Eggleston ’61 Publishes “The Colorado War 1864-1865”

Mike Eggleston ’61 has published a new book entitled The Colorado War 1864-1865. This book tells the history of the war that occurred in Colorado Territory during the Civil War. The major conflict involved the fight between Native Americans and Colorado volunteer regiments in 1865. Others were involved including Confederate regiments and outlaws. This book interrelates activities in the Great Plains with politics in Washington, army headquarters in the field, settlers on the Frontier and the Native Americans. It shows how other Indian wars influenced the war in Colorado and how the war spread to other states and territories. Where ever possible, the conflicts are explained in the words of the participants captured in letters, diaries and newspaper articles. Nearly a hundred maps and photos are included to describe the actions. This history shows the impact of the many treaties signed: how they were violated and the result of the treaties on the way of life of the whites and Native Americans. The focus of this book is on the military campaigns and battles fought in or near Colorado how they destroyed the Native American way of life. Famous battles such as the Sand Creek Massacre and Wounded Knee are covered, but lesser known campaigns such as Red Cloud’s War are also included, since these had a major effect on treaties and on the people involved. The Native American wars ended much as they had started with mistakes, confusion and the tragedy of Wounded Knee.