Coming Soon (October '26 Edition)

Scheduled for OCT 2026¹:
• Managing the Union Army: Scott, McClellan, Halleck, and Grant as General-in-Chief by Earl Hess.
• General George B. McClellan: A Study in Controversy by Maurice Daoust.
• Confederate Gibraltar: The Vicksburg Campaign from the Fall of New Orleans through the Battles in the Bayou by Matt Atkinson.
• From Blood to Ink: How the Press Covered the Gettysburg Campaign by Matthew Larson.
• American Civil War Siege Tactics by Ron Field.
• Smoke on the Battery: Charleston and the Longest Siege of the Civil War by Stephen Wise.
• Fighting with Stonewall in the Valley: The Diary of John Henry Stover Funk by Foster & Mortenson, eds.
• Occupied Alexandria: How the Civil War Transformed a Southern City by Madeline Feierstein.

¹ - These monthly release lists are not meant to be exhaustive compilations of non-fiction releases. They routinely do not include reprints that are not significantly revised/expanded, publisher exclusives, children's books, and digital-only titles. Works that only tangentially address the war years are also generally excluded. Inevitably, one or more titles on this list will get a rescheduled release (and they do not get repeated later), so revisiting the past few "Coming Soon" posts is the best way to pick up stragglers.

Booknotes: Occupied Alexandria

New Arrival:

• Occupied Alexandria: How the Civil War Transformed a Southern City by Madeline Feierstein (Arcadia Pub and The Hist Press, 2026).

Stretched along the right bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Virginia had zero chance of escaping Union occupation. Indeed, once Virginia seceded the town was instantly seized by eager U.S. volunteers and placed under tight military rule.

From the description: "Overnight, this bustling urban town on the Potomac River transformed into a center of disease, death, and debauchery. Viewing all residents as potential threats regardless of allegiance, the military government resorted to heavy-handed actions to control its transient soldier population, counteract civilian opposition, combat waves of gunshot wounds and illness, and imprison those deemed disloyal to the Union cause."

"Drawing upon true accounts of civilian and soldier experiences," Madeline Feierstein's Occupied Alexandria: How the Civil War Transformed a Southern City "explores whether Union authorities kept order within the city or watched it fall into chaos."

The war certainly did change the city in a multitude of ways, and the book offers a comprehensive overview of issues and events related to that wartime transformation, including the town's integration into the fortified buffer zone established on the south bank of the Potomac as part of the Washington defenses, the imposition of martial law, and the organization of prison, contraband, and hospital systems in and around the city. Criminal activities, health concerns, espionage, government investigations, and postwar restoration are also addressed.

Booknotes: A Glorious Fate

New Arrival:

• A Glorious Fate: The Life and Legacy of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw by Kevin M. Levin (UNC Press, 2026).

From the description: "Robert Gould Shaw (1837–1863) is best known as the heroic colonel who led the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment—one of the first regiments of Black soldiers in the Civil War—in its famous ill-fated charge against Confederate Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863. Shaw’s sacrifice has been commemorated in monuments, books, and the award-winning film Glory."

In retrospect, Matthew Broderick's casting as Shaw in Glory seems almost perfect, but I distinctly remember leaving the theater in 1989 with the impression (mistaken as that proved to be) that he was horribly miscast as a far too youthful colonel. Little did I know at the time that Broderick was actually several years older than the character he portrayed. When it comes to its on-screen exploration of Shaw's relationship to the abolitionist movement of his parents' social circle, the movie also deserves credit for giving Shaw a character arc that seems to roughly correspond to history. Christ-like self-sacrifice only comes at the very end of the film.

Kevin Levin's A Glorious Fate: The Life and Legacy of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw is the first major Shaw biography to appear this century. In terms of comparable works, it is preceded most recently by Shaw correspondence editor Russell Duncan's 1999 combined biography and unit study Where Death and Glory Meet: Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry.

When it comes to describing and assessing young Shaw's personal and ideological growth and progression, common themes emerge from both authors. Duncan's Shaw is "just past the cusp of manhood and still struggling against his mother's indomitable will, thrust unexpectedly into the national limelight." Shaw was the "rebellious son of wealthy Boston abolitionists who never fully reconciled his own racial prejudices yet went on to head the North's vanguard black regiment and give his life to the cause of freedom." This is not a review, so I don't know if Levin entirely agrees with Duncan's views on the mother-son relationship, but, similar to Duncan's overall assessment, Levin's Shaw "was a privileged young man who showed little interest in the reform movements that defined his parents' lives or in the moral crisis over slavery that was tearing the nation apart. Volunteering to serve as a duty, he awakened gradually and fitfully to the demands of conscience and command. Only in death was Shaw transformed into the champion for freedom his abolitionist parents hoped he would be."

More from the description: A Glorious Fate "traces (Shaw's) transformation from a rebellious son into one of the Civil War’s most celebrated heroes." Levin's biography "also reveals the sacrifice and service of the African American men who fought and died for their freedom afresh through Shaw’s eyes." In the end, "(t)hough Shaw never fully reconciled his own racial prejudices, Levin shows how the Civil War changed the young colonel as it did the nation."

Booknotes: Civil War Chaos in Texas

New Arrival:

• Civil War Chaos in Texas: The Tumultuous Tenure of Governor Pendleton Murrah by Lori Duran (Arcadia Pub and The Hist Press, 2026).

After Unionist Texas governor Sam Houston was removed from office in 1861, he was followed by Confederate governors Edward Clark, Francis Lubbock, and Pendleton Murrah. Murrah's involvement in the politics and strife of the period is the main subject of Lori Duran's Civil War Chaos in Texas: The Tumultuous Tenure of Governor Pendleton Murrah.

From the description: "Orphaned by his mother as an infant, Murrah was raised by a charitable organization, which saw to his education. Despite having tuberculosis, he moved to Texas and became a lawyer and politician. He was elected governor in November 1863 and served until the end of the Civil War."

Murrah entered office at a time of peak tension between the Trans-Mississippi Department's state officials and the Confederate government in far-off Richmond (the former accusing the latter of gross neglect on a number of important issues). Murrah frequently clashed with Confederate military authority in his state over conscription, troop dispositions, and the vital cross-border cotton trade. Nevertheless, Murrah maintained his Confederate allegiance to the end, fleeing to Mexico as Union occupation loomed and dying there soon after.

Duran's study begins with Murrah's arrival in Texas and his rise to social and political prominence there. The bulk of the narrative is devoted to Murrah's wartime activities before and during his war governorship. The final two chapters discuss Confederate surrender, the arrival of federal occupation troops, Murrah's exile in Mexico, and his death in August 1865.

Review - "'When All Our Troubles Will Be Forgotten': The Civil War Letters and Recollections of Captain George Henry Pettis" by Jerry Thompson, ed.

["When All Our Troubles Will Be Forgotten": The Civil War Letters and Recollections of Captain George Henry Pettis edited by Jerry D. Thompson (University of New Mexico Press, 2026). Hardcover, 5 maps, photos, illustrations, endnotes, bibliography, index. Pages main/total:vii,194/336. ISBN:978-0-8263-6983-3. $34.95]

By his own estimate, Union Army captain George H. Pettis (First California Infantry regiment) marched 4,245 miles during a Civil War volunteer service that spanned the entire length of the war. There is no way to know which soldier, North or South, put in the most miles during the conflict, but Pettis's odyssey over parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas certainly ranked among the war's most arduous given the harsh conditions involved. A printer and publisher by trade, Pettis also frequently put pen to paper both during and after the war, his valuable body of writings collected together for the first time by leading Civil War in the Southwest historian Jerry Thompson and published under the title "When All Our Troubles Will Be Forgotten": The Civil War Letters and Recollections of Captain George Henry Pettis.

Thompson begins the book with a thorough overview, roughly two-dozen pages in length, of Pettis's life (1834-1909), which began and ended in Rhode Island. This fine mini-biography adds essential context to Pettis's public and private lives outside the topics of his writings. It also gives readers solid background information in regard to the places and events associated with Pettis's Civil War military adventures across the far flung Southwest. Thompson's compilation of Pettis writings is divided into three parts: Pettis's narrative "recollections," his newspaper articles, and his wartime letters to his wife.

Of the three recollections reproduced in Part I, the first is a brief summary of the 1861-62 New Mexico Campaign that Thompson ranks among the best early accounts (though Pettis did not personally participate in those parts of the campaign operating out of Fort Craig and Fort Union). The next piece recounts Pettis's own experiences as a junior officer of the California Column. Though he joins many Union supporters in perhaps exaggerating the Confederate threat to California, his descriptions of the marshaling of the famed California Column and its long and dangerous march across the lower Southwest from southern California all the way to New Mexico and West Texas is wonderfully descriptive and highly valuable as a firsthand account. In addition to assessing the dangers, real and imagined, from Apache Indian and Confederate foes, the text details the environmental and logistical conditions that necessitated the column's 900-mile march be conducted in stages and in small groups. That measured pace meant that the main campaign in New Mexico was already essentially over by the time they arrived at the front. Thompson praises the third recollection, a striking account of the November 1864 Battle of Adobe Walls, as the best of the trio, and it is indeed another excellent firsthand source that significantly enhances our understanding of the event. Students of Kit Carson's campaign will greatly appreciate Pettis's insights, as he led the mountain howitzer section generally credited with playing a central role in keeping the enemy at bay and staving off defeat (and perhaps even annihilation) at the hands of the aggressive and much more numerous Comanche and Kiowa. These recollections, but the last two in particular, are vividly written, abundantly detailed, and well balanced. As an example of the last point, in covering his own efforts at Adobe Walls Pettis does not try to make himself the hero of the battle.

Most prominent in Parts I and II, Thompson's annotations primarily consist of biographical information (often quite extensive) about noteworthy persons mentioned in the text, though there is also some background and commentary associated with places and events. These editorial notes occasionally raise objections, one being Pettis's perpetuation of the claim that the New Mexico volunteers and militia performed very poorly in action during the 1862 New Mexico Campaign. Rehabilitating the reputation of these New Mexico units is a major theme of Thompson's most recent scholarship.

After the war, Pettis, like many of his California Column comrades, settled in New Mexico with his family and contributed to the postwar economic boom and political scene there. The nine newspaper articles collected in Part II address a variety of events and personal anecdotes from the wartime and postwar periods. Their themes are eclectic, among them an account of a wartime mutiny, a humorous but respectful story related to Kit Carson's illiteracy, and a personal confrontation with the region's long tradition of debt peonage that persisted into the post-emancipation period.

The wartime correspondence consisting of Pettis's letters to his wife Annie between September 1861 and March 1865 is collected in Part III. In some ways the content is standard fare, with Pettis complaining about infrequent communications, highly irregular pay, homesickness, and loneliness. One can sense marital tension in many Civil War correspondence collections, but the sources of strain are uncommonly direct in Pettis's replies. We only have his letters to go on, but he frequently chastises her word choices, overall tone, and seeming neglect. It is an uncomfortable situation, and, as Thompson explains in the introduction, the pair eventually divorced. Beyond domestic concerns, the letters do recount at some length military activities that included recruitment duty in northern California, the long march to New Mexico over the spring and summer of 1862, and a number of mid to late-war campaigns and operations based out of New Mexico forts that were directed against Indian foes. All of that is useful source material for interested military scholars and researchers.

In addition to arranging and annotating Pettis's writings, Thompson includes in the volume a number of period illustrations and photographs rarely encountered in other Civil War publications, and extensive captions are attached to them. The book's map coverage is helpful in following the course of the California Column's epic march while also orienting readers to the major geographical points of interest in New Mexico that are mentioned at various points in the text.

George Pettis remains a little-known figure to the general Civil War reader. Fortunately, Jerry Thompson's edited collection brings Pettis's significant military service out of the shadows while also highlighting in full the quality, depth, and usefulness of his writings. "When All Our Troubles Will Be Forgotten" is a wonderful resource for those craving firsthand accounts of the Civil War as played out along one of its most isolated and distant fronts.

Booknotes: The 54th Pennsylvania Infantry in the Civil War

New Arrival:

• The 54th Pennsylvania Infantry in the Civil War by Christopher A. Baran (McFarland, 2026).

It's understandable that publication of Union regimental histories of units that served in the eastern theater is still heavily weighted towards those attached to the Army of the Potomac for most of the war. At the same time, eastern regiments that didn't fit that mold are still fairly well represented in the literature. Part of that group is Christopher Baran's The 54th Pennsylvania Infantry in the Civil War.

Dyer tells us that the 54th was organized during the war's first summer and was initially attached to the Washington defenses. Much of its early to mid-war service was spent behind the scenes in the Middle Department and Department of West Virginia. However, the 54th entered the war's main stage during the 1864 fighting in the Shenandoah Valley before joining the Army of the James in 1865. Captured on April 6, 1865 during the Union raid on High Bridge, the regiment's own war did not end on a particularly high note, but ultimate triumph at Appomattox was not far off.

From the description: "For the first two years of their service, the men in the 54th Pennsylvania felt forgotten. Assigned to guard the vital B&O Railroad, they received little press coverage. Many wondered if their service mattered and worried their entire war would be "fought" protecting isolated railroad bridges and depots." The first eight chapters of the book, a bit over 100 pages in total, cover this period.

More from the description: "Everything changed in 1864 when the 54th Pennsylvania finally marched onto the field and fought in every major battle of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. The next year, the regiment joined the Army of the James for the Siege of Petersburg and the Appomattox Campaign." The remaining two-thirds of the book are devoted to these most eventful phases of the 54th's war.  There are chapter-length treatments of the regiment's experience of each battle fought in the Shenandoah, with the final two chapters of the book addressing the Petersburg and Appomattox campaigns.

Employing "extensive use of primary sources including the men's letters and diaries," Baran presents the 54th Pennsylvania's military service in detailed fashion, his narrative supported by numerous full-page maps of very high quality. An epilogue delves into postwar commemoration, and the appendix follows the peacetime activities of a selection of 54th veterans.

Booknotes: And Rest Under The Shade Of The Trees

New Arrival:

• And Rest Under The Shade Of The Trees: Essays In Honor of James I. Robertson, Jr. edited by Steven E. Woodworth, Christopher L. Jones, and Christopher J. Smith (Laurel Hill Pub, 2026).

Eminent Civil War historian James Irvin "Bud" Robertson Jr. passed away in 2019 at the age of 89. If you're around my age and serious interest in the ACW blossomed during the late-80s and throughout the 90s, heavies such as Robertson, Gary Gallagher, and Jack Davis were frequently encountered on both the written page and the television screen. Truth be told, I haven't read the majority of Robertson's books, but among those that I have read the Stonewall Jackson biography is the clear standout (a common feeling, I'm sure).

Earlier this year, Tom Perry's Laurel Hill Publishing released And Rest Under The Shade Of The Trees: Essays In Honor of James I. Robertson, Jr., edited by Steven Woodworth, Christopher Jones, and Christopher Smith. It honors Robertson "by bringing together a collection of essays that explore several aspects of the Civil War that were subjects of Bud's long and productive career of research, writing, and teaching."

The volume includes ten essays plus an epilogue from Robertson's widow, Elizabeth Lee Robertson. Along with the three co-editors, the list of chapter contributors includes William C. Davis, James Finck, Allen Guelzo, Akhil Rajasekar, David Snead, Emory Thomas, Brian Steel Wills, and Kelly Witherspoon.

In addition to the historical essays tied to themes drawn from a consideration of Robertson's career are perspectives and memories of Robertson himself. From the description: "From the high-ranking generals of the Civil War, to the gritty experiences of the soldiers in the ranks, to the travails of the civilians on the home front, this volume sheds new light on topics Bud might well have addressed had he lived longer, topics such as the real cause of Stonewall Jackson's death, a true understanding of the operational possibilities at the end of the Battle of Gettysburg, or the memory of the Confederacy in modern America. In addition, the book includes several reminiscences of Bud and his career, including his advisory role in the planning of the funeral of President John F. Kennedy." Click on the Read Sample button at the title link above to find the full table of contents.

Booknotes: The Civil War in Hampton Roads and the Outer Banks

New Arrival:

• The Civil War in Hampton Roads and the Outer Banks by Matthew Ericson (Arcadia Pub & The Hist Press, 2026).

Over their prolific (and, for the latter, ongoing) runs, The History Press's Civil War Sesquicentennial Series and Civil War Series published a number of titles covering various military events in southeastern Virginia and coastal North Carolina during 1861-62. Matthew Ericson's The Civil War in Hampton Roads and the Outer Banks brings much of that material together into a single integrated overview that incorporates early-war Union land and sea operations that secured Fort Monroe and surrounding areas, seized key towns and forts along North Carolina's Outer Banks and coastal plain, and finally forced the Confederate abandonment of Norfolk.

All of these Union victories achieved during the first twelve months of the war held significant strategic value, both in the short term and the long term. From Fort Monroe, "Union forces launched bold campaigns that would define the early course of the war. Their presence threatened Confederate supply lines and opened the way to North Carolina’s vulnerable shoreline. Across both regions, two vital canals linked the Confederate heartland to the coast, transforming Hampton Roads and the Outer Banks into a single, high-stakes theater of war." Ericson "unites these interconnected battles into one compelling narrative."

As is the case with all studies of this type from this publisher, photographs, illustrations, and maps abound.

Booknotes: A Michigan Cavalryman

New Arrival:

• A Michigan Cavalryman: The Life and Untimely Death of Major Noah Henry Ferry, Fifth Michigan Cavalry by Eric J. Wittenberg (Fox Run Pub, 2026).

One of the publishers that the late Eric Wittenberg developed a close relationship with over his prolific writing career was Keith Jones's Fox Run Publishing. As indicated in this press release from back in late March of this year, Eric had a number of projects going at the time his health took a tragic turn for the worst. His final finished work, a biography of Union cavalry officer Noah Ferry, was entrusted to Fox Run and is getting a wide release starting today.

A Michigan Cavalryman: The Life and Untimely Death of Major Noah Henry Ferry, Fifth Michigan Cavalry is a "detailed portrait of a Civil War cavalry officer’s life, leadership, and sacrifice at Gettysburg, emphasizing his legacy and battlefield experiences."

From the description: "Noah Ferry was one of the wealthiest and most influential men in Michigan. Major Ferry and his men were only in their second major combat on July 3, 1863, where his life ended abruptly." With the famed Michigan Brigade, Ferry was killed instantly during his regiment's dismounted fighting along a Rummel Farm fence line on what we now call East Cavalry Field.

More: Wittenberg's biography "presents the compelling tale of Ferry’s life, legacy, and military experience. We learn about Ferry’s family legacy, uncanny business and leadership abilities, and finally his rise in rank from captain of a company of cavalry to a charismatic major destined to sacrifice his life in a heretofore obscure farm field in Gettysburg." The main narrative runs a brisk 120 pages in largish font and is supported by eight maps and numerous illustrations.

Review - "Ironclad Ambush: Confederates Strike Lincoln's Mississippi River Blockade at the Head of Passes, October 12, 1861" by Neil Chatelain

[Ironclad Ambush: Confederates Strike Lincoln's Mississippi River Blockade at the Head of Passes, October 12, 1861 by Neil P. Chatelain (Savas Beatie, 2026). Hardcover, 12 maps, photos, illustrations, footnotes, appendix, bibliography, index. Pages main/total:xviii,209/255. ISBN:978-1-61121-795-7. $32.95]

As Civil War naval historian Neil Chatelain revealed in his excellent 2020 study Defending the Arteries of Rebellion: Confederate Naval Operations in the Mississippi River Valley, 1861-1865, Union victory and Confederate defeat along the length of the Mississippi River could not be fully explained through simple recitation of the wide disparities in financial, industrial, and military resources available to each side. Of course, those differences, as stark as they were, defined the conflict in many ways, but it is also true that fairly prodigious amounts of Confederate funding and material were thrown into defending both ends of the great river valley. Unfortunately for the region's defenders, a lack of unified direction, competition between government and civilian authorities, interservice rivalries, and general dispersal of effort critically hindered the creation of an effective naval counter to the rapidly expanding and increasingly aggressive U.S. Navy.

Nevertheless, some noteworthy tactical victories were achieved by those scratch Confederate naval forces, one of which occurred quite early in the war at the Head of Passes on October 12, 1861. A number of brief overviews of the battle can be found in the literature (arguably the best being the relevant section of Chester Hearn's broader study The Capture of New Orleans, 1862 (1995), but Chatelain's new book Ironclad Ambush: Confederates Strike Lincoln's Mississippi River Blockade at the Head of Passes, October 12, 1861 is the first full-length account.

The October 12 battle occurred at a time when blockading Union naval forces were rapidly gathering at the mouth of the Mississippi River as well as other key points of Gulf shipping ingress and egress. Even at this early stage of that process, enforcement had reached the point that Union forces felt confident enough to ascend the river and work toward constructing a fortified land battery below the Head of Passes. It was under this developing situation that the battle was fought, and Chatelain's study deals with matters associated with the establishment and tightening of the blockade during this period at length. Pertinent to that discussion is a detailed review of the types and capabilities of the ships involved as well as the uneven quality of their captains.

Arrayed against the growing Union threat was a hastily marshaled "mosquito fleet" led by Confederate naval captain George Hollins that consisted of a number of converted steamers with fire raft support, but what boosted Confederate confidence most was the availability and promise of the newly completed ironclad ram Manassas. Contradictory contemporary claims and assorted mysteries still impact modern appraisal of the vessel. They include what the ironclad really looked like, and design features as simple as whether it had one or two smokestacks (although Chatelain is confident in his answer to that latter question). Throughout his many attempts at cutting through the haze of conflicting accounts on a variety of matters, Chatelain judiciously weighs each side of a particular contested issue (explaining his thought process in the main text) and offers his own interpretation based on the best available evidence. A number of fresh insights emerge from this thorough review of the original source material, among them are some consensus-challenging suggestions surrounding the timing, place, and circumstances of Manassas's incorporation into the C.S. Navy. Every major secondary source claims that Manassas, a civilian-financed and owned privateer, was forcibly seized by Confederate authorities for their own use, but Chatelain cites primary source evidence strongly supportive of the possibility that Manassas's civilian captain, John Stevenson, first offered his powerful ram's services to the government.

The best writers of Civil War land campaign and battle narrative are able to convey a vivid mental picture and deep understanding of battlefield landscape and topography to their readers, and Chatelain is able to do much the same for the geology and hydrology of the Mississippi River's mouth. Knowledge and awareness of the shifting sand bars, scouring forces, "mud humps," and other noteworthy (and militarily significant) physical features of the river mouth geography are essential to reader understanding of the fleet action that occurred there, and the author provides that background information in full. Chatelain's detailed description and analysis of the river's five main passes (Southwest, South, Southeast, Northeast, and Pass á l'Outre) that branch off the aptly named Head of Passes like the fingers of a glove demonstrate why blockading the mouth of the Mississippi was difficult while at the same time in some ways simpler than one might realize. With those matters in mind, it's clear to see why both sides so closely coveted control of the inland Head of Passes.

The battle itself, which lasted only a few early-morning hours and apparently resulted in no casualties on either side, is recounted thoroughly and well. Map support is strong, with a series tracing ship movements and positions of both sides during each phase of the battle and its immediate aftermath. This is easily the most detailed account of the battle to date, unlikely to be surpassed unless a significant body of new source material emerges. After Manassas successfully, but not fatally, rammed the powerful steam sloop U.S.S. Richmond, the Union flotilla fled from the Head of Passes. Three ships (including the Richmond) ran aground below Southwest Pass and struggled mightily to refloat themselves. Under long-range harassing fire from the tug C.S.S. Ivy and fearing return of Manassas, which unbeknownst to them withdrew upriver after partially dislodging its ram and losing an engine during its strike on Richmond, some officers panicked and miscommunication even led to premature vessel abandonment.

In addition to exploring the battle itself in all its intricacies, Chatelain persuasively conveys to readers a solid sense of both its meaning and depth of its shadow. Head of Passes was the war's first fleet action as well as its first use of an ironclad in combat. As the author explains, the battle did not spark the ensuing flurry of ironclad building in general nor did it prompt the construction of ram fleets on the Mississippi (both initiatives were already well in swing by the time of the battle), but the limited success of Manassas offered encouraging proof of concept. October 12 was a very bad day for the U.S. Navy, and its handling of the engagement was shaky from top to bottom. After allowing themselves to be surprised, the Union vessels retreated in unseemly haste and, as mentioned before, orders to abandon grounded vessels were unnecessarily issued on more than one occasion. However, Chatelain makes an interesting point that the embarrassing U.S. defeat very well might have had a silver lining of major proportions. The command shakeup after the battle, which included reassignment of area commander Capt. William McKean and the sidelining or outright cashiering of his most underperforming subordinate ship captains, brought to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron daring new leadership that performed their duties phenomenally well during the devastatingly effective New Orleans campaign of the following spring. The author's suggestion that that decisive outcome might have been seriously in doubt had the October 12 battle not gone so poorly and the original leadership remained in place is an intriguing counterfactual to consider.

Recent years have been good ones for filling in gaps in the Civil War naval warfare and blockade literature, and Neil Chatelain's Ironclad Ambush represents yet another fresh and original contribution to those areas of study. In addition to providing the first truly comprehensive history of the Head of Passes naval battle, Chatelain's book adds essential context to our knowledge and understanding of the early-war blockade of the Mississippi River mouth. Highly recommended.

Booknotes: "Now I'm With the Invalids"

New Arrival:

• "Now I'm With the Invalids": The Veteran Reserve Corps in America’s Civil War by David A. Welker (Casemate, 2026).

Returning combat disabled soldiers to the army fulfilled an acute need for the government and recovered wounded alike. The U.S. military, facing ever increasing manpower pressures as the war progressed, searched far and wide for volunteers to fill needed roles of all kinds. A willing source was found in the tens of thousands of wounded veterans who still wished to contribute to the Union war effort. The existence of the corps is well known among Civil War students, but it is probably fair to say that few know the full story. That history is presented in comprehensive fashion for the first time in David Welker's "Now I'm With the Invalids": The Veteran Reserve Corps in America’s Civil War.

From the description: The struggle to come up with a workable and mutually beneficial arrangement was "solved by creation of the Invalid Corps—later renamed the Veteran Reserve Corps—which put these combat veterans to work in important military roles throughout the Union rear supporting the draft process, working in hospitals and government offices, guarding vulnerable locations, and in myriad other tasks." The Corps proved effective in its defined range of activities, the scope and nature of which widened under the exigencies of war. "Expanded in size and function by the war’s progress and demands, the Corps took on an ever-increasing list of new missions which further contributed to Union victory by performing important rear-area duties and freeing able-bodied men to continue fighting at the front. In a few notable cases, the “invalids” themselves even returned to battle, including playing a vital role in defending Washington DC from enemy attack in 1864." All of this is recounted and explored in Welker's study.

Useful reference material can be found in the appendix section. Detailed deployment information (by date range and place) for the various VRC units is provided in the first appendix. The Confederacy's own Invalid Corps, smaller and less effectively organized than its Union counterpart, is briefly explored in another appendix, as is a collection of celebratory poetry and song lyrics inspired by the U.S. Invalid Corps.

Through their service, the members of the VRC had a major impact on public perception of the image and capabilities of disabled veterans. More from the description: "The Corps not only helped enable Union victory, it also provided the sixty thousand men who served in its ranks a means to prove to the American public—and themselves—that their war wounds and injuries did not make them less than full men. In this way, those who served in its ranks carried on the Corps’ contribution long after the organization had ceased to be."

Booknotes: The Second Day at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863

New Arrival:

• The Second Day at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863 by Britt C. Isenberg (Casemate, 2026).

From the description: "The second day at Gettysburg has defined what most Americans know today about 1863’s most pivotal campaign in the Civil War’s eastern theater. Two veteran armies in transition clashed desperately, in the process immortalizing sites such as Devil’s Den, the Slaughter Pen, Little Round Top, The Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard, Cemetery Ridge, and Culp’s Hill for all time."

The latest Civil War-related volume in the Casemate Illustrated series is Britt Isenberg's The Second Day at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, its account "detailing troop deployments, tactics, and battlefield actions" on that brutal day of fighting, which had "serious implications for both armies that would affect not only the outcome of the bloodiest battle, but the entire war." The volume's narrative content is enhanced and supplemented by an event timeline, B&W period photographs, modern color photography, profiles of key generals, color maps of various kinds, and topical sidebars.

As one might have guessed, Isenberg's Day 2 series contribution was preceded by last year's The First Day at Gettysburg, July 1, 1863 volume authored by James Hessler.