When the general public thinks of the Civil War, they usually think of an army of Union soldiers fighting an army of Confederate soldiers, each side commanded by men of rank superior who use military tactics to win the battle. What most people don't think about is the guerrilla warfare that took place between rival citizens in the border states. Instead of formal militias, these fights involved small groups of men hunting down enemies and engaging in fierce skirmishes. The Jayhawkers of Kansas and the Bushwhackers of Missouri fought this informal, bloody, guerrilla war. While being on one side or the other was dangerous, being in the middle was even more so. Ride With the Devil, a 1999 film directed by Ang Lee follows this wild conflict from the point of view of some Bushwhackers played by Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich and Simon Baker-Denny. Through its realistic depiction of the Bushwhackers and Jayhawkers, William Quantrill, and the style of fighting that took place in Missouri, Ride With the Devil is a historically accurate film that can be enjoyed for its story and superb entertainment. Devil is set in neutral Missouri in 1863, where Tobey Maguire plays Jake Roedel, the son of a German immigrant and pro-Unionist. Roedel's closest friend, Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich), is the son of a prosperous family in their Missouri hometown. One day, chaos is unleashed upon them when a group of Kansas Union Jayhawker assassins lead a raid on the citizens of their hometown, killing Jack Bull's father and setting fire to his house. Out of revenge, Roedel and Jack Bull join a gang of Bushwhackers to seek revenge against these Jayhawkers, who kill innocent citizens for sport, or whatever... middle of paper ......il.htm > .Berardinelli, Giacomo. "Review: Ride with the Devil." Movie Reviews Movie Reviews. 1999. Network. November 28, 2011. “Bushwhackers, Bushwackers, Civil War Bushwhackers.” Civil War, American Civil War, Reconstruction. 2007. Network. 12 January 2012. .Caggiano, Greg. "Film Review: Ride with the Devil (1999) «From New York to San Francisco." From New York to San Francisco. May 10, 2011. Web. November 28, 2011. .Rule, G. E. “Jayhawkers and Bushwhackers.” Civil War in Saint Louis. January 25, 2011. Web. January 12, 2012. "William Clarke Quantrill." Miller's paranormal research. Network. January 12. 2012. .