Civil War on the Missouri-Kansas Border

During the Civil War, the western front was the scene of some of that conflictís bloodiest and most barbaric encounters as Union raiders and Confederate guerrillas pursued each other from farm to farm with equal disregard for civilian casualties. Historical accounts of these events overwhelmingly favor the victorious Union standpoint, characterizing the Southern fighters as wanton, unprincipled savages. But in fact, as the author, himself a descendant of Union soldiers, discovered, the bushwhackersí violent reactions were understandable, given the reign of terror they endured as a result of Lincolnís total war in the West.