Major Alexander O. Brodie

Frontiersman, Rough Rider, Governor

Charles Herner

• Publisher: TCU Press
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9780875654256
• eBook ISBN: 9780875654942
• Topic: Historia
• Subtopic: Biografías militares

From rough frontier soldier to capable politician, Alexander Oswald Brodie earned a reputation as a solid, honorable character in American history. Brodie’s most noteworthy claim to fame was his service as a Rough Rider alongside future president Theodore Roosevelt, who considered Brodie a lifelong friend. He later delved into politics, governing Arizona as it transformed from a lawless peripheral territory to the forty-eighth state in the Union. The stories of Brodie’s personal life, from the tragic deaths of his young wife and daughter, to the happiness he found later on, take shape to make this a biography that authentically illustrates how Brodie became the man he was. By interweaving personal history with the greater story of national heritage, biographer Charles Herner crafts a tale that is both relevant and intriguing.

For any historian interested in the evolution of the American West, Brodie’s story will give a personal account of some of the region’s most important episodes. As a young man, Alexander Brodie spent time at various forts throughout the West, responding to the demands of each different region. He later settled in Arizona, which he adopted as his homeland. He initiated the formation of the first cavalry troop that rode with Theodore Roosevelt that became known as the Rough Riders, sparking a beneficial friendship with the future president. Later, as governor of Arizona, Brodie managed the territory’s unruly political system, earning the respect of comrades and opponents.

Teacher and historian Charles Herner describes the life and accomplishments of Alexander Brodie, an intriguing figure whose accomplishments merit a careful study. Herner guides his reader through this man’s life, highlighting not only the most historically noteworthy events, but also those formative moments that shaped Brodie’s character.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Frontispiece
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Map
• Preface
• 1. “Our First Major Is a Dandy”
• 2. “The Life of a Country Gentleman”
• 3. “One of the Most Beautiful Sites in the US”
• 4. “I Do Not Believe They Can Again Be Trusted“
• 5. “He Could Not Fight the White and Indian Soldiers”
• 6. “A Constant Throng of the Elite and Fashion”
• 7. “A Gallant Soldier and Courteous Gentleman”
• 8. “Moving About”
• 9. “The Water Is Upon Us”
• 10. “An Honest and Upright Man”
• 11. “No Better Material Can Be Found Than in the Men of This Territory”
• 12. “The Arizona Squadron Is a Peach”
• 13. “I Am All Right”
• 14. “I Am Not a Politician”
• 15. “You Have Had Nothing Out of This War But Hard Knocks”
• 16. “The Overthrow of the Philistines”
• 17. “Green Enough to Pull Up Corn”
• 18. “A Very Good Democrat After All”
• 19. “There Is a Moral Side to This Issue”
• 20. “He Has Deported Himself with Propriety”
• 21. “When We Pass Over the Great Divide”
• 22. Afterword
• Endnotes
• Appendix: Biographical Reference
• Bibliography
• Index