When Kansas entered the Union on the eve of the Civil War, she was poverty striken, demoralized by the drought of 1859-61, and disheartened by an economic depression. This account covers the significant era which followed, describing the political, military, social, and economic conditions of the state's first four years. Rescued from oblivion and misinterpretation are many important men and dramatic events of early Kansas and of the Civil War in the West. Primary emphasis properly falls on political and military matters.

A Frontier State at War: Kansas, 1861-1865

History

Castel, Albert E.

Americas

Praeger

A detailed history of one of the most grisly episodes of the Civil War provides a balanced treatment of the North's invasion of Atlanta, debunking many long-standing myths and misconceptions of the battle.

Decision in the West: The Atlanta Campaign of 1864

Univ Pr of Kansas

Had Lee enjoyed the manpower or materiel advantages of Grant, would the South have triumphed? Had Hood possessed strength superior to Sherman's, would he still have lost their encounters in Georgia? Popular sentiment has long bowed to the military leadership of the Civil War's victorious generals—a view that has been disputed by modern scholarship. Many might be startled to learn that a British army officer also called these opinions into question long ago. Out of print for more than fifty years, Lee, Grant and Sherman is an unrecognized classic of Civil War history that presaged current scholarship by decades. Alfred H. Burne assesses the military leadership of Grant, Lee, Sherman, Hood, Johnston, Early, and Sheridan from mid-1864 to Appomattox, contradicting prevailing perceptions of the generals and even proposing that Grant's military capabilities were inferior to Lee's. Burne sought to challenge the orthodox views of other historians—J. F. C. Fuller on Grant and Basil Liddell Hart on Sherman—but his assessments were so unorthodox that even with the endorsement of preeminent Civil War historian Douglas Southall Freeman, his book received scant attention in its day. He sees Sherman as more concerned with the geographical objective of capturing Atlanta than the military goal of smashing the Confederate army, lacking Grant's understanding that the principal object of war is to conquer and destroy the enemy's armed forces. Yet he asserts that "Grant in his heart of hearts feared Lee" and also suggests that Jubal Early's Valley campaign might have been the most brilliant of the whole war. In his analysis of the Georgia campaign, Burne views Sherman as a general who avoided risk and was too obsessed with raiding to wage an all-out offensive battle. Refusing to dismiss Hood as incompetent, as many historians have done, Burne points to his brilliance in military planning and claims that most of his defeats were merely the result of inadequate resources. Burne's book was ahead of its time, anticipating later shifts in historical evaluations of Civil War leadership. Now available in a corrected edition, with Freeman's original introduction and a new foreword and endnotes by Albert Castel, it is a rich source of insight for scholars—and for anyone willing to reconsider traditional views of these generals.

Lee, Grant and Sherman: A Study in Leadership in the 1864-65 Campaign

Burne, Alfred H.

University Press of Kansas

The Quantrill legend is rooted in acts of savage violence throughout Kansas and Missouri during the Civil War--deeds both romanticized and vilified. In William Clarke Quantrill, Albert Castel’s classic biography, the story of Quantrill and his men comes alive through facts verified from firsthand, original sources. Castel traces Quantrill’s rise to power, from Kansas border ruffian and Confederate Army captain to lawless leader of "the most formidable band of revolver fighters the West ever knew." During the Civil War Quantrill and his men descended on Lawrence, Kansas, and carried out a frightful massacre of the civilian population. Some of Quantrill’s bushwhackers made names for themselves at Lawrence or after the war, as outlaws: "Bloody Bill" Anderson, Cole Younger, George Todd, "Little Archie" Clement, and Frank and Jesse James.

William Clarke Quantrill: His Life and Times

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

University of Oklahoma Press

A delightful collection of essays on 14 of the most intriguing figures of the Civil War.

Articles of War: Winners, Losers, and Some Who Were Both During the Civil War

UNKNO

A Frontier State At War: Kansas, 1861-1865

Literature & Fiction

Literary

Literary Licensing, LLC

When Kansas entered the Union on the eve of the Civil War, she was poverty striken, demoralized by the drought of 1859-61, and disheartened by an economic depression. This account covers the significant era which followed, describing the political, military, social, and economic conditions of the state's first four years. Rescued from oblivion and misinterpretation are many important men and dramatic events of early Kansas and of the Civil War in the West. Primary emphasis properly falls on political and military matters.

Frontier State at War: Kansas, 1861-1865

Kansas Heritage Press

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Books by Castel, Albert E.