This book is a thorough study of all known guerrilla operations in Civil War Missouri in 1862; the year such warfare became the primary type of military action there and the year that the state saw almost constant fighting. 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 describe how they operated and how their kinds of warfare evolved. The actions of Southern guerrilla forces and Confederate behind-enemy-lines recruiters are presented chronologically by region so that readers may see the relationship of seemingly isolated events to other events over a period of time in a given area. The counteractions of an array of different types of Union troops fighting guerrillas in Missouri are also covered to show how differences in training; leadership; and experiences affected behaviors and actions in the field.
#2922923 in Books 2011-02-24Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x .70 x 5.90l; .70 #File Name: 0786458720228 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. History of slavery in the North Mississippi Valley.By OLD1mIKESlavery in the Mississippi ValleyExcellent book for the general reader of American History. Contains a reasonable depth of information. Enlightening. Fair and balanced. Readable.Highly recommend for regional history buffs or anyone interested in understanding the pre civil war culture in the north. A history of the development of the Upper Mississippi Region from the Northwest and Louisiana territories to the period after the civil war. Everyone will find something new in this book.American culture in the first half of the 19th century was as complex and polarized as it is today. This book and others; such as "Copperheads; the Rise and Fall of Lincoln Opponents in the North" remind us that not all Northerners opposed slavery or supported Lincoln in the 1860 elections.Slaves were a minority in the upper Mississippi region. Although illegal; ambiguity and failure to enforce the existing laws resulted in a slave culture worse than commonly thought. While slavery in Wisconsin and Iowa predominantly took the form of personal or house slaves; in Illinois slaves were used more extensively including developing and sustaining lead mining in the Galena area. Illinois courts supported slavery into the 1860's. In addition to the slavery issue; there was significant racial prejudice toward free Africa Americans and run away slaves. Illinois passed oppressive Black Laws. Both Illinois and Iowa outlawed black immigration. Iowa outlawed public education for African Americans. Lehman tells the story of the culture change as slavery became less tolerable in the north. The book is thought provoking; stimulates a desire for more information and a deeper understanding of the historical culture leading to the civil war.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. History is complicatedBy E. FergusonAnytime we; in current society; start to think that the people who came before us in the world are less complicated we do our history a disservice. This book cracks open on of those complicated aspects to our shared history; slavery in the Upper Mississippi Valley. It is too easy to see the Civil War as good guys versus bad guys with clearly defined lines. The truth is we do not now live our lives this way nor was it true in the past. This book gives a detailed account of slavery in an area of the country outside of the slave states.
