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The Plainsmen #3
The Stalkers
No one captures the glory, adventure and drama of the courageous men and women who tamed the American West like award-winning author Terry Johnston. His Plainsmen series brims with colorful characters, fierce battles and compelling historical lore.
Entrenched on a poorly sheltered island, many of Seamus Donegan's crack squad of Army scouts lie dead--and many more are dying. Led by Colonel George Forsyth, fifty seasoned plainsmen had combed the Colorado Territory in search of Cheyenne. Along a fork of the Republican River, these brave men suddenly found themselves outnumbered twenty to one. Now Donegan, his fellow scouts, and his long-lost uncle are trapped--and under attack. As the battle rages, Donegan is stalked by a traitor who seeks revenge for old wrongs. Together the dwindling band awaits a heroic last-minute rescue from the merciless nine-day seige--known today as the Battle of Beecher Island..
Entrenched on a poorly sheltered island, many of Seamus Donegan's crack squad of Army scouts lie dead--and many more are dying. Led by Colonel George Forsyth, fifty seasoned plainsmen had combed the Colorado Territory in search of Cheyenne. Along a fork of the Republican River, these brave men suddenly found themselves outnumbered twenty to one. Now Donegan, his fellow scouts, and his long-lost uncle are trapped--and under attack. As the battle rages, Donegan is stalked by a traitor who seeks revenge for old wrongs. Together the dwindling band awaits a heroic last-minute rescue from the merciless nine-day seige--known today as the Battle of Beecher Island..
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
29 people are currently reading
148 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 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 6, 2023
What an amazing battle and survival story. This is a great one in the series.
June 19, 2020
While the plotline of the story is interesting, the book's negatives outweigh the positive.
What You Should Know Before Reading:
1) The MC is unlikable. Fast tempered, does the wrong thing in every situation, and is extremely hypocritical.
2) The battle-line and tactics vary widely from the account in the Wiki article. While i can understand creative license, the Indian tactics of charging from a singular direction don't make a ton of sense given the terrain.
4) The writing style is abit dated, and in need of an editor. One example is when the main character is drinking in a saloon and has a conversation,the following text is straight off the page with description removed for brevity. Note how in a conversation between two people almost every line ends in their names. That is not how real people speak.
"Ain't much else for a man to do in a hole like Hays, Sharp."
"Damn right, Donegan. Here's to green-up."
"How'd you fare the winter Irishman?"
"You have something on your mind, Sharp?"
"You ready for some honest work, Seamus?"
"...did they, Sharp?"
"The army gave them a year's vacation Sharp."
"Take my word for it Irishman."
"...that's the whiskey talking Irishman.:
"You're right Sharp."
"Besides, Irishman..."
What You Should Know Before Reading:
1) The MC is unlikable. Fast tempered, does the wrong thing in every situation, and is extremely hypocritical.
2) The battle-line and tactics vary widely from the account in the Wiki article. While i can understand creative license, the Indian tactics of charging from a singular direction don't make a ton of sense given the terrain.
4) The writing style is abit dated, and in need of an editor. One example is when the main character is drinking in a saloon and has a conversation,the following text is straight off the page with description removed for brevity. Note how in a conversation between two people almost every line ends in their names. That is not how real people speak.
"Ain't much else for a man to do in a hole like Hays, Sharp."
"Damn right, Donegan. Here's to green-up."
"How'd you fare the winter Irishman?"
"You have something on your mind, Sharp?"
"You ready for some honest work, Seamus?"
"...did they, Sharp?"
"The army gave them a year's vacation Sharp."
"Take my word for it Irishman."
"...that's the whiskey talking Irishman.:
"You're right Sharp."
"Besides, Irishman..."
November 15, 2019
This is a series of historical fiction. 50 frontiersmen led by three cavalrymen set out to fight the Cheyenne. They are cornered on an island in Colorado surrounded by vastly superior numbers. This is a historically accurate work of fiction. The piece is well researched. The frontiersmen hold and the story is good. They survive because they have the seven round Henry rifles and because of pure guts.
January 18, 2020
Good, realistic western based on an actual battle/siege that took place. The author manages to portray the justifications and heroism of both sides without it sounding overly PC or preachy. Interesting take on the Indian wars period. I only take one star off because it was a bit overly-long. While the content and story was good, at times I felt you could've cut fifty pages and still had the same effect. Will look into others in this series.
October 9, 2025
A limit
The description of the Battle of Beechers Island is second to none, there is limit to to what the reader will believe and not.
The description of the conversation what the defenders had between each other during the Battle are believable.
The description of the Battle of Beechers Island is second to none, there is limit to to what the reader will believe and not.
The description of the conversation what the defenders had between each other during the Battle are believable.
July 29, 2016
A good western story not so much cowboys and Indians as soldiers and Indians . Many may not like this series of books as to language, attitudes toward Indians, and promotion of the white man. But this story has the ring of true about brave men on both sides of the conflict. The story of Beecher's Island is one that few people know of and that is a shame. What 53 men did on that spit of sand in the middle of the Republican River in 1868 has to stand along side the Spartans at Thermopylae as to courage in the face of death. If you like Louis L'amour westerns then try out the plainsmen series by Terry C. Johnston I think you will like them especially this one.
July 17, 2014
Seamus Donegan is searching the American West for his uncle in 1868. He hires on with a group of civilian scouts for the army because he is told that his uncle will be in the group. Thus he rides off into this fictional account of the Battle of Beecher's Island. The story portrays the daily struggle for survival by a vastly outnumbered company against a superior force of Indians. A good historical Western.
July 8, 2012
I highly recommend this book for the telling of the Battle of Beecher Island.
You can feel yourself being part of the action as you are pinned down on that sandy island and your supplies are slowly dwindling and then they are gone.
It gives a good account of the defensive tactics used to keep as many soldiers alive as they could.
So far, the best in the Plainsmen Series.
You can feel yourself being part of the action as you are pinned down on that sandy island and your supplies are slowly dwindling and then they are gone.
It gives a good account of the defensive tactics used to keep as many soldiers alive as they could.
So far, the best in the Plainsmen Series.
October 30, 2013
forced myself to at least read the first 100 pages but could go no farther. I am spoiled by Louis L'amour and Zane Grey who write every paragraph to be interesting and a joy to read. this author not so ,in my opinion. No flow to the story ,very choppy..
November 8, 2010
Excellent
Read
July 14, 2017Great historical detail. Constant drama...Great!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews