Bushwhacker: A Story of Missouri's Most Famous Desperado

by George Clinton Arthur

Great little book on the history of Bill Wilson, better known as Bushwacker Bill, a native of Phelps County in the Missouri Ozarks, whose home was burned down by Union soldiers. This sparked a deep anger with Bill who was trying to be neutral in the Civil war. He took out his aggression against the Union army and began killing their soldiers and robbing their supply trains in Phelps County and surrounding areas in Missouri. This all started in late summer of 1861. This book is a great read on some Missouri and local Civil war history.

122 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Tartan Collier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read providing perspective on the conflict in the Ozarks during the Civil War. The story has a bit of personal interest to me, as one of Bill Wilson’s “posse”, Anthony Wright, was the brother of my great-great-grandmother.