Civil War in the Ozarks - Paperback

by Phillip Steele (Author), Steve Cottrell (Author)

A history of the bitter battles and skirmishes in the Ozark Region, including photos: �It�s great to see a revised edition of this Civil War classic.� �Ozarks Mountaineer

In this revised edition of Civil War in the Ozarks, Phillip W. Steele and Steve Cottrell provide new insight into the clashes that occurred in the Ozarks and additional commentary from experts. Explanations of the political and cultural conditions there at the time create a backdrop for the drama that unfolded as a result. An updated map is also included. In writing the original version, the authors extensively researched the battles taking place between 1861 and 1865. With meticulous detail, they chronicle the heroes, outlaws, and peacemakers who were at the center of this hot-blooded battleground.

Skirmishes between the abolitionist Kansas Jayhawkers and slaveholders in Arkansas and Missouri began years before the firing upon Fort Sumter, making the Ozarks a volatile and dangerous region during the Civil War. Although many citizens of Missouri wished to remain neutral, they reluctantly found themselves caught in the crossfire of raids between the two groups. Relocated Indian tribes of present-day Oklahoma also fell prey to the vicious fighting. As the war crept westward, more groups were drawn into the conflict�making the Ozarks one of the bloodiest regions in the battle between the Blue and Gray.

Includes photos and illustrations

�Highly recommended.� �Curled Up with a Good Book

Back Jacket

During the Civil War, the Ozarks were a bitter battleground between the Blue and Gray. This region experienced warfare of a rough style, unique in its ferocity to the struggles of the other fighting states. The combats that took place in this area involved colorful individuals who would later garner both fame and notoriety in the history of the Old West.
In this revised edition of Civil War in the Ozarks, Steve Cottrell and the late Phillip W. Steele extensively researched and chronicled, in new detail, the battles that took place in the Ozarks during the Civil War. With additional commentary from contemporary experts and primary sources, this enhanced edition provides new insight into the Civil War in this area.

Steve Cottrell, who is also the author of Civil War in the Indian Territory, Civil War in Texas and New Mexico Territory, and Civil War in Tennessee, is a Civil War historian and former high-school teacher.

Phillip W. Steele was a renowned folklorist and historian who wrote many books about the Ozarks, including Ozark Tales and Superstitions, Outlaws and Gunfighters of the Old West, The Last Cherokee Warriors, Starr Tracks: Belle and Pearl Starr, The Family Story of Bonnie and Clyde, Jesse and Frank James, and Two Longs and a Short: An Ozark Boyhood Remembered.

Author Biography

The late Phillip W. Steele became interested in Ozark and Old West history and folklore many years ago. He researched and wrote on several of these subjects. A successful columnist and historian, Steele had more than fifty articles published in magazines such as True West, Real West, Tombstone Epitaph, The Roundup, The Westerner, True Treasure, and other major newspapers and magazines throughout the nation. In fact, Steele's column, Hearth Tales of the Ozarks, appeared in the Ozarks Mountaineer magazine for ten years. Also a successful author, Steele's books by Pelican Publishing Company include: The Last Cherokee Warriors; Ozark Tales and Superstitions; Jesse and Frank James: The Family History; Starr Tracks: Belle and Pearl Starr; Civil War in the Ozarks with coauthor Steve Cottrell; Outlaws and Gunfighters of the Old West; and The Many Faces of Jesse James written with George Warfel. His self-published works include The Butterfield Run, In Search of the Daltons, and Lost Treasures of the Ozarks. Outside of his writing, Steele was the president of Good Old Days Food, Inc., of Springdale and Little Rock, Arkansas. He was also one of the owners and an executive producer of American Heritage Productions, Inc., a film company that produces documentary films on Old West, Civil War, and Ozark folklore subjects for the home video and television markets. A former native of northwest Arkansas, Steele attended Kemper Military Academy in Columbia, Missouri, the University of California at Los Angeles, and the University of Arkansas. He was involved in a number of organizations: the Western Writers of America; the Jesse James Historical Society, of which he was president; the Friends of the James Farm and Museum; the National Outlaw and Lawman History Association, for which he served on the board of directors; the Ozarks Writers League; and the Ozarks Arts and Crafts Fair. He also served on the board of directors for the Arkansas History Commission, which is appointed by the Governor of Arkansas. Phillip W. Steele passed away on November 8, 2007.