War Dance at Fort Marion: Plains Indian War Prisoners (review)

Brad D. Lookingbill's War Dance at Fort Marion describes the captivity of seventy-two Native American warriors from the Arapaho, Caddo, Cheyenne, Comanche, and Kiowa tribes, as well as the wife and child of Black Horse (Comanche) and Dick, an African American captive of Lone Wolf (Kiowa) who elected to join the group. Following the Red River War (1874–75), a mixed group of both known raiders and individuals arbitrarily selected was sent from the Indian Territory to St. Augustine, Florida, where they were kept at Fort Marion (the old Spanish Castillo de San Marcos). The effort to remove disruptive elements from the reservation became an effort at rehabilitation; before their captivity ended in 1878, many of the "Florida Boys" received an elementary education, Christian indoctrination, and military training. They became fishermen, sailors, and even entrepreneurs, selling polished sea beans and native craft items to appreciative tourists.

Captain Henry Pratt became not only their jailer but a mentor and advocate as well. When the surviving captives were released in 1878, some were sent for further education to Virginia's Hampton Institute, while others became missionaries. This experiment in Native American assimilation through education led to the establishment of the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, which Pratt ran for a quarter of a century. While the impact of this experience remains controversial to both activists and historians, it was hailed at the time as a model of advancement for Native Americans.

The author chronicles the prisoners' experience in significant detail, making impressive use of a variety of primary and published sources. Lookingbill's emphasis is on the impact of the experience on both the captives and the European Americans they encountered, often described in the words of the participants and observers themselves. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book is the glimpses it gives of the Native Americans' lives after their release. The goal of their indoctrination was to convert them into agents of progress as defined by the United States government. Some became policemen, others teachers and clergymen. Some were successful farmers and businessmen, while others faced a future of degradation and poverty.

War Dance at Fort Marion is both scholarly and readable. While not strictly military in nature, it covers social aspects of the United States Army's relationship with Native Americans that are underappreciated, and will be of interest to specialists in the field. Cultural historians, anthropologists, and those concerned with race relations in Gilded Age America will also find this title useful. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, the general reader looking for a unique and well told story will enjoy this book.