Five Years a Dragoon ('49 to '54): And Other Adventures on the Great Plains

By Percival G. Lowe and Percival Green Lowe

Book Overview

Percival G. Lowe spent nearly twenty years traveling the Great Plains, first as a dragoon recruit, then as a master of transportation, and finally as the operator of a freighting company. His recollections cover the period between the Mexican War and the Civil War when the frontier army was concerned with establishing outposts in the vast new territory in the West.

The author's experiences were many and varied. He was one of 270 soldiers assigned to a meeting of sixty thousand Indians near Fort Laramie in August, 1851, arranged by the Indian Office to promote peace among the tribes and between the tribes and the government. He was in charge of securing supplies for building Fort Riley, Kansas, when a cholera epidemic one of the worst in the history of the army broke out. The first job of his freighting company was to transport mining equipment to the Pikes Peak area during the gold rush.

Lowe's accounts, which vividly portray the life of a recruit and a civilian during a stirring period of national development, have often been quoted by historians writing of the mid-nineteenth century. Long out of print and almost unknown (it was published originally in 1906), the book has been issued on this new edition so that it may be read, not merely referred to.

Don Russell's introduction sets the stage for the narrative, including a description of the United States Army between 1848 and 1861. His notes identify the places and persons mentioned and underscore their significance for today's reader. Worth noting is the fact that nearly sixty officers whom Lowe met became generals in either the Union or the Confederate armies.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806110899
• ISBN13: 9780806110899
• Release Date: March 1973
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Length: 388 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Great descriptions of military life in the 1850s and more

Percival Lowe started his western career in the dragoons but after his original enlistment was up he spent quite a few years in the freighting/pack train business, which eventually took a toll on his health. Lowe drops quite a few famous names throughout the book which starts off strong then slows down a bit during the "pack train" years. However, it is an excellent account of just what life was like back then. His army years are a great read and his account of the building of Fort Riley in the middle of a cholera outbreak is quite interesting and something that was new to me. Overall, recommended.

A True Story of the Old West, the way it really was

Percival Lowe was a gentleman, even if he was not an officer, and he was also a good soldier and a great frontiersman. If you want to know what it was like to be a Dragoon on the frontier this is the book. If you are interested in the history of the US Cavalry you need to read this book.

Military life in the "real" old west.

Percival G. Lowe's account of militart life in the pre-CivilWar west is a must read for the military historian, anyone interestedin American frontier history, or anyone who just likes a good read. Lowe's account is most enlightening because it is written from the enlisted troops point of view. Most histories of the day were written by the officers who were better educated and often said little about the enlisted life on the frontier. Lowe's memoir starts with his induction and training in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and his 3 month trip west to his first post. Just the story regarding his travels to his first duty station include canal boats, river boats, mule trains and just plain old foot slogging marches across a raw expanse only recently opened to settlers from the east and Europe. His writting about his troops escort duty on the early Santa Fe trail is also quite informative. The book is written in the style of the 19th century and is a colorful as well as interesting reading. Well worth the price and time involved.