Petersen, a former US Marine and member of the William Clarke Quantrill Society presents this narrative defense of Confederate ranger Quantrill's raid on Lawrence Kansas in 1863. A thoroughly partisan telling, the work describes the events surrounding the attack, attempting to debunk witness accounts of the severity of the raid and arguing that the violence done to the town was justified retaliation for previous pro-union paramilitary raids in Missouri. This volume is a testament to the continued interest in the "Bleeding Kansas" period of the Civil War and the passions it continues to inflame among enthusiasts. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)