
The Frontier Army
Episodes from Dakota and the West
R. Eli Paul(Editor)
South Dakota State Historical Society (Publisher)
Published on 30. May 2019
Book
Hardback
184 pages
978-1-941813-21-8 (ISBN)
Description
Romanticized scenes of heroic soldiers fighting on the vast plains are strewn throughout early chronicles of the old frontier army. Such interpretations rarely convey the complex truth or reality of the day-to-day existence of the soldiers or of the American Indians on whose land the battles took place.
As new documents surface, coupled with increased digital access for scholars, in-depth examinations of the army's role during this time in United States history are moving forward. Under the direction of editor R. Eli Paul, contributors to this book present new primary sources and fresh interpretations of the Regular Army in the West in fitting tribute to the careers of Thomas R. Buecker and John D. ("Jack") McDermott.
Centering on military conflicts and postings around present-day South Dakota and in the Black Hills between 1854 and 1890, the contributors highlight the diverse experiences of those associated with the American frontier army and the people they fought on the Great Plains. Observations formed by studying personal letters, recorded memories, and contemporary monuments provide an analysis of how the army and its soldiers are remembered today. Firsthand accounts give previously ignored groups a voice, and readers learn more about lesser-known actors-foot soldiers, minorities, and others on the periphery of popular history.
Individually, the essays bring much needed context to this era; together, they present a more complete picture of those confronted with and involved in the nineteenth-century mission of expansion and control.
As new documents surface, coupled with increased digital access for scholars, in-depth examinations of the army's role during this time in United States history are moving forward. Under the direction of editor R. Eli Paul, contributors to this book present new primary sources and fresh interpretations of the Regular Army in the West in fitting tribute to the careers of Thomas R. Buecker and John D. ("Jack") McDermott.
Centering on military conflicts and postings around present-day South Dakota and in the Black Hills between 1854 and 1890, the contributors highlight the diverse experiences of those associated with the American frontier army and the people they fought on the Great Plains. Observations formed by studying personal letters, recorded memories, and contemporary monuments provide an analysis of how the army and its soldiers are remembered today. Firsthand accounts give previously ignored groups a voice, and readers learn more about lesser-known actors-foot soldiers, minorities, and others on the periphery of popular history.
Individually, the essays bring much needed context to this era; together, they present a more complete picture of those confronted with and involved in the nineteenth-century mission of expansion and control.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Pierre
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
34 black and white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 231 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-941813-21-8 (9781941813218)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
R. Eli Paul recently retired as head of the Missouri Valley Special Collections at the Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri. He has published extensively on the subject of the Plains Indians, including collaborative efforts with Thomas R. Buecker and John D. McDermott. In 2005, Paul received the Robert M. Utley Book Prize from the Western History Association for Blue Water Creek and the First Sioux War, 1854-1856 (2004). His most recent book is Sign Talker: Hugh Lenox Scott Remembers Indian Country (2016).
Content
Introduction. The Frontier Army Remembered - R. Eli Paul
Chapter 1. Harney's Aide-de-Camp at the Blue Water Fight, 1855: A Letter by Marshall T. Polk II, United States Army - R. Eli Paul
Chapter 2. The Fourth United States Artillery and the Great Sioux War: Source Material - Paul L. Hedren
Chapter 3. Shoot Today and Kill Tomorrow: The Function and Evolution of Artillery during the Indian Campaigns, 1866-1890 - Douglas C. McChristian
Chapter 4. No Time to Fight: Recreation in the Frontier Army - Lori A. Cox-Paul
Chapter 5. "A Very Good Friend to the Army": The Frontier Soldier in the Western Art of Frederic Remington - Brian W. Dippie
Chapter 6. Lakota Perspectives on Wounded Knee, 1890 - Jerome A. Greene
Chapter 7. Remembering the Buffalo Soldiers: Memorials to Black Soldiers of the Indian-War Era - Frank N. Schubert
Appendix. Notable Works on the Frontier Army and Indian Wars by Thomas R. Buecker and John D. McDermott
Contributors
Index
Chapter 1. Harney's Aide-de-Camp at the Blue Water Fight, 1855: A Letter by Marshall T. Polk II, United States Army - R. Eli Paul
Chapter 2. The Fourth United States Artillery and the Great Sioux War: Source Material - Paul L. Hedren
Chapter 3. Shoot Today and Kill Tomorrow: The Function and Evolution of Artillery during the Indian Campaigns, 1866-1890 - Douglas C. McChristian
Chapter 4. No Time to Fight: Recreation in the Frontier Army - Lori A. Cox-Paul
Chapter 5. "A Very Good Friend to the Army": The Frontier Soldier in the Western Art of Frederic Remington - Brian W. Dippie
Chapter 6. Lakota Perspectives on Wounded Knee, 1890 - Jerome A. Greene
Chapter 7. Remembering the Buffalo Soldiers: Memorials to Black Soldiers of the Indian-War Era - Frank N. Schubert
Appendix. Notable Works on the Frontier Army and Indian Wars by Thomas R. Buecker and John D. McDermott
Contributors
Index