Blood on the Streets

I enjoy discovering little gems published by local museums and historical societies, especially those located in the Trans-Mississippi. I don't know if Blood on the Streets: The Civil War Comes to Jackson County, Missouri, August 1862 by Ralph A. Monaco (Jackson County Historical Society, 2012) qualifies as such, most unfortunately don't. I'll pick up a copy at some point, hoping that Mr. Monaco has something interesting to say about, among other things, Independence and Lone Jack.

The author does seem a bit preoccupied with conveying how bloody everything was -- with book title "Blood on the Streets", Chapter IV title "Blood Battle in Independence", and Chapter VI title "Blood Splattering in Lone Jack"...Yikes. I've mentioned it before, how often we see the same overwrought words and phrases all over titles these days. I think I've come up with one that brings it all together: Thunder, Blood, Lightning, and Murder at 'X': In History and Memory. Feel free to borrow it.