Union:
Story of a Border City During the Civil War, by Galusha Anderson
Anderson was a pastor in St. Louis just before and during the war. His church was only half a block away from Lynch's Slave Market. He offered his services as a minister to the Confederate prisoners at Gratiot, but--not surprisingly--none of their accounts mention him. Good, first-hand history by a bit of a fussbudget, but a very entertaining writer. A decidedly Union point-of-view.
Now available on CD-ROM
Memoirs of My Life : Including Three Journeys of Western Exploration During the Years 1842, 1843-1844, 1845-1847 by John Charles Fremont
Known as the Great Pathfinder, and erstwhile conqueror of California, Fremont's Civil War years were less dazzling than his earlier carrier. During his time in California he encountered many of the later key players in the Civil War, who formed their opinion of him in the 1840s.
The Letters of Jessie Benton Fremont by Jessie Benton Fremont
Daughter of Thomas Hart Benton, Jessie Benton Fremont was the political driving force behind John Charles Fremont, and author/editor of his books.
Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman by William Tecumseh Sherman
Later famous, or infamous, for his march through Georgia, Sherman began the Civil War years in St. Louis, Missouri. Sherman is actually quite a good writer and tells his stories with a lively style and a likeable manner. Good reading.
Sherman's Civil War: Selected Correspondence of William T. Sherman, 1860-1865
Forty-Six Years in the Army by John McAllister Schofield
Lyon's adjutant at Wilson's Creek, and Union commander of Missouri for much of the war, Schofield's memoirs are an important addition for anyone interested in Missouri during the war. His take on the Lawrence Massacre actually favors the Confederate view of the cause of that black day.
Civil War Memoirs
by Ulysses S. Grant
Married to the daughter of a wealthy slave-holding family in St. Louis, Grant—like Sherman—spent the early secession days in Missouri. Grant writes very well, with a good, clean style. Fine reading.
Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
by Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant : Memoirs and Selected Letters : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant / Selected Letters, 1839-1865 by Ulysses S. Grant
The Graybeards, Letters of Major Lyman Allen, of the 37th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, The “Graybeards” Including The Diaries of Viola Baldwin His Step-Daughter, Harriet Stevens
A letter collection by a Union officer stationed in St. Louis with duty including guarding prisoners at Gratiot Street Prison
Confederate:
Confederate Women of Missouri
on CD-ROM
“Reminiscences of the Women of Missouri During the Sixties”,Various authors, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Missouri Division, 1913. Two Photos (Mary J. Louden & Margaret McClure) not in original publication that are new for this edition.
and
"Order No. 11", Caroline Abbot Stanley, 1904, fictional novel, 420 Original Pages, 4 illustrations by Harry C. Edwards.
Only $9.95 +$2 shipping
Click here for more information and to order
The Fight for Missouri by Thomas L. Snead, 1886
Adjutant to General Sterling Price, Snead wrote this highly regarded history of the Civil War in Missouri until the end of the battle of Wilson's Creek.
Now available on CD-ROM
excerpt
&
review
The Civil War Reminiscences of General Basil W. Duke, C.S.A by Basil Wilson Duke
Best known for his service with Morgan in Kentucky, Basil Duke was a lawyer in St. Louis before the war and was one of the founding members of the secessionist organization, the Minute Men. This is a lengthy book with much valuable information and insights, yet it's surprising that such a vital, involved participant - who was even editor and writer of a magazine - could write these exciting events in such a dry style.
Confederate Wizards of the Saddle: Being Remininscences and Observations of One Who Rode With Morgan by Bennett H. Young
Bennett H. Young was one of Morgan's men from Kentucky. Later in the war he was a secret service operative with Hines and Castleman. The stories he tells in this book are not of his own adventures but of the cavalrymen, like Morgan, with whom he rode. Included are Morgan, Forrest, J.E.B. Stuart, Mosby, Marmaduke's Cape Girardeau, Missouri raid, and Shelby's September 1863 Missouri raid.
Narrative of Military Operations During the Civil War by Joseph E. Johnston
The Story of Cole Younger by Himself: An Autobiography of the Missouri Guerrilla, Confederate Cavalry Officer, and Western Outlaw, by Thomas Coleman Younger
First-hand story of the border war and the guerrilla war in Missouri from later outlaw Cole Younger who was at Lawrence, Kansas with Quantrill and later served under Shelby. Cole Younger lifts many of his wartime tales almost verbatim from John N. Edwards' "Noted Guerillas". Younger is, admittedly, no great writer, yet there are some parts, particularly when he talks about lessons he learned in life, that are quite inspired prose. Younger does skitter away from dealing with some problematic personal issues; the writing choices he makes are intriguing in themselves. Well worth reading for the first-hand perspective.
Three Years With Quantrill, by John McCorkle
Well told stories with footnotes by a solid historian in this edition. McCorkle makes the usual mistakes of memory common to autobiographies--events in the wrong order, dates wrong--and, naturally, puts his own personal bias on things. The historian/editor compensates with his own, opposite bias. It makes for a good balance. The most intriguing parts are the numerous times Quantrill came into potentially deadly conflict with his own men.
Camp and Prison Journal, by Griffin Frost, originally published 1867
Captain Griffin Frost, of the Missouri State Guard, kept a journal throughout the war and his two stays at Gratiot Street Prison in St. Louis. Frost writes an interesting story, describing many of the people at Gratiot very well. Some of his racial comments are a bit hard to take but must be viewed in historical context.
Missouri Brothers in Gray: The Reminiscences and Letters of William J. Bull and John P. Bull, Michael E. Banasik, ed.
