Friday, April 13, 2007

A correction

A long time ago now I referred to a particular picture as "a random old man called Duncan Thomas." Turns out this is none other than the Civil War Brevet General Thomas Duncan. He makes a brief and quite funny appearance in An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill:
While we were at Fort McPherson, General Augur and Brevet-Brigadier-General Thomas Duncan, colonel of the Fifth Cavalry, paid us a visit for the purpose of reviewing our command. The men turned out in fine style, and showed themselves to be well-drilled soldiers. Next the Pawnee scouts were reviewed. It was amusing to see them in their full uniform. They had been supplied with the regular cavalry uniform, but on this occasion some of them had heavy overcoats, others large black hats with all the brass accoutrements attached; some were minus trousers and wore only breech-clouts. Some had regulation pantaloons, but only shirts. Part of them had cut the breech of their pantaloons away, leaving only the leggings. Still others had big brass spurs, but wore no boots nor moccasins. But they understood the drill remarkably well for Indians.
Here he is in his true context. No relation to Duncan, though, I don't suppose.

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