Here You Have My Story

Richard E. Jensen is the editor of several books, including Happy as a Big Sunflower: Adventures in the West, 1876–1880 (available in a Bison Books edition); Voices of the American West, Volume 1: The Indian Interviews of Eli S. Ricker, 1903–1919 (Nebraska 2005); and Voices of the American West, Volume 2: The Settler and Soldier Interviews of Eli S. Ricker, 1903–1919 (Nebraska 2005).

• Introduction1. Indian CountryReminiscences of a Teacher among the Nebraska Indians, 18431885Mrs. Elvira Gaston PlattForty Years among the Indians and on the Eastern Borders of NebraskaRev. Samuel AllisHistory of the Omaha IndiansHenry FontenelleAt Bellevue in the ThirtiesMrs. E. Anderson2. Military Campaigns and Army LifeMy Very First Visit to the Pawnee Village in 1855John M. ThayerThe Pawnee War of 1859John M. ThayerThe Pawnee Indian War, 1859Capt. R. W. HazenThe Massacre at Oak Grove RanchCapt. Edward B. MurphyHistory of the Powder River Indian Expedition of 1865H. E. Palmer3. Overland Freighting on the PlainsAlong the Overland Trail in Nebraska in 1852Gilbert L. ColeFreighting on the PlainsJames GreenOverland Freighting from Nebraska CityDeforest P. RolfeFreighting Across the Plains in 1856, a Personal ExperienceMoses H. Sydenham4. White SettlementPart of the Making of a Great StateJohn A. MacMurphyNebraska in the FiftiesDavid M. JohnsonRecollections of Omaha, 185561C. IrvineReminiscences of Early Days in NebraskaWilliam W. CoxEarly Days at the Salt BasinJohn S. GregoryHistory of the First State CapitolThomas MalloyPersonal Recollections of Early Days in Decatur, NebraskaCapt. S. T. LeamingEarly Days on the Little BlueJ. H. LemmonAdventures on the Plains, 186567Dennis FarrellReminiscences of the Crusade in NebraskaMrs. Harriet W. LeightonNotesBibliographyIndex

"From this chorus of voices emerges a portrait of Nebraska as the land of constant novelty and adventure. . . . The language of these narratives, straightforward yet often elegantly and humorously phrased, is as great a historical resource as their descriptive detail."—Nina Murray, Nebraska Life "[Here You Have My Story] showcases people who exhibit power, integrity, and perseverance—just the sort of folks a state can be proud to claim as pioneers."—Suzzanne Kelley, Kansas History "[Here You Have My Story] provides an important and fascinating entrance to our nation's past. It is genuinely a rewarding read."—J. Justin Castro, Chronicles of Oklahoma "Jensen's selection of historical documents brilliantly captures the world of the nineteenth-century Central Plains as American settlers saw it."—Adam R. Hodge, Great Plains Quarterly