Customer Reviews

The Battle Of Carthage: Border War In Southwest Missouri

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had never heard of the Battle Of Carthage when I picked this book up the first time. It looked interesting, had a nice cover design, was a Civil War History and I'm a buff. What I found was one of the best small battle histories I've ever read! Well written, multiple maps, where you need them, pictures, notes, OOB this book has it all,including a Battle Field tour.

Unless you have no intrest in the Civil War you will like this book.

This book is simply wonderful, magnificently written and a lot detailed.
The first part supplies an accurate report of Missouri's situation at the outbreak of the war. After a short but intense description of the engagement near Boonville, supplied with an excellent map, the narration continues following the two armies, Franz Sigel's German volunteers and the Missouri State Guards, in their road to Carthage.
Moreover every phase of the battle is studied with cure and love for the detail: there are a lot of beautiful and accurate maps and pictures of the officers and soldiers who fought at Carthage.
I hope that the authors will soon write an other work of this kind that the war in Missouri receives therefore more attention than which than usual comes attributed to it.
Excellent.

This great book explains in detail the beginning of the Civil War in Missouri in 1861. From the antebellum roots of conflict in the state, to the situation, people and events in St. Louis that ignite into hostilities, then through the skirmish and Union victory at Boonville, Missouri (June 17, 1861), through the Missouri State Gaurds (MSG) retreat to the Southwest corner of the state and the Union forces unsuccessful pursuit that leads to an outnumbered Union force attempting to locate and assault the MSG at Carthage on July 5, 1861. Readers are introduced to all the main players for both sides involved in the events that make up this interesting period of the Civil War in the Transmississippi and the military units that made up the forces that fought at Carthage.

The book is easy to read, informative, and the authors do a great job of keeping the reader aware of what is going on but not losing sight of the story by including too many details. Unlike most Civil War battle studies this one has plenty of maps that are easy to understand and use to follow the text (one theater map that allows you to follow events upto the battle, one overview map of the entire battle, and eight maps of the different phases of combat that follow events from the beginning to the end of the action). There are fifteen photographs and illustrations of the participants, and even more interesting to myself, twelve modern photos of the battlefield terrain as it looks now to help the reader picture the action. Also included are an Order of Battle of forces engaged, a self guided tour of the battlefield, and an interiew with one of the authors.

I found this book to be so good that when I saw a hardcover edition (had the softcover edition already) in excellent shape at the local used book store, I bought it, and read it again! I cant recommend this book enough to anyone who has an interest in the American Civil War, or Missouri history!

This is a fine book length study of a small, but important, Civil War action. It is richly detailed and it is obvious a great deal of research was done. I know how hard it is to find reliable information about the MSG. True, there are minor inaccuracies (like the ones listed below in another review) but they do not detract significantly from an otherwise fine book.

I enjoyed this book and thought that its format was excellent for giving a complete view of the battle and where it fit into the border war campaigns. It has all of the elements necessary for a proper treatment of a battle: numerous maps showing terrain and troop deployments, a reasonably thorough order of battle, discussion of events leading up to the battle and the events immediately thereafter, along with detailed re-telling of the action based on surviving records. In addition, it includes a tour guide for the battlefield, and photographs of key positions. Another feature which I appreciated was the short section describing the after battle exploits of notable figures in the book.

On the negative side there were a number of typographical errors and a few omissions, but these were merely an annoyance rather than a fatal flaw (as the previous reviewer might have you believe.) It did appear that there was a slight pro-Union bias in the book, which seems to have ! offended the previous reviewer.

This was a very well written peace of work by a fine man. It's troubling that people, like the reviewer below, waste so much time finding out every little thing that is wrong with a book. Please, just get a life! Who really cares that Boonville is northwest instead of northeast of Jeff City, please!

Get a life, or better yet, get laid. Damn 40 year old virgins!

This was the best book ever written. It belongs in the library with Shakespere, Dr. Seuss, JK Roling, Michael Crighton and Charles Frasier. I have visited the Battle of Carthage 67 times and all facts in this story are entirely accurate. As for the negative reviewer, if he is still a virgin, he could be hooked up with Emily Petersen. That woman will fix him up. Back to the book, it is very well written and describes all aspects of the battle in excellent detail. Don't let this strange review thwart your desire to read this book... I have several schizophrenic relatives... and I'm not very good at speling. Here in Newberg we aint learned to write good. As Bob Cydell once said, "What would you say you do here?" I will end on that note, goodnight, and farewell.

Having only acquired this book approximately 24 hours ago I've only got through the introduction, discontent and chapter 4 (page 66). Though this book is monumental in the treatment of the military movements in Missouri during 1861 and is interesting reading, it contains many historical inaccuracies. The inaccuracies, if singular would be insignificant but put together are not acceptable for a work that has been three and a half years in the making. They are as follows (up to page 66 at least):

p. 21 - In his quote of Gov. Jackson to President Lincoln in response to the latter's request for troops, the book states "Not one man will the State of Missouri furnish to carry on the holy crusade." Substitute the word unholy for holy. Those this may seem like a small editing error, it is large when read in the complete text. (one other source for Jackson's response is: Civil Government and History of Missouri, Revised Edition, The Hugh Stephens Printing Company, Jefferson City, MO. 1904.)

p. 26 - The book states that the legislature was largely pro-union - funny how so many of the elected legislature ended up serving in the MSG and/or Confederate service. I believe they meant to refer to the state convention which was populate with unionists.

p. 30 and p. 35 On page 30 reference is made to the legislature passing the Military Bill that formed the Missouri State Guard (MSG) but does not mention the MSG. On page 35 it is inaccurately stated that the MSG was formed on the 12th of June.

p. 31 - Among Sterling Price's "resume" the book fails to mention that Price presided over the state convention - a fact I consider very important to the political atmosphere and demonstrates that conditional Union men went secesh after certain events unfolded.

pp. 28 - 31 - The Camp Jackson surrender and the massacre of the citizens are separated as two events instead of one event. These events are usually treated collectively as one event since the "St. Louis riot" as the book calls it was a direct result of the capture of Camp Jackson and these events, contrary to his remarks, are commonly known in Missouri as the Camp Jackson Massacre. This event is otherwise justly treated, though it does not mention the fact that some citizens followed the Federals to Camp Jackson.

p. 36 - The book alludes to a large German population and the lack of pro-southern sentiments inside the corporate limits of Jefferson City. I doubt the German population was large inside the "capital limits" but rather in surrounding areas such as Osage County. Southern sentiments have been documented time and time again as being quite strong in the Capital especially after the Camp Jackson Massacre. I suggest reading Goodspeed's history of Cole, Moniteau, Morgan, Benton, Miller, Maries and Osage Counties, Missouri published 1889 as well as the letters and memoirs of the citizens in the City of Jefferson at the time. Lots of seccession-flag raising going on in the area, including the city.

It is also incorrectly stated on this page that the MSG moved northeast to Boonville...Boonville is northwest of Jefferson City!!!!

p. 39 - In the last paragraph the book states "An early Federal success would also severely cripple the Confederacy's effort to keep the critical border state out of the Union." -- Missouri was not yet out of the Union. Though as a southerner I like this statement, as a historian it is inaccurate and unacceptable.

In the first paragraph it is clear he did his research when he refers to those in Cooper County who voted for Lincoln being ostracized. I was elated to see this in the text. I have read newspaper accounts that actually listed these men by name!!!!

p. 40 first paragraph - just one occurrence of the term "Missouri State Guard militia." The word militia is unnecessary, confusing and redundant.

p. 44 "A stunned Lyon landed his troops in Jefferson City without incident that morning. 'I arrived on the 15th about 2 o clock p.m.' reported Lyon" Which was it? Morning or afternoon???? The last time (no pun intended) I checked, 2 p.m. was in the afternoon, or was "a.m." mistakenly transcribed as p.m. - I'll have to check my notes to see when Lyon arrived.

p. 57 - Just one of the pages where the MSG is referred to as Governor Jackson's private militia. The MSG was formed by the legislature in May with State money - not Governor Jackson's private funds.

I have also noticed from the index that one Fountain M. McKenzie is referred to in three separate places as "F. M. McKinney." McKenzie was a Mexican War hero and his named could have easily be found correctly. McKenzie died in the Battle of Carthage.

I have personally met David Hinze. He is a great speaker, writer, and historian. I am disappointed in seeing these inaccuracies in his "final draft."

- "signed" A Missourian who had ancestors in the Missouri State Guard who fought at the Battle of Carthage.