books

[joewiggs]

Of all the books I've had the pleasure to read, "Where Custer Fell" stands out for me. It is a book of photographs of the Little Big Horn battlefield that does a tremendous job of photo comparison between present day landmarks and, how they appeared shortly after the battle. To see some of the remnants of the battle, the bones of both men and horses gives a mute testimony to the horrors of the battle. I highly recommend that you add this publication to your library.

[melani]

Where Custer Fell is indeed a very useful reference for the truly dedicated (or crazy ). But for a general overview, well-written and detailed enough, but still not boring for the LBH novice, I really like--dare I say it?--A Terrible Glory. As has been pointed out repeatedly elsewhere, it's not perfect, but then nothing is. In this study, whatever anybody says is going to be disputed by somebody else--that's what makes it fun!

[joewiggs]

A Terrible Glory is a fascinating read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Why one individual was obsessed with trashing it ranks in my top ten of the "Weird Pole." It is all that you say it is. I have just finished reading it for the second time and, throughly enjoyed it once again.

[joewiggs]

I think I can relay to the forum another outstanding book worthy of adding to your library, "On The Little Bighorn With Walter Camp." It is a collection of Camp's letters, notes, and opinions on the battle.
I found it amazing that Camp was disturb by what he felt was a myriad of theories and postulations (unsubstantiated) in the last "33 years" that simply blew his mind.

Can you imagine what he would have thought about the incredible amount of "theories" that exist today?

What is so compelling about this tome is that we, the little people, now have access to information that has been filed away for.

Compiled and edited by Richard G. Hardorff, this book offers an exciting glimpse into an era where individuals who actually lived and participated in this historical event express their inner most thoughts. I got it for Christmas and, man am I glad!

[tbw]

Book: Custer’s Chief of Scouts: The Reminiscences of Charles A. Varnum

Varnum’s reminisces are quite enlightening, for instance he states.

About the Crows Nest & the Divide:
“While on the hill we saw and Indian riding a pony and leading another on a long lariat, and a boy behing, also mounted. They were in front of us, a mile or so off, riding parallel to the ridge but evidently heading for a gap to our right were the trail crossed the divide… Later on a divide parallel to the stream up which Custer was approaching, I saw seven Indians in single file riding toward the Rosebud. From where we were they were outlined against the sky and looked like giants on immense horses… The column arrived at the trail crossing of the divide about 10 A. M., and Custer came at once to where I was… About 10 o’clock the column was in sight heading for a low spot in the divide where the trail crosses. I rode out to meet the troops, but met General Custer and Tom. He sent Tom back and rode to the Crow Nest with me…”

[Varnum mentioned this “trail crossing of the divide” several times. And there was no mistaking which divide he was referencing, it was the divide between the Davis Creek and Reno Creek watershed. I find it interesting that he mentioned that Custer’s column arrived “a low spot in the divide where the trail crosses” at 10A.M., and in the same sentence states, “and Custer came at once to where I was.” It really dispels many a myth.]

About the ride down Reno Creek:
“From every hill where I could see the valley I saw Indians mounted… I reported my observations several times… The last time I reported, probably two miles from the river, I saw squadron of 3 troops passing the head of the column at a trot. I asked where they were going & the Gen’. said, “To begin the attack.” “I reported to the General saying I guess he could see about all I could of the situation. ‘I don’t know What can you see?’ said the General. ‘The whole valley in front is full of Indians,” I replied “& you can see them when you take that rise,” (pointing to the right front.).

[Varnum here dispels many myths in the book. Just one of many he dispels is that Custer had no recon intelligence concerning the hostile village or the numbers of Indians there, here, Varnum shatters that myth.]

About the sighting of E Troop on the bluffs:
“We rode back to the line of troops which rested its right on the timber which bordered the stream. Across the timber, on the other side of the stream, was a high bluff and looking up I saw the gray horse Troop E in column…”

[At the RCOI Varnum didn’t mention the fact that he had observed E Troop “in column”, of course, he wasn’t asked.]

About Moylan’s line during the Valley fight:
“There was a cut bank surrounding the timber and the men were behind it…”
[And Moylan’s line was positioned where? ]

All in all a very valuable resource book for anyone seriously interested in the field. It also has Varnum's Reno Court of Inquiry testimony complete with questions and answers.

The book was Edited by John Carroll, with the Introduction and a Biographical Chonology by Charles Mills.

[joewiggs]

That did it for me! Its the next book on my "got to get" list.

[melani]

I like Varnum a lot--got a nice edition of it from Upton, not too expensive. I am just finishing Custer's Luck by Edgar Stewart--one of the many I picked up at the booksale at the LBHA conference. I guess it was published in 1955 or so, which makes it one of the older ones, but it had escaped my attention before. It's extremely detailed about everything that is positively known, like every move made by Crook, Terry, Gibbon and every horse and mule with them. He doesn't spend too much time on Custer's portion of the battle--I guess he liked to work with hard facts more than conjecture. Seems pretty fair and even-handed, though he doesn't much care for Reno--but then, who did? Says Reno was competent as long as there was somebody to give him orders, but no so good on his own.

One thing I found rather fascinating is the descriptions he has of various Indian testimony, to the effect that they had been watching Custer approach for some time, and the only element of surprise was that they had expected him to lay over and attack at dawn. It rather jibes with the controversial portions of the Real Birds' reenactment script, where they claim the Indians were laying for Custer--I guess that's pretty much what Gall said.

[joewiggs]

Melani, Custer's Luck by Stewart is truly one of the best tomes written. I had forgotten this work as I read it sometime ago. Thank you for reminding me of it as I will now dig it out of the closet, wipe off the dust, and begin a good re-read, thanks to you.

[caltexian]

I'm wondering if anyone else has this problem: I seem to be accumulating way more books than I can read. Or finding time to read. I like to buy books at the LBHA seminar or other functions so I can have them personally inscribed by the authors. I've come to know James Donovan over the last few years and have bought "A Terribe Glory" and "Custer and the Little Big Horn" and have yet to read either one. I find myself being sidetracked by a few forums I belong to other than history-related forums, and I spend a lot of time watching the History Channel, Discover Channel and the Smithsonian Channel, among the other mindless things I watch, and find myself reading less. That's something I need to change. And sometimes I'll just get burned out reading all things LBH or Indian War-related and will switch over to reading murder mysteries, etc. My bad.

[caltexian]

One book I picked up a couple weeks ago that I am reading is "Forgotten Fights, Little-Known raids and skirmishes on the frontier, 1823-1890" by Greg and Susan Michno.
It's way different from what I usually read in that it is just what the title implies: Little known fights. The book covers fights from all the western states from the Dakotas to California, Oregon and Washington.
I'm sure some of you have driven I-90 between Billings and Bozeman. Somewhere along that route, within sight of the interstate, there is a small marker where a man, his son and another traveling partner stopped for the night, were attacked and killed by the Sioux. Small, insignificant fight, but for some reason these interest me. That's what Greg's book is all about: fights ranging from a handful of Comanche attacking a lonely ranch in west Texas--such as in "The Searchers"--to confrontations of a company of Rangers v. 100 Comanches. It's good, easy, fast interesting reading and probably one I'll actually sit down and read all the way through without gettting sidetracked by other distractions as I mentioned in my previous post. It's a good read if that kind of thing interests you.

[joewiggs]

You have got to read a "Terrible Glory." I loved it. I believe that Donovan's perspective was even keeled, plausible, and extremely entertaining reading. His book ranks in my top ten list. How about the rest of you guys and girls. What doe you all think?

[tbw]

Never read it. Sounds like I should though.

Anyone ever heard of this one?

Memoirs of the 7th Michigan Cavalry

Its supposed to be a unit history with 1st person accounts. It was written by survivors in 1909. It features short stories from enlisteds and officers, including some personal accounts of the men and General George A. Custer.

It sounds interesting. Never heard of it before. It seems rather rare as when I google it, it don't even find any! It might be a good one to see if it can be acquired through inter-library loan, I guess.

[joewiggs]

Isn't it amazing. You read hundreds of books only to find that there are still hundreds more that you have not read. Will it never end?

[melani]

No, Joe, of course it will never end. Do we really want it to?

Caltexian, we are all in the same boat. I once swore I wouldn't buy any more books until I had read all the ones I already had, but I believe that resolve lasted about one day. I have more reading to do than I will finish in my lifetime. My problem is that I watch hardly any television, but there's a lot of stuff I want to see, that we have recorded on the Comcast device. The trouble is that that thing gets full and you have to delete stuff, so you have to watch what you've already recorded. My husband has taken to making appointments for watching television, just so we will have room to record the next thing that comes along. Nothing is ever on at a convenient time to watch it live.

There's no reason to apologize for reading murder mysteries, either--it's not like we are taking classes and have to pass exams or something--I do this for fun. And like you, I have to take fiction breaks--just finished a couple more from the Holmes On the Range series by Adam Hockensmith--Montana cowboys in the 1890's, a pair of brothers, become obsessed with serialized Sherlock Holmes stories in magazines and start using his methods to solve mysteries. Big fun. I also recommend the Gabriel Du Pre Montana mysteries by Peter Bowen--Du Pre is a modern day Metis guy living in a fictional Montana town, and one story actually starts at the Crow Fair.

My problem is getting to be storage. On another forum, we once had a discussion on how to construct all your furniture out of piles of books.

[joewiggs]

Melani, you are absolutely correct. If the books stopped coming I would be emulsified! I also enjoying reading tales of the supernatural. Having had the opportunity to actually see a deceased person return from the beyond, I have spent a great deal of my time reading of the personal experiences of others.