Yellowstone Kelly: The Memoirs of Luther S. Kelly

In the Forward to these memoirs, published in 1926 and reissued many times since, Nelson A. Miles, who had known Kelly for many years, compared his friend to Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, Davy Crockett, and Buffalo Bill Cody. Certainly Luther Kelly had the hunter/trapper savvy of Boone and Carson and the chutzpah of Crockett and Cody, and these memoirs relate his life in the West most entertainingly. Kelly was born in New York, joined the army in 1865, and was stationed in South Dakota. He hunted and trapped the Yellowstone country, and for a while was a dispatch rider between Fort Union and Devil's Lake. He scouted for George A. Forsyth and then for Nelson Miles on many campaigns against the Sioux and the Nez Perce. He led scouting parties through Yellowstone Park, fought the Utes in Colorado, even spent "down" time in Chicago and Washington, DC, before going to Alaska and the Phillipines, adventures that are outside the scope of this book. Milo Quaife edited these memoirs and claims to have made substantial deletions and to "have freely altered the construction of sentences and paragraphs." The end result is a fascinating account, an informative and lively chronicle of not only Kelly's own life, but a wonderful first-hand record of various Indian campaigns and adventures in the wilds. Interesting and enjoyable.

"Yellowstone Kelly" is an autobiographical account of the life of a trapper and scout in the Dakota and Montana territory in the 25 years after the Civil War. It is well written (with the help of M. M. Quaife) and is easily read. For those who live in the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, and, to a lesser extent, Colorado, this book might be more appealing. It offers a glimpse at life in this area over 100 years ago and many a name or landmark little known to others will catch your attention. For example, as one who lives in NW North Dakota, I found it interesting to discover who Red Mike was (there's a golf course nearby with that name). For people who enjoy hunting, there are many pages of the hunting excursions that Kelly frequently took in the area. For people who enjoy the history of the American West, there are accounts of some of the lesser battles in the area's history. The book, copyrighted in 1926, is the recollections of Kelly at a time when there were not many of his type still around. I would have liked to have read more about his later life but I got the impression that he stopped his tale at the point when civiliztion finally took control. I guessed that a man like him would have eventually gone to Alaska and, wouldn't you know, that was one of the few things he said about his later life. Of the many interesting chapters, the one that might impress the general reader the most is his account of a trip to the Yellowstone Park in the late 1870's. Amidst his tale of the grandeur of the area, we also read about an encounter with hostile Indians. This was not the sort of travel log we're used to reading these days. The only fault that the book seems to have is its' brevity. However, what it does cover is worth the little time it takes to read it.

I am going to buy this book as my direct relative, William Frederick Schmalsle, was with Yellowstone Kelly. Schmalsle was an Indian Guide, Scout, Guide, and Courier for Lieutenant Baldwin and General Miles. All were involved in the Red River Wars and the rescue of the Germaine (German) sisters.