The American soldier, 1866-1916 : the enlisted man and the transformation of the United States Army / John A. Haymond.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Haymond, John A., 1967- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Army--History--19th century.

United States.

United States. Army--Reorganization.

Soldiers--United States--Social conditions.

Soldiers.

West (U.S.)--History, Military--19th century.

West (U.S.).

United States--History, Military--19th century.

United States--History, Military--20th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (333 pages)

Place of Publication:

Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2018.

Summary:

"Following the Civil War, the U.S. Army underwent a decline. Soldiers served at remote posts with harsh weather, bad food and poor living conditions. Drawing on soldiers' narratives, personal letters and official records, the author explores the common soldier's experience during the Reconstruction Era, the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War and more"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction: History and heritage

After Appomattox: The Army in Decline

Fetterman's Chance: The fight on Lodge Trail Ridge

Joining up: enlisting in the Army

Against the odds: The Hayfield and Wagon Box Fights

Drill and marksmanship: learning the soldier's trade

Soldiering on the frontier: "Bring enough money to pay your own funeral expenses"

Shoulder straps and chevrons: privates, NCOs and officers

Books and baseball: soldiers' entertainments

Bacon, bread and coffee: Army rations

"The curse of the Army": alcohol and the soldier

Hard, horse-killing marches: campaigning on the frontier

Crime and punishment: "A 24-pound ball on a six-foot chain"

Patrol, Pursuit and skirmish: The nature of combat in the Indian Wars

The desertion problem: "Giving the Army the grand bounce" The color line: The Army and race

"Mr. Lo": The soldier and the Indian

Politics and a massacre: The Army's quest for control of the Indian Bureau

"A damned big fight": The 7th Cavalry at the Little Big Horn

The end of an era: The Pine Ridge Campaign and Wounded Knee

The War with Spain: A different Army for a different war

Waiting in the wings: The Spanish-American War in the training camps

Scandal and reform: The Aftermath of the Spanish-American War

"A diabolical threat": The anti-canteen campaign

Soldiers of empire: The Army in the Philippines

The War in the Philippines: "Battles we never enlisted for..."

Into Mexico: The 1916 Punitive Expedition

Conclusion: The gathering storm

Appendix: Major campaigns and combat engagements of the Indian Wars, 1866/1890.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-4766-3208-1