Colorado in the Civil War

Colorado troops were vitally important for the Union in the quest to win the Civil War. They served throughout the American West from Missouri to Utah, and their enemies were not only ordinary Confederate troops but also fearsome guerrillas under William Quantrill and “Blood Bill” Anderson. Vital Western transportation routes—like the Santa Fe, Oregon, Smoky Hill, and Cherokee Trails—were guarded by the Coloradans. Tragically, actions by Colorado soldiers, including the horrific Sand Creek Massacre, ignited decades of warfare with Native American tribes. This book features vintage images that chronicle Colorado’s Civil War soldiers, where they served, and who they fought.