The Little Jeff: The Jeff Davis Legion, Cavalry Army of Northern Virginia

Book Description

The Jeff Davis Legion, Cavalry Army of Northern Virginia

Customer Reviews:

Finally a book on the Jeff Davis Legion.......2000-03-04

The author expended a tremendous effort in researching the Jeff Davis Legion. He has created an interesting history of this unusual cavalry unit. Any one who is interested in the Confederate Cavalry will enjoy the detail information the author has dug out of the archives.

Correction.......2000-01-07

Amazon says book has 40 pages. It has 325

Great.......1999-12-01

The author obviously performed a great deal of research in order to extract such detailed and little known facts about the "Little Jeff". Truly a gem for all interested in the Civil War. Highly recommended.

As author I consider this a unique C.S.A. Regimental History.......1999-10-19

This is the first complete history of The Jeff Davis Legion, initially designated the 2nd Mississippi Cavalry Battalion. Fighting under Jeb Stuart and Wade Hampton it later followed Hampton to Georgia and the Carolinas. Though companies from Georgia and Alabama joined the regiment, it remained officially a "Mississippi" cavalry unit. They were the only Mississippi cavalry to fight as part of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.

Among the men of the "Little Jeff" were educated elite from Natchez and Savannah and rustic farmers and country tradesmen from Kemper County, Mississippi and Sumpter and Barbour Counties, Alabama. Through first hand accounts we follow these soldiers from their early enthusiasm until camp life and sickness brought war into perspective. They fought their first engagement in late 1861 and from then on fought in most of Lee's campaigns. They were at Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Seven days, Antietam, Trevilian Station, Brandy Station, Gettysburg and countless smaller engagements They sustained some of their greatest losses at lesser known places like Upperville, Funkstown, Stony Creek, and Bentonville.

Readers of this history should come away not only with an accurate characterization of the Confederate cavalryman, but also with an understanding of their place in the overall strategy of Lee's army. The related book, published simultaneously, "Horsemen of the Jeff Davis Legion" gives information taken from the individual cavalryman's service record from the National Archives as well as a wealth of information from other sources about each man. This should be useful as a geneological reference. Also contains statistics related to the Jeff Davis Legion and brief biographies of senior officers associated with it.

Customer Reviews:

They Died With Custer Forgets Lieutenant Harrington.......2006-07-01

A very good book and recommended. It does however fall short with its look at Lt. Henry Harrington, commander of Company C during the battle. The forensic reconstruction figure on page 172 is Lt. Harrington, one of the long missing officers whose remains were not found after the battle. The authors are not alone in missing the resemblance to the 1872 West Point graduate whose remains have lain in the Smithsonian Institution for more than a century.

This oversight by historians and anthropologists alike is corrected in the book "Custer's Lost Officer the Search for Lieutenant Henry Moore Harrington, 7th U.S. Cavalry by Walt Cross. I recommend that if you purchase this book you also purchase the Cross book ISBN: 0-9771926-1-X. In "Custer's Lost Officer" Harrington is identified as the soldier the Sioux called "The bravest man the Sioux ever fought."

Digging into the Little Bighorn.......2006-02-21

This book should be a considered a companion book to the others written detailing the results of the numerous battlefield investigations following the 1984 brush fire, particularly "Archaeology, History, and Custer's Last Battle: The Little Big Horn Reexamined."

While this book goes into detail about the individual soldiers and the remains found at numerous marker pairs across the field, the other title gives the new forensic based chronology of the battle. I was a park visitor in 1984, and two time subsequent to that date. It is amazing how the interpretation of the battle has changed since then. The new explanation answers many of the nagging questions that have fed the Custer Myth. Scott's book in particular explodes the myth of the noble fighting bunkmates or suicide pacts, that rose from the apparent grave stone pairs that dot the battlefield, and the apparent mis match between the number of markers and the number of soldiers that were killed. Exhumation of numerous such sites revealed in all cases only the partial remains of one individual. The fact that so many ramains were found at so many of the sites, and that markers intended for the Reno Field were placed on the Custer Field, calls into question the thoroughness of the reburial details subsequent to the battle. Remnants and nearly complete skeletal remains were found. Makes you wonder how many horse bones are under the marker on mis-named Last Stand Hill. Scott makes a valiant attempt to include attributed artifacts and remains previously found on the battlefield to expand his data population. A noble endeavor. Some of the biggest questions regarding the battle may never be known due to the construction of the park visitors center, parking lot and Veterans Cemetary. Scott's book adds new indespensible information to the updated unglorified story of the Little BigHorn. A must read for anyone interested in the Little Bighorn.

Its about the men this time...........2004-03-08

I thought this was a well written, easy to read and utterly interesting book on the archeological research done around the Custer Battlefield (Little Big Horn Battlefield for the politically correct). The book centered around the common soldiers of the Seventh Cavalry instead of its more infamous commander. The study of human remains helped give a "slice of life" look at the regular cavalrymen of the Seventh Cavalry and how the battle went according to archeological finds of bullets, casing and where the men of Seventh fell during the battle. It was also interesting to read about how they tried to identified some of the remains they found. The book should be consider as a mandatory reading material for anyone interested in the battle of Little Bighorn.

Digging into Little Bighorn Battlefield.......2000-08-12

A well-written summary of more than a decade's analysis of battlefield archeology. Fascinating identification of several bodies from a few bones, especially those well-know persons who were found in sites other than where eyewittnesses placed them in written history. The book suffers, however, by a brief and weak synopsis that fails in its attempt to draw too-broad conclussions about the entire frontier population from a few soldiers' bones.

They died with Custer........2000-04-05

This was a superbly written volume outlining the archaeological reclaimation of the battlefield site of the Little Big Horn. A military archeologist (Scott), a forensic archeologist (Conner), and a forensics anthropologist (Willey) combined talents to preserve and identify the material evidence of the events that took place there after a wildfire stripped the scene of vegitation and exposed the site to erosive processes and human curiosity. The book details: 1) the history of the 7th Cavalry, including among other things, the age of the soldiers, their origin, and length of service, 2) the efforts to identify individual soldiers and the location of their fall in battle, 3) the effect of the rigorous life on the frontier on the health of the soldiers, 4) etc. I found particularly interesting the efforts to reconstruct the facial features of some of the skulls in an effort to identify the remains with specific people. This is a good text of archaeology at work.

I Fought With Custer: The Story of Sergeant Windolph, Last Survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn

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A valuable account of the Custer tragedy
A memorable account of the Custer fight
Interesting Read

I Fought With Custer: The Story of Sergeant Windolph, Last Survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn
Charles Windolph , Frazier Hunt , and Robert Hunt
Manufacturer: Bison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0803297203

Book Description

Sergeant Charles Windolph was the last white survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn when he described it nearly seventy years later. A six-year veteran of the Seventh Cavalry, Windolph fought in Benteen’s troop on that fatal Sunday and recalls in vivid detail the battle that wiped out Custer’s command. Equally vivid is the evidence marshaled by Frazier and Robert Hunt on events leading up to the battle and on the investigation that followed.

Customer Reviews:

A valuable account of the Custer tragedy.......2003-11-29

It is difficult to really rate a work like this. This is the story of Charles Windolph, the last survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, in his own, simple words. Windolph told his story to a father and son historian team in the 1930s and 40s. Windolph's distinction as last survivor is a bit misleading--he was the last man who was present at the battle to die, but his title as last survivor does not mean he was with Custer's column of troops. He wasn't. In fact, he was under Benteen, and was one of many who survived the battle because they weren't as heavily engaged in it as Custer.
Windolph presents an interesting perspective on the battle, and seems relatively objective. He does tend to romanticize a little, but for the most part he refrains from throwing blame on Custer, Reno, Benteen, or anyone else (though he does state up front that he is partial to Benteen). His story is not all that unique when compared to other primary accounts of the battle, but it is nevertheless valuable as the testimony of a survivor of that horrible tragedy.
Included with Windolph's narrative are a number of primary documents, cobbled together in chapters and laced throughout with author's commentary. This is all right, but it would have been better to present these documents in their entirety, with only enough commentary (perhaps in the form of footnotes) to give the reader an idea of the background surrounding the documents. Still, the Hunts have done a relatively good job of remaining objective as well, something that is rare in a Custer historian. This is perhaps not the best account of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, but it is nevertheless an important one.

A memorable account of the Custer fight.......2000-03-23

As a Custer buff, this book has been on my shelf for a long time. A great book to read, one that fleshes out a lot of the daily life in the Seventh as well as the battle along Greasy Grass. Right up there with "Son of Morning Star" and Walter Camp's book on the subject. Check 'em out, you won't be disappointed.

Interesting Read.......1997-12-13

This book is compiled from the found writings of a sergeant of the Seventh Cavalry who survived the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The first hand accounts of men like Sergeant Windolph and Theodore Goldin are very valuable and interesting reading. They were not men defending their performance as were the officers like Benteen, Reno, and Godfrey. They had their biases but didn't have to grind axes. This account is worthwhile reading for students of the Seventh Cavalry and the Little Big Horn campaign.

Remember Little Bighorn: Indians, Soldiers, and Scouts Tell Their Stories

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Long Overdue Children's Book About the Battle of the Little Bighorn

Remember Little Bighorn: Indians, Soldiers, and Scouts Tell Their Stories
Paul Robert Walker
Manufacturer: National Geographic Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0792255216
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Book Description

Remember Little Bighorn, maintains the momentum of this award-winning National Geographic series, which continues to set new standards in nonfiction history books for middle-grade students.

Author Paul Robert Walker draws on scores of eyewitness accounts of the Battle of the Little Bighorn from Indians, soldiers, and scouts, measuring their testimony against the archaeological evidence to separate fact from fiction. From this wide kaleidoscope of testimony, the author focuses his narrative into an objective and balanced account of one of the most contentious chapters of American history.

Covering the core curriculum topics of Westward Expansion and the Indian Wars, Walker's text is a vivid and timely historical narrative to mark the 130th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 2006.

Readers first learn about events preceding the fighting, including the discovery of gold on Indian land in the Black Hills, the refusal by Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and other Indian leaders to obey a government order to live on the Great Sioux Reservation, and the subsequent battle in Rosebud Valley. The narrative evolves to the three major clashes known collectively as the Battle of the Little Bighorn: the attack by Major Reno on Sitting Bull's village, the "Custer Massacre" in which Crazy Horse and more than a thousand warriors wipe out George Armstrong Custer and his immediate command, and the final battle on Reno Hill, which culminates in the victorious Sioux and Cheyenne setting fire to the grass and moving up the river.

The afterword explains how the greatest Indian victory only hastened their final defeat, as news of Custer's fate enflamed public opinion and led Congress to give control of all Sioux agencies to the Army. Readers learn how Sioux rations were cut off until native claims to the Black Hills and Montana hunting grounds were renounced.

In the finest National Geographic tradition, the book illuminates this controversial period in American history with extensive use of primary sources. Some 50 archival images are included, several by Native Americans, plus a map showing troop and Indian movement. Remember Little Bighorn also features a comprehensive time line of Indian Wars, web sites, student-friendly resources, and a quick-reference index that make it an ideal source for writing reports.

Customer Reviews:

Long Overdue Children's Book About the Battle of the Little Bighorn.......2006-10-28

It is a common held belief that writing a children's book is easy. In actual fact, it is one of the most complex forms of writing. Tracey E. Dils in her book, You Can Write Children's Books states, "Because of the special nature of this audience...most writers find that writing for children is as challenging or more challenging than writing for other audiences." What could be more challenging than writing on the subject of the Battle of the Little Bighorn for children?

A young reader's book about the battle is long overdue, so it appears that National Geographic has filled that gap with Paul Walker's Remember Little Bighorn. It also includes a thought-provoking introduction by the battlefields' chief historian, John Doerner.

Books like these have an opportunity to capture a child's imagination, stoke the fires of passion, and lead to further reading. That's exactly what happened to me when I was 14. I checked out of my school library Frazier Hunt's I Fought With Custer. Although not a children's book, it was a book that got me hooked on this story. Hunt related the battle through survivor Charles Windolph, and told a dramatic story of the struggle between life and death. I still remember how I felt when Reno's soldiers were retreating across the Little Bighorn; I quickly realized that fighting Indians was nothing like in the movies.

I believe that Remember Little Bighorn will inspire young readers, like Hunt's book, to read further on this subject. Remember Little Bighorn is written for ages 10 and up. It's amazing how well Walker has taken such a huge and complex story as the Battle of the Little Bighorn and sculpted it into a short, precise narrative. Walker understands the most important points, and none of his chosen topics space is wasted. There is plenty of drama mostly told through soldier and Indian accounts. There is no sensationalism here; young readers are more sophisticated than we realize.

Most importantly, Walker succeeds where many adult books fail; he masters his subject in just 61 short pages, while some authors can't even come close with 610. You'll discover an honest portrayal of George Armstrong Custer and the U. S. Army, as well as Plains Indian life. No officer becomes a scapegoat for failure, and there is not just one warrior who saves the day. What your young reader will experience is gritty warfare between human beings who became sadly wrapped up in a lost cause.

Although there are minor errors such as the warriors leaving Reno's fight to challenge Custer by charging south instead of north, the errors are very few. Instead, we enjoy a powerful narrative that I'm confident will inspire your child or grandchild to ask further questions.

The book is packed with exceptional graphics (could we expect less from National Geographic), high quality photographs (many provided by Friends' member Glen Swanson), and easy to follow colorful maps. You'll find Indian drawings of the battle, Martin Pate paintings, Private Windolph's Medal of Honor, and many photos of the participants from both sides.

The Epilogue includes a detailed "Time Line of Battles for Indian Land" that I predict you will use as a reference for your own future study. This time line is divided into three segments; 1.) "Selected Battles, Treaties, and Other Key Events 1607-1789", 2.) 1790-1849, and 3.) 1850-1890. There is a high-level time line for the Battle of the Little Bighorn as well.

Also included is a short but superb bibliography that will make your job a lot easier when your young reader asks what other books are available to investigate. Finally, there is a selected postscript for the principal players quoted in the book.

Remember Little Bighorn is a perfect addition to the plethora of books about the battle, though its flaws are minor and finally immaterial, its ability to capture the passion of young readers far surpasses earlier children's books on the same subject.

Note: Remember Little Bighorn: Indians, Soldiers, and Scouts Tell Their Stories is part of the "Remember" series produced by National Geographic. Other titles include: Remember Pearl Harbor: Japanese And American Survivors Tell Their Stories, Remember D-Day: Both Sides Tell Their Stories, and Remember World War II: Kids Who Survived Tell Their Stories.

You can read an interview with the author at the Friends of the Little Bighorn Battlefield website.

Remembering Arkansas Confederates and the 1911 Little Rock Veterans Reunion (AR) (Images of America)

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Remembering Arkansas Confederates and the 1911 Little Rock Veterans Reunion (AR) (Images of America)
Ray Hanley , and Steve G. Hanley
Manufacturer: Arcadia Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0738542989
Release Date: 2006-09-11

Book Description

Arkansas seceded from the Union in 1861, opening a chapter in the state's history that would change its destiny for decades. An estimated 6,862 Arkansas Confederate soldiers died from battle and disease, while some 1,700 Arkansas men died wearing Union blue. Total casualties, killed and wounded, represented 12 percent of the white men in the state between the ages of 15 and 62. Bloody, hard-fought battles included Pea Ridge, Helena, Little Rock, and the rare Confederate victory in southwest Arkansas at Jenkins' Ferry. Following the war, the event that included the largest parade ever in Arkansas, the 1911 United Confederate Veterans Reunion, is presented in picture and word. The event has largely been neglected by history books. From the monuments and veterans to the loyal reenactors still gathering today, the story of the Civil War in Arkansas is remembered and preserved for coming generations.

With Custer on the Little Bighorn: The First-and Only- Eyewitness Account Ever Written

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Custer's Handicap
An excellent first-person account
A good book for other reasons

With Custer on the Little Bighorn: The First-and Only- Eyewitness Account Ever Written
William O. Taylor
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Custer's Handicap.......2006-09-15

This book has many details never before revealed about the life of a cavalryman of the 19th century including their diet, clothing, equipment,tack, routines and personal observations at the time. Custer's group was a rag-tag bunch, worn out uniforms, green riders, out of shape horses, poor shots and several were intoxicated in order to calm their nerves. The first time Pvt. Taylor fired a pistol while mounted on a horse was during Reno's retreat.

An excellent first-person account.......1998-01-30

This is an excellent first-person account of events leading up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn thru to the burials afterward. The author served under Major Reno and his story added a lot to my understanding of what the soldiers experienced. I have visited the site of the Reno-Benteen Entrenchment and this book added a lot to my appreciation of what it was like to be surrounded by the Indians, awaiting one's own demise.

A good book for other reasons.......1997-12-27

This monograph by William Taylor is more interesting for the story of its discovery along with the artifacts believed to have been taken from the battlefield, rahter than any new revelations on the Custer Fight. Contrary to the Synopsis by amazon.com, Taylor was NOT a survivor of the Custer Fight, and can adds nothing to what happened to Custer's immediate command. Taylor was assigned to Reno's battalion, and thus participated in the Valley fight and on Renor Hill. Only here and there throught the text are interesting comments made, like his refueling of the Reno drunkeness controversy. This book is more suitable for those who already have a reasonable Custer database, and who therefore can pickout what is useful.

The Soldiers' Night Before Christmas (Big Little Golden Book)

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The Soldiers' Night Before Christmas
AWESOME
A soldier's observation of this wonder
GREAT for kids with deployed parents!

The Soldiers' Night Before Christmas (Big Little Golden Book)
Christine Ford , and Trish Holland
Manufacturer: Golden Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375837957
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Book Description

"'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the base
Only sentries were stirring--they guarded the place.
The soldiers were sleeping and snoring away
As they dreamed of 'back home' on good Christmas Day..."

One Christmas Eve at a military barracks in the Middle East, some homesick soldiers are paid a visit by Sergeant McClaus, the Santa of Soldiers. This lively and poignant tale is inspired by Clement C. Moore's classic yuletide poem.

Customer Reviews:

The Soldiers' Night Before Christmas.......2007-02-08

LOVE IT!!! I actually had tears in my eyes while reading this! I can't wait until next year when I can start reading it on Christmas Eve to my little Army Brat! Great story, great pictures, very very nice.

AWESOME.......2007-01-19

AWESOME book. My husband is currently serving in Iraq and it was a very difficult Christmas for all of us. I bought multiple copies of the book. I kept one for myself, each of my children have one and I sent 2 copies to Iraq for my husband to share with his fellow soldiers. We all loved the book. I read it to my 12 and 13 year old children on Cristmas Eve before they went to bed and it helped bring us together. My husband was a little like SGT McClaus for his section. thank you for once again putting out another wonderful book.

A soldier's observation of this wonder.......2006-12-10

One Christmas eve in the desert a group of homesick soldiers are visited by the Santa of Soldiers, and in a fine realistic rhyme inspired by the classic 'Night Before Christmas' comes a soldier's observation of this wonder, which will intrigue and comfort military families separated by war. There's a decidedly different holiday atmosphere here: "When what to my thrill and relief should appear, but one of our Blackhawks to give the all clear: more rattles and rumbles! I heard a deep while, then up drove eight Humvees, a jeep close behind...each vehicle painted a bright Christmas green with more lights and gold tinsel than I'd ever seen."

GREAT for kids with deployed parents!.......2006-12-06

I was given this book as a gift for my daughter and we just LOVE it!! She calls it her "Papi" book. My husband is currently deployed for the second time to Iraq, and this time our 3 year old realizes he is gone, so with this book it gives her a different insite about what Christmas is for him and that Santa wont forget him while he is there!! I have reccomended this to all of my friends that are in the military with kids and I even have it up on our Family Readiness Group website so everyone can find out about it!!!

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The Lost Thoughts of Soldiers
"It is a myth we prove ourselves in war, he thinks: we test ourselves in silence."
The Lost Thoughts of Soldiers

The Lost Thoughts of Soldiers
Delia Falconer
Manufacturer: Soft Skull Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1933368179

Book Description

Georgia, 1898: On what may be the last day of his life, Captain Frederick Benteen — the man who saved Custer’s Seventh Cavalry from almost certain death at Little Bighorn — receives a letter from an ambitious boy offering to “restore” his reputation. For over 23 years Benteen has silently watched Custer’s legend grow. His General has been dead for more than 20 years, killed in action, considered a hero, while the public has never forgiven Benteen for surviving. Now, at last, he begins to put down some account of those two horrific days pinned down on a ridge. What follows is an exquisite eulogy for his fellow soldiers, both alive and dead. Funny, moving, rich in character and incident, this acclaimed novel avoids the bloody battle scenes and maudlin romance that characterize much Civil War-based fiction in favor of an unsparing and poetic story that explores what it means to be a soldier — then and now.

Customer Reviews:

The Lost Thoughts of Soldiers.......2006-07-18

What a glorious concept for a novel. Captain Frederick Benteen, despite his Civil War record and his service after June 25, 1876, is remembered in history as the man who failed to obey General George Armstrong Custer's last order. This distinction has made him a focal point of the continuing debate of what really happened at the Battle of the Little Big Horn and keeps Benteen, a man who made no secret of the fact he detested his commanding officer, a major player in the controversy. Would Custer and his immediate command have survived if Benteen had answered the order to "Be quick. Bring packs."? Did Benteen, by ignoring his commander's plea and essentially taking command of the men under Major Marcus Reno, save the rest of the Seventh Cavalry from meeting the same fate as Custer? Because of his central role in discussions of the battle, any new book concerning Benteen will be of interest to a great many historians and casual readers. Unfortunately, The Lost Thoughts of Soldiers will yield no insight. Granted, it is marketed as a novel, not a biography, but when that marketing plays upon the central character being a person from history, an expectation is generated that this work can only disappoint. Fans of "literary fiction" with its zealous embracing of all bodily fluids will count this book as beautifully written. Many readers will find it offensive and vulgar, bordering on adolescent. But readers hoping to find a glimpse of the fascinating personality Frederick Benteen must have been will be ill-served by this work of fiction.

"It is a myth we prove ourselves in war, he thinks: we test ourselves in silence.".......2006-05-10

More than twenty years after the end of the Civil War, Custer is a hero while Captain Frederick Benteen - the man who infamously saved the remnants of the Seventh Cavalry at Little Bighorn - has never been forgiven for presumably disobeying orders and thereby surviving. Now Benteen receives a letter from an ambitious youth offering to restore his reputation by telling the "true story" of what happened. As Benteen ponders the possibility one morning at home, he's drawn back into the past and an exploration of his life and self ... "He moves indirectly" are the first words of this novel. They physically describe the central character, Benteen, but they're also an apt announcement of Falconer's narrative choice. She follows the pattern of memory, moving in and out of her character's past in short fragments, exploring connections that might not seem initially obvious but which are, in the end, the only stuff of which our mental lives and identities are actually composed. This is one of those rare novels in which the author's poetic choices are entirely appropriate to the type of story she wants to tell. Indeed, this is a work of immense precision. The language is nothing less than exquisite; the novel is a collection of beautiful miniatures that keep you engrossed despite the absence of immediately discernable plot. I suspect, however, that this beautiful novel is destined to be ignored by Civil War scholars or dismissed with slight bemusement. But they'll miss out on something wonderful by holding it to a goal it doesn't set out to achieve: despite its reasonable adherence to historical facts (creative departures from which Falconer happily acknowledges), this isn't an attempt at biography or historical "truth" in any factual sense, whatever that might mean in these postmodern times. Falconer is more interested in exploring larger issues of memory, celebrity and identity, and uses the Civil War as a ready context. The point is entirely transportable to any mythologized conflict, or indeed to any sphere in which public myth eclipses and ultimately effaces the private lives and memories of actual human beings: "This is history too, he thinks, the weight of gathered thoughts, the cumulus of idle moments." My only reservation is on one aspect of style. Many of the short sections surprise, at their end, with an unexpected moment of violence, overt sexuality or scatological humour. The technique is wonderfully effective when used sparingly. However, by my count it's used more than 30 times in 140 pages - that tends to dilute its force.

The Lost Thoughts of Soldiers.......2006-02-16

Short, intense, incandescent, brooding, mysterious and brilliant. Falconer had given us a heavy meditation on the true value of life and mtyh, the enduring power of love and the equations that govern destiny. The story of Frederick W. Benteen, survior (peerhaps by proxy) of the Battle of Little Bighorn and his struggle to honour, in his own mind and to that of a public craving myth, the memory of those who died - both of the 7th Cavalry and the Indians whom they pursued and slaughtered is slow, at time lugubrious, but frequently leavened with a rough humour which contrasts with Falconer's flightly, elliptical and highly poetic story-telling - yet still it is perfectly rounded and timeless to read - ending where, and on the note which, it should

But this is more than story telling. Like the "Service of Clouds" this is a book you let wash over you, you let enchant you, you let transport you to the crepuscular dimness of the final corners of a obtuse and oblique man's life. This slim book is and is of a world unto itself.

Falconer is a wonderful, wonderful writer. "The Service of Clouds" is the best book I have read in the last ten years, and "The Lost Thoughts of Soldiers" is a worthy and powerful work which, even in the mighty shadow of her previous book, did not disappoint me. In fact, it filled me up.

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The shadow cast was his own!
A Much Needed Biography
hokabahhumbug
Nope. No good.
Great Detail on Reno the Man:A Psychological View would Help

In Custer's Shadow: Major Marcus Reno
Ronald H. Nichols
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0806132817

Book Description

During the Battle of the Little Big Horn, five entire companies of the 7th Cavalry, including their leader, George Armstrong Custer, were lost. For years the shadow of blame for the defeat has been cast upon Custer. What role did his subordinates play in the battle? Did they contribute to the Custer failure, or was he the only one to blame?

In Custer's Shadow presents the complex life of Major Marcus Reno, Custer's second-in-command. Employing photographs and maps to help the reader visualize the text, Ronald H. Nichols unravels the controversy surrounding Reno's role in the battle and questions the scrutiny to which he was subjected in the years following.

Customer Reviews:

The shadow cast was his own!.......2007-02-09

This book is much better written than Walton and Terrell's FAINT the TRUMPET SOUND, written 33 years earlier. In this book, sources are cited and are extensive. In the earlier treatment, Reno was given a coat of whitewash, and dirt was thrown at everyone around him. Nichols tries to provide the unvarnished truth. In 17 naturally divided chapters he details the time, place, and activities in Reno's life. As I read, I began to count.
It took Reno 6 years to graduate from West Point, due to suspensions for demerits ... twice in his senior years. Custer made it in 3, due to the war. He did have to draw on his luck in avoiding a similar expulsion.

While 2nd Lt Custer distinguished himself at Bull Run and became an aid on McClellan's Staff ... Lt Reno was still in the North West. He did not arrive in the east until January of 1862, 9 months after Ft. Sumter, and 6 months after Bull Run. In the 39 months remaining in the war, after Reno arrived, he spent 8 on leave, and another 5 months as a recruiter and horse buyer. He fought in a few battles, and was wounded once but, most of the balance of the war he was in staff positions and through them received his promotions. Four days after he was notified he had been brevetted a brigadier; he resumed his regular rank of captain.

In the 11 years after the War, he had a number of staff positions, including several courts marshal. He spent 15 months on the selection board that chose the Springfield Carbine that the 7th fought with. Again, in those same 11 years, he took 40 months leave. His wife's sudden death, and the delay in receiving leave, left a deep emotional scar on him. Although he did receive 13 months leave in succession afterwards, and took his son to Europe, Reno never did recover.
When that long leave concluded, he assumed command of Ft Lincoln, with Custer in the East, and with just 6 months to get ready for the Little Big Horn Campaign. This timeline provides an additional perspective on how to interpret Reno's performance on his scout, his charges, and the stand on the hill that would bear his name.
While there are many questions about his conduct and courage when the bullets were flying, Nichole holds up a man that in the balance of his life had the courage and limited bureaucratic skills to work and fight the system to try to reclaim his honor. Without intent, Ron Nichols also details a pathetic man on a downward path of self destruction who occasionally tried to resist, but blindly embraced his weaknesses. This is a good read on several levels.

A Much Needed Biography.......2002-07-16

I have read reviews of this book and have found it to be
split on opinions of Reno. I feel it should be the definitive
work on Reno. For better or worse this book is the best on Reno,
considering the limited amount of literature available on Reno.
I admire Ronald Nichols for devoting twenty years for researching
this book.
Being an avid amateur Custer historian this book will add
another view of Little Bighorn and the author's insight into the
battle. I especially like the attention given to letters written
in defense of Custer and blaming Reno by former Confederate General Thomas L. Rosser. Rosser, a classmate and friend of
Custer's at West Point was a true friend of Custer even after the
Civil War.
One cannot help to feel for Reno and his quest for reinstatement to the Army. When he was finally reinstated many
years later it had to be a relief for his descendants. Reno was
truly one of the more unfortuanate characters in American Military History along with Confederate General John Bell Hood.
A very good book indeed and my congratulations to Mr. Nichols
for writing it.

hokabahhumbug.......2002-04-02

sorry for the title there, but I generally have to agree with the chula vista reader and Hurley; this is just basically a story baselined from the rehash of Reno testimony, and as such, at least in terms of the actions of Reno et al., really sheds no new light, and tends to continue the Custer vs. Reno/Benteen polarization... which is fine, if that is really the tack that the author wishes to adhere to.
What I did find interesting, especially in terms of some of the Reno/Benteen apologists, is the very subtle absolution given Reno: his rout/retreat was not carried out properly due to the failure of the troop commanders. Isn't that the other side of the coin that so many argue over regarding Reno and Benteen's support (sic) of Custer; it's okay to excuse Reno for his subordinates alleged lack of performance, but not Custer?

I mean no disrespect to the relatives of Reno, but the wealth of data available in the historical record probably is even too lenient in "judging" the actions of Reno and Benteen on that day. This is NOT to say that any different outcome would have necessarily occurred; the United Tribes were truly better-positioned, better-armed, and effective that afternoon. The appearance of collusion by Reno and Benteen to not effect even a demonstration of lawfully-ordered military support to Custer cannot be dismissed, rationalized, nor wished away. It certainly was obvious to Captain Weir what Reno and Benteen were up to.

Nope. No good........2001-12-20

A critical, penetrating biography of Marcus Reno would be a welcome addition to Little Bighorn (LBH) devotees. You will not find it here. The chapters concerning Reno's actions during the Little Bighorn battle (two chapters out of a total of 17) most certainly break NO new ground. Mr. Nichols sources for Reno's actions come virtually entirely from the testimony given at the Reno court of inquiry. As LBH fans know, the reliability of much of the testimony from the Reno court of inquiry is open to question. Many feel much was withheld, actions shaded, and even perjury committed. To base the single most important event in Reno's life essentially on this one source is not good biography writing. There is such a wealth of research devoted to this battle, it perplexes me why Mr. Nichols did not make any use of it. I disagree with a previous reviewer of this book, as nothing is "proved" here. Simply regurgitating old testimony from that court of inquiry is not proof. Ronald Nichols is, as you may know, the editor of the complete version of the preceedings of the Reno Court of Inquiry.

The only reason this book is of interest is the account of Reno's years prior to LBH, especially his troublesome years at West Point. Reno's life after LBH was decidedly dull. This "besotted mediocrity", as Robert Utley called him, spent many fruitless years trying to get re-instated into the Army after his dismissal, while working as a clerk in the Pensions Bureau. Not very interesting reading.

Great Detail on Reno the Man:A Psychological View would Help.......2001-04-02

Very interesting and great detail on the life of Marcus Reno from his roots where he lost his father and mother at a young age; however, through work and dedication ended up at West Point. There may be more than irony that in his West Point years, Reno had great difficulty with demerits and ended up graduating after two suspension and 6 years at West Point. Although no severe incidents occur at West Point they were enough to suspend him twice as is much the case in his post Little Big Horn (LBH) years resulting in a final court martial.

The impact of losing his wife and mother of his child while escorting a survey party with a portion of the 7th in the area of North Dakota and NOT being able to return to his family had to have had a severe impact on Reno. Particularly after his post LBH episode, Reno seemed to have trouble adjusting to bachelorhood.

Nichols covers the LBH well except in cases where he buys completely that Benteen was to scout to the left to infinity as Benteen reported and where he speaks in brief detail on Reno's retreat from the LBH valley. Besides vacating his position, the issue of whether all his men were notified of the sudden retreat seems a little weak (company commanders were alleged to be at fault) and more discussion on the lack of a rear guard in the retreat is critical but lacking. In the Reno Court of Inquiry, Lt. Varnum, Dr. Porter, Girard and George Herendeen describe the retreat termed a "charge" by Reno as an uncontrolled rout. Perhaps there was no way to stop the men for a rear guard but that does not seem to be explored in great detail. There also is the controversy surrounding lack of ammunition as being a need to retreat; however, testimony by witnesses on Reno-Benteen Hill note that Reno's battalion took little from the ammo boxes provided by the pack train.

Although not ventured by the author, the effect of having the scout Bloody Knifes brains splattered about his face may have caused Reno's abrupt retreat without a rear guard. I say abrupt since over 20 plus men were left behind, some killed and the majority hiding in the brush until they could make it across when the Sioux shifted to Custer's field.

This book is very interesting and a final chapter by a psychologist analyzing some of Reno's writings (such as his threatening letter to Former President Ruthorford Hayes) and history may have revealed something more about a man haunted by the LBH. A retired Marine Colonel told me recently that the mere suggestion of cowardice even unproved is severely damaging to a military man's career. Perhaps the same occurred to Reno.

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