August 18th, 2009

The research I continue to do on the book about Elizabeth Custer led me to a couple of people who used to be the directors of the Little Big Horn Museum. My talk with Nadya and Bill Henry about the famous General’s wife was interesting and filled with valuable information I can use in the new tome. The best thing about the conversation I had with the Henrys was their complete candor about the supposed affairs George Custer had and the romantic attraction Elizabeth had towards a soldier named Thomas Wier. We spoke about the so-called guardians of history who do not care so about being factually correct as much as they do being politically correct. According to the Henrys, the desire by so many outside intities to manipulate the truth about Custer’s Last Stand has transformed the sacred battleground into a “political football.” Nadya was a delightful woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. She was refreshing and bold and I look forward to many more conversations with her on this subject. Looks like I’ll have a chance in the coming weeks to visit with one of my favorite authors Glenn Boyer. Maybe I’ll get at the correct number of men Wyatt Earp killed on his vendetta ride. (Earp historians differ wildly over the exact number) Glenn has written several books about Earp and I like his fearless style. His critics don’t seem to bother him – and they’ve been unkind and unfair. I wish I could be more like Glenn in the face of such unfairness. Perhaps I’ll learn how he deals with it all when I see him. Until then, I’ll be spending time with Elizabeth Custer and diligently striving to get all my facts correct. Those facts change depending how someone reads the various historical accounts and interprets them – that’s what makes history writing such an explosive venture. I have five books coming out over the next five years, each one just as controversial as the next. I’m in for quite a bumpy ride.