Battles and Skirmishes of the Great Sioux War, 1876-1877: The Military View

by Jerome A. Greene

Book Overview

This volume offers accounts of the many battles and skirmishes in the Great Sioux War as they were observed by participating officers, enlisted men, scouts, surgeons, and newspaper correspondents. The selections-some rendered immediately after the encounters and some set down in reminiscences years later - are important and little-known sources of information about the war. By their personal nature, they give a compelling sense of immediacy to the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806126698
• ISBN13: 9780806126692
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

First-hand accounts of the Sioux War

This book brings together 15 first-hand accounts of the major military engagements of the Sioux War, 1876-77. Most of the essays first appeared in newspapers of the day; others were excerpted from books and memoirs. Included are Indian scout William Jackson's highly personalized account of the Little Big Horn battle; Robert Strahorn's record of the Battle of Powder River on March 17, 1876; Tilton and Butler's rendering of the Wolf Mountain expedition and battle in early 1877; Henry Bellas's chronicle of the Crook-Mackenzie campaign and the Dull Knife battle in November 1876; and Oskaloosa Smith's letter describing the Spring Creek encounters of October 1876, to give just a brief listing. All of them are written by participants from the army and present the military's point of view (a subsequent volume from the Indian's side has also been published). Greene has not "sanitized" any of the essays, so they retain the flavor (and prejudices) of the individuals writing them. Most of the records include a good map of the event being described. The only thing missing is editing by Greene that could have identified or amplified better things mentioned or corrected mistakes. Other than that the book is an excellent source for gaining underived versions of events during the Sioux War written by participants.

A compelling chronology of the Sioux wars.

Greene is a very knowlegeable historian of the Sioux Wars. In this work, he has edited and commented upon reports of Officers and others who were participants in this monumental struggle between the Sioux and their Cheyenne allies and the White soldiers of the frontier army. A great book to assist the historian in understanding the hardships of a winter campaign against hostiles on the northern plains.