The key to Doniphan's prominence as a Missouri attorney, military leader, politician, and businessman from the 1830s to the 1880s lay in his persistent moderation on the critical issues of his day. The author describes Doniphan's success as a brigadier general of the Missouri State Militia in the war with Mexico in 1846, his influence as a Missouri Whig, and his choice not to fight in the Civil War. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

To celebrate the Missouri Bicentennial the Alexander Doniphan Committee sponsored a community writing project to chronicle the life, the times, and the influence of Alexander William Doniphan.

"A striking figure in Church history, Alexander Doniphan is perhaps best remembered for his refusal to carry out the military order to kill the Prophet Joseph Smith. But for those who knew the imposing attorney, soldier, and politician from Missouri, Doniphan was much more influential than that single event reveals. He was larger than life and admired for his strong opinions and the tenacity with which he backed them up. In this sweeping biography, readers are taken back in time to witness the complex life and legacy of a man whose progressive opinions and strong moral compass made him a notorious character in history. From his role in the Mexican-American War to his work in the Missouri legislature to his courtroom defense of Porter Rockwell, discover the remarkable legacy of a man who wasn't looking to make his mark on the world but who did so nonetheless through his determination to make a difference."--

A teacher turned soldier, John T. Hughes like so many other volunteers saw in the outbreak of the Mexican War the possibility for adventure and glory. He joined the First Regiment of Missouri Mounted Volunteers and announced that he planned to write a history of his fighting unit commanded by Col. Alexander Doniphan, who would come to be regarded as among the finest volunteer officers of the war. The result of Hughes's efforts certainly is one of the most colorful personal accounts of the Mexican War ever written. Doniphan's Expedition follows the regiment on its grueling 850-mile march from Fort Leavenworth, present-day Kansas, along the Santa Fe Trail, to invade Mexico. Along the way, Hughes observes and describes in impressive detail the discipline, morale, and effectiveness of the civilian soldiers encountering hardships on the rough plains and deserts. He gives their impressions of Santa Fe and offers valuable insight into the military occupation of that city. As significant cultural history, this account also chronicles the fears and prejudices of the soldiers meeting a seemingly strange people in a strange land. Furthermore, Hughes provides an excellent first-hand account of the two battles of the expedition: the Battle of Brazito and the Battle of Sacramento. First published in 1847, Doniphan's Expedition is now once again made available, with a new foreword by Joseph G. Dawson III, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Mexican War. General readers will find this book to be an enthralling examination of another time and place in U.S. and Mexican military and cultural history. Historians will rediscover a significant contribution to Mexican War literature.

This user-friendly encyclopedia comprises a wide array of accessible yet detailed entries that address the military, social, political, cultural, and economic aspects of the Mexican-American War. The Encyclopedia of the Mexican-American War: A Political, Social, and Military History provides an in-depth examination of not only the military conflict itself, but also the impact of the war on both nations; and how this conflict was the first waged by Americans on foreign soil and served to establish critical U.S. military, political, and foreign policy precedents. The entries analyze the Mexican-American War from both the American and Mexican perspectives, in equal measure. In addition to discussing the various campaigns, battles, weapons systems, and other aspects of military history, the three-volume work also contextualizes the conflict within its social, cultural, political, and economic milieu, and places the Mexican-American War into its proper historical and historiographical contexts by covering the eras both before and after the war. This information is particularly critical for students of American history because the conflict fomented sectional conflict in the United States, which resulted in the U.S. Civil War.

A soldier's personal account of the Mexican War of 1846-48, experienced as a member of the First Regiment of Missouri Mounted Volunteers, commanded by Col. Alexander Doniphan.

A historical study of the relationship between civilian and military leaders in the United States during wartime, from the American Revolution to the Iraq War. Now from one of the world's leading publishers of military history comes a breakthrough reference on one of the most important and complex aspects of U.S. national defense. U.S. Leadership in Wartime: Clashes, Controversy, and Compromise offers a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics that constitute effective leadership in war and discusses the often contentious relationships between U.S. civilian and military leadership throughout American history. U.S. Leadership in Wartime focuses on ten conflicts, including the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Vietnam War, the Iraq War, and the war in Afghanistan. Coverage for each conflict focuses on the dynamics of civilian-military relations and their impact on the course, outcome, and perception of each war under discussion. Coverage in each chapter includes an overview essay, sidebars, and detailed treatments of key engagements and battles, as well as detailed biographical essays of important figures—not just politicians and generals, but also labor leaders, business leaders, journalists, and women.