September 23, 2004
Childhood Reading
The Silver Fox has a post up linking an article about an archeological dig at Little Big Horn. He goes on to lay out the roots of his interest in this topic and brings up The American Heritage Junior Library series.
I have to admit that my own interest in Little Big Horn stems from childhood viewing of the Disney movie Tonka, the story of a horse that was the only 7th Cavalry survivor of the massacre. But I do remember reading Indians of the Plains at some point. As for other volumes, I loved Battle of Waterloo and I believe I could still quote passages from Carrier War in the Pacific.
I tried not too long ago to see if this series was still in print. I don't believe it is. But if you ever come across a used edition somewhere, by all means grab it. It'll be well worth it.
Posted by Robert at September 23, 2004 09:19 AM | TrackBackSadly I don't think they're currently in print. I did come across a lot of internet listings of used copies for sale? Maybe my battered volumes are worth something?
Posted by: Dan at September 23, 2004 12:27 PMTonka? Custer's horse, Commanche, did survive the battle, and there is, in fact, a photo of the horse found by Gibbon's column when they arrived from the north a few days after the battle.
Of course, hundreds of men of the 7th Cavalry in Reno's and Benteen's battalions survived, but they were a few miles to the east of the Custer catastrophe. I believe the best estimate of the number of men killed with Custer is 210. Many of Reno's men were also killed, but the bulk of that battalion survived on "Reno Hill," primarily because the Sioux dispersed a day after the primary battle.
Don't ya love Custer Last Stand trivia?
Posted by: MD at September 23, 2004 03:00 PM
