Indian Horrors / Massacres by the Red Men 1895 Northrop

INDIAN HORRORS

OR,

MASSACRES BY THE RED MEN

By

Henry Davenport Northrop, D.D.

Circa 1895

National Publishing Co., Philadelphia

Hard Cover / No DJ * Very Good to Excellent Condition *

600 Pages * 5” x 7-1/2”

Condition: Hardcover book with sturdy, intact spine. Very minor bumping to corners and spine top and bottom. Other than some yellowing due to age, pages are clean ¾ no writing, tears, or folds. No gift inscriptions or names, front or back. Front cover is black canvas over boards. First layer has pictorial etched in lighter gray over the black. On top of that is a second layer of a different aspect of the pictorial in heavy gilt. Same process appears on the spine.  Date line is faded but looks like 1895, which would be in line with dates of other similar copies. Other than that, the condition of this copy appears to be exceptional and far above that of any of the other three or four copies listed anywhere else online.

About the Book: Without even reading the content, one immediately feels the sensationalism and the author’s social commentary on or propagation of the philosophy that “the only Indian is a dead Indian.” The title page is full, top to bottom, with further renditions and/or explanations of the title ¾ as if the author feels compelled to make all of his points quickly so as to grab the curious browser. All of the following appear on the title page BEFORE the author’s name and the name of the printer appear at the bottom of the page:

INDIAN HORRORS

OR,

MASSACRES BY THE RED MEN.

BEING

A THRILLING NARRATIVE OF BLOODY

WARS WITH MERCILESS AND

REVENGEFUL SAVAGES,

INCLUDING

A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE DARING DEEDS AND TRAGIC

DEATH OF THE WORLD-RENOWNED CHIEF,

SITTING BULL,

WITH

STARTLING DESCRIPTIONS OF FANTASTIC GHOST DANCES,

MYSTERIOUS MEDICINE MEN; DESPERATE INDIAN

BRAVES; SCALPING OF HELPLESS SETTLERS;

BURNING THEIR HOMES, ETC., ETC.

THE WHOLE

COMPRISING A FASCINATING HISTORY OF THE

INDIANS FROM THE DISCOVERY OF AMER-

ICA TO THE PRESENT TIME; THEIR

MANNERS, CUSTOMS, MODES OF

WARFARE, LEGENDS, ETC.

Similarly, the cover is very busy, with every corner of space fully utilized: There are two layers of pictorial, the first being gray etched over the black canvas. That is covered by more images of Indians and settlers in gilt and in heavy hand-to-hand conflict. A close look shows that two of the settlers actually have arrows in their heads! The title is in all caps and adorned with flames shooting off of the top of each screamingly-capitalized letter. The author also seemed to have trouble settling in on a title, as the cover reads: “INDIAN HORRORS OR, [sic] MASSACRES BY THE RED MEN,” seemingly two titles in one, but then there is a third title on the spine, “WILD INDIANS AND THEIR DARING DEEDS.”

Photos and etchings appear throughout the book, both embedded in text and full page. Frontispiece is a photo of Sitting Bull, the Sioux Indian Chief.

Fascinatingly interesting, while conveying across time the leanings of one part of society at the time, it has also captured and preserved a wealth of historical data about the Red Man and his encounters with the White Man.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

I – Sitting-Bull and the Ghost Dancers

II – Origin of the American Indians

III – The Mound-Builders ¾ Who they were, and what their relations were to the Indians who succeeded them in America

IV – Early history of the North American Indians ¾ First contact with White Men

V – The Puritans and Indians ¾ Thrilling experiences of the early settlers

VI ¾ Wars of the Colonies with the Indians ¾ The beginning of extermination ¾ Driving away the Red Men

VII – War with the Six Nations ¾ Horrible massacres and tortures

VIII – Hostilities and the frontier ¾ Rescue of captives ¾ Thrilling scenes

IX – Romantic adventures of Daniel Boone ¾ Exploits and hairbreadth escapes ¾ A captivating story

X – Indian captives ¾ How the captives suffered

XI – Thrilling adventures of Indian captives ¾ Exciting story of Alexander Henry and others

XII – The famous war with the Creeks and other hostilities ¾ Bloodthirsty savages and valiant White Men

XIII – The massacre of Wyoming ¾ Inhuman butcheries ¾ A ghastly tale ¾ The celebrated Red Jacket

XIV – The renowned Tecumseh ¾ Black Hawk’s War ¾ The Sioux, Sacs, and Foxes ¾ Sanguinary conflicts

XV – Last dance of the Pottawatomies ¾ Amazing spectacle ¾ Bloody encounter with the Camanches

XVI – The Minnesota Massacre and its horrors ¾ A reign of terror in the Northwest

XVII – General Sully’s War with the Sioux on the Missouri River ¾ Colonel Brown’s exciting campaigns on the Republican River ¾ Other Sioux matters

XVIII – The Fetterman Massacre ¾ War with the Sioux in Wyoming Territory

XIX – Wars with the Cheyennes and Arrapahoes in 1868-69 ¾ General Forsyth’s fight on the Arickaree ¾ Campaigns of General Carr

XX – Battle of the Washita ¾ Custer’s War with the Cheyennes, Arrapahoes, Kiowas and Camanches, 1868-69

XXI – The Modoc War in 1973 ¾ Murder of General Canby and others ¾ Dastardly deeds

XXII - Troubles with the Apaches, Kowas and Camanches in 1874-75 ¾ Atrocities committed upon White settlers

XXIII - Wars with Sitting-Bull in 1876, 1877, 1879, 1880 ¾ The Custer Massacre – Shocking barbarities

XXIV – The war with the Nez Perces ¾ Sanguinary combats ¾ Remarkable speech of Chief Joseph

XXV -The Ute Massacre of 1879 at the White River Agency ¾ Agent Meeker and family killed

XXVI – War of 1890-91 ¾ Bold Cheyenne Braves ¾ Splendid charge against squadrons of Regular Cavalry ¾ An unequal combat ¾ Hostilities predicted

XXVII - The New Indian Messiah ¾ Mysterious Craze among the Red Men ¾ Sitting-Bull watching his opportunity ¾ Alarm at the Indian agencies ¾ The Ghost Dance

XXVIII - Capture of Sitting-Bull ¾ Death of the Great Sioux Chief ¾ The Indians thirst for blood

XXIX - History of Sitting-Bull ¾ Career of the famous Sioux warrior and deadly foe of the Whites

XXX - Battle of Wounded Knee Creek ¾ Desperate valor of the Red Men ¾ Daring attempt to avenge the death of Sitting-Bull

XXXI – Incidents of Wounded Knee Battle ¾ Personal adventures and narrow escapes ¾ Savage cruelty

XXXII – The Indians advance toward Pine Ridge ¾ General Miles disarms them ¾ Closing scenes of the bloody conflict

XXXIII – The Indian problem ¾ What shall be done with the Redskins? ¾ Crimes of the nation

XXXIV ¾ Review of the Indian Conflict