“One of the basic source books of western history … an exciting and authentic account of an officer's experiences on the plains in the Indian Wars of 1864-1865” Kirkus Reviews

Much has been written of the civil war that raged across the eastern seaboard, but much less is known of the conflict and turmoil that arose during these years throughout many more western states.

Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming all suffered great depredations and saw much bloodshed through the years of the civil wars as army regiments clashed with Native American tribes.

Eugene F. Ware, captain of “F” company, Seventh Iowa Cavalry, fought within this area of conflict and provides vivid insight into battles and campaigns that tore through the Midwest.

"The dust, the heat, the frigid cold, can all be felt in his pages. . . . This is a vivid book." New York Herald Tribune

“[He] was a superb reporter. The big country of plains and mountains spreads out in his pages, and he sketches the army and Indian camps in strong colors. There is an abundance of spirited detail ... this rich book should appeal to all western history fans." Chicago Sunday Tribune

"Filled with colorful and exciting incident, as much comic and touching as it is startling and dramatic, [this] is an unforgettable chronicle of the West that has become a legend, written by a man with a vivid imagination and a gifted pen who is at the same time remarkably accurate." Salt Lake City Tribune

"Ware's reminiscence convey a spacious sense of two American epics: offstage, the war between the North and the South, and, under his eyes, the broad stream of migration to the Far West, with wagon trains fifteen miles long passing by-eight or nine hundred teams of oxen a day. His book suggests the grandeur of history, and yet it is an intimate, personal communication — fresh, spirited, and delightful reading." New Yorker

This book is essential reading for anyone interested in finding out more about some of the less well-known areas of conflict during the Civil War period as well as the westward expansion of the United States.

Eugene F. Ware was born in 1841. His family moved to Burlington, Iowa when he was a young boy. He enlisted in an Iowa regiment at the beginning of the Civil War. He entered the regiment a private and at the end of his service in 1867 was a captain. He worked for many years as a lawyer. His book The Indian War of 1864 was first published in 1911, which was also the year in which he passed away.