Few infantry regiments in the Civil War compiled a more distinguished record than the Fifth Missouri. The unique blending of fiery Irish Confederates from St. Louis with rural pro-Southern Missourians forged an unshakable esprit de corps, making the unit the crack infantry regiment in the western sector. Most of Colonel James C. McCown's troops were young men in their 20s, and their good health and physical conditioning allowed them to carry out their "shock" missions throughout the region. From the perspective of the common soldiers and the unit's leaders the activities and battles of the Fifth Missouri are recounted here. "The men of a unit praised by President Davis "as the Confederacy's 'unsurpassed brigade'" were doomed to obscurity until Phillip Tucker again called attention to their story. Through meticulous archival research, Tucker has reconstructed the personal stories of many members of the Fifth Missouri, from commanders to common soldiers . . . Tucker's careful and exhaustive research in archival collections scatted from Virginia to California has pieced together the Fifth Missouri's long-neglected history . . . an important book . . . " --The Journal of Southern History "extremely well researched and well written . . . this is an outstanding regimental history . . . Highly recommended." --Choice "an astonishing amount of detail" --Civil War History "A solid study . . . highly recommended . . . excellent" --Blue & Gray Magazine "Westerners in Gray is a well-researched addition to the literature of Missourians in the Civil War. It will rescue the Fifth Missouri from undeserved historiographical obscurity . . . " --Missouri Historical Review "This extremely well research and well written history carefully explains why farmers, students, and others enlisted . . . Tucker's account of the Vicksburg campaign of 1863, especially combat at Champion Hill, is enlightening . . . Filled with anecdotes, this is an outstanding regimental history and will appeal to anyone interested in studying the war at the regimental level . . . Highly recommended for all levels." --G. T. Edwards, Whitman College Phillip Thomas Tucker is a former Department of Defense historian in Washington, D.C. He lives in Davenport, Florida. Used Book in Good Condition