... Carrington's account is a second hand. She did not see the actual battle, but her minute by minute account is enough to get a clear picture of how the battle unfolded. Carrington's book fails to engage significant research. Most of her descriptions are from her point of view, and is exactly as it should be. Extensive research on the events was not the intent of Carrington. Such treatment of the material would take away from the human side of the story. Her accounts are as important in a historical context as the military review of the events. Although she did not delve deeply into the facts, she did see to it that the military investigation of the massacre be included in an appendix. While the book could have stood on its own, the appendix helps the reader understand the events leading to the massacre. We tend to take for granted the history of the west. Most view the west with romanticism. This could be the furthest thing from the truth. The author's experience has helped me appreciate the conditions in the west. Carrington's extremely useful portrait of Colonel Fetterman and the events has added to our understanding nineteenth century conditions in the west. Her work is historically valuable. Moreover, her care to place the Fort Kearny experience in a domestic context has enriched the story. Bibliography Carrington, Margaret. Absaraka: Home of the Crow University of Nebraska Press, 1989 Lincoln and London
