Is The Trans-Mississippi Becoming Trendy?

At least for this week the trans-Mississippi is trendy! Earlier in the week, I received the complimentary copy of the March-April issue of Strategy & Tactics that features the Indian Territory during the Civil War. Two days later, the latest issue of Blue & Gray magazine arrived; “The General’s Tour” is about the Civil War in the Indian Territory between September 1863 and June 1865. I was pleased to see that the issue is dedicated to the State of Oklahoma.

One day later the newsletter of the Society for Military Historians was delivered. Included is an announcement that New Forums Press, based in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is “seeking chapter and book-length submissions examining the American Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi…The Forgotten War is a brand new series devoted to the study of military history throughout the Trans-Mississippi with an emphasis on scholars employing historical analysis through innovative approaches, comparative approaches, comparative perspectives, and original research methodology utilizing primary and secondary source material.” They are specifically interested in the guerrilla war in Missouri, “occupation policies of the Union army,” battle books, biographies, “ethnic or minority experiences,” and “struggles and conflicts in the command structures of the opposing armies.” New Forums is primarily known for books about higher education so this series is quite a departure for them.