Part of the magic of Fort Huachuca is in people like Cornelius Cole Smith, Jr. Corney to his many friends. Descendent of Arizona pioneers, son of a cavalryman and Medal of Honor winner, Corney absorbed the lore and fables of Southwestern and military history by living among generations who helped make it. Born at Fort Huachuca when the colorful U.S. Cavalry still patrolled the International Border and later returning when his father was assigned as Post Commander, Corney could have written an absorbing narrative even without the meticulous scholarly research that this volume displays.

Of the more than 70 military posts established in Arizona during the frontier era, only Fort Huachuca remains as an active Army garrison. Corney has written of the people and events that shape the character of this once lonely mountain outpost into today's center of modern technology. Reading these pages, it becomes clear why this rich heritage captures the imagination of those who are stationed here to set the tone for their service.