Battleground New Mexico

Written around the American Civil War in the Southwest United States, Battleground New Mexico contrasts the experiences of three young men from disparate backgrounds and their reaction to war and its repercussions. Conflicted by responsibilities of home, the love of a young lady, and an implacable sense of adventure, a young Texas man experiences the consequences of a doomed invasion. Highlighting his exploits as a member of the Confederate invasion of the United States Territory of New Mexico in 1862, his story concludes with his initiation into adulthood. Indecisiveness created by home and family obligations conflict with a middle-aged New Mexican man's sense of duty and commitment as he enlists in the Voluntarios del Nuevo Mexico (New Mexico Volunteers) to protect his way of life from the invading army. Surviving fear, prejudice, and a Texas bullet, he returns home to a century's old lifestyle. Recruited into the 1st Colorado Volunteer Infantry, the experiences of an immigrant prospector from Pennsylvania depict the uncertainty he faces over personal desires, love of country, and doing the right thing. Tasked to halt the invasion, his enlistment and experiences with the militia are focused on the final denouement of the ill-fated invasion. Coming together on the battlefields of New Mexico, the three men's adventures are underscored with subplots of love and friendship, honor and dedication, vacillation and obligation. Facing the conflicts and resolutions inherent in life altering battles between self, home, and embattled armies, this tale follows these three men as they survive the death, destruction, and loss inherent in war. Conquering personal fears, they discover themselves, find courage, and emerge as different persons.