Post by Larry Koschkee on Feb 12, 2005 23:35:48 GMT -5
Robert Braun, Secretary of the Old Lead Region Historical Society has released a book Bloody Lake The Battle of Pecatonica, June 16, 1832 - A Battle of the Black Hawk War.
I am in very unfamiliar territory here as I do not profess to be a book critic, rather my intent here is to express my admiration of this literary work.
Upon turning to the first page and reading Phalanx Press is proud to introduce its "Battles and Bastions" series of pocket sized books on the Black Hawk War of 1832!" I immediately envisioned trivial literature works called dime or penny novels. Short stories with a consistient theme of good guys, villains and happy endings. The vision quickly vanished as I delved into the pages of some pre-Wisconsin Territory history.
The focus of the book is the battle or skirmish between a war party of Indian warriors with demonstrated allegiance to the renowned Sauk leader, Black Hawk and a company of Michigan Territory militia commanded by Col. Henry Dodge that took place on a horse shoe shaped bend on the Pecatonica River. The sound of musket fire on the bank of this river reverberated throughout the duration of the Black Hawk War, forever changing the way of life of the proud tribes touched by the actions of Black Hawk's Band.
The author seems to take on the unique role of a reporter embedded with the militia, conducting interviews and compliling journalistic news of a single event involving compelling human drama on the frontier. Another remarkable feature in the book is the restraint exhibited by the author in not sprinkling his personal opinions throughout or inserting subtle pathways leading to conclusion. I have read pages and pages of copyrighted and non-copyrighted material from the author and can attest to the author's skill in making persuasive arguments. He has put that skill aside to encourage the reader to draw their own conclusions.
Particularly noteworthy subject material for me was the effort by the author to sort through the varying accounts of the number of individuals on both sides of the skirmish and compiles a respectable list of militia names present at the battle site. This list of names is a valuable resource for genealogical purposes.
There is plenty of annotation of material in the book for those of us who are sticklers for such things.
This "pocket sized book" is a refreshing delivery of history, concise and to the point. History the way I like it... with out a la mode.
The author has announced that this book is part of a series of publications discussing the citizen forts of the Michigan Territory (Western Wisconsin), and two battles in the waning moments of the Black Hawk War.
War Clouds On The Wisconsin; The Battle Of Wisconsin Heights.
Forting Up, Wisconsin's Militia Forts Of The Black Hawk War, 1832
River of Tears; The Battle Of The Mississippi (Bad Axe)
I am in very unfamiliar territory here as I do not profess to be a book critic, rather my intent here is to express my admiration of this literary work.
Upon turning to the first page and reading Phalanx Press is proud to introduce its "Battles and Bastions" series of pocket sized books on the Black Hawk War of 1832!" I immediately envisioned trivial literature works called dime or penny novels. Short stories with a consistient theme of good guys, villains and happy endings. The vision quickly vanished as I delved into the pages of some pre-Wisconsin Territory history.
The focus of the book is the battle or skirmish between a war party of Indian warriors with demonstrated allegiance to the renowned Sauk leader, Black Hawk and a company of Michigan Territory militia commanded by Col. Henry Dodge that took place on a horse shoe shaped bend on the Pecatonica River. The sound of musket fire on the bank of this river reverberated throughout the duration of the Black Hawk War, forever changing the way of life of the proud tribes touched by the actions of Black Hawk's Band.
The author seems to take on the unique role of a reporter embedded with the militia, conducting interviews and compliling journalistic news of a single event involving compelling human drama on the frontier. Another remarkable feature in the book is the restraint exhibited by the author in not sprinkling his personal opinions throughout or inserting subtle pathways leading to conclusion. I have read pages and pages of copyrighted and non-copyrighted material from the author and can attest to the author's skill in making persuasive arguments. He has put that skill aside to encourage the reader to draw their own conclusions.
Particularly noteworthy subject material for me was the effort by the author to sort through the varying accounts of the number of individuals on both sides of the skirmish and compiles a respectable list of militia names present at the battle site. This list of names is a valuable resource for genealogical purposes.
There is plenty of annotation of material in the book for those of us who are sticklers for such things.
This "pocket sized book" is a refreshing delivery of history, concise and to the point. History the way I like it... with out a la mode.
The author has announced that this book is part of a series of publications discussing the citizen forts of the Michigan Territory (Western Wisconsin), and two battles in the waning moments of the Black Hawk War.
War Clouds On The Wisconsin; The Battle Of Wisconsin Heights.
Forting Up, Wisconsin's Militia Forts Of The Black Hawk War, 1832
River of Tears; The Battle Of The Mississippi (Bad Axe)