Regular Army Frontier Outposts.

[Manassas 1861]

I was reading through Russell Beatie's book on the creation of the Army if the Potomac and found a very interesting claim. Beatie claims that the Regulars were stationed out west, so if violence finally erupted in the east, the Regulars couldn't easily stop it. Is there any historical evidence for this claim? Do you guys agree with it?

 

[James Brenner]

Three good books on the army in the post-war era;
Don Ricky, Jr., Forty Miles a Day on Beans and Hay.
Douglas McChristian, The Regular Army, O!
Robert M. Utley, Frontier Regulars.