Overview

After the 1864 massacre of peaceful Native Americans by Colorado militia at Sand Creek, a large contingent of Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho moved north to join other bands to make raids in retaliation. On July 26th, 1865, Lieutenant Caspar Collins, 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, led a group of twenty-five Kansas soldiers to attempt the relief of a wagon train on the Platte River. He knew he was riding to his death against superior numbers of Native American warriors but he followed orders. With an extra pistol in each boottop, he started forward across the Platte River Bridge. Collins was last seen with both pistols drawn, surrounded by a force of over 1,500 warriors. He and twenty-nine other men perished during a four hour battle. But before that sad day, Caspar Collins had spent nearly three years on the frontier under the command of his father, Lieutenant Colonel William Collins. Both men were keen observers of all they saw and were fascinated by Native American life. They wrote lively letters home, many of which are included in the volume you're about to read. They described battles as well as friendly interactions with Native Americans, death defying marches, frontier army life, and the beautiful country they patrolled. In honor of Lieutenant Collins, a fort was named for him but the army misspelled his first name. When a town was established nearby in 1888, the error was carried over to what is now Casper, Wyoming. Though largely forgotten today, Caspar Collins' story is a compelling piece of the history of westward expansion. Author Agnes Wright Spring (1894-1988) was a writer and journalist, as well as serving as State Historian for Colorado and Wyoming. She authored over five hundred articles and twenty-two books on topics surrounding the history of the West.

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