by readmore | Aug 12, 2015 | Custer
In the 1970 film, Little Big Man, General Custer and the 7th Cavalry are depicted charging to the Washita Massacre at dawn to the tune of “Garryowen,” an old Irish drinking song that Custer loved and that he had made the regimental anthem. We know this...
by readmore | Aug 6, 2015 | The Old West, Westward Expansion
What did the soldiers who engaged Native Americans in the 19th century think about what they were doing? It’s a question we might ask of any war, not just the Indian Wars, but I think it’s often assumed Indian fighters of the Old West were enthusiasts for...
by readmore | Aug 4, 2015 | Custer, Little Bighorn
Before the dominance railroads in America, rivers were the byways with the longest reach for moving people and goods. With the advent of the steamboat, shallow-draft engine-powered travel was possible over thousands of miles of waterways. River navigation was a tricky...