Dog Soldier Justice: The Ordeal of Susanna Alderdice in the Kansas Indian War

During times of armed conflict it is the civilian population that is forced to endure the greatest suffering. Noncombatants, simply trying to survive and make a living, oftentimes fall victim to the brutality of war. This is the theme that Jeff Broome pursues in his study of the Indian wars on the Kansas prairie during the 1860s. He is especially interested in relating the horrific captivity of Susanna Alderdice, who was killed by her Cheyenne captors at the Battle of Summit Springs in July 1869. In addition, the author provides graphic details concerning other atrocities perpetrated upon Kansas settlers by roving bands of Indians during the period. The purpose behind these revelations is not to sensationalize the anguish of the victims, but to demonstrate that recent scholarship has diminished or discounted the degree of suffering endured by the settlers in favor of emphasizing the horror and despair experienced by the Indians. In examining the atrocities that occurred on the plains of Kansas during the Indian Wars, Broome culled the seldom used depredation claims filed by settlers victimized by Indian raids. It seems ironic that these pioneers could request compensation from the federal government for the loss of a pig, but could not expect indemnity as a result of sexual assault, the death of a family member, or wounds received during Indian attacks. The author offers further evidence of the government's callousness toward these beleaguered settlers in noting that many claims were denied due to mere technicalities. Broome saves some acrimony for the military, which failed to adequately protect the frontier farmers and only half-heartedly pursued the raiding Indians. He also relates the story of a contract surgeon with the Seventh Cavalry who refused to provide medical treatment to Susanna Alderdice's four-year-old son, wounded and left for dead by the Indian raiders. Although pierced by no less than five arrows and two bullets, miraculously the little boy managed to survive. Dog Soldier Justice is well-researched and enhanced by numerous rare photographs, some of them coming from the descendants of those persecuted pioneers. Readers should be warned, however, that this is not a book for the faint of heart. Broome's revelations of graphic and senseless violence will, nonetheless, resonate with readers inundated with the similar scenes of carnage played out on our nightly news broadcasts. With a world that is today punctuated by war and terrorism, the images conjured up in this narrative seem all too familiar. It is indeed a pity that after all these years we have learned so little. David Dixon
Slippery Rock University