About
I am a retired educator and librarian. I am the coauthor of A Guidebook of U. S. Army Dress Helmets (2000) and the sole author of Custer's Ghosts and Custer's Gold (2007), Undermanned and Overwhelmed; the Reno Valley Fight(2011), and Custer Must Die; A Story of His Assassination. Create Space (2015).
My first published short story was "The Treasure of Custer Hill" in London Mystery Selection; a Quarterly Anthology of Original Thrillers in their 1979 issue. This short story is reprinted in Custer's Ghosts and Custer's Gold. In addition I have published three periodical articles; one on a uniform worn at the Rosebud in American Military Heritage Magazine, "This Gun Didn't Run; A carbine fired 39 times at the Little Big Horn" in Man at Arms Magazine, October 2011, and "John Martin's Carbine" and “Geronimo’s Gun” in Wild West Magazine,.
I have done research at the Little Big Horn Battlefield including a horseback tour of the Reno battlefield and associated area. My current interest is in the Southwest, especially Billy the Kid.
I am an active member of Western Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America. I publish under Donald W. Moore.
Featured Work
Where the Custer Fight Began; Undermanned and Overwhelmed, The Reno Valley Fight
The focus of the book is on the Valley Fight, which includes Major Marcus A. Reno’s attack on the village and his subsequent retreat, the conditions under which Reno attacked the village, Reno’s tactics, the actual location and composition of the Skirmish Line, the existence or non-existence of the timber, and Reno’s actions and responsibilities. The book looks favorably upon the major’s actions and makes a compelling case in Reno’s favor. Using contemporary sources such as witness interviews, memoirs, a detailed examination of the Reno Court of Inquiry official transcript, and a thorough examination of the field of battle, Moore presents a well-reasoned, refreshing new interpretation of this controversial event that launched the famous battle that ended in disaster for General George A. Custer and the Seventh Cavalry on June 25, 1876. The book also includes a chapter called, "Locating the Skirmish Line,” written by Glen Swanson, who found the original skirmish line through the excavation of artifacts. The book is enhanced by maps and photographs from Swanson's world-class collection including a very rare photo of Reno and his lawyer.
