Customer Reviews

Fort Robinson and the American West, 1874-1899

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have read a number of histories of frontier posts over the years and this one exceeds them all. Mr. Buecker provides an immense amount of detail on how Fort Robinson came into being and all that transpired there from 1874-1899. On that count, its past is far more interesting than that of some of the post-Sioux War posts such as Fort Meade or Fort Custer. Camp Robinson (as it was still known in 1877) was the scene for the dramatic and tragic death of Crazy Horse in September of that year. In January, 1879 Fort Robinson played host to another dramatic event as the Cheyenne imprisoned there after taking leave of their Oklahoma reservation attempted to break out and continue their journey to their traditional Montana homeland. The author provides a very good, concise telling of that event.

Beyond that, Mr. Buecker constantly reminds us that for most of the time, normal garrison duty occupied the various companies stationed there over the years. He does a very good job in describing what constituted the way of life for the officers and enlisted men stationed there. In the 1880s, the garrison included the famed Buffalo Soldiers of the Ninth U.S. Cavalry. He also explores the complex relationship that existed between the soldiers and the Lakota of the nearby Red Cloud agency during the early years of Robinson's existance. The relationships were varied and alive (for example, Chief Spotted Tail dined with offices in their quarters), not the one-dimensional, frontier soldiers hating/abusing the Indians as modern myth so often erroneously portrays late 19th century Frontier Military-Indian interaction.

If you are interested in the Sioux Wars, the frontier military, Crazy Horse, the Northern Cheyenne or the Buffalo Soldiers, you should not be disappointed in this book. It should be added that Mr. Buecker was well-prepared to tell the story of Fort Robinson since he serves as the curator of the Fort Robinson Museum in northwest Nebraska. I must also add that both the Museum and the present-day fort (now a state park) are well worth a visit.

Fort Robinson And The American West 1874-1899 by Thomas R. Buecker (Curator of the Fort Robinson Museum in Crawford, Nebraska) is a close and authoritative look at Fort Robinson, a place that witnessed many stark and brutal clashes between whites and American Indians, including the Cheyenne Outbreak, the death of Crazy Horse, the Ghost Dance, and the tragedy of Wounded Knee. Historic references, government records, reports, correspondence and other primary sources form the core of this thoughtful, sober, scholarly analysis, which is a welcome contribution to American History shelves, Native American Studies collections, those reading lists dealing with the history of the American Western Frontier.

Fort Robinson, located in northwestern Nebraska, played an important role in the affairs between the military and the Indians on the Plains. Thomas Buecker's history of the fort is both informative and a delight to read.

Fort Robinson was established in 1874 after troubles occurred at the nearby Red Cloud agency. Intended at first to be only a temporary cantonment, it wasn't long before the strategic importance of the fort was realized. Unable to stem the tide of gold prospectors into the Black Hills, soldiers from the fort played an important part in the Great Sioux War that followed. The successful expedition against Dull Knife was launched from there. In 1877, the fort witnessed one of its greatest tragedies when it became the place where Crazy Horse was stabbed and killed, although two years later this notoriety was almost matched when 64 Northern Cheyenne were killed when trying to escape. In the 1880s, the fort became the base of operations for the Ninth Cavalry, the "Buffalo Soldiers." The Ghost Dance uprising at nearby Pine Ridge in 1890 was the last great event involving troops at Fort Robinson. The fort became a sleepy reminder of times gone by by the end of the century when Buecker's account ends, though the fort was brought back to life during both World Wars as a supply and training center, and as a POW camp. Today it's a handsome park with an excellent small museum.

Buecker, who was (is still?) the curator of the Fort Robinson Museum, has written a wonderful book on the fort. Historically detailed, Buecker is also careful to relate what life was like for the soldiers who lived there. It gives an excellent view of not only a specific place, but of a time too. Also useful for historians is Appendix A in which Buecker lists all the military units that ever served at the fort. It's a great book on the American West. Highly recommended.