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Post by fred on Nov 15, 2018 14:07:44 GMT -6
Thank you for forwarding what you had on W.P. Clark. Regards. Tom Mon plaisir, mon ami. Best wishes, Fred.
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Post by noggy on Nov 16, 2018 2:24:19 GMT -6
I jump in my chair every time this is in the feed, thinking a new book is out. Fred's second edition of the Participant's is a new book and a very worthwhile to any LBH student. Regards Steve Only new to those yet to buy it All the best, Geir
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Post by AZ Ranger on Nov 16, 2018 7:35:59 GMT -6
Fred's second edition of the Participant's is a new book and a very worthwhile to any LBH student. Regards Steve Only new to those yet to buy it All the best, Geir Geir I hear you since I have it also but it is still new and someone looking to buy it should be aware of it. Some second editions have little to offer but this book has a lot to offer. If you have the first and like it you need the second. If you don't have the first get the second edition. Regards Steve
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Post by Colt45 on Mar 29, 2021 18:54:46 GMT -6
I have just finished reading Fred's "Marcus Reno in the valley of the Little Big Horn". All I can say is . . . SUPERB WORK! This explains a lot of things generally not known or completely glossed over. Fred's use of accounts from both sides really helps understand what was going on and why some of the decisions made were made the way they were.
For example, many people think Benteen's scout to the left of the main column was unnecessary and a waste of time, including Benteen himself. But what is missing in most discussions of Benteen's scout is the fact that the army (in 1876) thought the Indians would be found in the upper valley of LBH, not the lower part. Given this assumption on the army's part, it makes perfect sense for Terry to tell Custer to feel to his left, and for Custer to send Benteen off to his left after crossing the divide. Had the Indians been where the army assumed they would be, Reno would have been north of the village at ford A, and Benteen would have been in position to cut off any Indian flight to the east or south. I was not aware that the army believed the hostiles would be found in the upper valley, closer to the mountains they eventually left the area for. Major epiphany for me.
The Indians were initially going to be in the upper valley, but by chance they found game was more plentiful in the lower valley, so they changed plans and moved there. How's that for a twist of fate, and a reminder to always have good intelligence before launching off on an attack.
The discussion of the prelude, i.e., the move from the Yellowstone on the 22nd and the effect of Reno's previous scout adds much needed detail to the body of knowledge about this part of the battle. Custer had plenty of warning that he had insufficient combat power to take on the village, but he failed to heed the scouts and the soldiers who also told him he was biting off too much to chew.
Fred, this book ties in with "Strategy" very well and really ties together the valley action and brings a lot of clarity to the overall battle. I think you gave the proper credit to Reno where it was deserved and the proper blame where it was warranted. I think all readers with military experience will quickly grasp what you said about Reno and will agree with your conclusions. Those with no military background will also understand your reasoning and conclusions. Bravo, my friend, job very well done!
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Post by tubman13 on Oct 24, 2022 15:57:43 GMT -6
Colt, Fred has a new book in the works, the chapters are topic specific and will have many Native American specific quotes as well as those from white participants. From what I hear we all will have some new learnings to include interesting info about the gap. And, other individual areas. I look forward to it.
Regards, Tom
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Jenny
Full Member
Posts: 200
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Post by Jenny on Dec 18, 2022 18:53:18 GMT -6
Well... again, I appreciate the confidence all of you seem to have in my work, and I thank you for your kind comments. Just remember, the publisher describes this thing as a "biographical dictionary," and that is what it is, nothing more, nothing less. Maybe this is a good spot to describe it a bit... It consists of short bios of all the troops at the LBH, plus those left at PRD. Many of the "bios" are nothing more than "name-rank-and-serial-number," but others contain all sorts of little snippets of what I think is neat information. The example I like to give is, Did LT Cooke use an "e" at the end of his name? Then there is a section for the scouts and civilians. The real new stuff is the biographical data and the listing of some 1,500 warriors, women, and children. I was hoping to add another 4,000 names, but I have not been able to verify the data, so I decided not to include it. It then consists of several appendices, some mundane, some less so. There is a listing of those scouts thought to have been there: one by Williams, another by Graham, a third by Camp. Then there are all sorts of Indian dispositions and camp sites; uniforms, weaponry, QM items, who wore what... and a glossary! And that's about it. I consider it a reference guide and I set it up so it is easy to read and you needn't be an acronym specialist to get through it. It will also contain a pair of charts that-- I believe-- are definitive, and show the precise number of men who were at the battle (on Custer's side, please!). There is enough research in the charts to be able to support whatever they claim to show. I would like to believe it would be the type of book a real student might always keep within easy reach. Best wishes, Fred.
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