naval affairs. Ben has worked as an historic interpreter at Stony Point, is currently in the process of applying to graduate programs, and has a forthcoming article on the American War of Independence in coastal areas.  

Alexander Burns : What drew you to study the history in this era? In 2018, much of popular memory of military history in the United States is focused on World War 1, World War 2, and the Vietnam War. What about the history of the 1688-1815 era do you find so compelling?

Ben Olex[1]: I have always had a fascination with ships.  When I was younger it was more challenging to understand the maritime world of the eighteenth and nineteenth century, since it is so different from our own, so I stuck to landborn military topics for a while.  When I reached the age that I could begin really comprehending naval history, I found it totally engrossing. With regards to why 20^th century conflicts are so interesting,  I believe that modern wars are more easily understood by modern people.  Many people alive today grew up with grandparents or great grandparents that fought in a world war.  For those who did not, photographs and videos are available, which makes it easier to connect with the experiences of those wars. As for the eighteenth-century, it is hard to say why I am so drawn to this period.  Something about it just fascinates me.  

AB: Is there a particular person, conflict, event, or geographical setting which draws you to this era?

BO:  I am really torn between the American War for Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (if I’m allowed to lump them all together).  Since I work at a Revolutionary War battlefield it really brings home that connection for me.  When it comes to the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars I am much more interested in the naval aspects of the war.  These wars represented over twenty years of almost incessant fighting around the world and it was the navy that brought that war to the Cape of Good Hope or the Caribbean, for example.  It is also arguably the golden age of the Royal Navy.  The Royal Navy was one of the largest institutions in Britain, if you take into account the dockyards etc.  I think the effect that the Navy had upon the war and Britain itself is very intriguing.

AB: How do you plan to continue your research into this era? Many of you have been employed in public history settings, or are currently applying to graduate programs. Why have you chosen your particular path?

Ben as a historical interpreter at Stony Point

BO:  I am currently in the process of applying to graduate school.  At the same time I’m trying to  research a little into some of the events on the Hudson River surrounding the Battle of Stony Point, where I currently work as a public historian.  I originally went to college to be a highschool-level history teacher.  After completing my  my student teaching,  I realized that I would prefer to teach at a higher level, so I am returning to my education, in order to hopefully teach at the university level.

AB: Ben, you have a forthcoming article about floating batteries, tell us a bit about more about your interest in the conflict along the Hudson during the American War of Independence. How did the combatants try to control the river?

BO:  Absolutely!  So one of the main interests I’ve had while working at Stony Point concerns sa type  of gunboat that guarded the left flank of the fort.  If you look up a map of the battle you can see that Stony Point is a sort of peninsula that juts out into the Hudson River.  The American plan for the battle consisted of two columns attacking both flanks of the fort with bayonets only at night.  So the American right column would have come into contact with this gunboat, and presumably the ensuing fight would have alerted the fort sooner to the American attack or at the very least have slowed the American attack.  The problem was that the gunboat just wasn’t there.  We know that it was absent from its post very often, but no one knows why or where it went. So the more I looked into this as an interpreter at Stony Point, the more I realized that there wasn’t really a satisfactory answer for it.  Therefore, the goal of my article is to try to bring as much information as is available about this gunboat and put it in one place and use it to try to answer as many questions as possible.  For example, I try to look at other examples of gunboats during the war, most notably on Lake Champlain in 1776 and try to see if they might have been similar to the vessel at Stony Point.  My other goal is to dispel the idea that the gunboat was actually the British row-galley Cornwallis.  I’ve just about finished the article now. This is only an article length treatment, and there is much work left to do, but hopefully it can clear up some of the confusion around this critical part of the battle.  With regard to your second question, I would say yes.  In researching this topic I was able to see a lot of how the relationship between land and naval forces works, (or sometimes doesn’t work!)

AB: What have you been reading, recently? Could you recommend one book on your topic of interest, or any recent work on the era?

BO:  At this moment I am reading a biography of King George III, appropriately titled King George III by John Brooke.  I always wanted to read more about him since he is frequently portrayed as the enemy of the Revolution.  I’m very interested to see to what extent he was involved in the war and the lead up to it.  Before that I was reading a book exploring warfare from the 1600’s to 1815 called The Age of Battles: The Quest for Decisive Warfare from Breitenfeld to Waterloo by Russell F. Weigley.  If I had to recommend a book about naval history I think I would recommend Jack Tar: Life in Nelson’s Navy by Roy and Lesley Adkins.  It explores the life of regular sailors in the Royal Navy, a topic which can be hard to find information on.  To understand the how the navy functions I think it is imperative to understand the common sailors.

AB: What do you think of Russ Weigley’s book? It is an older work, but an ambitious attempt to synthesize a wide period of European military history. Have you ever looked at N.A.M. Rodger’s The Wooden World?

BO:   I would definitely agree Weigley’s book is rather ambitious.  I found the premise rather interesting, and he makes some interesting points.  I think at some times he jumps to conclusions with certain leaders or battles.  Nonetheless I thought it was a good book, one that takes a wide look at this era of military history.  I am currently in possession of a copy of The Wooden World.  I was planning on reading it this summer, but unfortunately time got away from me.

AB: That sounds good! Thanks so much for taking the time for this interview! I look forward to talking with you more in the future.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] Ben Olex is a recent graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey where he received a bachelor's degree in history and a secondary education certification. He is currently an interpreter at Stony Point Battlefield and Lighthouse in Stony Point, New York. Ben is currently in the process of applying for graduate school, and eventually plans to earn his Ph.D in History. His current research interests include the experience of war in coastal areas, British naval history in the 18th and 19th centuries, the American Revolution and Civil War.