Civil War Kansas: Reaping the Whirlwind: the Authorized Edition with a New Preface

Modern War Studies

by Albert E. Castel

"The long agony" was over: Kansas, as of January 29, 1861, was a state--it had "moved to America." In Leavenworth, Lawrence, Topeka, and other towns Kansans celebrated the "glorious news" of the coming of statehood in a "fury of excitement." Cannons boomed, cheering crowds gathered on the street corners, a judge and a militia general stood on their heads, and the saloons were scenes of inebriated revelry.

So begins Albert Castel's classic history of Kansas during the Civil War. Long recognized as a key study on the war in the trans-Mississippi West, Civil War Kansas describes the political, military, social, and economic events of the state's first four years. Castel contributes to a better understanding of the Civil War in this region through a realistic presentation and analysis of the Kansas-Missouri border conflict, the operations of the Missouri guerrillas under Quantrill, and the Union and Confederate military campaigns in Missouri, Arkansas, the Indian Territory, and Kansas itself.

Genres: History, American Civil War, American History, Civil War, Transmississippi, Military History

268 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1997

About the author

One of the leading authorities on the Civil War in the western theater, Albert Edward Castel earned his B.A. and M.A. from Wichita State University and his Ph.D. in History and Political Science from the University of Chicago. He taught at UCLA and Waynesburg College before accepting a position at Western Michigan University, where he taught from 1960 until his retirement in 1991.

Reviews

[GRANT · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is solid and engaging historical writing even if slightly dated (1958) by emphasizing the leaders and not so much the every-day people of more modern history. The author is mostly fair in describing the native American tribal peoples and the African-American former slaves. What I found of most interest was the violent story of the Jayhawkers as well as the Bushwackers and Quantrill's Raiders having just attended my son's MPA graduation from Kansas U in Lawrence and Mormon history sites in Jackson Co., Mo. I was trying not to rejoice in the frequent mentions of Jackson County ruination, but it is in the moral of the subtitle. There is also good information on the overland trails originating in Kansas and Missouri and the development of the railroads. The other theme brought home is how horribly corrupt U.S. politics has always been and yet, somehow, we seem to occasionally have good results out of it such as the Union victory, freedom of the slaves, and Lincoln's vision (even with his sometimes questionable political dealings). Americans mostly fail, but we keep on trying.

[Hazel Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-researched.

[Aaron Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the book is an interesting read I nevertheless had a difficult time getting in to reading it in more than short spurts. I went into reading it with the hope that it would have a great deal of information on the Kansas regiments but, unfortunately, it had only scant references. Also, the amount of information given on their actions was given almost tangently to the story of the official who happened to be involved on its affair the most. The book centers from beginning to end mainly on the political characters and their cronies who founded and shaped the state of Kansas. An interesting story to tell, no doubt, but I feel the reader would of been better served with a fuller telling of the states involvement in the war as well as a more detailed economic picture, rather than throwing a few figures out there from time to time. Even with these few deficiencies it will definitely find a place on my shelf as an essential reference to early Kansas history and obviously serve as a decent springboard to further studies afield.

[Kate Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd read a bit about the pre-Civil War days (known as "Bleeding Kansas") in my home state of Kansas, but hadn't caught up with what went on during the war itself. This book provided the details. Lots of rivalries, factionalism, politicians trying to enrich themselves, and in addition to army engagements, guerilla violence going on back and forth across the KS/MO border.
The description of the 1863 "sack of Lawrence," where I lived for four years, by Quantrill's band of thugs was especially moving. Townspeople had no warning at all, so couldn't even retrieve the weapons they had cached.
One reviewer commented that the author "uncovers villains by the dozen but nary a hero." The true heroes and heroines, I think, were the settlers and refugees, ordinary people who struggled to make the best of a dangerous situation.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of wartime Kansas and the military operations in (and close to) the state. However, there is only a single map at the beginning of the book; maps of the military operations would have been helpful. The book also contains very little about the actions of the Kansas regiments in the war and practically nothing at all of the battles they were in (for example, the battle of Honey Springs was passed over in two sentences).

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

The language might be a bit dated but it is a solid and rather unbiased history. Now, it is a bit dense in its content so it really isn't for casual reading (not really a "fun" read) but it is a sufficient groundwork for study on the Border Wars. It is a starting point for study if you are interested in a basic, fundamental understanding of the political and military history of those years.

[Scott MacGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Felt like there could’ve been an abridged version. Interesting, very in-depth look at the border war between Kansas and Missouri.