Daily Kennebec journal., 1883-01-12
"Our Wild Indians"
By Col. X. l. DoDGY.


Introduction by General Sherman.
No white man is more widely known
among the Indians than Col. Dodge, who is
always spoken of by them as the big Chief"
His new work. ''Our Wild Indians OIL the
title page OF which Gen. Sherman's name
also appears. was undertaken by him at the
urgent solicitation of many distinguished
men. 1t was not, however, until Gen.
Sherman offered to write an introduction to
the work, and to give the volume his official
sanction, that Col. Dodge consented TO
undertake it. 1t is the first authentic account
of our wild Indians that has been written for
nearly forty years.
The author writes from the standpoint of
actual personal experience, and it is interest
ing to note in this connection the exceptional
opportunities of observation he has enjoyed,
as will be seen from the following statement
of facts Col Dodge was graduated from
West Point in lS4S. and was at once assigned
to active duty on the Texas frontier among
the crafty and cunning COmanches. From
that time until his last campaign against the
Utes, in 1880. a period of thirty-three
years, his life has been spent in
direct personal contact with the wild
est Indians of the "Far West" In this
third Of a century he has had intercourse
with thirty-tour different tribes, having fought
his way foot by foot through Indian lands
over ground never before trodden BY the foot
of white man. His position as a high COM
manding officer in the U. 5. army land leader
of many important expeditions against the
Indians has given him opportunities for study
and observation, such as have never before
fallen to the lot of white man, and such as
no one in civil life could possibly command.
In this volume of $50 pages Col. Dodge
aims to give truthful and minute account of
"Our Wild Indians OF the present day: to
vividly describe their actions, habita. customs,
religion. manners, and amusements a. prac-
ticed by them now in the unciviized regions
of their uninvaded country; to give graphic
accounts of thrilling and exciting adventures
among them; to narrate daring exploits and
hair-breadth escapes, not only from his own
experience, but from that of other white men.
and of Indians also: and to record desperate
encounters, hand to hand combats, sudden
surprises, remarkable defences, and heroic
achievements incident to frontier life. In all of
this Col Dodge has succeeded most admirably
and he has produced incomparably the most
exhaustive and truthful account of Our
Wild Indians" ever written, and undeniably
one of the most thrilling and fascinating
books of personal daring and romantic ad-
venture ever published. His narrative is
spiced with many graphic accounts of fa-
nous scouts and guides; of trappers, from
tiersmen, squatters, squawmen, Texas cow
boys. miners. gold hunters, border rufians
and desperadoes, and their adventures and
wonderful achievements are fascinating pen
pictures of life in our Indian country.
Truth is stranger than fiction" and most
essentially so in this thrilling record Of
Thirty-Three Years Exserience.
Gen. Sherman truthfully says in his intro
duction Yours is the first attempt Of
which have knowledge to treat him (the
| Indian) as he exists in fact. You have had
the experience of a third of century in ab-
| eoiute contact with the various tribes of our
Indians from the British line to Texas, New
Mexico, and Arizona, hunting with them in
peace and in war. 1t is BY far the best de-
scription extant of the habits, manners. Gus
toms. ussges. ceremonies, etc. of the Amer
| ican Indian as he now is. You are hereby
authorized to use my name as authority for
its publication and circulation and l invite
all persons to read this book carefully
| The book is both profusely and magnif-
Gently illustrated. Its list of steel-plates in
cludes portraits of the author, and of Gen.
Crook, Gen. Miles, Gen. Custer, Gen. Nc
Kenzie, etc., and there are many superb full
page engravinss on wood. But the crovpins