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圖書館 | 資料類型 | 書架號 | 子計數 | 书架位置 | 狀態 | 館藏預約 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
正在查詢... Museum | Book | 978.08355 SMITH VIEW | 1 | Stacks | 正在查詢... 未知 | 正在查詢... 不可借閱 |
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摘要
摘要
Capturing military men in contemplation rather than combat, Sherry Smith reveals American army officers' views about the Indians against whom they fought in the last half of the nineteenth century. She demonstrates that these officers--and their wives--did not share a monolithic, negative view of their enemies, but instead often developed a great respect for Indians and their cultures. Some officers even came to question Indian policy, expressed misgivings about their personal involvement in the Indian Wars, and openly sympathized with their foe. The book reviews the period 1848-1890--from the acquisition of the Mexican Cession to the Battle of Wounded Knee--and encompasses the entire trans-Mississippi West. Resting primarily on personal documents drawn from a representative sample of the officer corps at all levels, the study seeks to juxtapose the opinions of high-ranking officers with those of officers of lesser prominence, who were perhaps less inclined to express personal opinions in official reports.No educated segment of American society had more prolonged contact with Indians than did army officers and their wives, yet not until now has such an overview of their attitudes been presented. Smith's work demolishes the stereotype of the Indian-hating officer and broadens our understanding of the role of the army in the American West.
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Smith examines published memoirs, letters, and diaries to discover how US army officers perceived Native Americans in the second half of the 19th century. She chose officers because they left behind the most readily (sometimes, the only) available sources. Her book investigates their perception of Indian life and culture, from family relations to combat tactics and strategy. Smith concludes that racial bigotry dominated the officers' views, but many moderated their prejudices when they got to know a few Native Americans personally. Officers admired those who had adopted the white man's ways (known as the "civilized tribes") and the more militant tribes that resisted white demands, but they frequently disparaged peaceful but primitive tribes like the Pueblos. Many officers resented unscrupulous whites, whose unfair and unjust treatment of Indians often provoked violence. A few questioned the justice of governmental policy toward Native Americans. "As human beings, these men could empathize with the Indians. As military men, they did not question orders." Smith's sources are fresh and her organization is clear and logical. An essential guide to American ethnic, western, and military history. College and university libraries. -E. K. Eckert, St. Bonaventure University
《圖書館雜誌》(Library Journal )書評
Using the diaries and letters of officers of all ranks stationed on the frontier, Smith shows that, like other segments of society, army officers and their wives had varying perceptions of the Indians and their culture depending upon the nature of their contacts with the native tribes. By examining the attitudes of a group that has been largely ignored by other scholars, Smith broadens the discussion of white attitudes towards the Indians and places the frontier army in its social and intellectual context. Thus this well-written revision of the author's doctoral dissertation will be appreciated by specialists and lay readers alike. Essential for collections on the West; strongly recommended for most other public and academic libraries.-- Stephen H. Peters, Northern Michigan Univ. Lib., Marquette (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.