I recall Dimitri Rotov marveling about the quality and improbability of this book a while back, but I haven't seen Never for Want of Powder: The Confederate Powder Works in Augusta, Georgia
[ John Bankhead Magruder: A Military Reappraisal
During the first twelve months of the Civil War, from the Battle of Big Bethel through the Seven Days, Major General John Bankhead Magruder was one of the most important Confederate officers on the Virginia front. Yet, then as now, controversy surrounds his military service in the eastern theater. Historian Thomas Settles's new biography, John Bankhead Magruder: A Military Reappraisal provides a sharply revisionist treatment of its subject's career.1.
Competence and alcoholic impairment comprise the two main issues surrounding Magruder's military career. Settles effectively refutes the charges of incompetence, and provides solid arguments against contemporary assertions that the general was inebriated during the lower Peninsula and Seven Days fighting.
With an effective use of primary sources, Settles constructs a well supported picture of Magruder as a conscientious and talented military leader. The Virginian West Point graduate performed well as an artillery officer in the Mexican War. During the early phases of the Civil War, Magruder won the Battle of Big Bethel2 and effectively blocked the Union advance up the Virginia Peninsula for many weeks, allowing for the concentration of Confederate forces necessary to oppose it. It is a consensus view that the Army of Northern Virginia's staff work was wretched during the Seven Days, and Settles asserts (correctly, I believe) that command level confusion was the primary source behind Magruder's disappointing results at Savage Station and Malvern Hill3. On the other hand, the author recognizes the general's proclivity for launching piecemeal attacks4. Magruder's very risky, but well conceived and executed, New Year's Day 1863 recapture of Galveston, Texas is appropriately put forth as an effective counter to lingering charges of command incompetence. These military actions and others are recounted by the author in more than sufficient detail for most readers, but the decision to include no maps was unfortunate. As an example, a map of the road network used during the Seven Days battles would have greatly enhanced reader comprehension of the controversies raised by the army command staff's poorly conceived orders and by the confusion they transferred to Magruder's local guides.
Since the Trans-Mississippi Department is often seen as the dumping ground for failed generals from other theaters, Magruder is often paired with Major General Theophilus Holmes as subjects for banishment due to disappointing Lee during the Seven Days. The truth is that Magruder was appointed to head the department weeks before, with the transfer temporarily suspended until the end of the current campaign. Settles points out that Lee himself (in his endorsement of Magruder's report, and otherwise) praised Magruder's efforts and did not directly express disappointment; however, a reading of Lee's wording could indicate more 'damning by faint praise' than Settles allows. Also, no objection by Lee to Magruder's departure seems to exist.
Charges of drunkenness are always difficult to assess at a historical distance. One must take into account the standards of the time, as well as, in the consideration of the authorship of primary source materials, issues of loyalty by supporters and self interest on the part of detractors. That said, Settles very effectively counters the accusations (they still linger in the literature today5) that the general was impaired by alcohol while directing his forces on the battlefield, although one might justifiably quibble with the author's confident claim of exoneration. In the end, however, if one must choose one interpretation or the other, Settles' contention is by far the most persuasive and best supported by the evidence.
Settles also seeks to correct several mistakes commonly made by other historians about Magruder's background, such as his birth place and date as well as what first name he went by (John or Bankhead). Evidence from letters supports the former.
The author writes judiciously, and well. Heavily dependent on primary sources, his research is solid. The general's personal papers accumulated prior to 1850 were unfortunately consumed in a fire, but Settles was able to consult a number of collections of later Magruder materials located in repositories across the country. Additionally, with footnotes an increasing rarity, the Southern Biography Series from LSU Press is to be commended for allowing the author's notes to be presented at the bottom of each page6.
In addition to those with a more narrow interest in the life and military career of John B. Magruder, this study is recommended reading for more general students of the eastern and Trans-Mississippi theaters. Whether one agrees with all of his conclusions or not, Settles's revisionist biography provides the type of dispassionate (and largely convincing) analysis, backed by primary source materials, that can persuade minds of serious readers open to change.
Notes:
1 - Settles characterizes the most recent Magruder biography, Paul Casdorph's Prince John Magruder: His Life and Campaigns
2 - Credit is often given to D.H. Hill for this victory (with little if any mention of the role of Magruder), but Settles asserts that Magruder was on the field, actively directing the Confederate force.
3 - Of the major works on the subject, Brian K Burton's Extraordinary Circumstances
4 - Piecemeal attacks were hardly uncommon among Civil War generals, especially during the early stages of the conflict. They were a hallmark of Stonewall Jackson's tactical offensives, yet he has largely escaped a similar scale of condemnation [notable exceptions are recent works by Gary Ecelbarger and Peter Cozzens. While laudatory overall, Krick's study of Cedar Mountain is also critical of Jackson's tactical failings].
5 - According to Settles, Casdorph's Prince John Magruder takes an opposing view on the matter.
6 - Southern Biography Series (Bertram Wyatt-Brown has since retired as series editor, to be replaced by Andrew Burstein).
Brett for organizing a great series of Top 10 Gettysburg Books posts. There were a good number of lists, with a healthy mix of the expected and unexpected. An especially interesting one to me was Elektratig's The Road to the Road to Gettysburg.
[ed. Tues: There is now a combined blogger's list posted at TOCWOC, arranged in descending order by point system. Not surprisingly, Coddington's enduring classic made number one.]
[Andersonvilles Of The North: The Myths and Realities of Northern Treatment of Civil War Confederate Prisoners
Controversies over Civil War prisons still generate much heat. Sadly, all too many arguments are of the 'our prisons may have been bad, but yours were worse [or deliberately worse]' quality, as if some great moral superiority is gained from running least terrible facilities. Fortunately for open minded readers, in recent years a number of well researched POW camp studies have emerged to help interested students sort through competing claims. James M. Gillispie's Andersonvilles Of The North is just such a work. It is a dual-focused one, studying both the historical memory (an often inaccurate picture, flavored by post-war animosity and defensiveness about their own prisons) and the realities as gleaned from a variety of primary source materials written during the war. The author also makes good use of the Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion.
Gillispie's well researched study begins with a survey of each "side" of the debate, before delving into general POW policies of the U.S. government. From there, the book moves on to survey the more specific practices of major facilities located across the North [Alton, Camp Chase, Camp Douglas, Camp Morton, Elmira, Ft. Delaware, Johnston's Island, Rock Island, and Pt. Lookout].
A pair of appendices were included. The first, a comparative examination of nine major Union prison hospitals with the large Confederate facility at Chimborazo, found comparable patient recovery rates (except for Elmira). The other appendix sifts through leading factors (the top three for each camp) that resulted in Confederate POW deaths, as well as disease mortality rates.
The author concludes that there is little evidence of deliberate mistreatment (at least on a mass scale), with most deaths the result of inexperience at prison administration, prisoner crowding [with its concomitant poor sanitation and disease], and an increasingly poor physical condition among incoming Confederate prisoners. It is doubtful that Gillispie's brief, but thoughtful and very well articulated, study could be considered a last word on the subject, but this up-to-date corrective history represents an important contribution to the growing base of modern scholarly literature dealing with Civil War prisons. Highly recommended.
With the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg upon us, Brett Schulte of TOCWOC recently asked a number of other Civil War bloggers if they would like to submit a list of Top 10 books about the battle (selection criteria deliberately undefined). For the most part, I chose a string of narrowly focused secondary works, that, taken together, provide the most detailed picture of the battle available.
Acquisitions or review copies received this month:
1. The Quest for Annihilation: The Role & Mechanics of Battle in the American Civil War by Christopher Perello (Strategy & Tactics Press, 2009).
As many Civil War readers who are also gamers know, Strategy & Tactics has been publishing magazines and games for years. They are now publishing book length military histories that will "follow (their) tradition in being analytical and technical rather than just narrative".
2. Upton's Regulars: The 121st New York Infantry in the Civil War
At almost 600 pages, this is an uncommonly large regimental history of a unit that fought in most of the eastern theater campaigns from late 1862 onward.
3. Texas and New Mexico on the Eve of the Civil War: The Mansfield & Johnston Inspections, 1859-1861
[Sherman Invades Georgia: Planning the North Georgia Campaign Using a Modern Perspective
Setting aside necessarily non-narrative platforms (e.g. essay compilations, reference books, and edited diaries, letters, etc.), there is relatively little in the way of format experimentation in Civil War publishing. However, Sherman Invades Georgia by John R. Scales is one such book, a decision analysis of the opening moves of William T. Sherman's 1864 Atlanta Campaign. Written by a retired general, the book uses modern operational planning templates designed for current army officer training. Nevertheless, the book remains very accessible reading for the interested non-professional. Although these analytic techniques were designed long after the Civil War, the insights remain relevant. At the very least, they aid in the clear articulation of the options available to a Civil War army commander in a given situation.
Chock full of maps, tables, flow charts, matrices, and worksheets, General Scales's study can be skimmed quickly, but the careful reader is rewarded by a thorough consideration of the decision making tools outlined by the author. The first few chapters are definitional, necessary given what is to follow. In them, Scales defines Civil War organizations, operations, combat functions, and styles of warfare -- subjects many students will find quite familiar. From there on, the reader is exposed to a step-wise construction of an operational plan, using the methods of modern U.S. commanders.
Covering only the initial phase of the 1864 Atlanta Campaign in detail, the study is further narrowed to only General Sherman's operational perspective [in this section, the Confederate situation is viewed only through the lens of what Sherman's intelligence network knew at the time]. The planning phase begins with a statement of mission and situation analysis, before moving on to the development of a course of action. The enemy's possible initiatives are also analyzed and compared, with best courses explained and defended. This framework is supported abundantly with maps, tables, and charts. The final section of the book looks at the Confederate situation more objectively, and also summarizes the historical course of the campaign. A staff ride is included, too.
In terms of its value to current military professionals, I will leave an assessment of Sherman Invades Georgia to others, but, as a detailed examination of the components of the operational art of war, this book is a useful educational tool for interested historians and avocational readers. The terminology may be modern, but the concepts are timeless. Recommended.
I reviewed Donald Frazier's Fire in the Cane Field: The Federal Invasion of Louisiana and Texas, January 1861-January 1863 (State House Press, 2009) in early May. There was a hiccup with the distributor at the time, but the book is now widely available. I just wanted to mention it again, as it's a fine book that kicks off a new 4-book series covering the Civil War in Louisiana and parts of Texas.
[ "Liberty to the Downtrodden": Thomas L. Kane, Romantic Reformer
An upper class Pennsylvanian raised in a strict Presbyterian household, Thomas L. Kane was nevertheless an iconoclast and an important figure in the social reform movements of mid-19th century America. He went through an atheistic period before reconversion to nondenominational Christianity. Kane was an abolitionist and an anti-evangelical, at the same time campaigning for women's rights and religious freedom for minority groups (such as the Mormons). Founded on research into previously untapped sources, Matthew J. Grow's "Liberty to the Downtrodden" is first full, scholarly biography of Thomas Kane.
The vast majority of the book deals with Kane's personal life and the public crusades mentioned above, especially his defense of and intimate involvement with the Mormons. Serving in an unofficial capacity, Kane successfully negotiated a peaceful settlement between the U.S. government and Brigham Young during the 1857-58 "Utah War". Grow's coverage of this period is a highlight of his study. The Pennsylvanian later became a personal friend and adviser to the Mormon leader.
A brief chapter is devoted to Kane's Civil War career. With the outbreak of war, Kane cast away his pacifism, serving as the first lieutenant colonel of the famous "Bucktail" regiment. Wounded at Dranesville in 1861, he recovered only to be wounded again during the 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Promoted to brigadier general, Kane fought at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, before finally resigning in November 1862 due to ill health and the lingering effects from his wounds. At least in terms of the military aspects of Kane's involvement in the 1861-1863 campaigns and battles, the author's treatment of this period is fairly cursory in nature.
His work founded on a large cache of archival material [although I wish author and publisher had elected to include a bibliography], Grow has crafted an insightful and original biography of a Civil War general and prominent advocate of a number of 19th Century progressive movements. The author's acknowledgment of Kane's involvement in the substantial reform wing of the Democratic party (although he did switch to the Republicans in 1861) also serves as a useful reminder that the stereotypical popular view of antebellum Democrats as a reactionary political force is an overly simplistic and inaccurate one. Finally, given the importance of the long standing and beneficial relationship between Kane and the Mormon church leadership, historians and students of LDS history will find the volume an essential library addition.
Dimitri is right about the recent upsurge in releases.
Acquisitions or review copies received this month:
1. Sister States, Enemy States: The Civil War in Kentucky and Tennessee
A fascinating pairing, for sure. This book is eighteen essays, divided into three sections covering secession, the nature of the war and its participants, and Reconstruction.
2. A Savage Conflict: The Decisive Role of Guerrillas in the American Civil War
The Civil War guerrilla warfare literature (from professional historians and avocational writers alike) is dominated by local and regional studies. With Sutherland we get instant credibility from a top authority on the subject, and I am guessing that this publication will be the best 'big picture' book to date.
3. In the Trenches at Petersburg: Field Fortifications and Confederate Defeat
The third and final installment from Hess's series [reviews of Vol. 1 and Vol. 2]. In addition to his impressive reconstruction of battlefield fortifications (from a combination of archival research and field work), Hess's series has always had significant thematic elements, as well. It will be interesting to see what he came up with for the Petersburg Campaign.
[Sacred Memories: The Civil War Monument Movement in Texas
As anyone skimming the current output of peer reviewed journals and university presses is already aware, the field is fairly awash with inquiry into various aspects of historical memory. Permanent public monuments have always been an important way for American communities to commemorate important persons, places, or events. A common theme in memory studies is the notion that monuments often tell later generations at least as much about those erecting the monument as they do about their subject. In the introduction to her book In Sacred Memories: The Civil War Monument Movement in Texas history professor Kelly McMichael takes this to heart, noting that Civil War monuments reflect the values and political agendas projected by those in power at the time.
Sacred Memories examines 68 large, stone and bronze monuments erected in Texas, most by the United Daughters of the Confederacy for placement on courthouse lawns. However, a few were initiated by veterans, and three (at Comfort, Denison, and a joint one at New Braunfels) are Union memorials. The book is divided into seven sections based on geography, and a series of small maps depict the general location of each monument. Information provided for each site include directions, mention of the individual(s) or group responsible for its creation, a brief physical description (some have photos), an account of the dedication ceremony and purpose of the memorial, and any relevant controversies. The text is annotated (although a bibliography is absent), and an appendix lists the monuments in tabular format.
Sacred Memories is an informative survey of the Civil War monument movement in Texas (which reached its height between 1900 and 1915) at the state and local level. Its summaries of the particulars behind all 68 major public memorials throughout the state also enhance the book's value as a reference work.
Acquisitions or review copies received this month:
1. 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
FBR is my favorite eastern theater battle so I am diving into this one right away. I'll pass on giving first impressions and just save it for the review.
2. From Cape Charles to Cape Fear: The North Atlantic Blockading Squadron during the Civil War
Originally published in 1993 by University of Alabama Press, this is the paperback reprint from their Fire Ant imprint. I hold Browning's work in high esteem (his awards are much deserved), and hope he goes on to do the Gulf squadrons someday.
3. The Complete Gettysburg Guide: Walking and Driving Tours of the Battlefield, Town, Cemeteries, Field Hospital Sites, and other Topics of Historical Interest
I haven't removed the shrink wrap yet, but J.D.'s Complete Gettysburg Guide website for the book gives you all the information you need. I bet a paperback edition will be in the offing for those summer trampers who won't want to expose perspiring brows and palms to their the nice hardcover copy.
[The Shiloh Campaign
The Shiloh Campaign is the first volume of Southern Illinois University Press's Civil War Campaigns in the Heartland series. Steven Woodworth, the author of many western theater titles, is an excellent choice for series general editor, and here he has assembled eight scholarly essays (all by academic historians). The compilation is heavily focused on the military aspects of the Shiloh Campaign, and one hopes the budding series will grow into a worthy western themed counterpart to UNC Press's Military Campaigns of the Civil War series.
The first essay, by John Lundberg, offers a spirited defense of Albert Sidney Johnston's leadership during the Shiloh Campaign. His refutation of the notion that Johnston was indecisive and lacking in confidence is largely effective; however, interesting as it may be in conception, Lundberg's argument that the general's offering of army command to P.G.T. Beauregard was not a significant sign of weakness is ultimately unpersuasive1. The author's contention that Johnston was unusually ill served by major subordinates is also well taken, but, even so, the commanding general's lack of oversight and knowledge of Beauregard's poorly conceived battle plan until it was too late to change is indefensible.
The book's next two chapters are the most tactical in nature, with Alexander Mendoza's account of brigade commander David Stuart's defense of the Union far left flank and Timothy Smith's summary of the Hornet's Nest fighting. Smith's article is additionally focused on the historiography and memory of the Hornet's Nest sector of the battlefield, concluding that its importance has been greatly exaggerated2.
Some chapters examine familiar controversies. Steven Woodworth does a fine, objective job of outlining the contentious circumstances and timeline surrounding Lew Wallace's march to the battlefield on April 6. Gary Joiner explores the effectiveness of U.S. naval gunfire, reiterating his 'skip shot' theory and providing evidence for its demoralizing effect on Confederate forces, as well as the navy's direct role in turning back the late afternoon Confederate assaults on the Union left. Grady McWhiney's essay, previously published in 1983, is critical of Beauregard's evening decision to suspend the offensive with sufficient light to continue and publicly declare victory.
For his article, Charles Grear sifted through diaries, letters, and reminiscences to gather evidence about how Confederate soldiers viewed the events at Shiloh. Perhaps surprisingly, given the relative chaos of the retreat, he finds that most soldiers viewed the battle as a draw, although with heavy doses of concern about the future.
In the final essay, Brooks Simpson pierces several myths about U.S. Grant, demonstrating that President Lincoln's advocacy was far from unshakable and it was timely and unexpected support by General Henry Halleck that did much to allay calls for Grant's removal. One is also persuaded by Simpson's contention that William T. Sherman's support for Grant in the aftermath of Shiloh is better viewed in the context of a sympathetic sounding board than an impassioned promoter of his commander's generalship.
While the book's material quality and scholarly representation bodes well for the series, The Shiloh Campaign is wanting in several aspects. The lack of an essay focusing on the second day of the battle mirrors the Shiloh literature's larger neglect of the April 7 events. Tighter copyediting was needed, and additional cartography [the absence of maps for Mendoza's tactical article was a critical omission] and illustrations would have greatly enhanced the study's clarity and presentation.
Regardless, some growing pains are to be expected with a series's first volume, and The Shiloh Campaign's strengths certainly do outweigh the weaknesses. Western theater scholars and students have been hoping for a series of this type for some time, and with continual improvements in presentation and content freshness, one hopes the run of Civil War Campaigns in the Heartland will prove to be a lengthy and fruitful one.
Notes:
1 - The point is made that the offer was not pressed, and was perhaps not seriously entertained. Knowing Beauregard would not accept, it may also have been a ploy to outwardly reaffirm Johnston's superior position.
2 - Smith's point of view on this matter has also been expressed in previous publications -- Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862 (Savas Beatie, 2007), The Untold Story of Shiloh: The Battle and the Battlefield (UT Press, 2006), and This Great Battlefield of Shiloh: History, Memory, and the Establishment of a Civil War National Military Park (UT Press , 2006).
Just got the Westholme Publishing Fall 2009 catalog in the mail. I already knew about the new book from Russell Bonds, but was pleasantly surprised to also find the listing of an upcoming western cavalry study by the prolific Edward Longacre, titled Cavalry of the Heartland: The Mounted Forces of the Army of Tennessee
VISITS:
by J. David Petruzzi and Steven Stanley.
* Sister States, Enemy States: The Civil War in Kentucky and Tennessee edited by Kent T. Dollar, Larry H. Whiteaker, and W. Calvin Dickinson.
* A Savage Conflict: The Decisive Role of Guerrillas in the American Civil War by Daniel E. Sutherland.
* In the Trenches at Petersburg: Field Fortifications and Confederate Defeat by Earl J. Hess.
* The Quest for Annihilation: The Role & Mechanics of Battle in the American Civil War by Christopher Perello.
* Never for Want of Powder: The Confederate Powder Works in Augusta, Georgia by Bragg, Blaker, Ross, Jacobe & Savas.
by Robert M. Sandow.
* 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 by Bradley M. Gottfried.
* Homegrown Yankees: Tennessee's Union Cavalry in the Civil War
by James Alex Baggett.
