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| Book Reviews |
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| Blue Lightning: Wilder’s Mounted Infantry Brigade in the Battle of Chickamauga. Richard Baumgartner. Anyone familiar with Richard Baumgartner will know his style from his previous works. It includes Echoes of Battle: The Struggle for Chattanooga and Echoes of Battle: The Atlanta Campaign. In telling his narrative, Baumgartner incorporates numerous first hand accounts by actual soldiers to skillfully tell the story of Wilder’s Brigade. As infantry, they weren’t particularly successful in chasing Morgan’s Raiders. In frustration, the idea of mounting them as cavalry to increase their mobility grew to fruition as they began confiscated horses from Southern sympathizers in Kentucky. Another thing that made them formidable was their gun: the Spencer repeating rifle. Unlike the muzzle loader which was slow by comparison, the Spencer could get off about seven shots in the time the older muzzle loader could be reloaded. Originally two scout companies had the higher capacity Henry rifle and most men were willing to pay for their own. After all, fifteen shot capacity made the Henry the most advanced gun of its time. However, Henrys couldn’t be produced fast enough and when Christian Spencer showed up and demonstrated his rifle, it was quickly settled. Thus, Wilder’s Brigade not only enjoyed mobility equal to cavalry, they also had repeating firearms. Though less famous than the Army of the Potomac’s Iron Brigade or the Army of Northern Virginia’s Stonewall Brigade thanks to VD (Virginia Disease), Wilder’s Brigade is arguably the most formidable brigade in the war. It played a pivotal role in the Tullahoma Campaign where its mobility helped it seize an important pass that allowed Rosecrans to out maneuver Bragg from Chattanooga. It was the relatively bloodless campaign that McClellan only dreamed of. At Chickamauga, they captured prisoners and learned that units of the Army of Northern Virginia had arrived in Georgia. The intelligence was given to HQ but unfortunately for the Union, it was ignored by Rosecrans and his generals. Rosecrans paid for it when Bragg attacked at Chickamauga. While other units were forced to flee, Wilder kept his brigade intact and was in position to flank Longstreet. Wilder speculates that had he not been told to retreat, that he could have turned the battle. While held in high esteem by Rosecrans and by Sheridan, Wilder never received his brigadier’s star. After Chickamauga, illness compelled him to resign. Hopefully Baumgartner continues his excellent work with a sequel that will cover the brigade’s campaign to Atlanta and the sea. Gary Yee General Lee's Army Dr. Joseph Glatthaar Just when you’d think another book couldn’t be written about Lee or the Army of Northern Virginia, Dr. Joseph Glatthaar General Lee’s Army has hit the shelves. Glatthaar is no stranger to the Civil War reader and his other works includes Forged In Battle, The March to the Sea and Beyond and Partners in Command. Glatthaar examines the Army of Northern Virginia and of necessity, much of it duplicates Irving Bell Wiley’s Life of Johnny Reb. For instance, he examines the men who made up the army and why they fought. The home front, their weapons, the role of blacks, medical care, desertion are covered in this work. Glatthaar doesn’t shrink from controversy and argues that while only one in four families in the Confederacy were slave owners, that the men fought for slavery. Lee, their legendary commander, has his faults pointed out including Lee’s lashing out in a letter to his wife about the socks she sent. He relies on insights from Lee’s closest staff members including Walter Taylor, Charles Venable and Charles Marshall to tell Lee’s story. Lee comes away an overworked man whose officer corps falls short of his demands for perfection as replacements are often times less capable than those who fell in battle. Glatthaar skillfully blends in the raising of the army, its culture, its campaigns and its battles into a highly readable narrative. It is extensively footnoted and the bibliography lists a wealth of material for any researcher. If you read only one book on the Civil War, General Lee’s Army is highly recommended. Gary Yee Without a Scratch: Diary of Corporal William Holmes Morse, Color Bearer of the 5th Maine Infantry. Edited by William L. Caynor, Sr. Morse enlists into the 5th Maine and keeps a yearly diary in shorthand which, post-war, he transfers to a ledger book and releases portions of it to the Algona Advance, a local newspaper. Corporal Morse’s story is pretty typical but what makes him amazing is that he was a color bearor who was never injured! Any reader of Civil War books will recognize the three deadly battlefield occupations which served as bullet magnets: riding a (white) horse among infantry, waving a sword, and carrying the flag. For a color bearor, Morse’s closest scrape was a sting he felt on his neck. He later discovered that he had been skinned by a bullet which then pierced his rolled-up blanket. When he unrolled it, he counted forty holes. But, as Morse wrote, "I would rather have them in my blanket than in my skin." Aside from escaping injury, there isn’t anything really remarkable about Morse’s experience. However, as a member of the 5th Maine, his regiment was among those that joined in Upton’s May 10th attack on the muleshoe and on Hancock’s corps scale attack two days later. He gives an excellent account of both attacks. When the VI Corps is sent to defend Washington from Early, Morse and his comrades are among them. They are part of Sheridan’s Valley Campaign that fought at Winchester and at Cedar Creek, destroy Early’s army. Returning to Petersburg, Morse is transferred to the 7th Maine which is later renamed the 1st Maine Veteran Volunteer Infantry. Present at Appomattox, they witness the end of the war and Morse returned home without a scratch. Gary Yee. No Word of Them: First Battalion New York Sharpshooters 1862-1865 John E. Bennett. A relatively unknown unit, it didn’t help that the First Battalion New York Sharpshooters never had a regimental history written in the postwar period. Nor does author Bennett attempts to write an academic work as he plainly stated in his foreword. Rather, Bennett’s work consisted of transcribing the diaries of three of its men and with narrative written by him, presented them to the reader. In doing so, Bennett "‘back out’ and let them tell it in their words..." In addition, he provides a useful timeline of the battalion and draws from other published works including the Official Records to provide more insight into their history. Bennett was also thoughtful enough to include a muster roll that included the soldier’s mustering in/out date and any notes pertaining to them. No doubt geneologists will find it useful. The book is also illustrated with photos of some of the men. The First Battalion New York Sharpshooters helped defend Suffolk against Longstreet’s quasi-seige. Late in joining the First Corps, they didn’t fight at Gettysburg but were in time for the Bristoe Campaign and Mine Run. They also fought at the Wilderness, Laurel Hill, North Anna and Petersburg. It was at Weldon Railroad that they, now reduced to slightly over fifty men, were captured. Still, enough men had been previously detailed out such that a handful could be assembled. You’ll find plenty of famous men mentioned in the pages of No Word of Them including Henry Morrow (Iron Brigade), Michael Corcoran (Irish Brigade), Getty and others. While not a book for everyone, it is a very useful book for anyone studying sharpshooting in the Civil War and for that I am very grateful for Mr. Bennett’s work. Gary Yee. Compelled to Appear in Print It's the Vicksburg memoirs of John C. Pemberton, the Confederate who surrendered the garrison of Vicksburg to Grant. After the war, the Confederate Commander of the West, Joseph Johnston, penned his memoirs which placed the loss of Vicksburg solely on Pemberton. Pemberton prepared a rebuttal but it was never published and long forgotten - until recently when the manuscript was purchased at an estate sale in Ohio. For anyone interested in getting the Confederate perspective of Vicksburg, especially one that challenges convention, "Compelled to Appear in Print" is a must read book. Gary Yee. Confederate Engineer: Training and Campaigning with John Morris Wampler By George G. Kundahl. Kundahl, a great-great grandson of Wampler, gathered journals, diaries and letters from his relatives to begin his research. He also consulted other materials to reconstruct Wampler’s story. Wampler’s father died when he was still young and he was educated in a predominantly female school. He joined the Coast Survey Service and as a young man, traveled the country and mapped the coast. This exposed the young Virginian to Texas where he mapped Gavelston, to Massachusetts where he mapped the northwest shore of Massachusetts Bay. He left the Coast Survey Service to work for a railroad and afterwards mapped the water lines that supply Washington, DC, to this day. Later, Wampler worked for Baltimore’s City Water Works. With war’s outbreak, Wampler enlisted in the Eighth Virginia and fought at First Bull Run. His talents as an engineer did not go unrecognized and he was soon making maps for Beauregard. When Beauregard was transferred to the midwest, he took Wampler along with him. Wampler soon became chief engineer for the Army of Tennessee and served in Bragg’s ‘62 Kentucky campaign. He was later transferred to the expanded engineer corps in the Provisional Confederate States Army. He helped fortify Chattanooga and was then sent to Atlanta to fortify that city. While at Atlanta, he was ordered to report to Richmond where he was transferred to Beauregard’s command in South Carolina. When Wampler arrived in Charleston, the Union had already attempted to flank (Seccessionville). Thus, Wampler was thrown into fortifying the area and in particular, the batteries on Morris Island. He doesn’t have much time as Union forces under Quincy Gillmore assault the island and attempted to seize Battery Wagner. Wampler is sent there to help improve it. Unfortunately, a fragment of a 15" shell killed Wampler. For the reader who is interested in engineers and the work of engineers, Confederate Engineer will be a useful source. Gary Yee. Valleys of the Shadow: The Memoir of Confederate Captain Reuben G. Clark. Captain Clark enlisted in the Third Tennessee which arrived too late to fight at Manassas. Instead, they camped among the dead. Shortly afterwards in Feb., 1862, he went home and transferred to Cook’s Fifty-ninth Tennessee which was sent to Vicksburg. The Fifty-ninth fought there and along with Pemberton, surrendered on July 4. After being paroled, they went to Mobile where they were given a ninety day leave. After being exchanged (Sept 4), they joined Joseph Johnston’s army at Dalton (Georgia). Clark was detached with his company to Athens which they evacuated before Thomas’s advancing forces. Fleeing via railcar to Loudon (Tennessee), they destroyed the railcars there and joined with Longstreet at Knoxville (Dec. 3) in time for Longstreet’s move to winter quarters. When Longstreet returned to Virginia, Clark’s regiment was sent to the Shenandoah Valley where they became part of Beckinridge’s command. They were part of Early’s campaign in the valley. After the Confederate defeat at Fisher’s Hill, they were sent back to East Tennesee where Clark was captured at the battle of Morristown (Oct. 28, 1864). While in captivity, he was charged with the murder of a Union officer. General Breckinridge threatened that if Clark was prosecuted and executed, he would deal out like treatment to a Union officer of equal rank. Still, this did not prevent the seizure of all of Clark’s property by US Treasury Agent Brownlow (who was seizing any property belonging to a rebel). At trial, no evidence could be produced against Clark who was freed in June, 1865. The book’s greatest value is not his description of combat. They are, sadly enough, very scant. His experience as a PoW and his struggle to receive proper medical treatment is worth reading. No regimental history of the Fifty-ninth Tennessee was ever written after the war and a slender entry may be found in Tennesseans in the Civil War. The appendix updates that entry and is to date the most complete account of the regiment Clark served in for most of his career as a Confederate soldier. Gary Yee The Union Must Stand: The Civil War Diary of John Quincy Adams Campbell, Fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. It's from the Univ. of Tenn series, Voices of the Civil War. The UoT concentrates on soldiers who served in the midwest and trans-Mississippi region. That region was neglected for years by scholars who suffered from VD (Virginia Disease - if it didn't happen in Virginia or didn't involve Bobby Lee, it wasn't worth reading about). Campbell began as sergeant in one of the first regiments to respond to Lincoln's call to defend the Union and its form of republican government. Remember that until then, all other democratic governments had failed including that of the French Revolution. There were many revolutions in early 19th Century Europe which the ruling monarchies managed to suppress. The failed 1848 revolution led to the large influx of Germans to America. Hence, America was seen by many Americans as unique and to allow the Confederacy to secede would mean the failure of the noble experiment and the failure of democracy itself. Campbell felt this way and unlike many other soldiers, was also an abolitionist. His regiment was at Island No. 10 which, when captured, opened New Madrid (Misery) for capture. Afterwards, they fought under Rosecrans at Iuka where the Sterling Price’s Confederates are defeated. As part McClernand’s XIII Corps of Grant’s encircling army, they help capture Pemberton and the garrison of Vicksburg. Afterwards the Fifth Iowa is part of Sherman’s army marching to relieve their comrades at Chattanooga. At Missionary Ridge, they're whipped badly at Tunnel Hill by Cleburne and Campbell has some harsh words for Sherman. After Bragg retreats from Missionary Ridge, they join in the pursuit towards Atlanta. When the regiment falls a few men short of veteranizing, Campbell finishes his three years enlistment and is transferred to the Fifth Iowa Cavalry. The death of his father and his disillusionment with the service compels him to resign his commission and return home. Gary Yee. History of the 124th Regiment of New York Volunteers: The Orange Blossom Regiment by Lt. Col. Charles H. Weygant. This book is a reprint of the regimental history that was written in 1877. The author enlisted as captain of Co. A and rose to command the regiment. Raised in Orange and Sullivan County, New York State, in 1862, they were present at Fredericksburg but luckily did not join in any of those deadly charges against Marye’s Heights. They fought at Chancellorsville as part of the III Corps (Daniel Sickles) where they suffered heavily. Weygant claims that their men fired upon an unknown horseman whom he later believes was Jackson. As part of Ward’s brigade, they fought alongsidethe 99th Pennsylvania and the 86th New York at Plum Run at Gettysburg. As most readers know, Sickles’s corps suffered heavily there. The 124th was no exception and all its field officers were shot or wounded along with 34 men killed and 57 wounded. After Gettysburg, the 124th was part of the pursuit of Lee into Virginia and the skirmishing that took place before winter compelled them to retire to camp. With the reorganization of the Army of the Potomac, the 124th New York became part of Hancock’s the II Corps. Fighting at the Wilderness, they suffered another 60 casualties including their new colonel. Weygant wasn’t immune and was injured by a minie at Spotsylvania. While on the ground, he notices the battle flag of the 141st Pennsylvania and after tearing it from its staff, stuffed it into his vest. Luckily for him, eight Confederate deserters under guard carry him off to the hospital. Because of the confusion as to where the battle lines were, they stumbled close to Confederate lines and Weygant believed that the captors would become the captive. His eight Confederates through were determine to desert and whisked him back towards Union lines where he has his wound dressed. While awaiting transport, a corporal of the 141st Pennyslvania colorguard sought him out asked their flag back. Weygant cheerfully restored it to him. He returned to duty after a sixty day furlough and is present at the Siege of Petersburg, Sailors Creek and Appomattox. As a regimental history, Weygant’s work has some mistakes and at several places claims that Lee’s army actually outnumbered or was equal to that of the Union. Still, the book is highly readable and Weygant offers some insights into his division commander, Gershom Mott and his brigadier, Regis de Trobriand. For instance, de Trobriand is upset that Weygant didn’t forward the 49th Alabama ‘s battle flag immediately to his headquarters. Mott learned of it first and sent a courier to retrieve it. My only complaint is the printer used by Ironclad Publishing failed to sew one of the signatures and there are some loose pages (59-76) in the book. If you buy a copy, make sure that your copy is sound. Gary Yee. More Book Reviews |
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