Isaiah Dorman gained notoriety for being the only black man killed at the Little Bighorn, where he served Custer as an interpreter. But he had a very interesting life.
One job in particular stands out. In 1865, he was hired to carry the mail between Fort Rice and Fort Wadsworth—a 360-mile trip. He was paid $100 a month, but he earned it. Dorman walked the entire distance for a two-year period, c

True West March/April 2025
In This Issue:
Western Books & Movies
More In This Issue
- Truth Be Known
- What Has Taught Me: Deb Goodrich
- Earp, Cowboy Songs & Prairie Hygiene
- Trails of the Old West
- The Frontier Characters of South Dakota
- The Bowie Knife
- The Kindled Flame 1835
- King of the Scatterguns
- Selling the Mythic West and the Real West
- A Gut Punch Turns into a Miracle Reprieve
- The Beginnings of the Bird Cage
- Frontier Colossus