PDF Inside War: The Guerrilla Conflict in Missouri During the American Civil War by Michael Fellman in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. One of the best studies of the guerrilla conflict in Missouri during the Civil War.By gloine36This is book that covers the guerrilla conflict that rocked Missouri during the Civil War. Unlike the conflict east of the Mississippi River; the events in Missouri were shaped by a guerrilla war that pitted friends and family against one another. In many cases the fighting had more to do with personal grudges and vendettas than the cause of the Civil War itself. No one was safe from the raiding and quite often it was difficult to tell who was friend or foe. When one studies the history of the period it is often hard to tell who was right and who was wrong due to the terrible nature of the conflict perpetrated by both sides. Fellman uses a lot of primary sources in this book and that makes it a hard read at times. The information is stellar and it is obvious that Fellman did some really good research in digging up the data. He doesn’t take a side in the conflict although that is sometimes hard to gauge because so many of the surviving sources were Union based accounts. That also reflects the savageness of the guerrilla struggle. As noted in other similar conflicts; guerrilla warfare is nasty and often it is hard to tell who is who. Counter-guerrilla strategies often are just about as bad as the guerrilla warfare itself and that was shown time and again in this conflict. As a student of the Missouri aspect of the Civil War; this book is a great resource. It has been cited numerous times and is one of the leading go to books for historians who are looking at the literature on this part of the war. Fellman; who passed away in 2012; was Professor Emeritus of History at Simon Fraser University in Canada. He wrote several books on the Civil War and this one is probably the one that had the most impact in Civil War circles. I bought the book second hand and was happily surprised to find a letter signed by Fellman on Simon Fraser stationary inside the book. I love it when I find something like that. The book was probably part of an estate sale and no one knew or appreciated the contents. I am leaving it in the book so that eventually; another collector will get to share in the discovery. Again; this is a very good book. Anyone looking at Missouri’s role in the Civil War will want to read the book. There is so much to understand about this conflict that is overlooked or downplayed by the larger works on the Civil War. Missouri’s role was totally different than any other state. Its history was negatively impacted by the war; especially the guerrilla war. In order to understand Missouri’s post-Civil War history; one must first understand what shaped it.8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Not for the NoviceBy Missouri EagleOther reviewer's have covered this book and what it is very well. I do study Missouri Civil War History and in particular the Guerrilla's (i.e. Bushwhacker/bushwacker). Missouri families and communities did indeed suffer in that we truly had brother against brother against brother;(Union; confederate; and (bushwackers/guerrillas')in many families. Both union and confederate soldiers and sympathizers raided; burned; killed; conscripted throughout missouri. Many towns were literally deserted of people and buildings during or by the end of the war. Fellman is truly one accepted scholar on this area of the Civil war. In spite of my knowledge and experience/research; I found the book a little bit difficult to read for any length of time. So much detail is given (some with questionable 'documentation') that a novice would probably get lost in trying to read Inside War if he didn't already have a pretty good understanding of Missouri; it's part in the Civil war; and the events that lead to the rise of guerrilla warfare here. I will keep this important writing as a part of my references because it is so thorough and I do pick it up frequently in my studies and my own writing about the Guerrillas of Missouri.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Helpful with my genealogy.By Laetitia S. CookFound a paragraph about my Great-great grandfather's murder in 1863. Just what I needed to add to my family tree.