Chuck Ten Brink
Chuck Ten Brink

About the
Webmaster

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I'm a librarian by profession, and I use the Web constantly in my work. One of the most difficult ideas to convey to users of Web sites is that they must be skeptical of what they see. What is the provenance of the information? Who is publishing it? Does the publisher have any special expertise? Readers who are trained through long experience to be critical consumers of print information can be all too easily fooled by seductively packaged, but ultimately hollow, information on their computer screens. Not to mention that only a small percentage of useful information is available on the Web in the first place. Especially in the field of history, you really need to read a book. Many books.

I finally decided to apply this skepticism to my own work. I get a lot of email about the Civil War Artillery Page, and I'm always amazed, and a little bit cowed, by how ready people are to take my word for things. It's not that I would enjoy getting notes that begin "You Dolt". But I think it would be healthy for me to let you readers know who I am and what my limitations are. Let's get the formal vitae out of the way first.

Education

  • B.S., Mathematics, Michigan State University
  • J.D., University of Michigan
  • A.M.L.S, University of Michigan

    • Reenacting

  • Third Battery, 1st Michigan Light Artillery, since 1992

    • Presentations

  • "John Gibbon and the Art of the Artilleryman", The Cincinnati Civil War Round Table, April 1999; (Kalamazoo CWRT, November 1999, and Butler CWRT, May 2000)

    • Organizations & Awards

  • Company of Military Historians
  • United States Field Artillery Association
  • Order of Saint Barbara

    • There's no formal study of history in this background, and I make no claim to being a professional historian. I'm basically someone who has read a lot of books, and tried to read them critically. I own and have studied the works on the Compiled Bibliography (except for some of the biographies) and I know the basic principles of good research. (Sometimes I fail to apply them, like the time I took Ripley's word for the modern location of the Dictator.) I also know a lot of people who know a lot more than I do, like John Hughes of the Third Battery, and Wayne Stark, the compiler of the National Register of Surviving Civil War Artillery. I try to keep abreast of the research and keep an open mind. I welcome questions from readers, because it helps me learn more as I look up the answer. If I don't know, I'll say so, and try to refer you on to someone who can help.

    Any questions? Email me at webmaster@cwartillery.org. I'd love to hear from you. Oh, and if you want a face to go with the name, click on the picture of me at the top of the page for a larger version. It's one of Chris Czopek's productions, and he did a wonderful job, as always. I'm wearing my St. Barbara medal and leaning against the 30-pounder Parrott outside the Marshall GAR Hall. Mom loves it.

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