Furnace Flat: A Western Duo

by Frank Bonham

Fort Haney, a forgotten outpost in eastern Oregon left behind by the regular Army during the War Between the States, is home to Sergeant Forson s Dirty-Shirt Army, a troop of fifty-seven raw recruits in the Oregon Volunteer Cavalry who care little about fighting except among themselves in spite of the fact that they are surrounded by hostile Snake and Cayuse Indians just waiting for opportunities to strike at farmers, ranchers, and stagecoaches. Their commanding officer, Major King, plots strategy by retiring to his quarters, building model ships, and drinking whiskey. One man alone tries to make a difference Sergeant Ward Forson, previously trained in the regular Army. When word comes that the daughter of the commanding officer is on her way by stagecoach, both Major King and Sergeant Forson know that an Indian attack is likely. It is up to Forson to ensure that these undisciplined recruits who have been living almost like animals, will now pull together and meet their adversaries like true soldiers."

500 pages, Library Binding

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

Frank Bonham (February 25, 1914 – 1988) was an author of Westerns and young adult novels. Bonham wrote 48 novels, as well as TV scripts. Bonham was born in Los Angeles. He was a UCLA graduate. Bonham was known for his works for young adults written in the 1960s, with tough, realistic urban settings, including The Nitty Gritty and Durango Street, as well as for his westerns. Several of his works have been published posthumously, many of which were drawn from his pulp magazine stories, originally published between 1941 and 1952. Durango Street was an ALA Notable Book.