Colter Wall dropped two new singles on Wednesday. One is an original, Cypress Hills and the Big Country, about Colter’s home country of Saskatchewan.
The other is a Cowboy Jack Clement ditty, Let’s All Help The Cowboys Sing the Blues, which was featured on Waylon Jennings’ masterpiece album Dreaming My Dreams. Helping cowboys — and cowboy singers — get laid since 1975…
*
Well, dog brothers — there he is.
The unveiling of Earl Lanning’s bronze sculpture of Simon Kenton at the Old Washington Courthouse in Kentucky last weekend was apparently an outstanding event. Warms the cockles of me Frontier Partisan heart, so it does.
Frontier artist Steve White, who has painted many key scenes from Kenton’s remarkable life, posted the snap to Facebook.
*
Due out on November 29 (right on time for Badass Santa) is a narrative history of one of the singular battles in all Frontier Partisan history. Talkin’ about King’s Mountain. (Follow the link for a a couple of essay’s on King’s Mountain from Capt. Rick Schwertfeger from 2017). The author has several Revolutionary War titles under his belt, along with a tactical analysis of the Battle of the Little Big Horn that I must get to one day. This looks mighty good.
The Battle of Kings Mountain was the most remarkable, unexpected, and unorthodox patriot victory of supreme importance that was fought during the course of the American Revolution. The victors of Kings Mountain were South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina Backcountry volunteers (including men from today’s Tennessee) of a ghost army that suddenly materialized practically out of thin air from both sides of the Appalachian Mountains on its own and without authorization from the Continental Congress or Continental officers.To defend their farms and families and the land they loved, on October 7, 1780, this ad hoc force of Backcountry volunteers from remote settlements across the frontier suddenly descended upon a well-trained and well-equipped force of more than one thousand Royal Provincial and Loyalist troops, who defiantly made their last stand on the summit of Kings Mountain, after having been caught by surprise.
During one of the hardest fought and bloodiest battles of the American Revolution, this one-sided (the entire enemy force—the vital left wing of Lord Charles Cornwallis’ Army—was killed, wounded, and captured) patriot victory at Kings Mountain was a major turning point of not only the war in the South, but also of the American Revolution.
Ironically, no battle of the American Revolution more forcefully demonstrated the lethal effectiveness of Southern militia and the future surreal horrors of America’s first civil war. This decisive battle in northwest South Carolina was fought between fellow Americans, including not only neighbors but also relatives, even fathers and sons, nearly three-quarters of a century before the Battles of First Manassas, Antietam, and Gettysburg, when young Americans once again slaughtered each other for what they believed was right.
*
The American Revolution, though it had its dark aspects, ultimately proved of great benefit to the world, enshrining the inalienable rights of man, and creating a mechanism of government that, whatever its flaws, is the best yet devised to safeguard them. On the other end of the spectrum, the Russian Revolution and the Civil War that stormed upon its heels was a catastrophe. It let loose the demons of totalitarianism upon the world.
Antony Beevor, one of the great narrative historians of the Second World War, has a new volume out:
I somehow managed the self-discipline to put it back on the shelf at Paulina Springs Books (it came out of the storeroom in the same box with Indigenous Continent; the household gods of bookstores delight in tempting me). I will get to this one, though. I hold Beevor in great esteem, and am eager to get his take on the great cataclysm of the 20th century, whose echoes can be heard at this very moment in the roar of artillery in Ukraine.
Aspects of the Russian Civil War are Frontier Partisan warfare blown out to massive scale — the partisan fighting in Ukraine and the warlordism of Cossack Atamans in Siberia in particular. The Cossacks are a classic case of Continuity & Persistence of a frontier culture across centuries. This is laid out nicely in a brief special segment of The
Great War series:
*
Ace medieval historian Dan Jones has dropped a new podcast series This Is History: A Dynasty To Die For. That dynasty would be the Plantagenets, the mad, bad and dangerous-to-know family at the center of Jones’ excellent and entertaining narrative histories, The Plantagenets and The Wars of the Roses (The Hollow Crown in the UK).
Hosted by bestselling author and historian Dan Jones, the series explores the story of the most dysfunctional family of the Middle Ages - The Plantagenets – and examines how power, greed, religion and sex fueled their lives with turmoil. Previously described as the “real life Game of Thrones,” the story of The Plantagenets takes listeners on a wild ride as the family leaves a trail of destruction across Europe and beyond, their personal feuds and psychodramas playing out on an epic scale.
The first episode, focused on the redoubtable Eleanor of Aquitaine, reminded me of the essentially “frontier” conditions of northern Europe in the 12th century. The landscape was quite wild outside of towns and the handful of cities, and banditry was rife. Knights more resembled the tough hombres that rode for the likes of the Hash Knife Outfit than they did the chivalrous heroes of romance.
Jones’ first foray into fiction, Essex Dogs, was released a few days ago in the UK, to rapturous reviews (from actual readers; I have largely ceased to pay attention to mainstream critics, so many of whom have sold out to ideological agendas). It’s not surprising that he’s hit the mark; Jones is a very, very good writer. Apparently, the swearing is as poetic as Deadwood.
The publisher is shooting every arrow in the quiver with this; booksellers of England have rolled out some rather stunning artwork to promote the tale.
We have to wait till February 7, 2023, which is fine by me, since I’m buried in reading at the moment, as you know. But I will definitely be picking this one up. I have a February work trip, and methinks the Essex Dogs will make outstanding travel companions.
July 1346. Ten men land on the beaches of Normandy. They call themselves the Essex Dogs: an unruly platoon of archers and men-at-arms led by a battle-scarred captain whose best days are behind him. The fight for the throne of the largest kingdom in Western Europe has begun.
Heading ever deeper into enemy territory toward Crécy, this band of brothers knows they are off to fight a battle that will forge nations, and shape the very fabric of human lives. But first they must survive a bloody war in which rules are abandoned and chivalry itself is slaughtered.
Rooted in historical accuracy and told through an unforgettable cast, Essex Dogs delivers the stark reality of medieval war on the ground – and shines a light on the fighters and ordinary people caught in the storm.
Matthew says
I wonder how many of the American fighters at King’s Mountain had experience in fighting Indians? That might explain a lot in how they were able to defeat the British.
JimC says
There was definitely some significant Cherokee Wars experience, particularly among the leadership. The men would also have enough woods experience to be adept at moving, shooting and communicating in the conditions of the battlefield.
Matthew says
So it could be that it was a battle of experience vs. training and equipment. Do you know what experience the British had? Where were they from exactly? Was there a lot of boys from the streets of London?
Quixotic Mainer says
If I recall correctly, I think most of Ferguson’s men were Tory, but from more civilized parts than the backwoodsmen that made up their antagonists.
JimC says
Yes, almost all locally recruited force.
Matthew says
Thank you.
Fletcher A Vredenburgh says
Whelp, thanks, now I’ve got to get the Beevor book.
JimC says
Always happy to break a book budget or two first thing in the morning. Why should I be the only one?
John Maddox Roberts says
I wish to announce that my years of frequenting this site have finally resulted in my total corruption. I have ordered myself an Akubra hat.
JimC says
Outstanding. What style?
John Maddox Roberts says
The Cattleman. In fact, it arrived about two hours after I posted the above comment. Ordered it Tuesday evening. Got it Thursday morning. Less than a day and 1/2 to get an Australian hat. By contrast, a royalty check ostensibly mailed a week ago has still not arrived. I am very pleased with the quality of the hat. If I have to put it away for a while I’ll be sure to mothball it. I left my Stetson on a hatrack for several months. When I went to put it on once more the moths had eaten holes in it. Let this be a warning.
JimC says
That’s a damn fine hat.
John Bullard says
I don’t know about Dr. Tucker’s books. I read his Death at the Little Bighorn and was highly unimpressed with it. Looking at the rest of his books that deal with subjects I know something about, I was struck by the fact that many of the descriptions of the books proclaim to offer new!, ground-breaking information! about the subject, and where the thesis is given, it seems he’s just writing books on ideas that have been known by historians and adherents for years. Maybe he’s trying to become the new Carl Sagan Popularizer of History or something. Proceed with caution.
JimC says
Thanks for the caution flag. I’ll put this down as a “get from a library first” item.
David Wrolson says
I second the reservations about “Death at the Little Bighorn.” That was a huge “Meh” from me.
JimC says
Appreciate the caution flags. Opinion here is gold.
John Maddox Roberts says
One of my wife Beth’s ancestors went with the Overmountain Men to King’s Mountain. By all accounts it was one of the few rifleman’s battles, being decided mainly by marksmanship instead of volume of firepower. Ironically, the Loyalist commander was Patrick Ferguson, inventor of the famous screw-breech Ferguson rifle, a champion of switching from the outmoded musket to the modern rifle. A fat lot of good it did him.
David Wrolson says
Had one book just hit my X-Ring. “Bringing Back The Lions” by Mike Arnold about the comeback of wildlife in Mozambique’s Coutada 11.
Ordered it immediatey. I also ordered (from History Book Club) the Pekka Hemainen(?) book.
JimC says
Outstanding.
Ugly Hombre says
“The American Revolution, though it had its dark aspects, ultimately proved of great benefit to the world, enshrining the inalienable rights of man, and creating a mechanism of government that, whatever its flaws, is the best yet devised to safeguard them. On the other end of the spectrum, the Russian Revolution and the Civil War that stormed upon its heels was a catastrophe. It let loose the demons of totalitarianism upon the world.”
Dead on…
Wish that was taught in school instead of America is bad bull chit. Communist rule is the number one killer in the last hundred years and counting. The Chicom virus upped the tally considerable. For some reason no blame is given, for some reason though there have been hundreds of movies about the evils of the National Socialist Nazi devils very few movies have been showing its sister twin the more powerful and still extent evil of Communism. Why is that?
Only one movie that I know of has ever been made about the deep horror of the Russian Revolution is a Russian/French made film “The Chekist”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chekist
It used to be online but its been spiked many times not sure about now. Its a brutal work.
I went deep into the Russian Revolution about 2008 searched out a lot of books from the 20’s and 30’s written by Bolsheviks, “White Russians” Poles, Czechs, etc. Looked hard into both sides. Paid special attention to the Cheka Lenin’s political secret police.
No knock armed raids, targeting of political opponents at every level, placing them in solitary confinement with no chance of bail, raiding homes and sizing anything that wanted with no warrants, using all aspects of the state to crush anyone who did not bow down to radical far left Communist thought. The Nazi bastards learned from them well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3O42DiN3Aw
It really is too bad that American people in general- don’t know a damn thing about history.
“If you don’t learn history- its gonna be deja vue all over again”
What Yogi said- lol
JimC says
This accounts for a profound lack of perspective. The study of history has given me a “tragic” view of life — that the world is full of strife and injustice and catastrophe, man mad and natural, and that in turn has given me a heightened appreciation when things work out more or less pretty well.
Matthew says
Youtube just posted a new Cody Jinks song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdeFyv6PX34
JimC says
Thx!
Ugly Hombre says
https://russiatrek.org/blog/society/russia-in-1917-1919-the-paintings-of-ivan-vladimirov/
https://media.mutualart.com/Images/2018_11/01/19/192825396/56f14036-e90e-472a-b68a-85b4c7e2e257_570.Jpeg
People may have already see this but some may find it interesting- thought I would share, the art work of Ivan Vladimirov, who was a participant in the Bolshevik revolt and captured it in his art.
You can see the food shortages, driven by massive inflation brought on by Communist idiotic miss management of the economy. The Chekist political police who jailed and harassed their political opponents sending armed goon squads to round them up in the middle of the night- on trumped up fake charges sizing their property etc. The vicious rioting and looting encouraged by the Communist insurgents, class ‘enemies’ sent to gulogs and never seen again, the destruction of religion and torture of clergy, destruction of history The template of Communist destroyers- for over one hundred years now.
https://uploads1.wikiart.org/00117/images/ivan-vladimirov/in-basements-of-cheka-1919.jpg!Large.jpg
“Vladimirov (1869-1947), was a Russian painter and draftsman, became known as the artist of the realistic school of painting. In 1917-1918, he worked in the Petrograd militia. This experience helped him to create a unique cycle of documentary sketches of the events of these years.”.
https://russiatrek.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/russia-1917-1919-paintings-ivan-vladimirov-1.jpg
Interesting that he made it through the revolt and did not end up in the basement and that he also survived Stalin.
One very lucky fellow indeed.
JimC says
Thank you for these.
Ugly Hombre says
Very welcome Amigo! BTW there were some beautiful large coffee table books of Vladimirov’s art for sale a while back they were pricy and above my limit- be cool to have them but I have to choose wisely with both silver and space the rude hovel is busting at the seams. Good that we can peruse his art online!
JimC says
Yeah, that’s one of the upsides of the technology. As is this campfire.
Ugly Hombre says
Yes Sir!