While the Civil War raged in the east, the Platte River Raids would begin an entirely new battle for the American West. In July of 1864, Northern Plains Indians in Idaho Territory (Wyoming) appeared to be on a warpath to cease all emigrant travel on the Bozeman, Oregon, and Overland Trails by any means. On a signal, hundreds of warriors launched a series of attacks and robberies on unsuspecting emigrants through the winding “Black Hills.” Shots rang out and arrows whizzed as miners, doctors, farmers, families, and war widows rallied their covered wagons together. Some fought to defend their stock and protect their families. Others helped bury the bodies of those who did not survive. Read the eyewitness testimonies of nearly 70 survivors, vetted by living descendants, mapped out, annotated, and presented in one accord for the first time in literary history. Nonfiction Authors Association Awards - Bronze Award Winner The expert author has chronicled a slice of history little known to most historians in such rich detail and to lovers of history of the American West: A sad and brutal account of Indigenous Peoples in encountering the wagon trains headed west through the Platte River valley. She is respectful to all of these early settlers and the Indigenous Peoples. The book is well documented, highly footnoted, and can serve as a reference for historians and descendants alike. [ Emigrant Tales is] An excellent historical account of the westward movement with personal accounts on the trek. The reader gets to travel in time with these brave souls. Through this wonderfully presented story, we feel we are beside these individuals, some of which are famous, as they make history that we will be reading about in this era. We learn that what they endured and overcame is the essence of what this country is about, and these brave souls were a major part of unifying this country after a war that tore this entire nation apart. [This book was] A wonderful read, historically, and for the sheer enjoyment of enjoying a true story. - Nonfiction Book Awards National Indie Excellence Awards (18th Annual) - Finalist Emigrant Tales of the Platte River Raids "embodies the standards of excellence that this award was created to celebrate. We salute your talents and our jurors truly respect each of the final works that are honored this year." The lists of Winners and Finalists are proudly showcased at (click on the 18th Annual Finalists tab). Categories : General History & Western Nonfiction. From WyoHistory, A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society 1864 was a particularly [dangerous] year on the trails. The Civil War drew nearly all the Army's attention and troops to the East, yet emigrants continued flooding west, many of them to escape the war. And the tribes resisted. Emigrant Tales of the Platte River Raids gives background and context for the accounts of nearly 70 diarists who traveled the trails that year. Kylie L. McCormick's excellent Foreword provides extensive historical background to the events chronicled in the book. The curious reader can open the volume to almost any page and find something interesting. Hence, this first-rate work of history need not be read front-to-back. -WyoHistory Marion County Genealogy Society In 1864, the Rousseaus along with the Earps, famous in Pella's history, and other families form MArion County left Iowa for Southern California. The difficulties they endured along tieh other wagon trains of this era are covered in detail in this pioneer tale. The author spent seven years synthesizing letters, diaries and historical accounts to provide us with the details of the trials and tribulations the pioneers of the numerous wagon trains escaping the [effects of the] Civil War encountered in Wyoming. This enourmous amount of work... is worth an award! - Carl Nollen, MCGS Arizona Author's Association Emigrant Tales of the Platte River Raids contains thorough and scrupulous research, and an abundance of proper citations and notes. It is a treasure for anyone interested in this subject, or even the wider subject of the general history of the West . ...You get a feel for being "in the action." ... The actual quotes from historical records give a good feel to the overall book and allow the reader a glimpse into the personalities of the figures, such as the deep animosity of the Howard and Missouri train passengers toward the Browns and others. The dynamics feel right; I liked the details about Fort Laramie soldiers being more interested in general "bedlam" than they are in actually watching out for the emigrants. While the author gives a sympathetic viewpoint to the Native Americans' plight, the personalities of the two sides might be further explored. This is in no way a criticism. ...I'm awed by the amount of research and the stories already contained within. ...To any historian, the book would satisfy their appetite for the Platte River Raids and provide a "go to" resou