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Post by "Hunk" Papa on Sept 15, 2008 6:51:12 GMT -6
That impressive movie 'Legends of the Fall' was re-run on one of our TV channels last night.
Colonel Ludlow crossed Custer's path three times. Once at West Point when he and a plebe named Peter Ryerson got into a fight in June 1861 which Custer, as Officer of the Day, encouraged, resulting in a court-martial.
Secondly, Ludlow was the Scientific Officer on the 1874 Black Hills expedition and of course appeared in the famous 'Bear' photograph. Thirdly, he was the man that Custer told that he intended to "...cut loose from Gen.Terry during the summer" in May 1876,just after Terry had let Custer know that he would be going on the Sioux Campaign expedition.
Yet despite this inter-relationship, I can find little about the career of Ludlow or about his later life as it is depicted in 'Legends.' Does anyone know how accurate the movie is and any web sources that give more detail about Ludlow?
Hunk
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Post by Dark Cloud on Sept 15, 2008 9:10:38 GMT -6
Apparantly fiction, had no sons, but one daughter, died thirteen years before WWI. tinyurl.com/64a2n4[Modified to fix link -- Diane] |
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Post by rch on Sept 15, 2008 12:07:38 GMT -6
When Custer was buried at West Point, Ludlow was one of the pall bearers.
Ludlow and Custer were said to be friends, although there was a dispute over the hire of the Black Hill Expedition photographer.
Ludlow was also involved in the killing of the bear.
rch
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Post by "Hunk" Papa on Sept 16, 2008 10:15:08 GMT -6
Apparantly fiction, had no sons, but one daughter, died thirteen years before WWI. tinyurl.com/64a2n4
Thanks DC though I am remiss in calling him William H. as that was his father. He was just plain William. It appears that he never settled in Montana as depicted in the movie as from 1876 to 1898 he was involved in various engineering projects and was military attache of the U.S. Embassy in London 1893-1896. In 1898 he was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers and became engineer-in-chief of the armies in the field. In the Santiago campaign he was promoted to major-general of volunteers. On December 13 1898 he was appointed military governor of Havana and four months later was honourably discharged from the volunteer service, becoming brigadier-general in the U.S. Army in January 1900. Ordered to the Philippines in April 1901 but returned home almost immediately on sick-leave. He died at Convent, N.J., August 30, 1901. His wife'sname was Genevieve not Isabel, but apart from all that the movie was accurate! Thanks for your input Ray, but what puzzles me is if Ludlow was Custer's friend, which seems to be confirmed by being chosen as a pall bearer (I assume by Libbie?), why was he so determined to tell Terry what Custer said to him in May 1876, especially as by the time he did that, Custer was dead? Hunk |
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Post by BrokenSword on Sept 16, 2008 15:02:02 GMT -6
Hunk,
'Legends of the Fall' was based on a novella (expanded short story actually) of the same name. I forget the author's name - Jim Harris or Harrison maybe.
I took it that since it was presented as a novella, the author felt released from any confines that actual facts might call for.
From real life to movie is hazardous enough for those interested in any real story, but from life to novella and THEN to movie, probably leaves little or nothing in the way of truth in the wake.
M
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Post by "Hunk" Papa on Sept 16, 2008 16:34:27 GMT -6
Hunk, 'Legends of the Fall' was based on a novella (expanded short story actually) of the same name. I forget the author's name - Jim Harris or Harrison maybe. I took it that since it was presented as a novella, the author felt released from any confines that actual facts might call for. From real life to movie is hazardous enough for those interested in any real story, but from life to novella and THEN to movie, probably leaves little or nothing in the way of truth in the wake. M
I quite agree Michael, and even though I was aware the movie was based on a novella, sometimes there is some basis in factual events. In this case your description is spot on as the movie could not be much further removed from the truth if it tried. Good to 'talk' with you again. Hunk |
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