New Book is Out!

Okay folks, the time has come.  My newest book has just arrived! You can purchase it here: Deeds Publishing    Amazon has the Kindle version.  Get'em while they last! ;)

Well, you are all due an update, sorry for the delay.  I have been working on the firs draft of the second edition of Broomsticks for some time now and I am pleased to report I am about 3/4 of the way through it.  I have added additional information about Delaware Military Academy and some new research related to Robinett and his suicide.  I am hoping to have the firs draft ready for outside review by August.  It has been a grind as I can only work on this around my "real" job work schedule but things are finally moving along.

Time for a serious update

I have finished the 2nd edition draft of Broomsticks to Battlefields and am now in the process of scrubbing it.  Afterwards, I have a few folks who will peer review it for me before I send it off to Bob Babcock & Deeds Publishing.

Just two weeks ago, I began research for my third book, the cadets of PMC in World War II.  I traveled to the Normandy Beaches for about 10 days, with a special interest in establishing some contacts there and locating where some of our PMC brothers fought and died.

MAJ Richard O'Malley, PMC '38, known as the "Iron Major" of the 12th Infantry, 4ID died on 16 July.  You can read much more about him here:  http://pennsylvaniamilitarycollege.org/iron-major/  While I am at it, Ron Romanowicz has done a wonderful job in a PMC Remembrance page.  You can check it out here:  PMC Remembrance .  I was able to find the major's grave at the American Cemetery @ Omaha Beach.

His brother, Thomas O’Malley, was killed on D-Day 6 June off Utah beach when the LSD (Duplex Drive) he DD tank was in was struck by enemy fire.  He is buried in Cambridge, England.

So here is the dilemma.  How to narrow the list of cadets down to a manageable size.  If I research and write about them all, that would be a piece well over 1,000 pages.  How do I cut it down?  Those that died in the war?  Still too large a number.  Those that died in combat? A more manageable number but still an extremely large book (400+ pages I would suppose).  Branches?  Most were Army, but all branches were represented.  How about by awards? Which awards for bravery? You can see my dilemma, I am sure.  Any suggests would be greatly appreciated.

I had the distinct pleasure be being accompanied on this trip by Jim Timmerman (SGM-R) and good friend.

 
Also met Jean Paul Pitou, a local historian who has done a good bit of work on O'Malley and with his family.

A few last pictures from Normandy.

Pegasus Bridge

Pointe du Hoc

Omaha Beach at low tide, kinda cool to walk in my father's footsteps 70 years later.

 

 

 

 

 

Here we go Again!

It's seems only fitting and proper a begin this blog anew while I am at the Society for Military History Annual Conference, here in Kansas City, MO.  I try to attend this every year and it has never disappointed, this year is no exception.

Started last night with a wonderful reception at the WWI Museum.

 

Today, I attended four sessions .  The first, the most relevant to my Broomsticks to Battlefield Research:  Violence on the Civil War.  A bit of a misnomer, as the presenters spoke to Sherman's Bummers and the concept of cowards during the war.  Ann Sarah Rubin from the Univ. of Maryland presented a segment of her research entitled: A Delightful and Unmolested Trip across the Country.  Her research seems to indicate Sherman's Bummers were proud of the role they played in ending the war.  In addition, there was a distinct difference in how they treated the Southern civilian population.  If you left your property, accord to her, then the bummers felt all your goods were fair game.  If not, if you stayed then only those items of military significance were taken (horses, etc.).

The second: Battlefield Cowardice,Violence, and Memory in the ACW was given by Lesley J. Gordon from the University of Akron, was quite interesting considering use mentioned the 2nd Texas (see earlier posts and pictures). BANG!  Immediate connection.  One of my goals in the second edition, is to update my research concerning Robinett. She and I talked afterwards and will be talking some more in the coming month. 

Second session was Military Thought in the Napoleonic Era. Quite interesting.  The presenters all were well prepared and I came away thinking about the difference between doctrine and regulations and experience vs training.

The third session I attended was Other Fronts During WWI.  Good stuff: France in the Middle East, Riga.  Take aways?  The German Way of War, great staff work, that is mobile, flanking rapid warfare.  Joint Ops shone at Riga between air and land forces.  All good stuff.

Final sessions was interesting on a number of levels. The 7 member panel was from the Turkish Army war College and discussed the Battle of Gallipoli in WWI from the Ottoman Empire viewpoint (they won). 

All in all, a wonderful start to the conference. Can't wait for tomorrow!

Keep History Alive
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New Review

Al Nofi has posted a review of Robinett on Strategy page.  You can view it here:

http://www.strategypage.com/bookreviews/590.asp

Good news

 "This book has been nominated for the 2010 Tom Watson Brown Book Award through The Society of Civil War Historians."

Update of Vickers Research

Things are moving along but not as well as I would like.  I have been pouring through the records from the National Archives and can now paint of when/where picture of his Civil War experiences.  I am still waiting for the VA pension records to arrive; they sure are SLOW!

I am drawing a blank trying to locate any personal records/letters of his having received no response from anyone associated with any Vickers gemological groups.

Two very positive notes:  Clyde Tinklepaugh PMC '71 has agreed to help me by combing the records in Wilmington and Camden.  Clyde is very active in organizing and categorizing PMC artifacts for the PMC Museum and is on the Museum Committee as well.

I addition I will be working with Janet Burkitt a freelance writer, editor, and historical researcher who has access to the NARA archives at College Park, MD.  That is where the State Department records from the period reside.

That is about it for now.

Keep History Alive!
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Broomsticks to the Printer!

Well, Broomsticks to Battlefields is to the printer.  I should see a proof by next week.  In the mean time I have been working on David Vickers as much as I can.  Vonnie has found some interesting information that needs closer examination.

It seems he tendered his resignation on 13 NOV 1862 for some reason,  It was disapproved by his commanding officer and he "strongly recommend that he be immediately dishonorably discharged." This did not happen so I will need to look into this further,

It appears that he took ill with typhoid fever in August of 1862.

It also appears he was a POW in three places now: Camp Oglethorpe (Macon, GA),. Charleston Jail, and then Camp Sorghum (Columbia, SC).  This makes sense as the officers were evacuated from Macon as Sherman began his march through Georgia.

He was brevetted to Brigadier General at the end of the war for "meritorious service."  Later he returned to service as Major and an Inspector General in Idaho during the Spanish American War.

Finally, I need to find out how he became so close to General Judson Kilpatrick.

That's it for now.

Keep History Alive!
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New Title?

Al Nofi has a new title for my book with some modifications by me:

Broomsticks to Battlefields, being the True and Concise History of Henry Clay Robinett, Captain, USA, in the late Rebellion, with some comment on the social mores of mid-century Americans, the state of military education in the United States, and sundry other subjects, among which may be the First U.S. Infantry, General Ulysses Grant, the battle of Corinth, New Orleans, Freemasonry, Delaware Military Academy, with additional information on courts martial, and military suicide, with some supporting maps and details never before seen in print, published by Mr. Robert Babcock and Deeds Publishing, purveyor or fine offerings in military history.

What do you think?