I was especially impressed with the Joan Pennington maps [P. 38 and 39] at the end of Utley’s article “Peace on Paper, War on the Plains.” To incorporate the location of the major tribes west of the Mississippi, along with the major Indian battles fought in this region, plus the location of Indian agencies in the trans-Mississippi West and the religious denominations that governed them, makes these two maps especially valuable. The chronological listing of the relevant treaties and the wars and battles of the late 19th century both above and below the maps only added to their usefulness. Also, the editorial on P. 4, comparing Indian relations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, strengthened the major theme in this issue.

Robert W. Larson
Denver

Top Ten Tops
I read with interest the letters in the December issue objecting to Roger Jay’s “anti-gun” Top Ten list. I have one comment to those objectors—give me a break. I thought this one was nothing more than 10 examples (out of many, I am sure) of poor judgment in the use of guns in the Old West. I am a recent subscriber and love the magazine, especially the Top Ten list in each issue. It has rekindled my interest in Old West history.

Bob Koelling
Naperville, Ill.

Misfire
Atop P. 35 of the December 2008 issue, we show a Smith & Wesson No. 3 “American” revolver, though the caption refers to a Colt Navy. Our apologies.

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