You're right Terry, I found it a very enjoyable read. I learned a lot about the followers of John Brown and their military service in the IT. I was unaware of the extent of Col Wm A Phillips connection and also Furnas, Ritchie, and others. The book is, of course, focused on the social reformists and the power-base in Kansas and Washington before and during the war. The corruption of those in power seems boundless, as Annie Abel emphasizes in her books.

The book provides the context for many events and conditions within the Indian Territory throughout the war. For example, Phillips' problems at Ft Gibson (Ft Blunt) with obtaining food, horses, pay, etc. for his troops and subsistence for the thousands of refugees. It also explores, as does Abel, the opposition in Kansas to alliances with the Indian Nations -- as long the the Indian Nations were enemies, speculators could justify taking their land after the war. Contradictory goals were in place to relocate the Indians of Kansas to the Indian Territory but also to remove the Indians from Indian Territory to some place further west. Though the President said the treaties were still in effect, the Indian Office was actively telling the refugee tribes the treaties were nullified and they had to negotiate new treaties, which of course required giving up land in Indian Territory for placement of other tribes and for railroad rights-of-way.

Regarding military operations, he relies heavily on secondary sources and makes a few "geographical" mistakes which likely come from those sources. He says "Frozen Lick Ford" instead of "Frozen Rock". He states Blunt moves south to the Canadian and then east to Perryville -- Perryville is, of course, further south on the Texas Road near present McAlester. Regarding the 1st Indian Expedition, he confuses locales and distances along the Ft Scott-Ft Gibson Military Road in his references to Cabin Creek, Flat Rock Creek, etc..

In spite of those shortcomings, the story is fascinating and appears well researched regarding roles of 'key players' in Kansas and IT and the role of the US military, politicians, and northern elite. In certain respects, abolition is charaterized as a "means to an end", that is, slavery was an impediment to creating a true republic as defined by the social reformists. Their real focus is on reforming the US republic, both North and South. The book is a social view of expansionism and how that played out through the war in and around Indian Territory and how the war, the politicians, and those with power effectively squelched the social reformists.