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Post by charliesue22 on Mar 19, 2006 22:09:42 GMT -6
This is not a question, but comment. I finally tracked down the man who would be Miles O'Harra's closest living male relative, his great nephew who was 97. Unfortunately, the man had just passed away. I took photos, including a copy of the photo of the skull-facial reconstruction that is in the Battlefield Museum to give to his family at the funeral home. Lo and behld, except for the age difference, Miles' nephew looks just like the bust O'Harra in the museum. The man's son started crying when he saw the resemblance. Strangely enough, Miles' nephew's life-long passion was breeding and racing horses!
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Post by Diane Merkel on Mar 19, 2006 23:29:52 GMT -6
That's a neat story, but how sad that you missed meeting him by a matter of days!
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Post by charliesue22 on Mar 20, 2006 19:50:13 GMT -6
I know this may not be in the right forum, but I have a general newbie question about two things I know nothing about--horses and guns.
In an Amer. Experience documentary by McCullough, it said (I can't remember exactly) something like a lot of the soldiers were farm boys, inexperienced at riding and shooting. This doesn't make sense to me because every old farmer I knew (I'm showing my age!) had at least one team of draft horses (or mules) and a buggy horse or mount for riding. My grandfather, by necessity knew how to saddle, ride and care for horses. Farm boys may have spent most of their time driving a team rather than riding on horses, but by necessity knew how to ride. (Women drove and rode horses by necessity as well.) I think the least experienced riders would be the commissioned officers who lived in the city and took trains. Did they teach riding at West Point? It seems some writers are determined to portray the entire 7th Cavalry as a bunch of bumbling idiots. I know there were a lot of poor immigrants, etc. but the young men from Ohio, including Miles O'Harra, who I'm researching, were seemingly quite competent and came from good middle-class families. Thank you in advance for your comments. Susan.
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Post by Tricia on Mar 21, 2006 8:47:59 GMT -6
Custer's best subject at West Point was "horsemanship." When it comes to enlisted men, often their families didn't have the funds to afford horses and those from the city might have found it impractical (just like how many modern New Yorkers don't bother to own cars) to own any. Many men enlisted just to get that (I'm trying to remember) $13.00/month in difficult economic times, a depression, so that may enter into the equation. One also had to work up the ability to sit on a horse for the length of Custer's marches (of course, the horse needed training as well), which is why out of the PRD, the Seventh began its course with a short haul followed by progressively longer ones.
Shooting was also dependant upon the weaponry avaliable and the ability to train with actual ammunition. The faults of the Springfield carbine has been discussed ad nauseum on this board as has been the complete lack of training (both the government's fault) avaliable to the regiment. Whilst officers could often afford their own guns and ammo, the enlisted were often at the mercy of what the US could provide them.
Regards,
Leyton McLean
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Post by Lawtonka on Apr 23, 2006 18:12:51 GMT -6
Wow, great story about finding the descendant of Miles O'Hara. I have had similar experiences myself in working on my own family history. I have been lucky enough a few times to have a chance to talk to some before it was too late, but on the other hand, I sure can share your frustration of being just a little too late. I am sure there was still some gratification even in this circumstance.
Also, I noticed on this thread, the mention of horsemanship and marksmanship. I could not help but thinking about the circus or should I say "Rodeo" that took place when General Crook outfitted his new recruits with mules. I remember reading how wild it was to see the men who in most cases had never ridden a horse Turing to break them in. I'm sure it was not so funny to the men.
On the marksmanship issue, I remember reading where after 1872 there was an order that each soldier would be required to fire 40 rounds of ammunition although it was very seldom followed. Once Godfrey wanted to let his men practice with the Gatling gun but was told he would have to buy his own ammunition.
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