William Secrest covers the West well and recalls California Indian genocide

Runs Like Cougar

  One of the best authors with a rich knowledge and historical factual interest in the early settlement of California and the best is or was William Secrest. I could find little information whether this man was still alive and I wanted to recommend one of his many western American history books called " When The Great Spirit Died" as Mr. Secrest vividly elicits how brutal the destruction of the California Indians was in various campaigns by both government and private forces who sought out the lands of many tribes unknown to most Americans. The resistance by the California Indians was heroic but futile against the forces of massive capital who quickly turned California into a state and worked feverishly to remove the indigenous people from their homelands. This book is beautifully detailed with pictures of the various men and areas contested between red and White men and one can sense the value of the land that was often in some of the most pristine weather climates in North America and after the 1840's became hotly  contested as thousands of miners descended into the area for a quick buck from land that did  not belong to them.

  This book covers in detail the clear destruction of the Modocs and the brutality of the Clear lake campaign among others in the golden state much of which is rarely covered in detail in American history books as the displacement of Virginia and New England Indians. This book is chock full of rich photographs of the river towns and small settlements that embarked on the campaign of destruction and it also gives a photo look at how the Native villages appeared at the time as the new medium of photography captured the vision of California during this tumultuous time period.  Everything you wanted to know about California Indian wars is covered briallantly in this book.