Sometimes the historian-biographer is presented with a perplexing situation. He has discovered an intriguing and significant individual to study but, unfortunately, the requisite information for a full length study is either not available or nonexistent. So it seemed when looking at the life of Elias Cornelius Boudinot. He was an excellent subject. A mixed blood Cherokee from a noted Cherokee family, he had a lively and controversial past. Indeed, his activities placed him beyond the realm of Indian history and into the wider context of American western history. Not often does one find a person involved in so many undertakings. Unfortunately, the few writings on Boudinot indicated that at best only certain parts of his life could be viewed in any depth. Happily, I soon concluded that first impressions were deceiving, and thus I commenced this study.Histor
