One Hundred and Three Fights and Scrimmages

Book excerpt: Reuben F. Bernard (1834-1903) had one of the most remarkable military careers of the nineteenth century, serving three years in the American Civil War between stints against Indian forces in the West. He claimed to have fought in more engagements than any other officer of his day, including campaigns against the Apache, Modoc, and Paiute. Don Russell (1899-1986), a journalist and Western historian, breathes life into Bernard's story, drawing from the general's official and personal correspondence, his diary, and the recollections of retired Indian Wars officers who served with Bernard.