tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78175841764974994292012-02-16T14:02:35.127-08:00An ongoing discussion about the organization of the American military during the War for Independence, 1775 to 1783.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134684741026697189noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817584176497499429.post-71687828382195478232010-12-07T17:57:00.001-08:002010-12-07T18:13:01.108-08:00<div>By way of introduction, let me offer an excuse. </div><div><br /></div>Way back in August, I started coursework in a history <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ph</span>.D. program. As part of my switch back to the life of a student, I thought it might be useful to start a blog where I could share interesting facts and stories that I came across in the course of my research. I hoped this would serve a dual purpose. First and foremost, it would help me resharpen the writing skills I had allowed to dull somewhat in the years since I finished undergraduate work. Writing a few entries a week would get me back into the swing of things, writing-wise (I thought). <div><br /></div><div>Second, crafting entries for this project would help me sort through the massive amounts of data I had accumulated in years of personal historical research, and actually produce something useful with the all information I've been hoarding. A blog would be a useful forum not only to help me make ideas concrete, but also as a neat outlet for those items I found that didn't end up part of a paper/article/dissertation (I thought). </div><div><br /></div><div>Needless to say, none of that happened. School "got in the way." But I've hung onto the idea, and I continue to think it a good one. Now, as the semester draws to a close, I hope that I might have more time to devote to it (I think). </div><div><br /></div><div>That brings us to right now. I'm taking a quick break from frantically trying to finish papers for the semester to put these thoughts down on paper. Here's my thinking: if I post this handy introduction, it will motivate me to keep working on this project over the winter break. And if I can get into a habit of blogging, with a bunch of entries under my belt, well then I shouldn't have any excuse to let this blog lapse next semester, should I? (I think.) </div><div><br /></div><div>In the next post, I will lay out some of the goals I have in mind for this project. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7817584176497499429-7168782838219547823?l=continentalarmy.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134684741026697189noreply@blogger.com2