Army regulars on the western frontier, 1848-1861
By: Durwood Ball.
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Published: 2001
Place of publication: Norman
Language: eng
Number of pages: 287
Subjects: United States. Army -- History -- 19th century.; Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.); Indians of North America -- Government relations -- 1789-1869.; Indians of North America -- West (U.S.) -- History -- 19th century.; Civil-military relations -- West (U.S.) -- History -- 19th century.; Violence -- West (U.S.) -- History -- 19th century.; West (U.S.) -- History, Military -- 19th century.; United States -- Military policy -- 19th century.; West (U.S.) -- Race relations.
Description: "Deployed to posts from the Missouri River to the Pacific in 1848, the United States Army undertook an old mission on the frontiers new to the United States: occupying the western territories; suppressing American Indian resistance; keeping the peace among feuding Indians, Hispanics, and Anglos; and consolidating United States sovereignty in the region. Overshadowing and complicating the frontier military mission were the politics of slavery and the growing rift between the North and South.".

"As regular troops fanned out across the American West, the diverse inhabitants of the region intensified their competition for natural resources, political autonomy, and cultural survival. Their conflicts often erupted into violence that propelled the army into riot duty and bloody warfare. Examining the full continuum of martial force in the American West, Durwood Ball reveals how regular troops waged war on American Indians to enforce federal law.

He also provides details on the army's military interventions against filibusters in Texas and California, Mormon rebels in Utah, and violent political partisans in Kansas. Unlike previous histories, this book argues that the politics of slavery profoundly influenced the western mission of the regular army - affecting the hearts and minds of officers and enlisted men both as the nation plummented toward civil war."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 255-276) and index.