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How did Edward Gibbon’s service in the Hampshire militia help his work as a historian?

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Edward Gibbon’s service in the Hampshire militia, where he held the rank of captain from 1760 to 1762, provided him with practical experience that he later credited as being useful to his work as a historian. Specifically, he noted that his firsthand exposure to the realities of "men and camps" during his home defense duties offered him valuable insights that informed his historical writing.1