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Post by dcb188 on Dec 22, 2005 19:12:29 GMT -6
I read The Battle of Beecher Island by Fred Werner. Can anyone recommend anything else? And also anything about George Forsyth? And how did he end up in Rockport Massachusetts? I just tracked down the house he lived in there, a play on words, Fair-Syth, but I don't know how or why he ended up in Rockport. Does anyone know? Also, any recommendations about the Wagon Box Fight? Thanks again
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Post by crzhrs on Dec 23, 2005 11:41:14 GMT -6
Try THE WAGON BOX FIGHT: An Epidode of Red Cloud's War by Jerry Keenan
Sometimes the easiest thing to do to find info on Indian/White battles is to do a Google search . . . Wagon Box Fight, Beecher's Island, Fetterman's Massacre, Hayfield Fight, etc., and you will get numerous sites to look up info.
OR . . .
Read The Fetterman Massacre (aka Fort Phil Kearney) by Dee Brown for an excellent account of the events and battles with the Sioux/Cheyenne including Fetterman, Wagon Box, and Hayfield fights,
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Post by Treasuredude on Dec 23, 2005 15:58:41 GMT -6
Try THE WAGON BOX FIGHT: An Epidode of Red Cloud's War by Jerry Keenan Sometimes the easiest thing to do to find info on Indian/White battles is to do a Google search . . . Wagon Box Fight, Beecher's Island, Fetterman's Massacre, Hayfield Fight, etc., and you will get numerous sites to look up info. OR . . . Read The Fetterman Massacre (aka Fort Phil Kearney) by Dee Brown for an excellent account of the events and battles with the Sioux/Cheyenne including Fetterman, Wagon Box, and Hayfield fights, The Keenan book is excellent. It's been redone with lots of info on archeological digs in the area. It's pretty short but loaded with information. Brown's Fetterman book is also good but a bit dated. It's an easy read and gives a lot of background data.
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Post by markland on Dec 23, 2005 16:24:29 GMT -6
Just to pat my own back, if you want transcripts of the Fetterman "Court of Inquiry" or legally, the "Special Investigation Into the Massacre of U. S. Troops," go to my site and scroll down to Ft. Phil Kearny Resources. freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~familyinformation/Merry Christmas (or whatever pulls your chain), Billy P.S. Man. oh, man! Otis could really sing..."Sitting on the dock on the bay, wasting time...."
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Post by dcb188 on Dec 23, 2005 23:15:19 GMT -6
Thank you all, and have a Merry Christmas......
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Post by crzhrs on Dec 26, 2005 12:39:07 GMT -6
Billy:
You site for the Fetterman Massacre is great. The testimony by some of the participants is very telling, especially the lack of discipine and disgruntlment of the officers over Carrington's handling of the Indians. It was remarkable that officers would dash off after Indians without any regards to ambushes or Indians' fighting skill.
It's apparent that is what happened to Fetterman's command on Dec. 21. Lack of respect, organization, and discipline was a major factor to the defeat. Whether Carrington had what it took to be a forceful CO has always been part of the debate. He was more of "paper" soldier, and it seems he lacked a "Patton-like" persona to get the men to respect him. How much he should be blamed for the defeat is open for discussion but officers who went over his head and regarded the Indians as "inferior", be it racially/culturally/militarily, share as much responsibility as he does.
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Post by markland on Dec 31, 2005 9:51:49 GMT -6
Notes to self...finish transcribing Mitch's testimony to the Special Investigation board; OCR, proof & publish Carrington's presentation to the British Association For the Advancement of Science; completely reformat all the documents into printable PDF files rather than HTML.
And this is a hobby???
Billy
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Gumby
Full Member
Posts: 202
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Post by Gumby on Jan 4, 2006 17:52:29 GMT -6
I read The Battle of Beecher Island by Fred Werner. Can anyone recommend anything else? And also anything about George Forsyth? And how did he end up in Rockport Massachusetts? I just tracked down the house he lived in there, a play on words, Fair-Syth, but I don't know how or why he ended up in Rockport. Does anyone know? Also, any recommendations about the Wagon Box Fight? Thanks again
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Gumby
Full Member
Posts: 202
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Post by Gumby on Jan 4, 2006 17:54:38 GMT -6
I am currently working on a new Beecher Island book which I hope to have ready by May 2006. The tentative title is "The Solomon Avengers".
Bob Snelson
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Post by markland on Jan 6, 2006 8:04:29 GMT -6
Bob, I hope you have better luck in reading Forsyth's report of the affair than I did. Between a lousy microfilm copy, document fading and funky handwriting, it is one that I have filed under "To Do When Life Is Too Good." The frustration of transcribing that should put me back on an even plane. Let us know when the book comes out! Billy P.S. The Ft. Wallace Interment Register has listed Culver & Farley's original grave sites. They are numbers 64 & 65 on p. 301. www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/special/military/vitals/images/burialreg/v1-301.jpg
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Gumby
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Post by Gumby on Feb 6, 2006 11:41:20 GMT -6
Billy,
The first time I tried to read his handwriting I had to stop because it gave me a headache. In December I found that I just had to do it. It took me several nights but I finally did it. I will include it in the book as a attachment along with some of the diary entries from participants.
I had to use his autobiography to figure out some of the location names referred to in his report.
I hope to have the writing done within the next 30-60 days. Fortunately I married a teacher last year, so I get free editing. Still haven't come up with a bookcover idea yet.
Bob
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Post by elisabeth on Feb 7, 2006 5:43:47 GMT -6
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Post by Scout on Feb 7, 2006 7:43:33 GMT -6
In 1973 I was in Wichita, Ks. and walked into Shepler's western store and purchased [$1.95] a copy of 'GREAT WESTERN INDIAN FIGHTS' by the Potomac Corral of the Westerners. It detailed all the great western Indian fights and each chapter [25 in all] is written by a different writer. Frost, Utley, Appleman and so on. Chapter 13 was 'The Fight at Beecher Island' written by James Hutchins. Man, I was hooked....more exciting than any fiction I had ever read! Chapters on the Rosebud, Adobe Walls, Fetterman Massacre, Lava Beds, LBH, Wounded Knee. I understand Beecher Island washed away years ago along with the original monument but I would love to visit the site....is it open to the public?
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Post by crzhrs on Feb 7, 2006 8:10:31 GMT -6
Scout:
I have the same book and bought it years ago. Great info on many fights.
Another valuable book is INDIAN FIGHTS & FIGHTERS written by Cyrus Brady (1904?) details many battles and has great interviews by participants. It's always better to have books written much closer to the time historical events took place and Brady's book offers different views on the fights.
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Gumby
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Post by Gumby on Feb 9, 2006 21:54:31 GMT -6
Elisabeth, Looks great! Did you make it?
Scout, The site is open to the public. The best time to go is the weekend closest to Sept 17th. They still do an annual reunion.
If you can find a copy, buy the Beecher Island Annual. Expect to spend $45.00 or more. Plenty of first hand accounts. I'm using that and personal accounts and diaries I found in the Kansas State Historical Society Archives. I decyphered Forsyth's handwritten after-action report from microfilm I got from the National Archives and I have yet to get to the Denver Public Library's Western History Collection.
Bob
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