No comments about Fitz-John Porter, Scapegoat Of Second Manassas: The Rise, Fall and Rise of the General Accused of Disobedience.

2 comments about Fremont: Pathmarker of the West.

1. John Charles Fremont (1813-1890) was an American explorere, soldier and first Republican presidential candidate. This book is the classic biography and encyclopedia reference for "further reading," originally published in 1939 as a two-volume set. It is excelled only by Fremont's actual journals and maps, available in four volumes from large city and college libraries: Spence, Mary Lee & David Jackson, "The Expeditions of John Charles Fremont." Nevins tells of a 1926 interview with Major Frank P. Fremont and his experience extracting notes from the few remaining original journals that weren't destroyed by a warehouse fire. I've researched Fremont histories since 1980 and have visited many of the sites that are accurately described in this book. This is the best. Steve Stumph, Salt Lake City, 9-Jan-1999



2. John Fremont's life reads like a Shakespearean tragedy. Starting in poverty and successively riding waves of amazing success only to be followed by equally amazing blunders, Fremont's life is a study in how to be one's own worst enemy. One of the subsequent followers of Lewis and Clark in exploring the American West, he makes three separate explorations that in total really puts the original 1803 expedition to shame. First Republican Presidential Candidate, California's first U.S. Senator, a multimillionaire during the California Gold Rush and a ranking Union general at the outbreak of the Civil War, he is also dragged home after the war with Mexico from California in chains, is responsible for the annihilation of one of his Western expeditions, is relieved of command by Lincoln after ignoring a Presidential directive and dies alone in comparative poverty after begging Congress for a pension.

   This is a fascinating life and Nevins does a remarkable job of very unbiased research. You will either love Fremont or hate him or, more likely, simply feel sorry for him.

No comments about Sir Henry Morton Stanley: Confederate.

No comments about Love Letters from the Civil War.

2 comments about One Man Great Enough: Abraham Lincoln's Road to Civil War.

1. There are a raft of Lincoln books published seemingly every year. Each author has a slightly different take on the Great Emancipator, seeing him in a slightly different light. Most think him as great as the name implies, nad I tend to agree. So does the author of this current book, who takes a look at Lincoln's political philosophy, especially as it relates to the issue of slavery. Author Waugh spends only a little time dealing with incidents in Lincoln's life: his marriage, the death of his son, and so forth are all dealt with very cursorily. His father's death is only mentioned in passing, when the author is recounting something that happened a decade later. The majority of the space in this book follows Lincoln's transformation from a Whig who had only vague opposition to the institution of slavery into an abolitionist of sorts who had very definite views about pretty much every aspect of the issue.
   
   I've never read a book by John C. Waugh before. On one or two occasions, people have recommended books by him to me, and I think I have a copy of one of his books floating around here somewhere, but I never did get to it. This book crossed my path, and the time was right so I read it. I have to say I think I'm going to have to find that other book, because this volume is very well-written and interesting. I really enjoyed it.



2. A basic history of Abraham Lincoln's political journey from Illinois to Washington, D.C. Nothing in this book will be a surprise to dedicated readers on the Civil War era.
   
   The author writes in a folksy style, sourcing quotes from local press accounts of the time, memoirs, and early Lincoln biographies. Mr. Waugh uses the Little Giant, Senator Douglas, and his long-time and somewhat unusual relationship to the up-and-coming Lincoln as a common thread throughout his book.
   
   Not broad or deep scholarship, but worth reading for one in need of an introduction to, or reminder of, the greatness embodied in the one who finally ended slavery within our land.

No comments about It Happened in the Civil War (It Happened In Series).

No comments about Farragut: America's First Admiral (Military Profiles).

No comments about A Family's Path in America: The Lees and Their Continuing Legacy.

5 comments about Bold Dragoon: The Life of J.E.B. Stuart.

1. I had forgotten I still had this book on my shelf! I used it early in my college years (1991)to write a Cival War Cavalry paper for an English class. I got a B on the paper, but I had so much fun writing it. This book and others were a big help. Thomas uses actual letters, diaries and news stories to tell the story of J.E.B. Stuart. Terrific book and I highly recomend it to anyone who is into Civil War or general American history!



2. In my humble opinion, Emory Thomas has written what I believe to be the definitive account of one of the 3 most effective calvary generals (Sheridan and Forrest being the other 2) during the Civil War. The writing style flows smoothly throughout the text as the writer goes from one subject to another in JEB Stuart's life.
   
   Among the areas covered include:
   
   1. Stuart's early life and West Point days.
   2. His early US Army service before the Civil War.
   3. His family life.
   4. His Civil War relationships with various generals (Lee, Longstreet, Jackson, etc.) and subordinates (Jones, Rosser, Munford, etc.).
   5. Civil War campaigns and ultimate death from a wound suffered at Yellow Tavern, VA in May 1864.
   6. His evangelical faith.
   7. Stuart's personal strengths and weaknesses.
   
   I appreciated Thomas' ability to respect his subject while also describing his personal weaknesses (extreme vanity and concern with what others thought of him, excessive self-promotion, too much of a flirt with the ladies.). Doing so helped to show Stuart as a mere human being instead of the facade he attempted to portray.
   
   The only complaint I had was not having enough maps showing Stuart's involvement in the many campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia. The maps in the book were of good quality but there could have been a few more.
   
   All in all, I recommend the book as the best account of JEB Stuart. Read and enjoy!



3. Stuart first met Lee as a cadet at West Point, when Lee was Superintendent, in the early 50's, not at Harpers Ferry.



4. I found this book to be very interesting and to pack a great deal of insight into a relatively short (300-page) biography. It's an entertaining read, and best of all, Thomas doesn't fall into any sort of hero worship. I found his reading of Stuart's troubles getting to Gettysburg to be completely fair and well-reasoned. Indeed, his overall thesis on his subject is somewhat critical, a rarity for a book on someone as lauded as Stuart is. Thomas is a very good writer and does a good job bringing a fascinating man's life into focus.
   
   One nerdy nit-picky point that I, as someone who lives in the Valley, must make: Turner Ashby was killed in Harrisonburg, Virginia, not in Pennsylvania as Thomas asserts. (Yes, I know how lame I sound correcting one minor point in a 300-page book, but I lived in Harrisonburg too long not to represent a little here.)



5. Jeb Stuart would sing these lines at the top of his lungs as he rode with his troops into battle. It must have been some popular tavern song of that time.
   
   A very enjoyable read about this country's finest cavalry officer, James Ewell Brown Stuart, educated at West Point. He was the eyes and ears of General Robert E. Lee, Lee's best scout. He could "command both small and large numbers of horsemen, and he was able to integrate his cavalry with artillery and infantry, as well as to conduct independent operations." This book, like Robertson's biography about Stonewall Jackson is more about the man than actual battle tactics and history. He could trigger stampeeds, just by his presence. Many of his battles were won before they ever started. He and Stonewall were some of this country's finest soldiers of the nineteenth century whose ancestors came from Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
   
   The South's poor horses, that last year of his life, and they had one more year to fight after Stuart's death. They were eating bark off of trees, on scant provisions of feed and hay and regularly slaughtered on the battle field, increasing the number of dismounted soldiers. And of course, the southern soldiers were in desperate straits too.
   
   Thomas faithfully tells the life story of this gallant southern warrior's character. He himself helped to create his legendary character. He was a fighter and one of his last words on the battlefield at Yellow Tavern after he was shot was "I'd rather die than be whipped."
   
   His most famous feat was his twice repeated ride around McClellan's huge Federal host, numbering tens of thousands.
   
   The Civil War was a mass slaughter. Not everyone in this country has revered Abraham Lincoln. My great grandmother whose father was a 16 year old cavalry hand for Nathan Bedford Forrest in Mississippi once remarked at the base of the Lincoln statue at the Lincoln Memorial, "THE OLD COOT!" Would things have turned out differently in that war, if they had had the kind of technology and information we have now available at that time? Could war have been avoided, if the issue of slavery were dealt with differently and laid on the table from the very beginning?? (Sounds like a book for Newt Gingrich).
   
   Particularly intriguing for me was the story of Stuart's apprehension of John Brown, the mass murderer who inflamed the whole slavery issue right before the start of the war. And strange, that this country would exalt a criminal to hero status in song and words. Anyway, it's something to ponder.
   
   Jeb Stuart was a good ole southern boy who didn't touch a drop of liquor following his mother's orders until the last hours of his life. On his deathbed, those gathered in his room sang his favorite hymn, "Rock of Ages".
   
   I did love how retired UGA Athens professor Thomas told his story. This book is probably one of the best biographies of Stuart's life.

5 comments about Under Custer's Command: The Civil War Journal of James Henry Avery (Memories of War).

1. This book is the best memoir by an enlisted cavalryman I have ever seen, and I read a lot of Civil War books. At the end of the book, I felt like I had just finished a long conversation with Avery. Buy this book and enjoy it.



2. This book is the best memoir by an enlisted cavalryman I have ever seen, and I read a lot of Civil War books. At the end of the book, I felt like I had just finished a long conversation with Avery. Buy this book and enjoy it.



3. As editor Eric J. Wittenberg expands his library of Custer-related works, they continue to improve on the already growing collection of first-person accounts of the "Boy General's" Michigan Cavalry. As the preeminent biographer of Brevet Brigadier General James Kidd, Wittenberg provides readers with a sense of "being there," and inescapable feeling that they are sharing a fireside chat with a living, breathing veteran of our own Civil War.

   "Under Custer's Command" is sure to please any readers of his previous collections of James Kidd. The latest book, a well-preserved and edited anthology of the personal journals of Sergeant James Henry Avery, an enlisted man who served with Custer during his formative years, continues Wittenberg's efforts to detail the wartime activities of the Michigan 6th Cavalry. One of the most successful mounted commands during the war, the "Wolverine's" received far less acclaim and few of the accolades enjoyed by cavalry units led by men such as Jeb Stuart and Stonewall Jackson.

   "Under Custer's Command" is a rare jewel among surviving first-person accounts. The language is frank, yet simple: the work of a man interested less in impressing than in preserving his personal observations of history. Avery's journals offer an invaluable glimpse into the mind and soul of a man fighting for his country, his values, and his family. This wonderful book is a fantastic addition to any serious Civil War Custer library.




4. George Armstrong Custer's fabled Fifth Regiment fought with great distinction throughout the American civil war and suffered the third highest total of men killed in the entire Union Calvary. James Henry Avery, a 24 year old farmer from Hopkins, Michigan was on of Custer's feared "Wolverines". He eloquently described his personal war-time experiences in journals and postwar reminiscences, providing uniquely detailed descriptions of Civil War cavalry movements, and presents the only known account addressing the escape of elements of the Fifth Michigan Cavalry on the first day of the Battle of Trevilian Station. Other battles described include Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Yellow Tavern, Haws Shop, Tom's Brook, Cedar Creek, and Trevilian Station. Under Custer's Command: The Civil War Journal Of James Henry Avery provides an astute perspective on the life of a Union cavalryman in the Civil War and is a "must" for all Civil War buffs and civil war studies reference collections.



5. No matter whether you're a Custerphile or Custerphobe, don't let the title fool you. Under Custer's Command has very little to do with the "Boy General" and a lot to do with the every day life of a Union Cavalryman during the Civil War. James Avery describes life in the Fifth Michigan Cavalry with frankness and honesty, and without concern for the feelings of those who failed to pass muster.
   The book details the part the Wolverines played in such famous battles as Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Cedar Creek, and Yellow Tavern, from the perspective of one who actively fought at the front lines, and brings a breath of fresh air to the Civil War narrative. I highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to explore the facts of life for a Civil War cavalryman.