Autobiography of Samuel S. Hildebrand

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. 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 historians and enthusiasts.Hildebrand, Samuel S. is the author of 'Autobiography of Samuel S. Hildebrand ', published 2005 under ISBN 9781557287991 and ISBN 1557287996.