Two historians from totally different backgrounds and research interests come together to figure out the who’s who and what’s what of one specific event: The Platte River Raids of 1864. In this episode, Steve Dacus, of the popular Civil War social media page @11thOhioVolunteerCavalry, lays out what he thinks are the takeaways we have as historians from the discovery of a previously undiscussed battle over the Plains. Janelle Molony, a descendant of one surviving family, reveals what she thinks needs to be done by historians from now on to bring such clarity to other events in history that have previously been presented in isolation.
Though these two historians could disagree all day, they both agree that a trek along the trails (Oregon, Overland-California, Mormon, etc.) is a must-do. To make the experience even more exciting, pick up a copy of Emigrant Tales of the Platte River Raids to guide you through Eastern Wyoming’s emigrant (and soldier) experience, day-by-day.
Moments:
1:39 What are the key takeaways from learning about the Platte River Raids of 1864?
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Steve Dacus is a long-time researcher on the soldiers of the Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Cavalry who were stationed in three of Wyoming's early military forts (Fort Laramie, Deer Creek Garrison and Platte Bridge Station/Fort Caspar). He has guided history enthusiasts on area tours and reenactment experiences based on real events involving the "11th OVC." He is the creative mind behind the popular social media page for this regiment and the founder of Research Arsenal, one of the largest databases dedicated to Civil War history. Official: researcharsenal.com/ Social: @11thOhioVolunteerCavalry
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Janelle Molony, aka the "Hottie Historian," is a long-time emigrant trails researcher whose ancestors were survivors of the Platte River Raids. Her stance is that if the 11th OVC had been doing their jobs right in the first place, the Raids would never have happened. She is the author of the multi-award-winning and nationally recognized literary breakthrough, Emigrant Tales of the Platte River Raids (2023, M Press). She has also served several years as the Wyoming Historical Society's Oral History Committee Chair and hosts the interview series on TH-cam: "Women of Wyoming: Then & Now." Official: www.JanelleMolony.com Social: @AuthorJanelleMolony
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Credits: Filmed at Fort Caspar with permission, August 14, 2024. Special thanks to Rick Young and Anne Holman! Copyright-free music and video editing with FilmoraPro. "Hottie Historian" is trademark pending. All rights reserved.