Fort Meade and the Black Hills

Fort Meade, now a Veterans Administration neuropsychiatric facility near Sturgis, S.D., was built in 1878 during the waning years of unrest between Sioux Indians and invading white settlers. In his overview of the post's colorful past, former newspaperman Lee focuses on the military presence up to 1946, particularly on 19th-century events. Home to the humiliated Seventh Cavalry of the battle at the Little Big Horn, Meade was also the site of the much-publicized 1879 court-martial that ended the career of Maj. Marcus Reno; its troops were engaged in numerous actions of note, including the 1890 battle at Wounded Knee. The book also records run-ins with the local citizenry over boozing, prostitution, even murder. Despite the rich potential of his material Lee gets lost in minutiae and renders only a bland, superficial history. Photos not seen by PW. (Dec.)