Book Review of The Three-Cornered War

In social studies classes, we teach abundantly about the eastern theater of the Civil War.  But we often either gloss over or ignore entirely the western theater of the War. Comparatively little has been written about that aspect of the Civil War, but its stories deserve to be told. While certainly not as bloody as the eastern front, the battles and conflicts that occurred on the western front helped pave the way for westward expansion and linking the continent together after the War. Megan Kate Nelson’s new book, The Three-Cornered War, attempts to tell the stories of the western theater. The three corners Nelson refers to are: the Confederacy’s battle with Union troops in the West, the Indian tribes’ conflicts with Mexicans and American settlers during westward expansion, and the Union army’s eventual conquest and removal of the Indian tribes. 

Nelson focuses on a key figure in each of these aspects in an tempt to weave together the various conflicts. Some of these figures include Henry Sibley, who guided a rag-tag band of Texas Confederates in an invasion of New Mexico, General James Carelton, the leader of a California regiment that would defend Arizona Territory and later oversee the Navajo Reservation at Bosque Redondo, and Mangas Coloradas, a chief of the Chiricahua Apaches who tried to simultaneously fight for and peacefully negotiate for his tribe’s survival against the invasion of miners and settlers.  Through this technique, Nelson is able to personalize the history of the era while still informing the reader of key events. Like many history writers, Nelson’s work is thoroughly researched and a great deal of detail is provided. But it can be overkill at times. Do we really need to know minute, tangential details like a style of dress made by the Navajo or the specifics of the social calendar of a wife of one of the Army commanders? At times, the book can drag. But thankfully, the book is relatively short at only 252 pages, so this ends up being only a minor inconvenience. Nelson usually keeps the story moving and her telling of the suffering of the Navajo during the Long Walk is the book’s finest moment. 

The book opens with the invasion of New Mexico Territory by a group of Texas confederates. They hatch a plan to capture New Mexico and Arizona on their way to taking the gold fields of California for the Confederacy. Had they succeeded, the entire course of the Civil War could have been changed. As it was, the soldiers ran into fierce resistance by an army regiment from Colorado composed mainly of miners and other frontiersmen. The two army regiments encountered each other along the Santa Fe Trail. The Battle of Glorietta Pass was a minor skirmish by Civil War standards. Only a few casualties were suffered. But the Texans lost their wagon train and supplies after it was hit by cannon fire. This proved to be a critical loss. The Texans had relied on provisions they would find along the road and had not brought any significant stores with them.  After the short battle, the Texan soldiers retreated to Santa Fe and would soon withdraw from New Mexico altogether, never to return. 

One of the more interesting side stories concerned Louisa Canby, the wife of a military commander in New Mexico. Louisa helped nurse injured confederate soldiers back to health after the battle of Glorietta Pass and allegedly distributed blankets and other supplies meant for Indian tribes (the supplies mysteriously disappeared from a locked storage area). The Confederates remembered Canby’s generosity fondly.

Nelson’s book gives us a glimpse into the conflicts created by the policy of Manifest Destiny. As settlers moved westward, the government began brokering agreements with Indian tribes to allow for their passage and then breaking them as soon as gold or other desirable materials were found on tribal lands. Much of the remainder of the book is devoted to the US. Army’s efforts to cleanse the new territories of the Indian tribes which dominated the southwest region—mainly the Apache and Navajo.  Mangas Coloradas decided in 1863 to negotiate peace with the miners encroaching on his territory in Arizona in an effort to ward off the U.S. Army’s advance. Coloradas was double-crossed by the miners, however, and was captured. He was murdered by soldiers in prison shortly thereafter.

While Nelson discusses conflicts with many of the tribes that occurred during this time, the most shocking treatment was reserved for the Navajo. Prior to the Civil War, the Navajo had routinely raided Hispano settlements in Mexico, captured slaves and livestock, and engaged in clashes with the U.S. Army.  After the Emancipation Proclamation, the U.S. government was determined to end the practice of Indian slavery. A new reservation was created for the Navajo’s use in eastern New Mexico at Bosque Redondo. General Carelton instructed the Navajo that they had until July 1863 to surrender at Fort Wingate near Albuquerque or armed conflict would ensue.  

After a scorched earth campaign that burned crops, destroyed homes, and killed or ran off livestock, thousands of Navajos complied and endured the Long Walk to their new reservation on the Pecos River. Much like the more famous Trail of Tears endured by the five civilized tribes in the southeast, several thousand Navajo were marched from Canyon de Chelly in Arizona to the new reservation 170 miles to the east. Several hundred Navajo died during the walk. 

Moved from their traditional farming and hunting grounds, the Navajo were dependent upon the U.S. Army for survival. The alkaline nature of the Pecos River was poor for growing crops and plagues of insects and poor weather doomed the crops they did plant. After four years, the situation proved to be untenable. In 1868, William Sherman directed a conference with the Navajo and signed a treaty for their return to their tribal lands. In exchange, the Navajo had to agree to school their children, return slaves, and end raids into Mexico. 

Nelson is able to weave her through the various conflicts without seeming preachy or biased in her approach. She does not paint a flattering portrait of the U.S. government by any means but is also quick to point out acts of compassion, particularly from General Sherman. So much of the story of the West is told from the perspective of the settlers and the government; it was a refreshing change of pace to see Nelson focus on multiple perspectives here. I highly recommend the book for anyone teaching U.S. History.