About Me

Jim Erwin graduated from Missouri State University with a B.A. in mathematics. After service in the United States Army, he obtained an M.A. in history from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a J.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia Law School. Mr. Erwin practiced law in St. Louis for 38 years. He and his wife Vicki, also an author, owned a bookstore in the Main Street Historic District in St. Charles for eight years. Jim is the treasurer of Educare Learning Center, and was a member of the Missouri Speakers Bureau (2019-2020), President of the Civil War Roundtable of St. Louis (2018-2020), Vice Chair of the Kirkwood (Missouri) Arts Commission (2016-2020) and treasurer of the Unbound Book Festival (2015-2022).

I am presently researching and writing a history of the Missouri State Militia, a force of 14 cavalry regiments, one infantry regiment, and one artillery regiment specially recruited during the Civil War to fight guerrillas in Missouri. Guerrilla Hunters in Civil War Missouri provides an introduction to the Missouri State Militia, but I think a more detailed history of these little known but important regiments is called for. One reason for their obscurity is the paucity of readily available sources. if you have letters, diaries, personal memoirs, or photographs of soldiers of the Missouri State Militia, I would very much appreciate your contacting me at jerwin011@outlook.com.