The Drummer

Daniel Shay is a former Army Sergeant Major who is now a traveling salesman, or "drummer," attempting to sell rat traps. He arrives in Dodge City and pays a visit to Kitty Russell at the Long Branch Saloon in the hopes of making a sale.

While Shay is trying to talk Kitty into buying his traps, a young boy with long hair and American Indian paint on his face attempts to steal Shay's horse. The boy does not get far. When Shay confronts him, the boy unsuccessfully attempts to stab the drummer. Curiously, Shay does nothing to stop the boy. Fortunately, Matt Dillon intervenes and prevents tragedy.

It is soon revealed the boy is named Jimmy Morgan. Jimmy and his mother Sarah Morgan recently moved into the Dodge area. Sarah is a widow, and her deceased husband -- Jimmy's father -- was a Cheyenne brave killed at the Rock Creek Massacre several years earlier where the Army soldiers slaughtered women, children, and even babies. Jimmy suffered a permanent foot injury in the massacre.

(The incident described in this story is based on the infamous Sand Creek Massacre that took place in Colorado in 1864 during the American Indian Wars when the U. S. Army attacked a Cheyenne and Arapaho village. It is estimated that 70 to 500 Native American people were either killed or mutilated, and two-thirds of the injured and dead were women and children.)

Coincidentally, Shay was the commanding officer at the massacre. The incident has haunted him since. Shay takes an interest in Jimmy and Sarah, but when Sarah finds out about Shay's past, she wants nothing to do with him.

Victor French, who is the Daniel Shay character in this story, is certainly no stranger to Gunsmoke fans. He appeared in eighteen episodes of the series. It is said French grew tired of playing heavies and sought more nuanced roles as his career advanced. This performance fits that criterion, and it is one of French's best.

Irish actress Fionnula Flanagan makes her only Gunsmoke appearance as the strong, spunky Sarah Morgan character. Child actor Brandon Cruz plays Jimmy Morgan. This episode was filmed around the same time Cruz's stint as Eddie in The Courtship of Eddie's Father was winding down production. This is the only Gunsmoke role for Cruz.

Bruce Glover makes his second and last appearance in the series. He plays a character named Enoch Brandt, who is as close to a villain as this episode offers. He served under Shay in the Army, and knows Shay was the commanding officer at the Rock Creek Massacre. Glover is the father of eclectic actor Crispin Glover.

Actor Kiel Martin portrays a man named Ike Daggett that works for Brandt. Martin would go on to play the character J. D. LaRue in the series Hill Street Blues.

The overarching themes of this story include forgiveness and a definite "war is hell" viewpoint. The Daniel Shay character is haunted by the actions taken by soldiers under his command in the past (Shay would certainly be diagnosed with PTSD today), and he struggles with forgiveness for himself. He set the tone that led to the horrific events, and then he could not stop what he had set in motion.

Sarah Morgan saw her life profoundly impacted by war between the U. S. Army and the Cheyenne. She understandably finds it difficult to forgive the man that was the commanding officer over a massacre that resulted in the death of her husband and the father of their son. Young Jimmy Morgan has as much right as anyone to hate Shay.

Victor French carries this episode with his outstanding performance. The other performances are not bad, either. I especially enjoyed the strength shown by the Sarah Morgan character.

Unfortunately, the resolution to the story suffers from the desire to provide a neat and tidy Hollywood conclusion. It may be somewhat satisfying on the surface, but it does not ring true nor do justice to the earlier heavier story content.

This is the kind of episode that made Gunsmoke such a great show. Gunsmoke was not afraid to show the dark side of the old west. There are some very powerful images in this episode. Victor French does a great job.

Another of the excellent episodes that defined why Gunsmoke endures as high quality television to this day, well after everyone in the episodes has passed away. The plot remains relevant as ever, as it poignantly presents honest regret and post-traumatic stress from a military veteran.

There is nothing phony or pretentious in the narrative. It simply shows how men of honor try to deal with the horrors that sometimes develop from military duty.

Daniel Shay comes to Dodge City as a drummer who peddles rat traps as a way of making money. While Daniel continues to look for buyers of his rat traps, he sees a Cheyenne boy stealing a horse, sparking memories of his past. While in Dodge City, he is recognized and hounded by a local with whom he served in the U.S. Cavalry. As memories of the past come back to haunt him, he looks back on an Indian massacre at a place called Rock Creek. While having dinner with Sarah Morgan, Mr. Shay wonders about Jimmy Morgan, whose father died in the Rock Creek massacre. Sarah mentions that the cavalry ran him down, resulting in a lifelong injury. Shay is finally forced to come to grips with his past. Good performance by Victor French, who plays the part of Daniel Shay.

The story has been told by others, probably better than I could. Victor French has had dozens of appearances on multiple westers and he is a great actor. This episode elipses all of his other roles. Near the end he puts in one of the most heart bending scenes with an injured Cheyene boy. If you watch it and are not moved to tears, there may be no hope for you. This is one of the best episode ever filmed on Gunsmoke. Prepare to enjoy a very moving episode,