NEOSHO, Mo. — Crowder College is the recipient of one of the largest collections of Civil War literature in the region, with more than 1,400 volumes donated by Daniel Sutherland, professor of history at the University of Arkansas who recently retired.
“We’re just amazed. It’s not something we could have done,” said Denna Clymer, president of Crowder’s social science division. “We wouldn’t have been able to muster the resources to complete a collection of this magnitude.”
Sutherland is the author of numerous books on the Civil War, including “A Savage Conflict: The Decisive Role of Guerrillas in the American Civil War”.
“Dr. Sutherland is one of the foremost living experts on the American Civil War,” said Clymer, who added that his collection contains “foundational and scholarly work,” both primary and secondary sources, and includes the entire “War of the Rebellion”. : A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies,” in over 100 volumes.
“It’s probably the most comprehensive Civil War library you’ll find in the area,” Clymer said. “These items are an incredible addition to a library of our size.”
The books will be referred to as the “Sutherland Collection”.
Most will be available for general release, but some “unique and irreplaceable” books will not circulate, nor will the “Official Records” volumes, Clymer said.
Clymer said two of Sutherland’s doctoral students now teach at Crowder – herself and David Schieffler, a history professor.
Many books deal with the war in the Trans-Mississippi West and the guerrilla warfare on the Missouri frontier.
“This is one of the most impressive collections I’ve ever seen on this specialization,” Clymer said.
Crowder College’s Social Sciences Division will host an event for Sutherland at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Wright Conference Center in the Arnold Farber Building on the Neosho campus.
A lecture titled “Hundreds of Little Wars: Community, Conflict, and the Real Civil War in the Ozarks” will be presented by Matthew M. Stith, associate professor of history at the University of Texas at Tyler.
Stith received his bachelor’s degree in history from Missouri Southern State University, as well as his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Arkansas. He has also written or edited four published or forthcoming books that explore elements of the Civil War, Vietnam War, and World War I, as well as several articles and book chapters.
