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"Chief Pontiac's Uprising: 1763"
Tim J. Todish and Dr. Todd E. Harburn

"Chief Pontiac's Uprising: 1763" - A brief overview of the background leading up to Chief Pontiac's conspiracy. It will cover the fate of the British posts in the Great Lakes area and look at what remains of them today.

About the Speakers:

Timothy J. Todish

Timothy J. Todish is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, who has had nearly a lifelong interest in Rogers' Rangers and the French and Indian War. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.

While still in college, Todish became interested in black powder shooting and historical re-enacting, which still occupies much of his time. He is the Adjutant of the French and Indian War reenactment group Jaeger's Battalion, Rogers' Rangers.

Now retired from the Grand Rapids Police Department with over twenty-seven years of service, Todish works as an independent historical writer and consultant, specializing in the French and Indian War and Alamo periods. He provided background information and worked as an extra in the 1992 movie The Last of the Mohicans, and also served as the Technical Advisor and appeared as an extra in the award winning History Channel documentary FRONTIER: Legends of the Old Northwest. He has done consulting for such productions as the Learning Channel show Archeology, and the PBS series Anyplace Wild. Todish was also contracted to help plan and lead a unique "hands on" staff ride to French and Indian War historic sites in the Adirondack Mountains for senior noncommissioned officers of the 10th Mountain Division. In addition to his French and Indian War titles, Todish is the coauthor of Alamo Source Book 1836: A Complete Guide to the Alamo and the Texas Revolution. He has also written articles for a number of historical publications, and is a Staff Writer and a long time contributor to Muzzleloader Magazine. In addition to his books, he has written a number of historical articles for such magazines as The Journal of the Forces of Montcalm & Wolfe, Living History, Smoke & Fire News and French & Indian War.

About His Publications:

America's FIRST First World War: The French and Indian War 1754-1763 is a vivid, fast moving and well-illustrated account of one of America's most important conflicts, the 250th anniversary of which we are now celebrating. It concisely tells the story of the war in the wilderness and how the colonists of New France and New England, reinforced by regulars from their mother countries and with their respective Indian allies, fought North American style. First published in 1982, this treatment by Todish has become a standard among historical re-enactors and students and teachers of early American history.

This revised; third edition offers an updated text and numerous new illustrations. It also includes reproductions of several paintings by renowned artist/historian Gary Zaboly.

The Annotated and Illustrated Journals of Major Robert Rogers contains not only the 1765 London edition of Rogers' French and Indian War journals, but also added material from the much rarer 1769 Dublin edition. As an added bonus, a Journal of the Siege of Detroit (1763) that is attributed to Rogers is included. It is believed that this is the first time this journal has been reprinted since 1860.

Todish annotates the Journals extensively, showing how the exploits of Rogers and his Rangers were seen through the eyes of their contemporaries, both British and French. Artist/historian Gary Zaboly's original artwork depicts a variety of scenes from Rogers' career. His detailed captions describe each incident.

Through So Many Dangers: The Memoirs and Adventures of Robert Kirk, Late of the Royal Highland Regiment. Kirk's memoir gives a rare look at warfare in colonial America through the eyes of a common British soldier. He was captured by the Shawnee Indians during Grant's disastrous attack on Ft. Duquesne in 1757 and adopted into their tribe. The wilderness skills that he learned before escaping and rejoining his regiment served him well when he accompanied Robert Rogers on his famous St. Francis Raid, and later when he traveled west with Rogers to take possession of Ft. Detroit.

Todish and his partner, Lt. Col Ian McCulloch, former commanding officer of the Canadian Battalion of the Royal Highland Regiment, bring Kirk's story to life with their carefully researched annotations and appendices. Artwork by noted painter Robert Griffing and selected period drawings also help the reader to appreciate Kirk's amazing adventures. The cover illustration that Griffing created especially for the book, He Befriended Me Greatly, was formally unveiled at the 2004 Kalamazoo Living History Show™.

British Light Infantryman of the Seven Years' War: North America 1757-63. The British Light Infantryman was a unique development of the wilderness war in North America, born out of necessity by the rugged terrain and unorthodox tactics practiced by many of the French colonial troops and their Indian allies. Shooting rapids in canoes and whaleboats, traversing swamps and snowshoeing through endless forests, the "chosen men" of the British Light Infantry earned a reputation for resilience and resourcefulness as they adapted to North American conditions. This book, co-authored by Lt. Col. Ian McCulloch of the Canadian Forces, is part of the respected Osprey Warrior series. With its fast moving text, numerous well chosen illustrations, and eight original full color plates, the book tells the exciting story of these intrepid colonial warriors.

Timothy J. Todish
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Dr. Todd E. Harburn

Dr. Todd E. Harburn is a man of many talents and interests. A native of Flint, Michigan, he attended Hope College, where he majored in pre-med and earned all conference honors in football. After graduation from the Chicago College of
Osteopathic Medicine, he completed an orthopedic surgery residency. In addition to his current orthopedic surgery/sports medicine practice, he is a football team physician for his alma mater Hope College.

Todd has had nearly a lifelong interest in the British 60th or Royal American Regiment and its related history to the French and Indian War, Pontiac's Uprising, and the American Revolution. Having done extensive research on several of the officers and garrisons of the 60th Regiment in the Great Lakes region, he has had several publications on these topics in recent years. His biography of Captain/Lt. Col. George Etherington, A Vindication of My Conduct (2002, Heritage Books, Inc.) relates the officer's Revolutionary War career and the fascinating story of the 1779 surrender of St. Vincent's Island in the Caribbean during that conflict. His publication, Of Scarlet and Blue: The 60th Royal American Regimental Coat 1755-68 (with R. Scott Stephenson), set the standard for the uniform coats used by most British, French and Indian War reenactors today, and was the basis for the pattern for the British uniforms in the movie Last of the Mohicans (1991). He is co-author of an upcoming book on the Pontiac Uprising of 1763-64 with his longtime friend and noted Roger's Rangers/French and Indian War historian Tim J. Todish.

He was also a consultant, assisted in research, wrote a portion of the script for two episodes, assisted in coordinating filming of several scenes, and portrayed General Jeffery Amherst and Captain George Etherington in the A&E/History Channel's 1997 award winning Frontier: Legends of the Old Northwest. A reenactor as well, he has portrayed Etherington for several years in the Annual Fort Michilimackinac Pageant at the reconstructed fort in upper Michigan.

Todd currently resides in Okemos, Michigan with his wife Shirley and daughters Shannon and Stacey. He enjoys spending time at their "Commandant's Cottage" (a modern version of the Commandant's House at Michilimackinac) in Mackinaw City, Michigan not far from the reconstructed fort.

Dr. Todd E. Harburn
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