Customer Reviews

Black Flag: Guerrilla Warfare on the Western Border, 1861-1865: A Riveting Account of a Bloody Chapter in Civil War History

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As the title states, this is indeed a riveting acccount of this era and place. Although a slim volume, this book is definitely a page-turner that is very well written and balanced with anecdotes, eyewitness accounts, and newspaper articles from the time.

With most histories it is easy to take sides in hindsight, or to proclaim who was right or wrong. Not so with the border war, where there were no heroes, no shining hour of courage, no happy ending to years of suffering. Both sides lost the battle as the border war raged. This is American History in its darkest time as lawlessness ruled, as the eyes of a nation were riveted on "big" battles to the east.

Although I was familiar with the redlegs, Quantrill, and Bloody Bill Anderson before I read this book, Goodrich breathes life into them, Quantrill benefiting the most. Often one of the most reviled characters in American history, Goodrich shows him as a more complex figure. In a war zone where any vestige of nobility was scarce, Quantrill comes off best, standing by his orders that women would not be harmed. If only the redlegs and Anderson's men had such a strain of character. That isn't to say Quantrill is heroic, just not as demonic as the other participants.

While I was reading this book, I also waded through a history of the Foreign Legion, which was more "academic" (meaning tedious and poorly written). In comparison to that book, this is a classic - even without so harsh a contrast this book is well written, well organized, and well thought out. I would recommend it to anyone as a satisfying reading experience.

For many years I had studied the Civil War, especially the
Eastern theater and sometimes the Western theater. This was one
of the first books I read on the Trans-Mississippi, and it was one of the most eye-opening books I have ever read on the entire
topic of the Civil War. It shines a spotlight on little-known areas and personalities of the war and particularly on the murderous and often personal violence in the regions west of the
Mississippi. It offers a great corrective for those who view the
Civil War as a "gentleman's conflict" and a "chivalrous era."
Buy and read this book!

This book has the ring of truth. The Civil War in Missouri was vicious in the extreme. It brought the worst out in people, especially the Union occupiers. Abolitionists in Kansas, including John Brown, Jim Lane, and Susan B. Anthony's brother began murdering, stealing and burning along the Missouri Border. It is one heck of a story, all the more in being relatively unknown. The Missouri Confederates (The honorable Wm. Quantrill, Wm. Anderson, the Younger Brothers, and the James Gang) actively resisted the Federal occupation. You gotta read about this if you are a student of the American Civil War. Just a fantastic, gripping book. BUY IT! -S

Every time I read about the guerrilla warfare in Kansas and Missouri I'm amazed that they were ever able to settle the region again. Both sides had their share of psychopaths who used the war to justify robbery, rape and murder.

Each side committed attrocities, which were used as justification for the attrocities committed by the other side.

The book is well-researched, and filled with first-hand accounts of what went on there. Anybody who thinks of war as a glorious adventure should read this book and see how ugly it can become. The brutality of the way they killed one another and mutilated the bodies of their victims is shocking.

Men surrendered, being told they would be treated as prisoners of war, only to be gunned down in cold blood. The murdered men were sometimes beheaded or scalped, and some of the killers rode around with necklaces made of body parts they had cut off of their victims.

It's not a very pleasant book to read, but if you want to know more about that part of the war, this is a good way to learn about it. If you don't want to read something this violent, but still want to know more about this part of the war, you should read Ride With the Devil (a novel covering the same topic) or watch the movie by the same name. The novel and movie are plenty violent, but not nearly as graphic as this book.

Well written account of the border wars between Missouri and Kansas. In a place and time without laws or remorse, this book can be shocking at times but the truth can be shocking anyway as we all know. Recomended for anyone wanting to know more about this violent and bloody time in American history.

Goodrich exposes a violent period on the Kansas-Missouri border during the War For Southern Independence in "Black Flag." This tumultuous time and region is vividly portrayed through the author's use of eye-witness accountings of the many atrocities committed by Jayhawkers, Bushwackers, as well as Federal troops. All too often these eye-witnesses were town citizens, family members, or members of the gangs themselves. One may question the roles of these killers since they are in such contrast to actions in a typical 19 th Century Army unit. Indeed, these examples of terrorism and barbarity are a "common thread" among these deeply divided Unionists and Secessionists in "free-soil Kansas" and Missouri's predominantly pro-slavery populations. Of course, most of these men, upon seeing the wreckage and carnage inflicted upon their neighbors and family, decided to stand up for what they believed and became some of the most desperate fighters in guerrilla warfare. Furthermore, upon finding that they themselves had been proscribed by their own government it is little wonder they chose to fight to the death and to kill so viciously. While many of these men will never be known, some made quite a name for themselves such as John Brown(Kansas Unionist and abolitionist), Charles "Doc" Jennison (Kansas Jayhawker), William Quantrill as well as Frank and Jesse James to name a few.
Goodrich remains unbiased and remains objective in presenting this dark side of American History during 1861 to 1865. Although his narrative may be a bit short, the author nonetheless succeeds in portraying a vivid account of this brutal time.

The guerilla warfare along the Kansas-Missouri boarder brought forth some of the bloodiest incidents of the Civil War. Unlike many of the larger battles between Union and Confederate forces (where armies were pitted against armies) the conflict between Northern Jayhawkers and pro-South Bushwhackers moved beyond military actions and brought the war to innumerable civilians. Both sides burned and pillaged the region, causing massive financial loss and an untold loss of life.

Goodrich does an adequate job broadly describing the Boarder Wars of 1861-1865. His use of primary sources, i.e. diaries, newspaper accounts and correspondence brings an interesting look into the lives of those who lived through those bloody years. However, I found Goodrich's narrative lacking and the depth of his book to be quite shallow.

Although briefly touching on the more notable incidents of the war, i.e. the Lawrence Raid, Ewing's General Order No. 11 and others, he fails to thoroughly examine the events with a keen enough eye. The same can be said for his description of pertinent actors. Although remaining objective and granting fair coverage to both sides, he fails to truly explain the motives behind much of the guerilla leadership and their role in the conflict.

Little new was provided by Goodrich that has not been thoroughly fleshed out by other authors. I would recommend "The Devil Knows How to Ride..." by Edward E. Leslie. All though concentrating on William Quantrill, Leslie's work provides a much greater study of the guerilla wars than Goodrich.

As stated, this book is an excellent account of what occurred on the Kansas/Missouri border during the Civil War--not so much "war" proper as an ongoing campaign of mayhem. Much of this work is the cobbling together of firsthand accounts by those engaged in and victimized by the conflict. Goodrich did his research and it does make for compelling reading and a visceral portrait of what these events were like for those who lived them.

Where the book falls a bit short is through Goodrich's lack of context. There is precious little background on "Bleeding Kansas" of the 1850s and the crucial political events which lead to Jennison, Quantrill, Anderson, etc. and contributed greatly to the outbreak of the Civil War in general. There also isn't really much context provided for how these events fit into the CW itself. While a fascinating narrative, if you're not well-versed on CW history, you'll get more out of it if you do some background reading first. That said, this is a compelling read about an oft-neglected and blood stained part of America's historical fabric.

A well researched book on the border wars between Kansas and Missouri showing equal blame on both sides. The author uses many eyewitness accounts from publications of that day. It's like hearing from the victims and the perpetrators themselves. One warning, concerning the topic and the firsthand accounts, it can be a depressing read.

This is the one. If you're intested in the border states guerrilla warfare during the Civil War, this book is the best foundation I have found. Lots of books on the subject but Goodrich does it best.