While the giant armies of the Union and the Confederacy fought over cities and key strategic positions, large numbers of irregular fighters were fighting a smaller, more personal war. Many of these partisans - Confederate "Bushwhackers" and Union "Jayhawkers" alike - were able and ruthless fighters, and many achieved fame, including William Quantrill and "Bloody Bill" Anderson. To their own people they were heroes, but to others they were little more than bandits. Indeed the ranks of the guerrillas included many men who later became the outlaws of the Wild West, notably Cole Younger and Frank and Jesse James. This new account of the partisan forces of the American Civil Ware is illustrated throughout with maps, diagrams and original artwork.

Introduction: Definition of terms: guerrillas, partisan rangers and cavalry raiders -- The training ground: "Bleeding Kansas" -- The Irregulars' War: Early guerrillas: Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri -- The Partisan Ranger Act -- Arkansas, the spiral of reprisals: Lawrence, Kansas, and the Missouri evictions -- 1862: Cavalry raiders, Morgan and Forrest, consequences of the Conscription Act -- 1863-64: Union precautions, Confederate raids, Morgan, Mosby -- 1865: the final months -- The leaders: Guerrillas, partisan rangers -- Organization & tactics: leadership -- Clothing and weapons: guerrillas, partisan rangers -- Tactics: guerrillas and antiguerrillas -- Centralia and Rawlings Lane -- Partisan rangers and cavalry raiders -- The impact on irregular warfare: Guerrillas and the civilian population -- Guerrillas and the regular armies -- The effectiveness of irregular warfare -- Aftermath.