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In Indian Fights, J. W. Vaughn gives detailed accounts of the battles, careful descriptions of the battlefields, and interesting asides on the U.S. Army officers and soldiers serving in the West during and after the Civil War.
Using a metal detector, Vaughn uncovered cartridge cases, bullets, and other debris marking battle situations, allowing him to reconstruct many little-known battles in detail. He analyzed a number of engagements that occurred around Cheyenne Fork, Wyoming, a popular camping place on the old Bozeman Trail, comparing his findings with the mass of conflicting testimonies, government records, newspaper accounts, and other sources covering the battles.
New light is shed on the Fetterman disaster, partly absolving Brevet Lieutenant Colonel William H. Fetterman of the blame many historians have placed on him for disobeying orders. Vaughn also discusses a mostly forgotten engagement near Fort C. F. Smith, battles near Fort Laramie, the Rosebud campaign, and the aftermath of the defeat of General George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
