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The Plainsmen #1
Sioux Dawn
No one captures the glory, adventure and drama of the courageous men and women who tamed the America West like award-winning author Terry Johnston. His Plainsmen series brims with colorful characters, fierce battles and compelling historical lore.
The Civil War was over, and a great westward march began. Settlers and soldiers poured out of the East along the Bozeman Trail, cutting deep into sacred Sioux hunting grounds. For Red Cloud and his warriors, there would be no choice but to fight for their ancestral rights.
Seen through the eyes of gruff Sergeant Seamus Donegan, here is the historically accurate tale of a tragic opening to the war between two great civilization: the Fetterman Massacre of 1866.
The Civil War was over, and a great westward march began. Settlers and soldiers poured out of the East along the Bozeman Trail, cutting deep into sacred Sioux hunting grounds. For Red Cloud and his warriors, there would be no choice but to fight for their ancestral rights.
Seen through the eyes of gruff Sergeant Seamus Donegan, here is the historically accurate tale of a tragic opening to the war between two great civilization: the Fetterman Massacre of 1866.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
114 people are currently reading
479 people want to read
About the author
Terry C. Johnston
77 books102 followers Terry C. Johnston was born January 1, 1947 in Arkansas City, Kansas.
Nineteen publishers rejected Johnston's first novel, Carry the Wind, before it was printed in 1982. However, this first novel was to gain the honor of receiving the Western Writers of America Medicine Pipe Bearer's Award for best first fiction. Johnston is known for his eye for historical detail, and he is a stickler for accuracy. He is known for traveling and exploring down known and unknown dusty roads during the hot summer months, and traversing slippery, muddy roads and hiking through snow to stand upon a historical sight that he would tell his readers in an upcoming book. "Parking in the lower lot, I trudged up the hill to reach the spot where Colonel John Gibbon's infantry waited out the last hours before their attack on the unsuspecting camp. Standing there in the icy snowstorm I was totally overwhelmed by the sight of those skeletal cones of lodgepoles standing stark against the low, gray sky . . ." Some of the sites that he would stand upon were known to the world like the Little Big Horn Battlefield and others would be obscure to the average reader like the Weippe Prairie north of Lochsa. He is known to combine "a roaring good tale with fascinating insights into the lives and times of his principal characters, generally managing to employ his extensive knowledge to enhance a story rather than intrude upon it" (Whitehead, 1991). Johnston would say that he considered himself "not a literary writer but a storyteller." His desire was to reach and teach thousands if not millions of readers about the early western frontier.
He accomplished part of this goal, not only through his books, but through discussions given to elementary children, lectures at symposiums, and historical one-week tours "during which you will re-live the grit and blood, the tears and tragedy of the great Indian Wars." He would blend historical fact with human emotion to re-create the past during his historical tours each summer. One presentation he gave to a fourth grade class was about the Plains Indian culture. He held a discussion with a Honors English class in Castle Rock middle school about "research, writing, and editing that goes into producing two historical novels each year, when compared to their "term papers." He gave keynote speeches at seminars and lectures at symposiums. He traveled all around Montana to sign books for fans, and he signed the books at the local Albertson's in each town. He held radio interviews that "took me into cities, talking before audiences, I never would have managed to reach otherwise."
Nineteen publishers rejected Johnston's first novel, Carry the Wind, before it was printed in 1982. However, this first novel was to gain the honor of receiving the Western Writers of America Medicine Pipe Bearer's Award for best first fiction. Johnston is known for his eye for historical detail, and he is a stickler for accuracy. He is known for traveling and exploring down known and unknown dusty roads during the hot summer months, and traversing slippery, muddy roads and hiking through snow to stand upon a historical sight that he would tell his readers in an upcoming book. "Parking in the lower lot, I trudged up the hill to reach the spot where Colonel John Gibbon's infantry waited out the last hours before their attack on the unsuspecting camp. Standing there in the icy snowstorm I was totally overwhelmed by the sight of those skeletal cones of lodgepoles standing stark against the low, gray sky . . ." Some of the sites that he would stand upon were known to the world like the Little Big Horn Battlefield and others would be obscure to the average reader like the Weippe Prairie north of Lochsa. He is known to combine "a roaring good tale with fascinating insights into the lives and times of his principal characters, generally managing to employ his extensive knowledge to enhance a story rather than intrude upon it" (Whitehead, 1991). Johnston would say that he considered himself "not a literary writer but a storyteller." His desire was to reach and teach thousands if not millions of readers about the early western frontier.
He accomplished part of this goal, not only through his books, but through discussions given to elementary children, lectures at symposiums, and historical one-week tours "during which you will re-live the grit and blood, the tears and tragedy of the great Indian Wars." He would blend historical fact with human emotion to re-create the past during his historical tours each summer. One presentation he gave to a fourth grade class was about the Plains Indian culture. He held a discussion with a Honors English class in Castle Rock middle school about "research, writing, and editing that goes into producing two historical novels each year, when compared to their "term papers." He gave keynote speeches at seminars and lectures at symposiums. He traveled all around Montana to sign books for fans, and he signed the books at the local Albertson's in each town. He held radio interviews that "took me into cities, talking before audiences, I never would have managed to reach otherwise."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 18, 2016
If the subject matter interests you then this is reasonably entertaining in a rather facile old Western fashion way. Still baffles me why this historical event, a military engagement between two groups of armed soldiers, is referred to as a massacre when true massacres involving unarmed women and children like Wounded Knee and Sand Creek are not. Rather like our weapons being referred to as nuclear deterrents and theirs as weapons of mass destruction.
July 21, 2017
If you have never heard of The Fetterman Massacre this book will help you understand some of the events leading up to that conflict.
Other reviewers have mentioned this, but calling this a Massacre is misleading. No one here was unarmed. The fight takes place between Army soldiers and Red Clouds best warriors and their Cheyanne and Arapahoe allies. The Army brought Howitzers, but the Indians had numbers and brought 2000 armed and mounted warriors. The 80 or so guys the Army sent in had no chance.
This book only earns two stars from me because I didn't think the character development was done well. I really didn't care about any of these characters (although knowing how things ultimately turned out I pretty much always find myself rooting for the Indians.)
I'm still looking for some Western Fiction that has good character development and are solid novels--this book isn't it.
Other reviewers have mentioned this, but calling this a Massacre is misleading. No one here was unarmed. The fight takes place between Army soldiers and Red Clouds best warriors and their Cheyanne and Arapahoe allies. The Army brought Howitzers, but the Indians had numbers and brought 2000 armed and mounted warriors. The 80 or so guys the Army sent in had no chance.
This book only earns two stars from me because I didn't think the character development was done well. I really didn't care about any of these characters (although knowing how things ultimately turned out I pretty much always find myself rooting for the Indians.)
I'm still looking for some Western Fiction that has good character development and are solid novels--this book isn't it.
September 13, 2010
Easy to read, a page-turner. Combines real history with fictional characters--read his foreword about the book and the series. Found one of his main sources (Indians and Indian Fighters), where some of his historical information comes from. The Indian Wars period is a fascinating (and tragic) period of American History that is generally neglected.
August 10, 2015
Brilliant, just brilliant, from the very first to the very last page.
I loved the very ending and how Carrington bid farewell to Donegan which in its own turn gave us a chance to say goodbye to one of the pivotal characters of this book. I don't know what will happen in the following books but I have a feeling Carrington will not be returning.
The book was very easy to read, the style is wonderful and the storyline was captivating.
I look forward to reading the whole series!
I loved the very ending and how Carrington bid farewell to Donegan which in its own turn gave us a chance to say goodbye to one of the pivotal characters of this book. I don't know what will happen in the following books but I have a feeling Carrington will not be returning.
The book was very easy to read, the style is wonderful and the storyline was captivating.
I look forward to reading the whole series!
September 20, 2025
Purple prose, corny dialogue, sentence fragments galore. If you want to read a fictionalized account of the Fetterman Massacre, pick up Michael Punke's vastly superior "Ridgeline."
January 8, 2022
I read this a long time ago, over twenty years ago. All I can remember is that I couldn't put it down. The cover art actually made me buy the book. I always loved westerns on TV, this novel is very realistic and historically correct. A great read for anyone who like me loves the history of the American West.
October 11, 2024
More than a noble effort to bring The Fetterman Massacre of 1866 to life. However, it left much to be desired. Author deserves plenty of kudos for doing his homework and the breadth of historical novels he's produced is impressive (which I'll probably explore further).
The dialogue amongst the characters (and the three fictional characters he introduced to the story) simply didn't take. Some of the dialogue was just corny, and corny dialogue usually doesn't occur in gunfights.
Anyway, there's a reason I read the entire book, I'm not upset about that. Maybe "Ridgeline" by Michael Punke will be a better, more modern take on the same subject (I did thoroughly enjoy The Revenant).
The dialogue amongst the characters (and the three fictional characters he introduced to the story) simply didn't take. Some of the dialogue was just corny, and corny dialogue usually doesn't occur in gunfights.
Anyway, there's a reason I read the entire book, I'm not upset about that. Maybe "Ridgeline" by Michael Punke will be a better, more modern take on the same subject (I did thoroughly enjoy The Revenant).
January 14, 2024
My interest in this book came from reading a different book that mentioned the Fetterman Massacre. I’d never heard of Fetterman before so my interest was piqued. When I started reading the book I learned I was reading about a real historical event which took place in 1866, the year after the Civil War ended, and the start of the Indian Wars which culminated in Wounded Knee decades later.
Author Terry Johnston knows how to tell a story, and his historical characters become alive in one’s imagination. This is the story about the soldiers of Fort Phil Kearney, an outpost in NE Wyoming along the Bozeman Trail. Johnston strives for historical accuracy in his writing, and his vivid descriptions makes the reader believe he is there seeing it all unfold.
This is the first book in a lengthy series by Johnston about the Indian Wars. This volume held my interest throughout its 400-some pages. I will definitely read the next book in this series and perhaps more after that. Johnston’s writing style appeals to me, even though his detailed descriptions of some of the fauna and flora of the countryside leave me completely bewildered. This detail tells me Johnston knows about what he writes.
If the reader has an interest in this subject matter, he will find it engaging and enlightening. I gave it four stars because of its historical accuracy and its vivid portrayal of life at a remote outpost in Indian Territory in 1866.
Author Terry Johnston knows how to tell a story, and his historical characters become alive in one’s imagination. This is the story about the soldiers of Fort Phil Kearney, an outpost in NE Wyoming along the Bozeman Trail. Johnston strives for historical accuracy in his writing, and his vivid descriptions makes the reader believe he is there seeing it all unfold.
This is the first book in a lengthy series by Johnston about the Indian Wars. This volume held my interest throughout its 400-some pages. I will definitely read the next book in this series and perhaps more after that. Johnston’s writing style appeals to me, even though his detailed descriptions of some of the fauna and flora of the countryside leave me completely bewildered. This detail tells me Johnston knows about what he writes.
If the reader has an interest in this subject matter, he will find it engaging and enlightening. I gave it four stars because of its historical accuracy and its vivid portrayal of life at a remote outpost in Indian Territory in 1866.
September 9, 2015
This is a historical fiction book on the Fetterman Massacre, 1866 up in Montana at the Fort Phil Kearny. I just didn't like the way Johnston writes and the two maps didn't help with any of the details. The basis of the story is interesting and I've never heard of this massacre, not like Wounded Knee or Custer's last stand. Most of the book was working toward the massacre by the Sioux but with a lot of unneeded fluff, plus I couldn't follow him a lot of the time. As I said, the maps didn't help. Won't read any more of his writings.
July 22, 2012
This guy is a very poor writer. This book is full of cliches & bad dialogue. I love reading about this period in history & have read several other books that have t o do w/ the Fetterman massacre & loved them. I'm sorry I also bought the 2nd book in the series. I won't be reading it. Read Larry McMurtry instead.
April 26, 2021
Tells the story of the Battle of the Hundred in the Hands in December 1866, which resumed a long war in the west the year after the Civil War ended. The author makes sure we know from early on how the battle turned out and relies of us knowing that. The story telling and history are great, the characters interesting but not compelling.
March 31, 2013
Terry C. Johnston, the Stephen King of Westerns.
April 18, 2024
Very good book, I love this series, though I don’t really like Westerns. For the most part it is really good, though accuracy can vary, especially when it comes to Crazy Horse and the rest of the Native Americans. I try to pass that off as it being a historical fiction book, but still can be a little frustrating when you are reading and you are mentally or even audibly calling out things he got wrong. (Non spoiler examples: Crazy Horse should not be called Curly in this book, he had been given his actual name before the events of this book, and it is his father, who had the name Crazy Horse before him, that gave him his name, not his Uncle. Crazy Horse also never took scalps or any other trophies, as that was a major portion of his Dream Vision).
To some of the people reviewing, while calling it the Fetterman Fight or The Battle of a Hundred in Hand is more accurate, it is not technically wrong to call it a massacre. While true a massacre is usually used to describe the slaughtering of unarmed or nonresisting people, several of the definitions you can find of the word massacre can be used to describe this battle (Merriam-Webster specifies the word “usually” while other definitions don’t mention unarmed vs armed). 2,000 natives vs 81 soldiers in which all 81 soldiers died (and in which all but one body was left unmutilated) and only a handful of natives killed is very much a massacre, by the broad strokes painted by most definitions.
Despite the historical inaccuracies, this is a great book, definitely worth reading, as is the rest of the series. Absolutely a great start to learning about these events, just make sure to do actual research beyond, since some things are changed for the sake of fantasy and story telling.
To some of the people reviewing, while calling it the Fetterman Fight or The Battle of a Hundred in Hand is more accurate, it is not technically wrong to call it a massacre. While true a massacre is usually used to describe the slaughtering of unarmed or nonresisting people, several of the definitions you can find of the word massacre can be used to describe this battle (Merriam-Webster specifies the word “usually” while other definitions don’t mention unarmed vs armed). 2,000 natives vs 81 soldiers in which all 81 soldiers died (and in which all but one body was left unmutilated) and only a handful of natives killed is very much a massacre, by the broad strokes painted by most definitions.
Despite the historical inaccuracies, this is a great book, definitely worth reading, as is the rest of the series. Absolutely a great start to learning about these events, just make sure to do actual research beyond, since some things are changed for the sake of fantasy and story telling.
October 23, 2017
Sioux Dawn is a retelling of the Fetterman Massacre. From the little research I have done, the broad strokes of the book are pretty historically accurate- at least in regard to the common accepted actions. However, knowing how the book would end did not diminish it, if anything, reading a battle summary before hand helps keep the book exciting.
Positives:
+ Historically accurate.
+ Very interesting plotline. The government continually forcing Natives off of their lands, and then sending soldiers to enforce an agreement before it was even made. An understaffed commander having to fight against enemy assailants, the approaching winter, and internal strife. If you were surrounded, outnumbered, and looking forward to a winter where you might freeze to death, what would you do?
Neutral:
+/- Donegan is the fictional main character thrown into this novel. He comes off as a little over the top- almost John Wayne like; while his brief cameos serve to add depth to the landscape/crisis, the character himself comes off rather irrelevant.
Negatives:
- The writing turned me off. I don't know if stilted is the right adjective, but add to the language a definite meandering flow problem. Another writing issue- the Indians talking in broken English to each other really turned me off.
- Some plot problems exist that are exacerbated by the author jumping around. Apparently Bridger is able to teleport between forts.
Positives:
+ Historically accurate.
+ Very interesting plotline. The government continually forcing Natives off of their lands, and then sending soldiers to enforce an agreement before it was even made. An understaffed commander having to fight against enemy assailants, the approaching winter, and internal strife. If you were surrounded, outnumbered, and looking forward to a winter where you might freeze to death, what would you do?
Neutral:
+/- Donegan is the fictional main character thrown into this novel. He comes off as a little over the top- almost John Wayne like; while his brief cameos serve to add depth to the landscape/crisis, the character himself comes off rather irrelevant.
Negatives:
- The writing turned me off. I don't know if stilted is the right adjective, but add to the language a definite meandering flow problem. Another writing issue- the Indians talking in broken English to each other really turned me off.
- Some plot problems exist that are exacerbated by the author jumping around. Apparently Bridger is able to teleport between forts.
May 22, 2022
I put this book into an array of categories with good intentions: it is true crime, it is historical fiction, and it is a part of the mythology of the West.
Johnston wrote this book in the 1990s, and the language is one clue. There are numerous defamatory epithets for Native Americans, that are undoubtedly true to the language of the army then, but shocking nevertheless.
The overall setting, the terrible cold of the plains, and other such details make this a vivid read, while the characters are a little less developed, especially Crazy Horse (Curly) and Francis Grummond.
I read RIDGELINE a week ago and found it far superior. Both books clarify what my Am Lit book summarized as a small indicator of Sioux rebellion.
Johnston wrote this book in the 1990s, and the language is one clue. There are numerous defamatory epithets for Native Americans, that are undoubtedly true to the language of the army then, but shocking nevertheless.
The overall setting, the terrible cold of the plains, and other such details make this a vivid read, while the characters are a little less developed, especially Crazy Horse (Curly) and Francis Grummond.
I read RIDGELINE a week ago and found it far superior. Both books clarify what my Am Lit book summarized as a small indicator of Sioux rebellion.
March 4, 2019
A Recounting of the Fetterman Massacre in Novel Form
This is Book 1 in the Plainsmen Series. The main character is Seamus Donegan, formerly a Union Cavalry Sergeant, as he advances up the Bozeman Road to the gold fields in Montana. He arrives in time to live through the Fetterman Massacre recounted by the author in sometimes horrifying detail. A great detail of research can be seen in this novel and is well worth reading by anyone interested in this period of history.
This is Book 1 in the Plainsmen Series. The main character is Seamus Donegan, formerly a Union Cavalry Sergeant, as he advances up the Bozeman Road to the gold fields in Montana. He arrives in time to live through the Fetterman Massacre recounted by the author in sometimes horrifying detail. A great detail of research can be seen in this novel and is well worth reading by anyone interested in this period of history.
September 1, 2020
2nd time reading Sioux Dawn. I've read the Plainsman series but it's been over 20 years. Had the honor of having a book signing twice with Terry Johnston, God rest his soul. He was amazing and full of interesting stories. Sioux Dawn is the riveting story of the Fetterman Massacre. Terry definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat in this thrilling tale of true events. Seamus Donegan is one of my all time favorite fictional characters.
December 24, 2025
This is book 1 of the 16-book Plainsmen series and the author definitely has some room for improvement over the course of those books. I found this a bit clunky with haltering character development, a "romance" that came and went in a page or two, and just in general did not really keep me engaged. I am going to read Dee Brown's non-fiction account next so hopefully this will at least provide me some framework for that.
September 13, 2019
Having visited this are recently, I enjoyed the picture drawn by the author. It is difficult weaving fact and fiction and I think Johnston does a good job. I can see a bunch of testosterone induced soldiers fress from war doing this and treating the commanding officer in this manner. If you like Westerns combined with history this novel is for you.
March 20, 2021
evacuated to Kuwait from Al Kut, Iraq.
April 16, 2022
Really entertaining historical fiction. I’m hooked on this series.
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April 21, 2022need Audible ,eye problems can't read ,need to listen?please help?thank you Shirley
July 19, 2024
Surprisingly good for having it picked it up from a thrift store for $3.
February 9, 2013
The book accomplished my objective of educating me about the Sioux massacre of U.S. cavalry and infantry out West, on Dec. 21, 1866. I found parts of the book dry, however, and I didn't care for the thinly disguised essays, such as at the end of the book, where Carrington writes a letter to Seamus and writes in his personal journal. I also didn't care for the "sentences" that are not grammatical sentences, nor did I care for the dialect (it took me a long time to figure out that "sojour" meant "soldier"). On the positive side, Johnston writes highly engaging and dramatic battle scenes, and I admire his commitment to historical accuracy. Interestingly, the one completely fictional character in the book, an Irishman named "Seamus," is the most life-like and interesting character.
July 8, 2012
I find Johnston difficult to read at times, but you get used to his style and it becomes easier.
He is able to add just enough fiction to historical facts to make this an entertaining read even for someone looking for entertainment rather than a history lesson.
The description of the battles are graphic, however, it is part of the story. It was an intense time on the plains as the country was moving west and the Native Americans were being forced off of land they had roamed for generations.
A good start to a series that I plan to complete.
He is able to add just enough fiction to historical facts to make this an entertaining read even for someone looking for entertainment rather than a history lesson.
The description of the battles are graphic, however, it is part of the story. It was an intense time on the plains as the country was moving west and the Native Americans were being forced off of land they had roamed for generations.
A good start to a series that I plan to complete.
September 11, 2014
I'm embarrassed to say that I had never read a western novel before this one. It all started with an Alan Ladd movie on TCM. Johnston had a way of making the white guys be supportable protagonists without demeaning their Indian counterparts. He is, however, a little heavy-handed with the cliches and has an aggravating habit of writing in grammatically fragmented sentences.
May 31, 2015
This book provides an excellent account of a time in American history that I was unfamiliar with. The author did a great job of placing the reader in a time of incredible stress with the foreboding sense of disaster that awaited those who ventured into the heart of Sioux hunting ground. A real page-turner that breathes life into this period of Western expansion.
May 8, 2023
Sioux Dawn
Terry Johnston has become one of my favorite authors of historically based fiction. Johnston has done a terrific job of writing about the indian wars in the west. This book tells the account of the Fetterman massacre. Tragic and bloody.
Terry Johnston has become one of my favorite authors of historically based fiction. Johnston has done a terrific job of writing about the indian wars in the west. This book tells the account of the Fetterman massacre. Tragic and bloody.
September 1, 2016
This is a great series!!!! If you really want historical accuracy for the Plains Wars with great fiction action, then read these books, the fictional characters in the series are some of the best, I put Seamus Donegan , right up there with Mitch Rapp, Gabriel Allon, as far as characters I love.
September 7, 2016
I read this one back a few years ago as you can tell. This book was a surprise to me as the Indians seemed to be portrayed as savages. But that was a first impression now I know that they are being portrayed as a people fighting for their existence.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews