Guest Author - DawnEagle Summers

New Mexico author Dave DeWitt, the founder of Chile Pepper magazine, has turned his hand to historical fiction, and has produced a riveting novel that traces the Apache insurgency in the New Mexico Territory in 1881, called “Avenging Victorio”.

“Avenging Victorio” is an exciting novel that includes historical figures, Apache customs, and New Mexico events, all put together with a flair for action and adventure, and interesting characters. There’s Lew Wallace, the governor of the New Mexico territory who wrote Ben-Hur, General Hatch, for whom the famous chile town in New Mexico is named, Billy the Kid, Geronimo, Cochise, the Apache War Chief Nana, and of course, Victorio.

Included in the book are familiar locations and battles, a glimpse into the past of Santa Fe and its famous Palace of the Governors, and the food that is legendary in this region. Dave DeWitt enthralls us with a tale that is at once fast paced, exciting, and full of interesting historical lore. A thoroughly engrossing tale, that winds around New Mexico like the Apaches who used to roam these lands, and embodies the true spirit of New Mexico culture.

The story follows a leftover band of Apache warriors that includes women, children, and elders; they are all that remain of the Apaches that have escaped reservation life. These warriors fight back against the Ninth Calvary, raiding trains, and wreaking havoc on rail lines, telegraph lines, towns, and anything else they come across, while introducing the Buffalo Soldiers to guerilla warfare. The Ninth Calvary is also followed in this tale, from Santa Fe to Fort Cummings, and everywhere in between, as they try to engage this renegade bunch of Apache warriors. Using Navajos and Apaches as guides, the soldiers attempt to find the Indians, who disappear into thin air, and hide in plain sight. This is a thoroughly engrossing tale that takes the reader on a legendary journey.

The story of the hidden Apache cache of gold and jewels at Victorio’s Peak that has been intriguing treasure hunters for decades, is also included in this fascinating tale.

It is hard to describe all the myriad details that have been intricately woven into this well researched book, there are so many included. For historical value alone, this book is a winner, yet it will intrigue you with its tales, its characters, and its sense of location, pulling you deeper and deeper into its depths, until you find yourself fully absorbed and engrossed in the territorial history of the late 1800’s, never wanting it to end.

I have never enjoyed a historical novel as much as I did this one. It is not at all what you would expect history to be, and is written unlike other history tales, not by the victors, but by all who made the history, no matter which side they were on, are given a voice in this book. This is a true historical account of the Apache Insurgency in New Mexico in 1881.

Author Dave DeWitt will be signing “Avenging Victorio” at the Santa Fe Indian Market, on Saturday 18 August, from 2-3pm, at the book tent in the middle of the Plaza. Published by Rio Grande Books/LPD Press, the book is now available on Amazon.com, and will be available nationwide in bookstores by mid September.