42. "Fight Near Ft. Wallace"; 41. [blank page]; 31. [blank page]; 32. Howling Wolf Fighting Soldier.

Throughout the 19th century, Plains warriors made drawings on ledger books to commemorate scenes of battle and ritual. In this drawing, a fleet of Southern Cheyenne warriors led by Howling Wolf himself pursue a white soldier near Fort Wallace in western Kansas. One of a series of drawings made by Howling Wolf, this scene highlights the volatility of American land ownership in the wake of settler colonialism. Although this battle scene shows the Cheyenne warriors victorious, not all of Howling Wolf’s drawings are so hopeful. Many are dominated by violence, gore, and defeat, presaging the tragic fate of the Cheyenne, who were eventually forced onto reservations by the American government.

The drawing’s visual properties—its flatness, vibrancy of hue, and energetic lines—insinuate an active and expansive landscape, one that is deeply familiar to the artist. The American flag, while traditionally understood as a symbol of national unity, here functions as a physical and metaphorical barricade, separating the white settlers enclosed within Fort Wallace from the Cheyenne people on whose land the fort stands. As if to challenge this nebulous symbol, Howling Wolf’s name glyph hovers like an apparition over his head, snarling at the flag.