The Devil Knows How to Ride: The True Story of William Clarke Quantril and His Confederate Raiders

One of the more detailed books on the subject. Even handed. Shows the motivation of those who joined the band. Also, details the depravations of the Kansas partisans whose names never appear in the history books. Why? Winners write the history books.

I went to KU in Lawrence so I was well aware of Quantrill's raid but that was about all that I was aware of. (Pioneer Cemetery with headstone inscriptions bearing witness to that raid is just across I70 from KU on Mount Oread.) When studying the American Civil War in school one learns about Gettysburg, Antietam, Petersburg and the fighting in the Shenandoah of Virginia. Some passing mention might be made of the war in the west, usually a reference to Grant and Vicksburg. There is hardly if ever any mention of the 'border war' in eastern Kansas and western Missouri. The border war is still alive in that part of the nation; the massacre at Baxter Springs and General Order Number 11 that emptied a number of counties of citizens in western Missouri to combat bands of guerillas is still in the memory of many. Not all of the fighting was in the east and Edward Leslie does a fine job of bringing to life a bit of the war in the west. It was as nasty if not nastier than anything in the east.

To write a historical book like "The True Story of William Clarke Quantrill" is not an easy job.I can fully realize how much time Edward Leslie must have spent to do his research in order to perfectly present life of politicians, guerilla fighters, soldiers and uninvolved citizens during terrible times of Civil War on the border of Missouri and Kansas. I truly appreciate his huge effort and will say without hesitation that not quite often reader can come across such a magnificent work.This book shows that United States of America, leading economy of the world and symbol of freedom and justice, once in the past was the scene of unimaginable brutal and fierce war. Civilians were killed, soldiers-prisoners of war executed, massacres took place and "no-quarter" manner of fighting was widely practiced. Nobody could be trusted; one never knew who is his friend or enemy.I am not very much sure what made me to read this book almost non- stop: subject that most people like to read about - killings, war and action, or fantastic description of the era and people having enough bad luck to witness it.No doubt, I had in my hands masterpiece of a historical book.

This book is a must-have for all civil war enthusiasts, as well as should be mandatory reading for history classes on our local history. As a native of the town that Quantrill formed his raiders and a civil war enthusiast, I can confirm that Edward Leslie went to great lengths in researching the towns and the terrain that the Quantrill band frequently covered. Unlike previously released books on this subject, Leslie takes an unbiased approach at describing attrocities committed by both sides of the Missouri-Kansas border. As many people cling to the idea that men such as William Quantrill, Bill Anderson and George Todd were simply murderers quenching their own thirst for blood, even General Sterling Price himself viewed the efforts of the Missouri Conferderate Guerrillas to be a necessity for the Conferderate Cause. I commend the author for conveying the facts from both sides of the border and describing this truly dark period of Missouri history

In Missouri and Kansas, the War for Southern Independence was a brutal, inhuman, savage business. And, contrary to many of the history books, there was brutality, inhumanity, and savagery on both sides. William Clarke Quantrill's Lawrence raid was more than matched by the Union Army's Order #11, the depredations of Doc Jennison and other jawhawkers, the deliberate execution of Confederate prisoners by Union officers at Palmyra and St. Louis, and other atrocities.This book is one of the best books I've ever read on the War for Southern Independence in Missouri. Its description of Quantrill's early life is rather speculative, due, one supposes, to the lack of documentary material. But one really gets a feel for the Missouri war here, and Leslie does come up with some surprising information. For the benefit of those who thought Quantrill's Raiders were a sort of nascent Klan, Leslie points out(somewhat reluctantly, it seemed to me)that at least three free blacks rode with Quantrill and one of these scouted Lawrence prior to the raid. And his description of the fate of Quantrill's remains is interesting. Highly recommended.

Leslie's grass roots research into the shadowy life of Civil War guerrilla chieftain William Quantrill has produced a vivid picture of the realities of life on the Missouri-Kansas frontier from the late 1850's until Quantrill's death in Kentucky in 1865 and has resulted in a book which will become the resource work in the field. Leslie spent years as a professional researcher doing background work for other authors writing on various topics, both fiction and non-fiction. Some of his research can be found in the works of James A. Michner, and others. Leslie knows how to dig out the facts of a story. On occasion, I accompanied him as he visited sites in both Missouri and Kansas where Quantrill stamped his name on the history of the War. I witnessed firsthand Leslie's feel for the subject material and his expertise and passion for fact-finding. "The Devil Knows How to Ride" tells Quantrill's story from his Ohio childhood, thru his arrival on the Kansas frontier, to his development as the leader of a band of Missouri men and boys who became the guerrillas who sacked Lawrence, Kansas and caused the Union to divert troops and resources from war operations in the East. While the story of Quantrill and his band has been told and retold, Leslie's research covered many years and addresses questions not heretofore answered: * Was Quantrill a recognized Confederate officer, or did he operate outside the rules and customs of "civilized" warfare"? * How did he achieve leadership, and then lose that leadership role of the men and boys who had at first flocked to him? * Why did he meet his death in Kentucky, and not on the Missouri-Kansas ground which he had terrorized? * What brought his followers to the band, who were they, and what became of them afterwards? * Did Quantrill teach Jesse and Frank James the lessons which led to their infamy? * What effect did his activities in Missouri have on the Civil War? * Was the man inherently evil, or was he a product of his times - fighting for what he took to be a just cause? These questions and more have been previously discussed by other authors who have not returned to the primary source material which is essential to the accurate telling of a biography that has not been addressed for many years. "The Devil Knows How to Ride" has an extensive bibliography, along with photos of documents and personalities not previously published. The depth and breath of the story, which is told in a readable and entertaining style, sets forth previously untold facts which are essential to an understanding of the tragic guerrilla warfare which rocked and shocked Missouri and Kansas during the Civil War. The book is a monumental achievement and a good read! -James P. O'Connor Nov. `96