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General Sterling Price and the Civil War in the West
Indeed, the story of General Price -- as this account by Albert Castle shows -- is the story, in large part, of the Confederacy's struggle in the West. The author draws a fascinating portrait of Price the man -- vain, courageous, addicted to secrecy -- and produces insightful interpretations and much pertinent information about the Civil War in the West.
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
About the author
Albert E. Castel
23 books12 followersOne of the leading authorities on the Civil War in the western theater, Albert Edward Castel earned his B.A. and M.A. from Wichita State University and his Ph.D. in History and Political Science from the University of Chicago. He taught at UCLA and Waynesburg College before accepting a position at Western Michigan University, where he taught from 1960 until his retirement in 1991.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 20, 2023
This is an excellent biography, neither a hit piece nor a hagiography. Price was clearly a talented commander, but one unsuited to independent command. What is more clear he just how difficult he was as a subordinate and that his strategic vision truly was limited and parochial.
September 28, 2011
This is a thorough study of an important (although not very good) Confederate general in the Trans-Mississippi. General Price was a major figure in leading Missouri into rebellion and continued the fight after the rebel armies were pushed into Arkansas. After the South was defeated, he was one of the rebel leaders who fled to Mexico to start a new life.
This book covers his entire Civil War career, including the period when he was transferred east of the Mississippi. Books on Civil War Missouri and Arkansas skip this part of his career and books on the war east of the Mississippi tend to give him short shrift, so these chapters are of interest.
Of main interest to me were the chapters on Missouri, especially his 1864 invasion that serves as a backdrop to my novel, A Fine Likeness. These are very detailed and give a lot of insight into Price's strengths and many weaknesses. Always brave, always determined, he was not always competent and led his army to disaster on more than one occasion.
The maps are well done as well. All too often, military histories fall down on the maps. Luckily the author and publisher did a good job on simple yet detailed maps of the region in general and specific battles.
If you're interested in the war west of the Mississippi, you should definitely read this book.
This book covers his entire Civil War career, including the period when he was transferred east of the Mississippi. Books on Civil War Missouri and Arkansas skip this part of his career and books on the war east of the Mississippi tend to give him short shrift, so these chapters are of interest.
Of main interest to me were the chapters on Missouri, especially his 1864 invasion that serves as a backdrop to my novel, A Fine Likeness. These are very detailed and give a lot of insight into Price's strengths and many weaknesses. Always brave, always determined, he was not always competent and led his army to disaster on more than one occasion.
The maps are well done as well. All too often, military histories fall down on the maps. Luckily the author and publisher did a good job on simple yet detailed maps of the region in general and specific battles.
If you're interested in the war west of the Mississippi, you should definitely read this book.
November 21, 2023
This was a really great book on Sterling Price and the trans Mississippi theatre that I am not as knowledgeable about. It is very neutral in that it doesn’t praise Price nor does it completely bash him. I can’t help but think of the movie “The Outlaw Josie Wales” while thinking about the Trans Mississippi theatre.
October 22, 2021
“General Sterling Price “ is a Civil War biography of the most celebrated Confederate General from Missouri and one of the leading Rebel figures of the Trans-Mississippi. This tome begins with an introduction to its subject’s early life, including service in the Mexican War and a term as governor of Missouri, and conditions in Missouri in the years and days leading up to the Civil War. Thereafter it plunges into the series of battles, both in Missouri and beyond, in which Price was involved: Wilson’s Creek, Lexington, Elkhorn Tavern (Pea Ridge), Iuka, Corinth, Richmond, Helena, Little Rock, Jenkins’ Ferry, Pilot Knob, Westport and Mine Creek. It then concludes with “Old Pap’’s” exile in Carlotta, Mexico and final days in St. Louis.
This is a mixture of military and political history. Much of Price’s involvement was with political leaders, primarily Govs. Clayborne Fox Jackson and Thomas Reynolds and President Jefferson Davis. Though adored by the men who called him “Old Pap”, he tended to have difficulty dealing with military and political superiors. Accounts of Price’s battles provide insights into the War in the Trans-Mississippi and Mississippi. His contentious meetings with President Davis and running battles with Confederate Missouri governor Thomas Reynolds shed light on behind the scenes intrigue found in this and any war. Speculation that Price might have been lifted from the Army to a seat in the Confederate Senate or may succeed Jefferson Davis as President speak to the respect he still commanded in the political realm.
Sterling Price is portrayed as a tragic figure, more a Missouri patriot more than a Confederate, an amateur soldier whose victories were fleeting and whose political skills were adequate for peace time but less serviceable in war. I recommend this for anyone interested in the history of the War in Missouri or seeking an examination of the travails of a political general.
This is a mixture of military and political history. Much of Price’s involvement was with political leaders, primarily Govs. Clayborne Fox Jackson and Thomas Reynolds and President Jefferson Davis. Though adored by the men who called him “Old Pap”, he tended to have difficulty dealing with military and political superiors. Accounts of Price’s battles provide insights into the War in the Trans-Mississippi and Mississippi. His contentious meetings with President Davis and running battles with Confederate Missouri governor Thomas Reynolds shed light on behind the scenes intrigue found in this and any war. Speculation that Price might have been lifted from the Army to a seat in the Confederate Senate or may succeed Jefferson Davis as President speak to the respect he still commanded in the political realm.
Sterling Price is portrayed as a tragic figure, more a Missouri patriot more than a Confederate, an amateur soldier whose victories were fleeting and whose political skills were adequate for peace time but less serviceable in war. I recommend this for anyone interested in the history of the War in Missouri or seeking an examination of the travails of a political general.
May 3, 2025
Castel manages to sort through the relatively poor source material for Price's wartime career (Gov. Reynolds' generally partisan writings, John Newman Edwards' unreliable ramblings, Snead's hagiography, etc.) to produce a balanced biography of a man who was best talent-wise to be a division commander but who was unable to get along with any of his superior officers and who frequently found himself in at least quasi-independent commands (Lexington, Iuka, Little Rock, Missouri 1864).
The book is a bit dated though - Castel's book originally dates to the 1960s but the foundational secondary literature for Price's major battles and the extensive research that accompanied them are all much later - Sinisi's work on the 1864 Missouri Expedition in the 2010s, Shea & Hess' Pea Ridge work in the 1990s, and Piston & Hatcher's Wilson's Creek book from the early 2000s. Castel focuses on Price's wartime career with much less on his pre-war civilian activities. Shalhope's biography from the early 1970s spends more time on that. A general of Price's significance warrants a more modern biography, but for now Castel's work is the best one for his wartime activities.
The book is a bit dated though - Castel's book originally dates to the 1960s but the foundational secondary literature for Price's major battles and the extensive research that accompanied them are all much later - Sinisi's work on the 1864 Missouri Expedition in the 2010s, Shea & Hess' Pea Ridge work in the 1990s, and Piston & Hatcher's Wilson's Creek book from the early 2000s. Castel focuses on Price's wartime career with much less on his pre-war civilian activities. Shalhope's biography from the early 1970s spends more time on that. A general of Price's significance warrants a more modern biography, but for now Castel's work is the best one for his wartime activities.
March 29, 2019
I bought and read this book for a number of reasons: as I study the civil war from various perspectives Price's name keeps coming up but without much info about the man and what he did; my mother's family is from the area including eastern OK, northern AR and southern MO; my great grandfather's name is James Sterling Price Box which seemed too coincidental.
For a very well-researched history book, it read almost like a novel. I kept going back to it to see what the hell the General was going to do next. The information included here filled me in on numerous incidents and events that I either wasn't aware of or had skipped over in other sources. I'm also reading the Chernow bio of General Grant so the 2 books meshed well.
My only criticism was the overuse of "!" It got pretty annoying until I just decided to see the humor in it. I'm going to check out some of Professor Castel's other books.
For a very well-researched history book, it read almost like a novel. I kept going back to it to see what the hell the General was going to do next. The information included here filled me in on numerous incidents and events that I either wasn't aware of or had skipped over in other sources. I'm also reading the Chernow bio of General Grant so the 2 books meshed well.
My only criticism was the overuse of "!" It got pretty annoying until I just decided to see the humor in it. I'm going to check out some of Professor Castel's other books.
May 17, 2009
If you want to read a book by Castel, this is the one to go to. It's a first rate analysis of what happened to Price and his command in the West.
February 8, 2015
Very good book on the Civil War in the West! This is the second book by Albert Castel that I've read and I've found the books enjoyable and informative. I would recommend any book by this author.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews