in concert to attack the enemy’s decisive point. Mahan also advocated a practical, flexible approach to military operations, blending French doctrine from the battles of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars as espoused by Jomini with the realities of warfare in North America, especially the differences between European and American geography and terrain. As a strategist, Mahan advocated for bold measures in battle rather than limited warfare, believing that once a country committed its military to war, the object was to gain an advantageous peace, which could be done only by decisive action. Death and burial In his later years, Mahan began to suffer from ill health, which negatively affected his ability to teach. As a result, in 1871, the West Point Board of Visitors recommended that he retire. On September 16, 1871, Mahan began a Hudson River steamboat trip to New York City, where he intended to consult with his doctor. Increasingly distraught at the prospect of retirement, he committed suicide by leaping into the boat's paddlewheel. He was buried at West Point Cemetery. Honors and awards In 1837, Mahan received the honorary degree of Master of Arts from Brown University and Princeton University. He received honorary Legum Doctor (LL.D.) degrees from the College of William & Mary and Brown University in 1852, and from Dartmouth College in 1867. Fort Mahan Park, in northeast Washington, D.C. was originally Fort Mahan, a Civil War defensive work named for Mahan. Built in 1861, Fort Mahan was constructed in order to provide defense of the Benning's Bridge entry to the city. The site of Fort Mahan is now part of the National Park Service's Civil War Defenses of Washington, and is located at Benning Road and 42nd Street, NE. Mahan Hall at the United States Military Academy at West Point was named in his honor. Built in 1971, it houses the Academy's Departments of Civil & Mechanical Engineering (CME) and Systems Engineering. Family In 1839, Mahan married Mary Helena Okill. They were married until his death and were the parents of six children. Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914) Mary Mahan (1842-1891) Helen Candace Mahan (1843-1846) Frederick Augustus Mahan (1847-1918) Dennis Hart Mahan (1849-1925) Jane Leigh Mahan (1852-1945) Books by Dennis Hart Mahan Mahan's published works included: A Treatise on Field Fortification (1836) Elementary Course of Civil Engineering (1837; revised 1868) Elementary Treatise on Advanced Guard, Outposts, and Detachment Service of Troops (1847; revised,