Howard McCarthy

Isaiah Howard McCarthy

This book is a historical novel. It is inspired by the life of Isaiah Dorman. It has to be a historical novel because there is virtually no information about his early life as a slave on the Louisiana plantation where he was believed to have been born. Also, there is only sketchy information on his time spent with the Santee Sioux, and there is only basic information about his years working with the Army. However, all the information about the life of a slave on a cotton and rice plantation during his lifetime has been meticulously researched as has been the life of the Santee Sioux during that time period. The historical events are also factual and well researched. The book is written in three parts: The Slaves, The Sioux, and The Soldiers. The Slave portion deals with Isaiah's life on the plantation until he ran away in his early twenties. This section explores his early years; his relationship with his parents, peers and his attitudes about being a slave. The period with the Santee Sioux explores his life with this tribe and his relationship with the warriors and other members of the tribe. It also tells how he met his wife and about their life together. His time with the Army is detailed up until the time he met his death on June 25, 1876 scouting for General Custer at the battle of the Little Bighorn. The Aftermath deals with what transpired after with the Sioux and African Americans in the years after the battle.