Indian Raids and Massacres: Essays on the Central Plains Indian Wars

Indian Raids and Massacres covers incidents in Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska from 1864-1870. Each chapter is a story unto itself and the book can be read in any order as well as from beginning to end. There are two sides to these violent events, and, while the focus is on the Euro American perspective, the contrary perspective of the Native American is also presented. Broome relies on primary-source documents usually ignored by other authors, but more than that, he carefully sorts out all documents relating to each chapter, while carefully applying critical thinking skills to arrive at the truth of each event. Untapped Indian depredation claims housed in Washington, DC give the reader a deeper understanding of the terrors of Indian raids, especially when experienced by new settlers to the region. What emerges represents bold and new history not found in other published accounts. The Sand Creek Massacre on November 29, 1864 fueled most of the violent responses from then to the Cheyenne Dog Soldier's final defeat at Summit Springs July 11,1869. Also covered are the violent events that happened before Sand Creek. There is much on Custer in the 1860s, as well as Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok's 1870 fatal gunfight with a 7th Cavalryman who participated in these events and who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1869. These chapters reflect more than 20 years of research and writing on the Central Plains Indian War.