Arrow and Saber #1

 OUSHATA MASSACRE

as by G.A. Carrington

Dell, 1989

Fort Reynolds, Colorado 1868. Fresh from West Point, Second Lieutenant Marcus Cavanaugh arrives with a platoon of recruits from the East into territory seething with Indian trouble. Two Eagles and his renegade band of Cheyenne warriors have broken the peace, raiding railroad crews and wagon trains, slaughtering men, women, and children, then disappearing into the hills.

Scouting for Two Eagles’ war party, Cavanaugh at last discovers their winter village, barely escaping with his life to report back to the fort. But nothing in his military training has prepared him for the savagery and danger he encounters as he leads his men against the hostile braves in the bloody battle known as the Oushata Massacre.

Like many first books in a series this one takes its time introducing the various characters that may return in the rest of the series – assuming they survive each book.

The author (in this case Robert Vaughan) takes care creating memorable characters, even though they aren’t that different from those in other books the reader may have read about in other U.S. Army tales.

The story itself isn’t very complicated, is a straightforward and easy read, filled with plenty of soldier verses Indian action.

Cavanaugh unwittingly becomes a hero early on, allowing Vaughan to explore some professional jealousy in the ranks of the army, which leads the commanding officer to desire similar hero recognition, and how this blind ambition nearly leads to the destruction of his complete command.

Entertaining and has me looking forward to reading the next in the series.