Bugles in the Sun — Jim Christina

“Bugles in The Sun” tells the story of the troopers of the 7th United States Cavalry as they approach the valley of the Little Bighorn in southeast Montana Territory. The story is not one of intense action but more the story of the men that lived and died with the 7th on that fateful Sunday in June of Eighteen Seventy-six. The story is told through the eyes and writings of John J. Conolly, a thirty-five year old Corporal with Company I under the command of Captain Myles Keogh. Still being young enough that his energy and belief in the system and country have not yet been compromised by the mutterings and musings of his fellow troopers, Conolly was a staunch supporter of the commander of the 7th and his Company Commander, Myles Keogh. As complaining was extremely common within the services, the level at which the 7th Cavalry complained was well known throughout the cavalry community, as their fighting song, ‘Garryowen', was known, yet, the basic moral throughout the 7th was top notch. The field commander of the 7th was Lt. Colonel (Bvt Lieutenant General) George Armstrong Custer, affectionately, or not, called ‘Old Iron Pants' or ‘Hard Ass' by the troopers, and frequently called ‘a son of a bitch' by more than a few of the officers. Corporal Conolly kept a journal on this expedition so his young sons would have a record of their father's days in the 7th Cavalry and a sense of pride in their country. Conolly's journal tells us of the weariness, fatigue, loneliness, boredom and trepidation the men of the 7th feel as they approach their inevitable clash with history.