The Diaries of John Gregory Bourke, Volume 2: July 29, 1876–April 7, 1878

Description

John Gregory Bourke kept a monumental set of diaries as aide-de-camp to Brigadier General George Crook. This second volume (of a projected set of six) opens as Crook prepares for the expedition that would lead to his infamous and devastating Horse Meat March. Although Bourke retains his loyalty to Crook throughout the detailed account, his patience is sorely tried at times. Bourke’s description of the march is balanced by an appendix containing letters and reports by others such as Lt. Walter Schuyler and Surgeon Bennett Clements. The diary continues with the story of the Powder River Expedition, culminating in Bourke’s eyewitness description of Col. Ranald Mackenzie’s destruction of the main Cheyenne camp in what became known as the Dull Knife Fight. Bourke finishes this volume with a retrospective of his service in Tucson, Arizona. Each volume in the series is extensively annotated and contains a biographical appendix on Indians, civilians, and military personnel named in the volume.