As announced today in the newsletter, and just in time for Christmas, the Camp Pope Bookshop has just released Skim Milk Yankees Fighting: The Battle of Athens, Missouri, August 5, 1861 by Jonathan K. Cooper-Wiele [(The Camp Pope Bookshop, 2007) Softcover, 168 pages, 55 photographs, 3 maps, roster, notes, bibliography, index, paperback 6 x 9. ISBN 978-1-929919-12-3. $14.95]. As regular readers know, I've been following the progress of this project from afar for quite some time, and I am excited to see the final results. I should have a copy fairly soon.Like all Camp Pope publications (see this link for a complete list of titles), I am anticipating a high quality effort. From the book description on the publisher website:
Using dozens of contemporary and historical sources never before brought together in one book, author Jonathan Cooper-Wiele places a detailed narration of the battle against the backdrop of the historical events in Missouri and the rest of the nation that led to the Civil War. The maps are new, drawn by Athens Park Ranger Matt Kantola, making use of archaeological discoveries of the last 20 years. And most of the 55 photographs have never before been published. Skim Milk Yankees Fighting is a 168 page quality paperback, with 55 illustrations, three maps, notes, bibliography, index, and, published here for the first time ever, the reconstructed rosters of men sworn to the service of the United States in the 1st and 2nd Northeast Missouri Home Guard, as gathered in 1863 by the Hawkins Taylor Commission.
Until now, the fine but short Missouri Historical Review article by Leslie Anders was pretty much the only thing going in terms of published information about this battle. Can't wait.
Drew,
ReplyDeleteThis looks great. Thanks for keeping us abreast of all these interesting-looking Trans-Mississippi titles. I've mentioned before, I have an affinity for Camp Pope publications.
Also, my interest in events in Missouri continues to grow as the years go by. It was a microcosm, in many ways, and wholly unique in others. I think I've read, too, that Missouri provided more regiments to both sides than any other state, including Kentucky, Maryland, et. al. Or, maybe it was that they provided the most regiments to both sides in the Vicksburg campaign. It all starts to run together.
David
David,
ReplyDelete"Also, my interest in events in Missouri continues to grow as the years go by. It was a microcosm, in many ways, and wholly unique in others."
I agree. It is uniquely fascinating and uniquely frustrating at the same time. Missouri is by far my favorite Civil War study subject. My greatest lament is that so much attention continues to be paid to Quantrill, Bloody Bill, etc. at the expense of just about everything else about CW Missouri that interests me infinitely more.
I know what you mean about Quantrill, Bloody Bill, and others soaking up all the publishing attention, often in a sensational fashion (as I write this I'm not forgetting my own two blog entries on Jesse James).
ReplyDeleteBut like you say, Missouri is a great big story above and beyond the partisan activity. Did you notice that the Civil War Trust's annual meeting is in Springfield next April, with Bearss, Hinze, and Shea, among others: http://tinyurl.com/25fm45 : War in the Ozarks: Trans-Mississippi and Missouri.
Sounds like a good one, though unfortunately the timing doesn't work for me. Little bit pricey, too.
David
No, I didn't. CWPT mailings sure don't give much of any attention to the T-M (understandably, they probably don't excite much fund raising), so it's nice to see.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'll be going either.
Drew,
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing this new title to our attention. I only recently got a copy of the Anders article.
I agree with you with regards to the guerrillas. What a waste of resources and often worship of people so undeserving. Meanwhile the many small actions in the region have received only sporadic attention, and unfortunately some of them have only been covered by propagandists like Ponder.