The Battle of the Washita by Stan Hoig

[markland]

I am surprised that I like this book so much, since while reading through the introduction, my first inclination was to throw it against the nearest wall at a high rate of speed. That was at the point where Stan states arbitrarily that Washita was a massacre of the Cheyenne. Having read up through the battle and return of Custer's column, I have not seen anything which yet proves his assertion. Perhaps later in the book.

The only quibble I have is that there are no footnote numbers in the text. Looking at the book, I now realize that there are chapter notes but they are based upon a certain textual phrase such as, "p. 39 'interpreter along just in case' blah, blah." Unfortunately, there is no indication in the book that notes are supplied with the above reference. Perhaps it is because I have a soft-bound version and the editors skimped on the type-setting. If someone has the hard-bound copy, can you check that for me?

But, all in all, an interesting and informative book on the circumstances leading up to Washita with nice background information on some of the 7th Cav.'s luminaries such as Hamilton, GAC, and Elliott. It is well written with some amusing moments, such as when Hamilton realizes that he is officer of the day and will be left behind, and Stan's conjecture that Lt. Mathey is "pursuaded" that he is suffering from snow-blindness.

A book that I am glad I bought (and didn't throw against the wall and then out in the trash).

Best of wishes,

Billy

[jdmackintosh]

Have you read Jerry Greene's book on the Washita? Definitley worth getting. I don't mean this as a put down to Hoig but it is far superior.

[Tricia]

Billy--

I happen to have the hardcover (oooh, first edition) and like you, I find no indication of notes within the text. I guess one has to assume that something comes with a notation and then find its page in the "footnotes" section in the back of the book. Funny, I always thought notes at the back of the text were called "endnotes ..."

As for "the just in case" phrase, its notation is found on page 222:

"'interpreter along, just in case ....' Ibid, Wynkoop to Murphy, Fort Larned, December 18, 1867, Browning to Taylor, Washington, DC, April 13, 1868."

But yeah, I dunno what is going on with this kind of notation. Strikes me as quite sloppy.

Regards,
Leyton McLean

[markland]

"Funny, I always thought notes at the back of the text were called "endnotes ...""

Oops!

I spotted something else that Hoig says which I am going to have to do some more research to verify the first impressions, which are that he overstated his case. Basically near the end of the book he pretty much states that the men of the KS 19th Cav. and the men of the 7th Cav. were killing each other in brawls once back to civilization. A quick peep through my database of dead 7th Cav. troops from that period does not reveal any such thing. I spot one man who died of gunshot wounds at Ft. Hays on 4/21/1869; another who was attacked on the train between Ft. Hays and Kansas City and died of wound received on 5/18/1869; with two more men dying from gunshot wounds in 1870 (and one of those occurred at Kit Carson, Colorado Territory). Hardly the bloodbath that Hoig describes, unless the 7th were that much better shots then than they proved to be in 1876. Anyway, I will go through my notebooks to verify that I haven't missed a regimental return for that period.

Also, in the "what a heckuva coincidence department"; I discovered yesterday that Sgt. Frederick Stobaceus, who was killed at the Washita with Elliott, died two years from the day that he enlisted. He enlisted (or reenlisted-I am unsure of which) on 11/27/1866 and was killed on 11/27/1868.

Time to get going to the archives. They told me that they have a bunch of North Dakota quartermaster department records from the 1870's in textual form so I am going to rummage through those to see if I can find anything relevant to the 1876 campaign. Plus I am trying to find out some information regarding Ft. Casper, Wyoming and what happened to that post's grave yard.

Later,

Billy

P.S. John, I have Jerry's book, thanks for reminding me. I had put it down for something else and need to restart it.

[yksin]

jdmackintosh said:

Have you read Jerry Greene's book on the Washita? Definitley worth getting. I don't mean this as a put down to Hoig but it is far superior.

Hoig's book is pretty good, but it was written in 1976, so Jerome Greene (2004) probably had more to go on in terms of information available. The endnoting style is kinda weird, yeah, but it does okay once you know how it works. I've seen that style before. I personally life footnotes best of all (as in Hardorff's Washita Memories), I get so tired of having to continually go to the back of the book to see if there's more said; but when the footnotes get really long (as with Greene's book) sometimes it's the way to g.

-- Yksin

[harpskiddie]

yksin:

Welcome to the club, so to speak. Where in Alaska are you located, if I may be so bold as to ask?

Gordie,
it's gettin' dark, we'll miss the late-night bus.....................................................................

[yksin]

harpskiddie said:

Welcome to the club, so to speak. Where in Alaska are you located, if I may be so bold as to ask?

Thanks for the welcome! I'm in Anchorage, just added it to my profile too.

it's gettin' dark, we'll miss the late-night bus.....................................................................

Haaaaahaa, around here, come winter, when it's getting dark we'll be missing the mid-afternoon bus.