General News

This morning, Susan and I leave for a much-needed vacation. We’re headed to California for a week. There will be no Civil War on this trip, and I intend to take a much needed break from work, researching, writing, and, yes, blogging, too. We will be back on the evening of the 15th. Posting will resume on the 16th. Have a good week and enjoy your respite from me.

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Time for another in my infrequent posts on forgotten Union cavalrymen. Today, we’re focusing on a little-known officer who commanded an even more obscure unit. Erastus Blakeslee was born to Joel and Sarah Marie Mansfield Blakeslee in Plymouth, Connecticut on September 2, 1838. He attended the Williston Seminary at Easthampton, Massachusetts for his college preparatory studies, and entered the freshman class at Yale University in the fall of 1859. He was on his spring vacation in 1861 when the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter, and he was one of the first from Plymouth to enlist in response to President Lincoln’s call for volunteers.

He enlisted in Company A of the 1st Battalion Connecticut Cavalry Volunteers on October 9, 1861. Nine days later, he was commissioned second lieutenant in the same company. On November 26, just over a month later, he was promoted to first lieutenant and was appointed regimental adjutant. On February 28, 1862, he was promoted to captain of Company A, which he commanded in the field.

On July 14, 1863, he was promoted to major, and assumed command of the regiment. On May 21, 1864, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and six days later, was promoted to colonel in a remarkably rapid rise. He went from private to colonel in two-and-a-half years. He was wounded in battle at the Battle of Ashland, Virginia on June 1, 1864, and returned to duty in time for the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. He mustered out on October 26, 1864 upon expiration of his term of service. Blakeslee was brevetted to brigadier general of volunteers on March 13, 1865 for gallant conduct at Ashland, Va. on June 1, 1864. “He was a brilliant fighter,” observed one writer. “The General is the idol of his old regiment.”

Although the 1st Connecticut is a not a well-known regiment, it was engaged in a great deal of fighting during the Civil War. The State’s first cavalry regiment was organized as a battalion under Maj. J. W. Lyon in September 1861, and became a full regiment under Col. William S. Fish in November. It was sent to western Virginia to fight bushwhackers in March, 1862.

In the winter of 1862-1863 the regiment moved to Baltimore, Maryland for reorganization, and was serving there during the Gettysburg Campaign as part of the forces assigned to the Middle Military District. It moved to Harper’s Ferry, W. Va., July 5, 1863, and skirmished with southern cavalry in that vicinity until January, 1864.

After Blakeslee was promoted to colonel, the regiment became part of the Third Cavalry Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, fighting throughout the Overland Campaign, including at the Wilderness, Todd’s Tavern, Yellow Tavern, Meadow Bridges, throughout the Wilson-Kautz Raid, and then served in Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign from August to December 1864, fighting at Tom’s Brook and Cedar Creek. It then participated in Lee’s retreat from Petersburg, including fighting at Sailor’s Creek. The 1st Connecticut escorted Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to receive Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. The 1st Connecticut suffered 772 casualties during the war, representing 56% of its strength.

Blakeslee was also an inventor. With the advent of the Spencer repeating carbine, Blakeslee realized that his troopers would run out of ammunition quickly unless they had a way to carry large quantities of ammunition available to them. Blakeslee addressed this problem by designing the “Blakeslee Box”, which held ten ammunition tubes for the Spencer, meaning that each trooper could carry 70 rounds in tubes, ready to be loaded. More than 10,000 Blakeslee Cartridge Boxes were manufactured and distributed to the Federal cavalry during the course of the Civil War.

After the war, Blakeslee engaged in business in New Haven, Connecticut and then in Boston. In 1876, he resumed his studies, attending and graduating from Andover Theological Seminary. After graduating from there in 1879, he held Congregational Church pastorates in New Haven, Connecticut and Spencer, Massachusetts. While in Spencer, he became interested in an effort to improve the methods and result of Bible study in Sunday schools and among young people, and set about developing a system of study. In the summer of 1892, he resigned from his pastorate and moved to Boston, where he devoted his efforts to developing further improvements in the methods of Bible study.

He published numerous works on the Bible, including a nine-part study titled The Gospel History of Jesus Christ, that were translated into ten different languages, and were used in nearly all of the evangelical denominations in North America.

General Blakeslee lived the rest of his life in the Boston area, where he was active in veterans’ affairs, and regularly attended reunions of his old regiment. “At such times the Custer tie is the dominant color in the old cavalry organization,” noted a reporter in 1895.

He died July 12, 1908, and was buried in Walnut Hills Cemetery in Brookline, Massachusetts. He is one of the few officers to rise from private to colonel and regimental command. His genius led to the development of his cartridge box, and he then devoted his life to preaching the gospel. Here’s to Erastus Blakeslee, forgotten cavalryman.

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On Thursday, I accepted an invitation that I was honored to receive. I have been invited to be the keynote presenter at the 20th anniversary picnic commemorating the founding of the Brandy Station Foundation, which will be on September 13, 2009, at Berry Hill Farm in lovely Culpeper County, Virginia. The event begins at 1:00, and I will be speaking between 2:30 and 3 on a subject that is near and dear to my heart, “Preservation and the Brandy Station Battlefield.

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Brett Schulte at TOCWOC came up with a brilliant idea, which was to get a number of Civil War bloggers to list their ten favorite/most influential Gettysburg books on the anniversary of the battle. Brett was kind enough to ask me to participate, so here’s my list. I have not included any of my work on this list, as it would be immodest to do so.

1. Edwin B. Coddington, The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command. This book is the bible for any serious student of the campaign. The treatment of the retreat is a little weak, only because Prof. Coddington died before it could be completed, and someone else had to finish the work.

2. Harry W. Pfanz, Gettysburg: The Second Day. A truly magnificent book that provides the sort of detailed study of Longstreet’s assault on the second day that I crave. This book is a must-have for the library of any serious student of the campaign.

3. Edward G. Longacre, The Cavalry in the Gettysburg Campaign:A Tactical Study of Mounted Operations during the Civil War’s Pivotal Campaign, 9 June-14 July 1863 . This 1986 book provides the first study of cavalry operations in the Gettysburg Campaign dedicated entirely to mounted operations. Its coverage lacks detail, but it’s well-written and comprehensive. It was one of the books that got me started doing what I do.

4. David G. Martin, Gettysburg, July 1. I’m a first day guy. It’s by far my favorite part of the battle. An incredible research resource, this was the first detailed study dedicated entirely to the first day of the battle. It can be tough to read, but it’s worth the effort.

5. Richard Shue, Morning at Willoughby Run. Dedicated exclusively to the morning of the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, it’s thought-provoking and detailed.

6. J. D. Petruzzi and Steven Stanley, The Complete Gettysburg Guide: Walking and Driving Tours of the Battlefield, Town, Cemeteries, Field Hospital Sites, and other Topics of Historical Interest. This is the tour guide for those who want both the mainstream and the obscure, and there is simply no substitute for the superb maps of master cartographer Steve Stanley. Another must-have for every Gettysburg library.

7. Jeffry D. Wert, Gettysburg, Day Three. Readable, complete, and well-researched, this is the best account of the entire third day of the Battle of Gettysburg ever written. I greatly admire Jeff Wert’s work and believe that this book is some of his very best work, even though a couple of the maps got bollixed up.

8. Scott L. Mingus, Sr., Flames Beyond Gettysburg: The Gordon Expedition. I’m all about the obscure stuff. The more obscure, the better. This episode occurred before the Battle of Gettysburg and had far-reaching consequences for the outcome of the campaign for a lot of reasons. Scott Mingus has done an outstanding job of documenting these events in a readable book. I am little bit biased; I wrote the introduction to this book. However, it is one of my favorites and would be even if I hadn’t written the introduction.

9. The Bachelder Papers. These are three volumes of correspondence by participants in the battle. These letters to John B. Bachelder are invaluable to trying to interpret events at the Battle of Gettysburg and also some of the events that occurred during other aspects of the campaign. I use these three volumes often in my work on the Gettysburg Campaign.

10. W. P. Conrad and Ted Alexander, When War Passed this Way. This book is indispensable if you’re interested in how the Gettysburg Campaign impacted Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Franklin County witnessed the second largest battle north of the Mason-Dixon Line at Monterey Pass, the passage of Lee’s army to and from Gettysburg, and the passage of the Wagon Train of Wounded. This groundbreaking study is a must-have for any serious student of the campaign, but good luck finding a copy. It’s long out of print and very, very hard to find. Hopefully, someone will bring it back into print one of these days (hint, hint, Ted Alexander….)

There are probably others, but these are the books that come to my mind as being essential to any Gettysburg library.

The permanent page for this project may be found here. The debate should be fun.

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Thanks to loyal reader Charlie Knight for passing along the news that the imbecile re-enactor who fired a live round at another re-enactor and wounded him has finally done the right thing and pled guilty.

From today’s issue of the Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot:

Civil War re-enactor pleads guilty, must take gun course

By Linda McNatt
The Virginian-Pilot
© June 25, 2009
ISLE OF WIGHT

A 30-year-old Civil War re-enactor pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of reckless handling of a firearm in regard to a shooting in September while filming a battle scene.

Joshua Silva of Norfolk must complete a gun safety course and pay $1,200 in restitution before his scheduled return to court Sept. 16. If he completes those requirements, the charges will be dismissed, Commonwealth’s Attorney Wayne Farmer said.

Silva was a walk-on in the Civil War documentary “Overland Campaign Web Series Project.” He carried a replica of a 19th-century .45-caliber pistol with live ammunition. When he fired the gun, the bullet struck Thomas R. Lord Sr. of Suffolk. Lord was flown from Heritage Park on Courthouse Highway to a Norfolk hospital.

Lord was portraying a Union soldier; Silva was on the side of the South. The shooting happened during one of the scenes that involved a volley of shots between the two armies.

Farmer said officials believe Silva did not know the gun was loaded.

“The victim is satisfied with the agreement,” Farmer said. “Mr. Silva broke a cardinal rule of re-enacting – never, ever use live fire.”

Most re-enactments include a weapons check as part of the routine, Farmer said, but somehow that part of the routine must have slipped by in this incident.

“This could have been much, much worse.”

Lord, 73, was shot in the shoulder, near the collar bone, Farmer said. He has recovered and still takes part in re-enactments.

Linda McNatt, (757) 222-5561, linda.mcnatt@pilotonline.com

I’m glad that this moron finally accepted responsibility for his galactic stupidity and pled guilty. One can only hope that he has learned his lesson and will check his gun to see if it’s loaded next time he goes to a reenactment…..

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Here is an e-mail that I received from Jackie Barton, the Ohio Civil War Sesquicentennial coordinator for the Ohio Historical Society about a large rally to be held on Thursday, June 11, to protest the slashing of the OHS budget by the Ohio Senate yet again:

Thank you to everyone who has shown their support of the Civil War 150th and the Ohio Historical Society by contacting your State Senators about funding!

Here’s the situation:

The Senate approved their version of the budget yesterday without restoring our funding, BUT there is still time to act. We’ve been hearing from the offices of state Senators and Representatives that our message is being heard!

What now?

The budget will go into conference committee, where members from the House, Senate and the Governor’s Office will reconcile differences in the budget. HERE is where our funding has the best chance of being restored.

What can you do?

RALLY:

Please mark your calendars for Thursday, June 11 from noon – 1 p.m. to Rally for History! at the Ohio Historical Center, located at I-71 and 17th Avenue in Columbus. You’ll also have an opportunity to visit the statehouse if you have time at the end of the rally.

The Ohio Senate voted yesterday to approve the next two-year state budget, which includes significant budget cuts that would reduce the state’s investment in the Ohio Historical Society to the lowest level since 1994. Now the budget goes to a conference committee made up of a small number of House, Senate, and Governor’s Office officials.

There is still time to make an impact and help restore funding for historic sites and the Society’s Outreach programs that affect students, teachers, local history organizations and Ohio communities. It’s time to Rally For History! Please join us on Thursday, June 11. We’ll be thanking all who participate in the rally with FREE parking and admission to the Ohio Historical Center. More details coming very soon…

EMAIL and CALL:

If you have already called and emailed your State Senator, call and email your State Representative. You can also call, write and email Governor Strickland to show your support of restoring funding to the Ohio Historical Society in budget line 509! If you’d like to contact all three at once, use our Legislative Action page: http://capwiz.com/ohiohistory/home/

MAKE A STATEMENT:

We have some ideas about what you can do in your own community to make a statement about these budget cuts. If you want to hear more, call or email me.

Please feel free to call me with questions and thanks for your support! We’ll update you on rally details early next week.

Thank you again-your support is so important!

Jackie

Today, Jackie passed along a link to a new site, Save Ohio History!. Check it out. And, if you live in Ohio, please do what you can to ensure that the dolts in the Ohio State Senate hear your demand that the funding for the OHS not be slashed yet again. If you can’t make it to the big rally in Columbus, the web site will have some ideas of some other things that you can do to ensure that your voice is heard.

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Below is the president’s report of North & South, Inc. I recognize that by publishing this report here, I am airing dirty laundry. However, a lot of people are losing a lot of money due to the rank incompetence of the president of the company and his supporting cast of yes-men, far more than I am losing. I simply could not stand by and allow it to happen without the world knowing and understanding that the investors are being stripped of the company’s only asset for nothing but the assumption of the debt by a not-for-profit company that will probably be used as the personal piggy bank of the president.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

It will come as no surprise to anyone if I remark that U.S. economy is in bad shape. Thus far North & South’s subscription base has held up and I am working day and night to find new sources of subscribers. We should also have our website back up soon. Retail sales are as far as we know also holding steady (overall magazine sales in the U.S. are down 25%) though there is always so much time lag with the numbers that our data is several months old.

We have been adversely affected in two ways, both serious. (1) Names and Addresses, who marketed our mailing list, went bankrupt owing us $12,000. (2) advertising budgets have been widely cut and among those making the deepest cuts are book publishers—our principal sources of advertising revenue. Although advertising revenue has not (yet?) fallen it is clearly now impossible to reach the goals we had set ourselves and without which the magazine will continue to lose money. The loss of revenue from the Names and Addresses bankruptcy meant we could not pay our print bill. I have taken action as follows:
(1) Reduced the number of pages in the magazine from 100 to 84. I have done this in such a way that each issue will still have 5-6 articles, each being slightly shorter than of yore. I am hopeful this will avert any negative reaction from readers.
(2) There will be less color (2 signatures rather than 4).
(3) We have eliminated foreign retail sales and domestic outlets with lower rates of sell-through. This pretty much means North & South will retail exclusively through book stores.
(4) I negotiated with three print companies and finally persuaded our existing printer to meet the lowest bid and work with us in such a way that we can off the unpaid bill for issue 11.2 by September 30th. This means that our bill for 11.3 (which mailed three weeks ago) is reduced to c. $10,000 and from 11.4 on will be c. $9400. This is a reduction from $18,000 per issue.
(5) I have also been able to effect certain other savings. For example, the layout bill is reduced by 16% as a result of reducing the number of pages (though this partially offset by the decline in the value of the U.S. dollar in relation to the Chinese yuen—remember the magazine is laid out in China).

The overall effect is that, if no other major problems occur, the magazine will just be able to pay its way. This is just as well, as I can no longer subsidize the magazine or work for a pittance. The company has a credit card debt of c. $100,000 for which I am personally ultimately responsible. Like around 50% of Americans my home is now worth less than my mortgage. Although I am attempting to refinance it, there is a 90% probability that I will lose the house in the next four months.

The board of directors has voted to transfer ownership of the magazine to the Civil War Society, which is a not-for-profit corporation. This has a number of advantages (e.g. paying less for illustrations, possibly getting a grant) and stands the best chance of safeguarding the interests of subscribers (as well as relieving N&S Inc. from the subscription obligation of c. $130,000). The Civil War Society will also assume certain other obligations. You should vote for or against this move either at the AGM or by mailed-in ballot.

This of course leaves the shareholders–myself included–with a corporation that is effectively an empty shell, albeit one with less debt than before. Our shares at this point are worthless (irrespective of whether the magazine stays with N&S Inc. or goes to the Civil War Society). Intellectually and educationally the magazine has been, and is, a great success; financially it is not.

I am painfully aware that friends and acquaintances have invested in the company, though I hope no-one is in as dire a position as I am. I hope eventually to be able personally to repay investors the money they put into the company itself cannot. Obviously this is not a legal obligation, but it is a strongly felt moral one. By the end of the year, if I can stave off personal financial disaster, I may be able to offer you some hope in this direction.

Please do not hesitate to call me with any questions or suggestions.

Sincerely,

Keith Poulter

So, there you have it. The whole ugly truth. If the proposal is approved by the shareholders–since Poulter and his ex-wife control enough shares, it inevitably will be–we will be left with a corporation that has no assets and nothing but debt. Poulter’s rank incompetence, with the rubber stamping of his board of yes-men, has caused a LOT of good people to lose a LOT of money. In my case, it’s about $20,000, gone forever due to his horrific mismanagement. All lost for the retirement of some debt. It bears noting that this is now the SECOND publishing venture of Poulter’s that his incompetent management ran into the ground; had I known that another venture of his had failed before hitching my wagon to North & South, I never, ever would have done so.

One other observation is pertinent here, as to the bankruptcy of Names and Addresses. Poulter very disingenuously would lead us to believe that the alleged $12,000 lost here would tip the balance. He seems to be saying that this tiny straw broke the company’s back, and worse, he’s using it as one of two key reasons for this bogus transfer to the Civil War Society. This fails to pass the old reliable smell test and comes across like an empty—and transparent—excuse.

I have voted against the proposal and against the current slate of directors, and I urge EVERY shareholder of this company to join me in doing so. We may not control enough votes to prevent it, but perhaps it will send a message.

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Jackie Barton of the Ohio Historical Society, who is the coordinator for the sesquicentennial commission, saw my post from yesterday, and left a comment. It had enough good and useful information in it that I decided to feature it:

Hi Eric,

Thanks for the coverage and the support. The Advisory Committee hasn’t actually been appointed yet: we’re working on criteria/goals. And though we are certainly behind states like Virginia and Pennsylvania, we are mostly in line with or even ahead of some others. I’ve been participating in a quarterly call with all the state coordinators who are planning to commemorate the 150th through American Association of State and Local History, and some states are just starting to plan.

Also, FYI, there is a legislative act proposed in the Ohio Senate to create a War of 1812 Commission. You can see the legislation at: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=128_SB_93

Jackie

Jackie’s e-mail suggests that the article in the Columbus Dispatch that I ran yesterday was not entirely accurate when it reported that the commission had been selected.

I also think that the idea of a War of 1812 Commission is a great idea. The critical naval battle of the War of 1812 was fought in the Lake Erie waters of Ohio, so it makes good sense.

Thanks to Jackie for the clarification.

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Gov. Ted Strickland has FINALLY gotten around to establishing a committee for the commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War here in Ohio. From today’s issue of The Columbus Dispatch:

Committee named to plan Ohio’s 150th anniversary Civil War events
Monday, April 27, 2009 10:41 PM
By Alan Johnson
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Ohio’s contributions and losses in the Civil War will be recognized by a committee commemorating the 150th anniversary of the conflict.
Gov. Ted Strickland today established the Civil War 150 Advisory Committee under the direction of the Ohio Historical Society. The 18-member committee will plan events for the sesquicentennial commemoration from 2011 to 2015.

No new state funding was allocated for the Civil War 150 committee, but the Historical Society – which is in a budget crisis – set aside $60,000 from its operating funds for the project. The agency expects to get $40,000 from public and private donations.

Strickland said the 150th anniversary “provides a fresh opportunity for a new generation to rediscover the many ways in which Ohioans contributed to the success of the Civil War, as well as how the war changed life in Ohio.”

Of the 345,000 Ohioans who served in the war, 35,000 lost their lives.

President Abraham Lincoln had two Ohioans in his cabinet: Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase. Ohio natives Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman and Phillip Sheridan were Union generals, and one military unit, the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, included two future presidents: Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley.

Historical Society spokeswoman Kim Schuette said the agency picked a staff member, Jackie Barton, to coordinate Civil War 150 activities.

All I can say is that it’s about damn time, particularly considering that I wrote to the governor about this 14 months ago….

I’m not on the committee, but that’s okay. I’ve got enough to do with my own projects, my job, and with the Buffington Island Battlefield Preservation Foundation. I’m just glad that someone finally got around to dealing with this important issue before it was too late. Of course, there’s not a single dollar appropriated for this (big surprise, given (a) the lousy economy and (b) the tendency to deny funding for anything historical in this state), but at least there’s now a commission.

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I am deeply grateful to Chris Dixon, of Bridlington, East Yorkshire, England. Chris owns and operates a business selling old military medals. Chris has Dave Day’s Medal of Honor for sale. He was kind enough to forward the photos of the medal that appear here, as well as some more really useful material about Dave Day. Thank you, Chris.

I now know that Dave was married March 10, 1870 to Victoria Sophia Falck, the 13th child of a wealthy Southern plantation owner and slaveholder. “Her engagement to Northerner Day caused consternation not only to her family but also the three other young men to whom she was simultaneously engaged. Gallant to the core, all her former beaux sat in the front pews at the church wedding, later serenaded the happy couple and refreshed themselves with five gallons of wine.” The Days had five children: Stanley, Roderick Seely, Gerald Letcher, George Vest, and Vic “Nona” Lenore, all of whom were born in Missouri, and another two, born in Colorado, who died in infancy. Mrs. Day lived until 1940.

Dave Day used to refer to himself as the Philosopher. What a hoot.

Day’s own legend was that he ran away from home at an early age to escape a cruel stepmother who wanted to force him to go to school, so he enlisted in the Union army at 15. Supposedly, he was illiterate at the time and unable to write his own name. Day claimed that, as a result of his valor, a commanding general had him tutored in reading and writing.

The following appeared in a 1971 tribute to his newspaper, The Solid Muldoon: “His post-war career in Missouri as a grocer ended in bankruptcy when he co-signed a note for a friend. Married and the father of five, he struck out for Colorado with a friend, Jerrold Letcher, who helped him set up the newspaper in Ouray, then took up the practice of law. The one and only Solid Muldoon flourished in Ouray from 1879 to 1892 when, with a $25,000 inducement, the paper was moved to Durango. Historians have some interesting speculations as to the source of the money. Day’s career in Durango was highlighted on May 18, 1903 when he and a rival editor exchanged 13 shots at a distance of eight to fifteen feet. Day was unscathed, the rival receiving a slight flesh wound. In 1893, Day founded the Durango Weekly Democrat and was appointed by President Cleveland as Indian agent for the Southern Utes. His son-in-law, Thomas Tulley, was publisher of the Democrat from 1900 to 1912, when it reverted to Day and a son, Roderick S.” (emphasis added)

Evidently, son Rod had a real precedent for his fatal showdown with the rival editor mentioned in my last post on Day. Thanks to Teej Smith for digging and finding out that Rod was acquitted of murder.

Sadly, Dave Day lay in an unmarked grave for decades, although I’m not sure how that happened. When the tribute to the Solid Muldoon was published in 1971, it stated, “His grave is still unmarked, which troubles many of his admirers, but is hardly likely to bother a man who wrote of death as ‘ascending the golden clothes pole.'” Fortunately, this has been corrected. According to his listing on Find-a-Grave, his resting place is marked by a simple veteran’s stone designating his status as a holder of the Medal of Honor.

Day’s grandson, Tom Tully, was an Academy Award-nominated actor. Tully, who had a very long career as an actor, received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Commander DeVriess in the movie version of The Caine Mutiny, which starred the great Humphrey Bogart. Tully himself has an interesting story. He started out in the family business as a reporter in Denver, then served in the Navy. He took up acting because he thought it paid better than journalism or the Navy. From his profile on IMDB: “While in Vietnam entertaining troops with Bob Hope and others with the USO, Thomas Tully protracted a filarial worm, similar to the worm that causes elephantiasis. After returning to the U.S. his condition was diagnosed after a blood clot in a major vein in his leg cut off circulation and his leg was amputated very close to the hip. This was circa 1971. The amputation was performed in Laguna Beach, California close to his home in San Juan Capistrano. Complications to this surgery caused pleuritis, deafness and serious debilitation. His death was due, in great part, to these serious medical conditions. He should be remembered as a patriot who sacrificed his life to entertain our troops in Vietnam.” Tom Tully spent the rest of his life gathering information on his interesting grandparents in the hope of writing a biography, but he died in 1982 before he could complete the project.

Too bad. I would love to read a full-length biography of this fascinating and colorful figure. Thanks again, Chris Dixon.

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