http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/3494793

William B. Hazen a military career in the frontier west, 1855-1880

"The name William Babcock Hazen (1830-1887) appears frequently in the annals of Western Americana. More than two decades of his life were spent as an army officer on the successive frontiers of the West. He was closely associated with many of the major events that highlight the great drama of the frontier advance beyond the Cross Timbers and the Wide Missouri. His tours of duty between 1855-1880 took him into the turbulent Oregon Country, throughout the entire Great Plains, and into many sections of the Rocky Mountain region. Through an extended period of personal contact and diligent study, Hazen gained an understanding of the lands beyond the ninety-eighth meridian - and the Indians that claimed them - surpassed by few of this contemporaries. A man of scholarly interests, he authored influential and controversial writings reflecting his insights and fixed views on the agricultural potential of the West, manipulations of railroad interests, and military and government administration. By 1880 he had won a reputation of solid and honorable military service, both on the battlefield and in administrative capacities. Hazen's excellent record, together with his literary publications and involvement in a series of nationally publicized controversies, made him one of the best-known army officers in the United States ... the object of this study is to present a comprehensive account of Hazen's military career in the West, 1855-1850, with an evaluation of his contributions and significance"--Introduction.

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