Book Reviews

Guide to Missouri Confederate Units 1861-1865 By James McGhee Reviewed by Steve E. Watkins

Guide to Missouri Confederate Units 1861-1865 serves as a reference on sixty-nine artillery, cavalry, and infantry forces that were organized in Missouri to serve the Confederacy. It collects information from a wide array of sources including contemporary documents, personal accounts, books, and research papers. The documentation is well done. The book is a useful contribution to Civil War history and addresses the role of Missourians in the Confederacy, especially in the Trans-Mississippi theatre of the war.

The author states that his intention is “to provide brief sketches on each regiment, battalion, squadron, and separate company… organized for Confederate service.” Missouri State Guard and irregular groups are not covered and the book assumes knowledge of Trans-Mississippi battles. The introduction provides an overview of recruitment cycles in Missouri and of the book organization. Each unit has dedicated content listing the officers and companies, a short unit history, and a bibliography. Alternate unit names are given. An appreciated feature is the inclusion of the Missouri county of origin for each company's volunteers. Other included resources are a general bibliography and twenty-two photographs of Missouri Confederate officers and soldiers. Although intended as a reference work, the unit histories go beyond merely listing facts and dates and give readable narratives. A minor criticism is the lack of a map showing the Trans-Mississippi area.

The author has produced a fine book that will serve the Civil War enthusiast, genealogist, and others well. The scope and attention to detail is impressive. I recommend this book highly.

Jo Shelby’s Iron Brigade By Deryl Sellemyer Reviewed by Matthew Schramm

Attempting to write a modern historical study of Jo Shelby and his command is no easy task. Given the relatively thin amount of scholarly research in regards to Shelby, as well as the mythology heaped upon him by such writers as John Edwards, to present a balanced accounting is difficult and something that Deryl Sellmeyer is to be commended for in the book Jo Shelby’s Iron Brigade.

Sellmeyer has not relied on Edwards’s works, and as such presents the first real study of Shelby and his men, following the command through numerous raids and battles during the war in the Trans-Mississippi. Among the strengths of Jo Shelby’s Iron Brigade is its attention to the recruitment and organization of the command.

Yet Jo Shelby’s Iron Brigade also suffers from a couple of serious faults. For one, Sellmeyer sticks to a very basic narrative/descriptive style of writing, rarely delving too far into the stories of the rank and file of the command. Nor does Sellmeyer provide much in the way of anecdotes or analysis, often making Jo Shelby’s Iron Brigade a very dry and tedious read. For a unit and commander as colorful as Shelby and his brigade, one would hope for a livelier book, especially considering the work’s length.

Another factor, which takes away from the work, is the surprising number of sources Sellmeyer has failed to use in his study. While the work does employ numerous sources, including archival, there are far more works, and many of note, that Sellmeyer was either unaware of or simply did not employ.

Despite such faults though, Sellmeyer has written a decent study of Jo Shelby and his famed brigade, and many readers will likely find it to be a good general account.

Shelby’s Expedition to Mexico: An Unwritten Leaf of the War By John N. Edwards; Edited by Conger Beasley Reviewed by Matthew Schramm

Covering a period from about June to September of 1865, Shelby’s Expedition to Mexico takes the reader along as Confederate General “Jo” Shelby and his followers cross the Rio Grande, battle irregulars and bandits in Northern Mexico, and eventually march into Mexico City.

Conger Beasley provides a nice introduction/biographical sketch of author and soldier John Edwards in this most recent edition of Shelby’s Expedition. Yet Edwards’s text is often flowery and unnecessarily laudatory, making it at times confusing and of doubtful accuracy. In fact, Edwin Adam Davis’s account of Shelby’s expedition, Fallen Guidon, is probably more accessible for modern readers than Edwards’s account.

The most disappointing aspect of the re-release of Shelby’s Expedition is editor Conger Beasley’s annotations, which often leave something to be desired. Compared to such fine primary source material as Missouri in 1861, which is heavily footnoted and annotated, Beasley’s notes are infrequent, often leaving many persons and places mentioned within the text a complete mystery with apparently little effort to identify them.

Still, despite its faults, Shelby’s Expedition does provide one of the few primary accounts of Shelby’s march and the flight of ex-Confederates to Mexico in 1865, and can often be an enjoyable read. As such, Shelby’s Expedition remains a standard for any student of the Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi.

Battle of Lone Jack, August 16, 1862 By Joanne Eakin Reviewed by Glenn Ledder

Usually a book written long after an event is an account pieced together by a historian from primary sources. Battle of Lone Jack (Missouri) is actually a collection of primary source material. Unfortunately, this book looks more like a printed version of a historian’s notes than a published compilation of primary material. There is no table of contents, nor is there any system of noting the transition from one type of material to another. The book begins with a 17-page account of the battle, followed by a hodge-podge of notes, newspaper articles, and reports. Approximately two thirds of the book consists of brief biographies, details on specific units, and lists of participants. The unit details could have given a very interesting picture of how the forces in the battle came to be at Lone Jack; however, these accounts are inconsistent and their sources are not documented.

The reader interested in genealogical research will find a potential gold mine in Battle of Lone Jack. The reader who wants to understand the battle and its context should instead read “Shot All to Pieces,” a thoroughly researched, documented, and synthesized account by Matt Matthews and Kip Lindberg and available for download here. The value of this piece goes beyond its value as an account of the battle—it offers a case study of the ongoing struggle between efforts by Confederate officers to recruit soldiers in Missouri and efforts by small Federal detachments to disperse these bands before they could organize.

All Cut to Pieces and Gone to Hell: The Civil War, Race Relations, and the Battle of Poison Spring Edited by Mark Christ Reviewed by Glenn Ledder

All Cut to Pieces and Gone to Hell: The Civil War, Race Relations, and the Battle of Poison Spring fills an important niche in the corpus of Civil War history. Works on African American soldiers have highlighted the 54th Massachusetts and other units that served in the East. These units were known more for their effort and morale than for their successes. In contrast, the 1st Kansas Colored earned high praise from the generals under whom it served, and it suffered one of the worst atrocities of the war. With no diarist in the ranks, and service in the Trans-Mississippi, the story of the 1st Kansas Colored was largely untold prior to the publication of this book.

The book is a collection of six essays drawn from talks given at a seminar in 2002 at Little Rock, Arkansas. Included among the essays are an analysis of the way black soldiers were viewed by Southerners, a sketch of the changing role of African Americans in the Union war effort, and descriptions of the Battles of Honey Springs, Indian Territory (at which the 1st Kansas Colored fought admirably and won) and Poison Spring, Arkansas (at which the 1st Kansas Colored fought heroically and lost because of inadequate planning by the army commander). The two battle descriptions are the best modern studies of these small but important battles.

All Cut to Pieces and Gone to Hell tells an important and neglected part of the Civil War story, and it does so in a manner both entertaining and scholarly. I highly recommend this book for any personal Civil War library.

Rugged and Sublime: The Civil War in Arkansas Edited by Mark Christ Reviewed by Glenn Ledder

Rugged and Sublime: The Civil War in Arkansas, offers a broad overview of the Civil War in Arkansas, with an emphasis on the battles and campaigns. After a brief introduction by editor Mark Christ that sets the table, the main part of the book is five chapters of historical narrative, one chapter for each of the five years of the conflict. The chapters were written by experts including William L Shea (1862) and Thomas A DeBlack (1863), and the book was published by the highly regarded University of Arkansas Press. The writing is engaging and the small number of maps are very readable.

The reader who is looking for a detailed study of individual engagements will be disappointed with this book. Many important battles in Arkansas, particularly the battles of Arkansas Post and Helena, have no thorough modern treatment in print. These battles are described in Rugged and Sublime, but in limited detail. The book is thoroughly documented, with over 120 footnotes just for 1863, so it serves as a good starting point for the reader who wants to know more.

As a broad overview of the Civil War in Arkansas, one could not ask for a better book than Rugged and Sublime. It is the perfect gift for anyone who is interested in Arkansas history, but is not a Civil War expert.

Civil War on the Kansas-Missouri Border By Donald L. Gilmore Reviewed by Glenn Ledder

Don R. Bowen has noted that accounts of guerrilla activities fall into one of two categories. Those written from the point of view of the dominant group portray the guerrillas as ruthless thieves and murderers, while those written from the point of view of the dominated group view them as honest decent folk driven to lawlessness by persecution. The side that wins writes most of the history books, and that is one reason why the bushwhackers of Missouri are vilified in most Civil War history.

In Civil War on the Missouri-Kansas Border, Donald L. Gilmore attempts to correct the overly negative portrayal of the bushwhackers. Unfortunately, Gilmore ends up as an apologist for the guerrillas rather than as a neutral historian setting the record straight. The case that the Jayhawkers (abolitionist guerrilla bands from Kansas), such as Charles Jennison and Daniel Anthony, and overzealous Union leaders, such as Nathaniel Lyon and Thomas Ewing, committed atrocities against innocent Missourians is clearly supported by the evidence. Picturing William Quantrill and George Todd as innocent victims goes a bit too far. For example, “[Quantrill’s] guerrillas galloped into Shawneetown on October 17 [1862],...killing seven citizens, and burning the town. What the Jayhawkers had been doing for years in Missouri was now [my emphasis] happening in Kansas, albeit on a more modest scale.” Statements such as these suggest that Gilmore is too biased for his account to deserve acceptance, which is too bad, because there is clearly some significant truth in his conclusions.

In spite of the title, the book does not significantly treat any of the battles that occurred in western Missouri or eastern Kansas.

The Half Not Told: The Civil War in a Frontier Town By Preston Filbert Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

Preston Filbert’s The Half Not Told: The Civil War in a Frontier Town is one of those Civil War books that are published and almost immediately —and undeservedly—forgotten (although the vague title probably didn’t help much!). The Half Not Told is a fine history of the Civil War in NW Missouri. Although it centers around the bustling town of St. Joseph, the book also covers political and military events over the larger area of Andrew, Buchanan, and Platte counties, all of which border the Missouri River. It really is a unique piece of history as the NW region is almost completely overshadowed in the publishing world by histories of events that occurred in the western and southwestern portions of the state.

While not neglectful of political analysis and social history, the author’s focus on military subjects is a welcome change of pace from recent city studies that tend to move these events into the background. One of the most confusing tasks of any study of the Civil War in Missouri is the attempt to make sense of the labyrinth of militia organizations from the state (Kirby Ross’s short article Federal Militias in Missouri is of some help). Although Filbert forgoes a systematic analysis, he does provide some insight into the militia system that prevailed in the region when regular Union formations left the state. One of the more fascinating organizations is the so-called “Paw Paw” militia, armed by Federal authorities but made up largely of Southern-sympathizing citizens.

A tragic event that I had not heard of, the “Platte River Tragedy,” is detailed in the book. The Platte River railroad bridge east of St. Joseph was weakened deliberately by fire, and a train loaded mainly with civilians plunged into the water, killing and wounding scores of passengers. The perpetrators were never caught, but accusations of involvement would be used as weapons to stain many a reputation.

Filbert, a journalist himself, also makes an interesting point about how towns along the Missouri River attempted to manipulate politics and/or social turmoil for economic gain. Papers in one town would attempt to exaggerate (or just as often completely fabricate) reports of violence and secessionist sentiment in rival communities in the hope that easterners would pick up on the news and redirect their business towards their own merchants. The increasingly fierce economic rivalry between St. Joseph and Kansas City was exacerbated in this manner. Of course, in the post-war period, Kansas City became king.

The Half Not Told is a slim volume that contains much to recommend it. It’s a well written and researched study that will increase the level of understanding of any reader interested in learning more about Civil War Missouri’s tangled politics and vicious guerrilla warfare.

Inside War: The Guerrilla Conflict in Missouri During the American Civil War By Michael Fellman Reviewed by Frank Trost

In trying to fully understand guerrilla war in Missouri I came across Michael Fellman’s Inside War. This is his study of the guerrilla war through first hand accounts. He does an excellent job in laying the initial foundation and attitudes of society in Missouri prior to the war. I found his work hard to put down and very easy to read. He has an excellent breakdown in his book that includes sections on “Official Attitude” to “After the War.”

What truly make this work stand out are the numerous first person accounts that for the most part do not seem embittered or “soft.” The personal accounts are broken down into the sections woven into the book. Whereas I did not like the chronological jumping of some narratives, Mr. Fellman did an excellent job in weaving the accounts and narrative together. I generally like more maps, but the few maps used did much to add to the overall value.

This work is a must read for those, like myself, who wish to delve into the true meaning of the more vicious war being raged in Missouri. I immensely enjoyed his section on “The Legend of the Noble Guerilla,” where Mr. Fellman goes on to talk about how the viciousness of the guerrilla was whitewashed to make a more palatable hero out of the likes of Quantrill. (I know some people are not going to like that.) But he in no way minimizes the equally brutal Union guerrillas (a more suitable term instead of militia or troops). I thoroughly recommend this book.

Missouri in 1861: The Civil War Letters of Franc B. Wilkie, Newspaper Correspondent. Edited by Michael E. Banasik Reviewed by Frank Trost

I was skeptical at first about this book because the title included “Newspaper Correspondent.” In my line of work (Law Enforcement) I have seen the news twisted to fit political and personal agendas. Not to say I haven't met decent journalists... I expected misinformation and bias, but was completely surprised by what I read. This book follows the first year of the war in Missouri and more importantly the experiences of one of the first regiments to actively take the field, the First Iowa Infantry. The book is divided into two parts, the first being Wilkie’s experiences with the First Iowa (April - August 1861) and the second being the remaining year as a larger view of the Missouri Campaign.

Mr. Wilkie became an early example of what a true embedded journalist should strive to be. He endured the boredom and suffered with the troops. For those who were in the military you will get a chuckle that soldiering and attitudes associated with active service have really not changed. The value of his writing is immense because these letters were written at that time and not years later. His insights into the working of a small unit are exceptional and his cynicism is enjoyable. One exceptionally funny realization was that he was taking the same risks as the soldiers, but not eligible for the same pension.

His letters are well written and bring the experience to life. The footnotes added are of immense value clarifying some points and correcting others. I would have preferred a little more detail using more maps, but the text more than makes up for that minor shortfall. Anyone who has any interest in the War in Missouri would do themselves a disservice by passing this book over.

The Autobiography of Samuel S. Hildebrand Edited By Kirby Ross Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

Sam Hildebrand was a bushwhacker of comparable stature to other more famous men in western Missouri like William C. Quantrill and Bill Anderson. Hildebrand’s operations in southeast Missouri were a major thorn in the side of Unionist civilians and the assorted pro-Union state militia units tasked with hunting him down. He and his small band of followers suffered through both victories and crushing defeats and Hildebrand himself managed to survive the war and live to write his autobiography.

Hildebrand’s memoir was originally published in 1870, edited by James W. Evans and Dr. A. Wendell Keith. This new edition is really two books: the Hildebrand memoir and editor Kirby Ross’s scholarly and voluminous notes that painstakingly examine the claims made by Hildebrand in his book. Ross’s work is both fascinating and important as he assembles evidence from all different sides (for, against, and neutral) and presents it to the reader with admirable objectivity. Additionally, many local myths come under scrutiny. The endnotes are a joy to read and the reader shouldn’t fail to notice that Ross continues the story beyond the period covered by Hildebrand, including the testimonials dealing with the death of Hildebrand, who was killed attempting to escape from court officers holding him on assault charges. This book is highly recommended.

The Uncivil War: Irregular Warfare In The Upper South, 1861-1865 By Robert R. Mackey Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

The Uncivil War is an important book because the author attempts to cast aside the misconceptions in the definitions and portrayal of Civil War irregular operations in modern literature and provide the reader with more useful categories for further study. Mackey clearly and intelligently differentiates between “partisans,” “guerrillas,” and “raiders” and, perhaps more importantly, is able to discuss their actions in the context of the acceptable military practices of their own time period.

The book can be divided into three separate case studies. The first study, and most important for our interests here, is a nice introduction to the evolution of partisan and anti-partisan warfare in northern Arkansas. The section here covering the measures used by the 1st Arkansas Cavalry (Union) in dealing with guerrilla attacks is especially informative. Moving on to the next case, John S. Mosby’s Virginia operations and the Federal countermeasures are studied in relation to the author’s definition of partisan warfare (as opposed to guerrilla warfare). Raiding as a distinct form of irregular combat is covered in the third and last case study, and is discussed in the context of the Forrest and Morgan raids into Tennessee and Kentucky in 1862 and 1863.

The maps are underwhelming, but the notes are copious and provide additional depth. The Uncivil War is a good modern introduction to Civil War irregular operations and hopefully will prompt further study.

Civil War St. Louis By Louis S. Gerteis Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

With the aid of rapid waves of immigration, new political and economic forces transformed St. Louis into a poster child of the sectional issues that gradually tore apart the country. While focusing on the Civil War years, author Louis Gerteis traces in breadth and detail the experience of St. Louisans from antebellum times through Reconstruction.

The action begins with the Camp Jackson affair and moves to the imposition of martial law and suspension of civil rights. Conditions at Gratiot Street Prison are described in great detail. The actions of civilian organizations such as the Western Sanitary Commission and the Ladies Union Aid Society are recounted. Furthermore, the vital role of women in these groups and in the multitude of military hospitals is prominently featured. The author also traces the construction of the Federal ironclad river fleet and recounts its service on the Western waterways. A short chapter on Reconstruction concludes the book.

Civil War St. Louis does have its flaws. Though highly detailed, the volume is rather thin on critical analysis regarding martial law and suspension of civil rights. While naval events are recounted, the reality of St. Louis’s wartime role as the military nerve center of the West during ’61-’62 is disappointingly underdeveloped. Lastly, a needed period map of the city and environs is absent.

A Severe and Bloody Fight By Scott H. Akridge and Emmett E. Powers Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

Writers searching for a model of Civil War local history would do well to emulate A Severe and Bloody Fight. For such a brief and relatively obscure episode (May-June, 1862,White County) in Arkansas Civil War history, the authors uncovered a vast array of primary research materials and assembled their findings into a fascinating account of events centered around the Battle of Whitney’s Lane. However, military events don’t comprise the entire story and the volume is also a treasure trove of social history highlighting the invasion’s impact on the local populace and their farms.

After the battle of Pea Ridge, General Curtis transferred his army to northeastern Arkansas for an attempt to capture Little Rock. Near Searcy Landing, a Federal foraging expedition was defeated at Whitney’s Lane. Curtis, low on supplies and convinced the Confederates were in his front in force, abandoned the campaign. These actions form the basis for the book, the heart of which is a blow by blow account of the Battle of Whitney’s Lane.

Photographs, charts, illustrations, letters, and newspaper accounts fill the pages and numerous maps depict the progress of the opposing forces on campaign and during the Battle of Whitney’s Lane. The extensive footnotes are impressive. Detailed orders of battle and casualties are included in the appendices along with additional newspaper reports and an archaeological fieldwork summary. The comprehensiveness is extraordinary and this book is not be missed by those interested in Arkansas history.

The Forgotten Men: The Missouri State Guard By Carolyn M. Bartels Reviewed by Bruce Nichols

Carolyn Bartels’ contribution to the body of knowledge of the Civil War in Missouri is great, and her The Forgotten Men has to count among the greater of her books. This book of over 400 pages is an alphabetical compilation from National Archives records of what is known of the military records of about 7,000 of the estimated 15,000 members of the southern Missouri State Guard (MSG) of the Civil War. This detailed encyclopedia of the MSG gives for each soldier his rank, unit of assignment in the MSG down to company level, and what source the National Archives used to write the record. Some entries also contain such information as age and hometown of the soldier, dates of service, battles in which the soldier participated, and brief facts about the individual’s wounds, capture, and death if applicable. An index detailing each soldier would be redundant, but Mrs. Bartels included in the back a useful index of other names mentioned in the individual soldiers’ military service records. Researchers can use that to identify all the soldiers listed in the book who served under the same company commander, for example.

An informative introduction by another noted Missouri Civil War author and sister of Carolyn Bartels, Joanne Chiles Eakins, clarifies for the researcher that the Missouri State Guard was actually Missouri’s Confederate force at the outset of the war. It was organized to repel invasion of the state by the Union military and most of the MSG’s service took place in and near Missouri throughout 1861 and ending in early 1862 when most MSG men still serving were mustered out of state service and into regular Confederate military organizations. Therefore, nearly all entries in this work primarily reflect Missouri southern service up through about February 1862 and researchers will need to consult other references for service beyond that.

Researchers should refer to The Forgotten Men to see if a Missouri southern soldier’s early war service is documented here. As mentioned, not all of the MSG troops have individual entries, but for those who do this book will give valuable clues about both the soldier and his service to the southern cause in Missouri.

The Battle of Wilson’s Creek By Edwin C. Bearss Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

The Battle of Wilson’s Creek is another superb offering by the legendary Ed Bearss. This highly detailed but eminently readable account of the climax of General Nathaniel Lyon’s 1861 campaign to clear secessionist forces out of Missouri will appeal to both the general reader and the most demanding of battle study enthusiasts.

The book begins with Lyon’s occupation of Springfield and the engagement at Dug Springs as both sides prepared for the upcoming battle. Like all good battle historians, Bearss seamlessly weaves first person accounts into his narrative, giving the reader insight into the personalities involved. Where the book shines brightest is in its marvelous battle history. The description of the fighting is immersive, and though the level of tactical detail is great, Bearss’s masterful writing steers the reader through the action without creating confusion. The author’s depiction of the fighting around Bloody Hill is the best that can be found.

Helping the reader master the level of detail is the inclusion of plentiful maps that are of exceptional quality. On these maps, each regiment’s tactical movements can be easily followed and opposite each is a timeline and overview of the action that is taking place. Helpful footnotes and an order of battle that includes numbers and losses round out this important volume. (As a side note, for an all-encompassing picture of the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, this reviewer urges interested readers to also read Wilson’s Creek: The Second Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It by Piston and Hatcher).

Steele’s Retreat from Camden and the Battle of Jenkins Ferry By Edwin C. Bearss Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

Most modern studies of the Union’s 1864 spring offensive in the Trans-Mississippi recognize the importance of General Frederick Steele’s Arkansas campaign but do not provide depth to coverage equal to that given to Bank’s more celebrated wing of the Red River Campaign. Ed Bearss fills the void nicely with this volume dealing with Steele’s retreat from Camden and the battles of Poison Springs, Marks’ Mill, and Jenkins Ferry.

In this as with all of Bearss’s books, the reader gains a wonderful sense of the surrounding terrain and can almost feel the forbidding nature of campaigning in southern Arkansas. The book is foremost a battle study and the descriptions of the fighting are first-rate. One can almost feel the intensity and desperation of both sides. Maps are plentiful and show all the relevant troop positions and movements at a small unit level.

Admittedly, this volume is not comprehensive in its treatment of the Camden Expedition. Through lack of funding, the author was not able to cover the initial stages of the campaign from Little Rock to Camden. Some readers may find this lack of background disconcerting. Additionally, in keeping with the book’s narrow focus as a campaign and battle study, the author chose not to delve deeply into the political firestorm that ensued after Federal authorities accused the Confederates of atrocities at Poison Springs and Jenkins Ferry. These are minor quibbles though and do not detract from what is another classic campaign study from Ed Bearss. This book is highly recommended.

October 25th and The Battle of Mine Creek By Lumir Buresh Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

Book length accounts of the individual battles of Sterling Price’s 1864 Missouri Raid are relatively uncommon, but, fortunately for us, Lumir Buresh’s account of the Battle of Mine Creek is uncommonly good. Occurring in Kansas at the tail end of the great raid, Mine Creek was an unmitigated disaster for Price’s Confederates. On the U.S. side, the battle showcased one of the greatest Union cavalry charges of the entire war, leading to the decisive defeat of a numerically superior enemy force.

Buresh’s book begins with a brief overview of the events leading up to the Confederate army’s retreat into Kansas and the battle of Mine Creek. The author’s description of events is superb from the opening shots at the Mounds and the Marais des Cynges to the epic charge at Mine Creek. Detailed maps, including a large, pullout map of the Battle of Mine Creek, show all relevant terrain and troop movements and allow the reader to easily follow the swift-moving action. From Mine Creek, the action moves to the Little Osage and the Marmiton rivers and ends with Price’s retreat across the Arkansas River and into Texas.

Originally published in 1977, this reprint is a handsome volume replete with maps, charts, and photographs. The author seems to have a special interest in the cavalry tactics of the period and those with a similar interest will be richly rewarded. Painstakingly thorough appendices dealing with troop strengths at Mine Creek, casualties, and cavalry tactics round out this excellent volume.

Shades of Gray: Confederate Soldiers and Veterans of Randolph County, Missouri By William Neil Block Reviewed by Bruce Nichols

I have a tender spot for researchers who produce books about Missouri’s Civil War from the perspective of one particular county, and Block’s work treating all or nearly all Confederate veterans of Randolph County is one of the better ones. This is an alphabetized list of biographies and service records of hundreds of southern soldiers with connections to Randolph County, referenced to an impressive list of sources. These individual entries also give some postwar information where it could be found, including burial locations. The author precedes the list of soldiers with several pages of detailed lists and explanations of both Missouri State Guard and regular Confederate units that contained Randolph County men and a list of battles of the western theater in which many of these men participated. Neil Block includes at the end a list of all citizens of that county who were compelled by Union authorities to pay assessments or provide oath and bond for being southern in sympathy. The author also thoughtfully adds an index of all other names mentioned in the text.

Someone researching a single southern man living in or close to Randolph County need only turn to the page where that person’s surname would appear to see if a record exists of that person based on Mr. Block’s hard work. This makes it easy.

Students of Missouri guerrilla warfare will find plenty here. Some among the list of southern units of Randolph County are those recruited here at various times deep behind Union lines. Neil Block has identified several leaders often associated with guerrilla activity in this region and a large number of the soldiers he lists were captured in the region around Randolph County. There are several among the long list the author identifies as guerrillas or partisan rangers with brief explanations. He has listed other men as citizens arrested at home and jailed or victims of murder or unexplained death at hands of Union troops in the area. I wish researchers would compose such useful lists for other Missouri counties.

Battle on the Bay: The Civil War Struggle for Galveston By Edward T. Cotham, Jr. Reviewed by Drew Wagenhofer

Battle on the Bay is one of the best of the “city at war” sub-genre of Civil War history books that have become increasingly popular in recent times. Contrary to what the title implies, this volume is a comprehensive social, political, and military history of the wartime experience of Galveston, Texas, from the secession crisis to Reconstruction and reunion. The stories of private citizens, soldiers, privateers, blockaders and blockade runners are all told.

Cotham also provides interesting insight into the personalities and command styles of the leading Confederate figures (especially John B. Magruder) who were charged with the defense of Galveston. The author’s account of the 1863 New Year’s Day recapture of Galveston is the best to date. Land and sea operations are recounted with equal skill and the reader is treated to a truly exciting episode in Civil War history. Additionally, the experiences of the men and ships of the federal naval blockade form an important part of the story.

The unrelenting pressures on the civilians as they strove to maintain some sense of normalcy were well chronicled. All along the political spectrum, the town’s struggles in dealing with secession, martial law, and enemy occupation are retold in the book in fine fashion. On the negative side, the naval battles have no accompanying maps, making it a little difficult to follow the action at times, and there was no list of military units stationed in and around the city during the war. Quibbles aside, this is a fine book that deserves a space on the bookshelf of anyone interested in Civil War Texas.

The Little Gods: Union Provost Marshalls in Missouri 1861-1865 By Joanne C. Eakin Reviewed by Bruce Nichols

Joanne Eakin has added to her vast collection of books about the Civil War in Missouri these two unique volumes taken from obscure National Archives files that demonstrate the powerful and arbitrary Provost Marshal system that served as a secret police in Missouri during the Civil War. The author or compiler points out in a few introductory remarks in both books that the provost marshal function of the Union army or any army was intended to police the military ranks in the manner that military police in recent years do. Mrs. Eakin then explains that the nature of this country’s internal or civil war persuaded the Federal government to suspend constitutional rights which in Missouri resulted in the Union military’s own police force expanding its jurisdiction over a suspect civilian populace, too. The resulting abuse over even civilians loyal to the northern government raised an outcry throughout the war to the point Abraham Lincoln frequently intervened in the dealings of the Provost Marshal offices in Missouri and kept a wary eye on its proceedings there. Only the breakdown of civil law enforcement across vast parts of the state during the terrible Civil War prevented the removal of this odious system.

Mrs. Eakin has chose a varied selection from among those voluminous files of Provost Marshal dealings across Missouri that demonstrate not only pathos, injustice, and caprice but often humorous and absurd events that the reader will enjoy. I particularly appreciate her pithy editorial exclamations set off from the main text. Serious Missouri Civil War researchers will also benefit from the great detail given in these “secret police” reports including tribunal interrogations of suspects and witnesses and reports by civilian informants or “snitches” to the Provost Marshal offices. Each volume has its own useful index.

Missouri Prisoners of War, from Gratiot Street Prison and Myrtle Street Prison, St. Louis, Missouri, and Alton Prison, Alton, Illinois By Joanne C. Eakin Reviewed by Bruce Nichols

I consider Joanne Eakin’s Missouri Prisoners of War to be one of the landmark reference works ever written about the Civil War in Missouri. The author synthesized the extensive lists of southern prisoners held by the Union military in the three St. Louis area military prisons from the War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109 and placed all these men (and women) in alphabetical order for easy access. Mrs. Eakin organized all the thousands of names so that each person listed is described in columns by name, rank, military regiment, where captured, date of capture, to which of the three prisons they were sent, and a catchall remarks column. All these entries represent not only prisoners of war from Missouri and the surrounding area, but guerrillas, citizens accused of actively supporting the southern cause, southern recruiters, and other “political prisoners.” The Union military used some other prison facilities for southern military and civilian prisoners taken in Missouri, but it seems the lion’s share of them were sent to these three prisons in the St. Louis area.

This means that someone researching a Missouri southerner and who finds that record in Eakin’s book will discover a treasure trove of information about that person’s life during the war. For southern soldiers such entries give the researcher the man’s unit for further research. The place and date of capture can hint at a particular skirmish or Union military action in which the POW may have been a participant. A researcher may be able to research actions in that county and time to surmise what the southerner may have been doing when caught. The remarks column tells us where the prisoner was sent next with an appropriate date: whether to another prison, to be exchanged, released to go home, died, escaped, or whatever. This information gives the researcher another place to search for records of the individual subsequent to his prison stay in the St. Louis area.

Even as valuable a research tool as Missouri Prisoners of War remains, there are some minor limitations which are not all the author’s fault. Much of the information tabulated represents the input of northern military clerks, and errors are common. The military units listed had to be given in nearly all cases by the prisoners themselves, and some southerners falsified their Confederate unit of assignment to deceive their captors for a variety of reasons. Although Mrs. Eakin provides a very useful introduction with background about these prisons including illustrations, some readers may wish she had included at least a general map of Missouri so researchers can see the locations of counties mentioned in the tables. Joanne Eakin did not include page numbers, and these may have made references to her wonderful work more precise. Even with these shortcomings, this work is vital to Missouri Civil War study.

Branded as Rebels: A List of Bushwhackers, Guerrillas, Partisan Rangers, Confederates, and Southern Sympathizers from Missouri During the War Years By Joanne C. Eakin and Donald R. Hale Reviewed by Bruce Nichols

Joanne Eakin and Donald Hale from the Kansas City region of Missouri have written several works about the Civil War in Missouri over three decades, and Branded as Rebels is one of their finest books and a very useful tool for both researchers and readers about Missouri in the Civil War. The authors have compiled an alphabetical list in over 500 pages of hundreds of mostly southern participants of the guerrilla war that wracked Missouri during the long war and even afterward. This is not a listing of those who served the Confederacy from Missouri in regular service throughout the South but of many of those who served the southern cause in Missouri even while it was occupied by tens of thousands of Union troops. In essence, Branded As Rebels is an encyclopedia of guerrillas and those who supported them.

Each individual is identified with his war record and his part in guerrilla warfare in the state, and Mrs. Eakin and Mr. Hale thoughtfully included the sources for all information keyed to the bibliography in the back. Also in the back are some interesting appendices including rosters of some guerrilla units and information about postwar reunions and a useful index of all names given throughout the book for cross reference. The authors have also included pictures of many of the men they describe which helps the reader see these southerners as people and not just names on a page. In this vein the authors have also included biographical data of the men they detail where available. The individual entries are well written and this book lends itself both to reference for individuals of interest and general reading.

A weakness of Branded As Rebels is that the authors concentrate mostly on the guerrilla war of west-central Missouri to the detriment of those who took part from other parts of the state. I understand a second volume of this work is almost completed that may address this shortcoming. All in all, Branded As Rebels is a landmark work on the guerrilla war that took place in Missouri during the Civil War and even into the postwar period and a valuable tool for researchers on those subjects.

Up From Arkansas By Frederick W. Goman Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

Up From Arkansas is an excellent military history of Marmaduke’s First Missouri Raid (Dec. 31,1862 - Jan 23, 1863). Weaving letters and first-person accounts into the narrative, the author provides an exciting and balanced account of the raid’s battles and skirmishes. The story is told from both sides, from the Confederate troopers under John S. Marmaduke, Joseph O. Shelby, and Emmet MacDonald to the Federal regular forces and Missouri militia defenders under Egbert Brown.

The raid began from the Arkansas River camps at Lewisburg and ended a month later at Batesville, on the White River. Along the road north from Arkansas to Springfield, Missouri, the column split and the book briefly describes the skirmishes at Ozark and Ft. Lawrence. Blow by blow accounts of the battles of Springfield and Hartville comprise the centerpiece of the story, with tactical movements laid out in regimental-level detail for the reader in stirring fashion. The action is concluded with the raiders’ parole of the Federal prisoners in Missouri and the return to Arkansas.

The maps included in the book show only general movements, but two excellent illustrations of the Springfield defenses show the location and design of the many forts surrounding the town. Nice appendices were added covering infantry, cavalry, and artillery tactics used during the battle along with orders of battle and detailed casualty lists by company. Though short in length, this volume is long on detail and is highly recommended for those interested in the military aspects of one of the many Trans-Mississippi cavalry raids.

The Battle of Carthage: Border War in Southeast Missouri, July 5, 1861 By David C. Hinze and Karen Farnham Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

When Nathaniel Lyon invaded Missouri in the summer of 1861, he divided his army into two wings. The northern wing, led by Lyon himself, drove up the Missouri River while the southern wing under Tom Sweeny and Franz Sigel pressed on into southwestern Missouri. Though the book is a comprehensive account of the war in Missouri up to the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, The Battle of Carthage is primarily the story of this southern wing.

The authors begin with an overview of the political situation in Missouri at the beginning of the war and a background of the German forces that would make up Sigel’s brigade at Carthage. A brief but excellent chapter on the Battle of Boonville places that “small battle with immense consequences” in proper historical perspective. This all leads to the central focus of the book, the Battle of Carthage.

Hinze and Farnham performed magnificently in weaving a coherent and highly detailed battle narrative from the often incomplete and contradictory sources dealing with the pro-Southern forces of the Missouri State Guard. The reader is able to follow the action with the help of several detailed maps that cover each stage of the battle. Biographical sketches of important figures and orders of battle are included along with an instructional 14-stop self-guided driving tour of the battle. An interview with author David Hinze completes the volume. Although a few minor typos and factual inaccuracies creep their way into the text, The Battle of Carthage is a wonderful achievement that should be read by all students of the Trans-Mississippi.

Quantrill’s Thieves By Joseph Houts Jr. Reviewed by Bruce Nichols

The title of Joseph Houts, Jr.’s book on Quanrill’s raiders may give some the impression this is a book like William E. Connelley’s 1910 Quantrill and the Border Wars, which depicts William C. Quantrill as an unprincipled soldier of fortune with misguided farm boys and social renegades as followers. But that impression would be completely wrong. Joseph Houts, Jr., a St. Joseph banker by trade, wrote this book because some of his ancestors in Johnson County, Missouri, actually rode with Quantrill and others of his kin rode against him. This is a classic “brother against brother” conflict that will attract the general reader with enough scholarly detail for the serious student of Missouri guerrilla warfare as well.

Houts’s premise in writing this book is an exposition of Quantrill’s unit muster roll (containing Houts’s ancestors’ names) found on the battlefield in July 1862 by a Union officer who passed it along to his superiors with the notation that this was a “roll of Quantrill’s Company of Thieves”—hence the title. The author has spent years researching each of the 93 names on this captured roll sheet and most of the book is an alphabetical arrangement of each Quantrill member’s biography, complete with source citations. Houts also provides several chapters of background explaining the nature of guerrilla war in west-central Missouri. There is also a unique chapter comparing the Quantrill members by common surnames; which were from slave-owning families; which died in the war; what they did postwar; their origins in Missouri or other states; which lived near each other before hostilities began and other interesting analyses. The book also has a selection of Union military general orders that pertain to the guerrilla war in Missouri, an endnote section with all citations, a very detailed bibliography, and an index. Houts also provides numerous illustrations including some from his own family that are new to this subject. Sadly, the book contains no maps to aid the reader in visualizing the geography. Over the years I have studied several lists and analyses of Quantrill’s guerrilla band by competent researchers, and I find Houts’ new contribution uniquely refreshing and scholarly. The author limits his scope to those 93 names on the July 1862 roster and leaves to other researchers variations of Quantrill membership at different times of the war. As we would expect from someone who had ancestors on both sides of the guerrilla war, the author avoids judgmental sentiments. I conclude Joseph K. Houts, Jr. has significantly added to a somewhat crowded body of knowledge about Quantrill’s guerrilla band with a unique yet competent perspective. It’s also fascinating reading. I couldn’t put it down. I thought I knew this subject thoroughly, yet I could hardly wait to see what Houts would show me in the next page.

Behind Enemy Lines: The Memoirs and Writings of Brigadier General Sidney Drake Jackman Edited by Richard Norton Reviewed by Bruce Nichols

We are indebted to Richard Norton and Oak Hills Publishing for bringing to public attention the memoirs of Sidney Drake Jackman, who was not only a successful and respected Confederate officer of regular troops from Missouri but also an intrepid and successful guerrilla commander as well. I had seen some of General Jackman’s remarks about the war in Missouri in some postwar newspaper accounts, but until this 1997 book entered the public arena I was not even aware this remarkable man had written enough of his war experiences to fill a book. It is rare for a Missouri southern commander to be not only successful as both a leader of regular and irregular troops but to win the awe and respect of his enemy in so doing. Jackman’s memoirs clearly show he was a man of virtue and integrity and his scathing comments about such notables in Missouri guerrilla warfare as Colonel John T. Coffee of Dade County and others give the reader a glimpse of these leaders that nobody else gives. It is also remarkable that Jackman was successful in recruiting for the southern cause many miles “behind enemy lines” and bringing out those recruits to join the Confederate army. Many are not aware that in 1863 Jackman remained in hiding in the Howard and Boone County area of Missouri for weeks literally under the noses of the Yankee military undermining the northern militia there and conducting a successful terror campaign. Jackman’s modest remarks about this period of his war record hardly give him justice.

Richard Norton’s compilation of Jackman’s memoirs is sensibly presented with very helpful footnotes, bibliography, and index. The pictures of many of the notables Jackman mentions in the text are wonderful, but the reader would benefit from more and better maps than the little one provided. Norton gives a brief seven page biography of Sidney Jackman and his military service record after a three page preface from noted Civil War researcher and author Bruce Allardice (author of Generals in Gray and More Generals in Gray).

Readers will enjoy reading Jackman’s version of the Battle of Lone Jack in August 1862 and his role in General Sterling Price’s great Missouri raid of autumn 1864.

One Damn Blunder from Beginning to End: The Red River Campaign of 1864 By Gary Dillard Joiner Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

In recent years, quite a number of relatively small, single volume overviews of the Red River campaign have been published. Though there is little to distinguish between them and none are exhaustive, Gary Joiner’s new work provides enough new information to make it well worth an interested reader’s time and effort.

The book begins in early 1864, when Union forces led by Nathaniel Banks launched a massive combined arms assault up Louisiana’s Red River valley. The expedition’s military goal was the capture of Shreveport, the capital and supply center of Confederate Louisiana. In his comprehensive treatment of the campaign, Joiner only briefly deals with the major battles of the campaign. This is not a traditional campaign or battle study. The author gives equal importance to the economic, social, and political factors behind the invasion. These include the confiscation of vast amounts of cotton and the establishment of U.S.-controlled state governments in Louisiana and East Texas.

Joiner, a Cartographer, is at his best when analyzing the peculiarities and hydrology of the Red River valley. His description of the means used by Confederate engineers to temporarily divert the flow of the Red River in case of attack are fascinating. Additionally, the author provides a map and description of the defenses of Shreveport that cannot be found in other campaign studies.

Gettysburg of the West: The Battle of Westport, October 21-23, 1864 By Fred L. Lee Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

Fred Lee’s eclectic mix of narrative, eyewitness accounts, newspaper articles, and biographical sketches dealing with the Battle of Westport is a treasure trove that has a little bit of everything for everyone. In addition to the text, photographs, maps, and illustrations fill the pages. Gettysburg of the West is not a true battle study and is rather haphazardly organized but anyone with an interest in the battles at Independence, Mockbee Farm, Little Blue, Big Blue and Westport should not miss adding this volume to his collection.

The book begins with an overview by renowned Missouri historian Howard Monnett of the Battle of Westport and the Confederate retreat after the battle. Continuing on, the battles leading to the action at Westport (Little Blue, Independence, and the Mockbee Farm fight) are described from eyewitness accounts. The next section comprises reports, diary entries, reminiscences, and letters from participants. The experience of the wounded and the effects of the battles on local communities are also reported. Biographical sketches and obituaries of participants are included along with an inventory of postwar parks and monuments. A self-guided battlefield tour of the Battle of Independence rounds out the main text of the book.

Numerous appendices provide additional information, such as the organization of the opposing armies during and after the Battle of Westport. Another item of particular interest is a catalog of the existing historical markers in the area. The entire text of each marker is shown. Additional information on historical sites in the area concludes the book. Highly recommending reading for researchers and general audience alike.

With Porter in North Missouri: A Chapter in the History of the War Between the States By Joseph Mudd Reviewed by Bruce Nichols

Joseph Mudd’s narrative of the long 1862 campaign of Confederate behind-Union-lines recruiter Colonel Joseph C. Porter has become a classic of the Civil War in Missouri. Camp Pope Bookshop’s modern reprinting of this book makes it available to many more and helps this work take its place among the finest memoirs of the irregular warfare typical of Missouri during the conflict. Mudd spent several years after the war researching aspects of Porter’s campaign in which Mudd was a participant. His honest appraisal of Porter’s battles in northeast Missouri includes the hard-fought Battle at Moore’s Mill in Callaway County, the Battle of Kirksville in Adair County, the capture and execution of Confederate Lt.-Col. Frisby H. McCullough, and the controversial Union execution of ten southern prisoners of war in what has been called “the Palmyra Massacre.” An unusual but welcome feature of Mudd’s work is his inclusion at the end of various well thought-out essays about various aspects of the terrible warfare in Missouri. The writer’s accounts are free of the vehement, emotional diatribes found in some of the southern memoirs. The accusations Joseph Mudd makes are backed by careful research and citation of his sources, which is not the case with many similar works written about this time. Missouri Civil War researchers have also informed me that Mudd spent considerable time even after With Porter in North Missouri researching other controversial aspects of the war in Missouri with a refreshing evenhandedness.

The 1992 reprint of With Porter in North Missouri has a sturdy hardback and a very useful index. Camp Pope Bookshop even kept the original type and style of the original 1909 version including the large collection of pictures. These pictures show not only Colonel Porter’s subordinate leaders, but also some of the rank and file, and even photos of some of the Union leaders who fought against Porter. A map of the many mentioned locations of this corner of Missouri would have been a welcome improvement to impress upon the reader the vast, sudden movements of the resourceful Joseph Porter, but no maps are included.

Note: The hardcover edition of the Camp Pope Bookshop reprint of With Porter in North Missouri is no longer available. The book is available in a quality paperback edition.

The Fifth Season: General “Jo” Shelby The Great Raid of 1863 By Mark E. Scott Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

The Fifth Season is a printing of the author’s 1996 Masters thesis. The first half of the book is a general recounting of the Civil War in Missouri and northern Arkansas up to Colonel Joseph Orville Shelby’s “Great Raid” of 1863. Naturally, emphasis is placed on the actions where Shelby himself was present. For this part of the book, Scott relies mainly on older published sources for the overview and many factual errors creep into the text. The well-informed reader could skip this entire section and miss little.

The second half of the book is the story of Shelby’s 1863 “Great Raid” that stretched over 41 days and 1500 miles. It is at this point that the book significantly improves. Here, the author makes better use of manuscript and other primary sources and weaves an interesting narrative history of the raid. Shelby and his men rode from the Arkansas River north all the way to the Missouri River before the raiders were forced by converging Federal forces to retrace their steps back to Arkansas. The battle at Marshall, the raid’s most significant fight, was described by the author in detail, though a map would have been helpful to readers unfamiliar with the area.

In addition to the errors in the book’s first half, the presentation is sloppy in places (the author’s two page introduction had at least six typos!) and, while the work is footnoted, no index is included. The maps are inadequate, making it difficult at times to follow closely the actions of raider and pursuer. Overall though, based on the generally well written overview of the title raid, I would give The Fifth Season a lukewarm recommendation for those readers interested in this chapter of the war in the Trans-Mississippi.

In Their Words: A Chronology of the Civil War in Chicot County, Arkansas and Adjacent Waters of the Mississippi River. By Don R. Simons Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

In Their Words is a very valuable collection of primary source material dealing with military actions in southeastern Arkansas. Sprinkled with plentiful maps, photos, and drawings, the book provides a chronology of events as written in the diaries, letters, and reports of the participants—male, female, civilian and military alike. The main focus is military, though, and much of the text recalls the endless interdiction attacks by Confederate regular and guerrilla forces on both sides of the Mississippi River and the Federal naval and land response to those attacks.

The book is organized by date with chapters on major events like the Vicksburg Campaign, Cypress Bend and Deer Creek Expeditions, Red River Campaign, Battle of Ditch Bayou, and the Bayou Bartholomew Expedition. Author Don Simons wields a very restrained editorial hand, preferring to include many reports verbatim (and often redundant) with only a few words of introduction. This is both a positive and negative depending on the reader’s expectations. While researchers will appreciate the multitude of primary reports from both sides covering the same action, the general reader may tire of the frequent repetition and lack of narrative flow.

In sum, In Their Words is a very thorough recounting of the Civil War battles and skirmishes in a backwater front that nonetheless had a significant impact on the major campaigns further south. The work is impressive in the level of detail provided and is an excellent example of local history. Heartily recommended.

The Forgotten “Stonewall of the West” By Phillip Thomas Tucker Reviewed by Drew Wagenhoffer

John Stevens Bowen was one of those Civil War generals that was highly respected by his peers but virtually lost to history. Writers and historians often try to put forth a Western general equal in military stature to the East’s Stonewall Jackson. Author Phillip Thomas Tucker’s biography of Bowen attempts to make the case for his subject. Considering this officer’s combat record, it is not a difficult case to make, though it is perhaps hampered by his untimely mid-career death from disease on July 13, 1863.

After briefly discussing Bowen’s early life, Tucker chronicles the general’s stellar Civil War service from Shiloh to Vicksburg. At Shiloh, Bowen’s brigade attacked the famed Peach Orchard. Later that year during the Corinth campaign, he again led his brigade well at the Battle of Corinth and the fight at the Tuscumbia River. Bowen’s little known defensive stand east of the Tuscumbia River at Big Hill during the retreat from Corinth was vital to the survival of the Confederate army. The author’s lengthy, detailed account of this event is superb and brings to light an almost forgotten episode of the war. Finally, the general’s brilliant actions at Grand Gulf, Port Gibson, and Champion Hill during the Vicksburg campaign are also recounted.

The volume is not without flaws. It could have used a good editor as the author tends to engage in hyperbole and repeat himself throughout. Typos are also frequent. However, the book certainly has merit enough to recommend it and, as far as I know, it is the only full-length biography of Bowen.

The Civil War in St. Louis: A Guided Tour By William C. Winter Reviewd by Bruce Nichols

Although there are several books about the Civil War in St. Louis or that touch on certain aspects of the subject, William Winter’s book, lavishly illustrated and produced in quality fashion by the Missouri Historical Society, will always rank near the top of the list. The author’s training and background is from the business world, but his long interest in the Civil War and many years participating in the Civil War Round Table of St. Louis have obviously given him what he needed to bring this work to completion. More than merely a narrative, this work directs the reader to Civil War sites visible in present-day St. Louis, and an appendix does the same for nearby Alton, Illinois. A nice feature of this book is a detailed twenty-page description with biographies of over 70 Civil War notables buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery, with directions to find it and a map showing all the grave locations.

There is sufficient scholarship evident to prove The Civil War in St. Louis is more than a travelogue. The first chapter covers the background of the war in St. Louis with narratives on Jefferson Barracks, Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, and John S. Bowen, who were destined to become noted Civil War generals. The events and people are keyed to what the present-day visitor can still see in St. Louis, along with directions to the sites. The second chapter about the coming of the war concentrates on certain buildings in which key events occurred as war began. The third chapter is devoted entirely to the Camp Jackson affair which ushered all of Missouri into Civil War. Several excellent maps allow the reader to relate Civil War locations of these May 1861 events to their current sites. The rest of the war is relegated to Chapter Four. This chapter identifies certain events or activities that reflect the large Union military presence in the city throughout the war and those citizens of southern sympathy who could not change that. The fifth and last chapter concerns various Civil War aspects that can be seen in statues and cemeteries such as the one already mentioned and others including old Jefferson Barracks and the National Cemetery there. One appendix gives a chronology of Civil War events that take place in the city followed by detailed notes and bibliography and an index.

There are more detailed histories of St. Louis, but hardly any more visually oriented. The purpose is obviously to make the Civil War come alive through remnants still visible to those who read this book and know where to find them.