User Reviews

**SPOILERS** I'm gonna say right here that whoever wrote up this so-called story should be hauled out, tied to a wagon wheel with fresh rawhide and left in the sun for a couple of days to sober him up. OKAY?? Because if he isn't, consider the following: Dodge City was in the range of the Cheyenne (southern), and the Comanche, and they almost never attacked towns; because they were not STUPID. The Pawnee were way out of the range of Dodge City, and they were, at this time, supposedly under the supervision and protection of the Government.

There are a few things we can actually deduce from basic facts in this show; they should count for something. One big fact was, Mat Dillon carried and used an 1873 Colt single action army (S.A.A.) revolver. Most of the first of these would have taken a while to get into the hands of private citizens. Why don't we just estimate, oh, about 1874 1/2 before Matt could get his, okay? By this time, the Pawnee were living (if one can be callous enough to call it that) in Oklahoma (Indian Territory) reservations. They had been tragically and stupidly ruined in the last Indian on Indian battle at a place called, appropriately "Massacre Canyon". There is a marker, and a small information center manned by wonderful volunteers who can tell you the story; you can purchase an informative book that will tell the disgusting story of how these wonderful people were betrayed and turned out by those they had trusted - US. This tragedy occurred in 1873. It was the Lakota of the Spotted Tail Agency who attacked, and the Pawnee did their best to defend. No one was spared - not even women and children. Both Indian Agents were to blame for letting it happen. What was left of the Pawnee left some of the best farmland in Nebraska and voluntarily walked into exile... to nowhere; BEFORE this drama could have taken place. The worst part is that even as late as "Dances With Wolves" Hollywood continues to heap abuse on a tribe that was peaceful and helpful to settlers and the Army.

Now, I really like Gunsmoke as a television western drama, and when this show aired, Indians were still fair game for fiction writers, so I'll take it into consideration; we still come up on the poor side of history. I liked what Matt had to say about Dabs Greer's character "He needs to have a gun barrel slapped upside his head"; or words to that effect. That was called getting "Buffaloed". This episode is a "6", and that's generous.

"Prairie Happy" was first aired on television July 7, 1956.

(*Marshal Dillon quote*) - "Who told you about the Pawnees being on the warpath?"

Anyway - As the story goes - An embittered old man deliberately incites an armed riot in Dodge City.