In Barracks and Wigwam

This issue of the Medal Library series (No. 36) contains In Barracks and Wigwam by William Murray Graydon, a boys' adventure story centered on three young men whose paths converge at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The narrative follows Linn Hilliard, a wealthy banker's son and college football captain; Bruce Cameron, son of an Indian school principal aspiring to West Point; and Deerfoot, an eighteen-year-old Sioux chief's son attending the government Indian school. After a close college football victory, Steve Halsey—a dissolute student—provokes Deerfoot into athletic competitions. Deerfoot defeats Linn in a mile race, and Bruce challenges him to wrestling. The text suggests this athletic confrontation initiates a series of adventures linking the three protagonists. The narrative blends sports narrative with frontier themes common to period boys' literature.