The wait is over. The deed is done. Delivery of the shiny new copies on December 13, 2006 signaled the end of one era and the beginning of another. Since October 2, 1996 when I first visited the Upper Camp with Duane Bylund, my dream and challenge was to document the existence of the Camp, determine the identities of soldiers that lived there, and tell of events occurring at the Camp; all of which have now come to pass. “Roll Call at Old Camp Floyd” has fulfilled those goals for myself and hopefully future generations. It had to be done. In the not too distant future the site may be developed into subdivisions or summer homes and lost to us all.

Now just memories are the many hours spent each summer carrying a shovel and detector while exploring the site; digging holes for hundreds of targets, left handed to keep the detector out of the dirt and dust; enduring the desert wind, heat and cold; encountering rattlesnakes, shy coyotes, and cougar paw prints in the dust, made perhaps minutes before discovery.

Ended is the ceaseless researching each winter for individuals and military units thru national agencies, special collections, diaries, muster rolls and census records.

The reading of book after book, the many hours spent writing and then making additions and corrections, the thrill of learning some few soldiers converted to the Church and remained in the area, the elation upon learning about the accomplishments of some soldiers, the sadness from learning the fate of others, and finally formatting, laying out the cover, then waiting for the printer to complete his work.

New experiences now fill my days: telephone calls from around the country; taking book orders, preparing statements; delivering orders; paying the bill for self publication, meeting nice people in the world of books; discovering additional information from continuing research; recording new information submitted by others; book signings; correcting errors for the next printing; book reviews, and other tasks quite unfamiliar to me prior to publication.

Please keep in mind everything has been most enjoyable and worthwhile. I’d do it all again in a minute. Wait, I am doing it again. Another publication is already underway that will be handled quite differently than its predecessor.

Instead of searching library and desert, the effort will be completed onto pre-publication CD’s in the comfort of my own home. Sound interesting? Stay tuned to the Deseret Antique Times for future information on Utah’s Black Hawk War Veterans.