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Post by AZ Ranger on Jan 23, 2017 9:16:06 GMT -6
Welcome back Eric
I have being going to the battlefield with intent to see for myself since 2009. Made three visits before that as a tourist. I served in the Marine Corps with a tour of Viet Nam in 69-70. I worked 35 years for the Arizona Game and Fish Department with 20 years as Region II Law Enforcement Supervisor. I attended the Arizona Post Mounted Patrol School and patrolled horseback for many years.
I have many contacts in the battlefield area including NPS employees, resident historians, ranchers owning significant properties, many Crow friends at different locations from Reno Creek to Ford B. I have ridden the Benteen Scout to the Left area from the divide to Reno Creek took a GPS and recorded the route we rode. Rode from Ford A (7th Ranch) to highway 212.
I found I learn more effectively by hands on activity rather than reading which is why I like being a firearms instructor and armorer. With firearms there is some classroom for students by mostly hands on experience and the first steps to building a skill set for a lot of new officers.
As far as HR I have been discussing with him for years and very seldom agree but his value is research and the links he posts . I am sorry I don't share the same value view regarding Robb. He certainly can wax eloquent when he wants to but if you check his posts he provides very little substance. He alleges to have over 700 books on the LBH and I would think he could share some knowledge here. He now recommends Fred yet he posted nasty comments regarding Fred's book before he read it. He latter became friendly with Fred and took down his pathetic posts. I did save some of his posts in case I need to remind Robb of how wrong he was.
In your case as an author you will find Robb has a great suck up ability. When you read Fred's book you might even see my name in it along with another friend Terry who rode the Benteen Scout area. I usually go to the battlefield area at the end of June and first of July. There are reenactors there for three days with a great knowledge base and they are my friends.
If I can be of any assistance with contacts in the area please PM me and I will be happy to share them.
Regards
AZ Ranger
Steve Andrews
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Post by ericwittenberg on Jan 23, 2017 10:25:08 GMT -6
Welcome back Eric I have being going to the battlefield with intent to see for myself since 2009. Made three visits before that as a tourist. I served in the Marine Corps with a tour of Viet Nam in 69-70. I worked 35 years for the Arizona Game and Fish Department with 20 years as Region II Law Enforcement Supervisor. I attended the Arizona Post Mounted Patrol School and patrolled horseback for many years. I have many contacts in the battlefield area including NPS employees, resident historians, ranchers owning significant properties, many Crow friends at different locations from Reno Creek to Ford B. I have ridden the Benteen Scout to the Left area from the divide to Reno Creek took a GPS and recorded the route we rode. Rode from Ford A (7th Ranch) to highway 212. I found I learn more effectively by hands on activity rather than reading which is why I like being a firearms instructor and armorer. With firearms there is some classroom for students by mostly hands on experience and the first steps to building a skill set for a lot of new officers. As far as HR I have been discussing with him for years and very seldom agree but his value is research and the links he posts . I am sorry I don't share the same value view regarding Robb. He certainly can wax eloquent when he wants to but if you check his posts he provides very little substance. He alleges to have over 700 books on the LBH and I would think he could share some knowledge here. He now recommends Fred yet he posted nasty comments regarding Fred's book before he read it. He latter became friendly with Fred and took down his pathetic posts. I did save some of his posts in case I need to remind Robb of how wrong he was. In your case as an author you will find Robb has a great suck up ability. When you read Fred's book you might even see my name in it along with another friend Terry who rode the Benteen Scout area. I usually go to the battlefield area at the end of June and first of July. There are reenactors there for three days with a great knowledge base and they are my friends. If I can be of any assistance with contacts in the area please PM me and I will be happy to share them. Regards AZ Ranger Steve Andrews Thanks, Steve. I appreciate it, and I appreciate your kind offer. My visit is at the end of July, and the guys I'm going with have engaged Mr. Mangum to be our guide. I'm told that it simply doesn't get much better than that. I have an old friend who spent 26 years in the Army as a combat engineer, and I learned a lot from him. The primary thing that I learned was that the terrain is THE primary source. You simply cannot understand these actions unless you understand the terrain and unless you understand that the terrain drives the action, not vice versa. As for HR: I have never had the slightest bit of problem with people disagreeing with my interpretations of things. As Dirty Harry Callahan once said,"A man's gotta know his limitations." I am nothing if not painfully aware of my own. At the same time, I draw the line at rudeness and disrespectfulness. If you want to disagree with me in a polite and respectful way, I will gladly hear what you have to say, and I will gladly engage in a dialog. I'm the first to admit when I'm wrong. But I will not tolerate rudeness and a lack of respect under any circumstances, and it is my considered opinion that HR's prior post--NOT the one in this thread--was rude and disrespectful. Consequently, I decline to respond to it because doing so will reward the conduct. Eric
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Post by ericwittenberg on Jan 23, 2017 10:29:46 GMT -6
Eric, My original interest in ACW was a family belief that an ancestor was a Captain in Cavalry on mothers side. On father's side had several cavalry folks, most significant being my grandfather, who I was named after. He served in cavalry as an enlisted soldier, serving 30 years and finishing as 1SG. Ends up the captain in cavalry was corporal in infantry, in the Veterans Reserve Corps. His descendants that the C meant cavalry. I have an interest in the transition in the US cavalry from conventional to unconventional warfare. Success against a conventional enemy in the very complex terrain of VA is very different than unconventional war id the far less complicated terrain of the great prairie. I have studied transitional warfare since my first paper on this topic, in 1983. Great commanders and units in one combatant environment, prove to be useless when conditions change. Individuals and units who have average records in first conflict, shine in second. The US cavalry of this era (1860-90) are the most dramatic example of this process, and the extremes. The 9th and 10th Cav proved to be vastly superior than 7th Cav, post ACW. Given the extreme racism of this era, and the fact that educating blacks was a death sentence pre ACW and repressed until 1964, is a real surprise. Many pages of discussion on the whys and wherefores. I have been wondering why for most of my life. SO Don't get turned off if you run into a few trolls on an online forum. We can, and have, had reasonable discussions of adults on many issues relevant to this board. I hope you can be patient, and have a dialogue with us. Respectfully, William Thank you for the kind welcome, William. Much obliged. I'm not going anywhere. I've simply chosen not to dignify what I view as rude and disrespectful by responding to it. That's always going to be my policy. I quite agree about the Buffalo Soldiers. I've long been interested in Louis Henry Carpenter, who eventually earned an MOH leading Buffalo Soldiers during the Indian Wars, and have, as a result, become pretty familiar with their exploits. They were fine soldiers, and as you quite correctly point out, they had a much more proud record than even the 7th Cavalry. I'm also interested in Maj. Theodore Wint, who began the Civil War as a private in the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry and ended his career as a brigadier general in the Regular Army, who had his leg broken by a Mauser bullet leading men of the 9th Cavalry up Kettle Hill during the Span-Am War. These units have a ton of rich legacy and great stories associated with them that get all too often overlooked. Eric
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Post by montrose on Jan 24, 2017 11:21:24 GMT -6
The role of cavalry is very interesting in this era. In ACW, cavalry was most effective in screening and raiding. Whatever they did, was based on helping nearby conventional forces.
In the Indian wars (1865-1890), cavalry shifted from a combat support role, to the main effort.
I am happy to make an argument that LTC Custer failed at this transition. He was used to being a supporting player, and not able to be the main effort.
US cavalry started ACW as useless, due to weapons and training. The Joe Hooker reorganization created a superior force than traitor cavalry, but the officers were so used to losing that they were useless. So we see very junior officers promoted over hundreds, probably thousands, of their superiors.
This is very rare in military history, and only time has happened in US Army. The US Army is a very Colonel Blimp design, where ability is rarely a factor in promotions above field grade.
The problem is that LTC Custer was exceptional in ACW as BG and MG. They needed an officer who would ignore tactics, training, situational awareness and just Tor, Tora, Tora.
Post ACW he was a disaster, unable to manage a garrison without enemy threat, and the more enemies you add, the worse his performance,
Any serious student of the Indian wars know that LTC Custer was unfit for a commission as an officer in any rank higher than First Lieutenant.
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Post by benteen on Jan 24, 2017 12:06:07 GMT -6
Eric,
Allow me to take the time to welcome you aboard (However belated the welcome is). Look forward to exchanging opinions and ideas with you.
Be Well Dan
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Post by dave on Jan 24, 2017 14:16:02 GMT -6
Eric I joined during your absence so I am not sure whether I should say Welcome or Welcome Back? Either way it is good to have you posting now as I have read Plenty of Blame to Go Around and One Continuous Fight and enjoyed both of them. I especially liked One Continuous Fight as it dealt with the little known fighting retreat of Lee's army all the way back to Virginia.
I wish you would turn your attention to the Western theater of operations and write about Shiloh of course but also perhaps Brices's Crossroad? Forrest would be a great subject and it has a tangential connection with the Little Bighorn in that Samuel Sturgis' son died on July day in Montana with 200 plus other soldiers.
Now that I have planned your free time for the next year or so, I extend a warm welcome and caution that at times some posters behave badly but us good'uns outnumber them! Regards Dave
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Post by ericwittenberg on Jan 24, 2017 15:20:15 GMT -6
The role of cavalry is very interesting in this era. In ACW, cavalry was most effective in screening and raiding. Whatever they did, was based on helping nearby conventional forces. In the Indian wars (1865-1890), cavalry shifted from a combat support role, to the main effort. I am happy to make an argument that LTC Custer failed at this transition. He was used to being a supporting player, and not able to be the main effort. US cavalry started ACW as useless, due to weapons and training. The Joe Hooker reorganization created a superior force than traitor cavalry, but the officers were so used to losing that they were useless. So we see very junior officers promoted over hundreds, probably thousands, of their superiors. This is very rare in military history, and only time has happened in US Army. The US Army is a very Colonel Blimp design, where ability is rarely a factor in promotions above field grade. The problem is that LTC Custer was exceptional in ACW as BG and MG. They needed an officer who would ignore tactics, training, situational awareness and just Tor, Tora, Tora. Post ACW he was a disaster, unable to manage a garrison without enemy threat, and the more enemies you add, the worse his performance, Any serious student of the Indian wars know that LTC Custer was unfit for a commission as an officer in any rank higher than First Lieutenant. I would disagree with the characterization that the cavalry itself was useless in 1861. I would rather suggest that the doctrinal belief that it would take five years to train volunteer cavalry sufficient to be useful is what caused that wide disparity in performance. Once Hooker massed the cavalry and permitted it to serve as a cohesive command with a corps commander--rather than parceling out a company at a time, to serve as orderlies and messengers--it performed quite admirably. Wilson's 1865 mounted army was probably the largest and most effective cavalry force the world had ever seen, and it was a juggernaut. I've actually written a book about the formation of the Army of the Potomac's Cavalry Corps and its 1863 evolution, and I feel reasonably confident in my conclusions. As for Custer, I can't really disagree. The fact that he had never learned army or regimental politics and was jumped from staff officer to brigade command with no prior experience definitely did not serve him well in the post-war Regular Army.
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Post by ericwittenberg on Jan 24, 2017 15:20:34 GMT -6
Eric, Allow me to take the time to welcome you aboard (However belated the welcome is). Look forward to exchanging opinions and ideas with you. Be Well Dan Thank you!
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Post by ericwittenberg on Jan 24, 2017 15:25:42 GMT -6
Eric I joined during your absence so I am not sure whether I should say Welcome or Welcome Back? Either way it is good to have you posting now as I have read Plenty of Blame to Go Around and One Continuous Fight and enjoyed both of them. I especially liked One Continuous Fight as it dealt with the little known fighting retreat of Lee's army all the way back to Virginia. I wish you would turn your attention to the Western theater of operations and write about Shiloh of course but also perhaps Brices's Crossroad? Forrest would be a great subject and it has a tangential connection with the Little Bighorn in that Samuel Sturgis' son died on July day in Montana with 200 plus other soldiers. Now that I have planned your free time for the next year or so, I extend a warm welcome and caution that at times some posters behave badly but us good'uns outnumber them! Regards Dave Thank you for the kind words, Dave. And I'm pleased to hear that you enjoy the work. Actually, my next book--already in Ted Savas' hands--is a Western Theater work. It's a monograph dedicated to the fighting at Chickamauga on September 18, 1863, with particular emphasis on Minty's and Wilder's stands at Reed's and Alexander's Bridges, actions that were worthy of such a look. I'm going to do more on these two units in the Tullahoma Campaign with my friend Dave Powell--Minty's charge at Shelbyville during the Tullahoma Campaign was perhaps the most remarkable mounted charge of the war, where a single brigade shattered an entire corps and sent it flying in a wild rout. I am no fan of Forrest. I think very little of him as a commander, and do not consider him a cavalryman. Consequently, I just can't muster up the level of interest that would be required to research and write a book about him, and anything I would write about Forrest would win me few fans. Also, my friend Tom Parson, who wrote a very good book on Forrest at the Battle of Tupelo, is now working on Brice's Crossroads, and I expect his to be a master work. Eric
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Post by dave on Jan 24, 2017 19:17:23 GMT -6
Eric I look forward to your new book dealing with Chickamauga an often overlooked massive struggle in the Western Theater coming so soon after Gettysburg and Vicksburg. I understand your feelings regrading Forrest and why you have no interest in his activities. Regards Dave
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Post by ericwittenberg on Jul 24, 2017 16:27:22 GMT -6
I head to the battlefield for my first visit on Wednesday. I'm part of a group of 15 or so, including some very experienced LBH folks. We have Neil Mangum for four full days, including the Rosebud. We have apparently been given permission to see the site of the Sun Dance, to visit the Crow's Nest, and to see some other sites that are not commonly visited. I'm very much looking forward to it, although it's going to be close to 100 degrees all four days.
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Post by tubman13 on Jul 24, 2017 17:38:58 GMT -6
Enjoy, Eric. Get Neil to show you the dugouts/rifle pits used by the 1874 expedition, to fight off the Sioux/ Cheyenne at the Divide, just below the Crows Nest. There is another battle site along Reno Creek from that expedition as well. I am sure Neil can cover this better than I. It has been written about in two rather good books, they give rather good insight to whether it is a good day to die or not!
Regards, Tom
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Post by dave on Jul 25, 2017 20:28:00 GMT -6
Well Eric look on the bright side as we in the deep South would say "it is dry heat." Have fun and take good notes and photos to share with us less fortunate who can't make it out West this year. Regards Dave
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