Fold3.com: A Great Resource for Civil War Research

I have been using the incredible resources at Fold3.com for just over a year now.  I decided to join after reading a newspaper article describing how a South Carolina soldier helped comfort a mortally wounded Northern officer.  I immediately had questions.  I knew the name of the doomed Union officer’s father, Halsey R. Wing.  I knew the name of the South Carolinian who had comforted him in his last hours, George S. Baker of the 25th South Carolina.  I decided to research this story and see what I could find.  Most paths continued to be blocked until I kept coming back to Fold3.com.  I joined up and was able to identify the Union officer as Lieutenant Edgar M. Wing of the 118th New York.  I am still working slowly on that story for an article at The Siege of Petersburg Online, and it will appear at some point in the future.

Once I joined, I immediately found many more items which would prove useful at TOCWOC at my Siege of Petersburg site.  Here are just a few of the Civil War collections available at Fold3.com:

• The Confederate Compiled Service Records (CSRs for short): These records contain card abstracts of entries relating to each soldier as found in original muster rolls, returns, rosters, payrolls, appointment books, hospital registers, Union prison registers and rolls, parole rolls, and inspection reports. They may also contain the originals of any papers relating solely to a particular soldier. Browse by military unit, then name of soldier, or use the search box related to this title.

• Civil War Maps: Civil War maps from the collections of the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division, the Virginia Historical Society, and the Library of Virginia. Among the reconnaissance, sketch, and theater-of-war maps are the detailed battle maps made by Major Jedediah Hotchkiss for Generals Lee and Jackson, General Sherman’s Southern military campaigns, and maps taken from diaries, scrapbooks, and manuscripts. Explore over 2,000 images to gain insights into the histories of battles, campaigns, and regions.

• 1860 United States Census: Browse the 1860 US census by state, county, and civil division. This particular census is especially helpful in researching the Civil War era and the soldiers who fought in the imminent conflict. Information about each member of a household as of June 1, 1860, includes age, race, occupation, real and personal estate values, birth place, if married within the year, and if a person was deaf, dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict. Relationships are not detailed until the 1880 census.

There are many more items which I haven’t used yet which will eventually prove useful to me as well.  If you blog about the Civil War or run a Civil War site, Fold3.com is an extremely useful resource.

I am currently working my way through the First Offensive Order of Battle (June 15-18, 1864) and Second Offensive Order of Battle (June 21-24, 1864) for the Siege of Petersburg.  One of the items which has come up again and again is who exactly commanded various Confederate regiments, batteries, and even brigades in June and July 1864.  A future post at TOCWOC will cover in detail how I’m trying to answer this question using the Confederate Compiled Service Records at Fold3.com.  Look for that in the near future.

Note: At the time of this article I am not a Fold3.com affiliate.  I am merely a subscriber to the site and have found it to be extremely useful to me in my Civil War research.  No perks or benefits were offered for writing this article and my opinions are offered freely and honestly.

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Civil War Collections at Fold3.com

Related posts:

1. GIS at Civil War Battles
2. Short Takes

Civil War Book Acquisitions: January 2012

Title: Virginia at War, 1865
Author: Davis, William C. (ed) & Robertson, James I., Jr. (ed)
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN-13: 978-0-8131-3468
Price: $40.00 (Hardcover); $31.50 (Kindle)
TOCWOC’s Take: As expected, this last book in the Virginia at War series spends a lot less time on the battlefield and a lot more time exploring the war’s effects on soldiers, civilians, and the South as a whole.  There are some intriguing essays in this volume and I’m sure anyone interested in the Eastern Theater will find more than enough here to justify a purchase.

Publisher Site Info:

Virginia at War, 1865 closely examines the end of the Civil War in the Old Dominion, delivering a striking depiction of a state ravaged by violence and destruction. In the final volume of the Virginia at War series, editors William C. Davis and James I. Robertson Jr. have once again assembled an impressive collection of essays covering topics that include land operations, women and families, wartime economy, music and entertainment, the demobilization of Lee’s army, and the war’s aftermath. The volume ends with the final installment of Judith Brockenbrough McGuire’s popular and important Diary of a Southern Refugee during the War. Like the previous four volumes in the series, Virginia at War, 1865 provides valuable insights into the devastating effects of the war on citizens across the state.

***

Title: No Freedom Shrieker: The Civil War Letters of Union Soldier Charles Freeman Biddlecom
Author: Aldridge, Katherine M. (ed) & Biddlecom, Charles
Publisher: Paramount Market Publishing
ISBN-13: 078-0-9830436-7-6
Price: $24.95 (Paperback); $9.99 (Kindle)
TOCWOC’s Take: Read the publisher information below and it will become obvious why I accepted this book for review.  Charles Biddlecom was heavily involved in the Siege of Petersburg, and in glancing through the book he doesn’t have any huge gaps in his letters.  For this reason, you have the rare occurrence of a soldier who lived through the killing fields of the Overland Campaign and the Siege of Petersburg whose letters or diary gives readers a look at the action as a whole.  Biddlecom’s letters are exactly the type of first person account I’m looking for regarding the battles around Petersburg.  I’m new to this publisher but I want to make sure to give this book a full review so it gets some of the publicity it deserves.  It will be interesting to see how or even if Biddlecom’s views of the war change in the crucible of combat.  Also notice the extremely reasonably priced Kindle version which is available for under $10.

Publisher Site Info:

Among the piles of obsolete farm and household implements, haystacks, dust, and debris abandoned in her historic barn, Katie Aldridge  discovered a box containing the Civil War letters of Charles Freeman Biddlecom. Painstakingly transcribing and lightly editing more than 100 letters written by the soldier to his wife during his service, Ms. Aldridge resurrected the voice of the Civil War combat soldier. The tone and character of “Charlie’s” detailed accounts of the war compelled Ms. Aldridge to find out more.

From letters written throughout Grant’s Overland Campaign and the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, the reader gains an insider’s view of the war: fear, hunger, sickness, longing, and concern for those left behind as well as detailed insights about the political climate. Writing from the perspective shaped in an Upstate New York  community closely linked to the abolitionist cause, woman’s suffrage, and the Quaker philosophy, the reader will learn how Charlie’s background shaped his actions and view of the war.

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Title: “Fear Was Not in Him”: The Civil War Letters of Major General Francis C. Barlow, U.S.A.
Author: Samito, Christian G. (ed) & Barlow, Francis C.
Publisher: Fordham University Press
ISBN-10: 0-8232-2324-8
Price: $22.00 (Paperback);
TOCWOC’s Take: Francis C. Barlow commanded the First Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac early in the Siege of Petersburg before taking a long leave of absence from July 1864 to April 1865. Resuming division command (in a different division), Barlow played a role at the Battle of Sayler’s Creek on April 6, 1865 during the Appomattox Campaign. I picked up this paperback version of his Civil War letters in the hopes of learning more about his experiences in the short amount of time he was at Petersburg.

Publisher Site Info:

N/A. This book was published in 2006.

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Title: The Massachusetts Andrew Sharpshooters: A Civil War History and Roster
Author: Ellis, Alden C., Jr.
Publisher: McFarland & Company
ISBN-13: 978-0-7864-6489-0
Price: $40.00 (Paperback); $9.99 (Kindle)
TOCWOC’s Take: McFarland produces a lot of unit histories of widely varying quality.  A quick glance through this one seems to indicate a lot of research went into it, including full rosters of these two companies of sharpshooters.  Typically these sharpshooters were attached to Massachusetts regiments early in the Siege of Petersburg before mustering out in the fall of 1864.  Note the very reasonably priced Kindle edition which ultimately makes more sense unless you have an affinity for these units.

Publisher Site Info:

Named for Massachusetts governor John Albion Andrew–who prevented these two companies from joining the nationalized Berdan’s sharp-shooters so that their families could continue to receive state aid–the Andrew Sharpshooters often transferred from unit to unit as the need for their unique, long-range shooting skills changed.

This first chronicle of the Massachusetts Andrew Sharpshooters details their day-to-day activities and their courageous service at Seven Pines, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and numerous other Civil War battles. Thorough historical and genealogical information on every man who served in the unit completes this study of these significant but overlooked foot soldiers.

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Title: “Bully for the Band!”: The Civil War Letters and Diary of Four Brothers in the 10th Vermont Infantry Band: Charles George, Herbert George, Jere George and Osman George
Author: Davis, James G. (ed)
Publisher: McFarland & Company
ISBN-13: 978-0-7864-6686-3
Price: $49.95 (Paperback); $39.96 (Kindle)
TOCWOC’s Take: This unsolicited review copy looks interesting at first glance.  Four brothers were all in the 10th Vermont’s band and at least a few of them survived to the Petersburg campaign.  The high price is going to prevent most people from picking this one up unless you are interested in the musical aspects of the war or the 10th Vermont.

Publisher Site Info:

About the Book
From the commanding call of the bugle at reveille to combat instructions (such as “fix bayonets”) to reassuring songs around the campfire at night, music was an integral part of the Civil War soldier’s experience. This volume presents the Civil War writings of Charles, Herbert, Jeremiah and Osman George, four brothers from the town of Newbury, Vermont, who played in the 10th Vermont Infantry regimental band. Their letters and a diary describe the life of an enlisted musician, including forming a band, rehearsals and repertory, performances for officers, troops, and civilians–and battlefield stretcher-bearer duties. Despite the hardships they suffered, including the loss of one brother, their writings (supported by detailed scene-setting narratives by editor Davis) reveal the Georges’ fraternal bond that sustained them emotionally and ensured they would continue to serve their comrades in battle.

About the Author
James A. Davis is a professor of musicology and chair of the Music History Area at the State University of New York, Fredonia. His articles have appeared in American Music, The Journal of Military History, North & South, and the Journal of Band Research.

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Civil War Book Acquisitions: January 2012

Related posts:

1. January 2012 Civil War Book Notes
2. Civil War Book Acquisitions: December 2011
3. Civil War Book Acquisitions: September 2011

Hines, Blaikie. The Battle of First Bull Run Manassas Campaign – July 16-22, 1861: An Illustrated Atlas and Battlefield Guide. (American Patriot Press, 2011). 224 pages, over 500 photos and illustrations, 82 maps, bibliography, index. ISBN: 978-1-61364-129-3 $39.50 (Oversized Paperback).

Battle atlases are some of my favorite Civil War books.  Well done maps which accentuate text can cause a well-written book to become a classic.  Well done atlases are invaluable to those wishing to go battlefield stomping.  In The Battle of First Bull Run…An Illustrated Atlas and Guide, author and First Bull Run aficionado Blaikie Hines has created an over sized battlefield atlas to guide those wishing to see the battlefield first hand.  In addition, the book in its own way synthesizes modern historians’ views on this often confusing first battle of the Civil War.

Blaikie Hines is rather new to the Civil War Battle of First Bull Run, having visited it first in 2003.  With that said, he has studied the Civil War most of his life, and his background as a fine artist and fine arts conservator helped him in the creation of this book.  Over the intervening years the author has become an avid student of First Bull Run, visiting the battlefield many times and becoming very familiar with the various trains of thought on exactly what happened along the banks of Bull Run on July 21, 1861.

The Battle of First Bull Run is an over sized paperback in a coffee table format.  The book consists mainly of photos, illustrations, and maps, with the accompanying text sticking to the basics and tying it all together.  If you’re curious as to what some of the profuse number of illustrations look like, I encourage you to visit the publisher’s site and click on the sample pages at the right of the screen.  I’ve never seen anything quite like it in terms of giving prospective readers such a large taste of what the book is like.

As with all atlases, the maps are the meat of the book.  I’m pleased to be able to share with readers two of those maps.  The author Blaikie Hines has graciously allowed me to reproduce these two maps in their entirety. The first covers the approach of the Union flanking march across Sudley Ford, led by Burnside’s Brigade of Hunter’s Division:

Sudley Ford – Morning of July 21, 1861

BLAIKIE HINES - AERIAL MAP SUDLEY page 101. This map is used with written permission by the author and may not be reproduced without his written consent.

The second is Hines’ rendering of the famous stand of Stonewall Jackson’s Brigade on Henry Hill at the critical moment in the battle.

Henry House Hill – Climax of the First Battle of Manassas

BLAIKIE HINES - AERIAL HENRY HILL page 175. This map is used with written permission by the author and may not be reproduced without his written consent.

As you can see, the maps are modern day aerial views of the battlefield with troop positions and movements superimposed.  They help readers walking the battlefield get their bearings and better understand just where the Union and Confederate troops were in relation to modern landmarks located there.  Places names are rendered in a striking yellow for ease of reading, with the Union and Confederate units in the familiar blue and red, respectively.  Unit names are white.  Battlefield trails are marked in purple, yet another way to identify exactly where on the ground units were in relation to your position on the trail.  The only major downsides to the modern day aerial views are that the maps lack elevation detail and the ways in which the land has changed since 1861.

Readers are probably wondering how this book differs from Savas Beatie’s The Maps of First Bull Run.  First, although both books go into great detail and contain dozens of maps, this book uses modern day aerial views as the map base, while the Savas book uses maps based on the ground as it was on July 21, 1861.  I actually enjoy this since each book’s focus is slightly different.  Hines’ book is more for the battlefield stomper, while The Maps of First Bull Run is better for the wargamer or stay at home historian.  It was a bit curious that a book designed to be taken to the battlefield was produced in only a paperback version.  The wear and tear of a battlefield hike means a paperback is just not going to hold up all that well.  This book also focuses solely on First Bull run and the small engagements preceding the battle.  The Savas Beatie book also covers the Union debacle at Ball’s Bluff.  Hines’ book contains more illustrations and photos, while Brad Gottfried’s effort focuses solely on the maps and accompanying text.  Taken together these two books actually complement each other very well, a fact I’m sure will please fans of First Bull Run.  Get them both since they bring slightly different advantages to the table.

While Blaikie Hines’ new Bull Run battlefield atlas does not break any new ground in terms of interpretation, a fact the author freely admits, it DOES offer readers and battlefield stompers a whole new presentation on the battle.  This over sized book is profusely illustrated and, as expected in an atlas, packed full of maps down to the regimental and battery level. For what the book offers, it is reasonably priced at $39.50, though a hardcover edition would have been nice as an additional offering.  Fans of First Manassas will want to own this book, even if they already have a copy of The Maps of First Bull Run.

UPDATE: It looks like Drew Wagenhoffer reviewed this one last night. Good timing!

This book was provided gratis for the purposes of this review.

The links to the product reviewed in this article are affiliate links. If you buy this product after clicking one of my links, I’ll make a small amount of money.  The possibility of earning something from the affiliate link has not influenced the objectivity of the review and my opinions are honestly offered.

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Civil War Book Review: The Battle of First Bull Run: An Illustrated Atlas and Battlefield Guide

Related posts:

1. Review: The Maps of First Bull Run: An Atlas of the First Bull Run (Manassas) Campaign, including the Battle of Ball’s Bluff, June-October 1861
2. Review: Antietam, South Mountain, and Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield Guide
3. Review: Identification Discs of Union Soldiers in the Civil War: A Complete Classification Guide and Illustrated History

Not really, but this Prohibition-era whiskey-running submarine, preserved at the Grand Gulf battlefield, is still pretty cool. Other than the lack of a spar torpedo and of course considering that it was powered by an automobile engine (from a Model T) it is strikingly similar in appearance to the H. L. Hunley.

This isn’t really a submarine, tho, but is actually a semisubmersible like the present day “narcosubs”. Still, it would have been a great asset to besieged Vicksburg, where it was used later. As it was, the Confederates used swimmers to bring in small items like dispatches and musket caps, but their capacity was very limited.

Post from: TOCWOC - A Civil War Blog

C.S.S. Jack Daniels

Related posts:

1. Jack Coggins
2. H. L. Hunley Righted

Those that can’t write, Review!

February 2012

James W. Durney

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My “To Read” List

Between the Holidays, a new PC, stomach flu, the new King book and real life my “to read” list has gotten out of hand.  I am reducing it a little more each day but as of this writing it is:

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Duggard.  My wife gave me a signed copy for Christmas, I am reading it now and you may see a review before you see this.

Grant’s Final Victory by Charles Bracelen Flood covers last year, having lost everything to a swindler in 1884 he learns he is dying of cancer too.  Grant pushes himself to finish his memoirs.

The Battle of the Crater by Newt Gingrich, William R. Forstchen and Albert S. Hanser enjoys very good reviews on Amazon.  I enjoyed the Gettysburg series.  The combination of solid historical knowledge with writing talent make for an enjoyable read.

Francis Hamit’s The Queen of Washington is a novel about the exploits of Rose Greenhow.  This is a companion to Shenandoah Spy about Belle Boyd.

Virginia at War 1861 edited by William C. Davis and James I. Robertson is the first book in that excellent series.

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New Releases

Decided on the Battlefield: Grant, Sherman, Lincoln and the Election of 1864 by David Alan Johnson is another look at the events and election of 1864.

UNHOLY SABBATH: The Battle of South Mountain in History and Memory, September 14, 1862 by Brian Jordan should leave the printer on January 24.

The reprint of FLAMES BEYOND GETTYSBURG: The Confederate Expedition to the Susquehanna River, June 1863 by Scott Mingus is due from the printer on the 23.Scott Mingus (Author)

A reprinted paperback edition of Edward Cunningham’s SHILOH AND THE WESTERN CAMPAIGN OF 1862 should have left the printer on January 24.

General Books LLC seems to be flooding Amazon with a number of Civil War books.  Each of them has this warning ” This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher.”

February 2012

Brigades of Gettysburg: The Union and Confederate Brigades at the Battle of Gettysburg by Bradley M. Gottfried is being released in Paperback.

Giant in the Shadows: The Life of Robert T. Lincoln by James Emerson is a chance to look at this complex man.

Freedom’s Cap: The United States Capitol and the Coming of the Civil War by Guy Gugliotta tells about the clash of personalities behind building the Capitol and its extraordinary design and engineering.  The building runs from 1850 to 1863, taking place during one of the most contentious times in our history.

A History of the Negro Troops in the War of Rebellion, 1861-1865 by George Washington Williams is a paperback version of the 1887 book.

The Civil War: The Second Year Told By Those Who Lived It edited by Stephen Sears is part of a four-volume series.

March 2012

The Civil War in the West Victory and Defeat from the Appalachians to the Mississippi by Earl J. Hess is a comprehensive look at how the Union won and held this area.

The Union Forever Lincoln, Grant and the Civil War by John Y. Simon looks at their relationship, how they influenced each other and their individual struggles.

The Petersburg Campaign: The Eastern Front Battles, June – August 1864, Volume 1 by Edwin Bearss and Bryce Suderow is a “must have” book.  This is 488 pages with original maps by Civil War cartographer Steven Stanley.

Shiloh, 1862: The First Great and Terrible Battle of the Civil War by Winston Groom should be a good read.

When General Grant Expelled the Jews by Jonathan D. Sarna.  This action caused Grant problems for the rest of his public life.  A complete account is overdue and badly needed.

April 2012

LAST BATTLE OF WINCHESTER, THE: Phil Sheridan, Jubal Early, and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, August 7 – September 19, 1864 by Scott Patchan looks at the third Battle of Winchester the largest, longest, and bloodiest battle fought in the Shenandoah Valley.

Eric Wittenberg’s Protecting the Flanks: The Battles for Brinkerhoff’s Ridge and East Cavalry Field, Battle of Gettysburg, July 2-3, 1863 is a new edition with a new map, additional illustrations, two new appendices, and other material.

SECOND DAY AT GETTYSBURG, THE: The Attack and Defense of the Union Center on Cemetery Ridge, July 2, 1863 by David Shultz and David Wieck expands on their critically acclaimed The Battle Between the Farm Lanes. This is a completely revised and expanded study, with new photographs, original maps, and a self-guided tour of the fighting.

Jeffry Wert’s A Glorious Army: Robert E. Lee’s Triumph, 1862-1863 is going to be released as a Paperback.

The Peninsula Campaign and the Necessity of Emancipation by Glenn David Basher argues that this campaign is the pivotal event in the emancipation process.

May 2012

Richard Taylor and the Red River Campaign of 1864 by Samuel Mitcham Jr. looks at this campaign from the Confederate point of view.

The Maps of Antietam: An Atlas of the Antietam (Sharpsburg) Campaign, including the Battle of South Mountain, September 2 – 20, 1862 by Bradley Gottfried is the newest full color entry into the fine Savas Beatie Military Atlas Series.

Joshua Chamberlain: The Life in Letters of a Great Leader of the American Civil War by Thomas Desjardin brings to public light 300 never-before-seen letters.

Kentucky’s Civil War Battlefields: A Guide to Their History and Preservation by Randy Bishop looks at thirteen major conflicts and details the level of preservation for each site.

Americans Remember Their Civil War by Lesley J. Gordon looks at remembrances from the immediate postwar era to the early 21st century.   The conflicting tensions as people sought to commemorate “their” war. The epilogue examines current memories of the war, debates and controversies.

Guide to the Battle of Gettysburg (U.S. Army War College Guide to Civil War Battles) edited by Jay Luvaas, Harold W. Nelson and Leonard J. Fullenkamp.  This was the first book in this respected series of guides and is ready for a new edition.  Changes in the park, the Cavalry battles on the Third coupled with rewritten and expanded background chapters make a new book not a reprint.

June 2012

The Gettysburg Campaign in Numbers and Losses: Synopses, Orders of Battle, Strengths, Casualties, and Maps, June 9 – July 14, 1863 by J. David Petruzzi and Steven Stanley looks at more than three dozen engagements both large and small waged during the five weeks of the Gettysburg Campaign.  A synopsis of  each engagement, over three dozen, includes photos of the commanders, an original full page map of the fighting, an order of battle with numbers and losses (including killed, wounded, captured, and missing), charts and graphs of relative strengths and losses, a conclusion of how the fighting affected each side and the course of the campaign.  Their The Complete Gettysburg Guide: Walking and Driving Tours of the Battlefield, Town, Cemeteries, Field Hospital Sites, and other Topics of Historical Interest published by Savas Beatie in 2009 won the U.S. Army Historical Foundation’s 2009 Distinguished Writing Award, Reference Category.

The Northern Home Front during the Civil War edited by Randall M. Miller and Paul A. Cimbala promises a great deal in 250 pages.

Mightier than the Sword: Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Battle for America by David S. Reynolds is being released as a Paperback.

By the Noble Daring of Her Sons: The Florida Brigade of the Army of Tennessee by Jonathan C. Sheppard.  It is almost impossible to find books about Floridians fighting in the war.  This book should help fill the gap for the Army of Tennessee.

IRON BRIGADE IN THE CIVIL WAR, THE: Bull Run to Appomattox, 1861-1865 by Lance Herdgen, is his fourth book on the Iron Brigade.  His well received Those Damned Black Hats! The Iron Brigade in the Gettysburg Campaign published in 2008, is still in print.

July 2012

Montreal and the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: John Wilkes Booth’s Unexplained Visit to Montreal in October by Phil Sherman Taylor looks at the possible connection between that city and the assassination.

Remembering The Battle of the Crater: War as Murder by Kevin M. Levin looks at how we chose to remember or forget, using this one battle, the role of the USCT in the Civil War.

Edifice of Freedom: The Civil War Amendments in Historical Perspective by James S. Hunphreys looks at the 13^th, 14^th & 15^th Amendments in detail.  The book looks at both the historical and contemporary significance of the Civil War Amendments.

The Long Road To Antietam: How the Civil War Became a Revolution by Richard Slotkin looks at the changes the Emancipation Proclamation caused on how  the war was seen by re-creating the showdown between Lincoln and McClellan.

The Hammer and the Anvil: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the End of Slavery in America by Dwight Jon Zimmerman

August 2012

The Chattanooga Campaign edited by Steven E. Woodworth and Charles D. Grear has a very impressive list of contributors.  This is an excellent series on the Western Campaigns and there is every indication this book will maintain that standard.

38 Nooses: Lincoln, Little Crow, and the Beginning of the Frontier’s End by Scott W. Berg looks at the “Big Picture” of the 1862 Sioux war.

The Best Station of Them All: The Savannah Squadron, 1861-1865 by Maurice Melton

September 2012

Shiloh: Confederate High Tide in the Heartland by Steven E. Woodworth

We Have the War Upon Us: The Onset of the Civil War, November 1860-April 1861 by William J. Cooper

The Northern Home Front during the Civil War edited by Randall M. Miller & Paul A. Cimbala is a look at a nation under the strain of war.

Unavailable Dates

The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, Volume 2: Antietam edited by Thomas G. Clemens is the second part of the Ezra Carman manuscript, covering the battle has no publication date.

Ethan Rafuse has an essay in The Chattanooga Campaign edited by Steven Woodworth, the next book in the excellent Civil War Campaigns in the Heartland series.

Ethan Rafuse and Charles R. Bowery Jr. are working on a War College guide for Richmond-Petersburg expected in 2012.

Steve Stanley and J. David Petruzzi are hard at work on The Complete Antietam Campaign Guide.  Antietam Chief Historian Ted Alexander is doing the Forward.  This is a full color book styled on The Complete Gettysburg Guide.  The book will feature Harpers Ferry, South Mountain, Antietam, and Shepherdstown plus many points in between.

Eric Wittenberg is working on a project is for The History Press entitled The Battle of Yellow Tavern: Jeb Stuart’s Last Battle.  This will be a study of Phil Sheridan’s May 1864 raid on Richmond, with particular focus on the May 11, 1864 Battle of Yellow Tavern, where Jeb Stuart is mortally wounded.

James M. Schmidt is doing a book for The History Press, tentatively titled Galveston and the Civil War: An Island People in the Maelstrom scheduled for mid- to late 2012.

A complete history of the Iron Brigade from Lance J. Herdegen is in the works.    His Those Damned Black Hats!, the Iron Brigade during the Gettysburg Campaign won The Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award for Operational Battle History.

Savas Beatie has an option to publish Scott L. Mingus, Sr.’s next book titled Gettysburg’s Controversial Old Confederate General: Gov. William “Extra Billy” Smith of Virginia.

Nancy Dane reports book four in The Tattered Glory series is being edited before going to the publisher. The title is An Enduring Union.

Yankee Dutchmen under Fire by Joseph Reinhart has completed peer review and is approved for publication.  It should be in the stores in 2013.  This is his latest book on Germans in the Civil War.

Tom Desjardin’s biography of Joshua L. Chamberlain is due out in 2013.

Francis Hamit reports Brass Cannon Books is ” auditioning producer/narrators” for audio book editions of both The Shenandoah Spy and The Queen of Washington.  The audio books will be released through ACX.com, a company owned by Amazon.com.

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Book News

David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction

A prize to encourage and reward excellent American historical fiction is a natural element in our effort to make the rich history of America accessible to the educated general reader. The David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction is offered annually to the best book in American historical fiction that is both excellent fiction and excellent history. Any press may publish the work, with the exceptions that the book may not be self-published or published by a subsidized publisher.  The prize and $1,000 honorarium is awarded every year for the best book in American Historical Fiction published in the preceding year.

FINAL SHORTLIST FOR 2011

1) John M. Archer, After the Rain: A Novel of War and Coming Home (Gettysburg, PA: Ten Roads Publishing, 2011). The protagonist, Captain Daniel Spencer, is a line officer in the Union army. Wounded at Antietam badly enough to receive a discharge, he makes his way home to his wife and farm, located close to the location of the future Gettysburg battlefield. Civil War books are very common, and many focus of the theme of return. What makes this novel different is its focus on the psychological impact of battle on the protagonist. He feels guilty for leading so many men to their deaths. He experiences nightmares about the fighting, and this affects his relations with his wife. He is afflicted with concern about his dead comrades and ponderings about why he himself was not killed. The actual battle scenes depicted, a small fraction of the book, are not gratuitous, because they are necessary to understand Spencer’s role as company commander. In short, he has what today we would call “post-traumatic stress disorder.” Well-written, and with photographs illustrating many locations and personalities in the plot, the book holds in suspension until the end the central conflict.

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Civil War Sesquicentennial Publications

In an effort to support, sesquicentennial publishing this will be part of this column through 2015.  If you know of a book, please contact me so it can be included.

New Jersey

New Jersey Goes to War part of the New Jersey Civil War Sesquicentennial is in its’ second printing.    It is so popular that New Jersey’s Odyssey using the same format is available. This book is “An Anthology of Civil War Tales from 1850 to 1961”; Joseph G. Bilby edits both books.

Discover Your Community’s Civil War Heritage, by Steven D. Glazer, is a comprehensive and up-to-date manual for those wishing to research the stories of their own community’s Civil War veterans.

Only available from www.njcivilwar150.org 100% of the purchase price goes to support the New Jersey Civil War Sesquicentennial.  All those involved contributed their time and contributions paid for printing.

York County, Pennsylvania

Civil War Voices from York County, Pennsylvania: Remembering the Rebellion and the Gettysburg Campaign by Scott L. Mingus Sr. and James McClure contains the rich oral tradition coupled with letters, diaries, photographs and newspaper accounts to tell the stories of York in those bleak days 150 years ago. They give a vibrant voice to those living, serving and dying in this most tumultuous period in America’s history.

Adams County-based Colecraft Industries is the publisher.

The authors coordinated the project with the Pennsylvania Civil War 150, the York County Heritage Trust and the York Daily Record/Sunday News.

Contact: Scott Mingus, scottmingus@yahoo.com.

Virginia

Lists the book America on the Eve of the Civil War edited by Edward L. Ayers and Carolyn R. Martin, as 160-page book with four black & white photos.

*****************************************************

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February 2012 Civil War Book Notes

Related posts:

1. January 2012 Civil War Book Notes
2. February 2009 Civil War Book Notes
3. February 2011 Civil War Book Notes

Fought just west of Jacksonville on February 20, 1864, Olustee was another one of those pull-it-out-by-the-skin-of-the-teeth Confederate victories that staved off defeat just a little longer.

I recently came into possession of a letter by a member of a New York regiment about the battle, where he describes Confederate Indians shooting white officers leading back troops.

An excerpt:

In the last engagement which took place near this point, our loss was heavy considering the number engaged. … that they stood in the fire of the enemy until they had expended all their ammunition, which was 60 rounds each man. They state that their company went into the fight 69 strong and came out with only 38. Of the five Sergeants in the company, Brice is the only one that left the field uninjured. there were many prisoners taken. The colored troops were engaged, and much credit is due them for their undaunted courage, which they exhibited on this occasion. … the most desperate enemy that we have to contend with here is the Florida Indians, who have organized themselves into roving bands of bushwackers …. many of the Redskins are sharpshooters. During the last battle, they betook themselves to the treetops and picked off many of the officers of the Colored Troops …

The Olustee battlefield site has a sampling of letters and documents from both sides, including this except from The Black Phalanx, a history of the US Colored Troops (the 8th Phalanx referred to here is the 8th USCT). This also has a reference to the Indian sharpshooters, who apparently operated on the Confederate right:

Col. Fribley gave the order by the right flank, double quick! and the next moment the 8th Phalanx swept away to the extreme right in support of the 7th New Hampshire and the 7th Connecticut. The low, direct aim of the enemy in the rifle-pits, his Indian sharp-shooters up in the trees, had ere now so thinned the ranks of Col. Hawley’s command that his line was gone, and the 8th Phalanx met the remnant of his brigade as it was going to the rear in complete disorder.

The commander of the 8th USCT, Col. Charles Fribley was killed in the battle, likely by a sharpshooter.

Who were these Indians? Miccosukee? Seminole? Were they an organized part of the Confederate force or irregulars? Yet another unexplored corner of the Civil War for someone to look into.

Speaking of rifle fire, the Yankees of Hawley’s brigade were at a distinct disadvantage here—the 8th USCT was brand new and many of the men barely knew how to load their rifles, much less hit anything with them. The other two regiments, the 7th New Hampshire and the 7th Connecticut, were armed with Spencer repeaters, which should have given them the advantage, but both had been filled up with substitutes and draftees, and many of the New Hampshiremen had been forced to exchange their repeaters for Springfield muskets in poor shape.

Lt. Oliver Norton, an experienced officer in the 8th USCT, gives an idea of the accuracy and intensity of the Confederate fire:

Of twenty-two officers that went into the fight, but two escaped without marks. Such accurate firing I never saw before. I was under the impression all the time that an inferior force was shipping us, but the deadly aim of their rifles told the story.

He states in another letter that Col. Fribley had requested that he be given time to give his regiment at least some target practice, but was turned down each time by his superiors.

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Indian Sharpshooters at Olustee?

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William Alexander Smith was a private soldier in Co. C, 14th North Carolina. He was gravely wounded at Malvern Hill in 1862, which disqualified him for further service, but he kept in touch with his surviving mates in his old company, the Anson Guards, and eventually wrote its history. Smith became a successful businessman and prominent citizen after the war, and after his death left a huge collection of papers—some 32 boxes—that now reside at Duke University, including quite a bit of Civil War-related material that he collected to write his history. Among them was the eulogy of an old friend:

Mike Mendenhall.

Funeral, September 23, 1931. We are here, I am here to pay a tribute, to lay a wreath of flowers on the brow of my friend, M. H. Mendenhall. He was a gentleman of the “old school”. Raised a slave in youth, he had the politeness that carried the “hall marks” of a gentleman. We shall see his like no more—the more the pity. He was gentle and kind. He was a carpenter by trade and did not slight work. He has gone in and out before this people respected and esteemed all during his long life of 83 years. Thought well of by all, honored by all, loved by all. He was my friend and I am glad to pay him this tribute; he was worthy of the highest praise, and I regret his passing over the Great Divide. When the angels gather his good deeds and weave them into a chaplet they will form a diadem of beauty to crown his head in glory.

“There’s a memory dear, dimmed by a tear;
When a friend passes on from our sight,
There’s an evergreen spray, on the silent way,
There’s a beacon that shines through the night;
There’s a record of the soul, written on the scroll,
That will live when the spirit has fled;
There’s a place set apart, in the depths of our heart,
Filled with sweet memories of Mike H. Mendenhall.”

I am a soldier of the Confederacy. Mike was a soldier too, doing his duty, in his sphere, and—
“Now we lay him beneath the sod, And leave him with his fame, his country, and his God.
Warm southern sunshine softly here;
Warm southern winds blow mildly here;
Green sod above lie lightly here;
Good night my friend, good night!!
—W. A. SMITH.

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Requiem For A Black Confederate

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I’m pleased to announce the winners of the TOCWOC/BTC free Civil War book giveaway. Please note that the first portion of the email address only has been used to prevent unwanted spam in winners’ inboxes:

Winners of ONE FREE ITEM from the BTC Store:

• hornj
• addiesjunk
• mixedup95dj

And the winner of the GRAND PRIZE, a free copy of In the Trenches at Petersburg by Earl J. Hess is…:

• jbcwbb3

Congratulations to the winners and better luck next time to the rest of you. Thank you ALL for reading TOCWOC and The Siege of Petersburg Online.

Winners have been contacted and have 48 hours to claim their prize. Failure to respond will result in another person being drawn for the winning spot. If the grand prize winner fails to claim their prize, one of the three secondary winners will be randomly chosen to receive the book in their place.

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The Winners Are…

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Editor’s Note: For those who do not know, my wife had our second son, Brody, on December 30, 2011. I’ve been away from the blog in an active role for far longer than I would have liked. In my absence, Jim and Fred have done a fine job. However, my batteries are recharged and I’d like to jump back in with a multi-part look at some of the books I’ve bought and received for review over the last few months.

Civil War Book Acquisitions: December 2011

Title: The Battle of First Bull Run Manassas Campaign – July 16 – 22, 1861
Author: Hines, Blaikie
Publisher: American Patriot Press
ISBN-13: 978-1-61364-129-3
Price: $39.50 (Paperback)
TOCWOC’s Take: Blaikie Hines has produced an intriguing new atlas on the First Battle of Bull Run, an always popular battle.  Hines has produced an attractive oversized look at the first major land battle of the war.  The book is profusely illustrated and most maps are modern aerial views with troop positions superimposed.  These are unlike any other maps I have ever seen done for a Civil War book, especially an atlas.  Hines’ book does not attempt tnew interpretations of what was a confusing day of fighting, instead relying on many of the books published on the battle over the last few decades and noting consensus, or lack thereof, when appropriate.  The collection of photos contained in the book, both from the Civil War era and today, is very impressive.  Many of the photos are labeled with various famous locations to help readers better understand the battle.  You’ll be reading more about this one shortly, including the addition of several complete maps due to the generosity of the author, in an upcoming review here at TOCWOC.  Stay tuned.

Publisher Site Info:

With its new publication The Battle of First Bull Run – An Illustrated Atlas and Battlefield Guide, American Patriot Press is pleased to offer the only illustrated atlas map and battlefield guide book for the first battle of the American Civil War.

Fought on July 21st, 1861, the battle was known in the North as the First Battle of Bull Run in Manassas, Virginia while in the South it was called the First Battle of Manassas

The site of this historic battlefield has mostly been preserved as the Manassas National Battlefield Park. The 5,600 acre park is located in Manassas, Virginia which is 30 miles west of Washington D.C. The park has an estimated 800,000 visitors per year. It includes historic sites associated with the first battle such as “The Stone Bridge”, “The Van Pelt Farm”, “Pittsylvania”, “Matthews Hill”, “Henry Hill”, “Chinn Ridge”, “The Thornberry House”, ”Sudley Springs Ford”, and “The Robinson House”. The park also includes sites associated with the second battle fought in August of 1862.

The Battle of First Bull Run, An Illustrated Atlas Map and Battlefield Guide was written for all those who visit the park and would like a very detailed and concise guide. For those that are not able to visit, the book has many photographs of antique views alongside modern views. The true spirit of the battlefield is captured without ever visiting. It is also of great value to those interested in Civil War reenactment, the Civil War video gaming community, and genealogists.

***

Title: The Bristoe Campaign: General Lee’s Last Strategic Offensive with the Army of Northern Virginia October 1863
Author: Tighe, Adrian G.
Publisher: Xlibris (self-published)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4568-8869-5
Price: $34.99 (Hardcover);  $23.99 (Paperback);  $3.03 (Kindle)
TOCWOC’s Take: For every 1000 people who have heard of Gettysburg, maybe one can name the major campaign in the East which followed it.  For the record, the Wilderness is not the answer as both the Bristoe Campaign and Mine Run Campaign were each contested without a single major battle in the fall of 1863.  It’s the first campaign mentioned which is the subject of this very well done (with one exception) self-published book on the Bristoe Campaign.  We’ll get to the exception in a minute.  I purchased the hardcover version of the book for myself based on Drew Wagenhoffer’s review from  April 2011.  Tighe’s notes and bibliography are every bit as well done as a majority of regularly published books, and his maps are excellent.  I even read with interest an appendix which covers the loss of several Confederate flags at Bristoe Station and which regiments they might have belonged to.  Now to the bad.  The book is filled with grammatical and spelling errors as well as similar sentences very close together.  Heck, I would have agreed to edit the book for $250 and made it a better product in literally one pass.  That’s no testament to my editing abilities.  It’s rather an indictment of just how sloppily the book was put together.  That said, this book is the only modern treatment of this long forgotten and badly overlooked campaign, so if you are willing to overlook the editing, it’s well worth your time.  Also, if you have a Kindle or don’t mind reading it on a computer screen, the Kindle version of the book is going for only $3.03 at Amazon!  I’ve spent $3.00 on a lot less useful stuff than this.

Publisher Site Info:

Described by John Esten Cooke, of JEB Stuart’s staff, as “one of the liveliest episodes of the late war” the Bristoe Campaign was a small and seemingly unimportant event sandwiched between the battle at Gettysburg and the Wilderness bloodbath. Bristoe receives scant attention from historians, despite being an attempt by Lee, to seize the strategic initiative. Marking the decline in Confederate leadership, Lee’s inability to compensate, and the growing Union confidence and capability. The campaign outcome was significant; being the turning point of the war as Lee was now on the defensive and from now on, the Union forces held the initiative.

***

Title: The Wartime Papers of R. E. Lee
Author: Dowdey, Clifford (ed) & Manarin, Louis H. (ed)
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ASIN: B0055MVSJU
Price: price
TOCWOC’s Take: I picked up the Hardback version of this one as a useful reference work for my Siege of Petersburg site.  This book, originally published in 1961 and edited by Clifford Dowdey and Louis Manarin, contains only those items deemed the most useful and interesting by the editors.  As far as I know, the entire collection of Lee’s letters and official correspondence was never published in book form.  If anyone knows of a web site or other method by which all of Lee’s written words have been collected, please leave me a comment.

Publisher Site Info: N/A

***

Title: A Small but Spartan Band: The Florida Brigade in Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia
Author: Waters, Zack C. & Edmonds, James C.
Publisher: The University of Alabama Press
ISBN-13: 978-0-8173-1679-2
Price: $29.95 (Hardcover)
TOCWOC’s Take: This history of the Florida regiments of the Army of Northern Virginia was another purchase to use in my Siege of Petersburg research.  This is the only book to focus on these units, a surprising circumstance given the crucial but controversial roles played by Florida men at famous battles, especially Gettysburg.  A quick glance through the book indicates pretty decent maps for a unit history, with maps of the Battle of Ream’s Station and Hatcher’s Run included.  The book draws on a wealth of archival resources in Florida and throughout the South.  Anyone interested in ANV unit histories might find this worth their time.

Publisher Site Info:

About the Book

A unit that saw significant action in many of the engagements of the Civil War’s eastern theater

Until this work, no comprehensive study of the Florida units that served in Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia (ANV) had been attempted, and problems attend the few studies of particular Florida units that have appeared. Based on more than two decades of research, Waters and Edmonds have produced a study that covers all units from Florida in the ANV, and does so in an objective and reliable fashion.

Drawn from what was then a turbulent and thinly settled frontier region, the Florida troops serving in the Confederacy were never numerous, but they had the good or bad luck of finding themselves at crucial points in several significant battles such as Gettysburg where their conduct continues to be a source of contention. Additionally, the study of these units and their service permits an examination of important topics affecting the Civil War soldier: lack of supplies, the status of folks at home, dissension over civilian control of soldiers and units from the various Confederate states, and widespread and understandable problems of morale. Despite the appalling conditions of combat, these soldiers were capable of the highest courage in combat. This work is an important contribution to the record of Lee’s troops, ever a subject of intense interest.

Author/Editor

Zack C. Waters is Adjunct Professor of history at Georgia Highlands College. He has published articles on Florida’s CSA history in Florida Historical Quarterly, Civil War Regiments, Apalachee Review, and El Escribano.

James C. Edmonds is self-employed in Port Royal, South Carolina.

***

Title: Hard Marching Every Day: The Civil War Letters of Private Wilbur Fisk 1861-1865
Author: Rosenblatt, Emil (ed) & Rosenblatt, Ruth (ed)
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN-10: 0-7006-0529-0
Price: $15.95 (Paperback); $23.97 (Hardcover)
TOCWOC’s Take: Wilbur Fisk of the 2nd Vermont wrote almost 100 letters to his hometown newspaper, the Green Mountain Freeman.  I came across one of these letters on the fighting abilities of Black soldiers, and I knew Wilbur Fisk was out of the ordinary and an excellent writer.  Fisk was at the Siege of Petersburg, so I picked this one up as another resource for my site.  My understanding is that this is one of the more unique sets of letters published in that Fisk wrote regularly and his letters spanned the entire war.

Publisher Site Info:

As a war correspondent, Wilbur Fisk was an amateur, yet his letters to the Montpelier Green Mountain Freeman comprise one of the finest collections of Civil War letters in existence. “Literary gems,” historian Herman Hattaway calls them. “In fact, they are so goodthat it would be believable that some expert novelist had created them.”

But Fisk was no novelist. He was a rural school teacher from Vermont, primarily self-educated, who enlisted in the Union Army simply because he believed he would regret it later if he didn’t.

Unlike professional war correspondents, Private Fisk had no access to rank or headquarters. Instead, he wrote of life as a private–as one of the foot soldiers who slept in the mud and obeyed orders no matter how incomprehensible.

Between December 11, 1861, and July 26, 1865, Fisk wrote nearly 100 letters from the battlefield. At the beginning of the war he was exuberant and eager for contact with the enemy. Two years later, Fisk was disillusioned and war weary. “The rebel dead and ours lay thickly together, their thirst for blood forever quenched. Their bodies were swollen, black, and hideously unnatural. They eyes glared from their sockets, their tongues protruded from their mouths, and in almost every case, clots of blood and mangled flesh showed how they had died, and rendered a sight ghastly beyond description. I thought I had become hardened to almost anything, but I cannot say I ever wish to see another sight like that I saw on the battle-field of Gettysburg.”

Fisk wrote as eloquently on the moral and political issues behind the war as he did on the everyday hardships of life in the Army of the Potomac. He saw the war as a question of right and wrong and he continued to believe that it had to be fought, even after he was well acquainted with its horror and pointlessness.

This book is part of the Modern War Studies series.

***

Title: The 47th Indiana Volunteer Infantry: A Civil War History
Author: Williamson, David
Publisher: McFarland & Company
ISBN-13: 978-0-7864-6595-8
Price: $45.00 (Paperback)
TOCWOC’s Take: I received this regimental history for review from McFarland, but since I am so Petersburg focused right now this one is not on my review short list.  With that said, those interested in this regiment or the Civil War in the west may want to consider this one even with the rather steep cost for a paperback.  The maps were sketches based on Official Atlas plates and Google maps, though I didn’t see any alterations to specifically show the location of the 47th Indiana in its battles, something I prefer in regimental histories.  If you’ve read this one leave me a comment on it below.

Publisher Site Info:

About the Book
Organized at Indianapolis in December 1861, the 47th Indiana Volunteer Infantry’s Civil War service spanned the Mississippi Valley and the Gulf South. From Louisville to New Orleans and on to Mobile, General James R. Slack and the 47th Indiana took the war to the inland waterways and southern bayous, fighting in many of the Civil War’s most famous campaigns, including Vicksburg, Red River and Mobile. This chronicle of the 47th Indiana follows the regiment’s odyssey through the words of its officers and men. Sources include Chaplain Samuel Sawyer’s account of their exploits in the Indianapolis Daily Journal, soldiers’ accounts in Indiana newspapers, stories of war and intrigue from newspapermen of the “Bohemian Brigade,” and General Slack’s own story in letters to his wife, Ann, including his postwar command on the Rio Grande. Numerous photographs, previously unpublished battle and area maps, and a full regimental roster complete this detailed account.

About the Author
David Williamson (Ph.D., Tulane) has written numerous books on the history of the American Civil War.

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Civil War Book Acquisitions: December 2011

Related posts:

1. Civil War Book Acquisitions: September 2011
2. Civil War Book Acquisitions: November 2011
3. Civil War Book Acquisitions: October 2011

Castel, Albert.  Simpson, Brooks D. Victors in Blue: How Union Generals Fought the Confederates, Battled Each Other, and Won the Civil War (University Press of Kansas, 2011). 374 pages, 10 photos, 10 maps, notes. ISBN: 978-0-7006-1793-7 $34.95 (Hardcover).

What ONE Union general, other than Grant, could have defeated Robert E. Lee?  How should the victorious Union generals be ranked in terms of direct war winning influence?  How did the Union win the war with so much infighting among its military leaders?  Veteran Civil War author Albert Castel answers these questions and more, with an assist by Brooks Simpson, in Victors in Blue: How Union Generals Fought the Confederates, Battled Each Other, and Won the Civil War.

My first experience with Albert Castel was his seminal work on the Atlanta Campaign, Decision in the West.  Castel’s use of present tense in that book was at first very difficult to get used to, but once this novel experiment was accepted what followed was an excellent overview of the Atlanta Campaign.  Ulysses S. Grant expert and fellow Civil War blogger Brooks Simpson is professor of history at Arizona State University.  Simpson helped Castel with the last five chapters of the Victors in Blue.

Victors in Blue, as Castel makes clear in the Preface, is not full of original takes on the generals covered.  With that said some of the views Castel uses have been obscured by the mountain of literature on men like Grant and Sherman.  As a result, he calls this an exercise in “interpretative archaeology.”  The book is not focused on tactical detail, instead looking at the big picture of campaigns and focusing on how leaders conducted operations.  As a result entire campaigns are covered in chapters of twenty or so pages each.

Now that we have covered what the book is not, let’s take a look at what it is.  According to the author the book does three things: providing short accounts of battles which decisively affected the Civil War’s outcome, looking at the performances of the winning generals in those battles, and examining the infighting of Northern generals and how this affected ultimate victory.  As a result the book is not necessarily for beginners.  Readers should have at least rudimentary knowledge of most of the major campaigns of the Civil War to truly enjoy this work to the fullest, though the maps and well written text will allow newer readers to take something away too.

This book, while somewhat scholarly in tone, is aimed squarely at armchair generals who are constantly participating in the exercise of ranking Union and Confederate generals at various online venues.  The following is a slightly paraphrased set of criteria used by Castel to do what many of us have done, rank the generals in some sort of order:

1. If a winner, did he contribute decisively?  How so?
2. Why did he win?  Superior skill, greater strength, brilliant feat by one or more subordinates, enemy blunders, chance, or a combination?
3. What were his objectives?  What did he do to realize them?
4. Did he accomplish what could be reasonably expected?  More?  Less?
5. If less, what could he have done to accomplish more based on info at hand, and why didn’t he do it?

Each chapter examines a decisive campaign through the eyes of the Northern generals responsible for its execution as well as rivals which stood in the way, be they subordinates, superiors or sometimes both.  Where Victors in Blue really shines is in examining official telegrams and letters and explaining what two or more generals were possibly thinking when they composed or received these communications.  Some chapters have been told many times and a consensus opinion has been strongly formed, with Halleck and Grant’s issues after Fort Donelson being a perfect example.  Others, including Castel’s take on what Sherman really won at Atlanta and his opinion of the only Northern general aside from Grant who could have won against Lee, are more surprising.  As expected this story is filled with Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan, but it’s the other commanders behind the “big three” and Castel’s opinions of them which make this a truly fascinating book.  While the top three are pretty standard, some of his choices will absolutely surprise you, especially on one general not particularly well thought of today.

I’d love to see a similar volume entitled “Losers in Gray: How Confederate Generals Fought the Union, Battled Each Other, and Lost the Civil War”, though it would have to be a two part book.  Obviously one volume would be devoted to the cuddly Braxton Bragg, while the other would relate the squabbles of Jefferson Davis.  Everything else could be fit into an appendix at the back of volume two.  Castel’s writing is filled with a snarky quality which made me laugh more than once while shaking my head in agreement.  Probably my favorite example comes from page 273: “Lee…struck the Yankees on July 28 at what became known as the Battle of Ezra Church, mainly because there was nothing else to name it after except a road with the unusable name of Lickskillet.”

The maps in this book are not all that detailed.  Nor do they need to be given the subject matter.  Most cover large areas of operations and generally help the reader refresh his or her memory with regards to the major campaigns.  Castel uses end notes at the end of the book rather than the end of each chapter and without an accompanying bibliography.  The notes rely on the Official Records for a key portion of the book, the official dispatches sent and received by various commanders.  Castel also gives credit to different authors whose opinions of various commanders are relevant to the discussion at hand.  The index is standard and allows readers to quickly skip to favorite generals.

Victors in Blue, while technically breaking no new ground, does what Castel intended.  The generals who most contributed to the Union war effort are examined critically, the war winning campaigns are discussed at a high level, and the author shows how a little bad luck can take a general from a potential war winner to a forgotten man in a backwater assignment.  This book is written in an accessible format for readers of all stripes and should appeal to a wide range of Civil War students.  Victors in Blue does what many readers enjoy in ranking the war winners and their contributions.  While some conclusions will be considered standard, enough surprises await readers to make this a worthwhile new addition to the long list of Civil War books on the market today.  Castel has written an appealing and fascinating book and brought together various thoughts on major Union commanders in one place, enriching our understanding of just how the Union was able to win the war in spite of the bickering of its top military men literally from start to finish.  I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the military and political aspects of the Civil War.

This book was provided gratis for the purposes of this review.

The links to the product reviewed in this article are affiliate links. If you buy this product after clicking one of my links, I’ll make a small amount of money.  The possibility of earning something from the affiliate link has not influenced the objectivity of the review and my opinions are honestly offered.

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Civil War Book Review: Victors in Blue: How Union Generals Fought the Confederates, Battled Each Other, and Won the Civil War

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