The story of federal involvement in the territory of Utah is often glazed over in histories of the settle of the American West. In this gripping account, Maxwell, a retired surgeon, describes the post Civil War events from the perspective of a federal marshal, George R. Maxwell (no relation to the author). George Maxwell enlisted in the Union army at the age of nineteen; he was made a general by the time he was twenty-two. After the war, which left him with a wooden leg, missing fingers and various other injuries, he was appointed marshal to Utah. George Maxwell's most enduring accomplishment was the prosecution of John Doyle Lee for leading the massacre of a wagon train crossing Utah. The conflict between the Mormon theocracy and the federal government during this period is portrayed in a balanced manner. The author has used government documents along with photographs and papers from the Maxwell family. While he admires his subject, Maxwell is aware of George Maxwell's faults and does not paint the issues in black and white. This is a fascinating, well-documented look at a neglected area of American history. Annotation 2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
