Steve Cottrell Books

The Ozarks were a volatile region during the Civil War, highlighted by the Battle of Carthage, which marked the first serious conflict between U.S. troops and rebels. In their work, the late Phillip W. Steele and Steve Cottrell delve into the extensive research surrounding the battles on the western front from 1861 to 1865, exploring the heroes, outlaws, and peacemakers who shaped the Ozarks' role in this national conflict. Both authors are recognized experts in Civil War and Ozarks history, hailing from Arkansas and Missouri. Skirmishes between the abolitionist Kansas Jayhawkers and slaveholders in Arkansas and Missouri predated Fort Sumter. Neutral citizens of Missouri, often caught in crossfire, later joined the fight for self-defense or vengeance. Additionally, relocated Indian tribes from present-day Oklahoma, including the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Creek, were embroiled in the violence, with some aligning with Union or Confederate forces while others acted as renegades against western expansion. The divisions within the Ozark community mirrored the broader national conflict, making the region one of the bloodiest during the Civil War. Cottrell and the late Steele chronicled these tumultuous events, with Steele having authored several notable works on the Ozarks and the Wild West. Cottrell, a Civil War historian and battle re-enactor, has also coauthored works on the Civil War in Texas and New Mexico Territory.