Book Description
Gettysburg, late afternoon, Thursday, July 2, 1863.
The Union left wing is a shambles. General Dan Sickles has been carried from the field with a gruesome wound and his Third Corps is in full retreat.
Confederate troops cross the Emmitsburg Road and advance on the center of the Union position. There is no coherent Union line, just two-thirds of an over-extended Second Corps scattered the length of Cemetery Ridge. A desperate Winfield Scott Hancock organizes a defense, placing artillery batteries, hurling regiments forward, trading men for time. It is a masterful performance under extreme conditions.
The Union and Confederate forces collide in Plum Run Ravine. More than at any other point in the three days of fighting, the issue hangs in the balance. This great battle is reduced to less than an acre of ground.
This book pays close attention to the terrain, how it shaped the battle, how it dictated the movement of troops and how it guided Hancock's decisions. The thrilling narrative and the detailed driving and walking tour make it a must for both casual and serious students of the battle.
Customer Reviews:
Suffers From Lack of Maps.......2007-09-29
This book addresses an important part of the Battle of Gettysburg. Unfortunately, the maps are woefully deficient, which detracts from the book's effectiveness.
HANCOCK SAVES THE UNION CENTER.......2007-03-11
The author does an excellent job of describing the activities of Hancock as they relate to the Union defenses on Day 2 at Gettysburg. He was willing to give credit to units other than the 1st Minnesota in the stopping of Barksdale's Brigade,e.g., the 111th New York. Most of the credit seems to go to the 1st Minnesota. They suffered the highest percentage of casualties but not the highest number. Had Hancock not been all over the battlefield the outcome could have been different or there could have been more Union casualties. I highly recommend the book for those interested in accounts of specific parts of the battlefield.
Pop-rate Microhistory of Part of the Gettysburg Battle.......2007-02-24
Most books now published relative to the Battle of Gettysburg are "microhistories", focusing in on small segments of the whole, exploring those segments in great detail. "The Battle between the Farm Lanes" is such a microhistory, examining a crucial moment during the second day of fighting at Gettysburg. The Confederate successes at the Peach Orchard and the Wheatfield and their failure at Little Round Top during the grand assault on the Union left on July 2, 1863, are well-known and well-documented in many works. Less familiar is the story of how the Union Army of the Potomac brought the Confederate onslaught to a halt and preserved the integrity of their main position along Cemetary Ridge. "The Battle between the Farm Lanes" is the story of how the Army of the Potomac brought the Confederate advance to a halt and turned it back. The authors carefully examine the role of Winfield Scott Hancock (commander of the Federal Second Corps) in directing that Union effort, and they give him high marks for saving the Army of the Potomac from grievous defeat. But they do not neglect Hancock's subordinate commanders in how they carried out his orders and performed heroically on the battlefield. "The Battle between the Farm Lanes" is a volume that belongs on the shelves of anyone seriously interested in Gettysburg, and it provides a a vivid look at Civil War combat on the infantry regiment and artillery battery level.
Walking Gettysburg's Battlefield: Hancock and the Union Center on July 2nd.......2007-02-20
The Battle Between the Farm Lanes: Hancock Saves the Union Center, Gettysburg July 2nd 1863, David Schultz and David Wieck, Forward by Jeffery Wert
301 pages, paperbound, endnotes, bibliography, index, Ironclad Press, 2006.
Paying close attention to the physical terrain of the battlefield, Schultz and Wieck offer an important re-visitation to familar material regarding the 'close run thing' of the Union center between 5:00 and 7:00pm on July 2nd 1863. A great amount of detail is offered and succesfully puts into context the charge of the 1st Minnesota, which in popular treatments of the battle, is second only to the 20th Maine's heroics on Little Round Top.
The authors make clear that the glory the 1st Minnesota gained during the charge was with the aid of the 111th New York infantry, commanded by Colonel Clinton MacDougall and the 4th U.S. Artillery, Battery C, commanded by Lt. Evan Thomas. The flanks of the 1st Minnesota were aided by artillery on the right, and on the left by a infantry charge immediately before the Minnesotans effort. The 111th New York was one of the three regiments that was unfairly lableled as the 'Harper's Ferry Cowards' stemming from an unfortunate command decision during the Sharpsburg Campaign of 1862.
The personality and presence of Winfield S. Hancock is a recurring theme in every chapter. He is the single most decisive element in the preservation of the Federal center along Cemetery Ridge. Lacking from the discussion is a description of Hancock's staff, which in this micro-history, would have been enlightening and enjoyable. This reader finished the the book thinking that Hancock was unaccompanied by couriers, advisors, and aides as he rode between the farmslanes during the afternoon of July 2nd.
Yet, there are some difficulties with this book. The size of the type font must be 18 point or larger. Initially I thought the publisher had sent me the Large Print edition for the visually impaired. There was a period of adjustment for my eyes to accommodate such large text. Also, some printer/publisher proofreading needed to be done before setting this book between its covers. The pages listed for the maps in the table of contents does not match with the actual page locations of the maps in the book. Also, the maps do not have the farmsteads labled which is a curious thing for a book that has the word 'farmlanes' in its title. Only one map, Tour Stop # 5, has a farm building labled. The maps have on them only the modern park roads and not the 1863 farmlanes. Furthermore, it would have been convienent for the reader if the publisher put a few maps in the first section of the book that describes the 1863 fighting. All the maps are in the second section of the book that describes the modern driving and walking tour.
In addition, the portaits of officers do not have their units in the captions. Lacking is a picture of Colonel William J. Colville (1st Minnesota) though it is located in the Library of Congress. At times the writing style doesn't carry the narrative consistenly forward. A favorite expression of the authors is 'by the time . . .' but there is very few statements of time in the book. Of course, given the fact that the book covers about two hours of fighting, the reader does not expect a minute by minute account, but an estimation of the range time, such as the phrase '. . .about 3:30pm . . .' or ' . . . probably sometime between 4:00pm and 4:30pm . . .' would have helped.
From the bibliography is missing Richard Moe's highly regarded 'The Last Full Measure: The Life and Death of the First Minnesota Volunteers.' Missing from the book are appendices at the end of the book; especially helpful would have been an Union and Confederate order of battle of those units on the field at the Union center. There is an appendix which offers an essay on measuring the ground on which the fight occurred; the appendix is located in the middle of the book, between the narrative and the tour.
Though mechanically the book has its flaws, overall the discussion it offers is enlightening and clearly presented.
Excellent addition to Gettysburg history.......2007-02-09
Ironclad Publishing continues to bring affordable high quality Civil War histories to the public as part of The Discovering Civil War America Series. This is the fourth excellent book in the series the others are:
Protecting the Flank: The Battles for Brinkerhoff's Ridge and East Cavalry Field
A Little Short of Boats: The Fights at Ball's Bluff and Edwards Ferry
"No Such Army since the Days of Julius Caesar" Sherman's Carolinas Campaign: from Fayetteville to Averasboro
Each is a paperback book of 200 to 300 pages, with illustrations, maps, index, bibliography and notes. Each book is a very good introductory to intermediate account of the subject and is about the best buy available in Civil War history.
July 2, 1863 at Gettysburg is my candidate for most written about event in the Civil War. The Pickett's Charge is the other event that could be considered for this status. Do we need/want another book about this well covered event? Considering the work of Coddington and Pfranz this is a very valid question. Some of you may not consider buying this book as you have the mentioned volumes in your library.
While this is a valid consideration, I feel that you will lose a unique view of this action. Most accounts focus on the Confederate side of Longstreet's' attack. The Union response while not slighted has not gotten equal coverage. Unintentionally, this promotes the idea that Longstreet's attack ran out of gas as darkness ends this very long day.
Shultz and Wieck focus on Hancock's responses on July 2nd. Starting with the arrival of his Corps and deployment thru the end of the day, with the attack broken and the Union line intact. Sickles unauthorized advance that weakens the Union left complicate Hancock's task. Sickles being out of position and trying to defend to long a line forces Hancock to reinforce to him. As the battle moves into Hancock's area, he no longer has a full Corps and must cover Sickles area too.
This book is a detailed history of how Hancock held. Riding from crisis to crisis, meeting threat after threat, we come to understand the wrenching decisions he makes. The 19th Main, the 1st Minnesota, the Harpers Ferry Cowards and Turnbull's Battery march and fight across the pages. Each of these actions is detailed and placed within the larger action, allowing us to understand the unique dangers and contributions these units made.
This is a well written easy to read account of the Union response. One of the nicer items is a detailed tour of the area. This allows the reader to visit and understand the why to much of the actions. This book is a valuable addition to your Gettysburg library and highly recommended.
Product Description
Finally, the true story of the War Between the States, in one captivating volume. With more than 530 illustrations, nearly 100 biographical sketches, and his attention-grabbing style, John J. Dwyer has radically transformed the tedious, uninspiring textbook rendering of the Civil War into what it should beAmericas greatest epic.
Respected historians George Grant, J. Steven Wilkins, Douglas Wilson, and Tom Spencer are contributing editors to the "The War Between the States: Americas Uncivil War," and over two dozen of renowned historical artist John Paul Strain's greatest works appear. The book offers 700 action-packed pages of war-time drama that will forever change the way Americans view the Civil War.
This riveting volume of adventure will not only be appreciated by students and history enthusiasts, but the casual reader as well. More than just a monotonous recounting of dates, battles, and names, "The War Between the States" recaptures the passion, the faith, and the courage behind America's most misunderstood era. It does so through the eyes not only of soldiers and politicians, but nurses, spies, inventors, poets, businessmen, mothers, and children. And it explores in depth both the many causes that led to war, and the amazing consequences that ensued following the war.
--B & B Media.
Comprehensive, learned, and beautifully presented. Every family in America--especially ones with school-aged children--should own it and study it."
--Thomas J. DiLorenzo, author of "The Real Lincoln," professor of economics at Loyola College in Maryland.
Judicious, clearly written, suffused with Christian knowledge and understanding.
--William Murchison, Radford Distinguished Professor of Journalism, Baylor University.
A magisterial account.
--Donald W. Livingston, professor of philosophy, Emory University.
A greatly useful work.
--Clyde Wilson, professor of history, the University of South Carolina.
Customer Reviews:
The "real" story.......2007-07-22
By far the best complete history of the civil war. There were so many interesting facts that were never taught in school. The artist also captivated me with such accurate drawings of the people and horses in the battles. Very highly recommended.
The War revisited.......2006-04-07
Finally, a general resource on the American Civil War that is not laden with politically correct, revisionist history. Amazing work!
Book Description
With more than 220 black and white photographs from the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and private collections across the country, this is the essential pictorial guide for all those interested in the role of the Iron Horse in the American Civil War. Like all wars, the Civil War was not all gunfire and panic. It was supply and transport, trains and trouble on the line, men in Blue and Gray fighting against almost unbelievable odds with lumbering, woodburning engines.
Customer Reviews:
Blue and Gray on the Rails.......2000-04-11
Civil War Railroads by George Abdill is a wonderful browsing book on railroading in the 1860's. One can open to most any page and find an interesting story, anecdote, biography or fact about Civil War railroading. The book is organized chronologically with no clear academic theme. It draws few conclusions. It is, however, flooded with over two hundred photos mainly from the Library of Congress and the National Archives. There is a wide mixed spectrum of topics including locomotives,rolling stock, structures, yards, track, car ferries was well as burned and destroyed trains and bridges on both sides. Somehow Abdill seems to have identified by name almost every locomotive pictured. Devastation is certainly a common thread. Book length topics like the Andrew's raid (the great locomotive chase) and the Lincoln funeral train are covered in only a few pages.
Readers should note this is a word for word reprint of Abdill's 1961 book of the same title. The Indiana University Press digitally enhanced reprint on glossy paper greatly improved the photo quality from the muddy first edition. For the modeler it has no scale drawings, track layouts or even color lithographs. It is very pleasing blend of many railroad topics. I was never bored.
I would recommend it to Civil War buffs, model railroaders and anyone interest in a fascinating part of our history.
Average customer rating:
- A unique and exceptionally well written historical novel.
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Uprising at Dawn (Between Two Flags Series #5)
Lee Roddy
Manufacturer: Bethany House Publishers
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Burden of Honor (Between Two Flags Series #3)
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Road to Freedom (Between Two Flags Series #4)
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Where Bugles Call (Between Two Flags Series #2)
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Cry of Courage (Between Two Flags Series #1)
ASIN: 0764220292 |
Book Description
Friendship is put to the ultimate test....
Gideon Tugwell looks forward to the future when a job opening in the Confederate capital puts his dream of becoming a writer closer than ever. But then he overhears plans for a slave uprising threatening the lives of his friends Nat and Emily, and he knows he must stay home to help. But will there still be time to travel to the job interview?
Emily Lodge is making the best of her situationstranded at Briarstone Plantation in Virginia, unable to cross the Civil War battlefields to her home in Illinois. She hates slavery and vows to help her friend Nat. But when Gideon warns her about the uprising, the tables have turned; now she desperately needs Nat's help.
Nat Turner, a secretly educated slave, has been returned to captivity at Briarstone. To make matters worse, he is about to be sold to a brutal slave trader. As time runs out and the uprising draws near, Nat must make a decision: avenge his anger, or help his friends.
Customer Reviews:
A unique and exceptionally well written historical novel........2000-08-16
Uprising At Dawn is the story of a dangerous discovery by Gideon as he moves through the swamp in search of a hog and overhears three slaves plotting an uprising at nearby Briarstone Plantation. Shocked by their plan to burn local white farms, Gideon rushes to inform his good friend Emily who is staying at the endangered plantation. Together they begin a desperate mission to uncover the identities of the slaves with the help of Nat, a young Briarstone slave who works inside the mansion. Uprising At Dawn is a unique and exceptionally well written novel for young readers and part of the Bethany House Publishers "Between Two Flags" series featuring compelling stories of faith and history.
Average customer rating:
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The Military Operations of General Beauregard in the War Between the States 1861 to 1865: Including a Brief Personal Sketch and a Narrative of His S
Alfred Roman
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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United States Civil War
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ASIN: 0306805472 |
Book Description
A vibrant social history set against the backdrop of the Antebellum south and the Civil War that recreates the lives and friendship of two exceptional women: First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln and her mulatto dressmaker, Elizabeth Keckly.
“I consider you my best living friend,” Mary Lincoln wrote to Elizabeth Keckly in 1867, and indeed theirs was a close, if tumultuous, relationship. Born into slavery, mulatto Elizabeth Keckly was Mary Lincoln’s dressmaker, confidante, and mainstay during the difficult years that the Lincolns occupied the White House and the early years of Mary’s widowhood. But she was a fascinating woman in her own right, independent and already well-established as the dressmaker to the Washington elite when she was first hired by Mary Lincoln upon her arrival in the nation’s capital. Lizzy had bought her freedom in 1855 and come to Washington determined to make a life for herself as a free black, and she soon had Washington correspondents reporting that “stately carriages stand before her door, whose haughty owners sit before Lizzy docile as lambs while she tells them what to wear.” Mary Lincoln had hired Lizzy in part because she was considered a “high society” seamstress and Mary, an outsider in Washington’s social circles, was desperate for social cachet. With her husband struggling to keep the nation together, Mary turned increasingly to her seamstress for companionship, support, and advice—and over the course of those trying years, Lizzy Keckly became her confidante and closest friend.
With Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly, pioneering historian Jennifer Fleischner allows us to glimpse the intimate dynamics of this unusual friendship for the first time, and traces the pivotal events that enabled these two women—one born to be a mistress, the other to be a slave—to forge such an unlikely bond at a time when relations between blacks and whites were tearing the nation apart. Beginning with their respective childhoods in the slaveholding states of Virginia and Kentucky, their story takes us through the years of tragic Civil War, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the early Reconstruction period. An author in her own right, Keckly wrote one of the most detailed biographies of Mary Lincoln ever published, and though it led to a bitter feud between the friends, it is one of the many rich resources that have enhanced Fleischner’s trove of original findings.
A remarkable, riveting work of scholarship that reveals the legacy of slavery and sheds new light on the Lincoln White House, Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly brings to life a mesmerizing, intimate aspect of Civil War history, and underscores the inseparability of black and white in our nation’s heritage.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Well written, informative and compelling.......2006-02-16
After reading this book I feel as if I know the two ladies, their lives and their times.
Two for the price of one, dragging on, but ending nicely done........2005-12-14
Going back and forth between biographical chapters of the two ladies for a good portion of the book left me tireless and bored. Almost rejoicing when the book finally picked up after what seemed to be an ad infinitum of the two woman's seemingly ordinary lives, nothing really there to surprise from previous knowledge of both a white and black's reality of that particular time period, I in all honestly could have done without the meticulously detailed first half of the book. On the contrary I did find that the many similarities between the two such as same birth year and rather close birthplace, both in the south to be rather ironic in conjunction with their very different social standing and contrasting, perhaps even a bit complimenting personality traits. This is possibly the only helpful information I was able to take from the first half of the book.
Fleischner does appear to know plenty on each individual, but enough's enough, I picked up the book for an interesting read about such an odd friendship between the pair.
Forcing myself to get through these lackluster chapters, the meeting and companionship of the two very different women at long last appeared! Before getting to this point of the book I would have been generous in giving the book two stars, however after their first encounter, the day before Abe Lincoln's Presidential inauguration in 1861 I actually found myself enjoying my time reading it.
Keckly, a mulatto, grew up in a harsh life of slavery, eventually independently able to buy her way out and prosper in the seamstress business. Thus being the reason, lavish and somewhat peculiar Lincoln called upon the former slave for her distinguished dress-making skills. The last chapters did seem rushed, and I was left wanting more details on the actual societal aspects of the South in the nineteenth century. I enjoyed the mentioning of how times were back then, always being captivating to me. The prices, fashions, and entertainment of Civil War times really absorbed my interest, however short-lived those parts were. The association and reference of historical people and events i.e. W.E.B Du Bois, Cassius Clay, Bleeding Kansas allowed me to relate the reading to History class, always bringing unexpected excitement to a learning student.
The brilliantly unlikely friendship between Mrs. Keckly and Mrs. Lincoln did get its justice in Jennifer Fleischner's double biography. If you have patience for dullness, and are willing to stick it out for what turns out to be a great story of two apparently opposite woman who grow together in a historic tale of true friendship, then don't hesitate to pick this book up. Three stars for getting two bios for the price of one, the book might have dragged on, but turning out rather compelling, and nicely done.
Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckley.......2005-10-26
I was disappointed in the viewpoint of the author who seemed less interested in the relationship of the two women than in the social problems of a free Black woman who was the confidant of Mary Lincoln. I began reading the book in an attempt to understand both women and the circumstances in which their friendship occurred. The book, however, leans heavily toward Mrs. Keckley & portrays Mrs. Lincoln at her best as a spoiled White woman & at her worst as a lunatic. The final paragraph sums up the author's reasons for writing the book in a complaint that Mary is buried in the Lincoln vault with President Lincoln (where else would she have been put?)& Mrs. Keckley's unclaimed body lies in an unmarked grave..."like those of her mother, slave father and son". The book is not about Mary Lincoln or Mrs. Keckley; it is a social commentary.
Sometimes interesting, but often puts me to sleep.......2005-09-10
The characters in this book and their stories are interesting at times, but the author takes far too much time imparting their stories. I am reading this book for a church cirle book review, and I am having trouble reading it. If I want a nap that day, all I need to do is pick up this book and read it a while!
Interesting, but needs more detail! .......2004-08-24
I did enjoy reading "Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly: The Remarkable Story of the Friendship Between a First Lady and a Former Slave." It rates a 3 out of 5 stars for me because of the lack of depth, particularly in the latter part of the book.
Like most people, all I had really heard about Mary Lincoln was that she had emotional issues and ended up being committed by her own son. This is true, and the book does a good job of relating the childhood events that warped the young Mary Todd.
Lizzy Keckly, the slave who buys her freedom and becomes Washington DC's leading "modiste", is a fascinating personage who well deserves the attention the book gives her life. I found the description of Lizzy's life in slavery to be very powerful. In particular, the passage where her master hires someone to "break her" made my stomach turn and the barbarity of slavery struck home anew.
The beginning of the book starts out strong. The chapters alternate between the lives of the two ladies. After Mary marries Lincoln, however, I feel the book loses steam. I craved more description not only of their lives but of the historic events that surrounded them. Maybe my perception of this book was hurt by having just finished David McCullough's masterful "John Adams", which is lavish in detail. Maybe there just isn't enough evidence out there about Mary and Lizzy's lives after they hit middle age. (I'm willing to buy that about Lizzy, but about Mary? It seems unlikely.) At any rate, by the time you hit the last few chapters, it seems as if the author is hurrying to finish up and I think it ends abruptly.
Average customer rating:
- Grandpa Scrugg's Civil War Stories
- Surviving Elmira
- amazing research
- Tramping with the Legion
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Tramping With the Legion: A Carolina Rebel's Story
C. Eugene Scruggs
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1425102336 |
Book Description
The Carolina Rebels of Company K, Holcombe Legion, were true sons of the Upstate. Brothers, cousins, and neighbors- all were well-suited for service in the independent brigade commanded by Ol’Shanks (Brig. Gen. Nathan Evans). The “boys†of Company K wore out many a set of boots “tramping†with the Legion wherever the regiment was needed- Charleston, Richmond, Malvern Hill, Rappahannock Station, Manassas Junction, Kinston, Wilmington, Jackson, Savannah and Petersburg.
One member of Co. K tells the story of his adventures with the legion, his capture at Stony Creek, his dramatic escape from the infamous Union prison in Elmira, New York, and his harrowing trek back to Virginia through the mountains of Pennsylvania and Maryland, helped along the way by copperheads, Dunkards and Dutch.
Customer Reviews:
Grandpa Scrugg's Civil War Stories.......2007-02-02
I enjoyed reading Grandpa Scruggs' account of his experiences in Company K, Holcombe Legion of South Carolinians fighting for their state's freedom from the tyranny of the Union. The format of night time stories told by Grandpa Scruggs to his grandchildren kept a dramatic tension in the book that helped keep me reading. We learn about the courage and commitment of Judd and other soldiers to their cause. We learn of the hardships, boredom,and horror of life as a foot soldier. The ways captured soldiers were treated changed as the war progressed. Judd experienced both ways. Because of the personal focus of this book, we also learn how the war caught up extended families and effected them. We also get glimpses of life back at home while the men were at war. I highly recommend Eugene Scruggs' book.
Surviving Elmira.......2007-02-01
Eugene Scruggs has made a valuable contribution to the history of the War Between the States with his account of the exploits of his great grandfather, Judson Puryear Scruggs, as an enlisted man in the Holcombe Legion, South Carolina Volunteers. To be sure, Scrugg's book is another in the "Johnny Reb and Billy Yank" tradition of oral history accounts from the point of view of the ordinary foot soldier. However, it is given context by a body of historical research, and a truly insightful introduction to some of this conflict's enduring themes. For many readers, the most interesting parts of the narrative will be those about life under horrible conditions in the POW camp at Elmira, NY, Judson's resourceful escape therefrom, and his traverse through enemy territory to Virginia.
In my opinion, however, as an avid student of the conflict rather than a professional historian, Scrugg's finest achievement was in his reconstruction of Judson's narrative within a quasi-fictional framework, in which he recreates not only the voice of his great-grandfather, but also that of the grandchildren who are auditors of the story. This teachnique not only creates a sense of immediacy in the flow of the narrative, but instills a kind of novelistic suspense which makes it enjoyable for the reader. This approach also permits Scruggs to render narrative as a truly "oral history," in that he has recreated the language of the period --- the regional dialect of 19th century Southerner. His handling of the artistic problem of the use of "eye dialect," moreover, is deftly handled: instead of generating pages of mangled orthography, Scruggs includes only occasional phonetic spellings, opting instead for the dialectal phrase, the idiom, and the speech rhythmns of his people. Professional historians may take issue with Scrugg's decision to treat his material in this way; other readers may enjoy it as thoroughly as I did.
Roger Cole
January 29, 2007
amazing research.......2007-01-29
I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Scruggs' book. It is written in such a manner that it draws the reader into the family circle while providing an amazing amount of detail into the history of the Legion and the personal recollections of Jud, the author's great grandfather.
Tramping with the Legion.......2007-01-16
With the help of his older relatives, Gene Scruggs has gathered together the oral history left by his great grandfather, Sergeant Judson Scruggs, who served in South Carolina's Holcombe Legion during most of the Civil War.
Almost nothing has been written about this effective fighting unit which was organized early in the war by Peter F. Stevens, a former superintendent of The Citadel. 'Shanks' Evans, whose brigade included the infantry regiment of the Holcombe Legion, regarded it as his best fighting unit. During Lee's 1862 campaign, the accomplished Stevens often led Evans' entire brigade on the many occasions when Evans was posted to the divisional level.
In his stories, Judson recalls training camps around Charleston, the battles of Malvern Hill, Rappahannock Station, Second Manassas, Lee's First Maryland Campaign, Kinston (NC), and Jackson (MS). In the summer of 1864, the Holcombe Legion was detailed to guard the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad and (luckily) was not with Evans' Brigade at the Battle of the Crater. However, Judson was captured while guarding the Stoney Creek (VA) station and bridge and sent to the infamous Elmyra (NY) Prison. Perhaps Judson's most interesting stories recount his tunnelling out of prison in October 1864 and his experiences of running, hiding, and working his way home by late May of 1865.
Gene Scruggs includes glimpses of the daily lives of his Spartanburg District ancestors as he fashions the war stories as if his great-grandfather was telling them to his grandchildren in nightly installations. This is a "good read" for anyone interested in this troubled time in American history.
Book Description
For two weeks in 1861, Washington, D.C., was locked in a state of panic. Would the newly formed Confederate States of America launch its first attack on the Union by capturing the nation's capital? Would Lincoln's Union fall before it had a chance to fight?
Wedged between Virginia and Maryland-- two states bordering on secession--Washington was isolated; its communications lines were cut, its rail lines blocked. Newly recruited volunteers were too few and were unable to enter the city. A recently inaugurated Lincoln struggled to form a plan-- defense or attack? Intelligence rumors and incendiary headlines revealed Norfolk and Harpers Ferry fallen to rebels, and the notorious "mobtown" Baltimore ignited by riots.
David Detzer pulls the drama from this pivotal moment in American history straight from the pages of diaries, letters, and newspapers. With an eye for detail and an ear for the voices of average citizens, he beautifully captures the tense, miasmic atmosphere of these first chaotic days of war.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing.......2007-08-14
The author's obvious feelings as to the relative merits of the North and South justifications for conflict heavily color the narrarative. Also my taste does not run to the many "what if" scenarios included. I gave 2 stars instead of fewer since a book on this subject was long overdue.
Another Detzer Hit.......2007-03-30
His newest book may be the best. Everything you wanted to know about the in between days of the early civil war. This is an area typically skipped by most historians. Excellent treatment.
Excellent.......2006-06-09
April of 1865 has been referred to as the month that saved America but April of 1861 may have been just as vital if not more so. It was during this time that Washington DC sat completely surrounded by two states that were teetering on the verge of secession. Once Virginia did leave the Union only Maryland provided the federal government with a connection to the rest of the nation and it was a tenuous connection at best.
Abraham Lincoln was clearly out of his league in this early stage of the game and he leaned heavily on General Winfield Scott. For his part, Scott was keenly aware of the danger facing Washington and began to immediately call for any militia units that could get to DC quickly from loyal northern states. The problem was that these militia units would have to travel through Maryland, a slave state that might well consider these Yankee troops to be invaders and could easily be pushed into the Confederacy by such an affront to state sovereignty. It was also distinctly possible that these militia units might be attacked by not only the people of Maryland but also ultimately by the state militia.
In the meantime Virginia forces had seized the federal armory at Harper's Ferry and the Gosport navy yard near Hampton Virginia. Rumors are rampant in DC that the Virginia militia that had taken Harper's Ferry was preparing to move on Washington and many in the Federal City were in a state of panic.
The questions that arise from this drama involve the decision making process on both sides and the ultimate question is of course whether Washington DC was ever in any real danger. Did the Confederacy in fact lose it's only real chance for ultimate victory during this time period? David Detzer has done an admirable job in this book of not only bringing this evolving drama to life but also of answering these questions in a clear and concise manner.
This book reads much like a great historical drama and the author's writing style is superbly readable. It is rare for the author of a history book to achieve such a sense of drama since the reader usually already knows the outcome. Detzer has accomplished this however and although I was keenly aware of what was about to happen at every turn I had a tough time putting the book down. This invigorating writing style is often derisively referred to as popular history but Detzer blows the sides off of that old mold by not only offering new information but also keen observations that cut directly to the heart of this eventful period of American history. No hero of American history is spared criticism when criticism is due and conversely even Ben Butler is praised when his actions merit it.
This is the story of those fateful days of April and May of 1861 and it is a story that is well told by this supremely able author. This book is well researched, very well written and the story is told from the point of view of both governments as well as the lowliest private in the Pennsylvania militia. It is a story upon which the fate of the United States once turned.
Average customer rating:
- Pretty okay book...
- it was a decent read
- Its really really good
- Annie, Between the States Review
- Great Book!!!
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Annie, Between the States
L. M. Elliott
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
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ASIN: 0060012137
Release Date: 2006-01-03 |
Book Description
Annie's home and heart are divided by the Civil War.
Annie Sinclair's Virginia home is in the battle path of the Civil War. Her brothers, Laurence and Jamie, fight to defend the South, while Annie and her mother tend to wounded soldiers. When she develops a romantic connection with a Union Army lieutenant, Annie's view of the war broadens. Then an accusation calls her loyalty into question. A nation and a heart divided force Annie to choose her own course.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty okay book..........2007-05-16
This book was okay for me. I found the synoposis to be really off. Only about half of it had anything to do with Annie's romance with the Northern soldier, and it wasn't well developed at all. If you like reading about war strategies and locations, pick it up! But don't read it for the romance. I couldn't say I would read this book again.
it was a decent read.......2007-01-08
I liked this book. That said, I didn't love this book. The main character is likeable, and behaves in a manner true to her age. It seems to me that some of the other characters were templates, and bordered on stereotypes. The mother is Melanie, straight off of the plantation, and the black housewoman will definitely have you thinking that Annie lives at Tara. Annie loses a potential suitor, a young boy as sweet as Scarlett's first husband. The story is not Gone With The Wind, but you will hear echoes of Mitchell while you read it.
Its really really good.......2006-08-03
This book really brings you into the life of a young woman in the civil war. It shows you alot of the horrible things that went on, brothers fighting brothers, and shows and truly devastating it was. And how comitted some people were. It's not entirely fiction. Alot of the characters in this book were real people.
If your not really a history person (believe me, i really wasnt interested in anything to do with american history until i read this) there is also some ramantic aspects to it. It'll keep you glued to the pages. Hope you ejoy it as much as i did.
Annie, Between the States Review.......2006-07-29
I absolutely adored this book, and found that it so effectively and smoothly linked fiction with nonfiction that you almost believe that you are reading a historical nonfiction archive. I have a friend who, at that time, was reading A History of The Civil War, and he thought that Annie, Between the States was a nonfiction book. But if it was, it would not be so pleasurable. Nonfiction books cannot convey an individual's opinions and feelings. Annie, Between the States conveys the author's opinions as she feels that a person in Annie's position would feel. I expected more blood and battling and gore in the book, however the absence of an abundance of such, as one usually finds in such a fictional war book, did not upset me in the slightest. The romance just adds to the enjoyability and versatility of the book. I really felt as though I related to Annie, even though her character was supposed to be about 150 years ago. I must admit, however much I would recommend the book to nonfiction and fiction lovers alike, that the quote from the book, "their own voice," appeared to me as though it was just thrown in there. It was a great metaphor, if that's what L.M.Elliott was going for. Perhaps if had been older than eleven, i would see the significance of that quote to the novel, but as is, I cannot find it. I recommend the book to lovers of all reading genres, old people, young people, romantics, or someone who just wants to go into another world, this is a wonderful book.
Great Book!!!.......2005-12-04
Take my word for it!! This book was a really good book about what life was like during the Civil War. Annie is on the southern side so it does favour southerners but it also shows how much the war impacted the world. It is kind of long.... but this book was worth it. You won't regret reading this book!!!
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