| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Edmund McKinnon |
Posted - November 05 2002 : 10:17:08 PM
It was truly an honor to meet the acquaintance of Dr.Stephen Brumwell at the F&I War Seminar in Jumonville on Nov.2,2002.Of great interest to some of the attendees from SouthWestern Pennsylvania were firsthand accounts of Grant's Defeat in his attack on Ft.Duquesne in 1758.Happy to oblige,Dr.Brumwell provided us with excerpts from"The Memoirs & Adventures of Robert Kirk,Late of the Royal Highland Regiment,Written by Himself"(1770).This highland soldier of the 77th was captured during the battle and adopted into a Shawnee tribe.When he escaped a year later,he took part in the Robert Roger's raid on the Abeneki village.He went on to serve in the Caribbean and at Bushy Run.After the 77th was deactivated in 1763,he joined the 42nd or "BlackWatch" and took part in Col.Henri Bouquet's Muskingham Expedition 1n 1764.There,he ran into his adoptive family who tried to get him back.Fascinating!Dr.Brumwell informed me that a European publisher is eventually going to reprint Robert Kirk's Memoirs,as they can't be found here in the colonies.He will give the forward.I wrote a review of his book on amazon.com EM
Capt.John Graham
Cmdr.42nd Highlanders |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Highlander |
Posted - October 13 2003 : 2:56:02 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Jumonville
Will there be any F & I seminars this winter? Would like the details so I could attend.
Scott
There will be an F&I seminar on Nov.1st 2003.Checkout www.braddockroadpa.org |
| Jumonville |
Posted - October 11 2003 : 2:11:23 PM
Will there be any F & I seminars this winter? Would like the details so I could attend.
Scott |
| SgtMunro |
Posted - October 03 2003 : 08:11:16 AM
I do not have confirmation of the author(s), but Mr. Griffing did confirm to us (as per conversation we had last weekend at Penn's Colony) that he is doing the artwork for the cover.
Your Humble Servant,
|
| Highlander |
Posted - October 02 2003 : 9:39:15 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Big Duncan MacLaren
Liste --
What is the latest on the Kirk memoirs? His is one book I would pay big bucks to buy!
Big Duncan MacLaren, Pvt.
Grenadier Coy., 77th Foot
("Muskets of the Crown")
Well,I'm glad you asked. The latest skinny is that Tim Todish is doing the Kirk book with Dr.Brumwell doing the forward.Bob Griffing will be doing a print for the cover Look for it in 2006! |
| Big Duncan MacLaren |
Posted - October 02 2003 : 4:56:06 PM
Liste --
What is the latest on the Kirk memoirs? His is one book I would pay big bucks to buy!
Big Duncan MacLaren, Pvt.
Grenadier Coy., 77th Foot
("Muskets of the Crown") |
| Highlander |
Posted - February 11 2003 : 11:11:13 PM
John Sayles was in Pittsburgh doing research at Ft.Ligonier last year.But unless he's read "Redcoats" he wouldn't know about Robert Kirk,and even then only passages of the "Memoirs"are included,not the whole story,which Dr.Brumwell found in London.They have never been seen here in the "Colonies" in their entireity as of yet.
I've e-mailed John Sayles several times,but have never heard back from him .Let's hope he frequents this site |
| Two Kettles |
Posted - February 11 2003 : 9:00:18 PM
What a story! I think someone should have a talk with John Sayles and Robert Carlyle...
TWO KETTLES |
| Highlander |
Posted - February 11 2003 : 5:43:42 PM
Mr.Kirk led quite an adventerous life.After the raid on St.Francis,while with the 77th,he fought the Cherokees in South Carolina.He then went to the Caribbean to fight the Spanish in Havana,Cuba 1762.On the ship back to New York,many of hi comrades died of a variety of tropical diseases that they picked up.He recalled their corpses being thrown overboard to the sharks that were trailing the ship along the Atlantic Coast.He was fortunate enough to be taken in by a Quaker family and nursed back to health.His last action was during Col.Henri Bouquet's expedition to relieve Ft.Pitt during Pontiac's War in 1763.He was one of the few members of the 77th to fight at Bushy Run.After his unit was demobilized,he joined the 42nd(BlackWatch)and took part in Col.Bouquet's expedition to the Muskigum River in 1764.There,he encountered his adopted Indian family who wanted him to come back. |
| Two Kettles |
Posted - February 09 2003 : 12:33:41 AM
I spoke with Tim about this, and he said that he’s working with Col. Ian McCulloch, the former commander of the Canadian Black Watch, on the Kirk book. Stephen Brumwell is writing the Introduction to it. It’s going to be heavily annotated, like Tim’s recent publication of the Annotated edition of Robert Rogers’ Journals. It will also be heavily illustrated, but not to the degree of Rogers’ Journals. One of the fascinating things about Kirk is that he was captured during the ill-fated Grant sortie against Ft. Duquesne, and was adopted by the Senecas. He actually went on the warpath with the Senecas against other tribes. Sort of a real-life version of the story Sayles working on.
Two Kettles |
| Highlander |
Posted - February 04 2003 : 10:57:10 PM
The author tells me that Timothy Todish,author of America's First World War,will be writing another book that is based on"The Memoirs and Adventures of Robert Kirk,late of the Royal Highland Regiment,Written by Himself".It covers the St.Francis Raid on the Abenaki Village wih Robert Rogers.I already have the chapters that cover his capture at Ft.Duquesne and participation at Bushy Run |
| SgtMunro |
Posted - November 10 2002 : 01:42:32 AM
Scott,
Brumwell's book is worth buying, you will find yourself going back to it more than once. It should be a part of any F&I Living Historians Library.
|
| Scott Bubar |
Posted - November 09 2002 : 6:04:11 PM
I had Brumwell's book out from the library a couple of months ago.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to do it full justice, but I was very impressed by his treatment of the development of light infantry using America as a proving ground.
The conventional American image is of stodgy British officers lining their Redcoats up to obligingly await being shot by Americans lurking behind stone walls. (Or Indians behind trees in the case of the F & I.)
While there may be some truth to this, Brumwell's book appears to go a long way toward demonstrating British flexibility and flair for innovation.
I'm going to have to spend some more time with it. |
| English Trader |
Posted - November 09 2002 : 1:28:17 PM
If anyone is interested, a review of Redcoats appears at http://www.themilitarybookreview.com/html/Redcoats.shtml.
YHOS,
English Trader |
| SgtMunro |
Posted - November 09 2002 : 11:55:50 AM
If you look in the 'Thought For The Day', about a week or two ago, you will find my post. It reads:
"Never teach a pig to fly, you will only frustrate yourself and irritate the pig"
A favorite saying of mine, from my youth.
Your Humble NCO,
|
| Edmund McKinnon |
Posted - November 09 2002 : 01:00:04 AM
Is that like"Don't cast your pearls before swine?" Which is why Major Grant will never see"The Memoirs & Adventures of Robert Kirk"either.EM
Capt.John Graham
Cmdr.42nd Highlanders |
| SgtMunro |
Posted - November 08 2002 : 01:10:04 AM
I just wish for once, we could get a straight (read: honest) answer out of the 'Major'. But, alas, it does cause my 'Thought For The Day' entry concerning swines and aviation to ring true.
Your Humble Servant,
Sgt. Duncan Munro
Capt. Graham's Coy
1/42nd Royal Highlanders
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" |
| Edmund McKinnon |
Posted - November 07 2002 : 2:14:41 PM
I'mcertain that they exist out there someplace,just not in Major Grant's possession EM
Capt.John Graham
Cmdr.42nd Highlanders |
| SgtMunro |
Posted - November 06 2002 : 03:28:11 AM
Your right, Captain, we all have been waiting for those "Grant's Defeat" battle accounts (Which no person has ever seen).
Sgt. Duncan Munro
Capt. Graham's Coy
1/42nd Royal Highlanders
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" |
| Edmund McKinnon |
Posted - November 05 2002 : 11:27:08 PM
It was also good to get another first-hand account of Grant's Defeat.At least some people such as Dr.Brumwell have credibility while Maj.Grant has none on the matter. I faxed this over to Director Robert Matzen last night so that he can use it in the production of"George Washington's First War:The Battle for Ft.Duquesne."www.paladincom.com EM
Capt.John Graham
Cmdr.42nd Highlanders |
| SgtMunro |
Posted - November 05 2002 : 10:27:02 PM
I agree, it is not every day when you get to meet a true expert in this field of study.
Your Humble Servant,
P.S.- Thanks for getting my book signed, Captain.
Sgt. Duncan Munro
Capt. Graham's Coy
1/42nd Royal Highlanders
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" |
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