The American Civil War was an event that was long in its making and was the culmination of years of unrest in some of the newer states and territories of this still rather young nation. This unrest was, of course, over the cause of whether or not a new state or territory would allow slavery or not. If you think US politics are partisan today, it is nothing compared to the rampant violence that was all too common in Missouri, Arkansas and what is now Kansas as bands of 'militia' and other irregulars did what they could to sway the politics of these areas.

When war finally came, it was the Confederacy that benefitted most from these irregular troops. Not enough to change the outcome of the war, but enough that the Union forces had to expend a considerable percentage of its available manpower to keep their rear areas safe from these roving bands. It is true that the Union also had its irregular forces, but compared to those of the Confederacy, they were few in number.

To many who study the war, the names of the Kansas 'red legs', Quantrill's Raiders, 'Bloody Bill' Anderson and others are well known. Today, we would consider these people to be little more than a band of thugs as they were not regular forces and were held together only by the will of the leaders. However, they did perform a service during the war.

The tactics these forces used are generally broken down into three main categories; Guerrillas, Partisan Rangers, and Cavalry Raiders. The book is divided to show the units that fall into these categories, how they operated, the equipment and special tactics they used and how they affected the war effort. There is also a goodly section on the various leaders of these units and how they were able to keep their units together. To say that they were often cruel and vicious in their attacks, which often made no distinction between combatants and civilians would be an understatement. These units were abhorred by the civilian population, which frequently suffered horribly from their efforts. In fact, the most infamous event would be the burning of Lawrence, Kansas by William Quantrill and his men.

As with many units like this, they generally attracted the least desirable members of society and even post war, many of these men (like Jesse James) went on to criminal activities.

This is all superbly covered by author Sean McLachlan and equally well illustrated by G&S Embleton. Add to it some rare and well chosen period photographs, and you have an outstanding look at an aspect of the US Civil War that few normally consider. It is a book I found to be a real page-turner and I think you'll agree.

May 2010

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