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| At a Round Table meeting in March 2008, a brilliant idea was proposed: why not use the web site to exchange ideas on Books Worth Reading? Let's give it a try. Send an email to admin@sfcwrt.com giving the title and author of a book, or books, that you feel is a "must read." Include a brief description, including the reasons for your recommendation. And don't forget to sign your name. But wait, there's more. If you would like to comment on a review, adding to it, disagreeing with it, or just laughing out loud, send an email and we'll publish your comments. |
| 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 politiican, 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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. |
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