George Armstrong Custer chose to ignore McDowell’s orders. Custer had discovered gold on the Sioux reservation and was selling mining rights to gold prospectors on the Sioux reservation. Corrupt Indian officials from the Federal government failed to stop it. The Sioux were being crowded off their land and were dying from starvation and disease. Negotiations were failing miserbly.

McDowell ordered Custer to return the land to the Sioux, kick the prospectors off, and make a lasting peace with the Sioux. Custer ignored McDowell. Eventually Sioux leaders had had enough. Led by Crazy Horse and Little Crow, Sioux warriors murdered Custer and all of his officers.

The corruption that took place in the Federal government around the time of the Civil War was very real. McDowell had to deal with that corruption in a vast territory with little manpower to back him up. Irvin McDowell shined like a golden light during these tough times. He had military professionalism and defended the disenfranchised.

There are at least two Fort McDowells named after Irvin McDowell. One used to be called Angel’s Island in San Francisco and is now renamed Fort McDowell. The original Fort McDowell is in Scottsdale, AZ and was created in 1865. In 1890 it was turned over to the Yavapai Nation because it was no longer needed as an armed garrison.

And, yes, I have yielded to your spelling of Irvin McDowell’s name.

Susan Evelyn McDowell Cole

Q&A is usually my favorite part of the presentation. The tour will be the first time I’ll be fielding questions repeatedly and while the presentation is in process, however. Guess I’ll need to think of some guidelines to lay down in that regard.

I was just looking for a reason to use a picture from The Manchurian Candidate, which is a great flick that never, ever should have been remade. But come to think of it, yes, I would prefer that no one shoots me during any of my presentations.