Illustrations by means of photos and letters prove the
authentic background to this tale, weaving together the
fates of a few young friends with the move for secession
and the Civil War in America. The FRIENDS OF THE WIGWAM are
settlers near a town called Freeport on the Pecatonica
River, Illinois, who make their way through childish
pastimes, tree climbing, fishing, teasing and rivalry, into
our hearts. The boys and girls discover a hidden wigwam -
constructed shelter - in the river bank and use it as their
den while they chat. War looms and threatens to separate
them for ever.
I enjoyed the portrait of the real people more than the
better known heroes we see, such as Lincoln, and various
generals. The electioneering stunts were definitely
amusing. Reasons for war are presented through the
experiences of the people, most of whom, of course, just
want to get on with their lives. As well as Aaron, Will,
TJ the sharp shooter with his new Sharps rifle, Trick,
Allie, Jenny and young Negro boy Blue, I'm glad we follow a
majestic warhorse called Black Hawk. Horses worked hard and
died in wars and this one horse, saved from a barn fire as
a colt when the entire town was blazing, represents many.
Details of the day move swiftly from battle terrors to an
officer writing with a lap desk, to a young lady being told
to dress well for a ball. The war subject matter means that
the story is not for the tender, but we marvel at the
bravery of those concerned, particularly for me, Allie.
This determined girl transcends the expectations of women
held by her society.
With many strands to follow, it seems to me that John
William Huelskamp has concentrated on writing an accurate
historical portrait rather than a thriller. This author has
researched his Illinois heroes thoroughly and he appears on
televised broadcasts raising awareness of forgotten Civil
War participants.
The cover shows a picture of sabre-wielding Colonel Putnam
and the 93rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry; above this
painting we see photographs of some of the actual people
from the book. These FRIENDS OF THE WIGWAM lived in a
chaotic time and to understand them is to understand this
portion of America's history. Having read accounts which
were more fictionalised I enjoyed seeing into the hearts
and minds of some genuine participants.
FRIENDS OF THE WIGWAM is a historical novel and love story
about six young friends whose innocence is stripped from
them seemingly overnight in the brutal setting of the
American Civil War.
Meticulously researched and based on real-life people and
true events, FRIENDS OF THE WIGWAM spans 1857-1865 and
introduces you to the courageous men and women from Illinois
who staged one of the first contested national conventions,
were responsible for getting Abraham Lincoln elected and
made the ultimate sacrifice during the American Civil War.
From the true story of a young woman who successfully
masqueraded as a man during the Civil War and was buried
with full military honors to the often heart-wrenching
letters home to wives and families and actual military
correspondence between military leaders, author John William
Huelskamp brings to life a volatile nation at war.
Celebrate each friend's successes and struggles on the
battlefields, learn the story of those who led the battles,
and meet a magnificent war-horse that is a steadfast
survivor in the face of many tragedies.
Without at doubt, FRIENDS OF THE WIGWAM is one of the most
moving Civil War novels you will ever read.
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