Assistant Army Surgeon Dr. Valentine McGillycuddy, nearing end of horse-meat march to the Black Hills. (Courtesy Little Bighorn Battlefield Nanonal Monument)
Posed photo of soldier shooting played-out cavalry horse in march south from Slim Buttes. (Courtesy Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.)
Miniconjou chief “American Horse” and wife. (Courtesy South Dakota Historical Society.)
Buckskin lodge captured at Slim Buttes (note Keogh’s I Company guidon recaptured). (Courtesy Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.)
LAST STAND
Pushing the Sharps lever down, Donegan ejected the empty cartridge, then replanted a live round in the breech. “Seems those warriors dogging our tails was just a little too anxious to close the trap, don’t it?”
“Lucky us,” grumbled Finerty as he crabbed up to join the three, whining lead following the white men into the timber.
Grouard rolled on his back and found Sibley, then instructed, “Lieutenant, tell your boys not to fire a shot until they got a good target.”
“These men have fought before,” Sibley snapped.
“Just remind ’em!” Donegan added. “We’re going to need every last bullet we have before this day’s done.”
Nodding, a grim Sibley responded, “All right.”
“And … Lieutenant,” Seamus said, causing the officer to halt in a crouch, “tell your men it’s a good idea to keep one last round in their pistols for themselves.”
BOOKS BY TERRY C. JOHNSTON
Cry of the Hawk
Winter Rain
Dream Catcher
Carry the Wind
Borderlords
One-Eyed Dream
Dance on the Wind
Buffalo Palace
Crack in the Sky
Ride the Moon Down
Death Rattle
SON OF THE PLAINS NOVELS
Long Winter Gone
Seize the Sky
Whisper of the Wolf
THE PLAINSMEN NOVELS
Sioux Dawn
Red Cloud’s Revenge
The Stalkers
Black Sun
Devil’s Backbone
Shadow Riders
Dying Thunder
Blood Song
Reap the Whirlwind
Trumpet on the Land
A Cold Day in Hell
Wolf Mountain Moon
Ashes of Heaven
Cries from the Earth
Lay the Mountains Low
for all the miles and memories
we have shared together,
this hook is affectionately
dedicated to my
Canadian saddle partner,
BRIAN TAYLOR
Cast
of
Characters
Seamus Donegan Samantha Donegan
Army Scouts
Frank Grouard (“The Grabber,” Yugata)
Louis (Louie) Richaud (Reshaw)
Baptiste Pourier (“Big Bat,” Left Hand)
William F. Cody
*Charles / James / Jonathan White (“Buffalo Chips Charlie”)
Tait / Tate
Baptiste Garnier (“Little Bat”)
John Wallace “Captain Jack” Crawford (“The Poet Scout”)
“Buckskin Jack” Russell
“Texas Jack” Omohundro
Military
Lieutenant General Philip H. Sheridan—Commander, Division of the Missouri (Chicago)
Brigadier General George C. Crook—commanding Department of the Platte (HQ—Omaha, Nebraska)
General Alfred H. Terry—commanding Department of the Dakota
Colonel Wesley Merritt—Commanding Officer, Fifth Cavalry (Brevet MAJOR GENERAL)
Colonel Nelson A. Miles—Commanding Officer, Fifth In-fantry
Lieutenant Colonel William B. Royall—Commanding Officer, Third Cavalry (Brevet COLONEL)
Lieutenant Colonel Eugene A. Carr—Fifth Cavalry (Brevet MAJOR GENERAL)
Lieutenant Colonel James W. “Sandy” Forsyth—headquarters staff, Division of the Missouri
Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Nelson Garland Whistler—Fifth Infantry
Major Edwin F. Townsend—Post Commander, Fort Laramie (Brevet COLONEL)
Major Alexander Chambers—Commanding Officer, Fourth Infantry (Brevet COLONEL)
Major Andrew W. Evans—Second in Command, Third Cavalry (Brevet COLONEL) Battalion Commander
Major John J. Upham—Fifth Cavalry, Battalion Commander
Captain Julius W. Mason—K Troop, Fifth Cavalry (Brevet LIEUTENANT COLONEL) Battalion Commander
Captain William H. Jordan—Ninth Infantry, Commanding Officer, Camp Robinson (Brevet MAJOR)
Captain James “Teddy” Egan—K. Troop, Second Cavalry
Captain Emil Adams—C Troop, Fifth Cavalry
Captain Thomas B. Weir—Seventh Cavalry
Captain Edward W. Smith—adjutant to General Alfred Terry
Captain Thaddeus H. Stanton—Paymaster, Department of the Platte, Commander of Volunteers (Brevet MAJOR)
Captain Samuel Munson—C Company, Ninth Infantry
Captain Andrew S. Burt—H Company, Ninth Infantry (Brevet MAJOR)
Captain Gerhard L. Luhn—F Company, Fourth Infantry
Captain Daniel W. Burke—C Company, Fourteenth Infantry
Captain William H. Andrews—I Troop, Third Cavalry
Captain John V. Furey—Expedition Quartermaster, commanding wagon/supply train
Captain Henry E. Noyes—I Troop, Second Cavalry (Brevet MAJOR) Battalion Commander
Captain George M. (“Black Jack”) Randall—Chief of Scouts, Twenty-third Infantry (Brevet MAJOR)
Captain William H. Powell—G Company, Fourth Infantry Captain Anson Mills—M Troop, Third Cavalry (Brevet COLONEL)
Captain Frederick Van Vliet—C Troop, Third Cavalry (Brevet MAJOR)
Captain Alexander Sutorius—E. Troop, Third Cavalry
Captain Peter D. Vroom—L Troop, Third Cavalry
Captain Elijah R. Wells—E. Troop, Second Cavalry
Captain Samuel S. Sumner—D Troop, Fifth Cavalry (Brevet MAJOR)
Captain Robert H. Montgomery—B. Troop, Fifth Cavalry
Captain Sanford C. Kellogg—I Troop, Fifth Cavalry (Brevet LIEUTENANT COLONEL)
Captain George F. Price—E. Troop, Fifth Cavalry Captain Edward M. Hayes—G Troop, Fifth Cavalry
Captain J. Scott Payne—F Troop, Fifth Cavalry
Captain H. J. Nowlan—Seventh Cavalry, acting assistant quartermaster to the Dakota Column
Lieutenant John G. Bourke—aide-de-camp to General Crook
Lieutenant Henry R. Lemly—Regimental Adjutant to Colonel Royall