Cheyenne Dog Soldiers: A Ledgerbook History of Coups and CombatAt Summit Springs, Colorado on July 11, 1869, Maj Eugene A. Carr led the Fifth United States Cavalry and a force of Pawnee scouts in an attack on Chief Tall Bull's Cheyenne Dog Soldier village. Also prominent in the fight was chief of scouts, William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. When the day's fighting was over, fifty-two Cheyenne Dog Soldiers lay dead. On that day, too, a soldier picked up what appeared to be a plain army ledgerbook. When opened, the book revealed page upon page of colored drawings - all rendered by Cheyenne warrior-artists. The book came to the Colorado Historical Society in 1903, and there it remained for nearly one hundred years, largely unknown or forgotten. Until now. Working in close association with Cheyenne people, the authors have produced an unprecedented look at the Dog Soldiers, treating these ledger drawings as historical documents - as the history of the Dog Soldiers by the warrior-artists themselves. Using Cheyenne sources - both past and present - as well as U.S. military records, legal depositions, diaries, and contemporary newspaper accounts, the authors analyze drawings, identifying the warriors and describing the actions depicted. With more than one hundred beautifully reproduced color drawings, this volume presents not only a groundbreaking departure from standard ledgerbook interpretation but also a riveting story of the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers making a last stand for their existence as a free people. |
Contents
Chronology of Cheyenne Military Actions 18641869 | 286 |
Name Glyphs and Warrior Identification | 322 |
Structure of the Ledgerbook | 330 |
Copyright | |
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Other editions - View all
Cheyenne Dog Soldiers: A Ledgerbook History of Coups and Combat Jean Afton,David Fridtjof Halaas,Andrew Edward Masich No preview available - 1997 |
Common terms and phrases
armed Army arrows attack battle Bear Bear's Bent Black blanket blue braided Brave breechclout bridle Bull bullets carbine carries Cavalry charge Cheyenne civilian coat Colorado command Commentary Company counts coup cover Creek dark decorated Denver depicted DEPNA discussion dismounted Dog Soldiers drawings drive eagle feathers Enemy equipped face Feathered Bear fight fire Fort four George Grinnell hair hand head Historical Society horse Hyde Indians January Julesburg Kansas killed Lakota Lean ledgerbook leggings Letters Little Man's miles military mounted mules Nebraska Office Oklahoma painted Pawnee pistol Plains Plate Platte Powder Powder River Press Ranch Red Lance reports revolver rides rifle River running saber saddle scalp scouts September shield shirt side silver Springs Station stripes strouding Style ARTIST tail Tall Territory trails train troops trousers University valued village wagon war-horse warrior wears WEBB White Bird Wolf wounded yellow