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Bloody Engagements: John R. Kelso's Civil War

Online ISBN:
9780300227772
Print ISBN:
9780300210965
Publisher:
Yale University Press
Book

Bloody Engagements: John R. Kelso's Civil War

Christopher Grasso (ed.)
Christopher Grasso
(ed.)
College of William and Mary
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Published:
11 April 2017
Online ISBN:
9780300227772
Print ISBN:
9780300210965
Publisher:
Yale University Press

Abstract

This book presents an edited edition of a Union soldier's remarkable memoir, offering a rare perspective on guerrilla warfare and on the larger meanings of the American Civil War. While tales of Confederate guerilla-outlaws abound, there are few scholarly accounts of the Union men who battled them. This Civil War memoir presents a first-hand 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, John Russell 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 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.

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