An Invitation for Authors

[Diane Merkel]

If you are willing to answer questions concerning your book(s), please start a new thread for each book, or contact Diane at [e-mail].

[greenpheon]

"Soldier Scientist of the Old West, Dr. Robert W. Shufeldt"

This is the biography of a naturalist-explorer, skull collector, brilliant scientist and frontier army physician. Tasked by assistant director of the Smithsonian, Spencer Baird, to gather specimens out west, Shueldt's first collecting trip was to the Little Big Horn battlesite. There, he scoured the battlefield in the spring of 1877 and collected items for the Army Medical Museum, including the skull of a 7th Cavalry soldier. It would be the first of hundreds of human remains he would obtain in his decades of service and forward to the AAM and other museums around the world.

Son of a U.S. Navy admiral, Shufeldt first served as a warrant officer in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War. Later, after graduating from Columbia university, he would be appointed an assistant surgeon in the U.S. Army and assigned to Fort Laramie, Wyoming as the post surgeon. During his free time he studied birds, a past time from his boyhood, and would become one of the foremost ornithologists in the world. His fascination with John James Audubon resulted in his courtship and marriage to Audubon's great granddaughter.

After service in the Nez Perce war, Shufeldt would spend most of a decade stationed at Fort Wingate, New Mexico where he was promoted to capatin. At Wingate he would gather many specimens, including the skulls of Zuni and Navajo Indians, collaborate with other physician-scientists and write many scientific articles and books. Near the end of his service at Wingate he would be court-martialed and medically retired from the service, more for his personal views than for any physical disability.

Returning to Washington D.C. he would devote the rest of his life to science and become a radical racist after the death of his brother at the hands of African tribesmen. Later he would suffer the hatred and scorn of his former colleagues for the manner in which he treated his wife, Florence Audubon.

Upon the U.S. involvement in WWI Shufeldt would be called back to active duty, promoted to Major by act of congress, and placed in charge of physical collections at the Army Medical Museum.

This is the story of a brilliant scientist whose scientific contributions were overshadowed by his later acts of cruelty and anti-social behavior. If you read my book "Custer's Lost Officer, the Search for Lieutenant Henry Moore Harrington, 7th U.S. Cavalry" you have met Dr. Shufeldt. I expect the book to be published in the spring of 2008.

Walt Cross

[Diane Merkel]

Good for you, Walt! I'll look forward to it because I enjoyed your Harrington book very much.

It's nice to see you here again. Don't be a stranger!

[greenpheon]

Thanks Diane. I went to work for the Dept of Defense last May, my job has to do with the Guard and Reserve and I have been swamped since I came on board. My state's Guard unit (Oklahoma) just supplied an infantry brigade to active duty and we will be sending a second brigade, this one artillery, next summer. I had never been to D.C. and now I've had to make two trips within 90 days. Its been kind of busy between it and writing. I hope to complete the book by next spring. By the way, I don't recall getting a renewal notice this year. Best regards. -Walt

[Diane Merkel]

Walt,

I hope you have a chance to enjoy DC while you are there. It truly is a beautiful city and full of wonderful museums.

I'll write to Dale Kosman and ask him to let you know your LBHA membership status.

Best wishes,
Diane