Post by tintin on Jun 7, 2013 21:05:16 GMT 1
www.culver.lib.in.us/black_horse_book_watson_info.htm
(above link shows illustrations)
Black Horse of Culver is the story of a boy soldier, Bruce Brownley, and a troop horse, Storm Cloud.
Military education in the USA is somewhat different to that in most countries where officer entry is solely through academies run by the services themselves. Although there are very famous academies run by the US Army, Navy and Air Force some of the various states also run academies. This came about in an unusual way. The men who formed the first governments of the USA were very suspicious of regular soldiers and wanted as few of them as possible (possibly looking at all the coups in Latin America made them worried). They put their faith in improvised armies in time of crisis. However, they were not so foolish as to believe that leadership or instruction for such armies could be speedily improvised. Upon independence the US Federal Government acquired all the land within its territory belonging to the British Crown, which was basically all the land that did not belong to anyone else. The Federal Government found all this land a very useful tool in getting people to do what it wanted. One such programme was to grant land to the various states to allow them to raise funds for University level education this was, however, on condition that any Colleges so funded provided military education (the Federal Government’s own military academy confined itself initially to training Engineer officers as these could be made use of in peace time building roads, canals and docks and doing survey work). The states took to this with various levels of enthusiasm. The very best academies were, and are, comparable to the best anywhere. Norwich in Vermont specialised in cavalry officers, while Texas Agricultural and Mechanical turned out Gunners. Attendance at some of these, such as South Carolina’s Citadel or the Virginia Military Institute, supplied considerable social cachet (like public school in the UK).
It was not that long before people realised that there was a market for academies for younger men whose parents might want them to have a head start in getting in to one of these academies. Like most countries in the world there was also no shortage in the US of retired officers looking for something to do. So emerged the, to British eyes, strange phenomenum of the private military academy aimed at the 14/15 to 18/19 age range. These are boy soldiers not enlisted in the army whose parents pay fees to a private school organised as a military academy. The US government to some extent funds and supervises the purely military elements of this. As this system became established it became more popular. Many parents who could not handle their sons believed military discipline was just the thing, others believed the structured regimental environment promoted learning.
Now it is interesting to compare the US boy soldier – academic and from a comparatively priveliged background to the British boy soldier – working class, often from a Childrens Home or Orphanage and often needing basic education. As far as I know there is not a British boy soldier novel, but there are some very good memoirs – “Too Old at 15”, “Monkeys and Parrots” and “The Band Rats” spring to mind. The odd thing is that the boys in “Black Horse of Culver” are very, very like the British boys.
Such a school is the Culver Military Academy of Indiana. Culver, however, has a unique selling point. Organised as a reinforced infantry battalion it has two troops of cavalry and an artillery battery. Those boys with a mechanical and mathematical bent go to the gunners. Boys whose parents are prepared to pay a bit extra as a supplement may enter the cavalry. Those who organised the academy believed very strongly in the value of equitation as an educational tool – those who would discipline others must first discipline themselves. The ideal of all the boy troopers at Culver is to join the Black Horse troop, the elite public duties unit. This is not easy as members must be top performers in the military, academic and equitation fields as well as having exemplary conduct. This unit participates in very high profile ceremonial events including the inaugurations of US Presidents.
The book follows Trooper Brownley as he struggles to attain this ambition. He acquires a best friend, woos a young lady and has a long running feud with another trooper. There are lots of life like soldierly scrapes in this book and some very good riding episodes. Apart from the lack of bad language, understandable in a childrens book, they act and speak pretty authentically. The author’s husband was an army officer and she was obviously an acute observer.
Now there are some very interesting aspects to this book.
Firstly, the contrast between the “natural” and the instructed rider. Brownley has no real riding experience before attending Culver, yet by attending to his instructors and applying their lessons he becomes first class. His rival comes from a ranch and is a harsh and unsympathetic rider, a product of the type of regime rightly condemned in “The Man Who Listens to Horses”. Both troopers want to ride Storm Cloud, known as Stormy, and have to compete to do so. Despite his longer experience (and his dirty tricks) the other lad fails.
Secondly, the very high standard of riding. The training given to these boys reaches a level to fit them as instructors in a British Regular unit. There is a Swedish Household Cavalry officer on attachment to Culver at one stage who advises on dressage. It is almost unheard of for foreign governments to attach officers to a boys unit. The facilities are also first class.
Thirdly, the subtle parallel between a bad lad and a bad horse who both respond to sympathetic, but firm treatment. Stormy and Trooper Brownley bond so well not least because they are both to an extent out castes.
Fourthly, the Trooper’s father has sent him to the academy partly because he cannot fully control him and expects him to be cowed by military training. Well it does make him more disciplined and considerate of others, but it also gives him the self respect to stand up to his father who is a cold and unreasonable man in many ways and to challenge him in rational ways rather than just playing up. Following a very exciting show jumping competition at the drill hall of the very prestigious Chicago National Guard Black Horse Troop they start to treat each other more as people.
This is a very good horse and military story. A fun book with good values that manages to be both serious and light hearted. An easy read with very nice illustrations by Bernard Garbutt.
(above link shows illustrations)
Black Horse of Culver is the story of a boy soldier, Bruce Brownley, and a troop horse, Storm Cloud.
Military education in the USA is somewhat different to that in most countries where officer entry is solely through academies run by the services themselves. Although there are very famous academies run by the US Army, Navy and Air Force some of the various states also run academies. This came about in an unusual way. The men who formed the first governments of the USA were very suspicious of regular soldiers and wanted as few of them as possible (possibly looking at all the coups in Latin America made them worried). They put their faith in improvised armies in time of crisis. However, they were not so foolish as to believe that leadership or instruction for such armies could be speedily improvised. Upon independence the US Federal Government acquired all the land within its territory belonging to the British Crown, which was basically all the land that did not belong to anyone else. The Federal Government found all this land a very useful tool in getting people to do what it wanted. One such programme was to grant land to the various states to allow them to raise funds for University level education this was, however, on condition that any Colleges so funded provided military education (the Federal Government’s own military academy confined itself initially to training Engineer officers as these could be made use of in peace time building roads, canals and docks and doing survey work). The states took to this with various levels of enthusiasm. The very best academies were, and are, comparable to the best anywhere. Norwich in Vermont specialised in cavalry officers, while Texas Agricultural and Mechanical turned out Gunners. Attendance at some of these, such as South Carolina’s Citadel or the Virginia Military Institute, supplied considerable social cachet (like public school in the UK).
It was not that long before people realised that there was a market for academies for younger men whose parents might want them to have a head start in getting in to one of these academies. Like most countries in the world there was also no shortage in the US of retired officers looking for something to do. So emerged the, to British eyes, strange phenomenum of the private military academy aimed at the 14/15 to 18/19 age range. These are boy soldiers not enlisted in the army whose parents pay fees to a private school organised as a military academy. The US government to some extent funds and supervises the purely military elements of this. As this system became established it became more popular. Many parents who could not handle their sons believed military discipline was just the thing, others believed the structured regimental environment promoted learning.
Now it is interesting to compare the US boy soldier – academic and from a comparatively priveliged background to the British boy soldier – working class, often from a Childrens Home or Orphanage and often needing basic education. As far as I know there is not a British boy soldier novel, but there are some very good memoirs – “Too Old at 15”, “Monkeys and Parrots” and “The Band Rats” spring to mind. The odd thing is that the boys in “Black Horse of Culver” are very, very like the British boys.
Such a school is the Culver Military Academy of Indiana. Culver, however, has a unique selling point. Organised as a reinforced infantry battalion it has two troops of cavalry and an artillery battery. Those boys with a mechanical and mathematical bent go to the gunners. Boys whose parents are prepared to pay a bit extra as a supplement may enter the cavalry. Those who organised the academy believed very strongly in the value of equitation as an educational tool – those who would discipline others must first discipline themselves. The ideal of all the boy troopers at Culver is to join the Black Horse troop, the elite public duties unit. This is not easy as members must be top performers in the military, academic and equitation fields as well as having exemplary conduct. This unit participates in very high profile ceremonial events including the inaugurations of US Presidents.
The book follows Trooper Brownley as he struggles to attain this ambition. He acquires a best friend, woos a young lady and has a long running feud with another trooper. There are lots of life like soldierly scrapes in this book and some very good riding episodes. Apart from the lack of bad language, understandable in a childrens book, they act and speak pretty authentically. The author’s husband was an army officer and she was obviously an acute observer.
Now there are some very interesting aspects to this book.
Firstly, the contrast between the “natural” and the instructed rider. Brownley has no real riding experience before attending Culver, yet by attending to his instructors and applying their lessons he becomes first class. His rival comes from a ranch and is a harsh and unsympathetic rider, a product of the type of regime rightly condemned in “The Man Who Listens to Horses”. Both troopers want to ride Storm Cloud, known as Stormy, and have to compete to do so. Despite his longer experience (and his dirty tricks) the other lad fails.
Secondly, the very high standard of riding. The training given to these boys reaches a level to fit them as instructors in a British Regular unit. There is a Swedish Household Cavalry officer on attachment to Culver at one stage who advises on dressage. It is almost unheard of for foreign governments to attach officers to a boys unit. The facilities are also first class.
Thirdly, the subtle parallel between a bad lad and a bad horse who both respond to sympathetic, but firm treatment. Stormy and Trooper Brownley bond so well not least because they are both to an extent out castes.
Fourthly, the Trooper’s father has sent him to the academy partly because he cannot fully control him and expects him to be cowed by military training. Well it does make him more disciplined and considerate of others, but it also gives him the self respect to stand up to his father who is a cold and unreasonable man in many ways and to challenge him in rational ways rather than just playing up. Following a very exciting show jumping competition at the drill hall of the very prestigious Chicago National Guard Black Horse Troop they start to treat each other more as people.
This is a very good horse and military story. A fun book with good values that manages to be both serious and light hearted. An easy read with very nice illustrations by Bernard Garbutt.