Portland Public Library

Bloody engagements, John R. Kelso's Civil War, John R. Kelso ; edited by Christopher Grasso

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

illustrationsmaps

index present

non fiction

Bloody engagements

bibliography

953985603

John R. Kelso ; edited by Christopher Grasso

John R. Kelso's Civil War

The first edited edition of a Union soldier's remarkable memoir, offering a rare perspective on guerrilla warfare and on the larger meanings of the Civil War. While tales of Confederate guerilla-outlaws abound, there are few scholarly accounts of the Union men who battled them. This edition of John R. Kelso's Civil War memoir presents a firsthand 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, 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 historian Christopher Grasso's 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.--Provided by Amazon.com

Secession and war : April to July 1861 -- The Battle of Wilson's Creek and the first spy mission : August to September 1861 -- Big River and scouting the Southwest corner : August to September 1861 -- Federals in retreat, refugees in the snow, and vengeance in Buffalo : October 1861 to February 1862 -- The march to Pea Ridge : February 1862 -- Scouting, recruiting, and the cavalry : February to May 1862 -- A defeat and a victory : May to July 1862 -- The Battle of Forsyth, and a raid on thieves and cut-throats : July to August 1862 -- A plundering expedition : September to October 1862 -- Fighting rebels in Arkansas : October to November 1862 -- Capturing and destroying : November to December 1862 -- The Battle of Springfield : January 1863