Autobiography Of Samuel S. Hildebrand: The Renowned Missouri "Bushwhacker" And Unconquerable Rob Roy Of America; Being His Complete Confession ... With All The Facts Connected With His Early

The Civil War in the West

by Samuel S. Hildebrand, James W. Evans (Editor), Abraham Wendell Keith (Editor)

Most Civil War historians now agree that the guerrilla conflict shaped the entire war in significant ways. Some of these “bushwhackers”—Nathan Bedford Forrest, William Clarke Quantrill, John Singleton Mosby—have become quite infamous. Illiterate Sam Hildebrand, one of Missouri’s most notorious guerrillas—often compared to “Rob Roy,” and the subject of dime novels—was one of the few to survive the war and have his story taken down and published. Shortly after this he was killed in a barroom brawl. “I make no apology to mankind for my acts of retaliation; I make no whining appeal to the world for sympathy. I sought revenge and I found it; the key of hell was not suffered to rust in the lock while I was on the war path.” —Sam Hildebrand Hildebrand’s reign of terror gave the Union army fits and kept much of the Trans-Mississippi, especially Missouri, roiling in the 1860s. Over seven years of fighting he and his men killed dozens of soldiers and civilians, whites and blacks; he claimed to have killed nearly one hundred himself. He was accused of many heinous acts. The historical significance of Hildebrand’s story is substantial, but his bloody tale is eminently readable and stands quite well on its own as a cold-blooded portrait of a violent time in American history. Like the nightmarish and depraved world of the Kid in Cormac McCarthy’s novel Blood Meridian, Hildebrand’s world is truly ruthless and his story is brutally descriptive in its coolly detached rendering of one man’s personal war. Published in 1870, Hildebrand’s autobiography has long been out of print and has been a rare and highly prized acquisition among Civil War

Genres: History, Civil War, American History, American Civil War

170 pages, Paperback

Published November 27, 2020

Reviews

[Tim Shepard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

A great first hand look at the life of San Hildebrant. He makes no effort to hide his murderous tendencies during the Civil War and beyond. Certainly it is understandable based on his history.

[Jim Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This will be fascinating for anyone who is interested in the "borderlands" during the civil war where bandits and gangs known as Bushwackers terrorized Union soldiers, militias, farms and villages of SE Missouri. Hildebrand was illiterate, but several of his admirers helped him write his version of events shortly before he was killed. Of course, he always presents himself in the best light. The raiding and attacks on Union soldiers get repetitious after a while, but the fact that these events were recorded at all is astonishing and gives us a glimpse into this bloody and ruthless world.

[Cathy Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authentic!

Appreciate reading real events even of day to day living in the time . Well written
Sometimes real life is stranger than fiction and this was an example

[L.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating.