Under Fire by Captain Charles King

No writer is better than Charles King—at the point when this novel was published a captain, but eventually a general—at bringing the reader more vividly and realistically into the life of a U. S. Army soldier during the wars with the plains Indians of the American West. Because of his personal experience of those wars, he not only gets the historical details correct, but also the settings, moods, and day-to-day life, including the personal, romantic, and family life of the soldiers living on those far-flung military posts along the western frontier.

As with In Spite of Foes, published six years later, Under Fire tells the story of a cavalryman belittled, defamed, and ultimately accused of cowardice and incompetence. In this case the problem starts because of his strong Christian faith—his father was a parson and he is quickly given the nickname “Parson’s son”—which was unusual in the U. S. Army of the time and caused his fellow soldiers to suspect that he might be too mild and forgiving to be a fighting man. But those who serve alongside him in the various crises described, learn that he is every bit a fighting man and an excellent soldier.

This digital version of the book includes the five illustrations by C. B. Cox which appeared in the original.