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The Americans #2
The Scout of Wounded Knee
Half-starved and disillusioned, Everett Ward searches for a new life after four years of war. He drifts down to Texas where he finds work on a cattle ranch. An encounter with Rebecca, the ranch’s Lakota kitchen girl, leaves him enamored, but it also starts a chain of events that spans decades and leaves the couple embroiled in a bitter clash of cultures.
The Scout of Wounded Knee lifts the veil of romance from the western genre, blending historical and fictional characters to paint an uncompromising and compelling picture of post-Civil War America.
Told through the memories of an aged frontier scout, this standalone follow-up to Michael A. McLellan’s In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree, is a story of friendship, love, remorse, and the end of a way of life in the American west.
The Scout of Wounded Knee lifts the veil of romance from the western genre, blending historical and fictional characters to paint an uncompromising and compelling picture of post-Civil War America.
Told through the memories of an aged frontier scout, this standalone follow-up to Michael A. McLellan’s In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree, is a story of friendship, love, remorse, and the end of a way of life in the American west.
380 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 2, 2022
67 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Michael A. McLellan
7 books291 followersMichael A. McLellan is an American author of fiction. To date, Michael has published five novels, including three books in The Americans series: In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree, The Scout of Wounded Knee, and Joe Little and the Indian School.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 8, 2022
Having already enjoyed four of Michael McLellan's books - including 'In The Shadow of the Hanging Tree', which remains one of my favourite novels of the past five years - I knew I was in for a treat the moment I picked this up. What I did not expect was just how good it would be. With excellent characters, great descriptions and more twists and turns than a barrel of spaghetti, this is an absolutely rock-solid Western in the genre's finest tradition, and a must-read for fans of Cormac McCarthy, Larry McMurtry, Charles Portis and the likes. Completely brilliant.
March 11, 2022
”I was startled awake several mornings later by what I first mistook as thunder. I jumped up, jerking my head around blindly in the purple glow of the pre-dawn. The ground shook under my feet and the roar of the thunder continued to grow louder until it was near deafening. It occurred to me then what it was.…
Buffalo.
I tied up my bedroll and packed up the nervous mare as quickly as I could. As I removed her tether from the rock I’d tied it to, the sound hit it’s crescendo and began slowly receding into the west. I mounted the mare and rode in the direction of the sound, pushing the old girl harder than I should have. I came up over a rise, and then another, and there before me was the most exciting sight of my life; the entire prairie below, as far as I could see from east to west and north, was a cloud of rolling dust and the shifting mass of thousands of stampeding buffalo.
I sat atop the mare and watched the herd pass as the sun rose over the eastern horizon. When they were finally gone, the silence left behind was stark and somehow lonely.
The animals’ backtrail of obliterated prairie marched off into the distance almost due east. I followed it for a time, fascinated by the contrast between the undisturbed grass and the buffalos’ path of destruction.”
A few years ago I read a book by a guy named John Williams titled Butcher's Crossing. Williams is a great man of letters who is unknown to most of the reading public, but I was happy to see that the Library of America has recently collected his three brilliant novels together for posterity. Collected Novels: Butcher’s Crossing / Stoner / Augustus There were several points while reading this novel where I thought about Butcher’s Crossing, and the moment quoted above is one of them.
No small comparison.
Take heed my friends.
This novel is told from the perspective of a memoir, and frankly, if McLellan had told me he found its yellowing pages in a steamer trunk in the spiderwebbed, dusty attic of an abandoned Victorian home in California…I’d have believed him.
When Michael asked me to sum up my thoughts about the novel, this is what I wrote to him: This impeccably researched western casts a long shadow over the mythology of the West. The settling of the West was a collision of ideology bound by greed, treachery, and death. McLellan blends real and imaginary characters into a testimonial of what really happened as the West was "won" by some and lost by most. Spanning decades, we see a boy become a man as he tries to understand what is worth fighting for, what is worth dying for, and who is worth trusting. Straddling two cultures, at home in neither, it becomes impossible for him to find peace amongst the turmoil of a nation consumed with Manifest Destiny.
As I was reading the novel, there were several points where I forgot I was reading a novel and really believed I was reading the memoir of some old coot who had managed to survive the “taming” of the West. I used the term impeccably researched, and that's because McLellan not only gets the major historical events right, but he also gets the everyday things like food, clothing, and gear correct. As you worm your way into this novel, you will eventually reach this point where you are…there. It will rub off on you. You will go to bed, and you will smell like horse sweat, woodsmoke, and chicory coffee.
This is one of those cases where fiction is more authentic than “real” history.
We’ve seen American history in recent years being pushed and shoved back and forth between cancel culture and those who wish to whitewash events. In the process, we just keep making what we teach our children less and less interesting (those who care can sense the bullshite). Whites are tired of being blamed for the sins of their ancestors. People of color are tired of being pawns in the political wars of white elitists. We keep kicking the can down the road for our misdeeds, and what would have been easier to make right in the past has now become a stain that has sunk bone deep. By just getting history right, McLellan is unwillingly making a political statement.
The truth will set you free? More like the truth will set your house/teepee/cabin on fire.
Everett Ward survives four years of one of the bloodiest wars ever fought in history. He started work on a Texas cattle ranch and fell in love with a pretty kitchen maid called Rebecca, but her real name was Wačhiwi. Where Everett was color blind, the people who owned Rebecca were not. His attempt to be honorable was seen as foolhardy and naïve. This sets off a decade-long battle between Everett and deep-seated racism, not just with a cattle rancher in Texas, but with the generally accepted views of most white westerners. As he navigates his way through the Indian Wars, the buffalo slaughter, and the ruthlessness of those in power, he meets people like Custer, Wyatt Earp, Pawnee Killer, and Sitting Bull. He inadvertently becomes a small player in the biggest moments of the final days of the settling of the West. He witnesses the numerous moments of treachery in the guise of peace that destroyed the last chances for Native Americans to live with some semblance of honor. Everett gives us the truth of what really happened.
Through all of this, Everett is just trying to get back to Wačhiwi. The world might be on fire, but through the smoke it is love that he is looking for.
I want to thank Michael McLellan for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten and an Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/jeffreykeeten/
Buffalo.
I tied up my bedroll and packed up the nervous mare as quickly as I could. As I removed her tether from the rock I’d tied it to, the sound hit it’s crescendo and began slowly receding into the west. I mounted the mare and rode in the direction of the sound, pushing the old girl harder than I should have. I came up over a rise, and then another, and there before me was the most exciting sight of my life; the entire prairie below, as far as I could see from east to west and north, was a cloud of rolling dust and the shifting mass of thousands of stampeding buffalo.
I sat atop the mare and watched the herd pass as the sun rose over the eastern horizon. When they were finally gone, the silence left behind was stark and somehow lonely.
The animals’ backtrail of obliterated prairie marched off into the distance almost due east. I followed it for a time, fascinated by the contrast between the undisturbed grass and the buffalos’ path of destruction.”
A few years ago I read a book by a guy named John Williams titled Butcher's Crossing. Williams is a great man of letters who is unknown to most of the reading public, but I was happy to see that the Library of America has recently collected his three brilliant novels together for posterity. Collected Novels: Butcher’s Crossing / Stoner / Augustus There were several points while reading this novel where I thought about Butcher’s Crossing, and the moment quoted above is one of them.
No small comparison.
Take heed my friends.
This novel is told from the perspective of a memoir, and frankly, if McLellan had told me he found its yellowing pages in a steamer trunk in the spiderwebbed, dusty attic of an abandoned Victorian home in California…I’d have believed him.
When Michael asked me to sum up my thoughts about the novel, this is what I wrote to him: This impeccably researched western casts a long shadow over the mythology of the West. The settling of the West was a collision of ideology bound by greed, treachery, and death. McLellan blends real and imaginary characters into a testimonial of what really happened as the West was "won" by some and lost by most. Spanning decades, we see a boy become a man as he tries to understand what is worth fighting for, what is worth dying for, and who is worth trusting. Straddling two cultures, at home in neither, it becomes impossible for him to find peace amongst the turmoil of a nation consumed with Manifest Destiny.
As I was reading the novel, there were several points where I forgot I was reading a novel and really believed I was reading the memoir of some old coot who had managed to survive the “taming” of the West. I used the term impeccably researched, and that's because McLellan not only gets the major historical events right, but he also gets the everyday things like food, clothing, and gear correct. As you worm your way into this novel, you will eventually reach this point where you are…there. It will rub off on you. You will go to bed, and you will smell like horse sweat, woodsmoke, and chicory coffee.
This is one of those cases where fiction is more authentic than “real” history.
We’ve seen American history in recent years being pushed and shoved back and forth between cancel culture and those who wish to whitewash events. In the process, we just keep making what we teach our children less and less interesting (those who care can sense the bullshite). Whites are tired of being blamed for the sins of their ancestors. People of color are tired of being pawns in the political wars of white elitists. We keep kicking the can down the road for our misdeeds, and what would have been easier to make right in the past has now become a stain that has sunk bone deep. By just getting history right, McLellan is unwillingly making a political statement.
The truth will set you free? More like the truth will set your house/teepee/cabin on fire.
Everett Ward survives four years of one of the bloodiest wars ever fought in history. He started work on a Texas cattle ranch and fell in love with a pretty kitchen maid called Rebecca, but her real name was Wačhiwi. Where Everett was color blind, the people who owned Rebecca were not. His attempt to be honorable was seen as foolhardy and naïve. This sets off a decade-long battle between Everett and deep-seated racism, not just with a cattle rancher in Texas, but with the generally accepted views of most white westerners. As he navigates his way through the Indian Wars, the buffalo slaughter, and the ruthlessness of those in power, he meets people like Custer, Wyatt Earp, Pawnee Killer, and Sitting Bull. He inadvertently becomes a small player in the biggest moments of the final days of the settling of the West. He witnesses the numerous moments of treachery in the guise of peace that destroyed the last chances for Native Americans to live with some semblance of honor. Everett gives us the truth of what really happened.
Through all of this, Everett is just trying to get back to Wačhiwi. The world might be on fire, but through the smoke it is love that he is looking for.
I want to thank Michael McLellan for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten and an Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/jeffreykeeten/
October 20, 2022
Well done
This is a fine western novel concerning the tragedy of the Sioux, Cheyenne and other plains Indians. Such a story can't be told without a lot of bad things happening and many do happen in this novel. It isn't a 'happy' book but it also isn't completely depressing. This account makes the tragedy seem inevitable and it probably was. Told from the Indian point of view through the eyes of a sometime government scout but not completely one-sided.
Well written except for a curious reluctance to use me instead of I in the proper places.
Currently available via Kindle Unlimited.
This is a fine western novel concerning the tragedy of the Sioux, Cheyenne and other plains Indians. Such a story can't be told without a lot of bad things happening and many do happen in this novel. It isn't a 'happy' book but it also isn't completely depressing. This account makes the tragedy seem inevitable and it probably was. Told from the Indian point of view through the eyes of a sometime government scout but not completely one-sided.
Well written except for a curious reluctance to use me instead of I in the proper places.
Currently available via Kindle Unlimited.
November 22, 2023
This is not the first novel I’ve read by Michael McLellan. ‘The Scout of Wounded Knee’ appears to be part of a series named ‘The Americans’ – all three can be read as standalone pieces, but there are connections. I look forward to the next one already.
There’s little I need to say. I really like this author’s storytelling. There’s a simplicity to his style that works well, short sentences and sometimes brittle descriptions:
‘The ground was as stony as a hanging judge’s stare and it was Texas-summer hot.’
I felt like being on a movie set. There were times I could say, ‘I’ve seen that movie, too’, but such familiarity was comfortable and rewarding.
Again, well done Mr McLellan.
There’s little I need to say. I really like this author’s storytelling. There’s a simplicity to his style that works well, short sentences and sometimes brittle descriptions:
‘The ground was as stony as a hanging judge’s stare and it was Texas-summer hot.’
I felt like being on a movie set. There were times I could say, ‘I’ve seen that movie, too’, but such familiarity was comfortable and rewarding.
Again, well done Mr McLellan.
Read
September 22, 2025The Scout of Wounded Knee is now available in audiobook format on Audible, iTunes, and Amazon. The book is performed by the multi-talented voice artist and actor, Boyd Barrett. Boyd was kind enough to share some of the opening of the book with us, and you can watch him work his magic here:
Scout Audiobook Sample
Scout Audiobook Sample
May 12, 2022
Shredded hearts
When I was 12 years old I spent a lot of time reading western novels. But in time I grew tired of them and never picked up one until recently When
our book group read, all the pretty horses and true grit. They seemed to be a better quality of westerns than those I read in my youth. Then I read the way west, lonesome dove, and the lonesome gods. This book Is also a better quality of western. Yet, I don't seem to be able to compare it to any one of these books. So, I will just toss it into the middle of them.
I was drawing into this book after reading the 1st few pages. It was then that I knew that this man could really write. The story begins with a young man coming home from the civil war just to find that his parents had been killed by some soldiers. He then leaves home and heads out to find work, finding It on a ranch where he sees and falls in love with the kitchen maid, an Indian Woman who is being held captive. All hell breaks loose !
The story is not just about a man saving a woman, But it is more About the relationship between the Indians and the white man Then it ends at wounded knee where the hearts and the lives of the Lakota were torn to shreds.
.
When I was 12 years old I spent a lot of time reading western novels. But in time I grew tired of them and never picked up one until recently When
our book group read, all the pretty horses and true grit. They seemed to be a better quality of westerns than those I read in my youth. Then I read the way west, lonesome dove, and the lonesome gods. This book Is also a better quality of western. Yet, I don't seem to be able to compare it to any one of these books. So, I will just toss it into the middle of them.
I was drawing into this book after reading the 1st few pages. It was then that I knew that this man could really write. The story begins with a young man coming home from the civil war just to find that his parents had been killed by some soldiers. He then leaves home and heads out to find work, finding It on a ranch where he sees and falls in love with the kitchen maid, an Indian Woman who is being held captive. All hell breaks loose !
The story is not just about a man saving a woman, But it is more About the relationship between the Indians and the white man Then it ends at wounded knee where the hearts and the lives of the Lakota were torn to shreds.
.
February 12, 2023
Last year I was introduced into Michael A. McLellan's work reading and thoroughly enjoying the superb In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree. Diving into The Scout of Wounded Knee I wasn't aware that it is a direct sequel to In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree and was curious if it could hold a candle to its predecessors quality. Now I can assure you that yes it can hold a candle and no it is not necessarily required to read In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree beforehand though you might get more out of it if you have.
The Scout of Wounded Knee is told as a memoir from the main character Everett Ward, taking place in North America and starting in the year 1865 during maybe the darkest chapter in American history. At first I was glad about the spoiler that comes with a memoir since you know the main character will survive but on retrospect Everett Ward might have been better off if he didn't live long enough to tell his story.
McLellan's writing style has a raw simplicity to it and it is very matter-of-fact. When I say simplicity I really mean it in the best possible way because McLellan manages it to keep it simple while still sustaining the natural flow and beauty of the language. Many other authors struggle with that.
It was a very emotional ride for me and the tragic story had me in tears a few times. All that horrible white men's treatment of indigenous and black people. But there are sprinkles of heart, kindness and hope to be found aswell. Some tiny flickers of light in the darkness.
It was a heartbreaking yet wonderful experience and I think that there is no need for Micheal A. McLellan to hide behind genre giants like Larry McMurtry or Pete Dexter.
Now I'm curious what the author did in other genres.
The Scout of Wounded Knee is told as a memoir from the main character Everett Ward, taking place in North America and starting in the year 1865 during maybe the darkest chapter in American history. At first I was glad about the spoiler that comes with a memoir since you know the main character will survive but on retrospect Everett Ward might have been better off if he didn't live long enough to tell his story.
McLellan's writing style has a raw simplicity to it and it is very matter-of-fact. When I say simplicity I really mean it in the best possible way because McLellan manages it to keep it simple while still sustaining the natural flow and beauty of the language. Many other authors struggle with that.
It was a very emotional ride for me and the tragic story had me in tears a few times. All that horrible white men's treatment of indigenous and black people. But there are sprinkles of heart, kindness and hope to be found aswell. Some tiny flickers of light in the darkness.
It was a heartbreaking yet wonderful experience and I think that there is no need for Micheal A. McLellan to hide behind genre giants like Larry McMurtry or Pete Dexter.
Now I'm curious what the author did in other genres.
March 13, 2022
I ordered some good quality paper and a pair of fountain pens from the Sears, Roebuck, and it all arrived just yesterday. The paper is nice. This one here is the first sheet.
I didn’t have to get far into the book to find the curious comfort of falling back in time and treading the dusty clapboard walkways. My litmus test of a good novel of the Old West is how soon I can taste the dust, smell the livestock and understand the sensuousness of cool water from a hand pump.
The simple, fine language with attention to detail, rigorous research and an excellent ear for dialog comes together in The Scout of Wounded Knee. If you’re going to write about the Old West, detail, research and dialog top the list of challenges. Staying true to the times, paring back when hyperbole might get the pages turning quicker but will lessen the significance of the history and ever conscious of the reader who may not be a regular reader of Old West fiction. Not many can pull it off. Alan Lemay comes to mind along with Walter Van Tilburg Clark. It’s comforting to know that while the literary world may have lost Lemay and Clark, it has gained Michael A. McLellan.
There is enough room in the book for the serious academic and for the armchair time traveler. The historical significance of the story [expertly plotted by Mr. McLellan] unfolds with all the bitterness and rage of the time. Yet, there is a human story within which weaves a sweet fabric around the raw, distress of the events that you will discover.
McLellan delivers a fresh look and voice to the genre. I’m looking forward to riding along with him in his next book!
I didn’t have to get far into the book to find the curious comfort of falling back in time and treading the dusty clapboard walkways. My litmus test of a good novel of the Old West is how soon I can taste the dust, smell the livestock and understand the sensuousness of cool water from a hand pump.
The simple, fine language with attention to detail, rigorous research and an excellent ear for dialog comes together in The Scout of Wounded Knee. If you’re going to write about the Old West, detail, research and dialog top the list of challenges. Staying true to the times, paring back when hyperbole might get the pages turning quicker but will lessen the significance of the history and ever conscious of the reader who may not be a regular reader of Old West fiction. Not many can pull it off. Alan Lemay comes to mind along with Walter Van Tilburg Clark. It’s comforting to know that while the literary world may have lost Lemay and Clark, it has gained Michael A. McLellan.
There is enough room in the book for the serious academic and for the armchair time traveler. The historical significance of the story [expertly plotted by Mr. McLellan] unfolds with all the bitterness and rage of the time. Yet, there is a human story within which weaves a sweet fabric around the raw, distress of the events that you will discover.
McLellan delivers a fresh look and voice to the genre. I’m looking forward to riding along with him in his next book!
November 7, 2023
great book
This book was so interesting that I had trouble putting it down to do things that needed doing. I have always felt that the Indians were treated so badly. Our country should be ashamed of what they did to them. This author is a great writer and I can’t wait to read the other two books in this series The Americans. Wonderful book.
This book was so interesting that I had trouble putting it down to do things that needed doing. I have always felt that the Indians were treated so badly. Our country should be ashamed of what they did to them. This author is a great writer and I can’t wait to read the other two books in this series The Americans. Wonderful book.
October 30, 2022
The Scout of Wounded Knee is a marvelous book from the first page to the last. Mclellan creates some characters that immediately come alive and dance through the story in vivid ways only a solid writer can create. The love and loss of love stories tug at you constantly. The reveal of friendships that grow page to page are remarkable. But in the background throughout, Mclellan reminds us of what the white man and US government did to our indigenous populations in such horrible ways without ever losing Indian dignity.
I read this book on the heals of reading Rinker Bucks’s The Oregon Trail and the Comanche Kid by James R Daniels. What a wonderful way to spend my time. No saddle soreness!
I read this book on the heals of reading Rinker Bucks’s The Oregon Trail and the Comanche Kid by James R Daniels. What a wonderful way to spend my time. No saddle soreness!
February 28, 2022
Thank you, Michael, for the ARC. An excellent book. Best of luck with it.
June 21, 2023
Wounded Knee
Wow!! A story in line with "I Buried My Heart at Wounded Knee". Heartbreaking but eye opening to say the least. We need more books like this which explains the indifference to the indigenous people of the Americas.
Wow!! A story in line with "I Buried My Heart at Wounded Knee". Heartbreaking but eye opening to say the least. We need more books like this which explains the indifference to the indigenous people of the Americas.
July 26, 2022
Great Work of Historical Fiction
As a history teacher, I can honestly say that Mr. McLellan did an outstanding job reporting on the cultural lives of the Native Americans and the vicious attitudes towards them by the U.S. government.
As a history teacher, I can honestly say that Mr. McLellan did an outstanding job reporting on the cultural lives of the Native Americans and the vicious attitudes towards them by the U.S. government.
March 12, 2025
This was a wonderful story that was beautifully narrated. If someone had played this for me and told me it was the actual memoir of someone who had lived in the West after the Civil War giving his first-hand account of the unfolding drama/tragedy of interactions between the Whites and the Indian nations, I would not have doubted them for a second. While the events drive the plot, the day-to-day is not only captivating but completely convincing in its details (I am amazed how the author could envision life at that time in such detail without actually having been there). And the narration is superb -- the voice both mesmerizing and full of life at the same time. A truly excellent listen all around.
July 21, 2022
man’s inhumanity to man
A must read for everyone!
I’ve read this history before and every time it leaves me terribly sad that we don’t seem to learn from it.
A must read for everyone!
I’ve read this history before and every time it leaves me terribly sad that we don’t seem to learn from it.
Read
July 23, 2022It's a very interesting written book, about the old west! It tells of a things that was done too native Americas ! The taking of their lands, their treatment on reservations, the killing off the bison that was a major food source. The just out right killing of them. They are truly owe a lot for the way they treated and their suffering they gone through all these years. It is very well written. I would recommend it too my friends and others.
May 22, 2022
McLellan has done it again. A historical novel that may very well be more history than fiction. Regardless, the story will make you look at the plight of the Native American community in a way you never have before. I expect I have not bent, rolled, spilled on or dog eared a paperback like I did this one in a very long time. I deliberately read the book at a snail’s pace as McLellan’s books are few and far between and I knew when this one was over it would be sometime before another would be published. Don’t get me wrong, the book is indeed a page-turner and I suppose I could have knocked it out in a few days. But like the last of a bottle of fine wine, one must sip and savor the flavor for as long as one can.
The Scout of Wounded Knee is linked to McLellan’s novel “In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree” and continues the story of the life and times of Henry, a freed slave turned Indian friend and military scout in the mid-1860s. Notwithstanding this, The Scout of Wounded Knee, is a stand-alone story of Evert Ward, a young Confederate soldier finding his way after the Civil War. The book is written in the first person and McLellan made the style change seamless as if he has always written in such a manner.
Other characters from the first book make an appearance, but the story focuses on Evert, Henry, and Standing Elk, a Cheyanne Chief. The three become great friends and risk everything to keep each other safe. My critical eye looks for a few things in a novel, but I am very judgmental regarding the opening line of the first chapter. I smiled with delight when I read McLellan’s opening.
“Wyatt Earp is dead.” it only got better after that. I dare say if you like character-driven stories over plot-driven you will love this book. A few times I found myself shocked at where the story went, but with any great adventure comes the tribulation of hard times. I dare not elaborate as some of the more shocking parts of the story would require spoiler alerts. One involved Henry and an event that took place in a town where he was jailed.
McLellan left a few matters unresolved, (One being what happened in Mexico with Standing Elk and Henry) likely a tale for another day, but for the most part, this book captured the horrible way the Native American people were treated by the US government. That said, it also captured the true character of good and evil people not laying blame at the feet of any particular race but of individuals.
Specifically, McLellan used a young confederate soldier, Evert Ward, as his main character. Evert did not take up arms in the war because of any ideology, but rather because it was a way to make money and he convinced his older brother to join him. As a white confederate, after the war, Evert becomes fast friends with Henry and Standing Elk. A freed slave, and a Cheyanne Chief. Two of the most unlikely friends a white confederate shoulder might make. Throughout the story, McLellan exposes evil people from all walks of life including bounty hunters, military commanders, ranch owners, and even some Indian tribes who were cruel to other Indians. McLellan also shows his readers that good people existed in the very same walks of life and judged others on the content of character and not simply by appearance or race. I found that refreshing given today’s political climate. The story is compelling, eye-opening, and holds the ring of truth as a historical accounting. The characters are real, and McLellan ensures his readers get to know them and develop a kinship with them. I have read all of McLellan’s books and have marveled at his craft and ability to venture into several different genres. I find this book fascinating and expect I will be chatting about it for years to come. Well done, Michael!
The Scout of Wounded Knee is linked to McLellan’s novel “In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree” and continues the story of the life and times of Henry, a freed slave turned Indian friend and military scout in the mid-1860s. Notwithstanding this, The Scout of Wounded Knee, is a stand-alone story of Evert Ward, a young Confederate soldier finding his way after the Civil War. The book is written in the first person and McLellan made the style change seamless as if he has always written in such a manner.
Other characters from the first book make an appearance, but the story focuses on Evert, Henry, and Standing Elk, a Cheyanne Chief. The three become great friends and risk everything to keep each other safe. My critical eye looks for a few things in a novel, but I am very judgmental regarding the opening line of the first chapter. I smiled with delight when I read McLellan’s opening.
“Wyatt Earp is dead.” it only got better after that. I dare say if you like character-driven stories over plot-driven you will love this book. A few times I found myself shocked at where the story went, but with any great adventure comes the tribulation of hard times. I dare not elaborate as some of the more shocking parts of the story would require spoiler alerts. One involved Henry and an event that took place in a town where he was jailed.
McLellan left a few matters unresolved, (One being what happened in Mexico with Standing Elk and Henry) likely a tale for another day, but for the most part, this book captured the horrible way the Native American people were treated by the US government. That said, it also captured the true character of good and evil people not laying blame at the feet of any particular race but of individuals.
Specifically, McLellan used a young confederate soldier, Evert Ward, as his main character. Evert did not take up arms in the war because of any ideology, but rather because it was a way to make money and he convinced his older brother to join him. As a white confederate, after the war, Evert becomes fast friends with Henry and Standing Elk. A freed slave, and a Cheyanne Chief. Two of the most unlikely friends a white confederate shoulder might make. Throughout the story, McLellan exposes evil people from all walks of life including bounty hunters, military commanders, ranch owners, and even some Indian tribes who were cruel to other Indians. McLellan also shows his readers that good people existed in the very same walks of life and judged others on the content of character and not simply by appearance or race. I found that refreshing given today’s political climate. The story is compelling, eye-opening, and holds the ring of truth as a historical accounting. The characters are real, and McLellan ensures his readers get to know them and develop a kinship with them. I have read all of McLellan’s books and have marveled at his craft and ability to venture into several different genres. I find this book fascinating and expect I will be chatting about it for years to come. Well done, Michael!
May 6, 2022
Powerful
Anyone who believes in justice needs to read this and understand the great injustice and genocide that occurred in the United States of America
Anyone who believes in justice needs to read this and understand the great injustice and genocide that occurred in the United States of America
January 9, 2023
I really enjoyed the book , but it left me very sad.
Having spent some time in the lands of The Native Americans , and saw what was left of those once proud and dignified people on the Crow and Cheyenne reservations I visited, the book had to leave me this way.
Having spent some time in the lands of The Native Americans , and saw what was left of those once proud and dignified people on the Crow and Cheyenne reservations I visited, the book had to leave me this way.
April 4, 2022
history of our treatment of the native Americans
A good read. Excellent story teller. Sad story, but very believable. How we can and have been so cruel to our fellow man.
A good read. Excellent story teller. Sad story, but very believable. How we can and have been so cruel to our fellow man.
Read
March 24, 2022A wonderful and accurate of America’s second great sin behind only slavery.
December 25, 2024
Excellent read!
This is the second book I have read by Michael McLellan. This book offers a well told story of Western expansion just after the Civil War through the eyes of the indigenous peoples living on the land. The characters are well developed and the dialogue is well developed. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a good read.
This is the second book I have read by Michael McLellan. This book offers a well told story of Western expansion just after the Civil War through the eyes of the indigenous peoples living on the land. The characters are well developed and the dialogue is well developed. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a good read.
May 19, 2023
Love happened betwen
Good read, good time. Another attempt to show life from another perspective of the native Americans. And to show the empathy towards the Indian from some well meaning whites
Good read, good time. Another attempt to show life from another perspective of the native Americans. And to show the empathy towards the Indian from some well meaning whites
January 1, 2024
The Scout Of Wounded Knee
I liked the story told of his experiences with the Whites and the Native Americans. He personally hit involved with both groups and lived through the dangerous experiences to tell the stories of his survival.
I liked the story told of his experiences with the Whites and the Native Americans. He personally hit involved with both groups and lived through the dangerous experiences to tell the stories of his survival.
March 8, 2024
Very good
This a long story and may or may not be true. It shows the unwanted hatred our government had for native americans
This a long story and may or may not be true. It shows the unwanted hatred our government had for native americans
October 13, 2024
This is an amazing story that weaves fictional characters into real history. Liked it so much that I bought my father-in-law this book in addition to Mr. McLellan's "In The Shadow of the Hanging Tree" since he is an avid fan of western historical fiction.
This book brings back two characters from the first book and introduces the reader to Everett Ward. Everett is the main male character that narrates the story. It begins with Everett telling the reader he's going to write about experiences he witnessed and saw the results of some major events that actually took place between 1865 and 1890 from his memories.
"If America had been twice the size it is, there still would not have been enough."
Sitting Bull
To me, this quote captures exactly how native Americans felt about losing their land to greedy white men. Which is what this book is about. They were lied to, cheated, one of their major natural food sources (buffalo) were annihilated on purpose, they were stolen from, and many were murdered including women and children. This book was difficult to read, but inspired me to research some historical battles that included Red Cloud's war, the Fetterman Massacre, and Wounded Knee.
To summarize, imagine living your life normally until one day, another country's people decides it's going to move to your continent/country/state/city/town/village/parish and inhabit it in their own personal lifestyle without any regard for your traditions. And then force you to practice this same type of existence. Then maybe they decide they don't want you living with them any longer and proceed to take all of the above described actions to force you to move out, starve, or be murdered. Definitely something to think about.
And yes, I do realize there are countries going through this exact same scenario today.
This book brings back two characters from the first book and introduces the reader to Everett Ward. Everett is the main male character that narrates the story. It begins with Everett telling the reader he's going to write about experiences he witnessed and saw the results of some major events that actually took place between 1865 and 1890 from his memories.
"If America had been twice the size it is, there still would not have been enough."
Sitting Bull
To me, this quote captures exactly how native Americans felt about losing their land to greedy white men. Which is what this book is about. They were lied to, cheated, one of their major natural food sources (buffalo) were annihilated on purpose, they were stolen from, and many were murdered including women and children. This book was difficult to read, but inspired me to research some historical battles that included Red Cloud's war, the Fetterman Massacre, and Wounded Knee.
To summarize, imagine living your life normally until one day, another country's people decides it's going to move to your continent/country/state/city/town/village/parish and inhabit it in their own personal lifestyle without any regard for your traditions. And then force you to practice this same type of existence. Then maybe they decide they don't want you living with them any longer and proceed to take all of the above described actions to force you to move out, starve, or be murdered. Definitely something to think about.
And yes, I do realize there are countries going through this exact same scenario today.
February 5, 2025
This is a very well written and well researched historical fiction book about post-civil war America. Everett Ward, the protagonist, fought for the South in the war between the states because they offered $50.00 to enlist. He witnessed horrors committed by both sides in his Civil War experience. After the war, he travelled to the Southwest where the killing continued. Characters familiar with violence continued this pattern as white settlers traveled to the Southwest, the home of many groups of indigenous people. Ward's character is well developed as he falls in love with a Lakota girl and learns about the life and plight of the native population.
The mistreatment of Native Americans is well documented in this volume. There is treachery at every turn. The Natives didn't stand a chance, attempting to hold off an enemy that had superior numbers and superior weaponry. This is a very well written and entertaining account of the downfall of the Southwest. I recommend the book to anyone in search of a good read, particularly if they have an interest in the history of the American Southwest and the demise of Native American Culture.
The mistreatment of Native Americans is well documented in this volume. There is treachery at every turn. The Natives didn't stand a chance, attempting to hold off an enemy that had superior numbers and superior weaponry. This is a very well written and entertaining account of the downfall of the Southwest. I recommend the book to anyone in search of a good read, particularly if they have an interest in the history of the American Southwest and the demise of Native American Culture.
January 14, 2023
It's difficult to give an author a critical review. The title is totally misleading since this book did not have ANYTHING to do with Wounded Knee. I read because of my interest in Wounded Knee and keep waiting and waiting and waiting. Also, the lead character did very little "scouting". He was occasionally employed by the government as a scout, but otherwise he was roaming, mostly, aimlessly.
The history and the story fell flat and I found the book a disappointment.
Apparently, I'm an outlier here since the author received numerous rave reviews. Kudos to him.
The history and the story fell flat and I found the book a disappointment.
Apparently, I'm an outlier here since the author received numerous rave reviews. Kudos to him.
December 1, 2023
This story was like watching a movie. It really gives you insights to the impact of land greed to the native Americans. Also the role the US government played in not keeping treaties and how individuals, tribes and others thought and tried to deal with what went on after the Civil War. Left a real impact on me.
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