Richard S. Brownlee

This is a great classic in trans-Mississippi Civil War historiography originally published in 1958. This primarily narrative history of guerrilla violence in Civil War Missouri concentrates on the Missouri River Valley and Little Dixie areas of the western and north central parts of the state. It has little to say about guerrilla activity in the Ozarks and southeastern parts of Missouri.
Despite being over half a century old, the book has no rivals for what it attempts to do, although there are closely related books. Michael Fellman's "Inside War" tells of, and explains, the mentalities of each side and the terror experienced by supporters of both sides. Edward E. Leslie's "The Devil Knows How to Ride" is a fuller and updated account of Quantrill and his gang.
Most of Brownlee's analysis has held up very well over five decades. But some points of disagreement exist. For example, most modern historians accept the stories of the mutilation of the bodies of fallen soldiers at the Centralia Massacre.But overall, one is impressed with Brownlee's diligence in research and judiciousness at a time before the unpublished Union Provost Marshal's records were recognized for their importance.… (meer)