Civil War on the Missouri-Kansas Border

Civil War on the Missouri-Kansas Border
Author: Donald Gilmore
Publisher: Pelican Publishing
Total Pages: 392
Release: 2005-11-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781455602308

During the Civil War, the western front was the scene of some of that conflictï¿1/2s bloodiest and most barbaric encounters as Union raiders and Confederate guerrillas pursued each other from farm to farm with equal disregard for civilian casualties. Historical accounts of these events overwhelmingly favor the victorious Union standpoint, characterizing the Southern fighters as wanton, unprincipled savages. But in fact, as the author, himself a descendant of Union soldiers, discovered, the bushwhackersï¿1/2 violent reactions were understandable, given the reign of terror they endured as a result of Lincolnï¿1/2s total war in the West. In reexamining many of the long-held historical assumptions about this period, Gilmore discusses President Lincolnï¿1/2s utmost desire to keep Missouri in the Union by any and all means. As early as 1858, Kansan and Union troops carried out unbridled confiscation or destruction of Missouri private property, until the state became known as "the burnt region." These outrages escalated to include martial law throughout Missouri and finally the infamous General Orders Number 11 of September 1863 in which Union general Thomas Ewing, federal commander of the region, ordered the deportation of the entire population of the border counties. It is no wonder that, faced with the loss of their farms and their livelihoods, Missourians struck back with equal force.

Guerrilla Warfare in Civil War Missouri, Volume IV, September 1864-June 1865

Guerrilla Warfare in Civil War Missouri, Volume IV, September 1864-June 1865
Author: Bruce Nichols
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 463
Release: 2014-04-29
Genre: History
ISBN: 0786475846

This book is a thorough study of all known guerrilla operations in Civil War Missouri between September 1864 and June 1865. It explores different tactics each side attempted to gain advantage over each other, with regional differences as influenced by the personalities of local commanders. The author utilizes both well-known and obscure sources (including military and government records, private accounts, county and other local histories, period and later newspapers, and secondary sources published after the war) to identify which Southern partisan leaders and groups operated in which areas of Missouri, and how their kinds of warfare evolved. This work presents the actions of Southern guerrilla forces and Confederate behind-Union-lines recruiters chronologically by region so that readers may see the relationship of seemingly isolated events to other events. The book also studies the counteractions of an array of different types of Union troops fighting guerrillas in Missouri to show how differences in training, leadership and experience affected actions in the field.

Boomer

Boomer
Author: Wayne Paul Tupper
Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
Total Pages: 494
Release: 2024-08-06
Genre: History
ISBN:

Boomer: In the Theater of Fearful Tragedies is a nonfiction account of the life of Colonel George B. Boomer, a little-known bridge builder and combat veteran who served in the Civil War of the United States. He was the son of a Baptist minister from Sutton, Massachusetts, who struggled with his Christian faith while searching for God's plan for his life. While his formal education was limited by a youthful disability of the eyes, he became a self-taught master bridge builder who learned to speak multiple languages while living in the state of Missouri. However, he is most known for his skills as a military commander who received compliments from Ulysses S. Grant. Colonel Boomer was the commander of the Twenty-Sixth Missouri Regiment, and he served in the western theater of the war. He was actively involved in Pope's campaign against Island Number Ten, and he suffered severe wounds at the Battle of Iuka, Mississippi. His greatest military accomplishment occurred during the pivotal battle of Champion's Hill, and it is likely that the actions of his brigade were largely responsible for the Union victory. Boomer endured tragedies in his civilian life and his life in the military at the hands ambitious political figures who brought him great grief. However, he would ultimately find his life's meaning in a peach orchard just outside Vicksburg, Mississippi. His selfless actions saved the lives of many of the men under his command. His veteran sacrifice for his country needs to be remembered.

First a Panther, Then a Bulldog!

First a Panther, Then a Bulldog!
Author: Herbert Waggener
Publisher: Lulu.com
Total Pages: 290
Release: 2010-03-04
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0557314976

This is the story of my four years of high school, starting with two years at Rockville as a Panther, and the second two years as a Bulldog at Appleton City, Missouri. They were fun, productive years. I was a bright student with limited athletic abilities, but competed with some success in both basketball and football. During summers and on weekends, I worked at my Father's sawmill, helping at the mill, logging in the timber, and later on, driving log trucks or delivering lumber to customers. I bought a 1928 Model T touring car, painted it bright red, and used it to attract and transport girls. My academic record was not excellent, but I did win a small Curator's Award to the University of Missouri, where in 1954 I would attend college, majoring in Physics. The training that I received from my family, my mentors, and my high school experience would serve me well throughout my life. This story celebrates those years.