During his thirty-eight-year career as a military officer, Henry
Clay Merriam received the Medal of Honor for his service in the
Civil War, rose to prominence in the Western army, and exerted
significant influence on the American West by establishing military
posts, protecting rail lines, and maintaining an uneasy peace
between settlers and Indians.
Historian Jack Stokes Ballard's new study of Merriam's life and
career sheds light on the experience of the western fort builders,
whose impact on the US westward expansion, though less dramatic,
was just as lasting as that of Indian fighters such as Custer and
Sheridan. Further, Merriam's lengthy period in command of black
troops offers a study in leadership and important understandings
about the conditions under which African Americans served on the
Western frontier.
During the course of his service, Merriam crisscrossed the
country, from Brownsville, Texas, to the Pacific Northwest and
Vancouver Barracks, serving in eastern Washington, California, and
Denver.
Drawing extensively on the many letters and records associated
with Merriam's long army career, Ballard presents his service in a
wide range of settings, many of which have become the stuff of
Western history: from conflict with Mexican revolutionaries on the
Rio Grande to the miners' riots in Coeur d'Alene.
Ballard's careful research provides a vivid picture of the
military's role in the westward expansion.
General
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