Geronimo

Just got done reading this book on Geronimo by Robert Utley. It's a pretty decent read and gives a good overview of the Geronimo, his world, and the various campaigns that the Army conducted against the Apache.

Geronimo is an interesting character; people either loved or hated him. Also, while he conducted his operations against the Army masterfully, there were times where he was slack to the point of not even bothering to post guards and on several occassions his camp was surprised. Only quick action saved him.

If you're looking for a good overview, this is a good place to start. The only problem is keeping track of Geronimo's movements- the maps help but they could be better.

I'll comment more soon.



A friend of mine was doing a film on reenactors and wanted some footage on the First World War and cavalry so Max and I helped out. Basically I portray a trooper of Troop H, 2nd US Cavalry on the Western Front mid-1918. Here are some pictures from that shoot:

 

 



A picture from a recent event. Max and I are doing fine!

 

 



New Year's 2013 in Tombstone, Arizona

Doing some major catch-up here...here are a few pictures from New Year's 2013 in Tombstone, Arizona.

 

 



 

In front of my house in Tombstone.

Bisbee, Arizona- It actually snowed!

Tombstone, the day after New Year's - No snow but a VERY COLD wind!

German Cavalry Training

I came across these pictures while cleaning up my computer. These are pictures of German cavalry training probably sometime just prior to 1914. As you can see, jumping was emphasized quite a bit ... :-)

In this picture, it appears that the jump obstacle is somewhere about three feet or so. This is quite a jump to make while both hands are otherwise occupied...like with a lance. I've done this sort of jump once and it wasn't easy. :-)

These two pictures above really illustrate the need to clear a pretty high obstacle- and it's a sure bet that herd dynamics encourages the horses to jump- don't want to get left behind. Still, it would really be bad if a horse refused...

Note the pre-Caprilli set on the riders- they're leaning back on the jump.

15th Infantry - China c. 1912

Just to continue the China theme...with the outbreak of the Chinese Revolution in 1911 associated with the overthrow of the Quing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China, forces from the Western powers were sent to China to secure Western interests and avoid a repeat of the Boxer Rebellion. One such unit that the US dispatched to China was the 15th Infantry, which was initially stationed at Chinwangtao (1st Batallion and Machinegun Platoon) and later, joined by the rest of the regiment, at Tientsin. Ultimately, the 15th was to remain stationed in China until 1938.

Distinctive Unit Insignia - 15th Infantry


15th Infantry Route March, somewhere outside of Tientsin, c. 1912



This is something I'd like to research some more for a mounted impression for living history... :-)


Tropical uniform.

China Revolution 1911

Here's an upcoming movie that looks pretty interesting:



This is about the Chinese Revolution which saw the overthrow of the Quing Dynasty and the creation of the Republic of China led by Sun Yat Sen. Unfortunately, China very quickly fell into civil war and the rise of war lords which pretty much divided China and facilitated Japan's conquest of parts of China. China wasn't ultimately re-unifired until the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949.