The Big Horn and Yellowstone Expedition in 1876 was successful in scattering the united and victorious Indians of the Custer massacre. Commanded by General George Crook and covering eight hundred miles in ten weeks, the campaign was a hard one on Indians and soldiers alike. Before it ended, many of the cavalrymen were walking-their horses had either died or were killed for food. The Indians had their problems, too. The earlier Rosebud and Custer fights had expended much of their ammunition, their own scorched-earth tactics had destroyed much of their grazing land, and they were pressed so...

"James Cook came west before he reached his teens, and his life encompassed most of the raw material that today comprises our mythology: trail driving, scouting, big-game hunting, Apaches, ranching, drought, desert and cow-country interest. All of these he not only saw but was actively engaged in."--San Francisco Chronicle