No person excited greater emotion in Kansas than James Henry Lane; the U.S. senator who led a volunteer brigade in 1861–1862. In fighting numerous skirmishes; liberating hundreds of slaves; burning portions of four towns; and murdering half a dozen men; Lane and his brigade garnered national attention as the saviors of Kansas and the terror of Missouri.This first book-length study of the “jayhawkers;†as the men of Lane’s brigade were known; takes a fresh look at their exploits and notoriety. Bryce Benedict draws on a wealth of previously unexploited sources; including letters by brigade members; to dramatically re-create the violence along the Kansas-Missouri border and challenge some of the time-honored depictions of Lane’s unit as bloodthirsty and indiscriminately violent.Bringing to life an era of guerillas; bushwhackers; and slave stealers; Jayhawkers also describes how Lane’s brigade was organized and equipped and provides details regarding staff and casualties. Assessing the extent to which the jayhawkers followed accepted rules of warfare; Benedict argues that Lane set a precedent for the Union Army’s eventual adoption of “hard†tactics toward civilians.An entertaining story rich in detail; Jayhawkers will captivate scholars and history enthusiasts as it sheds new light on the unfettered violence on this western fringe of the Civil War.
#2728367 in Books University of Oklahoma Press 1995-09Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.17 x 6.40 x 9.28l; #File Name: 0806127627394 pages
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