Our Wild Indians :
Thirty-three Years Personal Experience
Among The Red Men of the Great West.
A popular account of their Social Life, Religion, Habits, Traits, Customs, Exploits, etc.
With Thrilling Adventures and Experiences on the Great Plains and in the Mountains of our wide Frontier.
By Colonel Richard Irving Dodge , United States Army
Aid-De-Camp To General Sherman
With An Introduction By General Sherman
Fully Illustrated with Portraits on Steel ,
Full-page Engravings on Wood,
and Fine Chromo-Lithograph Plates.
Published By A. D. Worthington and Company
Hartford, Connecticut
1883
Antique hardcover.
Decorated cloth binding, stamped & gilt binding.
Decorated endpapers.
6" x 9"
653 pages.
140 years old.
In 1883, Colonel Richard I. Dodge wrote what is arguably the best description of the Plains Indians and the world they lived in, "Our Wild Indians."
But this book is much more than just an anthropological study of Native American culture; Dodge enhanced the book with numerous of his personal experiences, his Indian Wars combat stories, his reminisces of friendships and personal engagements with virtually all the Plains tribes between Canada and Mexico, as well as most of the era's famous chiefs and warriors.
When "Our Wild Indians" was first published in 1883 it was extremely popular, as it still is, because of Dodge's intimate knowledge of Plains Indians, his amazing breadth of military experiences on the American Plains, and his smooth, easy to follow writing style. For these reasons, his book has maintained a connection with the reading public for going on 140 years.
" Our Wild Indians" is still considered one of the best, and purist, prime sources for Native American historical research.
Better still, the book is just a great read.
Enhanced with 2 Engravings on Steel, 17 Full-page Engravings on Wood, and 6 Tissue-guarded Color Lithograph Plates.
( see the List below )
The five-page Introduction was written by no less than General William Tecumseh Sherman.
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Good Condition.
Light binding wear, sunning.
The inner hinges have been carefully strengthened with a little Bookbinder's glue, and are secure.
No writing.
No markings.
A bit of wear at the edge of the front free endpaper.
Attachment of the title-page is weakening, though it is still attached.
The paper has aged a toned somewhat, but is otherwise good.
All illustration plates are present and in very good condition.
The pages are otherwise in good condition.
Carefully packed for shipment to the buyer.
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List of Illustrations :
Steel Engravings :
1. PORTRAIT of Colonel Richard I. Dodge , from a photograph taken expressly for this work, by ( Matthew ) Brady
( with a facsimile of Dodge's signature )
2. Famous Indian Fighters :
GENERAL GEORGE CROOK
GENERAL NELSON A. MILES
GENERAL GEORGE A. CUSTER
GENERAL RANALD S. MACKENZIE
( Taken from photographs and Engraved on Steel )
Engravings on Wood :
1. PEACE OR WAR? - An Indian Council ; Spotted Tail's Speech
2. SPOTTED TAIL Assassinating BIG MOUTH , a Rival Chief
3. HOCH-E-A-YUM - The Great Medicine Dance
4. INDIAN SELF-TORTURE - Endurance and Defiance of Pain
5. The LAST RESTING-PLACE OF THE INDIANS - a Cemetery among the Trees on Medicine Lodge Creek, Indian Territory ( Oklahoma )
6. OUR STEALTHY FOES - Attack on the Wagon Train
7. The Fate of LIEUT. KIDDER And His Entire Command - Discovery of their Bodies
8. GEN. CUSTER - Surprise of an INDIAN CAMP of over 2,000 Warriors
9. A Successful WAR PARTY Celebrating Victory - The Scalp Dance
10. A Chronological and Historical Chart of a BAND of SIOUX - Reproduced in Fac-simile from the Original Chart
11. SURROUNDED - Desperate Charge of General Crook's Cavalry at the Battle of the Rosebud
12. Heroism and Death of Sergeant-Major Kennedy
13. WINTER ON THE PLAINS - A Terrible Experience in the Teeth of a " Norther "
14. Sam Cherry's LAST SHOT
15. At The Mercy of Savage Captors - TORTURE By Slow FIRES
16. A Sudden Surprise - - The ATTACK on the United States Mail Coach
17. Rescuing a Wounded Comrade - HEROIC EXPLOIT of Amos Chapman
List of Chromo-Lithograph Plates :
( Note By The Publishers - These chromolithograph plates are extremely accurate in drawing and coloring, no expense or pains having been spared to distinguish them in these respects for their fidelity to the objects they represent.
Each group was first photographed to the proper size, thus insuring fullness of detail and perfect accuracy, and at the same time preserving the relative size of one object to another. The original objects and the photographs were then placed in the hands of a skillful artist, who exercised the most painstaking care in painting the photograph of each article directly from the object itself. These painted photographs were then transferred to stone, from which the plates herewith presented were printed.
Each plate requires no less than fifteen printings to produce the various colors and tints absolutely necessary to a faith- ful representation of the objects shown, thus requiring ninety engraved stones to produce these six plates. The engraving and printing were done by Messrs. Biughani, Dodd & Co., Hartford, Connecticut )
PLATE I. RED CLOUD'S WAR BONNET - DOUGLAS'S TOBACCO POUCH - FAMOUS PIPES, &c.
1. War Bonnet of Red Cloud , Principal Chief of the Sioux
2. Ute Beaded Tobacco Pouch
3. Sioux War Club
4. Water Jar, made of Grass and lined with Pitch - once belonging to Chipeta, wife of Ouray, head chief of the Utes
5. Sioux Gourd Rattle
6. Beaded Tobacco Pouch - formerly owned by Douglass, the chief of Utes who murdered the Meeker family.
7. Tobacco Pipe of the Shosones , or Snakes
8. Tall Bull's Tobacco Pipe , Ornamented with Feathers and Scalp Locks.
Tall Bull was chief of a band of outlaw Cheyennes and Sioux. He was killed at the battle of Summit Springs, Colorado . His wife, who was captured at the time, said the scalps attached to the pipe were those of white settlers on the Salina River, Kansas , taken only two weeks previously. Seventy-two savages were killed at the battle of Summit Springs.
9. Sioux Tobacco Pipe
10. Sioux Tobacco Pipe ( another )
11. A Famous Peace Pipe
This pipe was used at the grand council held at Red Cloud Agency when the question of the surrender of the Black Hills to the United States was discussed.
PLATE II. SIOUX WAR SHIRT - APACHE CAPS - MOCCASINS FROM THE BATTLE-FIELD OF The DEATH Of GENERAL CUSTER - TOTEMS, &c.
1. Apache Cap - Made of red flannel, and ornamented with feathers and buttons.
2. Apache cap - Ornamented with turkey-feathers and buttons.
3. A Pair of Sioux Moccasins -found on the battle-field of Gen. Custer's death.
4. A Sioux War Shirt - this elaborate war shirt is made of fine-dressed buckskin. It is ornamented with beads and skins, and fringed with many scalp-locks.
5. Totem, Made of a Turtle-Shell - worn suspended from the neck.
6 Tobacco Pouch , elaborately beaded.
7. Totem , made of a Beaver Skin.
8. Tobacco Pouch , beautifully beaded.
9. Medicine Bag , made of the skin of a Bear's Foot.
PLATE III. SQUAW'S DRESS, BOW-CASE AND QUIVER -
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS - CRADLE - RATTLES, &c.
1. and 2. UTE Bow and Arrows
3. Sioux Flageolet , or Flute
4. CHEYENNE Flute
5. SIOUX Rattle , made of the ends of buffalo-toes.
6. A Pair of Cheyenne Moccasins , beautifully embroidered with beads.
7. Bow Case and Quiver , made of a Panther Skin - this once belonged to the wife of Yellow Bear , a prominent chief of the Cheyennes.
8. A Cheyenne Tobacco Pouch
9. A Cheyenne Squaw Dress -
This elaborate and valuable dress is ornamented with the eye-teeth of Elk. Each pair of teeth represents one Elk. The Indians valued the dress at eight ponies, or about two hundred dollars.
10. A Cheyenne Rattle, made of the ends of Buffalo-toes.
11. A Cheyenne Beaded Cradle -
This once belonged to the wife of a prominent chief. It is most elaborately embroidered with beads, and had cradled an Indian baby a year, before coming into possession of the author.
PLATE IV. FAC-SIMILES OF INDIAN DRAWINGS.
( Drawn with colored pencils, by Big Back, a Cheyenne Indian )
1. INDIAN COURTING SCENES.
The Approach , and the Couple wrapped in one Blanket.
2. GENERAL MACKENZIE'S FIGHT with the CHEYENNES, and the DEATH of LIEUT. MCKINNEY
Only prominent chiefs who were killed at this fight are represented on the Indian side, and the fatal wound of each is indicated by blood flowing from it, or, in some cases, from the mouth.
The names of the chiefs thus shown in this picture are:
1. High Bull ; 2. Walking Calf ; 3. Whirlwind ;
4. White Face Bull ; 5. Bull Hump ; 6. Old Bull.
Short lines with a dot at one end represent flying bullets.
The bullet passing through Lieut. McKinney's body (7.) indicates the manner of his death.
PLATE V. INDIAN WEAPONS - TOMAHAWKS , WAR SHIELD ,
CLUBS , BOWS , ARROWS, &c.
1. COMANCHE Tomahawk , ornamented with red flannel, scalp-locks, and feathers.
2. UTE Tomahawk Pipe
3. and 4. SIOUX War Clubs
5., 6. and 7. Sioux Bows and Arrows
8. COMANCHE War Shield , ornamented with feathers, and the tail of a horse. This shield is proof against rifle bullets.
9. BOW-CASE and QUIVER of the BANNOCK INDIANS , made of very fine buckskin, and elaborately embroidered with beads.
10. and 11. Sioux War Clubs
12. Tomahawk Pipe - Once belonging to Little Bear, a prominent chief of the Northern Apaches.
13. KIOWA War Club
14. Comanche Tomahawk Pipe
PLATE VI. OBJECTS of Interest and Curiosity :
SCALPS OF INDIANS AND WHITE PEOPLE -
ORNAMENTS MADE OF HUMAN SKIN AND BONES , &c.
1. KIOWA Medicine Rattle
2. SHEATH of a SCALPING KNIFE ( Sioux )
3. SHEATH of a SCALPING KNIFE ( Cheyenne ).
4. SCALPING KNIVES
5. SCALPS of Two WHITE MEN , aranged on a Wand for the Scalp Dance
6. SCALP of a Sioux Indian , elaborately ornamented with feathers and beads.
7. SCALP of a Sioux Indian, taken entire.
8. SCALP of a LITTLE WHITE GIRL - This scalp was taken from the Comanches. The little girl was about nine years old.
9. UTE MATCH SAFE , Beaded.
10. UTE NEEDLE CASE, Beaded.
11. UTE NECKLACE , with " Medicine " - made of shells from the Gulf of California, passed in barter from tribe to tribe.
12. CHEYENNE Squaw's GAMBLING Implement , made of the bones of a bear's foot.
13. NORTHERN CHEYENNE Necklace , made of the first joints of HUMAN fingers.
14. GAMBLING BONES , and Beaded Case.
15. BELT made of HUMAN SKIN - taken from a Tonkaway Indian, who had made it from the skin of a Comanche.
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