William Frederick Milton Arny

Biography

William Frederick Milton Arny (1813–1881) devoted his energies to public service on the western frontier, advocating for Kansas's free-state cause and later serving as an Indian agent in New Mexico where he worked to mediate between the federal government and Native peoples.

He kept faith that careful negotiation and respect for cultures could lessen conflict, and his papers attest to the compassion he sought to bring to a difficult era of expansion.