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Friday, April 29, 2016

Slaughter at the Chapel

Every once in a while, we witness the sudden appearance of two studies published close together after a very long period of topical neglect. In 2015, the first Ezra Church battle study, Earl Hess's The Battle of Ezra Church and the Struggle for Atlanta, was released by UNC Press. It's a superior piece of work that left me satisfied. However, we've known for some time that Gary Ecelbarger, another of the great campaign study authors the Civil War world is blessed with, was working on a similar project of his own. Now we have a release date for it. Slaughter at the Chapel: The Battle of Ezra Church, 1864 is slotted for October from University of Oklahoma Press.

From the description:
"In an account that refutes and improves upon all other interpretations of the Battle of Ezra Church, noted battle historian Gary Ecelbarger consults extensive records, reports, and personal accounts to deliver a nuanced hour-by-hour overview of how the battle actually unfolded. His narrative fills in significant facts and facets of the battle that have long gone unexamined, correcting numerous conclusions that historians have reached about key officers intentions and actions before, during, and after this critical contest."
My only significant complaint with Hess's book involved the maps, and it sounds like the map set in Ecelbarger's study will address the matter in full.
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9 comments:

  1. John FoskettApril 29, 2016 at 1:49 PM

    Drew: Thanks for the heads up. As I've said before, I wish there was more collaboration and allocation by authors in this area. Meanwhile, Resaca and Jonesborough go unaddressed and New Hope Church largely so.

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    Replies
    1. DW@CWBAMay 1, 2016 at 10:49 AM

      There seems to be a snowball effect going on with Atlanta Campaign studies. I'm hopeful this means the other dominoes will fall in due time.

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    2. lee whiteMay 1, 2016 at 11:22 AM

      I know of at least three books in the works on Resaca, and one on Dalton.

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    3. DW@CWBAMay 1, 2016 at 11:41 AM

      Thanks, Lee!

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    4. John FoskettMay 2, 2016 at 8:06 AM

      I think that Dave Powell was looking into Resaca but don't know if he's progressed to a commitment. (I would guess that SB would be the publisher.) Based on that information, if I recall correctly, Brad Butkovich said that he was abandoning his own Resaca plans. I also heard the Patchan rumor somewhere at some point.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousMay 1, 2016 at 11:22 AM

    Hello Drew

    Thanks for the update. I enjoyed Mr. Ecelbarger's book on Atlanta. Earl hess has intimated in his latest book that there will be other Atlanta Campaign/Battle studies from him.

    I agree with John, I wish some of the other ignored battles would be done. I thought I read somewhere that Patchan was working on Resaca. I may be wrong, it is hard to keep track.

    Don H.

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    Replies
    1. DW@CWBAMay 1, 2016 at 11:41 AM

      Don,
      It is hard to keep track. I keep telling myself to make a "rumor" list of book projects that I can refer back to, but I never actually do it.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousMay 2, 2016 at 9:16 AM

    Hello John

    Looking at the comments From David Powell's blog, I interpreted them that his focus would be the Georgia Campaign. Not sure if that meant the whole thing or just elements of. Based on his work on Chickamauga, this seems to bode well for us readers.

    Don H.

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  4. UnknownMay 3, 2016 at 7:08 AM

    Hi Don, all.

    David Powell is finishing up "The Maps of Chattanooga," and then will be the author (with David Freidrichs, cartographer) for "The Maps of the Atlanta Campaign" (2 vols), matching the rest of our series and his earlier (and just reprinted again) "The Maps of Chickamauga."

    Thanks for your interest.

    ReplyDelete

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