Comments on: America's Civil War: Missouri and Kansas

By: Charles

Charles — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:20:35 +0000

While interesting and of course capturing the spirit of that time, this artical is full of inacuracies.
Jennison was relieved of command of the 7th,but later formed the 15th Kan vol.cav which became known as Jennisons Jayhawks.
Yes Jayhawking was accepted mostly as a pay back.
One also has to remember that troops had to subsist in this area as very little in material or supples was sent to the Westen Frontier. So both sides foraged from the farmers. And yes recipts were left by Union troops to families who were loyal to the Union to be paid by the U.S goverment.
It also seems to have been forgotten Bloody Bill Anderson got his name for a reason. Usualy by shooting unarmed men.
Blunts wagon train consisted mostly of his general staff and an unarmed band. A hard won victory, considering Blunts men though the men riding towards them, many in Union uniforms, were from the Union outpost. Most who had guns never returned fire. The post consisting of mostly tents at Baxter Springs was never aken as it was to difficult to figth aginst armed solders, even if these Union troops only had single shot rifles compaired to 5 or 6 six shot revolvers used my the bushwackers.
Jo Shelby was with the Regular southen forces who mostly refused to accepted Quantrill and his actions.
It should also be mentioned that Lane with the only armed men to be found in Washington DC,being from Kansas, after the first battle of Bull Run protected Lincoln until armed troops could handle this task.
The ladies in the prision in Kansas City had indeed been helping the guarrilas as these men were their relatives.
Most of the soldiers and people along the border wanted to live in peace, on both sides of the border, but as one young man wrote it was easier to stay alive in the military than alone as a farmer.

By: The Difference Between Class and Trash. « Courtney Doll

The Difference Between Class and Trash. « Courtney Doll — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:18:53 +0000

[...] Missouri and Kansas have a rivalry dating back to pre- Civil War years, when battles between slave and anti-slave states were violent and frequent. The burning of six Missouri towns led to a raid on Lawrence, Kansas, in which troops murdered 200 people. Kansas University later chose to name their athletics teams the Jayhawks, clearly derived from the term Jayhawkers, or guerilla fighters who battled against Missouri pro-slavery groups. MU and KU have one of the most passionate rivalries still today. More on the history of the Border War can be found here. [...]

By: SDLedbetter

SDLedbetter — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:22:29 +0000

I believe that he stated that General Shelby was a "local" hero. As a true Southerner, I find that the American Civil War was nothing more than the interest due on the promissory note of freedom and equality under the law as intended by the constitution framers. It was the conflict that was bound to happen at some point. It turned out the way it was supposed to. The great tragedy of the period was the death of Lincoln. Had Lincoln lived, reconstruction wouldn't have been as debilitating as it was and the words' "Malice toward none and charity toward all" might have meant something. We tend to paint with a broad brush when discussing the civil war. Criminality existed throughout the nation with regard to slavery but was generally prevalent in the crop growing regions. it's just the way it was. It should have never been allowed to exist….and the time to end it had arrived.

By: M. Glenn

M. Glenn — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:29:31 +0000

Spoken like a true son of the Confederacy, Mr Hanna– but, being a "commissioned officer" in the "regular confederate army" does NOT clear him of war-crimes charges. There were NO heroes in the Confederacy, only traitors. General Shelby's actions following Lee's surrender confirms that he was a die-hard traitor with no remorse or repentance for his treason and his part in a thoroughly bloody war over the rebellion he willingly joined and supported, not that he was a 'true hero'.
Placing him among the bushwhackers, because that WAS how his 'regular' brigade behaved and fought, is entirely appropriate. That the 'Jayhawkers' were war criminals too is undeniable, but does not excuse his actions or justify your thoroughly misguided defense of this traitor's reputation.

By: georg

georg — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:48:43 +0000

And you know this how ?

By: Patrick Hanna

Patrick Hanna — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 22:19:40 +0000

It is totally inaccurate to include the name of General J.O. (Joe) Shelby among the bushwhackers. General Shelby was a commissioned officer in the regular Confederate army, and led a noted brigade of cavalry–all of whom were also enlisted in the Confederate army. Several noted Confederate guerilla soldiers joined with Shelby's "Iron Brigade" either before the winter of 1863 or after. This is the source of the confusion, because some of these individuals rode with Quantrill either before or after that same winter (the cases are individual, and must be assessed as such.) General Shelby is one of the true heroes of the Confederacy, and is arguably the only general officer of the CSA who was never defeated in a battle, and who never surrendered. In fact, he led his army to Mexico after Lee's surrender, and established a colony there for about two years. Shelby later came back to Missouri and was a great local hero. He CAN NOT and MUST NOT be described as a bushwhacker, because he never was. Anyone who would add his name to that list of characters is simply ignorant of the facts.

By: Jayhawking « KS History – Group D

Jayhawking « KS History – Group D — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:24:09 +0000

[...] http://www.historynet.com/americas-civil-war-missouri-and-kansas.htm [...]

By: George Washington Tong

George Washington Tong — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:03:38 +0000

Hi am trying to find something about him.He is my greatgrandfather.Thank you Doris Tong Higdon