War to the Knife: Bleeding Kansas, 1854-1861 [Paperback]

Thomas Goodrich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2004

Long before the secession crisis at Fort Sumter ignited the War between the States, men fought and died on the prairies of Kansas over the incendiary issue of slavery. “War to the knife and knife to the hilt,” cried the Atchison Squatter Sovereign.

In 1854 a shooting war developed between proslavery men from Missouri and free-staters in Kansas over control of the territory. The prize was whether Kansas would become a slave or a free state when admitted to the Union, a question that could decide the balance of power in Washington. War to the Knife is an absorbing account of a bloody episode in our nation's past, told in the unforgettable words of the men and women involved: Robert E. Lee, William Tecumseh Sherman, Sara Robinson, Jeb Stuart, Abraham Lincoln, William F. Cody, and John Brown—hailed as a prophet by some, denounced as a madman by others.

Because the conflict soon spread east, events in “Bleeding Kansas” have largely been forgotten. But as historian Thomas Goodrich reveals in this compelling saga, what America's “first civil war” lacked in numbers, it more than made up for in ferocity.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

From the admirable Black Flag (1995), a history of guerrilla warfare in the western theater of the Civil War, Goodrich turns to the rehearsal for that warfare: the "Bleeding Kansas" struggle of 1854^-61, when proslavery and free-soil militants slaughtered one another and innocent bystanders over whether Kansas should be a slave or a free state. During the fighting, both John Brown and William Quantrill began their careers, and the fighting also polarized supporters of both factions elsewhere in the country, accelerating the slide toward war. Goodrich is exemplarily impartial (unless one can call a distaste for bigoted thuggery a partiality), omits few of the gory details of his subject, and generally offers a more-than-adequate history of an episode whose horrifying body count is passed over too lightly too often. Perhaps the book is for dedicated (not to mention strong-stomached) Civil War students, but all of them, and collections catering to them, will find it invaluable. Roland Green --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A violent tale of insurrection, rioting, drunkenness, principle, politics, and self-interest... Goodrich has made effective use of sources from the state archives to present a coherent and credible vision of the dress rehearsal for the Civil War." Library Journal "A high-decibel retelling of the story of sectional strife in the settling of Kansas... An absorbing chronicle of surface events." Journal of American History

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Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080327114X
• ISBN-13: 978-0803271142
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,472,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A bloody period well-described.., December 26, 1999

By 

odanny (Peoria, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: War to the Knife: Bleeding Kansas, 1854-1861 (Hardcover)

It was just a coincidence that shortly after reading the book I met the author at a civil war reenactment. This book is mainly constructed through letters and diaries from the period, and little is left to the imagination as the author chillingly describes the savagery of this particular time. An excellent read for those interested in Civil War history, and to hear a knock at the door in the middle of the night, being asked if you are "Pro-slavery or a Jayhawker", and knowing that a wrong answer would probably mean death is harrowing just thinking about it.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Discussion of Pre-Civil War Violence, January 14, 2002

By 

T. C. Ross (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: War to the Knife: Bleeding Kansas, 1854-1861 (Hardcover)

A native Kansan, Goodrich obviously knows the history of his state. War to the Knife provides a very vivid look at the conflict between pro-slavery and free state settlers in Kansas in the lead up to the Civil War, drawing heavily from personal accounts and local newspaper reports. This approach also helps Goodrich maintain a balance in presenting the views of both sides of the conflict, their hatred of each other and their diametrically opposed agendas. The one area where the book was lacking was in its discussion of the role of the federal military and government in the conflict. Goodrich does discuss the few times the military did intervene in the conflict and the lack of power that the multiple territorial governors had over the settlers, but I found myself wanting to know more about why the military and government did not take a stronger role in preserving law and order in the territory. Despite that, the motives of the various free state and pro-slavery leaders are discected fairly well -- especially John Brown whose raid on Harpers Ferry is used to open and close the book.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Account of Pre-Civil War Kansas, July 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: War to the Knife: Bleeding Kansas, 1854-1861 (Hardcover)

Goodrich adds to his works on US Western history with a well-paced history of the guerilla warfare between abolitionist and pro-slavery forces in the struggle for statehood in Kansas. The author relys extensively on personal accounts of the violent and brutal actions of both sides of the conflict. Readers will find his impartial examination a valuable asset. The more experienced historian may find the book long on drama, short on analysis, particulary the impact of these events on the Eastern political establishment. Nonetheless, a valuable addition to the literature and a great follow-on to his earlier "Black Flag" which describes the events that follow in the Civil War itself. I found this a timely book to read after Russell Banks "Cloudsplitter", a fictional account of John Brown which includes many events found in "War to the Knife".