Booknotes II (Apr '13)

New Arrivals:

1. Knights of the Golden Circle: Secret Empire, Southern Secession, Civil War by David C. Keehn (LSU Pr, 2013).

Finally, a modern study dedicated to the KGC, hopefully offering a compelling case for the true size, power, and influence of this shadowy organization mentioned in the pages of so many Civil War era history books. The blurbs on the back cover make it pretty clear the author believes that the KGC was a widespread organization that should be credited with an even more forceful Civil War presence than previous scholars have allowed.

2. Milliken's Bend: A Civil War Battle in History and Memory by Linda Barnickel (LSU Pr, 2013).

This is the first book length history of Milliken's Bend, with equal emphasis on the battle and its larger meaning to the soldiers themselves, the newly formalized emancipation war aim, and attitudes toward the use of black soldiers in the field.