This is an edited and expanded version of the original history of the Indian Wars first written in 1894 by Mrs. Frances Victor, who had been commissioned in 1891, to write the history by the Oregon Secretary of State and was titled "The Early Indian Wars of Oregon."This was considered to be the most accurate and detailed of all histories portraying the early conflicts between the white man and Indian. Since the turn of the century, however, researchers have uncovered many documents that alter, enhance orcontradict the original work.The authors have examined many documents and items not used in the original work. They have attempted to include this information, while endeavoring to preserve intact the excellent effort first presented in the 1894 work.
A Mountain Man ClassicThe River of the West is easily the most reliable and extensive first-person history ever written of that unique and never-to-be-duplicated era. An extraordinary first-hand account of those who came West and lived with the land. Of all the men who walked the Rocky Mountains a century and a half ago, none other is so completely alive as Joe Meek. This book has been described as a howling yawp of youth and vitality, challenge and danger, exultation and joy. It is all of that and more. Originally published in 1870, this book includes the original illustrations and offers a new introduction, map, notes, bibliography and index.In the first volume of 'The River of the West', The Mountain Years, we meet Joe Meek as a dashing and valiant trapper. In this second volume, The Oregon Years, with the help of his wife Joe comes to light as pioneer, sheriff, U.S. Marshall, and legislator.Through Meek's wondrous recollections, his memoir also becomes an important history of Oregon's formative years, and that of the entire Northwest United States. The struggles of women, Native Americans, missionaries, trappers, early settlers, explorers, and the Hudson's Bay company all shaped a territory, and finally a state.It is fact, but more than that. It's the truth of an era and place. As all good stories are, it is the blend of the objective and what is imaginatively implied about the days when giants roamed the raw West.The issues of life and death were often in the balance, and these were decided by the cool judgment of natural leaders--women and men, Native Americans and whites. Those leaders come through in folk literature as heroic. They were. They were also authentically human and worthy of admiration, flaws and all.Put together, it is the sort of historic memoir that we love, the sort that ennobles us.Editor Win Blevins is an expert on the fur trade era. He has written screenplays about the mountain men. His first book, "Give Your Heart to the Hawks," perhaps the best collection of mountain man adventures and stories, has been in print for forty years.He is the recipient of the 2015 Owen Wister award for lifetime achievement for Literature of the West. He is also in the Western Writers Hall of Fame."Win Blevins has long since won his place among the West's very best." Tony Hillerman on 'Give Your Heart to the Hawks.'"Blevins possesses a rare skill in masterfully telling a story to paper. He is a true storyteller in the tradition of Na ve people." Lee Francis, Native American Studies, UNM"Blevins shows us the glory years of frontier life, fresh and rich." Kirkus Reviews on "Beauty for Ashes" "One of the finest novels to come out of the American West in a long time. An amazing book, grandly conceived and beautifully written." Dallas Morning News on "Stone Song, The Story of Crazy Horse."
Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer was widely known as a Civil War figure, author, and successful cavalry leader before his spectacular defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876 by Lakota and Northern Cheyenne Indians. His actions - and those of his troops - would have been of public interest even without their final, bloody outcome. A ready audience of readers was hungry for information about the engagement and about their fallen hero when Frances Fuller Victor's book appeared in spring 1877.Published even before the Great Sioux War had ended, Our Centennial Indian War and the Life of General Custer was the first contemporary and comprehensive account of the successive army operations in 1876 and early 1877. It was a major accomplishment. Victor drew information from a wide range of sources - including personal letters, war correspondents' dispatches, and government documents - to explain the lengthy, disjointed struggle between the army and the Lakota-Cheyenne coalition. She also offered one of the earliest biographical assessments of Custer, its most noted military participant.Compared to other period writings, Victor's narrative is smooth and dispassionate, devoid of conjecture and judgment. In addition, her account contains rare Indian perspectives on the Little Bighorn battle, including Lakota testimony that has not previously appeared elsewhere. Featuring an introduction by historian Jerome A. Greene, this edition of Our Centennial Indian War provides a remarkable window into contemporary thinking about an iconic event.
"The New Penelope and Other Stories and Poems" by Frances Fuller Victor offers a fascinating glimpse into the 19th-century Pacific Northwest. This collection of short stories and American poetry captures the social life and customs of the era with keen observation and vivid detail. Victor's work explores the unique character of the Northwest Coast of North America, providing a valuable historical record through engaging narratives and evocative verse. Experience the charm and challenges of a bygone era through Victor's storytelling, which illuminates the everyday lives of people shaping a new society. This carefully prepared print edition revives a classic voice, presenting "The New Penelope" and other works that continue to resonate with their insightful portrayal of a pivotal period in American history. Discover the enduring appeal of these stories and poems, a testament to the power of place and the human spirit.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
