A colorful chronicle of the American West, this book brings to life General John Gibbon's experiences on the western frontier - as he first encountered it in 1860, and as he campaigned and scouted through the West during the 1870s. Gibbon was an uncommonly observant and articulate officer in the Regular Army, and his journal is a thoughtful record of the lives of the Indians, soldiers, and settlers who uneasily shared the vast western wilderness.

Above all, Gibbon recounts in detail the realities of army life and Indian warfare. He saw no gallant cavalry charges in the Sioux Campaign of 1876, only footsore infantrymen marching in search of Indian warriors who always managed to outdistance their pursuers. An avid sportsman and explorer, Gibbon also recounts hunting and fishing trips in the wilderness and a visit to the newly created Yellowstone Park.

Taken as a whole, Gibbon's journal and narratives offer a fascinating glimpse of life on the American frontier.