The idea for this book was the product of several discussions over coffee in Fulton, Missouri. Whit had related how Missouri was recognized as the state where the third-most Civil War engagements took place (estimates range from 800 to 1,200 military actions), following only Virginia and Tennessee. As historians and the owner of a bookstore, we were amazed by the number of books, many superb in their painstaking research, on the Civil War in Missouri. But there did not exist a single book to consult, short of combing through the complete 128 volumes of The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records, published from 1881 to 1901. Although we viewed it as impractical to include every recorded military event, readers will find that this book provides a serious overview of the major campaigns and more than 300 military actions. Readers will hopefully gain an appreciation for both the immense price in blood and treasure Missourians paid and how the Confederacy’s leaders throughout the war and historians today have overlooked Missouri’s strategic importance.
This book is a roughly chronological overview of hundreds of the documented engagements that took place within Missouri’s borders. Hence, we believe that including “Almost Unabridged” as the subtitle is appropriate and suggests that we intend to improve the book in later editions. Throughout, we have tried to represent dates, locations, actors and outcomes as accurately as possible given the source material available, some of which consists of contradictory and inconclusive information. In addition, we hope to encourage our readers to visit the historic locations to expand their knowledge of the actual engagements. In the bibliography, readers will find a plethora of informative websites and excellent travel brochures available for those interested in visiting exact locations of the engagements. Further support for interested readers includes five regional maps and three campaign maps, indicating the approximate locations of military actions and the major campaigns conducted on Missouri soil.
We view this project as one that hopefully will live well beyond the publication of this edition. One of the most exciting things about taking on a project like this is the community of historians and Civil War buffs with whom we will connect to discuss and debate our findings. We have created a companion website that will guide readers to the specific historic locations and act as a communication hub and database for new and updated information. (The website is www.almostunabridged.com and is designed to elicit your feedback.)
Welcome to that fascinating time in American history when the sobering events of the Civil War directly confronted Missouri’s deeply divided population.