Bloody Engagements: John R. Kelso's Civil War Contributor(s): Kelso, John R. (Author), Grasso, Christopher (Editor) |
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ISBN: 0300210965 ISBN-13: 9780300210965 Publisher: Yale University Press OUR PRICE: $37.62 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: April 2017 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography | Military - History | United States - Civil War Period (1850-1877) - History | Military - United States |
Dewey: B |
LCCN: 2016952139 |
Physical Information: 1.1" H x 6.3" W x 9.4" (1.25 lbs) 264 pages |
Themes: - Chronological Period - 1851-1899 - Topical - Civil War - Geographic Orientation - Missouri |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: The first edited edition of a Union soldier's remarkable memoir, offering a rare perspective on guerrilla warfare and on the larger meanings of the Civil War While tales of Confederate guerilla-outlaws abound, there are few scholarly accounts of the Union men who battled them. This edition of John R. Kelso's Civil War memoir presents a firsthand account of an ordinary man's extraordinary battlefield experiences along with his evolving interpretation of what the bloody struggle meant. A former Methodist preacher and Missouri schoolteacher, Kelso served as a Union Army foot soldier, cavalry officer, guerilla fighter, and spy. Initially shaped by a belief in the Founding Fathers' republic and a disdain for the slave-holding aristocracy, Kelso became driven by revenge after pro-Southern neighbors stole his property, burned down his house, and drove his family and friends from their homes. Interweaving Kelso's compelling voice with historian Christopher Grasso's insightful commentary, this fascinating work charts the transformation of an everyday citizen into a man the Union hailed as a hero and Confederate sympathizers called a monster. |