Dickson and Forsyth

This chapter talks about the meeting of two former enemies—Robert Dickson and Thomas Forsyth—in Saint Louis after the war had ended. During a cordial evening, the two talked over their exploits during the war. Dickson was one of the most colorful figures on the frontier; the Indians idolized him. He was a large man of commanding appearance, with a ruddy complexion and blazing red hair, for which the Indians gave him the name “The Red Head.” Meanwhile, Forsyth's ambiguous citizenship enabled him to live safely among the Indians by posing as an Englishman, but some Americans on the frontier distrusted him as a British subject. The outbreak of war brought Dickson and Forsyth into the service of their respective countries, and thus into conflict with each other.