Necessary evil : settling Missouri with a rope and a gun / Joe Johnston.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Johnston, Joe, 1948- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Crime.

History.

Vigilantes.

Vigilance committees.

Missouri--History--19th century.

Missouri.

Vigilance committees--Missouri--History--19th century.

Vigilantes--Missouri--History--19th century.

Frontier and pioneer life--Missouri.

Frontier and pioneer life.

Crime--Missouri--History--19th century.

Physical Description:

336 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

St. Louis : Missouri History Museum Press, [2014]

Summary:

"From the Mormon Wars to the Border Wars to gangs of Bald Knobbers and Bushwhackers, Missouri's reign of vigilante justice during the nineteenth century is unparalleled by any other state in the nation. Situated as the Gateway to the West, Missouri experienced an influx of new cultures, races, and political factions, while already home to a population of patriotic war veterans. The state marked the boundary of eastern civilization and was a stronghold of fierce independence, bordered by Bloody Kansas and Native American territories. With new lands opening for settlement, and a fledgling system of law enforcement, the people themselves were compelled to invent laws and punish transgressors. Lawmen opposed vigilantes but at times were forced to cooperate with them and adopt their methods. Missouri spawned countless stories of individual and mob violence that finally ended at the turn of the century with advancing technology and the people's enduring insistence on decency and peace. Necessary Evil is the first book to chronicle the implications of vigilantism in Missouri, ultimately showing that the state could never have been settled without a healthy dose of rebel justice. Packed with stories of popular gunslingers such as Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, and Jesse James, this action-filled read will be of interest to crime enthusiasts and historians alike"-- Provided by publisher.

""Missouri in the 1800s spawned countless stories of individual and mob violence. This book chronicles the implications of vigilantism in Missouri, ultimately showing that the state could never have been settled without a healthy dose of rebel justice"--Provided by publisher"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 First Flames: The Mormon Wars 13

2 Divine Vengeance: The Mormon Wars 29

3 The Slicker Wars Begin 49

4 Slicker Vengeance 59

5 The Border Wars 69

6 The Border during the War 87

7 Equipped by War 103

8 The Archetype: James Butler Hickok 121

9 The Vigilante as Victim: Sam Hildebrand 131

10 No Surrender for Sam 145

11 Outside the Lines 157

12 Wyatt Earp and the Vigilantes 183

13 Doc Holladay and the Bounty-Hunting Preacher 199

14 The Bald Knobbers 209

15 The Bald Knobbers on Trial 227

16 Mob Mentality 243

17 The Regulators 261

18 Personal Justice 271

19 Decency Takes a Hand 285

20 Technology Takes a Hand 301

21 The Myth 317.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781883982812

1883982812

OCLC:

883836283