Hope Never to See It: A Graphic History of Guerrilla Violence during the American Civil War by Andrew Fialka, Illustrated by Anderson Carman

A graphic history that brings to life two emblematic scenes of Civil War violence.

Hope Never to See It illustrates two exceptional incidents of occupational and guerrilla violence in Missouri during the American Civil War. The first is a Union spy's two-week-long murder spree targeting civilians, and the second is a pro-Confederate guerrillas' mutilation of almost 150 U.S. troops.

The men leading the atrocities (Jacob Terman, alias Harry Truman, and “Bloody" Bill Anderson) weren't so different. Both the Union spy and the infamous Confederate guerrilla claimed to be avenging the deaths of their families, operated under orders from military officials, and were hard drinkers. Their acts outline the terror inflicted on both sides of the struggle.

This book's use of sequential art displays these grisly realities to mute the war's glorification and to help prompt a modern, meaningful reconciliation with the war. The moral ambiguities contained within this story call into question our understanding of the laws of war and the ways in which wars end.

About the Author

Andrew Fialka is associate professor of history at Middle Tennessee State University. He has co-directed multiple digital history projects at UGA’s Center for Virtual History. He lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Product Specifications 

Published by University of Georgia Press, 2025. Paperback, 216 pages; 162 page-length images of bw graphic art; 14 bw spot illustrations