JOURNAL ARTICLE

Oracle of Lost Causes: John Newman Edwards and His Never-Ending Civil War. By Matthew Christopher Hulbert.

  • Published In: Western Historical Quarterly, 2025, v. 56, n. 2. P. 157 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Lang, Andrew F 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the life and legacy of John Newman Edwards, a soldier and journalist from the Civil War era who chronicled the conflict in the Missouri borderlands. Matthew Christopher Hulbert presents Edwards as a complex figure, shaped by his Southern upbringing and his romanticized views of chivalry and the Confederacy. Despite the Confederacy's defeat, Edwards continued to pursue his ideals, even following his hero Joseph "Jo" Shelby to Mexico, where he became enamored with the imperial splendor of Emperor Maximilian III. Ultimately, Edwards' writings shaped a biased public memory of the Civil War and its aftermath, portraying figures like Jesse James as noble outlaws resisting federal authority. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Western Historical Quarterly. 2025/06, Vol. 56, Issue 2, p157
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0043-3810
  • DOI:10.1093/whq/whaf009
  • Accession Number:185284562
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Western Historical Quarterly is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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