Henry Inman (July 30, 1837 – November 13, 1899) was an American soldier, frontiersman, and author. He served the military during the Indian campaigns and the American Civil War, having earned distinction for gallantry on the battlefield. He was commissioned lieutenant general during the Indian wars. He settled in Kansas and worked as a journalist and author of short stories and books of the plains and western frontier. He was a friend and associate of Buffalo Bill and served under General Custer.
Early life
Inman was born in New York City on July 30, 1837. His parents were Henry Inman, an artist and president of the National Academy of Design, and Janet Riker (née O'Brien) Inman. His brother, John O'Brien Inman, was also an artist. Henry Inman was educated in public schools in Brooklyn, New York. His father died when he was a child and he was raised by his mother in Hempstead on Long Island for about five years before going away to the Athenian Academy in Rathway, New Jersey. He also received college preparation from tutors.
Frontier
As a young man, Inman traveled west and met Buffalo Bill Cody. He scouted with Cody, fought with him on the frontier, and often rode with him during the parades of Cody's Wild West shows. He also knew many Native American chiefs. He found the skeleton of a Cheyenne person in Ness County, Kansas, that he donated to a museum in Kansas.
Military service
Inman joined the army in 1857 and served during the Indian campaign in the 9th Infantry Regiment in Oregon and California. He served in the 17th Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War beginning in 1861 and was commissioned a second lieutenant by October 1861. He was an aide-de-camp to General George Sykes of the Fifth Corps. In Richmond, he fought in the Seven Days Battles and suffered severe wounds. He was brevetted for gallantry in action. At the end of his service, he was a captain and brevett major.
