We Were The Ninth is a translation, carefully edited and thoroughly annotated, of an important Civil War regiment. The Ninth Ohio—composed of Ohio Germans mostly from Cincinnati—saw action at Rich Mountain and Carnifex Ferry in West Virginia, Shiloh, Corinth, Perryville, Hoover’s Gap, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Chickamauga.
During its single year of existence, more money was expended on the Elmira prison than in any of the other Union Stockades. Even with this record spending, a more ignominious figure was attached to Elmira: of the more than 12,000 Confederates imprisoned there, nearly 3,000 die while in captivity – the highest rate among all the Northern prisons. The authors conclusions are based on new, little-known, or never used archival materials. In a similar vein, his description of the prison culture is especially illuminating.
Otto kept a journal throughout the war and afterward arranged his reminiscences in a memoir, which he completed around 1890. Captain John Henry Otto was a keen observer, and his memoirs paint a vivid picture of the life of a common soldier and of a line officer at the company level during the Civil War. Memoirs of a Dutch Mudsill will appeal to Civil War enthusiasts and scholars.
In Bloody Dawn, Thomas Goodrich considers why this remote settlement was signaled out to receive such brutal treatment. He also describes the retribution that soon followed, which in many ways surpassed the significance of the Lawrence Massacre itself. The story that unfolds reveals an event unlike anything our nation has experienced before or since.
Northerners at War brings together noted historian J. Matthew Gallman’s most significant essays on the economic, social, and domestic aspects of life in the North during the Civil War. Gallman tackles a range of Civil War home front topics—from urban violence and Gettysburg’s wartime history to entrepreneurial endeavors and the war’s economic impact. He also examines gender issues, with a fascinating review of the career of orator Anna E. Dickinson and an insightful examination of how northerners used gendered notions of masculinity in rhetoric to recruit African American soldiers.
Three Days at Gettysburg contains essays from noted Civil War historians on leadership during the battle. The contributors to this volume believe there is room for scholarship that revisits the sources on which earlier accounts have been based and challenges prevailing interpretations of key officers’ performances. They have trained their investigative lens on some obvious and some relatively neglected figures, with an eye toward illuminating not only what happened at Gettysburg but also the nature of command at different levels.
Notable Civil War historians herein continue the evaluation of select commanders begun in The First Day at Gettysburg: Essays on Confederate and Union Leadership. Using fresh manuscript sources coupled with a careful consideration of the existing literature, they explore issues such as Robert E. Lee’s decision to renew the tactical offensive on July 2; James Longstreet’s effectiveness in executing Lee’s plan; the origin and impact of Daniel E. Sickle’s decision to advance his Third Corps, which formed the infamous “Sickle’s Salient”; the little-understood role of Henry W Slocum and his Union Twelfth Corps; and the contribution of John C. Caldwell’s division in the maelstrom of the Wheatfield.
These essays seek to illuminate various facets of the 1864 Valley campaign. The authors question the relative importance of operations in the Shenandoah, the respective performances of Early and Sheridan, and the roles of Confederate guerrillas and cavalry. Often departing from conventional views and sometimes disagreeing with one another, the essays should spark further debate on one of the more important an dramatic military events of the conflict.
The relative importance of Civil War campaigns is a matter for debate among historians and buffs alike. Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Atlanta have their advocates. Gettysburg certainly maintains its hold on the popular imagination. More recently has come the suggestion that no single campaign or battle decided the war or even appreciably altered its direction. If any one battle was a dividing line, Antietam is a solid contender.
Of special value for Civil War scholars and buffs are Barber’s vivid descriptions of battles, notably the of siege Fort Donelson and the Confederate victory at Chickasaw Bayou, in which he highlights the Third Tennessee’s crucial role in defeating William T. Sherman. Robert H. Ferrell introduces Barber and details the formation of the regiment. A full regimental roster, a rarity among Confederate units, also is included.
