Blood and Treasure: Confederate Empire in the Southwest (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) [Paperback]

Donald S. Frazier Ph.D. (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Long before secession, southern politicians dreamed of a slave empire reaching deep into Latin America. Frazier's superbly written work examines how that dream played out in the cauldron of the Civil War. Here there were no great set-piece battles with huge foraging armies slaughtering each other, as in the East. Rather, relatively small numbers of men stalked each other over huge expanses of virtually uninhabited land, where marauding Apaches often posed as great a threat as the opposing army. To some historians, the campaigns in Arizona and New Mexico were a minor sideshow. Yet, as Frazier illustrates, the stakes were enormous; in particular, a Confederate victory in this theater could have put all of the Pacific Coast at the Confederacy's disposal. Frazier has done an outstanding job of illuminating a relatively obscure aspect of the Civil War, and his work should appeal to both the history buff and those general readers who appreciate epic but futile adventures. Jay Freeman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Frazier convincingly demonstrates that Union commander Edward R. S. Canby deserves more respect than he sometimes gets from historians for his part in driving Confederate armies out of New Mexico and Arizona. He also shows how Confederate General Henry Hopkins Sibley and Confederate Colonel John Robert Baylor--the two expansionist dreamers most responsible for the Confederacy''s southwestern initiatives--had personal flaws which sabotaged the very territorial gains which they accomplished. His manuscript is sensitive to Confederate relations with Hispanics, and integrates Confederate campaigns against Apache tribes into his Civil War story. Many readers will appreciate Frazier''s meticulous descriptions of camp life, soldiering in the arid Southwest, the battles of Val Verde, Apache Canyon, Glorieta and Peralta, and especially the backgrounds, motives, and personalities of the officers and soldiers involved in the Confederate campaigns for empire. One could not ask for a more engaging treatment from the Confederate perspective of the Civil War in the Southwest.”--Robert E. May, author of The Southern Dream of a Caribbean Empire, 1854-1861

(Robert E. May, author of The Southern Dream of a Caribbean Empi )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: TAMU Press (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890967326
• ISBN-13: 978-0890967324
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,426,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Southern Reach for Empire, June 22, 2008

By 

Mark Longstroth (Kalamazoo, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood and Treasure: Confederate Empire in the Southwest (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) (Paperback)

An excellent account of the Southern attempt to sieze and hold the western territories. I enjoyed the book and found it easy to read. It covered the southern viewpoint and history of the attempt to secure Arizonia and New Mexico for the Confederacy. The book has good maps that allow the reader to understand the movement across the wide expanse of the Southwest. Personal accounts give a good view of the individaul Texan's view of the campaign and battles. A forgotten theater which was overshadowed by the fighting elsewhere. Dr. Frazier does a good job of showing the strengths and weaknesses of the Confederate Army of New Mexico. The book added to my understanding of this campaign and I recommend to to anyone interested in this campaign.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, informative and well-told, February 3, 2011

By 

mastermindquiet - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood & Treasure: Confederate Empire in the Southwest (Texas a&M University Military History Series) (Hardcover)

Fraizer's book isn't just about the Rebel invasion of the current New Mexico and Arizona at the start of the American Civil War. Instead, Fraizer's approach is to propose, rather successfully, that this invasion was not some wild-eyed scheme or diversion, but a fundamental part of the Confederate, or at least Texan, high level ambitions. Starting from right after the Texas War for Independence, argues Fraizer, Texans had sought to seize the Rio Grande from mouth to source, and after the Gadsden Purchase of 1854 their interest expanded to the mineral rich area of present southern Arizona. And California with it's gold was never far from their thoughts either.

After this background, the book does an excellent job of relating the story of the Rebel early attempts to control the Southwest, first with localized uprisings and escalating to Sibley's invasion in late 1861. He then covers the campaign, the battles and the eventual withdrawal of the Rebel forces. The included maps are well appreciated.

The book is published by Texas A&M University Press and is focused on the Texan and Confederate forces and actions, rather than an equal assessment of both sides. That's no problem since it reflects the author's intent. Fraizer is rather opinionated at times and doesn't mince his words, but he does seem to be evenhanded with his criticisms, eventually finding that much of the blame for the failure of the invasion falls squarely on the Texans, who he notes were often fine warriors but poor soldiers.

Highly recommended for the reader with an interest in military or American Civil War history.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blood and Treasure, September 7, 2002

By 

Jay Hardaway (Abilene, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood and Treasure: Confederate Empire in the Southwest (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) (Paperback)

Blood and Treasure chronicles an often overlooked chapter in the American Civil War: the Confederate invasion of the Southwest. Beginning with pre-war filibustering expeditions in Latin America, Frazier ably deconstructs America's antebellum empire-building efforts, an interest that was particularly strong in the South. With the advent of the Civil War, plans were made to secure territory for the Confederacy in the Southwestern desert, with the ultimate goal of controlling the Pacific coast. Oftentimes seemingly minor theatres in a given conflict are dismissed as sideshows, lacking any significant strategic value. However, Confederate control of the Southwest and Pacific coast would have had significant impact on the war in the east. Additionally, by placing these actions within the larger context of empire-builiding, Frazier shows that Americans were ravenous for foreign territory long before 1898.
Frazier details some of Confederate leaders in this fight, namely Henry Hopkins Sibley, and recounts battles like Val Verde (depicted on the book's cover) and Glorieta Pass. It is clear that Frazier has a passion for the region and its history, which enlivens subjects and personalities depicted in the book, like the Gadsen Purchase, that are often dismissed as trivial in most survey histories. As most of the research and publication relating to the Civil War is focused east of the Mississippi, it is helpful to have Frazier's book. Anyone interested in the Civil War or the southwestern United States will learn much from Blood and Treasure.