The theme for TV's La grande caravane (1957) was taken directly from the Jerome Moross score of this film when Moross worked on the western series.
The Kansas Jayhawkers were a loosely organized group who made constant raids into Missouri on missions to burn, pillage and murder Missourians in an attempt to discourage them from supporting slavery. During the civil war they were absorbed into the Union army as Kansas Redlegs and they continued their raids into Missouri using the authority of the Union. They also continued their terror tactics for a time after the war, still as federal troops.
One of the tunes played on the guitar in this movie is the theme song from the contemporary TV western Maverick (1957).
Henry Silva and Herbert Rudley had previously appeared together in the more successful Western Les Bravados (1958).
Saul Cooper wrote a paperback tie-in.