Eggleston ’61 Publishes "The Sioux Wars, 1854-1891"

Mike Eggleston ’61 has published a new book entitled The Sioux Wars, 1854-1891, From the Grattan Fight to Wounded Knee and the Aftermath. This book tells the history of the wars between the whites and the Dakota Native Americans during the second half of the 19th Century. It interrelates activities in the Great Plains with politics in Washington, army headquarters in the field, settlers on the Frontier and the Native Americans. It shows the impact of the many treaties signed: how they were violated and the result of the treaties on the way of life of the whites and Native Americans. The focus of this book is on the military campaigns and battles fought over a forty-year period and how they destroyed the Native American way of life. Famous battles such as Custer’s defeat at the Little Big Horn are covered, but lesser known campaigns such as Red Cloud’s War are also covered, and these had a major effect on treaties and on the people involved.