Some general comments:

Relative to the term colonel, it appears that this was an honorary title bestowed by the governor of Colorado on a fair number of veterans in the early 1880s, and Day never stated in the Muldoon that it was an actual rank earned in the War. I’m still digging on this one.

Relative to the scar, Day tells the story of the mule in the Muldoon, and in other writing says that he used the story of the saber as a means of gaining the confidence of Confederate soldiers when he was returning to Federal lines after one of his escapes. In later days he may have used the saber story on other occasions – he was not the most consistent writer. He was sensitive about the scar, and always posed for photos with the right side of his face away from the camera. So far I’ve only seen one photo that shows the scar.

In his newspaper he rarely described his service in the War, only refering to it in general terms, except for a couple of occasions.

His son Rod, who was involved in the shooting described on this site, was known as a fearless editor, particularly for attacking the Ku Klux Klan, which was quite powerful in Colorado around 1920.

I have recently found reference to newspaper articles in the files of the Western History Collection of the Denver Public Library that imply that Day donated his Medal of Honor to a museum in Denver in the late 1890s. More on this after I get a chance to go over and copy it.

Dave Day is quite a legend in southwestern Colorado, and as with most legendary characters, separating the truth from the fiction is a challenge. Among others, he was reputed to have had 47 libel suits pending at one time (apparently untrue), to have fought duels (maybe true – one documented case in Ouray was defused and didn’t take place, the Durango shooting may or may not have involved a duel at one time), to have met Queen Victoria who later was a subscriber to the Muldoon (true), and many others. He was the most quoted editor in Colorado, and his newspaper, the Solid Muldoon, became a publishing legend for it’s wit, it’s borderline bawdy remarks, and its fearless stand on mining issues.

He was a fearless exposer of mining frauds and was a staunch Democrat, which made his life-long friendship with entrepreneur Otto Mears (a kingpin in Colorado Republican politics) unusual.

All in all, a fascinating man.

I would very much appreciate you contacting me with some references for the quotes you have used from Grant, Rice and others in your Day article. My local resources are quite limited, and knowing where to look for this information would allow me to locate and consult the primary references in a timely fashion.

Finally, an interesting discussion on the Wieder Group’s history publications. I have recently started contributing to their Wild West magazine. Eric Wieder should be congratulated for his dedication to promoting history to the general public.

Thank you again for your excellent article on Dave Day.

I was recently reviewing a biographical sketch for a friend (names of friend and subject withheld, pending his publishing options). He spelled out the details of the MOH award of his subject. The award was made in the 1890s. The subject had served on the staff of three Generals post war, all of whom wrote recommendations, AND none of who were alive when the award was approved (so these reccomendations were clearly filed for future use). Three witnesses of the events for which the award was made were also MOH awardees. And the subject was also a witness on each of those MOH packets.

Doesn’t take a David Hackworth to figure out something was connected.

More importantly however, selling a Medal of Honor is illegal under the United States Code, Title 18, Section 704. While hardly a widespread problem, the sale of Medals of Honor is regularly investigated by the FBI.

That the dealer is in England makes no difference in my opinion. While this particular sale, outside of US borders, may not actually constitue a crime, I’m disappointed that someone would seek to profit from the sale of a Medal of Honor. As the Nation’s highest military award, the Medal deserves respect and protection from commercialism. It isn’t just another artifact or a bauble to buy and trade.

And for the record I’d feel exactly the same way if an American dealer was offering a Victoria Cross for sale. As an old soldier it irks me to no end that any decorations for valor can be bought and sold.