Guerrilla Warfare in Civil War Missouri, Volume III, January-August 1864 - by Bruce Nichols (Paperback)

About the Book

"The present work is a reprint of the illustrated case bound edition ... published in 2004"--T.p. verso v. 1.

Book Synopsis

This book is a thorough study of all known guerrilla operations in Civil War Missouri from January through August 1864. It explores the various tactics each side used to try to gain advantage, with regional differences affected by the differing personalities of commanders. The author utilizes both well-known and obscure sources (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.

This work presents the actions of Southern guerrilla forces and Confederate behind-Union-lines recruiters chronologically by region to reveal the relationship of seemingly isolated events to other events. The book also studies the counteractions of an array of different types of Union troops to show how differences in training, leadership and experience affected actions in the field.

Review Quotes

"the amount of research that went into the project is astounding...overwhelmingly descriptive...highly recommended"-Civil War Books and Authors; "Nichols' impressive four volumes will undoubtedly be the standard encyclopedia of guerilla activities in Missouri for years to come. No historian interested in Civil War guerrilla warfare should be without the entire set. Nichols is to be congratulated for his excellent work in documenting this dark but pivotal time in Missouri's history...well researched...highly recommended"-Civil War News; "monumental...nothing remotely approaching the scale of this undertaking has been attempted before on this topic, and these meticulously researched tomes will almost certainly stand the test of time as essential reference tools"-The Civil War Monitor; "a detailed chronological account...meticulous assessment of a wide variety of sources...Nichols also shines a light on lesser-known figures and events"-Missouri Historical Review; Praise for previous volumes: "A detailed study...includes both guerrilla raids and recruitment efforts along with descriptions of the Union efforts to thwart their activities...richly illustrated with period photographs, sketches, and maps"-Civil War Book Review; "detailed, fast-paced...well-illustrated"-Military Heritage; "an exhaustive task...recommend[ed]"-The Civil War News.

About the Author

Bruce Nichols is an analyst for the United States Government in the Department of Defense. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri.