By Scott McArthur
Although the Pacific Northwest was the area furthest removed
from the actual battles of the Civil War, it was nonetheless profoundly
affected by the war. The Enemy Never Came examines the everyday lives of the
volunteer soldiers who battled Native American renegades of the region and of
the settlers who were deeply affected by the war yet unable to do much about
it.
Pacific Northwest pioneers soon chose sides, most allying
with the North, others supporting the southern states’ right to withdraw from
the union. Still others attempted to ignore the entire issue of the War between
the States, leaving “that problem” to the folks back east.
Because communication with the rest of the nation was slow
and tenuous during the early years of the war, the early settlers of what are
now Oregon, Washington, and Idaho concentrated on controlling the restive
Native Americans whose land and society had been overwhelmed by white settlers.
These same settlers, however, nonetheless vigorously argued politics and
worried about invaders from the south, from the British colonies to the north,
and from the sea — none of whom ever materialized.
About the Author
Scott McArthur is a writer and retired lawyer living in
Monmouth, Oregon, and the author of five books on the history of the Pacific
Northwest. He holds degrees from the University of Puget Sound, the University
of Oregon, and Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College. He is a
Civil War reenactor and a student of military music of the Civil War and the
Mexican-American War. He has taught in public schools and at the college level.
ISBN 978-0870045127, Caxton Press, © 2012, Soft Cover, 268
pages, Photographs and Illustrations, Chapter End Notes, Appendices,
Bibliography & Index. $18.95
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