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Scalp Dance: Indian Warfare on the High Plains, 1865-1879 Editorial Review:
Some of the most savage war in world history was waged on the American Plains from 1865 to 1879. As settlers moved west following the Civil War, they found powerful Indian tribes barring the way. When the U.S. Army intervened, a bloody and prolonged conflict ensued. Drawing heavily from diaries, letters, and memoirs from American Plains settlers, historian Thomas Goodrich weaves a spellbinding tale of life and death on the prairie, told in the timeless words of the participants themselves. "Scalp Dance" is a powerful, unforgettable epic that shatters modern myths. Within its pages, the reader will find a truthful account of Indian warfare as it occurred.
Customer Reviews:
Enthralling historical accounts presented clearly! Enlightening
I bought a copy of this book in paperback when it was first released (in paperback) years ago and was completely absorbed by the book! My paperback copy is covered in highlighter marks & notes in the margin. I therefore later bought a nice hardback copy of the book for a "keeper" just because I LOVE THE BOOK so much!
The author relies heavily on "first person accounts" ...written when the bullets and arrows were still in flight. The book does display both sides of the story (whites and Indians) though of course it relies more heavily on the accounts of whites (captives, soldiers, settlers, etc) as the whites were literate, and most Indians of the time were not.
Sure some of the accounts of the era depict the Native Americans in a terribly negative light...but what can one expect during the time frame this took place. Generally the book is balanced and fair. The strongest points of this tome in my view however, are the way the author weaves both historical accounts with his own description of the "big picture" of what was taking place, from the Red Cloud war to the Fetterman massacre, the "Battle of the Washita", 2nd battle of Adobe Walls, etc.
One learns a lot from the book, even an long time and dedicated student of Native American vs. Anglo history.
I give this book 5 stars only because there are not ten stars to give. If you have the least interest in the struggle for the west, as it relates to the wars with the Indians, please read this book. Another I highly recommend is "The Captured" by Scott Zesch.
Barely a single sentence in the author's own words
I am stunned by the many positive reviews of this book. Eighty percent of the book is comprised of long block quotes lifted from other sources. No more than two or three sentences link each block quote, most of which are between half a page and a whole page long. This is not writing; it is cutting and pasting. Worst yet, the author often lifts his quotes not from primary sources, but rather from secondary works - taking the exact same block quote from these works and placing them in his book. How does he obtain most of the "original" source block quotes for his chapter on Reynolds' Powder River campaign? He lifts them from J. W. Vaughn's book on the subject.
Come on people. The quotes themselves may be lively and fascinating, but this represents no original work on the author's part. Mr. Goodrich should be ashamed of himself.
A GRAPHIC History of Indian Warfare on the High Plains
Scalp Dance: Indian Warfare on the High Plains, 1865-1879
In his book "Scalp Dance: Indian Warfare on the High Plains", author Thomas Goodrich gives several accounts of conflict with the native tribes in the Great Plains region of the American West post-Civil War era all the way until 1879. This book is not for those with weak stomachs or who just ate, for no detail is spared when describing the brutal warfare and atrocities committed on both the living and dead. This book opened my eyes to both sides of the conflicts. Goodrich does not bash the Native warriors for their barbarity nor does he make them out to be the peace lovers often portrayed in todays cinema(the reverse to movies back in the 1950's). The truth is both sides engaged in savage butchery but this book gives the accounts of the soldiers and settlers who experienced it first hand. If you're looking for a book that gives only atrocites committed by whites and gives an account of the "Noble Redman" then read this book anyway and learn both sides of the story.
Unvarnished
This is the story of the Indian Wars and battles fought on the Plains between 1865 through 1878. Focusing on the actions in Kansas and Montana, Thomas Goodrich weaves an interesting tale told from the diaries, newspaper accounts and letters of white participants. While much of the subject matter has been covered by others, these often first hand accounts are unsanitized, not politically correct versions of the events as seen and understood from the settlers' and Army's point of view. As a result, it is quite passionate, eliciting emotions that were felt on one side of these tragic events.
As a plus, Goodrich covers lesser known or reported clashes during these wars that settled the American West. A good, quick read well written.
Great First Hand Accounts of Conflict on the Plains
The author does an excellent job providing a history of violent contacts between the Plains Indians and whites and between Indians themselves through the use of first hand accounts. What is unique about this format is that the accounts seem to flow freely through the book adding to the story and not detracting from it. The accounts are primarily from whites who were direct witnesses to Indian raids in Colorado, Red Clouds War the Kansas War, The Great Sioux and Cheyene War and the Northern Cheyene's desperate flight back to their homeland. The descriptions discuss not only combat with Indians but the violence extended to victims including gruesome desercations of the victims body, thought to have necessary significance for Indians for an advanatge in the afterlife. The discovery of mutilated bodies understandably created a vengeful lust among friends and family of the deceased. Surprisingly, these accounts include mistreatment of captured women. This seems in sharp contrast to the way northeastern tribes treated prisoners during the mid 18th century where prisoners were used as slaves, barter or assimiliation purposes (see "White Devil" by Stephen Brumwell). The impression the book leaves you is that there was very little of this option with the Plains Indians, which directly speaks to the old proverb "Save the last bullet for yourself". Although the book is primarily from the white perspectives, it does cover the controversial massacre of Sand Creek by Major Chivington as it appears that violence begets violence whether justified or not(The massacre perspective is challenged in "The Battle of Sand Creek: The Military Perspective" by Michael Michno). One thing of note is that General Sheridan was disinclined to trade for white women prisoners if they were held in captivity too long assuming they were no longer fit for society (see "General Sheridan and His Generals" by Paul Hutton). The violent combat is not restricted just between whites and Indians but also between different tribes as one witness observed Crows torturing one of their enemies to death. The book has some balance as Captain Mills from Crooks' army expresses regret for a young Indian child's grief for her deceased mother who was caught in a cross fire at Slim Buttes. It is also noted that whites periodically took scalps (Buffalo Bill) and desecrated Indian graves. Many of the individuals quoted seemed to be very forthright as one scout who survived the siege at Beecher's Island stated that he did not know how many Indians he killed since their attacks were so fast and furious he couldn't follow his shots. The book also highlights the Fetterman Massacre (whites lost), Battle of Washita (some say massacre), Little Big Horn, Rosebud, Slim Buttes and assortment of other campaigns. All in all, the witneses attest to the hard, dangerous and violent life on the edge of the frontier.
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