Red Cloud and the Indian Trader: The Remarkable Friendship of the Sioux Chief and JW Dear in the Last Days of the Frontier

Winner of the 2024 Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Biographies John William Dear was born in 1845 into a close-knit farming family in Northern Virginia. After the Civil War, when he fought as a Confederate soldier with Mosby's Rangers, he went West. For fifteen years, until his premature death, Dear lived a tumultuous life in the West as one of the last fur traders on the Upper Missouri and as the longest serving, government-appointed Indian Trader to Red Cloud's Sioux. But misfortune struck time and again: he was stripped of his lucrative tradership by a corrupt Commissioner of Indian Affairs and a former Governor of Nebraska and he lost his trading business when the President changed the border between Dakota Territory and Nebraska to prevent JW from trading with his Indian clientele. His is an authentic Wild West story, true and tragic. In the summer of 1871 JW met Red Cloud, the powerful leader of the Oglala who at that time was probably the most respected Indian chief in America. For the next twelve years the two men lived alongside each other on the vast Northern Plains. This was one of the most turbulent, violent, and controversial periods in the history of the American West. The end of the Civil War saw tens of thousands of emigrants brave the 2,000-mile journey across Indian territory in search of a better life in California and Oregon. It saw the coming of the trans-continental railroad across Indian land; the wanton slaughter of millions of buffalo the Indians depended upon for survival; the end of the fur trade; the emergence of cattle barons and open range ranching; the discovery of gold in the Black Hills of Dakota; the Great Sioux War of 1876; Custer’s last stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn; and the forcing of the Lakota onto reservations. This book is about two men caught up in these momentous events—Red Cloud, whose life has been well researched, and JW Dear, whose story has never been told. It is a story about the opening-up of the West and the process of nation building, driven by great vision, sacrifice, and human endeavor. But it is also a story of mismanagement, avarice, corruption, bigotry, extreme violence, and injustice. It is a very personal story of how Red Cloud and JW became caught up in these life-changing events, which bound the two men together as they fought for their survival. The book covers twenty-five tumultuous years of American history that includes the Civil War, the abolition of slavery, the opening up of the West, and the forcing of the Lakota onto reservations.

About the Author :
Marilyn Dear Nelson was born in California and moved with her military family to army posts and embassies around the US, South America, and Europe. Her international marketing career took her to Europe, South Africa, Australia, and Hong Kong, where she met her husband, Chris. Marilyn grew up with stories, artifacts, and stereotype images from her great-grandfather's life in the Wild West. When she and Chris retired to London they started to research his extraordinary life and to translate Marilyn's hazy recollections into reality. Chris Nelson was born near London. After university he initially worked in the UK, but most of his career was spent overseas, first in Hong Kong and then in the Middle East, where he was the CEO of multinational corporations. He has always been fascinated by American history and the opening up of the West, and Marilyn's connections provided the perfect project for them to pursue their interests.

Review :
“Red Cloud and the Indian Trader: The Remarkable Friendship of the Sioux Chief and JW Dear in the Last Days of the Frontier should reside in any American history collection as a unique and personal survey of Civil War years and beyond. JW Dear not only fought in the war as a Confederate soldier, but then journeyed West, where he was one of the last fur traders and the longest-serving government-appointed Indian Trader to Red Cloud's Sioux. Beset upon by misfortune and bad circumstances again and again, JW participated in one of the most turbulent periods in American history in the West. His poignant search for a better life amidst the postwar tumult creates a riveting, personal history of the times that is hard to put down and infinitely memorable.” “A huge story woven into the DNA of our country told through the lives of two remarkable men… This book was so informative, but also challenging as it presents brutal times in our US life and history. It is part of our larger conversation about our own national identity.” “One of the best reads I had last year! JW Dear was indeed such a colorful character… A man you want to make a movie about. I’ve learned a lot not only about JW’s life, but also many details about life at Old Red Cloud agency. Great book!”