The Indian Militia and Descriptions of the Indies
By Captain Bernardo de Vargas Machuca
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In this episode of the Dead Warrior Society Podcast, we dig into one of the most overlooked tactical manuals in military history: Vargas Machuca’s late-16th-century conquistador ranger handbook. Written for small, autonomous units operating deep in hostile territory, Machuca’s work reads less like theory and more like a hard-earned field manual.
We break down how Spanish frontier fighters conducted patrols, reconnaissance, raids, and ambushes, how they established and defended patrol bases, and how discipline, leadership, and equipment maintenance were treated as combat multipliers. From firearms and edged weapons to dogs, indigenous auxiliaries, and psychological warfare, we explore the tools and methods Machuca believed were necessary to survive and win against numerically superior enemies.

This episode connects early modern irregular warfare to modern small-unit tactics, showing how many of these principles would feel right at home in today’s ranger handbook.

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Many argue the Aztecs fought “ritual wars," symbolic battles, religious theater, capture-not-kill combat.

Cool story…

Except it falls apart the second you look at how empires actually function. In this episode of Dead Warrior Society, we dismantle one of the most persistent myths in military history: the idea that the Mexica built power through ceremony instead of strategy. Empires don’t rise on pageantry — they rise on logistics, coercion, incentives, and organized brutality. We break down why Aztec warfare was rational, structured, and imperial; what Flower Wars really were (and why they weren’t harmless games); how honor culture and status shaped combat; the tribute system that turned Central Mexico into a fueling network for nonstop campaigns; and how human sacrifice functioned as political power and psychological warfare as much as religion. Drawing on scholars like Ross Hassig and Hugh Thomas alongside anthropological models of violence and honor-based societies, we show that Aztec warfare followed the same underlying logic seen in Rome, early war states, and even modern gang power structures: violence isn’t random. It’s social, regulated, and used to build authority. War wasn’t a sideshow in Aztec society. War was the system. Welcome to Dead Warrior Society — where tactics get historic and history gets tactical.

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In this episode of Dead Warrior Society, we begin a new series examining the Conquistadors and the Spanish Conquest of Mexico—starting where most narratives don’t.

The first half of the episode challenges traditional scholarship by linking the Reconquista directly to the Conquest of the Americas. Rather than treating these as separate historical eras, we explore how centuries of warfare in Iberia shaped the mindset, institutions, and practices that the Spanish later carried across the Atlantic. We discuss key themes, events, and cultural traditions forged during the Reconquista, and how these were adapted for conquest in Mexico—including religious ideology, military organization, legal structures, and concepts of authority.

In the second half, we turn to the Conquistadors themselves—who they were, who they were not, and how they actually operated on the ground. We break down how they fought in the Americas, the weapons and arms they used, and the governing systems they leveraged to secure power, wealth, and long-term prominence in the New World.

This episode sets the foundation for understanding the Conquest not as an improvised adventure, but as the continuation of a deeply rooted warrior culture refined over generations.

In this episode, we dive deep into the waning months of the British occupation in South Carolina. Francis Marion not only led daring partisan campaigns against the Crown but also began conducting civil action as the South Carolina government transitioned from an underground resistance to a legitimate governing authority. Beyond the battlefield, Marion served as a legislator and senator, showing that his fight for independence extended into governance as well as warfare.

We then explore Robert Rogers, tracing his turbulent post–French and Indian War years and his controversial choice to fight for the British. We examine the complex motivations behind his loyalty to the Crown rather than the Patriots, challenging simple “hero vs. villain” narratives of the Revolutionary era and even today.

Finally, we compare and contrast Marion and Rogers, analyzing how their partisan campaigns were radically different, despite claims in the modern SOF community. Who was truly the superior officer? We break down tactics, leadership, and legacy to settle the debate.

In this episode of the Dead Warrior Society Podcast, we break down one of the most impressive—and least conventional—campaigns of the American Revolution: Francis Marion’s siege operations alongside Light Horse Harry Lee.

Following up on the last episode, we pick up as Marion and Lee reunite after Cornwallis abandons South Carolina, leaving British forces stretched thin and increasingly defensive. What follows is a rapid series of assaults on British strongpoints—Fort Watson, Fort Motte, and ultimately Georgetown—that demonstrate how a partisan commander adapted siege warfare to the realities of guerrilla conflict.

We explore how Marion, a leader who openly disliked sieges and lacked proper artillery, still managed to crack fortified positions through creativity, discipline, and relentless pressure. From the construction of Maham’s Tower at Fort Watson to the decision to burn Fort Motte before British reinforcements could arrive, this episode highlights problem-solving under extreme constraints—limited manpower, low ammunition, sickness, collapsing morale, and constant time pressure.

Along the way, we examine the broader operational picture: why occupying armies rely on forts and garrisons, how their loss signals a collapsing hold on territory, and why Greene’s strategy of targeting British outposts marked a turning point in the Southern Campaign. We also cover Marion’s fixation on Georgetown, the psychological impact of these victories, and how the fall of inland forts effectively severed Britain’s ability to sustain operations in South Carolina.

This is not just a story about militia and swamps—it’s a case study in adaptive warfare, leadership under stress, and unconventional thinkers solving conventional problems.

In today’s episode, we kick things off by breaking down U.S. Army Unconventional Warfare doctrine, focusing on the pivotal moment when a guerrilla force begins transitioning into a legitimate or semi-professional army—the point where irregular fighters start coordinating with conventional forces and become something far more capable than hit-and-run raiders.

From doctrine, we turn to history.

We dive deep into the complex and crucial relationship between General Nathanael Greene and Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion. We explore how Greene recognized Marion’s strategic value, tasked him to continue his partisan campaign in the South Carolina low country, and relied on him to gather the intelligence that shaped Continental operations.

At the same time, Marion’s band of guerrillas established their legendary G-Base at Snow’s Island—a hidden sanctuary, logistics hub, and center of operations that allowed the partisans to grow in strength, discipline, and capability.

Finally, we move into the heart of the episode:
The Bridges Campaign.
This is where Marion’s men—once irregulars lurking in the swamps—evolve into a real fighting force, capable of taking on British regulars in open combat and defeating Lt. Col. Watson in a sustained campaign.

If you’re fascinated by the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War, the evolution of guerrilla forces, or the roots of modern UW doctrine, this episode is packed with insight, grit, and lessons that echo into today.

In this episode of Dead Warrior Society, we dive into the brutal and chaotic months of November and December 1780, when Francis Marion—the legendary “Swamp Fox”—went head-to-head with Banastre Tarleton, Britain’s feared cavalry commander. We break down the skirmishes, raids, and psychological warfare that defined their clashes and helped shape the southern campaign of the American Revolution.

But this episode goes far beyond battlefield maneuvers. We take a deep, unflinching look at counterinsurgency (COIN)—long before the term existed—examining how the British utterly failed to win the hearts and minds of the Carolina populace. Instead of stabilizing the region, British policies, reprisals, and missteps inflamed resistance, strengthened insurgent networks, and turned neutral civilians into active supporters of Marion’s guerrilla campaign.

In this episode of Dead Warrior Society, we dive deep into the origins of Unconventional Warfare (UW) through the lens of one of America’s earliest masters of chaos—Francis Marion, the legendary Swamp Fox.
Before there was doctrine, there was instinct—and Marion’s instinct was insurgency. We break down how his campaigns during the Revolutionary War, especially the raids at Black Mingo and Tearcoat Swamp, reveal timeless principles of guerrilla warfare that still echo in modern U.S. Army UW doctrine.

From maintaining local support and living off the land, to targeting vulnerable Tory militias for resupply, Marion’s small, agile bands of fighters waged a campaign that bogged down Cornwallis in the Carolina low country and reshaped how wars could be fought.
Join us as we explore how Francis Marion embodied the insurgent leader’s mindset—disrupting a superior enemy, inspiring resistance, and proving that chaos, when mastered, can be a weapon.