James Silas Calhoun

Sherry Robinson is an award-winning author and journalist. She is the author of several books including I Fought a Good Fight: A History of the Lipan Apaches and Apache Voices: Their Stories of Survival as Told to Eve Ball (UNM Press). She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Sherry Robinson's excellent biography of James S. Calhoun is an important book on a key figure, providing an insightful and engaging account of his life and career. She shows how his political experiences in Georgia as well as his participation in the Mexican War informed his relations with New Mexico's Indians, Nuevomexicanos, and territorial military commanders." - David V. Holtby, author of Forty-Seventh Star: New Mexico's Struggle for Statehood "Robinson's biography of James S. Calhoun weaves a fascinating tale that engages national politics of the Whigs and Democrats, the complications of US Indian policy over newly acquired territories, and the cultural themes of gender, class, and the role of the press. She masterfully interconnects his life with the tumultuous early years of New Mexico's entrance into the United States and the resulting conflicts over statehood versus territorial status, military versus civilian control, and native New Mexicans versus Anglo Americans who claimed sovereignty over their land and lives. This riveting biography of Calhoun's storied life stretches from his early days in Georgia to his governorship and demise in New Mexico and the plains of Kansas, where he ultimately expired." - Sandra K. Mathews, coeditor of A History of New Mexico Since Statehood