Chicago Tribune reporter's dispatches from Little Bighorn, Civil War regimental source materials are featured in latest Journal of Illinois History

SPRINGFIELD - Stories written by a Chicago Tribune reporter who was sent to cover the aftermath of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and a detailed listing of Civil War regimental sources in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library are featured in the latest issue of the Journal of Illinois History, a scholarly publication about the state's history.

 

            On June 25, 1876, Colonel George A. Custer and five companies of the Seventh U.S. Cavalry were killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.  The following month James William "Phocion" Howard submitted his first of many reports on the state of affairs in the Dakota and Montana territories to the Chicago Tribune.  Frequently receiving front-page treatment, Howard's dispatches informed the readers of the U.S. Military's actions in the Great Plains.  By September, Howard could no longer hide his frustration:  "any chance of getting away from a sadly-demoralized army was preferable to remaining with it and becoming demoralized oneself."  He returned to Illinois, occasionally contributing pieces to the Chicago Daily News and Chicago Inter-Ocean.  The article was written by Lewis O. Saum, retired professor of history at the University of Washington, Seattle.        

 

            The second of a two-part bibliography of Illinois Civil War Regimental sources, covering the manuscript collections of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, is featured in the latest edition of the Journal.  The first part of the bibliography, published one year ago, covered published and printed materials in the Presidential Library's collections.  All of these materials may be accessed by visiting the Presidential Library at 112 N. Sixth Street in Springfield.  The Illinois regiments listed in the latest edition of the Journal, along with the available manuscript materials, include:

·                    Infantry:  7^th through 86^th, 88^th through 106^th, 108^th, 110^th through 120^th, 122^nd through 127^th, 129^th through 132^nd, 136^th, 139^th, 141^st, 144^th through 146^th, 148^th through 156^th.

·                     Cavalry:  First through 17^th.

·                    Light Artillery:  First, Second, Barker's Dragoons, Chicago Board of Trade Battery, Chicago Mercantile Battery.

 

The Journal of Illinois History is the foremost publication for readers who value documented research on the state's history, and features articles, book reviews, essays and bibliographies that have been reviewed by some of the country's leading historians.  The Journal is published by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (www.Illinois-History.gov).  Subscriptions are $18 per year for four issues.  To obtain a sample copy, contact:  Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Publications Section, 1 Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL  62701, or call (217) 524-6045.