Wolves for the Blue Soldiers

In the decades following the Civil War, the principal task facing the United States Army was that of subduing the hostile western Indians and removing them from the path of white settlement. Indian scouts and auxiliaries played a central role in the effort, participating in virtually every campaign. In this comprehensive account of the "wolves" (as scouts were designated in sign language), Thomas W. Dunlay describes how and why they served the army, how they were viewed by the military and their own tribes, and what wider implications their service held.

Thomas W. Dunlay is assistant editor of the Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.