ATDTDA 724-746

[Paul Mackin]

Mark Kohut wrote:
> Battle of the Little Bighorn, then and later. Wikipedia:
>  
>
> Custer's widow Elizabeth Bacon Custer 
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Bacon_Custer> actively 
> affected the history of the battle by suppressing criticism of her 
> husband. A number of participants decided to wait for her death before 
> disclosing what they knew; however, she outlived almost all of them. 
> As a result, the event was recreated along tragic Victorian 
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era> lines in numerous books, 
> films and other media. Custer's legend was soon embedded in the 
> American imagination as a heroic officer fighting valiantly against 
> savage forces, an image popularized in /Wild West 
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_West_Shows>/ extravaganzas hosted 
> by showman "Buffalo Bill" Cody 
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Bill>, Pawnee Bill 
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawnee_Bill>, and others.
>
> .....................................................................
>
>  
>
> By the end of the 20th century, the general recognition of the 
> mistreatment of the various Indian tribes in the settling of the 
> American West <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_West>, and the 
> perception of U.S. Cavalry's 
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Cavalry> role in it, have altered 
> the image of the battle (and by extension, of Custer) to that of a 
> confrontation between relentless U.S. westward expansion and Native 
> Americans defending their traditional lands and way of life.
>
Even as early as the 1950s  the heroism of   "Custer's Last Stand" had 
definitely taken on an ambiguous hue in popular American thinking.  I 
was listening to a late 50s "Gun Smoke" episode a couple nights ago (old 
time radio)  In it  Marshal Dillon is convinced that a certain Army 
deserter in his custody is also a vicious murderer. However for lack of 
evidence the Marshal can only  send the bad hombre back to his regiment, 
which we are told is desperately in need of all the manpower it can 
possibly muster.  Everyone in Dodge is of course moping around about 
this, but not to worry, justice has a way of getting done. In the final 
moments of the show we learn that that regiment in question is stationed 
at a certain remote outpost in Montana by the name of Little Big Horn.


>
>
>  
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
> To: Pynchon-l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2008 6:02:10 AM
> Subject: Re: ATDTDA 724-746
>
> This is the second reference to a Little Big Horn mural;
> both times the mural itself isn't there.
>
> The first time, you get the founding of Mexico City instead, but
> with a twist // now we get the Sack of Rome
>
> Also, both times are nexuses of revenge, Frank's carried
> out literally, but Kit and Reef - though not as successful -
> have it in mind at least
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Young Scrooge:
> Life is filled with tough jobs, and there'll always be sharpies to 
> cheat me.
> Well, I'll be tougher than the toughies and sharper than the
> sharpies...and I'll make my money square.
>
> ---From The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck by Don Rosa
>
>
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