Beadle's New Dime Novels: Wingenund

About this issue

This 1860s dime novel by Captain Murray follows the young Delaware trail-hunter Wingenund, hero of a previous narrative. After a devastating raid by the Osages destroys his village and kills most of his tribe—including his father and brothers—Wingenund discovers that his sister Forest-Bird has been captured by Mahega, an Osage warrior. Returning from a vision-quest, Wingenund spots the retreating Osage party and pursues them through the night. He infiltrates their camp by crawling past sentries, locates his sister's tent, and communicates with her via a cricket-chirp signal. He reassures her that he will find their escaped brother War-Eagle and Reginald to mount a rescue, though many days may pass before they can act. The narrative emphasizes frontier adventure, indigenous warfare, courage, and familial loyalty amid frontier conflict.