Rebels on the Rio Grande: The Civil War Journal of A.B. Peticolas

By A.B. Peticolas and Don E. Alberts

Book Overview

Rebels on the Rio Grande: The Civil War Journal of A. B. Peticolas by Dr. Don E. Alberts.In 1862 Confederate volunteers from Texas under the command of Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley invaded the New Mexico Territory. Sibley's Brigade hoped to take Fort Craig and Fort Union and then head north to the Colorado Territory and its valuable mineral resources. The journal of Sergeant A. B. Peticolas is a rare personal account of this little known episode of Civil War history. Despite the fact that he often wrote at night by candlelight after long days of marching through rough country, Peticolas was a keen observer and a good writer. He was also an artist of some skill whose drawings and journal sketches are included here. He presents not only vivid descriptions of the battles but also interesting impressions of New Mexico and of the people he encountered along the way. Don Alberts used his considerable skills as a professional historian and author to bring this rare first person account of the Confederate invasion of New Mexico to life. His introduction provides the reader with details of Peticolas' background and experience, along with a history of the Sibley campaign leading up to the Battle of Valverde, the event which begins the Peticolas journal. Peticolas' observations, extensively annotated by Alberts, offer an unparalleled and fascinating view of soldier life during the Civil War. Alberts also adds details of Peticolas' prominent postwar career as a lawyer and judge in Texas.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0615711464
• ISBN13: 9780615711461
• Release Date: November 2013
• Publisher: Bickerstaff's
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Fascinating New Mexico history

The Civil War, you might think, belonged to the South, and to the North--but never to the West. But the Civil War did make it to the West, and it made it to New Mexico, and one Confederate soldier in that war kept a journal. Don Alberts has done fans of New Mexico's history an enormous favor by editing those journals into this insightful book--"Rebels on the Rio Grande"--a book that brings the war alive in all its fear, violence, tension, stress, and boredom. From the days of fighting, to the men who led them, to the days of waiting around for something to happen, this book has it all, and is an essential purchase for any New Mexico (or Civil war) historian, whether amateur or professional. Also, for residents of New Mexico's Sandia Mountains, this book is indispensable, as it contains firsthand 1862 accounts of what the communities of Tijeras and San Antonio (in Bernalillo County) were like, as well as a nice little sketch of what San Antonio used to look like. It's great.