| More Book Reviews |
The Irish Brigade
by Paul Jones
If you're only going to read one book about the Irish Brigade in the Civil War,
this is the one. Jones has an immensely readable style, conveying information in
an easy manner that makes the task a pleasure. While he focuses on the exploits
of the Brigade, from its founding in 1861 to its final parade in 1865, he sets his
tale within the bigger picture of the politics of the country and the leadup to the
war. His coverage of the Irish issues is particularly insightful.
Patrick Doyle.
The Irish Brigade in the Civil War
by Joseph Bilby
If you're going to read more than one book on the topic, then this one is a
necessity. Usually regarded as the definitive work on the Brigade, Bilby's book is
meticulously researched and filled with detail. He takes us through every battle
in vivid fashion, but doesn't leave out the lighter side, such as the elaborate
Saint Patrick's Day celebrations that the Brigade became famous for. An
excellent read.
Patrick Doyle.
When the Devil Came Down to Dixie; Ben Butler in New Orleans
by Chester G. Hearn
I guess everybody loves to throw brickbats at General Benjamin Franklin
Butler, "Beast Butler," as he is usually called, but there's no denying that he was
a long-lived and extremely colorful character. Hearn has written a delightful
biography, covering Butler's entire life, including the six months he spent ruling
New Orleans with an iron hand. A hard-working lawyer and politician, he also
had a sense of humor. That said, he was never averse to helping himself to
anything that wasn't securely nailed down. Hearn does an excellent job of
showing us Ben Butler, warts and all.
Patrick Doyle.
The Rogue's March; John Riley and the St. Patrick's Battalion
by Peter F. Stevens
In the Civil War, 194 Union generals and 142 Confederate generals had
previously fought togther as comrades in arms in the Mexican-American war,
1846-1848. The Mexican war was thus a very important forerunner of the
conflict that was to follow. Peter Stevens has written a well-documented history
of this event, in which five US armies invaded Mexico. The title of the book
reveals his main focus, the San Patricio Battalion of mostly Irish deserters from
the American army who fought on the Mexican side under the leadership of the
charismatic John Riley, a former British soldier from County Galway. Many
books have been written about the San Patricios but this one does the best job
of telling their story in the context of the war, the politics, and the turbulent
nation that was America in the 1800's.
Patrick Doyle.
by Paul Jones
If you're only going to read one book about the Irish Brigade in the Civil War,
this is the one. Jones has an immensely readable style, conveying information in
an easy manner that makes the task a pleasure. While he focuses on the exploits
of the Brigade, from its founding in 1861 to its final parade in 1865, he sets his
tale within the bigger picture of the politics of the country and the leadup to the
war. His coverage of the Irish issues is particularly insightful.
Patrick Doyle.
The Irish Brigade in the Civil War
by Joseph Bilby
If you're going to read more than one book on the topic, then this one is a
necessity. Usually regarded as the definitive work on the Brigade, Bilby's book is
meticulously researched and filled with detail. He takes us through every battle
in vivid fashion, but doesn't leave out the lighter side, such as the elaborate
Saint Patrick's Day celebrations that the Brigade became famous for. An
excellent read.
Patrick Doyle.
When the Devil Came Down to Dixie; Ben Butler in New Orleans
by Chester G. Hearn
I guess everybody loves to throw brickbats at General Benjamin Franklin
Butler, "Beast Butler," as he is usually called, but there's no denying that he was
a long-lived and extremely colorful character. Hearn has written a delightful
biography, covering Butler's entire life, including the six months he spent ruling
New Orleans with an iron hand. A hard-working lawyer and politician, he also
had a sense of humor. That said, he was never averse to helping himself to
anything that wasn't securely nailed down. Hearn does an excellent job of
showing us Ben Butler, warts and all.
Patrick Doyle.
The Rogue's March; John Riley and the St. Patrick's Battalion
by Peter F. Stevens
In the Civil War, 194 Union generals and 142 Confederate generals had
previously fought togther as comrades in arms in the Mexican-American war,
1846-1848. The Mexican war was thus a very important forerunner of the
conflict that was to follow. Peter Stevens has written a well-documented history
of this event, in which five US armies invaded Mexico. The title of the book
reveals his main focus, the San Patricio Battalion of mostly Irish deserters from
the American army who fought on the Mexican side under the leadership of the
charismatic John Riley, a former British soldier from County Galway. Many
books have been written about the San Patricios but this one does the best job
of telling their story in the context of the war, the politics, and the turbulent
nation that was America in the 1800's.
Patrick Doyle.
George Thomas: Virginian for the Union
by Chris Einolf.
At war's outbreak, Thomas was an officer in the 2nd US Cavalry in Texas. His regiment
was surrendered to Texas and Thomas led the loyal soldiers north for refitting.
Einolf feels Thomas should be remembered for being a protagonist of civil rights. He
was a southern aristocrat who had a paternalistic attitude towards blacks. He didn't
want colored troops, and when he had them, he used them as laborers. At Nashville, the
officers of the colored troops offered to join the attack with intent of distracting the
Confederates from the main Union thrust. Thomas agreed. As he toured the battlefield,
he noticed dead blacks and whites. As he got closer to the Confederate defenses, he
noticed there were more blacks than whites. When he got to the Confederate defensive
works, he saw piles of dead black soldiers. To see so many proved to Thomas that the
colored troops were capable of manly acts of bravery and were the equals of the white
soldiers. He felt that if they could behave so well on the battlefield, that they could be
capable of other manly behavior and should enjoy the full rights of citizenship including
the right to vote. After the war, Thomas championed civil rights but sickness claimed
him early and he passed away in 1870. Einolf's biography of Thomas should be well
received by anyone studying the Union leadership in the midwest.
Gary Yee.
by Chris Einolf.
At war's outbreak, Thomas was an officer in the 2nd US Cavalry in Texas. His regiment
was surrendered to Texas and Thomas led the loyal soldiers north for refitting.
Einolf feels Thomas should be remembered for being a protagonist of civil rights. He
was a southern aristocrat who had a paternalistic attitude towards blacks. He didn't
want colored troops, and when he had them, he used them as laborers. At Nashville, the
officers of the colored troops offered to join the attack with intent of distracting the
Confederates from the main Union thrust. Thomas agreed. As he toured the battlefield,
he noticed dead blacks and whites. As he got closer to the Confederate defenses, he
noticed there were more blacks than whites. When he got to the Confederate defensive
works, he saw piles of dead black soldiers. To see so many proved to Thomas that the
colored troops were capable of manly acts of bravery and were the equals of the white
soldiers. He felt that if they could behave so well on the battlefield, that they could be
capable of other manly behavior and should enjoy the full rights of citizenship including
the right to vote. After the war, Thomas championed civil rights but sickness claimed
him early and he passed away in 1870. Einolf's biography of Thomas should be well
received by anyone studying the Union leadership in the midwest.
Gary Yee.
Trench Warfare Under Grant & Lee
by Earl J. Hess
Following in the footsteps of his earlier work, "Field Armies and Fortifications,"
Professor Hess has released a new book in which he contends that, while field works
were used before, it was not the intent of Grant or Lee to engage in this mode of
warfare. Both sought to defeat the other in open country. Hess defines trench warfare
as "campaigning that was centered on the presence of significant earthworks." It is
distinguished from siege warfare which historically entails surrounding an enemy
(typically a city), cutting it off from supplies and trying to starve an enemy out or
approach so close to it that the defenses can be stormed in one rush. The increasing
reliance on both sides reflects the awareness that the defender could defend their
ground more effectively with fewer losses. For the attacker, it could be used as a base
of manuever from. One entrenched, pinned the enemy, and then outflanked him.
Professor Hess studies how trench warfare evolved from The Wilderness through the
Cold Harbor Campaign. He discusses how both sides gradually accepted that frontal
assaults proved fatal. Grant's decision at Cold Harbor actually seemed logical at the
time. He believed that Confederate morale was at an all time low and if he could punch
through, he would shatter the ANV and capture Richmond.
There is a large appendix which describes the various entrenchments that were
constructed during the Overland Campaign. Plenty of maps illustrate their layout.
It's a fascinating read for those who enjoy learning about the nitty-gritty of warfare in
1864. Reading it makes you clamor for more, and I eagerly await the third volume on
Petersburg that will finish this triology.
Gary Yee.
The Maps of Gettysburg
by Brad Gottfried
Anyone familiar with Brad Gottfried's "The Brigades of Gettysburg" will want to get
this companion volume. It includes over 125 maps showing the movement of the
various columns to and from Gettysburg and the fights they were engaged in during the
course of the three days battle. If you've ever had trouble tracing a unit on a particular
day, this book will help you sort out all those confusing accounts. Gottfried draws
heavily on his research from his previous volume and incorporates eyewitness accounts
to provide a supporting text for his various maps. Granted that the maps are not like
Col. Vincent Esposito's Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars (West Point) in that they lack
color and terrain features, but for anyone studying the battle, or actually walking on the
battlefield grounds, this book will be an indispensible guide.
Gary Yee.
Grandfather's Journal
by Austin C. Dobbins
This unassuming book is the journal of Private Franklin Lafayette Riley, Co B.,
Sixteenth Mississippi. Riley enlisted at the start of the war and fought until he was
captured defending Fort Gregg (near Petersburg) at the Battle of Hatcher's Run, April
2, 1865. The editor is Pvt. Riley's grandson who transcribed the journal for publication.
Riley's journal is well written, and it should be, considering he was a teacher for five
years prior to enlisting. Like other journals of the period, he records the marches,
humor, cooking and endless drills that every Civil War soldier endured. Overall it's an
excellent companion to Cockrell & Ballard's "A Mississippi Rebel in the Army of
Northern Virginia."
Gary Yee.
Attack and Die
by Grady McWhiney & Perry Jamieson.
The authors discuss how the aggressiveness of the South resulted in heavy casualties
that contributed to losing the war. They attribute the aggressiveness to the Celtic
heritage of the South. In supporting their claim, they discuss how the Celts were
aggressive in battle, relying on the charge, and little else, for victory. They trace Celtic
battles from the days when the Celts battled the Romans and show how the final
struggle between Celts and the Anglos (who predominantly settled around New England
& New York) was the American Civil War. Fine & dandy, but it doesn't explain why Lee
or Hood, both of whom are (by name) of English descent and were extremely
aggressive. It's a good book, but despite the scholarly cites, I remain skeptical. For me
the redeeming quality of this book is that it is the first time I've seen anything on the
course of study of the antebellum West Point Cadet.
Gary Yee.
by Earl J. Hess
Following in the footsteps of his earlier work, "Field Armies and Fortifications,"
Professor Hess has released a new book in which he contends that, while field works
were used before, it was not the intent of Grant or Lee to engage in this mode of
warfare. Both sought to defeat the other in open country. Hess defines trench warfare
as "campaigning that was centered on the presence of significant earthworks." It is
distinguished from siege warfare which historically entails surrounding an enemy
(typically a city), cutting it off from supplies and trying to starve an enemy out or
approach so close to it that the defenses can be stormed in one rush. The increasing
reliance on both sides reflects the awareness that the defender could defend their
ground more effectively with fewer losses. For the attacker, it could be used as a base
of manuever from. One entrenched, pinned the enemy, and then outflanked him.
Professor Hess studies how trench warfare evolved from The Wilderness through the
Cold Harbor Campaign. He discusses how both sides gradually accepted that frontal
assaults proved fatal. Grant's decision at Cold Harbor actually seemed logical at the
time. He believed that Confederate morale was at an all time low and if he could punch
through, he would shatter the ANV and capture Richmond.
There is a large appendix which describes the various entrenchments that were
constructed during the Overland Campaign. Plenty of maps illustrate their layout.
It's a fascinating read for those who enjoy learning about the nitty-gritty of warfare in
1864. Reading it makes you clamor for more, and I eagerly await the third volume on
Petersburg that will finish this triology.
Gary Yee.
The Maps of Gettysburg
by Brad Gottfried
Anyone familiar with Brad Gottfried's "The Brigades of Gettysburg" will want to get
this companion volume. It includes over 125 maps showing the movement of the
various columns to and from Gettysburg and the fights they were engaged in during the
course of the three days battle. If you've ever had trouble tracing a unit on a particular
day, this book will help you sort out all those confusing accounts. Gottfried draws
heavily on his research from his previous volume and incorporates eyewitness accounts
to provide a supporting text for his various maps. Granted that the maps are not like
Col. Vincent Esposito's Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars (West Point) in that they lack
color and terrain features, but for anyone studying the battle, or actually walking on the
battlefield grounds, this book will be an indispensible guide.
Gary Yee.
Grandfather's Journal
by Austin C. Dobbins
This unassuming book is the journal of Private Franklin Lafayette Riley, Co B.,
Sixteenth Mississippi. Riley enlisted at the start of the war and fought until he was
captured defending Fort Gregg (near Petersburg) at the Battle of Hatcher's Run, April
2, 1865. The editor is Pvt. Riley's grandson who transcribed the journal for publication.
Riley's journal is well written, and it should be, considering he was a teacher for five
years prior to enlisting. Like other journals of the period, he records the marches,
humor, cooking and endless drills that every Civil War soldier endured. Overall it's an
excellent companion to Cockrell & Ballard's "A Mississippi Rebel in the Army of
Northern Virginia."
Gary Yee.
Attack and Die
by Grady McWhiney & Perry Jamieson.
The authors discuss how the aggressiveness of the South resulted in heavy casualties
that contributed to losing the war. They attribute the aggressiveness to the Celtic
heritage of the South. In supporting their claim, they discuss how the Celts were
aggressive in battle, relying on the charge, and little else, for victory. They trace Celtic
battles from the days when the Celts battled the Romans and show how the final
struggle between Celts and the Anglos (who predominantly settled around New England
& New York) was the American Civil War. Fine & dandy, but it doesn't explain why Lee
or Hood, both of whom are (by name) of English descent and were extremely
aggressive. It's a good book, but despite the scholarly cites, I remain skeptical. For me
the redeeming quality of this book is that it is the first time I've seen anything on the
course of study of the antebellum West Point Cadet.
Gary Yee.
Hell On Belle Isle
by J. Osborn Coburn
Hell on Belle Isle is the diary of J. Osborn Coburn of Co. I, 6th Michigan, who was
captured in Charleston, Virginia along with 434 comrades by Imbolden. Imbolden
evaded or fended off pursuing Federal forces and marched his prisoners into
Confederate lines where enlisted men like Coburn were incarcerated at Belle Isle in
Richmond, Virginia. Cheerful and confident that he would be paroled, Coburn diary
records the filfthy condition and the lack of food. Even when supplies are sent by the
Union, the starving Confederates help themselves of it freely before passing the
remainder onto the prisoners. Coburn's diary frequently mentions their poor food and
his dreams of returning home. In one, he is happily in the company of his fiance-until he
awakes to the cold reailty of Belle Isle. Unfortunately, he dies of starvation on Belle Isle
and never marries the girl to whom he was engaged. His diary was returned to his
father by the hospital steward who attended to him on his last days. It's all too common
a story of an American PoW (either Union or Confederate) during 1864 when the
exchange policy was largely abandoned (except in the case of the very sick and near
dead).
Gary Yee.
by J. Osborn Coburn
Hell on Belle Isle is the diary of J. Osborn Coburn of Co. I, 6th Michigan, who was
captured in Charleston, Virginia along with 434 comrades by Imbolden. Imbolden
evaded or fended off pursuing Federal forces and marched his prisoners into
Confederate lines where enlisted men like Coburn were incarcerated at Belle Isle in
Richmond, Virginia. Cheerful and confident that he would be paroled, Coburn diary
records the filfthy condition and the lack of food. Even when supplies are sent by the
Union, the starving Confederates help themselves of it freely before passing the
remainder onto the prisoners. Coburn's diary frequently mentions their poor food and
his dreams of returning home. In one, he is happily in the company of his fiance-until he
awakes to the cold reailty of Belle Isle. Unfortunately, he dies of starvation on Belle Isle
and never marries the girl to whom he was engaged. His diary was returned to his
father by the hospital steward who attended to him on his last days. It's all too common
a story of an American PoW (either Union or Confederate) during 1864 when the
exchange policy was largely abandoned (except in the case of the very sick and near
dead).
Gary Yee.
The Path of Patriotism: Civil War Letters of George Edwin Dolton by
Theodore Dolton.
Responding to Lincoln's call for more men, patriotic George E. Dolton rallies to the
colors and enlists in Battery M of the 1st Illinois Light Artillery. While Dolton
experiences are typical of a Civil War era soldier, what sets his letters aparts from ANY
other soldier is his use of numeric code and a special shorthand. Cognizant that letters
were screened for military secrecy, Dolton devises two codes which he shares with
Wihelmina or Minnie, as he affectionately calls his wife. Thankfully the numeric code is
cracked by the editor, Dolton's great-grandson Theodore. Unfortunately, the special
shorthand code isn't and awaits a student of shorthand or cryptologist to decipher.
Coded messages set aside, Dolton can be wry about his observations. In one letter,
Dolton decribes the fraternal bond between some officers and the boys. "Gen. Granger
is very rough on this march. He whipped an infantry man with a rope & was going to do
so to Corp. Cogswell of No. I; but Cogswell tried to get hold of the Gen to choke him &
it finally ended. Sheridan choked a lieut. of Bat A 1st Ill. at Chickamauga creek, &
came very near being shot for it..." While before Kennesaw Mountain, Dolton recorded
the boys' humorous comments while being sniped at. "A bullet has just passed, making
as great a noise & similar to a cat when hurt. These cause such remarks as, "Feed that
cat." "Keep your cats at home." "Poor Johnnies got nothing for for your cats to eat"
etc. etc." While modest about his writing skills (post-war Dolton is the principal writer
of the battery's history), Dolton is quite lucid and this is best illustrated by his letter on
types of artillery shells, their intended purpose and the setting of fuses. Not exactly the
stuff that made Harlequin romance novels popular among women and how Minnie
received that particular letter is not recorded - but any artillery reenactor/student would
love it! You won't learn about strategic movements from Dolton. After all, he's a mere
enlisted man not privy to the realms of commanding generals. However, you'll learn
about the day to day life of men who fought in the midwest and if you're a serious
student about the war in the Midwest and the Atlanta Campaign, Dolton's book is
worth reading.
Gary Yee
Theodore Dolton.
Responding to Lincoln's call for more men, patriotic George E. Dolton rallies to the
colors and enlists in Battery M of the 1st Illinois Light Artillery. While Dolton
experiences are typical of a Civil War era soldier, what sets his letters aparts from ANY
other soldier is his use of numeric code and a special shorthand. Cognizant that letters
were screened for military secrecy, Dolton devises two codes which he shares with
Wihelmina or Minnie, as he affectionately calls his wife. Thankfully the numeric code is
cracked by the editor, Dolton's great-grandson Theodore. Unfortunately, the special
shorthand code isn't and awaits a student of shorthand or cryptologist to decipher.
Coded messages set aside, Dolton can be wry about his observations. In one letter,
Dolton decribes the fraternal bond between some officers and the boys. "Gen. Granger
is very rough on this march. He whipped an infantry man with a rope & was going to do
so to Corp. Cogswell of No. I; but Cogswell tried to get hold of the Gen to choke him &
it finally ended. Sheridan choked a lieut. of Bat A 1st Ill. at Chickamauga creek, &
came very near being shot for it..." While before Kennesaw Mountain, Dolton recorded
the boys' humorous comments while being sniped at. "A bullet has just passed, making
as great a noise & similar to a cat when hurt. These cause such remarks as, "Feed that
cat." "Keep your cats at home." "Poor Johnnies got nothing for for your cats to eat"
etc. etc." While modest about his writing skills (post-war Dolton is the principal writer
of the battery's history), Dolton is quite lucid and this is best illustrated by his letter on
types of artillery shells, their intended purpose and the setting of fuses. Not exactly the
stuff that made Harlequin romance novels popular among women and how Minnie
received that particular letter is not recorded - but any artillery reenactor/student would
love it! You won't learn about strategic movements from Dolton. After all, he's a mere
enlisted man not privy to the realms of commanding generals. However, you'll learn
about the day to day life of men who fought in the midwest and if you're a serious
student about the war in the Midwest and the Atlanta Campaign, Dolton's book is
worth reading.
Gary Yee
How Private George W. Peck Put Down the Rebellion
by George W. Peck
The Civil War reminiscences of a newspaper editor who joins the cavalry late in the war
to help defeat the Confederacy. How this Civil War era sad sack managed to stay alive
despite himself is only by the grace of God. New to the regiment and unfamiliar with
horses, he has to hire a boy to hold his horse while he climbs a Virginia rail fence to
mount the saddle. He's given a bullet proof vest and on his first patrol, is chased and
feels the bullets bouncing off the vest. Actually, he is being pelted with rocks by his
comrades who are chasing him. His chaplain swindles him by trading his mule for
Peck's horse and some cash. The mule is ornery and Peck is the only fellow in the
regiment who was aware of it. While on a night picket, he is chased by a Confederate
and they race around a racetrack until they both tumble. They wind up sharing
breakfast and returning to their respective units, bragging about their prowess in
defeating a horde of the enemy. He's made a corporal of a work detail and his men are
too lazy to work, so he has to pay a group of laborers (negroes) out of his own pocket
while his men loaf. He builds a bridge, but it's in the wrong place and gets chewed out
by his general. Terrific read (and part of it is online somewhere for free). BTW, Peck
becomes the governor of Michigan after the war. His story telling ability explains it all.
Gary Yee
by George W. Peck
The Civil War reminiscences of a newspaper editor who joins the cavalry late in the war
to help defeat the Confederacy. How this Civil War era sad sack managed to stay alive
despite himself is only by the grace of God. New to the regiment and unfamiliar with
horses, he has to hire a boy to hold his horse while he climbs a Virginia rail fence to
mount the saddle. He's given a bullet proof vest and on his first patrol, is chased and
feels the bullets bouncing off the vest. Actually, he is being pelted with rocks by his
comrades who are chasing him. His chaplain swindles him by trading his mule for
Peck's horse and some cash. The mule is ornery and Peck is the only fellow in the
regiment who was aware of it. While on a night picket, he is chased by a Confederate
and they race around a racetrack until they both tumble. They wind up sharing
breakfast and returning to their respective units, bragging about their prowess in
defeating a horde of the enemy. He's made a corporal of a work detail and his men are
too lazy to work, so he has to pay a group of laborers (negroes) out of his own pocket
while his men loaf. He builds a bridge, but it's in the wrong place and gets chewed out
by his general. Terrific read (and part of it is online somewhere for free). BTW, Peck
becomes the governor of Michigan after the war. His story telling ability explains it all.
Gary Yee
Quest For A Star: The Civil War Letters and Diaries of Colonel Francis
T. Sherman of the 88th Illinois.
Edited by C. Knight Aldrich.
Quest For a Star is the eleventh volume of the University of Tennessee’s series,
Voices of the Civil War. The series brings to the public heretofore unpublished diaries
and letters from soldiers both blue and gray.
Francis T. Sherman is a Chicago innkeeper’s son. His father had more ambition
than innkeeping and was an anti-slavery expansion democrat who later served in the
Illinois state legislature and during the war, as the mayor of Chicago. Francis married
Ellen Vedder before the war and had several children by her. A pro-war democrat, he
enlisted as a lieutenant colonel in the 56th Illinois. His prior service as a second
lieutenant in the Chicago Light Guard didn’t necessarily prepare him for command
as his colonel was largely absent. After leaving the 56th Illinois, he was commissioned
into the 12th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry which served in the Shenandoah Valley under
Banks. He didn’t stay there long and resigned when the Chicago Board of Trade
offered the colonecy of a new regiment to him.
Col. Sherman’s 88th Illinois joined Sheridan’s 11th Division in Don Carlos
Buell’s Army of the Ohio in August, 1862. It was the beginning of a fortunate
relationship as Sherman found himself working with Sheridan through most of the war.
They fought at Perryville where they help to defeat Bragg. After Perryville, Buell is
removed and Rosecrans takes command of the army and their first big battle is at
Stones River (Murfreesboro). As part of Sheridan’s Division, Sherman’s 88th
Illinois does a credible job of holding the line but suffers heavily when it lost 150 out of
420 men. As many brigadiers were lost, Sherman is given command of the brigade and
aspires to wear the star. He is recommended by Sheridan but Stanton consistently
refuses since Sherman belongs to the wrong party.
Sherman is absent from Chickamauga and that probably saved his life. He returned in
time for Missionary Ridge where he joined his men in driving back Bragg’s Army.
Afterwards they marched to Knoxville to relieve Burnsides and served temporarily
under John G. Foster whom he detested. Happily for Sherman, Foster is disabled by an
accident and John Schofield replaced him. During the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman is
transferred onto Howard’s staff - something he resents as it draws his star away
from him. He is captured and sent to Charleston. After a couple of months, he is
exchanged and rejoined Sheridan in Jan., 1865. Sheridan appointed Sherman as
inspector general and he is present at Appomattox. Sheridan honors Sherman by having
him deliver 51 captured battle flags to the War Department. However, the moment is
marred and goes unnoticed as it is superceded by Lincoln’s assassination. Sheridan
also asked that Sherman be appointed brevet brigadier general.
After the war, Sherman accompanies Sheridan to Louisiana to accept Kirby Smith’s
surrender. He serves as provost marshal there. Sheridan eventually has Sherman
promoted to brigadier general of the volunteers. Sherman’s war service seems to be
the highlight of his life and he failed in many of his post-war pursuits.
The book is well researched as evidenced by its excellent endnotes. There are some gaps
but this is because the Confederates captured Sherman’s personal effects including
his 1862 diary.
Gary Yee.
T. Sherman of the 88th Illinois.
Edited by C. Knight Aldrich.
Quest For a Star is the eleventh volume of the University of Tennessee’s series,
Voices of the Civil War. The series brings to the public heretofore unpublished diaries
and letters from soldiers both blue and gray.
Francis T. Sherman is a Chicago innkeeper’s son. His father had more ambition
than innkeeping and was an anti-slavery expansion democrat who later served in the
Illinois state legislature and during the war, as the mayor of Chicago. Francis married
Ellen Vedder before the war and had several children by her. A pro-war democrat, he
enlisted as a lieutenant colonel in the 56th Illinois. His prior service as a second
lieutenant in the Chicago Light Guard didn’t necessarily prepare him for command
as his colonel was largely absent. After leaving the 56th Illinois, he was commissioned
into the 12th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry which served in the Shenandoah Valley under
Banks. He didn’t stay there long and resigned when the Chicago Board of Trade
offered the colonecy of a new regiment to him.
Col. Sherman’s 88th Illinois joined Sheridan’s 11th Division in Don Carlos
Buell’s Army of the Ohio in August, 1862. It was the beginning of a fortunate
relationship as Sherman found himself working with Sheridan through most of the war.
They fought at Perryville where they help to defeat Bragg. After Perryville, Buell is
removed and Rosecrans takes command of the army and their first big battle is at
Stones River (Murfreesboro). As part of Sheridan’s Division, Sherman’s 88th
Illinois does a credible job of holding the line but suffers heavily when it lost 150 out of
420 men. As many brigadiers were lost, Sherman is given command of the brigade and
aspires to wear the star. He is recommended by Sheridan but Stanton consistently
refuses since Sherman belongs to the wrong party.
Sherman is absent from Chickamauga and that probably saved his life. He returned in
time for Missionary Ridge where he joined his men in driving back Bragg’s Army.
Afterwards they marched to Knoxville to relieve Burnsides and served temporarily
under John G. Foster whom he detested. Happily for Sherman, Foster is disabled by an
accident and John Schofield replaced him. During the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman is
transferred onto Howard’s staff - something he resents as it draws his star away
from him. He is captured and sent to Charleston. After a couple of months, he is
exchanged and rejoined Sheridan in Jan., 1865. Sheridan appointed Sherman as
inspector general and he is present at Appomattox. Sheridan honors Sherman by having
him deliver 51 captured battle flags to the War Department. However, the moment is
marred and goes unnoticed as it is superceded by Lincoln’s assassination. Sheridan
also asked that Sherman be appointed brevet brigadier general.
After the war, Sherman accompanies Sheridan to Louisiana to accept Kirby Smith’s
surrender. He serves as provost marshal there. Sheridan eventually has Sherman
promoted to brigadier general of the volunteers. Sherman’s war service seems to be
the highlight of his life and he failed in many of his post-war pursuits.
The book is well researched as evidenced by its excellent endnotes. There are some gaps
but this is because the Confederates captured Sherman’s personal effects including
his 1862 diary.
Gary Yee.