"You are a brave man. I will honor your memory throughout the seasons of my life. I will sing songs honoring your courage. Your scalp will have a place of honor in my lodge. I am Lakota, I am Bear, and I take your spirit."
Seeing the pistol aimed at his head, Zeke realizes his life is over and mutters "Go ahead, you lousy bastard, shoot! Just make it good, I'd do the same for you!" It is a dying plea meant more for himself than for the warrior.
This historical novel is a fictional portrayal of one long afternoon on a hot Sunday in June of 1876. Motivated by the opposing contradictions of terror and exhilaration, a Lakota warrior and a cavalry sergeant face one another in battle as the Lakota Nation overwhelms and defeats the Seventh United States Cavalry. Taking place alongside a river in Montana Territory, it is a tale of love and devotion, and of growing up and dying.
Using the experiences of a fictional young Lakota man named Bear, this story focuses on the battle from the viewpoint of the Lakota Nation. As a counterpoint, a fictional Seventh cavalry sergeant named Zeke represents the battle's viewpoint as experienced by the army. Following these two men from the initial fighting until the final shot is fired, this story describes the respective movements of the Lakota and the cavalry as they traverse the battlefield. Participating in the death and destruction, only one of them will live to see the sun go down.
Taken by surprise as the cavalry rides down the hill, the Lakota village is forced to defend itself and its ancestral way of life. Escalating into a death-filled afternoon, the battle progresses across the hills and valleys of the Little Bighorn River, and by late evening, these same hills and valleys are desecrated by the deaths of many men. It has been a long and traumatic day for both warrior and soldier, and as the battle nears its conclusion, two survivors, a blood-stained warrior, and a badly wounded soldier, come together face-to-face to determine the final outcome.
Adding historical truth to the fictional account, the names of actual and well-known participants are used throughout the novel. In addition, movements of the opposing forces are described as they actually happened, the battlefield scenarios are taken from contemporary accounts, and the events described take place on authentic topographical features.
This novel is a work of fiction, however, anyone interested in pursuing The Battle of the Little Bighorn in detail will discover a broad range of historical writings, biographies, and enough analyses to satisfy the most fervent reader.
About the Author: Actively pursuing his avocational love of American History for over half a century, Donald R. Tomberlin is particularly interested in the events that affect the ordinary citizen drawn into the event. His focus is on the actions and perceptions that never make history texts, in essence, the viewpoint of the person caught in the middle. Major personalities create, control, and define history, but the common man makes it happen, and using fiction as a medium, it is their stories the author tells. Having published several articles, this is his first novel. Putting his shoes under the bed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he considers the American Southwest his classroom and back yard laboratory.