Still the least-understood theater of the Civil War; the Southwest Borderlands saw not only Union and Confederate forces clashing but Indians; Hispanos; and Anglos struggling for survival; power; and dominance on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. While other scholars have examined individual battles; Andrew E. Masich is the first to analyze these conflicts as interconnected civil wars. Based on previously overlooked Indian Depredation Claim records and a wealth of other sources; this book is both a close-up history of the Civil War in the region and an examination of the war-making traditions of its diverse peoples. Along the border; Masich argues; the Civil War played out as a collision between three warrior cultures. Indians; Hispanos; and Anglos brought their own weapons and tactics to the struggle; but they also shared many traditions. Before the war; the three groups engaged one another in cycles of raid and reprisal involving the taking of livestock and human captives; reflecting a peculiar mixture of conflict and interdependence. When U.S. regular troops were withdrawn in 1861 to fight in the East; the resulting power vacuum led to unprecedented violence in the West. Indians fought Indians; Hispanos battled Hispanos; and Anglos vied for control of the Southwest; while each group sought allies in conflicts related only indirectly to the secession crisis. When Union and Confederate forces invaded the Southwest; Anglo soldiers; Hispanos; and sedentary Indian tribes forged alliances that allowed them to collectively wage a relentless war on Apaches; Comanches; and Navajos. Mexico’s civil war and European intervention served only to enlarge the conflict in the borderlands. When the fighting subsided; a new power hierarchy had emerged and relations between the region’s inhabitants; and their nations; forever changed. Masich’s perspective on borderlands history offers a single; cohesive framework for understanding this power shift while demonstrating the importance of transnational and multicultural views of the American Civil War and the Southwest Borderlands.
#1734817 in Books University of Oklahoma Press 2010-01-29 2007-11-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .97 x 6.00l; 1.35 #File Name: 0806141212356 pages
Review
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful. A BOOK LONG AWAITEDBy Mark E. MonaghanWe hear from all of the writers who wish the South won in the Civil War and lionize those who sided with their states against the Constitution; but finally we hear about a solid; capable; Virginian who stayed with the United States. General Thomas was greatly chastised by his friends and family because of his choice to remain in the service of the United States; very much like Admiral David G. Farragut; USN. His excellent service was underrated by General Grant but does in no way diminish his service to this country. His high point had to be in the victory at Chickamauga. Politics were as bad then as they are now in the senior ranks of the armed forces and once labelled as "overly-cautious" by General Grant; he was side-lined. Of note in the book was a comment made by General Thomas as the middle south's Occupation Commander as he worked to protect and bring citizenship to the Freedmen. He stated that he was bewildered as to why "southeners tended to violence rather than obey the law"; and was sickened as he witnessed the rise of Jim Crow. A very interesting book that shows the life of and the difficult career of General Thomas; a Virginian; who was a keystone to the success of the Union in the western campaigns.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A very interesting readBy John HaseltineThis biography was long overdue. I believe everyone who is interested in learning about the Civil War should read it. It is accurate and reflects a lot of changes that many people in the war went through. I hope many more people read this.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The best the North hadBy StephenXI am tough to impress; but George Thomas is on my short list of admired people. With backstabbers in his midst and an ignorant demanding superior officer trying to second guess Thomas at every turn Thomas stays above the fray. Grant used men like fodder units. Thomas regarded each of his men as an asset. He took care of his men. This book is a valued addition to my Civil War library (over 300 books and counting). If you are a student of the WOSA; you should add this book to your collection. I haven't read any other biographies of Thomas; but I feel this book covered the subject very well.
