In a time of myth and legend, Ben Arnold lived among some of the giants of his age. A Civil War veteran and frontier scout, Arnold rode beside and across from the giants of his age—Wild Bill Hickok, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Buffalo Bill, and General Custer. From the wide plains of Montana to the rough camps of the Dakotas, his life traced the raw, unfiltered frontier experience.

In this gripping personal narrative, Arnold recounts the intensity of the frontier wars, including the fateful Battle of the Rosebud, where he fought under General Crook against Crazy Horse’s warriors. His eyewitness story brings the moment alive: bullets whistling across the plains, the bravery of a Sioux fighter who refused to retreat, and the sobering cost of survival on both sides of the conflict.

Originally told in his own plainspoken words and faithfully preserved by Big Byte Books, this remarkable memoir captures not just events, but the spirit of the Old West—its danger, its courage, and its relentless pursuit of freedom. Perfect for readers who crave real stories of endurance, loyalty, and the clash of cultures that defined an untamed America.

Excerpt from Ben Arnold

“When contact was first made and firing began between our Indian scouts and the Sioux, there was one Sioux who seemed to have a charmed life. He skipped back and forth, taking advantage of whatever protection the nature of the ground afforded. When the army had advanced to within firing distance he was still holding his line, and doing effective shooting, too. Naturally he drew the fire of all our skirmishers and fell wounded; even then he sat up and kept pouring in his fire, determined to die selling his life dearly. When the front rank of the advanced line was within easy range, the order rang out, “Halt! Take aim! Fire! and the wounded Indian crumpled up, riddled with bullets. I learned afterwards that he made this personal sacrifice in order to give time for the Indian women and children to get away.”