Books with title Vanished Arizona: Recollections of the Army Life of a New England Woman

"Vanished Arizona: Recollections of My Army Life" is the story of Martha Summerhayes, a Nantucket woman who married a cavalry officer and moved with him to various Army forts in the late 19th century. It is a very personal story of Army life in Indian country, raising children under trying conditions, a travelog and adventure all wrapped up into one. The tales of getting back and forth between Nantucket and Arizona are worth the reading alone. "Vanished Arizona: Recollections of My Army Life" is a collection of Martha's memories of life in various Army forts, and particularly in Arizona-which at that time was still considered a "dreaded and unknown land." Along the way, the reader meets a variety of characters such as a nearly-naked Indian cook and a "dentist" who accidentally extracts the wrong tooth. There is also the incident where Martha feels more in danger from her husband than the hostile Indians nearby. First printed in 1908, "Vanished Arizona: Recollections of My Army Life" was extremely well-received, becoming one of the essential primary records of the frontier-military West. Martha Summerhayes' narrative skill and her delight in life make her book a joy to read. Summerhayes offers not only a woman's perspective, but the views and memories of an army wife. The only comparable books are the trilogy of cavalry life by Libbie Custer, which were filtered by Libbie's desire to glorify her husband, General George Custer. Summerhayes' description of the Arizona landscape and conditions of Army life are memorable, adding much to the history of the Southwest. Justifiably considered a classic, "Vanished Arizona: Recollections of My Army Life" features guileless storytelling, unvarnished truth, and an honest appraisal of the rather brutal trials of an army wife in that era. Great reading for anyone interested in frontier America and the brave people who settled the land.

In 1874, when Martha Summerhayes came as a bride to Fort Russell in Wyoming Territory, she "saw not much in those first few days besides bright buttons, blue uniforms, and shining swords," but soon enough the hard facts of army life began to intrude. Remonstrating with her husband, Jack, that she had only three rooms and a kitchen instead of "a whole house," she was informed that "women are not reckoned in at all in the War Department," which also failed to appreciate that "'lieutenants' wives needed quite as much as colonels’ wives." In fact, Martha had only a short time to enjoy her new quarters, for in June her husband’s regiment was ordered to Arizona, "that dreaded and then unknown land." Although Martha Summerhayes’s recollections span a quarter of a century and life at a dozen army posts, the heart of this book concerns her experiences during the 1870s in Arizona, where (as Dan L. Thrapp observes in his introduction) the harsh climate and "perennial natural inconveniences from rattlesnakes to cactus thorns and white desperadoes, all made [it] a less than desirable posting for the married man and his wife." First privately printed in 1908, Vanished Arizona was so well-received that in 1910 Mrs. Summerhayes prepared a new edition (reprinted here), which was published in 1911, the year of her death. Among "the essential primary records of the frontier-military West," the book "retains its place securely because of the narrative skill of the author, her delight in life—all life, including even, or perhaps principally, army life and people—and because it is such a joy to read.

"This is a charming book - both as to manner and matter. For the first, it has the simplicity of truth combined with a vivid descriptive power. For the rest the author has drawn upon a rich fund of experience as a subaltern's wife who 'followed the drum' with her husband for thirty-three years. Tales of campaigns, of forced marches, of bloody battlefields are not rare, but the many instances of wifely fortitude and personal sacrifice through all the vicissitudes of military service on the frontier are seldom recorded. Therefore Mrs. Summerhayes' contribution to the literature of camp and garrison is welcomed as a chronicle of 'the days of the Empire' vanished from sight, but dear to memory." -Journal of the Military Service Institution of the United States "The book is such a straightforward, simple story, of how a refined woman lived through almost incredible difficulties and hardships at desert-posts, that is has found a demand far outside the circle of fellow campaigners, and hence has been reprinted. It is, indeed, a narrative rarely surpassed in that 'human interest' which is the staple of our best books." -Book Review Digest "In our time when we can fly across the world in a day and cross the breadth of the North American continent in a few hours, it is wonderful to read a book that reminds us what it was like to live in the Southwest nearly a century-and-a-half ago — or, indeed, even to travel there. When Martha Dunham Summerhayes, a young Army wife, and her older Civil War veteran husband needed to get there from his first posting at Fort Russell in Wyoming Territory’s Cheyenne, it was no simple matter....What she had found there was aridity and cactuses and the ubiquitous rattlesnakes that necessitated 'buffalo robes under our mattresses and around them a hair lariat, ‘Snakes won’t cross over that.' No wonder she writes, 'I did not like these desert places, and they came to have a horror for me.' Not surprising for one whose notion of the desert came from the eponymous novel by the French writer Pierre Loti. However, with time, she came to appreciate its strange attractions and even to admire aspects of the American Indian culture she observed....A delightful glimpse into a past era." -The Washington Times "We take pleasure in recommending to our readers Mrs. Summerhayes' delightful book 'Vanished Arizona,' as a classic on the interesting subject." -The Magazine of History "Martha Summerhayes tells of the perilous journeys over desert and mountain roads, and of their constant fear of the Indians. Upon returning to Arizona years later they found their Arizona vanished. Hence her title 'Vanished Arizona,' 1908. No volume gives in so entertaining a manner the perplexities of the women's side of army encampments." -Mary G. Boyer, "Arizona in Literature," 1970

"Vanished Arizona: Recollections of My Army Life" is the story of Martha Summerhayes, a Nantucket woman who married a cavalry officer and moved with him to various Army forts in the late 19th century. It is a very personal story of Army life in Indian country, raising children under trying conditions, a travelog and adventure all wrapped up into one. The tales of getting back and forth between Nantucket and Arizona are worth the reading alone. "Vanished Arizona: Recollections of My Army Life" is a collection of Martha's memories of life in various Army forts, and particularly in Arizona-which at that time was still considered a "dreaded and unknown land." Along the way, the reader meets a variety of characters such as a nearly-naked Indian cook and a "dentist" who accidentally extracts the wrong tooth. There is also the incident where Martha feels more in danger from her husband than the hostile Indians nearby. First printed in 1908, "Vanished Arizona: Recollections of My Army Life" was extremely well-received, becoming one of the essential primary records of the frontier-military West. Martha Summerhayes' narrative skill and her delight in life make her book a joy to read. Summerhayes offers not only a woman's perspective, but the views and memories of an army wife. The only comparable books are the trilogy of cavalry life by Libbie Custer, which were filtered by Libbie's desire to glorify her husband, General George Custer. Summerhayes' description of the Arizona landscape and conditions of Army life are memorable, adding much to the history of the Southwest. Justifiably considered a classic, "Vanished Arizona: Recollections of My Army Life" features guileless storytelling, unvarnished truth, and an honest appraisal of the rather brutal trials of an army wife in that era. Great reading for anyone interested in frontier America and the brave people who settled the land.

This is a true story about a pampered New England young woman who falls in love with an army officer and they get sent to Arizona in 1873. This superbly entertaining account of the adventures of the wife of a lieutenant in the army is a fast and absorbing read. Summerhayes was raised in Nantucket and partly educated in Germany so imagine her shock when she follows her husband to Wyoming and then Arizona during the Apache wars of the 1870's. Fascinating story of a young bride with her army husband and their experiences in Arizona during the late 18th century. She is a young woman who is totally unprepared for life in the 'wild' west. Her stories of traveling from camp to camp in Arizona and having to make a home in extremely harsh and primitive conditions is awe inspiring. Especially moving is when she has her first child, far from anyone who can help her . She is completely ignorant of childbirth and caring for a newborn.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The seventh day after the birth of the baby, a delegation of several squaws, wives of chiefs, came to pay me a formal visit. They brought me some finely woven baskets, and a beautiful papoose-basket or cradle, such as they carry their own babies in.... [I]t was their best work. I admired it, and tried to express to them my thanks... -from "Chapter 13: A New Recruit" Martha Summerhayes was a respectable Victorian lady when she left civilized society behind, in 1874, to follow her cavalry-officer husband West, to the Wyoming Territory and then to unknown and inaccessible Arizona. Written "at the urgent and ceaseless request" of her children and first published in 1908, this compulsively readable account of her life on the frontier is a unique document of the American exploration and settling of the West, offering a little-heard woman's perspective on an historical era that continues to echo in contemporary American society. From the deprivations of her kitchen-where she has no choice but to make do with army pots and pans designed for cooking for dozens-to terrifying encounters with wildlife, attacks by Indians, and the challenge of giving birth alone, Summerhayes' indomitable spirit and sense of adventure shines through.

Vanished Arizona: Reflections of the Army Life of a New England Woman was re-published as a new edition in 1911 – the year that Martha Summerhayes died – due mainly to the remarkable reception that her first edition received when the author first completed the memoir in 1908. Outlining mainly her years spent in Arizona – some of the most challenging times that the New England army officer's wife had to cope with – the book talks also about her initial introduction to army life in 1874, when she simply faced a few inconveniences in Fort Russell in the Wyoming Territories, and takes us through the difficult period when the army officers and their families were ordered to move to Arizona. This unique and extremely detailed presentation of an important time in American history is not only well-written, but extremely comprehensive. Martha Summerhayes was a woman of excellent upbringing who was used to the much gentler life of New England in the mid-1800s. From that luxurious existence, however, she found her life shifting to having to sleep outside in the desert due to the scorching heat of Arizona, while finding herself needing to look out for rattle snakes and scorpions. In those conditions, she still managed to take care of her newborn baby and find solutions to even the most unique and surprisingly troublesome problems of daily life in a region that used to be wild and untamed. In fact, life was made even harder by the presence of white desperados and the constant need to move from one camp to another, enduring long distance journeys during the hottest days of summer. Vanished Arizona will take you on an extraordinary adventure through some of the most fascinating areas where Martha Summerhayes and her husband made their way, while also offering a detailed account of extreme historical significance regarding life in the US army during that time period.

In 1874, when Martha Summerhayes came as a bride to Fort Russell in Wyoming Territory, she "saw not much in those first few days besides bright buttons, blue uniforms, and shining swords," but soon enough the hard facts of army life began to intrude. Remonstrating with her husband, Jack, that she had only three rooms and a kitchen instead of "a whole house," she was informed that "women are not reckoned in at all in the War Department," which also failed to appreciate that "'lieutenants' wives needed quite as much as colonels’ wives." In fact, Martha had only a short time to enjoy her new quarters, for in June her husband’s regiment was ordered to Arizona, "that dreaded and then unknown land." Although Martha Summerhayes’s recollections span a quarter of a century and life at a dozen army posts, the heart of this book concerns her experiences during the 1870s in Arizona, where (as Dan L. Thrapp observes in his introduction) the harsh climate and "perennial natural inconveniences from rattlesnakes to cactus thorns and white desperadoes, all made [it] a less than desirable posting for the married man and his wife." First privately printed in 1908, Vanished Arizona was so well-received that in 1910 Mrs. Summerhayes prepared a new edition (reprinted here), which was published in 1911, the year of her death. Among "the essential primary records of the frontier-military West," the book "retains its place securely because of the narrative skill of the author, her delight in life—all life, including even, or perhaps principally, army life and people—and because it is such a joy to read.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.