Caption: LT George Armstrong Custer, US Cavalry, (bottom) and friends during the War of Northern Aggression/Civil War. His later impulsiveness in 1876 that led to his death is attributed in part to his political ambitions to run for the presidency at the conclusion of Ulysses S. Grant’s second term. A victory at the Little Big Horn might have pushed him to greatness…

 

 

Isn’t it interesting that same people interviewed on the news now who are talking about revolution and ‘freedom from the Man’ are the same people who were advocating for state confiscation of firearms by the police three weeks ago? Riddle me that one.

 

French Grenadiers

Grenadiers of the Gâtinais Regiment at Yorktown, 1781 by Don Troiani.

Despite the fact that grenadiers stopped actually using grenades almost a century earlier, multiple American sources speak of the French using grenades at Yorktown. The regiment was attached to the French Navy for a time, and may well have retained the use of grenades through that connection.

The French Army eliminated bearskin caps for grenadiers in the 1779 uniform warrant.

 

The Other White Meat

You can be a vegetarian if you want to be, but do can you do it while somebody is cooking good BBQ?

 

Oaths

“Be without fear in the face of your enemies; Stand brave and upright, that the Lord may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it means your death. Protect the helpless and do no wrong. This is your oath.” Knight’s Pledge, The Kingdom of Heaven

Police officers should take an oath such as that one. The current oath is much the same as one would take when joining the military and promising to defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of >insert name here< against all enemies both foreign and domestic. And while the officers may take it to heart, their elected officials in Congress and in offices in most states think that the oath is a joke.  Of course, I don’t know what is in their minds, only in the actions that I am witness to.

 

Now THAT is a Storm

With apologies to LindaG who is none too fond of tornadoes these days.

 

You Can Still Vanish

And live another life. There was a time not too distant when it was easy, but it’s much more difficult now depending on your lifestyle requirements and tastes.

The book, Exiles from Eden, on the sidebar to the right, discusses how a couple did that out of need. It’s a fictionalized true story, with some names changed to protect the innocent…if anyone is truly innocent. Yes, it’s a shameless plug for my book.

 

Wisdom on a U-Haul

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22 COMMENTS

  1. Your being an old China hand, are you familiar with the Chinese story of the beginnings of Chinese BBQ?
    The way I heard the story, many years ago, that a house/hut caught fire and in the confusion a pig ran into the house and was burned to death.
    The owners of the pig being thifty and poor decided to go ahead and eat the pig.
    It was so tasty the other people began herding pigs into their huts and torching them.
    The pactce became so widespread that it was affecting the economy and thus taxes, so the Emporer stepped in and forbade the practice.
    The people adapted and Chinese BBQ was born.

  2. I love that U-haul comment.
    2 Corinthians 10:12
    For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

    • Always loved that oath from KoH…gotta add the slab across the face for emphasis. And agree it should be taken by all who hold any sort of office or position of power, might help separate the wheat from the chaff.

      One time I looked at “How to Disappear”…I’ll need to get your book to see the practical side woven around a plot. (“shameless plug” okay by me if’n it broadens the mind and/or skill set.)

      Amen! to Ed B on 2Cor10:12 – everyone’s journey is their own, except, of course, the so-called societal non-conformists, who, along with their like-minded non-conformists perpetrate anarchy in the streets, hate anyone who doesn’t think like them.

  3. The chap seated on the right could be Custer’s brother or cousin, as he looks very similar.

    Stephen Fry (on UK TV’s QI show) mentioned a prominent Victorian (possibly Conan Doyle) who, as a joke, sent five of his close friends notes just saying, “Flee, we are discovered” and one of them was never seen again!

    • Quite possibly. Tom Custer was George’s lesser known brothers and was killed with him at the Little Bighorn. He was also one of the select few to have been awarded two Medals of Honor.

      • I think that the best book on G. A. Custer was “Son of the Morning Star”. Worth a read if you haven’t already. The Seventh Cavalry command was a study in dysfunction with Tom, Miles Keough and a few of the G. A. Custer groupies pitted against Major Reno, Captain Benteen and some other lesser officers. Bad tactics compounded dysfunction and 5,000 + warriors opposing them.

        • Read that one years ago and agree with you. There was a mini series based on i that was actually pretty well done.

  4. I’m not quite sure how many Americans want to defund their police departments. Perhaps the same percentage of folk who want to Occupy Wall Street. And likely the same people, a thug here and there, all wearing Che T-shirts.

    • Yes, I think that’s true, but it’s become a fad among progressive city governments now. And if there is something that progressives love, it’s a fad.

  5. One of the associations we are members of had had scheduled its annual convention and trade show for Minneapolis last March. Due to certain inconveniences, that got postponed to July and then cancelled altogether about a month ago, long before the current inconveniences erupted.

    Thank you Jesus.

      • Minneapolis (sans police) is in for some rocky financial times. My sense is that the county sheriff will respond to major crimes and will investigate homicides. The former MPD officers (those that the sheriff will take) may be folded into the county sheriff’s department. But it’s not a place that you would want to be, even at that.

  6. Lt. Col. Armstrong’s wife was an ambitious woman who may have encouraged an already impetuous man to greater heights of folly.

    Elizabeth “Libby” nee’ Bacon is quite a story. Born into a wealthy family, highly educated for the time, she spent the rest of her life defending the reputation of her husband.

    Interesting speculations about what the two together could have accomplished.

    • She got him to stop drinking. After he married Libby, he stuck to water or milk. She was clearly the brains of the outfit, but he was a dashing guy, fearless, and usually not a fool.

    • Abigail Adams was of a similar mold, bright and eternally supportive to her husband, offering wisdom as needed.

      Read ‘Black Hills’ by Dan Simmons a few moons back, a well researched novel surrounding historical facts, from both sides of the conflict fence with an interesting plot premise.

    • Though he surely underestimated the Sioux/Cheyenne confederation that day in 1876! He expected them to flee as in earlier encounters with other, much smaller bands that weren’t spoiling for a fight. He ignored his professional scouts, and truly screwed the pooch. It wasn’t him who said it, but someone said (paraphrase), “I’d trust the 7th Cavalry to ride right through the Sioux Nation.” To which, a famous Indian (take your pick) said, “He was half-right. He made it halfway through.”

      It’s still hard history to discuss with those whose ancestors arrived before then. Not so much different than who insist the North started and holds full blame for the Civil War, but just as fucking stupid, forgive me.

      • You’re absolutely correct, Custer didn’t expect a stand-up fight but he misread the signs of really massive encampments. He relied on past experiences, and made every mistake in the book.

        I think that the history of Custer (at this point) and his regiment is quite clear. I don’t know that there’s much dispute on what happened and how it happened. We lack a witness from the ‘last stand’ but forensic evidence is abundant.

        The Civil War is something all together different and there are tempers involved if you go into Southern territory. I have had encounters there. Not necessarily COMPLETELY mean spirited, but they’re interesting stories all the same.

  7. “…War of Northern Aggression…”

    I believe that I shall start calling it the War of Southern Aggression”.

    Paul L. Quandt

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