Hancock's War: Conflict on the Southern Plains: 28 (Frontier Military Series) - Softcover

William Y. Chalfant (author)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0806144599 ISBN 13: 9780806144597

Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press, 2014

Synopsis

When General Winfield Scott Hancock led a military expedition across Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska in 1867, his purpose was a show of force that would curtail Indian raiding sparked by the Sand Creek massacre of 1864. But the havoc he and his troops wrought on the plains served only to further incite the tribes and inflame passions on both sides, disrupting U.S.-Indian relations for more than a decade.William Y. Chalfant has devoted years of research to produce a detailed narrative covering the entire scope of Hancock’s “Expedition for the Plains.” This first thorough scholarly history of the ill-conceived expedition offers an unequivocal evaluation of military strategies and a culturally sensitive interpretation of Indian motivations and reactions.Chalfant explores the vastly different ways of life that separated the Cheyennes and U.S. policymakers, and argues that neither side was willing or able to understand the needs of the other. He shows how Hancock’s efforts were counterproductive, brought untold misery to Indians and whites alike, and led to the wars of 1868.One of the most significant Indian campaigns in American history, Hancock’s War is in many ways a microcosm of all the wars between Indians and whites on the high plains. Chalfant’s sweeping narrative forms the definitive history of a questionable enterprise.

About this title

Review:

"Outstanding. . . . Highly recommended for anyone seriously interested in white-Indian relations, the frontier Army, the Indian wars of the post-Civil War era, and the career of Winfield Scott Hancock."--On Point

"An important contribution to the history of the Indian Wars."--Western Historical Quarterly

About the Author:

William Y. Chalfant, a practicing attorney and a director of the Kansas Historical Society, is an avid student of western American history.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0806144599
• ISBN 13: 9780806144597
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 548