Reviews
This belated but welcome collaboration between scholar and long-dead veteran yields as rich and thoughtful an account of the war in the West as any left by the generals and politicians. . . . Bailey's highly perceptive, firsthand account is a genuine historical treasure." -from the series editors' preface, "This belated but welcome collaboration between scholar and long-dead veteran yields as rich and thoughtful an account of the war in the West as any left by the generals and politicians. . . . Bailey's highly perceptive, firsthand account is a genuine historical treasure." --from the series editors' preface, "Civil War scholars will find Bailey's memoir valuable, because it is one of the few first-hand accounts of guerrilla activities during the war. Most irregular troops refused to write an account of their wartime experiences because they feared that their brutal actions during the war would lead to retribution. T. Lindsey Baker is to b commended for his editing of the original typescript. The memoir is easy to read and follow. Baker also deserves praise for documenting the events mentioned in Bailey's account with over fifty pages of comprehensive notes." --Kenneth W. Howell, The East Texas Historical Journal , July 2008, This belated but welcome collaboration between scholar and long-dead veteran yields as rich and thoughtful an account of the war in the West as any left by the generals and politicians. . . . Bailey's highly perceptive, firsthand account is a genuine historical treasure." —from the series editors' preface, "Bailey's story of atrocities, revenge, adventure, escape, and surrender thrilling to read. Civil War buffs, collectors of memoirs, reenactment units, round tables, and Civil War historians interested in guerrilla warfare or the department of the Trans-Mississippi (which included Texas) will find this work useful and informative." --James S. Baugess, The Southwestern Historical Quarterly , July 2008, "Bailey's memoirs offer insight into the relationship of guerilla warfare with military, gender, and social history. His work demonstrates that while these men were sometimes ruthless murderers, they maintained a level of normalcy and sought to defend their homes from what they observed as a foreign intrusion. Bailey's memoir, most likely written in 1920, is subject to a degree of embellishment, yet it provides an accurate portrayal of the bitter conflict that took place on Arkansas' home front. Editor T. Lindsay Baker, a Trans-Mississippi scholar, corroborates events using other manuscript sources, which reflect similar occurrences and recollections. He also does a good job of placing the memoir in the larger context of the Civil War with a number of references to surrounding events and participants. Ultimately, Bailey's memoir describes the Civil War not as a conventional conflict taking place on traditional battlefields, but a bitter struggle between neighbors that engulfed both civilians and soldiers. This memoir, with its references to both the battlefield and the home front, is recommended for those interested in the social and military history of the civil war." --Meredith Grant, Military History of the West, "...this volume is an expertly done presentation of Arkansas in the war and is heartily recommended for historian and buff alike." --William L. Richter, Arkansas Historical Quarterly , Winter 2007
Topic
United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877), United States / State & Local / South (Al, Ar, Fl, Ga, Ky, La, ms, Nc, SC, Tn, VA, WV), Military
