War to the Knife: Bleeding Kansas, 1854-1861

by Thomas Goodrich

Book Overview

Long before the secession crisis at Fort Sumter ignited the War between the States, men fought and died on the prairies of Kansas over the incendiary issue of slavery. "War to the knife and knife to the hilt," cried the Atchison Squatter Sovereign. In 1854 a shooting war developed between proslavery men from Missouri and free-staters in Kansas over control of the territory. The prize was whether Kansas would become a slave or a free state when admitted...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080327114X
• ISBN13: 9780803271142
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: Bison
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Interesting Discussion of Pre-Civil War Violence

A native Kansan, Goodrich obviously knows the history of his state. War to the Knife provides a very vivid look at the conflict between pro-slavery and free state settlers in Kansas in the lead up to the Civil War, drawing heavily from personal accounts and local newspaper reports. This approach also helps Goodrich maintain a balance in presenting the views of both sides of the conflict, their hatred of each other and their diametrically opposed agendas. The one area where the book was lacking was in its discussion of the role of the federal military and government in the conflict. Goodrich does discuss the few times the military did intervene in the conflict and the lack of power that the multiple territorial governors had over the settlers, but I found myself wanting to know more about why the military and government did not take a stronger role in preserving law and order in the territory. Despite that, the motives of the various free state and pro-slavery leaders are discected fairly well -- especially John Brown whose raid on Harpers Ferry is used to open and close the book.

A bloody period well-described..

It was just a coincidence that shortly after reading the book I met the author at a civil war reenactment. This book is mainly constructed through letters and diaries from the period, and little is left to the imagination as the author chillingly describes the savagery of this particular time. An excellent read for those interested in Civil War history, and to hear a knock at the door in the middle of the night, being asked if you are "Pro-slavery or a Jayhawker", and knowing that a wrong answer would probably mean death is harrowing just thinking about it.

Excellent Account of Pre-Civil War Kansas

Goodrich adds to his works on US Western history with a well-paced history of the guerilla warfare between abolitionist and pro-slavery forces in the struggle for statehood in Kansas. The author relys extensively on personal accounts of the violent and brutal actions of both sides of the conflict. Readers will find his impartial examination a valuable asset. The more experienced historian may find the book long on drama, short on analysis, particulary the impact of these events on the Eastern political establishment. Nonetheless, a valuable addition to the literature and a great follow-on to his earlier "Black Flag" which describes the events that follow in the Civil War itself. I found this a timely book to read after Russell Banks "Cloudsplitter", a fictional account of John Brown which includes many events found in "War to the Knife".