Quantrill's War: The Life & Times Of William Clarke Quantrill, 1837-1865

by Duane P. Schultz

The definitive biography of Civil War legend William Clarke Quantrill--serial killer, psychopath, celebrated hero of the Confederate army. A riveting story of murder and revenge, Quantrill's War is a thoroughly researched and richly drawn study of the most unlikely hero in our nation's history.

Genres: Civil War, Biography, History, Nonfiction, American History, American Civil War, 19th Century

338 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[HillbillyMystic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am slightly enchanted by the word psychopathy and those who wield the term. It's like asking a person just how vegan they are. Most are in the 80-93% range unless they are on tour with Phish wearing hemp skirts and sexy, beaded braids in their armpit hair. I consider a lot of our heroes to be psychopaths including Harry S. Truman, Andrew Jackson, George W., Barrack W., The killer Clintons, and Colin Powell to name a few. We conversely uphold psychopathy as cool and sexy in popular culture especially if they are white like Tony Soprano or Dexter. Also we litcherally train our spec ops men to be the best killers in the world and not to feel remorse while doing it. Sure Quantrill had a hint of sociopathy but so did the Jayhawkers. He easily recruited guerillas as each one had a dead dad or brother and insane mother from the scoundrel Jayhawkers whom we were always taught were innocent guardians of freedom. Quantrill for sure was not fighting for the south or any cause other than revenge and killing and he considered that the Jayhawks drew first blood when they went too far on a raid and pistol whipped a young lady. Of course, I always found Lawrence to be a little douchey myself. And now I know it runs in my blood since my great, great grandfather is buried next to Jesse James and ran with Quantrill and Jesse. Besides, like my brother before me, I always did take a rebel stand.

[Donald P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read, well-written and to the point. The action moved right along, almost fiction-like. Quantrill's history is an eye-opener to the evil that men can be and, most amazing, get way with under the guise of war. That clemency was given to the "former" raiders after the depravity they committed makes one befuddled. The murderers of hundreds who looted and burned and destroyed Lawrence and other towns even had the temerity to hold reunions! Also, the romance of Jesse and Frank James takes on a different hue when their bushwacking history is reckoned. Recommended reading.

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 3 out of 5]

thewild Amazone

Meticulously researched account of Quantrill is a great read
8/10

Quantrill's War by military historian and psychology professor Duane Schultz is meticulously researched and as fast-paced as a John Grisham novel. Schultz traces Quantrill's life from his birth in Ohio to his death in Kentucky, detailing how he went from a common hoodlum to a blood-thirsty guerrilla leader.

Schultz clearly shows how Quantrill used the Civil War as an excuse to kill, pillage and terrorize the Kansas-Missouri border region. Schultz presents a well-documented and objective description of the bitter Kansas-Missouri civil war that began in the early 1850s with the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

It is a time that spawned fanatical killers like John Brown, Jim Lane (who Schultz correctly identifies as a Kansas senator contrary to the assertions of another reviewer) and the pro-Union Jayhawkers like Charles Jennison.

Likewise, the Confederate side contributed Bushwhackers and Border Ruffians like Quantrill, Bloody Bill Anderson and George Todd - not to mention Cole Younger and his brothers and Frank and Jesse James.

Schultz demonstrates how these men were not regular Confederate soldiers; they were a roving band of marauders who refused to take orders and prisoners - nor did they expect their enemies to have mercy on them. They torched the homes of civilians and then shot them "like sheep-killing dogs."

And, if possible, they treated Union troops with even less respect, gunning down in cold blood those who tried to surrender. Schultz recounts in excruciating detail the massacre at Lawrence, going house to house with the raiders as they drag men from their homes and shoot them and set the town afire.

Schultz presented the murders in a sequence that vividly created a sense of the mayhem of the raid. And make no mistake, Quantrill's men committed cold-blooded murder. They dragged men and boys from their homes and shot them to death in front of their wives and mothers. Women and children were spared in a strange recognition of chivalry.

Lawrence wasn't a regular Civil War battle and Quantrill wasn't a regular Civil War leader, so neither the raid nor the man has been much more than a footnote in Civil War studies.

But the historical significance of guerilla warfare by both Bushwhackers and Union Jayhawkers during the Civil War is finally receiving the attention it deserves. Schultz has done a fantastic job of making it accessible.

James Overstreet

[Kate Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having grown up in Topeka, Kansas, and then having lived for four years in Lawrence attending the University of Kansas, I'd long wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the horrific 1863 attack on Lawrence, with background about the man who led it, Wm. Quantrill. Although frequently difficult to read due to the violence, this detailed account told me what I wanted to know. So many parts of it seem unbelievable, but there it is: history.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a suggested read from my library. I have never enjoyed the Western theme in books that I read. Nevertheless, this is Western book three that I have picked up since I have participated in the Big Read this month.. Surprisingly, I am enjoying them quite a bit. Thanks, NEA :)

[Chi Dubinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quantrill was a career criminal who preyed on both sides of the civil war. He pursued a path of theft, murder, and destruction. His followers included the James and the Younger brothers. This is an exciting description of the events that led to Quantrill’s pursuit and capture.

[Jennifer Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very readable book about the life of William Clarke Quantrill. Great details about Quantrill and his raiders. I was very interested to learn that the raiders were based around Blue Springs, Missouri, which is where I grew up. How did I not know this?