Customer Reviews

Indian Depredations in Texas

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a Texas History teacher, and I use the book quite a bit in class. It is broken up into short, true stories of encounters with Indians in the days of early anglo settlement. Some of the accounts are funny, some harrowingly tense. Others so heartbreaking that I've never been able to shake the violent imagery. As other reviewers have stated, it reflects the opinions of the time, so if you're into PC BS you won't like it. Books like this shouldn't be forgotten.

This is an excellent peek into the history of Indian raids in Texas and the attitudes of those they raided. It is related through a man whose brother was scalped alive by Comanches, which accounts for his bias. It was also written in a day and age before the present-day hindsight morality and political correctness was in vogue, therefore it is a genuine book with genuine attitudes of the time.

This book, though written by a person who obviously hated Indian, was an excellent book for anyone interested in Texas history. I particularly like how the stories are indexed by county so that one may quickly find stories relating to local history as well. This book is not only fascinating from a narrative perspective but also from the fact that it contains photos of settlers who are chronicled in the stories, adding yet another dimension to the books authenticity. I highly recommend this book to parents who are trying to get their children to read (middleschool level). The book reads like a series of short adventure stories. I feel that teens would find this highly engaging especially since the stories are true, even though reported by a biased observer, Wilbarger.

This book is an account of living on the Texas frontier as chronicled by those that experienced it. The ready bias of the author against Indians is understandable considering when the book was published and the personal trials of the author with Indians. The book allows the reader to picture the harrowing experiences of life in Texas in the 19th century dealing with the threat of Indian attacks. The book is an excellent contemporary source of how people talked and lived during these difficult and challenging times. It is a must read for anyone interested in early Texas and frontier history.

Will give you an idea of what living in Texas was like when hostilities between natives and settlers were common. As I read this book I kept imagining a Texas with no cars, no hospitals, no air conditioning and the very real threat of getting scalped on any given day. The book made me appreciate more what early Texans must have seen in their state and understand better why they came and why they stayed.

This is one of the few remaining chronicles of the hardships our ancestors endured during the westward expansion of civilization in the US. Most accounts in the book were first-hand or from friends or family of the people who were actually involved in the conflicts and the accounts were believed to be true by the author. Keep in mind that the Cherokee were not native to Texas and had no historical claim to the land so it was hard to be "PC" about them slaughtering innocent people who also wanted to settle in Texas. In fact, considering that the author's brother Josiah was scalped and left for dead and his nephew (Josiah's son John) and numerous friends and neighbors were later killed by "natives", it is understandable why the author disliked his "native" neighbors. The author is telling the story from the early settlers perspective because that is what he was and that was all that he knew, and he knew it well because he lived it. A must read for anyone seeking a pioneer's view of the conflicts and hardships suffered by our ancestors.

I read this book about 15 years ago, parts of it made me very sad, reading about the depredations on both sides.
So when I say it at the book store I had to add it to my Texas history collection.
Thanks to my 7th Grade History teacher, it sparked a passion about Texas history.
and yes, I live here. always will, even though I do not like the real hot summers

I was not just the Indians that did things, but the whites also.

Funny how the winner can change things to make them look like the good guy.

This is a Great Book for anyone that loves Texas History.
Think we have it bad now? Read this book.

This book was well worth purchasing - I was researching the history of the town where I was raised, and this book contained some information that I was not able to find elsewhere. In addition to the section I was originally interested in reading, I found myself quickly enthralled by the other stories, and I had a marvelous time reading the entire work!

A collection of first-person recollections of encounters between Texas settlers and Indians. Historic accounts as told to the author of by those who lived at the time.

This is a graphic book, not for youngsters. History is based on facts though, not whitewashed!!