Back to Work

Well, this Sunday I will be back at work on my second draft. Thanks to last weekend at PMC/Widener I have numerous items I wish to add to the project.

AMU is asking for next year's grant applications by 1 December. That means I must decided if I wish to do this again and if so how. The options are:

1. Don't apply, chill for the year - NOPE - doesn't sound like me.
2. Apply and expand Robinett in a full biography - not sure that is really interesting to anyone as I have the most critical events in this one.
3. Make Robinett volume one of a series on the cadets of DMA/PMA in the Civil War. This hold great merit as no work has been done on them and there are a ton of interesting cadets involved in the war. I am leaning towards this for my grant proposal. Your ideas are greatly appreciated.

I have been talking to a friend of mine, Bob Babcock who owns a publishing company and is also an accomplished historian himself. He think s the best potential is for a series of mini-books on these guys. You can check out his works here. What Now Lieutenant? is a great read and still relevant for today. He has also written a nice work on the 4th ID in OIF 1.

http://www.deedspublishing.com/

Keep history Alive!
bs

Homecoming 2009

Well, I have never been to Homecoming before and I must say, the ROTC cadets and the Class of '54 were the high points.

The modern Battery Robinett (2nd LT Keith Bright on left)

Me at Battery Robinett

Me & Class of '54

LTC Peterson

LTC Peterson presented me with a brick from the Amory built in 1920. I consider this a high honor.

Class of '54 & LTC Peterson

ROTC Cadets

LTC Peterson

Cadets & '54

Cadets & '54






Barbershop Group

The class of 1954 met the current ROTC cadets for 2 hours today. There were some great conversations! After that both groups got to hear about Henry C. Robinett and how his experiences relate to our soldiers today from me---good stuff. LTC Peterson gave me a Commander's Coin which I greatly appreciated. THEN he gave me a brick from the old Armory they tore down (1920-2008) last year--WOW, something special! It was a good day.

Keep History Alive
bs

First Rough Draft is Complete

Well, the first draft is completed. It is very rough. special thanks to Becky Warda and Jim Timmerman for looking it over for all my typing/spelling errors. I am an abysmal typist and when I write something this large I just keep going unless it is obvious.

Making a few copies to take with me to Homecoming at Widener/PMC this weekend. It is going to be COLD and WET. Some fun. Be nice to get some good shots of the Broom Drill at halftime of the game.

Next week, I will begin editing the draft and completing the sections I don't fell are just right.

Keep History Alive
bs

Big Push This Weekend

Well, a three day weekend is upon us and I plan of finishing the first draft by Monday evening. I have discovered some more interesting connections between Robinett and the people of power in Wilmington, interesting stuff.

If you would like to read and help proof/critique the first draft just let me know.

Good Weekend!

I wrote most of the weekend, through Corinth, past Vicksburg and on to Grant’s staff. I wanted to get further but 10,000 words is a good number for two day’s work. This week and next weekend I will FINISH the first draft.

I want to have it ready to take to PA for Homecoming the following week.

Keep History Alive!
bs

Time Marches On!

My writing is going well, despite the fact that I was "forced" to go fishing Sunday!

By the end of this weekend I plan on having a complete draft. I would like to have it finished before I go to Homecoming at Widener. I will be speaking to the ROTC cadets and members of the class of '54 so I want to have something in hand at that point.

After the draft is complete I need to add the graphics.

Right now, I am pleased with what I have written, it is flowing better and better. The key is to make sure I am telling an interesting story AND making it relevant for readers.


Who can blame more for fishing on a day like this?

Keep History Alive!
bs

More Progress

Got Henry to "his" day at Corinth, all out push this week to complete the first draft.

I stumbled across his nemesis at his two major courts martial.


Isaac Denniston DeRussy is buried in Arlington. From their site:
"Appointed from New York, Second Lieutenant, 26 April 1861; First Lieutenant, 14 May 1861; Captain, 27 February 1862;

4th United States Infantry, 29 September 1879; Lieutenant Colonel, 14th United States Infantry, 1 July 1885; Colonel, 11th United States Infantry, 19 May 1891; Brigadier General, 1 April 1902; retired 15 April 1902;

Breveted Major, 13 March 1865 for faithful and meritorious services during the war.

Isaac D. DeRussy was born in 1840 at Fort Monroe, Virginia. He began his service as a Second Lieutenant with the 1st United States Infantry and by the end of the Civil War was a Captain. He participated in the siege of Corinth in May and June of 1862 and was breveted Major in 1865 for faithful and meritorious service during the war. He served with the 4th, 14th and 11th United States Infantry regiments. While commanding the 11th regiment as a Colonel, he also commanded Fort Huachuca, Arizona, in 1891 and 1892. On 10 August 1898 he led his regiment against Spanish forces near Hormiguero, Puerto Rico. He was retired on 1 April 1902 as a brigadier general and died on 17 February 1923 in New York City. He was buried in Section 3 of Arlington National Cemetery. His wife, Laura Requa DeRussy, who died in 1929, is buried with him.

What is most interesting is the fact that Robinett claims he never actually "served" during the war. Hmmmm....must check the ORs tonight.

4,700 words...

and I am just getting into Henry joining the Army and the 1st U.S. Infantry. This is going to be much longer and more detailed than I expected but that is not a bad thing.

This Weekend

Well, much is being accomplished this weekend. I have completely fleshed out my outline, formatted the paper itself according to AMU guidelines (note my students, yes we use Chicago Manual of Style/Turabian as you do), and I am organizing my note cards.

I have found the easiest thing to do it to sort your cards into stacks (I am working on the Delaware & DMA cards as I write) with the stacks. Then arrange the stack in the order you wish to write about them and finally, order the cards within the stacks.

Following this method, you can then simply stack your cards and write from card to card.

An interesting aside. I determined yesterday that the poem, After The Battle, Harry quoted in his last court martial defense was written by Sir Thomas Moore.

This weekend there have been numerous distractions to keep me from concentrating. Things are not moving forward as rapidly as I hoped.