CURRENT LITERATURE.
War-Path and Bivouac. By John F. Finerty. (Unity Building, Chicago.)—Mr. Finerty accompanied the United States Army, when employed against the Sioux in 1876, and again in 1879, in the capacity of a war-correspondent. These gentlemen never have a very easy or safe time of it. But in European warfare it is understood that they aro non-combatants ; when the enemy is an Indian, there is no nice distinction of the kind, The corre- spondent has practically to be a soldier. It is probable that, in his capacity of purveyor of news, he both gains and loses from this fact. He sees more of detail, less of the whole conduct of affairs. However this may be, Mr. Finerty has written a very lively and graphic account of the expeditions quorum pars fait. Ho saw a great deal of marching, was a witness to many alarms, and had a share in some real fighting, quite enough to give him an idea of what it was like. It will be remembered that the campaign of 1876 was distinguished by the disaster that happened to General Custer's command. Mr. Finerty gives various details about this terrible business. As far as the columns to which ho was himself attached, there seems to have been more of hardship than of actual danger. One battle was fought at Rosebud, in which, besides the Friendlies, eight soldiers were killed and twenty-six wounded. Another took place at Slim Buttes. In this, three were killed and twenty-seven wounded. The loss in Custer'a battle was two hundred and seventy killed and fifty-three .wounded, The cam- paign of 1870 was fought on the Canadian border. In this, Sitting Bull had a leading share. Mr. Finerty has an interesting account of the interview which, in company with an officer in the Army, ho had with this chief. An appendix which he adds about the Regular Army of the States is worth reading. The desertions are sur- prisingly numerous. Three thousand in one year, considering the smallness of the force, is a very formidable total,
Previous page
