The author of the article, Wolves for the Blue 1866-1890, is Arnold Blumberg, was a history professor at Towson state university in Towson, Maryland, for forty years. He authored many historical books and articles. Professor Blumbergwas also the award winner of Towson university president's award in 1995 for distinguished service. His reason for writing this article was to analyze the long history of Indian scouts who fought with the United States Army during the Civil War. In the article, Arnold discusses the hostile relationships between Indian scouts and white troops. The central themes of the article were courage and war. The author's discussions are based on the uprisings erupting after the Civil War. The author praised the courage of the soldiers, fighting the civil war and also combating small wars in their country.
Brigadier General James H. Carlton and Christopher "Kit" Carson led the drive against the navajo and apache Indians, escalating tension in the Southwest. Carlton subdued the Mescalero Apaches and conquered the Navajo resistance using Ute Indians, who acted as scouts and active combats (Blumberg, 2016). Another figure covered in this article is Colonel Philip Regis de Trobriand, the head of the district along the upper Missouri River in Dakota territory. General Philip recruited warriors from three tribes, Arikara, Mandan, and Hidatsa, to fight the Soux. He also contributed to the American-Indian collaboration with General Crook. General Crook was a successful Indian fighter who recruited Indian auxiliaries, even from the tribes he was fighting (Blumberg, 2016). A Pawnee, Rank North, was enlisted in the army to help win the Pawnees' trust. North was a brave and talented war leader, who later joined Major Eugene Carr's expedition against the Cheyenne (Blumberg, 2016). These were significant historical figures remembered for their combat skills.
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Many military needs were experienced during this era. The army needed backup to counter resistance from the Southwest Indians, such as the apaches and navajos. They also required back up to combat uprisings. The military also required training to equip them with fighting techniques and coordination. The military needed equality, to provide the same treatment for every enlisted individual and create a sense of oneness. The Indian scouts enlisted in the army were not treated as equals, and they received lesser benefits than the white troops. The American military had a divided opinion on the effectiveness of the Indian scouts in combat, terming them inferior because they did not portray obedience and unquestionable self-sacrifice. The social climate in the post-Civil War era was hostile towards the citizen and amongst the soldiers themselves. It was characterized by many wars, uprisings, and resistances. There was tension in the military as the Indian scouts and white troops were not in agreement because the whites did not trust that the Indians could fight other Indians.. The soldiers were happy that the war had ended and they were returning home. This article talks about the presiding that occurred post the Civil War. Mostly the article describes the relationship between the Indians and Americans post the Civil War. Various uprisings among Indians were mentioned and how the military enlisted the Indians to try and combat or negotiate through these uprisings. This information is very accurate; it is detailed, providing the years and names of people involved in events. The article is also highly significant, aiming to show the importance of unity between communities. The author uses simple vocabulary, making his narration very clear. In this article, the author completes his purpose of narrating the post-war history experienced by the soldiers.
References
Blumberg, A. (2016). Wolves for the blue 1865-1890. The long history of Indian scouts and auxiliaries who fought with the United States army. History magazine P,17-21.
