Three Years With Quantrill: A True Story Told by His Scout (Western Frontier Library) [Hardcover]

John McCorkle (Author), O. S. Barton (Author)

Book Description

Series: Western Frontier Library | Publication Date: October 1992

This famous memoir by John McCorkle, reissued for the first time, is the best published account by a scout who "rode with Quantrill." John McCorkle was a young Missouri farmer of Southern sympathies. After serving briefly in the pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard, he became a prominent member of William Clarke Quantrill’s infamous guerrillas, who took advantage of the turmoil in the Missouri-Kansas borderland to prey on pro-Union people.

McCorkle displayed an unflinchingly violent nature while he participated in raids and engagements including the massacres at Lawrence and Baxter Springs, Kansas, and Centralia, Missouri. In 1865 he followed Quantrill into Kentucky, where the notorious leader was killed and his followers, McCorkle among them, surrendered and were paroled by Union authorities. Early in this century, having returned to farming, McCorkle told his remarkable Civil War experiences to O.S. Barton, a lawyer, who wrote this book, first published in 1914.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

McCorkle was a scout in William Clarke Quantrill's band of guerrillas in the 1860s. His firsthand account details the cold, savage raids the group staged during the border fighting between Missouri and Kansas.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Oklahoma Pr (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806124512
• ISBN-13: 978-0806124513
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,282,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent firsthand information, April 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Three Years with Quantrill: A True Story (Western Frontier Library) (Paperback)

If you are looking for truth about what happened in Missouri during the War betwen the states this book is for you. The best way to learn what really happened is to read firsthand accounts and that's what this book offers. No one sided historical author can screwup or argue with accurate eyewitness reports. This book records the pure hard facts.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three Years With Quantrill, December 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Three Years with Quantrill: A True Story (Western Frontier Library) (Paperback)

Although I don't like giving a 5 star rating to any book this book deserves 6! This is the real stuff, pre WWII, pre WWI, PRE-TV! It was written at a time before historic brainwashing by movies and television existed. Before people were self conscious about telling the truth. We can see the actual format of the "Civil" War sentiments. He reveals the concepts of dying, of The North, Slavery, and other aspects of the era that we are usually forced to accept from modern day writings, reflecting only current, politically correct viewpoints. The down to earth flow of this book is very enjoyable and is great reading for anyone with interest in this subject matter.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding but for the short commentary, February 18, 2006

By 

C. McDonald "John Mac" (Garland, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Three Years with Quantrill: A True Story (Western Frontier Library) (Paperback)

I Highly recommend McCorkles first-hand account. It is not often that we can resolve much of the differing views of history with first-hand accounts by those that were there during most of the events. I would have given this book a five had it not been for the very "out-of-place" commentary at the front of the book by someone named Hattaway (of West Point New York). I taped the aprox 25 pages together with an adivosry to skip this section as it only appeared to be added to censor McCorkles account and done in very poor taste. Why would someone want to take the time to distort someone's personal account of history. The Introduction by Barton is done very well however. Why would the publisher think that a commentary should be added when the work already had an introduction? I think the Commentary might have been added after the book was submitted just to try to promulgate a pre-conceived notion of history. Skip the commentary and its a great short work.