Category Archives: Civil War

Book Reviews, Civil War

Book Review: The Impending Crisis: America Before the Civil War: 1848-1861

It would be easy to put this book in the same old prelude to Civil War books that have become a category all their own. It is however different. See most of these books treat the era between the end of the Mexican War and the start of the Civil War as a continuation of one or pregame for the other. This book however deals with the changes in the country and the growing sectionalism that would eventually split the country. In this book that time period has become almost its own epoch that is more than worthy of its own focus and study.

David Potter raises some interesting questions about the roots of sectionalism and how even if the question of slavery were not on the table a split may have become likely at some point. This flies in the face of much of the revisionist history that makes its way to history books. Using statistics and research Potter frankly turns the Antebellum South into a foreign country, that always questioned its place in the United States.

Personally one of the best things about this book is that it tears the cover off much of the wheeling and dealing that went in to presidential elections of the day and how the parties rose and fell and the sword of idealism. From Free Soilers, to Know Nothings, Democrats to newly minted Republicans, they all had a hand in creating the path that led to war.

This book is highly recommended and a great read. As always you can get your copy by clicking on the photo above.

Civil War

Sic Semper… Oops!

 

We all know the story. April 14th, 1865 the Civil War was all but over and President Lincoln decides (OK, Mary decides) that they need so enjoy a night at the theater. Originally General Grant and his wife we supposed to accompany them, but using many skills I assume he learned on the battle field, Grant was able to get out of going.  Instead it would be Henry Rathbone and his fiance that would accompany the Lincolns to the Ford Theater and “Our American Cousin.”

Joining that night would also be John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor and Southern sympathizer that wanted Lincoln dead. His story goes well beyond the scope of this brief article, but the important thing is that during the play he found himself with unfettered access to the President’s box and the man himself. A small pistol in one hand and a dagger in the other he looked to “avenge” the Confederacy.

Sneaking into the box he moved behind Lincoln and fired his pistol, jumped onto the ledge of the box and by most accounts yelled, “Sic Semper Tyrannis!” and leaps from the box to the stage. It would have been perfect if he had not caught his spur on one of the bunting flags that hung on the outside of the box. That snag of his boot caused him to land awkwardly and severely injury his leg. From that point on the story is well-known.

In the photo above is the flag from the box that Booth snagged his spur on. If not for that flag and the injury that Booth sustained, it is very possible that he may have avoided capture. That makes that relic pretty darn cool.

 

 

 

Civil War

The Sniper Rifle of Artillery

 

The above shell is from a Whitworth Breechloading Rifle a nice piece of lang range artillery. The gun (and consequently the shell) are classified as a 12 pounder, was made of steel and manufactured in England. They saw most of their Civil War service with the Confederate army and approximately 50 were known to be in service.

These guns had exceptional range, up to 10,000 yards and due the fact the barrel was rifled it was incredibly accurate. A 1864 magazine stated that in a test one of these guns fired 10 shots with a deviation of only 5 inches. This kind of accuracy made them incredibly effective in counter-battery fire (against the opponents artillery) and in this regards they were employed almost the same way that a sniper rifle would be deployed by the infantry.

Most of the units in service were imported via Britain through the US Naval blockade of the South, though in 1861 a single battery of the guns was fielded by the US. As effective as these guns were they did come with a number of draw backs.

The ammunition, such as that above, was difficult to manufacture and the cost of importing through the blockade made the gun very expensive to operate. It could not fire the standard ordinance of the day so it would never reach the heights of popularity. The projectile was actually a long bolt that was twisted to conform with the barrel’s rifling, so it was less of a shell and more of dart.

The second draw back had to do with mechanical issues. Originally the gun was designed as a breech-loader meaning that it was loaded from the rear. This method was faster and actually safer for the crews. However many of the guns in service developed issues with the breech as the mechanism jammed. This caused the gun to revert almost back to the muzzle-loading of a standard cannon. This combined with the cost of ammunition meant the Whitworth was doomed to be a footnote in the war’s history.

 

Civil War

Too Tents

During the Civil War, shelter was one of the main concerns for the troops. Rain, cold, heat, any of the elements were just as deadly to the army as the guns of the enemy. The most basic level of shelter for the soldiers was the cotton tent.

For ease of transport the standard issue tent came in two halves with poles so that each man would be responsible for his half of the tent. Designed to be connected at the top, either through grommets or snaps, they would come with other options such as A-frames and front and back pieces.

The half tent in the picture belonged to a union soldier who took the time to inscribe his half of the tent with the battles and campaigns that he had participated in. He saw a lot of action and took part in most of the major engagements of the Atlanta campaign and looks to have actually been used during Sherman’s March to the Sea.

Civil War

Douglas and Lincoln

In the contest for the Illinois Senate in 1858 Stephen A Douglas and Abraham Lincoln faced off in a series of seven debates that went on to become probably the most famous debates in history. At the heart of the debates was the question of the expansion of slavery in the territories of the  United States. Douglas, a Democrat, espoused the idea of Popular Sovereignty. Under this plan the people of the territories would decide themselves if they would form in Free or Slave states. Lincoln, a Republican, stood firm against any expansion of the peculiar institution. These debates, though only for a state seat, would soon become a national phenomenon as both sides followed them intensely.

The issue of what to do about slavery in the United States had been haunting the country since its very founding. Was it protected by the Constitution? Could the courts decide the issue? Would the growing divide between the sections of the country develop into an irreconcilable split? Time and time again the question was kicked down the road by the government by a series of compromises that were intended to keep the balance of power between Free and Slave states.

The debates between Lincoln and Douglas did not start the Civil War, the country was already well on that path. What they did do was set the stage for what would be the last gasp of the attempts to resolve the issue peaceably. Douglas won the debates and his re-election to the Senate. In the process though, because he equivocated on the issue lost the support of the Southern Democrats which would lead to his failed presidential run a few years later. Lincoln lost the debates, but enjoyed an increased national profile that would lead him to win the next presidential election.

And that led directly to the Civil War…

Civil War, Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Glory

Glory (Mastered in 4K) (Single-Disc Blu-ray + Ultra Violet Digital Copy)

Glory

No list of Civil War movies is complete with out Glory. Few would argue that it is one of the best of the genre, even if the history is a little loosey goosey. The actors are all A List and put everything they had into their roles.

Glory tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, one of the first all black Union regiments of the Civil War. Made up of freemen and runaways this group of people wanted a chance to fight for their beliefs. This at a time when it was assumed that all men of color were cowards who would run rather than fight when the time came. Up to this point these men were simply used as manual labor by the army. That rarely changed when they started to wear the uniform. Commanded by white officers their lot didn’t really change that much. The 54th was very lucky that the man chosen to lead them, Robert Gould Shaw, saw them their brave souls.

Matthew Broderick has had many unforgettable roles in his life, but as Shaw he helped to bring to life a unique person at a unique time. With such heavy weights as Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington and Carey Elewes (yes, I put him up there!) the story is expertly brought to life and even when i saw it twenty years ago made me want to learn more about this unit and these men.

So yes, one of the best Civil War movies, but also one with very few actual battle scenes. This only adds to the fabric of the movie. You as the viewer had the chance to build up the same anticipation as the members of the 54th. Both wanting to see the action and both in awe when the big battle finally dawns. The final battle at Ft. Wagner is one of the most visceral and heartbreaking scenes of any military movie. I would say spoilers, but, c’mon we all know how the war ends.

If you have not seen it, watch it. If you have not seen it in a while, watch it again. It holds up and should be held up.

 

As always, clicking on the image will take you to Amazon where you can buy this fantastic movie.

Civil War

We Need More Men…

Recruiting Posters Looking for more Men.

We Need More Men…

 

Prior to April 1861 the United States Army numbered around 16,000.  Of the 197 companies that compromised that army 179 were posted on the frontier in the West, the remainder stood guard on the Mississippi River, the long border with Canada and along the east coast.

As tensions between the North and South started to rise things in the army got tense. Oddly enough no steps were taken to prepare for the war that was to come. Many people never believed that fighting would actually break out. Some thought that if it did it would be over quickly.

With Lincolns election and the secession of several Southern states,  it seemed that the hopes for a peaceful resolution were fading. Along with the rest of the country the regular army was torn asunder. Enlisted men and officers returned home to prepare for what was to come.

On the heels of the secession movement, President Lincoln put out a call for 75,000 volunteers to put down the “insurrection”. These men would serve for three months. Unfortunately this call for troops drove most of the remaining border states to join the Confederacy. As the cold war turned hot and it was obvious the three-month enlistments would not suffice. Lincoln put out another call for volunteers. This time for three years or the duration of the war.

At first men flocked to the banner and filling the quotas was not difficult to do. Before long the volunteers dried up.  Both sides would  resort to drafts to the fill the massive manpower requirements.  In the end almost 2.5 million men would serve in the army during the war. Over the course of the war almost 360,000 died and almost 300,000 wounded.

 

 

 

Civil War

The Union Officer In the Civil War

 

The desk above was one of the nerve centers of the Union Army. From here the officers would write their orders to their men, read the correspondence from men above and below their ranks and basically conduct the war.  These simple boxes would be carried on a wagon and placed on a table when the unit stopped for the night and the commander was ready to work until all hours.

When the Civil War started the entire United State Army was about 15,000 men, most of which were posted out west. Of those were about 1,000 officers. Out of those about 140 would actually become generals during the course of the war. These officers were considered “regular army” and  often found themselves in conflict with another group of officers.

When President Lincoln put out his call for troops from the States in 1861 the states that remained in the Union called up their militia units and put them at he disposal of the Federal government.  Officers at the regimental level and above were appointed by the governor. These men and officers of the militia were considered separate from the regular army and carried the designation “volunteers”.

Interestingly enough some officers would actually hold two ranks. One if the regular US Army and one in the Volunteer Army. This was due to the use of the “brevet” system, basically a temporary or honorary promotion to a superior rank.  For example, you may be a captain of a regular regiment, but for a specific campaign and due to good service you are “breveted” to colonel of volunteers so that you could command more men. The regular army rank is always considered the superior of the two.

Interesting enough a number of Union officers were foreign nationals that came to fight in the war and even several Native Americans joined the officer corps. So when you look at that desk above you never know who may have sat there all you can say for sure is that the army was led by a wide variety of men from every walk of life,

Book Reviews, Civil War

Book Review: City of Sedition: The History of New York City during the Civil War

In City of Sedition by John Strausbaugh the main character is the city of New York and the main setting is the Civil War. One of the things that drew me to this book was wanting to know more about the 1863 draft riots in the city and what led up to them. While that topic is covered very well this book goes a long way to provided a much richer and fuller history of the city and its role in not only the years leading up to the war, but its role during the conflict and in the country in general at the time.

Everything you would expect in a story about New York is there. Crooked politicians, war profiteering, immigrant struggles and possible out right treason at times. What makes this story so unique though is that by focusing on one city you get a new perspective on that city and what it contributed to the war effort. In the opening chapters the relationship between New York and the Southern states is laid plain, and the difficulty that was had balancing the commercial side of its identity with the growing abolitionist movement in the North in the Ante Bellum era. The commercial ties are the most dynamic as at one point after the South seceded there was actual talk of New York City itself leaving the Union in order to form a “neutral” entity. Pretty cool stuff.

It’s the little stories like that set this book a part and effective show how no other city in the country gave so much to the war effort, but also stood do strongly against it. The cast of characters is as wide and diverse as the city itself. Horace Greely, to Boss Tweed, Herman Mellville to Walt Whitman, Dan Sickles to Benjamin Butler all play wide and very roles in the drama. Never one does the book seemed bogged down, which in something so full of detail and heft would be easy to do.

This book is highly recommended and it doesn’t matter if you are a Civil War person or just find the history of New York City fascinating. there is plenty in this book to make it worthwhile and the author does a great job in guiding you through the alleys, churches and slums of the city. As always you can click on the cover image above to go right to the book on Amazon.

Civil War

The Grand Army of the Republic

The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization founded by members of the Union Army that served in the Civil War.  It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois and at its height would have hundreds of chapters all across the United States.  (Yes, even in the South!).

They started as a social group but soon became one the first political advocacy groups in the country. By the time it was dissolved,  the organization had advocated for voting rights for black veterans, lobbying Congress for veteran pensions, creating the Memorial Day holiday and setting standards for patriotic  education. They of course dedicated and were responsible for many of the Civil War monuments in the country.

Mostly though it became a strong Republican voting block and with a membership in the 1890’s of almost 400,000, it wielded immense power. In fact since its founding five US Presidents were members of the organization: US Grant, Rutherford B Hayes, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison and William McKinley.

Since membership was limited to those that actually served in the war eventually the organization reached a natural end. In 1956 the last  living member (Albert Woolson of Minnesota) passed and the organization was dissolved.  Its main roles were then undertaken by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War that still runs today.