No comments about Salmon P. Chase: A Life in Politics.

3 comments about Bluegrass Confederate: The Headquarters Diary of Edward O. Guerrant.

1. Excellent diary with lots of good information. Editors did a poor job as town names such as Jonesburg Tennessee should be Jonesbough, and a couple others that never existed or are badly mis-spelled. It is sad these errors had to get into the book. Otherwise an excellent read.



2. Though not devoid of some human interest value, this is not an especially useful source for the historian. Guerrant saw little action, and writes scantily about what he did see. I can't imagine that most of his sojourns in West Virginia and Kentucky will be of interest to most scholars; there is an account of the Battle of Saltville, but that's about it. Eloquent, not to say melodramatic, jeremiads on the weather make up a good deal of the text.

   On the other hand, Guerrant was the kind of diarist who thinks that posterity may read his diary someday, and he writes with verve and emotion -- multiple exclamation points, parenthetical clever remarks, and so on. After hundreds of pages -- for a Civil War diary this is exceedingly long -- that gets old, but he undeniably has his moments.




3. This amounts to nearly 700 pages of transcribed diaries from an officer who saw very little action except in Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee and two campaigns in Kentucky. I echo the previous review by saying that this book is more for a specialist in those campaigns rather than for the general reader of the Civil War. What is as interesting is Guerrant's retelling of all the rumors he hears about the conduct of the war. He keeps hope alive that the Confederacy is winning until he learns of the surrender of Lee's army, in fact does not believe any northern sources and tries to accept every southern source. He also wears religious blinders, feeling that the South will win because God is on it's side. As a good Christian he is fignting for freedom and Southern rights (whatever they are, he doesn't say), but is not troubled by fellow Confederates murdering Black soldiers over a two day period after the first battle of Saltville. His enemies are Yankee Vandals and Niggers, not human beings and certainly not people like himself.

   I am troubled about the quality of the editing. William C. Davis gets top billing, but there are so many errors in the footnotes, plus trivia footnoted and important information left unfootnoted, that I wonder how much of this Davis really read. Much of the editing is frankly done by an amateur and is not corrected. This is not what I expect from LSU Press for my fifty bucks. In the chapter notes for early 1863 the editor says Guerrant was looking forward to seeing his friends and family because he had not been home in a year. Yet, he had returned as part of the Confederate invasion in the fall of 1862 and did see friends and some family (he had failed to see his father.) Makes me wonder who really read the material. How about Grant's victory at Missionnary Ridge allowing the Federals to occupy Chattanooga? I thought that they were there already. Several footnotes refer to Federal soldiers as Yankees (I guess the 21st century still needs to catch up in some areas: this on a day when several "Yankee" soldiers have died in Iraq.) Given the competence of the editors and the price I say caveat emptor.

2 comments about A Texas Cavalry Officer's Civil War: The Diary And Letters Of James C. Bates.

1. In our family my great aunt was the keeper of this rare piece of glass pressed into a frame, not even as big as a deck of cards. It was the likeness of my great-great grandfather, a supposed captain in some Confederate unit, captured in an ambrotype, a primitive form of photograph. I peered at him as a child as he proudly gazed back at me from more than a century ago, his hat flamboyantly cocked, beard prominent, and pistols visible at his waist.

   We never knew what the war was like for him, the details of his life blurred by a sketchy oral tradition: Didn't know what he thought about the cause in which he was engaged; what he thought about his fellow soldiers; about the Union; about his family. We didn't know why he came back home to Arkansas, so we were told, in the middle of the war, only to die. Had he been wounded or taken ill? Had he deserted, or just walked away on a long odyssey home, as Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain soldier had?

   These past few days, though, have offered a vivid and authentic picture of how life must have been for my forebear. Richard Lowe, Regents Professor of History at the University of North Texas, pulled all the strands of that world together in this book.

   Captain, then Major, then Lieutenant Colonel Bates' letters and diary entries, along with Lowe's invaluable geographical markers and chronological waystations, give us a true picture of the trials -- physical, mental and emotional -- that must have weighed heavily on those young men in the maelstrom of war.

   Bates' own psyche tilts at the eternal and epic questions of Everyman's life and death throughout the book. In some letters, the young Bates playfully teases his future wife Mootie. In others, the darker hand of war and combat color his mind. His lightheartedness with Mootie stands out against the grisly accounts of terrible battles and revenge. In one he reports that his men "set a good many" former slaves who had gone over to the Union side "to stretching hemp," a euphemism for hanging.

   As Bates' letters and diaries continue throughout the war, his own accounts of rumors brought into his camp and his joy at optimistic accounts of victories reported leave us pitying his soul, for he knows not yet of the war's inexorable grinding on the Confederacy. Lowe's ample and informative historical notes and charts force us to twist privately in our seats as we read, unable from this vantage point to even vicariously enlighten or encourage Bates in his travels and battles through the Indian Territory, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

   Bates would hear of nothing to dampen the spirits of the Confederate cause, evidenced by a letter to his sister, a scalding scolding, after she had written to him a particularly depressing letter. "Why all this gloom," he asks. "You permit your imagination to conjure up a thousand dangers & difficulties & causes for trouble that have no existence in reality." Then, after a tub-thumping sermon on reasons for bearing up under the strain: "Make an effort to appear cheerful at all times - and making the effort to appear so will soon really make you feel so."

   Bates' optimism bears up even when he contemplates continuation of the war after the fall of Vicksburg and Atlanta.

   Analyses of the deeper reasons for the conflict pepper Bates' writings, based many times on his reading of letters and papers captured from Union soldiers. Then, as if it is all a joke, he relates a story of how the belligerents, negotiating in 1861, came to terrible disagreement over which side would take Mississippi. Abraham Lincoln, who in this tale really didn't want anything to do with Mississippi, reluctantly offers to take half, then precipitating the war, since the South could not bear to have only half. Bates despised Mississippi. On his second trip there, he was obliged to admit that his Confederate troops were treated better than before, the locals having got a dose of the Yankee medicine since his last visit, a medicine which he felt had taught them to respect the presence of their own Confederate troops.

   Bates' use of American slang still rings true in the ear today, with his talk of having the "blues" from time to time, but his prose is undeniably pristine and proper. His take on the ineptitude of Confederate leaders is poignant and his analysis of politics is deadly sharp.

   Possibly while on a visit back home, he, like so many soldiers in other conflicts, left a code with his friend Mootie, which allowed him to pass along information to her which could have compromised the troops' mission have it been general knowledge. Lowe includes the two instances of the code in use, along with a facsimile of the actual key used in deciphering. How exciting and intimate it must have been to think of passing along privileged information along to his future partner.

   Bates also follows the lead of many other soldiers, finding God, or "taking religion," after his brush with death and subsequent injury. He assures his mother that if he were to die, he would be reunited with her one day in the heavens.

   The war for Bates ended with his inability to return home for a while. He spent time wandering Mississippi, in all likelihood working through events that changed him from a young innocent to a vengeful, physically shattered man.

   Bates was lucky enough to have survived a minié ball wound to the mouth, and lived a productive life for some time after the war, unlike my "Captain," who died before the war was over. Even so, I, and many others who may have wondered about their forebear in their own carefully passed-along photo, now have something to go on, something that reveals the real world of a Confederate soldier, the hopes, the joys, the wrenching twists of morals and psyche.




2.  The day I learned of Richard Lowe's publication of the diary and letters of James C. Bates I ordered the book. I read Bates' diary and letters first then re-read the entire book. I was fascinated! In his letters, Bates reveals his feelings much more often than most Civil War soldiers. I have often wondered how he survived such a dreadful wound. His description of forcing a tube down his horridly damaged throat would make anyone cringe. I knew a descendant of James C. Bates had the major's Civil War papers, but I had no idea where to find that person. This book is a valuable contribution to the history of a band of brave and dedicated young men who deserve recognition. Their brigade, made up of the First Texas Legion, the Third, the Sixth, and the Ninth Texas Cavalry, is the only Texas cavalry brigade to serve east of the Mississippi. They were transferred from the TransMississippi to Corinth in April 1862 and remained in the Confederate West to the end of the war. In the Official Records they were known as the Texas Cavalry Brigade and later in the war as Ross's Cavalry Brigade. I have a special interest in the Ninth Texas Cavalry and would have paid a large ransom for Lowe's book a couple of years ago. I am elated to add it to my library. My mother remembered two uncles, Reuben and Jesse Rogers, who served with the Ninth. Her stories and a few old family records started my research on the regiment ten years ago. In January of this year Avon Books published my book about the Ninth and Ross's Brigade - All Afire to Fight - The Untold Tale of the Civil War's Ninth Texas Cavalry. See Amazon.com for description and reviews of All Afire to Fight.

1 comments about One of Lee's Best Men: The Civil War Letters of General William Dorsey Pender.

1. I have a great interest in the U.S. Civil War and I have read many books on it. You always here about the most notable generals like Lee, Jackson, Stuart, Grant, Sherman, etc.., but you hardly here of the lesser known ones like Pender. Being a North Carolinian, it is very gratifying to know that some great men and officers fought from your state. Pender was one of those men. In this book, his letters to his wife reveal his true character. He was a loving husband and father, a dedicated soldier, and a man of faith who believed himself to be very unworthy before God. As the war progresses, his letters become more mature and earnest in nature. He desires for an end to the war; to live to a good old age with his wife; and to see his children grow up. He is a strict disciplanarian as an officer and he soon earns the respect of his troops and his superiors including Lee and A.P. Hill. Just before Gettysburg, he is promated to the rank of major general at the age of 29 and fights gallantly on the first day. Unfortunately, he is wounded on the second day and dies a few weeks later. His death is mourned by his troops and especially by Lee and Hill. Pender was a promising officer who died to early in the war and at a very young age. His letters are heartfelt and very touching; a must read for anyone interested in Pender and great officers of the Civil War.

No comments about In and Out of Rebel Prisons (Collector's Library of the Civil War).

No comments about A Gentleman and an Officer: A Social and Military History of James B. Griffin's Civil War.

1 comments about Weren't No Good Times: Personal Accounts of Slavery in Alabama (Real Voices, Real History).

1. Compiled and edited by Horace Randall Williams, Weren't No Good Times is an anthology of 46 of the 125 interviews of former Alabama slaves, conducted from 1936 to 1938, presented with the express purpose of thoroughly documenting and creating a record of life during slavery in the southern state of Alabama. A powerful primary source, presenting individual voices with a loud and clear message of what slavery itself was truly like, Weren't No Good Times has the absolute highest recommendation and is a must for school and community libraries and American History and Black History reference collections and reading lists.

No comments about Randall Lee Gibson of Louisiana: Confederate General and New South Reformer (Southern Biography Series).

5 comments about Patriot Dreams: The Murder of Colonel Rich Higgins, USMC.

1. I remember reading about the murder of Col. Higgens and thinking at the time how awful and what risks the military took when they served in foreign countries. And, not to mention, how unappreciated they are. And, those who served or serve, can't depend on the support of those who sent them if something goes wrong. Patriot Dreams is a must read book. In fact, if the active military of all the services had any sense, they would jump all over Patriot Dreams for the families and make it standard reading; unfortunately, those in charge rarely see the obvious. Military families sacrifice in enormous ways and I often wonder why they choose to do it. And, Colonel Higgens is an example of what happens when a military man leaves for work in the morning and does not return. Soldiers, wives and families understand this but few in the civilian populace do. This is a wonderful book. Colonel Higgens himself is quite the inspiration. Then Lieutenant Higgins served in Vietnam in 1968 with C Company, 1st Battalion, 3d Marines as a rifle platoon platoon leader. This was a hard time in Vietnam and fighting was fierce as this was the year of the infamous TET offensive. Colonel Higgens was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat 'V' for heroism. It probably should have been much higher. I give him the Congressional Medal of Honor. Captain Higgins returned to Vietnam in 1972 as an Infantry Battalion Advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Corps and then as a rifle company commander with B Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines. By anyone's standards, Rich Higgens is a hero. Equally as important is the incredible devotion that his wife Robin had to him, both in life and in death. She did as a minimum double duty as a wife and fellow Marine. Wow! Semper Fi! This is a book that tells about it, the bureaucracy, the stupidity of government bureaurcrats, and the feelings of abandonment of good men. Every Vietnam vet can empathize with her. Many who gave their all to the country, to include their families, have experienced the feelings created by the government of having been used up and then tossed aside. Don't miss this reading and if you know someone in the military, get Patriot Dreams to them.



2. An easy to read book that captures the integrity of a military officer whose last tour of duty was to serve his country as a peacekeeper. He never made it home. The book, written by his wife, details the frustrations, the red tape and the longings of the heart, all of which become intertwined in her efforts to bring him home. Beautifully written.



3. One of the great privileges of my life was getting to know Rich and Robin Higgins when Rich was attending the National War College in the mid 1980s. Robin tells the story of their life together and the great tragedy of Rich's capture and assassination. What is equally powerful is how well Robin outlines the lessons learned. This book deserves a wide readership by those interested in the future of this country and the challenges we will face world-wide.



4. Let me be clear: by guts and loyalty, I mean Robin Higgins. I do *not* mean the leaders who, incredibly, abandoned her husband in his captivity.

   _Patriot Dreams_ is LTC Robin Higgins' story of the way she kept two oaths that she never imagined would be brought into conflict: her duty to her husband and her oath as an officer. What stands out about the book is the composure with which she writes about the topic, which gives voice to her determined but very mature and dignified efforts to obtain her husband's (an unarmed UN peacekeeper) release from brutal captivity. It's very likely to push the reader's buttons, not by design but by the nature of the topic, but you'll very likely come away with great respect for Robin Higgins. I did.

   Worth reading for anyone wishing to pay respect to two fine Colonels of Marines, for starters. It would also appeal to those who enjoy reading about true commitment in marriage. One other group, in my view, should give it a read: those who still maintain that women should be barred from combat military roles. I'm not taking a position on that topic here, but I do encourage this: if you feel that way, then read Robin Higgins' book, and then ask yourself if you'd want to be the one to tell her--and others of her calibre--she wasn't up to combat leadership, or for that matter if we can afford to exclude her brand of guts and loyalty from leadership in battle.




5. "Patriot Dreams" is the most gripping true story I have ever read, and I am a voracious reader. From the opening page, you will vicariously enter the inner world of Robin Higgins, and experience the tragic death of a true American hero.

   Rich Higgins was a Marine lieutenant-colonel who saw himself as a peacekeeper and a protector of the nation he loved. His duties in Lebanon required him to be unarmed, and he accepted those conditions as part of the job.

   Unfortunately, the Hezbollah did not respect his show of good faith. What happened to Rich and his ever-faithful wife, Robin, will give you the deepest understanding of the contemporary Middle East and the ineffectiveness of our government in protecting its citizens in that area.

   "Patriot Dreams" is written with an understated passion that sweeps the reader along; I was unable to put the book down until I finished the last word.

   Robin Higgins is an extraordinarly powerful writer. Her work combines the best features of a novel with a strong dose of reality therapy. You will be both wiser and better informed as a result of this read.

   The author was a student at North Shore High School when I taught there, and I can, without qualification, vouch for her good character and loyalty. When she introduced me to her husband, Rich Higgins in 1982, he was a major, and she was a captain. You would, as I did, recognize that he was a product of the best of our culture--strong but humane, highly intelligent without conceit, loyal without fanaticism.

   Rich Higgins will be mourned, but he must never be forgotten.

No comments about Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.