Spoils of War

Best selling author of COLDIRON

SPOILS OF WAR (a.k.a. The Thieves)

1846

President Polk believes in Manifest Destiny-the United States should extend to the Pacific Ocean. Mexico's states California and New Mexico block him. Polk has a solution for that. He orders General Zachary Taylor take an army to Corpus Christi.

Sixteen year old Charlie Bell lies about his age and joins Taylor's Army and marches with the 4,500 men to the Rio Grande. In a fierce battle with the Mexican Army, Charlie kills with musket and bayonet. The Americans capture Matamoros.

Flush with victory, the Americans attack the walled city of Monterrey. As Charlie fights a young Mexican, both are wounded by an exploding cannon ball. While in the hospital, Charlie becomes friends with the wounded Mexican, Ernesto Armentes.

Charlie helps Ernesto to escape and deserts the army. They journey to New Mexico and find it in turmoil, captured by Americans and its people being robbed by a band of murderous Texans.

Desiring to own a great horse rancho, Charlie and Ernesto steal colts from Luke Coldiron and hurry into the mountains with them. Coldiron races to catch and hang the horse thieves and find the outlaw Texans. Thus begins a saga of search and vengeance as Coldiron turns hunter and killer.