The Civil War Before the Civil War
A border war between Kansas and Missouri that led to insanity. The civil wars in Missouri and Kansas influenced a lot of the entire Civil War itself, all over a slavery issue.
During the 1850's, Missourians desperately wanted to influence Kansas to enter the Union as a free state, because with Missouri being surrounded already on two sides by free states, adding a third state would only make it extremely easy for slaves to escape. A group in west-central Missouri, calling themselves the Red Legs, were committing horrible crimes like there was no tomorrow. Under command of Kansas Senator Jim Lane and General Blunt, some of the Jayhawkers, Kansas free-state guerrilla fighters, opposed to Missouri and joined the Red Legs.
Missouri had been a neutral state because they didn't want to get involved in the Northern & Southern states' problems. This caused an extreme distrust throughout the state. By the time the Civil War was declared, the Red Legs and Jayhawkers started committing their crimes more fitting and protective of their original purpose; they were raping women and children, and pillaging property. Missourians made their own new group called The Missouri Partisan Rangers in response to their government failing to take control of their troops. The MPR supported the Confederacy, as they shared the same enemy, just not for the same cause. The MPR was made up mostly of men who lost their families and homes due to the Red Legs' and Jayhawkers' doings, but also of men who supported them and wanted them to get what they deserved--they wanted revenge.
The MPR consisted of: William Quantrill, Frank James, Cole Younger, William "Bloody Bill" Anderson, and others who are not memorable. These men were masters at war, and introduced new tactics such as disguise--sneaking into enemy territory to gain information. With this, the guerrillas were able to defeat the Union troops, even while being outnumbered by at least 2-1.
The troops realized what was going on, and sent women and children to a prison in Kansas, accusing them of being spies. That prison collapsed in August 1863, leaving 4 of the women dead. The MPR and guerrillas were extremely unhappy of their "mysterious" deaths, and attacked Lawrence, Kansas that same month.
During the 1850's, Missourians desperately wanted to influence Kansas to enter the Union as a free state, because with Missouri being surrounded already on two sides by free states, adding a third state would only make it extremely easy for slaves to escape. A group in west-central Missouri, calling themselves the Red Legs, were committing horrible crimes like there was no tomorrow. Under command of Kansas Senator Jim Lane and General Blunt, some of the Jayhawkers, Kansas free-state guerrilla fighters, opposed to Missouri and joined the Red Legs.
Missouri had been a neutral state because they didn't want to get involved in the Northern & Southern states' problems. This caused an extreme distrust throughout the state. By the time the Civil War was declared, the Red Legs and Jayhawkers started committing their crimes more fitting and protective of their original purpose; they were raping women and children, and pillaging property. Missourians made their own new group called The Missouri Partisan Rangers in response to their government failing to take control of their troops. The MPR supported the Confederacy, as they shared the same enemy, just not for the same cause. The MPR was made up mostly of men who lost their families and homes due to the Red Legs' and Jayhawkers' doings, but also of men who supported them and wanted them to get what they deserved--they wanted revenge.
The MPR consisted of: William Quantrill, Frank James, Cole Younger, William "Bloody Bill" Anderson, and others who are not memorable. These men were masters at war, and introduced new tactics such as disguise--sneaking into enemy territory to gain information. With this, the guerrillas were able to defeat the Union troops, even while being outnumbered by at least 2-1.
The troops realized what was going on, and sent women and children to a prison in Kansas, accusing them of being spies. That prison collapsed in August 1863, leaving 4 of the women dead. The MPR and guerrillas were extremely unhappy of their "mysterious" deaths, and attacked Lawrence, Kansas that same month.