Ten Years With Custer: A 7th Cavalryman's Memoirs edited by Sandy Barnard. SoftCover, 325 pp., Illustrated, Index. Indian Wars memoirs of John Ryan. Companion book to "Campaigning With the Irish Brigade: Pvt. John Ryan, 28th Massachusetts."

Ten Years With Custer; A 7th Cavalryman's Memoirs

Edited by Sandy Barnard

John Ryan's accomplishments are quite impressive. He was a Civil War veteran of the Irish Brigade, a survivor of Custer's Last Stand, a police captain who had worked his way up the ranks, a husband and a father. That is quite a life. John Ryan seemed to have realized that his life encompassed some important times in history, and he set his experiences to paper. Through John Ryan's writings the reader will receive a good perspective into the average soldier's experiences on the Great Plains after the Civil War.

...This book is another in a string of quality books by Sandy Barnard. It is our good fortune that Mr.Barnard located Ryan's memoir, purchased it, and edited and published it for students of the Indian Wars period to enjoy. Many parts of this book have never been published before. This book, like Mr.Barnard's previous works, is also well researched, well written and easy to read. He has consistently found unexplored subjects that provide overlooked and pertinent perspectives to this fascinating time in American History.

...If you are looking for an enlisted man's perspective on the Indian Wars period "Ten Years With Custer" is a good choice. If you are looking for a new insight into the 7th Cavalry, then "Ten years With Custer" is a must.