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.
#2487755 in Books 2012-01-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.90 x 1.00 x 6.90l; 1.40 #File Name: 0786466596368 pages
Review
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating and foundationalBy margotJames Dunwody (or Dunwoody) Bulloch was the half-brother of Mittie Bulloch; mother to President Theodore Roosevelt. He was Teddy's mentor and favorite uncle; and aided him immensely with his first book; a naval history of the War of 1812 written shortly after Teddy's graduation from Harvard. As a former naval officer and merchant captain; Bulloch had been taught by officers of that war. He came to career maturity in the decade before the Civil War; and was a rare authority on the diplomatic and nautical climate of that strange era.But Bulloch is mainly notable for something much rarer. As the subtitle says; he was "Secret Agent and Mastermind of the Confederate Navy." He was almost entirely responsible for Confederacy's small but brutally effective fleet of commerce raiders; most famously the CSS Florida; CSS Alabama; and CSS Shenandoah. He also produced some ironclad; twin-turreted battleships that never saw action (thanks to Yankee espionage and diplomatic pressure) but which might well have changed the outcome of the war had they been produced just a few months earlier. Bulloch had other good minds and strategic geniuses around him--Commodore Matthew Maury; the oceanographer; Captain Raphael Semmes; commander of the Sumter and the Alabama; and Stephen Mallory; sometime US Senator and Navy Secretary and now Secretary of the Confederate Navy. But Bulloch is the one key figure. Without him; there would have been no blue-water navy at all.I found much of the book a serious page-turner. The sections on the pre-War crises and Bulloch's narrow escapes in 1861 are particularly well done.A few negative notes. I paid $55 for this book; which I thought was extraordinary for a paperbound book; even a large; solid; well-produced one. I realized it was made for the university-library trade; and the publishers couldn't expect more than a couple thousand library accessions. I didn't regret the money then and I don't balk at it now. (I'd rather have the hard copy than a Kindle version; which is never really satisfactory.) Nevertheless! If I'm going to pay that much money for a Real Book I would like a little more attention paid to editing and design. The book has some awful typos. Actually they're mostly misspellings or copyedit oversights. At one point the emperor of France is referred to as the Emperor Louis Napoleon III. Now that's okay in a writer's draft version; we know what the writer means. But copyeditors are supposed to catch things like that. (It's Napoleon III; or Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte; if you don't happen to like the guy.)And the illustrations are very poor and perfunctory. Most seem to have been downloaded from the internet. If ever there was a book that could benefit from many pages of lush illustrations in the tradition of American Heritage magazine; this is the one.This quasi-proof version should be repurposed into one or two very fine and profitable books: 1) a paperback bestseller; for about US$18.00; with a new section of b/w photographs and and illustrations; and 2) a great big coffee-table book; with loads of color pictures; for the Christmas gift market. Print up 100;000 and it will still be a collector's item in ten years' time. Authors and publishers: take note!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent research!By Lawrence M. MooreThe authors utilized their thorough research by providing a very detailed; informative account of Bulloch's life. I highly recommend this book for any serious Civil War or naval historian.I recommend you read the other 5-star reviews for additional details about the book. I agree with them all.7 of 9 people found the following review helpful. A man most secret; and a story most compellingBy Roy C RawlinsonThis book; this majestic story; is surely destined to become the text book of the future; concerning the Confederate Navy at sea.The genius that was James D Bulloch; has never before been so well researched; or presented in so readable a manner. Not only do we get an insight into this remarkable man; and; his tremendous acheivements against all odds; we also learn of the close relationship between the Bulloch's; and the Roosevelt's.A relationship previously ignored; or possibly unresearched.James D Bulloch's amazing story will not only astound you; it will also excite you; and in years to come; I am certain that this book will be required reading for every serious student of this terrible conflict.As stated by the authors;James D Bulloch; is the greatest naval hero; that America ever forgot.
