Hush the Cannon’s Roar, a book that traces the career and personal life of Bennet C. Riley, who served in the U.S. Army for 40 years and rose to the rank of Major General, is the latest release from Buffalo-based NFB Publishing.
Author Thomas F. Schobert of West Seneca is a retired health care administrator and retired Lieutenant-Colonel in the United States Army. He is a graduate of Canisius College where he earned both BA and MS degrees, and is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. He is a frequent lecturer at local historical societies, civic organizations and educational institutions, and is a proud second-generation commissioned Kentucky Colonel. Schobert is also immediate past president of the West Seneca Historical Society and formerly served as curator of the WSHS’s Museum located at 909 Mill Road, West Seneca.
Against the backdrop of the funeral of Major General Bennet Riley in June 1853, his beloved Arabella reminisces about their life – their happy times, his challenges on the battlefield and their personal tragedies. The reader will be taken on a journey that traces his rise during a 40-year army career that saw him advance in rank during service in all the major conflicts of his nation during the first half of the 19th century and placed him in a role where he would be considered the father of California statehood.
The Riley’s lived on the western prairies and in tropical Florida, but Buffalo became the place that truly became home for Bennet and Arabella during and after his remarkable military career. It is a love story that spans one of the greatest eras in American history.
“This book is historical fiction but is based heavily on extensively researched and documented historical facts,” said Schobert. “It covers the War of 1812, the first expeditions on the Santa Fe Trail, the Second Seminole War in Florida, the Mexican American War, the California Gold Rush of 1849 and California’s quest for statehood.”
There is also a direct connection to the current Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site in Buffalo. During the period 1837-1847, the grounds were part of an Army post known as the “Buffalo Barracks.” While he was commanding officer of the Buffalo Barracks, Bennet RiIey and his family lived in the building which later became known as the Wilcox Mansion. In 1901, Theodore Roosevelt was sworn into office as the 26th President of the United States in this same building.
Bennet Riley’s funeral in June 1853 was one of the biggest ever seen in Buffalo, with the military funeral procession attracting hundreds of spectators. He and his family are buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo. He is featured in Forest Lawn’s “Sunday in the Cemetery” tours that run from June through October.
A private book-signing event to celebrate the release will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site, 641 Delaware Ave., Buffalo. Public events will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Cheektowaga Senior Center, 3349 Broadway, Cheektowaga, under the auspices of the Cheektowaga Historical Society, and at 7 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 2, at the Randolph Historical Society, 28 Jamestown Road, Randolph. Both programs are free and open to the public.
For more information on NFB Publishing, please visit nfbpublishing.com.
