by readmore | Nov 2, 2016 | Custer, Little Bighorn, The Old West, Westward Expansion
You might assume that after 140 years, writers have little left to say about the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Yet books continue to be written, letters and artifacts continue to be uncovered, and the audience never seems to wane. For anyone who has read a book or two... 
by readmore | Sep 18, 2015 | The Old West, Westward Expansion
John Bourke, soldier-scholar and plains Indian Wars campaigner, was a great admirer of Native Americans and befriended many. His classic work, On the Border with Crook, is one of the best of the period and includes a great deal of humor. Men on the isolated frontier... 
by readmore | Sep 1, 2015 | Adventurers
The individuals pictured here evoke a range of emotions. They seem to have a world of experiences written across their sullen faces and they probably did have many a story from many a port. They were Victorian sailors and part of U.S. Navy history. Enlistment in the... 
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... 
by readmore | Jul 27, 2015 | Civil War
One thing about being a publisher of historical works, a passionate consumer of the same, and having an interest in psychology, is that I can’t help viewing with fascination the way we view historical figures. Grant and Lee in the Civil War are a prime example.... 
by readmore | Jul 21, 2015 | Custer, Little Bighorn
I confess a weakness for Frederick William Benteen, the senior captain of the 7th United States Cavalry under Lieutenant-Colonel George Armstrong Custer. I find him fascinating for a number of reasons, not the least of which was his marvelous wit. His actions at the... 
by readmore | Jul 20, 2015 | Custer, Little Bighorn
“Let no easy-going journalist suppose that an Indian campaign is a picnic. If he goes out on such business he must go prepared to ride his forty or fifty miles a day, go sometimes on half rations, sleep on the ground with small covering, roast, sweat, freeze,... 
by readmore | Jul 19, 2015 | Civil War, Custer
“Come on, you Wolverines!” With this spirited shout, young General George A. Custer led his Michigan cavalry into the Battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War. After his death at the Little Bighorn, Custer was at first lionized as a heroic martyr. In the...