Vanishing Arizona - Summerhayes, Martha

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Résumé :
A lady, the desert, the army and the Apaches This is the account of the life of a young army wife who followed her husband-a second lieutenant of infantry-after the turbulent years of the American Civil War, in which he had served, to what was considered the wildest and most remote of frontier outposts in the American south west. Life within the Army in Arizona came as something of a cultural shock to this gentle lady of New England who knew nothing of housekeeping-indeed she did not even know how to pack. This absorbing book takes us together with its author on a rights of passage experience as she lived, travelled, camped and came to have affection for the untamed land. Her husband was constantly engaged in campaigns against the Apache and Martha Summerhayes experience of them in peace and war also adds flavour to this unforgettable life of a woman in frontier days. Available in soft cover and hard cover with dust jacket for collectors.

Sommaire:
Martha Summerhayes was a memoirist whose writings offer a vivid account of life on the American frontier. Born in Nantucket, Massachusetts, to parents whose names are not widely recorded, she pursued education and cultural enrichment abroad, spending two years studying literature in Germany from 1871 to 1873. Her experiences as a well-traveled and educated woman informed her perspective, allowing her to capture the contrasts between refined Eastern life and the rugged realities of the West. Summerhayes's passion for writing led her to document her experiences as an army wife in Arizona, producing works that combined personal reflection with historical insight. Her memoirs reveal resilience, adaptability, and an eye for detail, portraying both daily domestic challenges and the broader social and cultural environment of her time. She later settled in New York and continued her literary pursuits, leaving behind a legacy that preserves a unique window into frontier life. Martha Summerhayes passed away in Schenectady, New York, and was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, remembered for her contributions to American memoir literature....