Description
Book SynopsisA controversial character largely known as a Union colonel who led Black soldiers in the Civil War, James Montgomery (1814-71) waged a far more personal and radical war against slavery than popular history suggests. It is the true story of this militant abolitionist that Todd Mildfelt and David Schafer tell in this volume.
Trade Review“In this carefully researched and crafted biography of James Montgomery, the authors tell the story of an often-overlooked Kansas Jayhawker: a curious blend of God-fearing pioneer farmer and preacher who became an anti-slavery zealot on the Kansas-Missouri border and a celebrated commander of Black troops during the Civil War. Montgomery’s life was momentous and worthy of the attention it is now receiving.” - Virgil W. Dean, editor of
Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains (1990–2011)
“
Abolitionist of the Most Dangerous Kind illuminates the life of this controversial character, charting James Montgomery’s evolution into a full-fledged abolitionist on the prairies of Kansas and leader of an all-Black regiment during the Civil War. Thanks to the authors’ diligent research, Montgomery’s story is now situated within the broader context of resistance to slavery.” - Kristen Epps, author of
Slavery on the Periphery: The Kansas-Missouri Border in the Antebellum and Civil War Eras“This well-researched book vividly re-creates the tumultuous life and times of James Montgomery, a genuine firebrand who helped precipitate and radicalize the American Civil War. We see the guerrilla chieftain in prewar clashes against pro-slavery terrorists along the Kansas-Missouri border transform into the Union colonel who recruited Black soldiers and then led them in combat and raids that laid waste to stately Southern plantations and brought freedom to the enslaved.
Abolitionist of the Most Dangerous Kind peels away layers of myth and introduces us to a driven and courageous man.” - Gregory J. W. Urwin, author of
Victory in Defeat: The Wake Island Defenders in Captivity, 1941–1945
