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Outwitting Forrest: The Tupelo Campaign in Mississippi, June 22-July 23, 1864. By Edwin C. Bearss, edited by David A. Powell. Maps, photographs, appendices, bibliography footnotes, index. 192 pp., 2023.
In 1969 the National Park Service commissioned Ed Bearss to conduct a study of the Battle Tupelo with the aim of improving interpretation at the battlefiel site in the small Mississippi city. The campaign that led up to the battle, and the battle itself, had theretofore received little attention. Bearss’s effor resulted in a superb account of the 1864 campaign and its effect on the course of the war. The study, entitled The Tupelo Campaign, was published by the U.S. Department of the Interior. However, as very few copies were printed, the work’s impact was small and the campaign remained largely unstudied for several more decades. Bearss, as most readers
our readers with timely icant Civil War research and
know, was a long-time National Park Service historian and a legendary figure in Civil War circles. Editor David Powell is a prolific historian, best known for his voluminous series on the Chickamauga Campaign. Powell’s editing touch was rather light. As he noted in the Foreword, “there was not much by way of dissenting scholarship and little new of discovery” since Bearss tackled the project over 50 years earlier. Powell’s additions fill in some blanks an offer biographical information o the many officers who populate Bearss’s narrative. Relying on the Official Record unit histories, and other source Bearss did a deep dive, a very deep dive. The study gives us a superb account of U.S. Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Smith’s expedition from Memphis into northeast Mississippi to chase down the Confederates under Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest. The aim was to cripple Forrest, or a least keep him so occupied he could not head east and threaten the railroad supplying Sherman’s huge armies in Georgia. Bearss’s study chronicles the movements of the opposing armies as they marched from place to place and shifted about in response to eac other’s movements. The reader gets a view of the broad battlescape and all the small particul as well, down to the regimental and company level. The pages of Outwitting Forrest overflow with information about every aspect o the Tupelo Campaign and provide insights about the nature of the Civil War and war in general.
In this campaign Forrest was n on his own, but was subordinate to Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee, who
commanded the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. As the Confederate
forces were stretched thin, Lee had to be ready to transfer troo to other areas threatened by the Federals. This need contributed to the decision to attack Smith July 14, even though the Federal were superior in number and held a strong defensive position Smith inflicted heavy losses on the troops under Lee and Forrest but still was forced to retreat when their ammunition ran low and the hungry men found that
Three chapters are devoted to Federal forces operating in othe parts of Mississippi, pinning down Confederate units which otherwise could have moved north to bolster Forrest’s effor just as Smith’s movement was intended to keep Forrest away from the rail lines supplying Sherman. There were many moving parts. This rich study is worthy of a close read, as the myriad detail matter. The work, of course, does not overlook the forest for the trees. Bearss explains the big picture and concisely states the reasons the campaign was important. “Smith’s mission was to keep Forrest’s corps from wrecking the single-track over which General Sherman supplied his ‘Army Group’ in northwest Georgia,” Bearss wrote, “and to destroy Forrest’s command as an effective combat unit.” Smith’s mission was a success. Forrest’s losses at Tupelo took a terrible toll. Four of his brigades were “slaughtered,” Bearss stated, and afterwards would never “be capable of mounting an effective assault on a Union position;” th cars supplying Sherman’s armies kept rolling through middle Tennessee and north Georgia.
Gould Hagler is a retired lobbyi living in Dunwoody, Ga. He is a past president of the Atlanta Civil War Round Table and the author of Georgia’s Confederate Monuments: In Honor of a Fallen Nation, published by Mercer University Press in 2014. Hagler has been a regular contributor to CWN since 2016. He email is
Culture Phenomenon The Civil War and Pop Culture-Favorite Stories and Fresh Perspectives from the Historians at Emerging Civil War. Chris Mackowski and Jon Tracey, Editors. Footnotes, Photos, Illustrations, Index.
This book, consisting of thir seven essays taken from the
how the Civil War has embraced, and at times, even influenced American popular culture. A wid range of subjects are presented dealing with films, television, art, music, literature, poetry, reenacting, and even video and college football games. Despite the diverse topics discussed there are two consist themes. The first is that many writers credit their interest i American Civil War with having seen or done something in one o the categories. The other is that the “golden age” of the Civil War as a pop culture phenomenon, which lasted throughout most of the 20th century is now gone. All the essays are good and well-arranged. They are general written in a conversational ton
as opposed to being strictly academic, and thus easy to read. The authors seem more interested in discussion and encouraging readers to think, rather than bei confrontational. As in any book of this nature, the reader will f some essays more interesting than others. For this reviewer, two essays
stood out. John M. Coski’s The Confederate Flag in Popular Culture points out that in the la
1940s, the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) called for an end to the “misuse” of Confederate flags. They were appalled by how the banner had become part of pop culture. South Carolina displayed a Confederate flag over its State House dome and later its grounds until 2015. The Palmetto State passed a resolution in 1958 condemning the sale and manufacturing of Confederate flag beach towels. That same year, urged by the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), the state’s General Assembly passed a series of laws making it illegal to manufacture or sell anything with a Confederate flag, except the flag itself. The other is Sarah Kay Bierle’ What if There Were No Civil War Epics, in which the author asks what if the films Gone With the Wind, Glory, Gettysburg, Lincoln, and the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War had never been made. The author here asks if would there have been as much interest in the war as there is today had these films never been made. She also asks what type of impact the lack of these films would have on Civil War scholarship, the preservation of battlefields, and Americans’ perceptions of the war. This an excellent book that will appeal not only to the casua Civil War buff but anyone with an interest in American pop culture.
Tom Elmore has written and lectured about films made in Hollywood’s “golden era.”
Bibliography, endnotes, index, 441 pp., Simon and Shuster,
General James Longstreet was Robert E. Lee’s “war horse” who stood by him until the final surrender at Appomattox. Raised in a pro-slavery secessionist
ideology, he fought to preserve that legacy during the war.
Utilizing a basic defensive strategy, because his Mexican War service taught him its value he sought to let the enemy strik his entrenched position and then
counterattack when they had been weakened. This strategic viewpoint led to his tactical disagreement with Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg, and his later criticism of the strategy of bot Lee and the Confederate high command, including President
Jefferson Davis. Furthermore, characterization of General Grant’s surrender terms as generous and incentivizing the
defeated Rebels to rebuild the South, began his descent into an acceptance of Radical Republican Reconstruction policies, which he felt were the surest path to
peace and prosperity. He felt these policies would also attrac badly needed Northern capital and technological expertise to
assist the South in reviving its economy. His praise for General Grant a his support of the Reconstructio amendments, including making African-Americans fully part of the body politic, began a decade long quest to answer his Souther critics who began questioning his war service and his rejectio of the Lost Cause deification of February 2024
Lee and Davis. His critics felt the moral correctness of the war and the Rebel cause was being
ridiculed by his adoption of Radical Republican policies. Likewise, his acceptance of a series of federal positions, dole out by Republicans, i.e. Adjutant General of the Louisiana State Militia, Commissioner the Board of Levees, Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue, Postmaster and U.S. Marshal for Northern Georgia, and Minister to the Ottoman Empire only fueled his detractors’ belief tha he sold out to Northern Radical Republicans for his own financial gain. The Democratic press castigated him for his support of Republican policies and his quest to support black participation in the South’s rebuilding. Yet, toda historians see his admiration for Northern industrialization and th potential it had for enhancing th South’s agricultural and industri base, as benefiting the South and setting the stage for America’s place as a world power. James Longstreet’s post war career exemplified his political
about-face, cementing reputation as a forward thinker
that could reflect 21st century America. Yet, his stature as a
Confederate hero was perhaps permanently damaged, motives impugned, and his
excellent job of not only tracing Longstreet’s career and contributions, but delves into the reasons for his actions, his justifications, and his desire to make a better life for all
Southerners. He was generally misunderstood and perhaps today
his wisdom might lend itself to solving many of America’s differences with race relations, states’ rights issues, and histor honesty. This book is highly
recommended for an unbiased look at the career of a Southern hero.
Emeritus at South Suburban College, and the author of numerous books and articles including Two Years Before
the Paddlewheel, Heroes and Rogues of the Civil War, They Saw The Elephant and The Last Civil War Scout. He is a frequent lecturer on the Civil War circuit
Lincoln’s Banner Regiment: The 107th New York Volunteer Infantry. By George R. Farr. Photos, maps, roster, chapter notes, bibliography, and index. 359 pp., 2023. McFarland
Researching the 107th New York Infantry has long been a labor of love for George Farr. ample research comes through in the pages of this book.
The 107th was the only regim to receive a regimental color f
the president; Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William H. Seward presented the flag to the regiment when they arrived Washington, DC. They were the first regiment to answer Lincol
call for 300,000 troops. The 10 never carried the color in batt
instead Secretary Seward kept i returning the flag to the regim after the war. Protecting the capital by manning some of the many
forts surrounding the city, the could hear sounds of the Battle of Second Bull Run from there.
They regretted not taking part in the fight, especially when they saw the wounded and dead returning to the capital after battle. The 107th became part of the Army of the Potomac in
time to take part in the Battle Antietam. There, although not actively engaged, they suffered significant number of casualtie mainly from artillery fire. At Fredericksburg, the 107th was not engaged. They did take part in the Mud March, although Farr does not make this fully clear. At Chancellorsville, the were again lightly involved nea
the Chancellor House (Farr call it the Chancellorsville House). Gettysburg, they held a positio on Culp’s Hill but, again, were only lightly engaged. Careless editing here makes it seem that Pickett’s Charge took place on July 4th. After Gettysburg, the 107th was sent west to take part in the Chattanooga and Atlanta Campaigns. At New Hope Church they experienced their most severe losses in the war. They were among the first troops to enter Atlanta after t Confederates abandoned it. Thei final duties were in General Sherman’s March to the Sea and through the Carolinas. This account is especially valuable. In this reviewer’s opinion, Farr incorporates too much of his research in the pages of this book. I enjoyed Lincoln’s
Civil War Ne 2800 Scenic Dr, Suite 4 P Blue Ridge, GA 30513
392 page, full-color book, Civil War Artillery Projectil
Banner Regiment b were instances wh the more detailed was not required. quotes letters an accounts verbatim have been better Not for the casua book will prove i anyone interested the 107th New Yor course, genealogi with an ancestor sure to find them the book or in th
Robert L. Durham, writer, is retire Logistics Agency specialist. His a published in many publications. A l buff, he recently college for a bac in history.
t felt ther re much of information He often newspaper when it may o paraphras reader, th valuable fo specificall Infantry. ts, or ever n the 107th in the page roster.
a freelance from the D s a compute ticles have historical fe-long his went back t elor’s degr
A Significant Account of the Battle of Stones River Force of a Cyclone: The Battle of Stones Riv December 31, 1862 – January 2, 1863. By Caroline Ann Davis and Robert M Dunkerly. Photos, maps, appendices, order of bat and suggested reading. 171
Force of a Cyclone is a new volume in Savas Beatie’s Emerging Civil War series. The series provides an overview of some of the Civil War’s more important battles. Davis and Dunkerly have done a masterful job of bringing the Battle of Stones River to life. Their bo is much more than an overview; in 171 pages they provide all the information required for understanding the Battle of Stones River. Their book tells the story the campaign and battle from its beginnings in plans for a campaign laid in Washington, Richmond, Nashville, a Murfreesboro. General Braxton
Bragg, the Confederate general commanding the Army of Tennessee, sat on the defensiv
in Murfreesboro, Tenn., in December 1862 as winter closed in. He did not expect a aggressive push from Nashville over the winter season. Genera William Rosecrans, the Union general in Nashville, found himself under pressure from th Washington administration to move against Bragg’s army.
Rosecrans began the Stones River campaign by advancing
from Nashville towa Murfreesboro. By the morning
of December 31, the Northern and Southern armies faced each other west of Murfreesboro. Bo
generals had the same battle plan turning the other’s right flank. The Confederates struck first. The Rebel assault pushed the Union right flank back until it almost doubled against their left flank, like a folding jack knife. The Yankees moved desperately to patch together a position that would protect their supply line to Nashville from being cut. They were successful and the Confederate attack burned itself out by the end of the day. Both sides spent New Years Day recovering from the first day’s fighting and planning for the nex day. On January 2, Bragg sent his right flank fighters, among them the famous Kentucky Orphan Brigade, against Rosecrans’ left. The attack failed and the Battle of Stones River ended in a draw, but Bragg retreated the next day to Tullahoma, Tenn., to await Rosecrans’ next move. Davis and Dunkerly do an excellent job of telling the stor of the Stones River campaign and battle. One thing I missed were footnotes; they incorporate many quotations within the book, and it would be helpful for other researchers if the sources of tho quotes were made available. However, that is a small caveat for an outstanding book. Some of my favorites in this work are that they include accounts of the cavalry activity, something often neglec in battle studies. Another is their “Touring the Battlefield” appendix. I have visited Stones River on several occasions and cannot wait to visit again with m copy of this book in tow. I recommend this book for anyone desiring knowledge on Stones River. Even those who have read other books on this battle will find useful informati
Robert L. Durham is retired from the Defense Logistics Agency
and is now a freelance writer. Many of his articles have been published in various historical publications. A life-long history buff, he recently went back to college for a bachelor’s degree in history.
Blue-Clad Troopers on Campaign in Far Away Oregon Agents of Empire: The First Oregon Cavalry and the Opening of the Interior Pacific Northwest during the Civil War. By James Robbins Jewell. 17 photographs, 2 illustrations 7 maps, notes, index, 356 pp., University of Nebraska Press,
Armchair generals and casual readers alike tend to think of eastern or southern states like Virginia and Tennessee when pondering the great battles and campaigns of the Civil War. Distant lands like the Pacific Northwest often make barely a ripple. Moreover, quite a few readers are not even aware that then-new free state like Oregon even had any blue- or gray-clad soldiers whatsoever. Yet in his meticulously researched new work titled Agents of Empire, author James Robbins Jewell shows us how the Civil War was far more transcontinental than previously considered. Jewell’s work centers around
Cavalry, an all-volunteer unit formed in early 1862 following the regular army’s 1861 departu from the Pacific Northwest to the seat of war in the east. It initial need was clear to Orego political leaders and pro-Union residents; to address concerns over the supposed presence of Confederate “Copperhead”
sympathizers who, it was feared, might attempt to aid th
Southern states from afar given the military vacuum that now
existed in Oregon. After all, t contentious 1860 presidential
election revealed deep politica divisions among Oregon’s small
Jewell’s analysis of these soc and home front concerns is what makes his work more than a traditional regimental history. F example, Jewell illustrates how recruiting men to serve in the unit was difficult given that the state held only 27,000 men of all ages. Seasonal weather and travel difficulties also added to the challenge with the result being that the regiment never reached its fully desired complement of ten companies totaling roughly 1,000 men. In spite of such secessionist fears and challenges, making Oregon safe for white settlers and emigrant migration was how the First Oregon Volunteer Cavalry eventually contributed to the Union’s war effort. Rather than chasing gray-clad Rebels, the Oregonians primary nemesis became the so-called “Snake Indians,” a term commonly used to describe members of the Northern Paiutes, Bannocks, and Northern Shoshone tribes. The unit functioned more like antebellum forces in the west, never concentrated in one place; its various companies were stationed at a variety of forts and encampments from northcentral Oregon and southeastern Washington Territory down to southern Idaho territory. Pressur to retain men close to the home front for civic protection also contributed to the company- or squadron-sized nature of forces in the field for as Jewell points out, there were never any other mounted forces stationed in Oregon during the entire war. The author explains in detail much of the campaigning along Oregon’s modern borders with Idaho, Nevada, and California.
Later in the war, the regiment also worked in unison with the Washington Territory’s own volunteer infantry regiment and later the First Oregon Infantry This is not the author’s firs foray into Oregon and the First Oregon Cavalry. Jewell’s 2018 book titled, On Duty in the Pacific Northwest during the Civil War: Correspondence and Reminiscences of the First Oreg Cavalry Regiment, presented a series of wartime letters and post-war reminiscences by the regiment’s soldiers and officer That collection of primary sources served as a proper bookend to this new work in telling this heretofore obscure regiment’s tale. Recruited by the same Union government that faced off against Confederate forces in the east, the men of the First Oregon Cavalry did indeed make their contribution to the Union cause. By serving primarily as the military wing of the federa government’s desire to quicken economic development and white expansion in eastern Oregon, th helped to lay the groundwork in transforming Oregon from a pre-war frontier to a nationa growth contributor in the postw decades. By so doing, the First Oregon Volunteer Cavalry was at the juncture of Civil War nationalism, Pacific Northwest, and westward migration history.
Paul Taylor is an award-winning author of eight books pertainin to the Civil War era. His newes book is titled ’Tis Not Our War Avoiding Military Service in the Civil War North and will be published by Stackpole Books in spring 2024.
the Historians at Emerging Civil War. Edited by Dwight Sturtevant Hughes and Chris Mackowski,. Editor’s notes, acknowledgements, postscript, contributor’s notes, drawings, maps, photographs, index, 305
The Editor’s Note to this volume begins: “Emerging Civil War serves as a public- histor oriented platform for sharing original scholarship related t the American Civil War.” The Emerging Civil War project has been underway for some 10 year
now and features a blog, month podcasts, academic publication and an annual symposium
at Stevenson Ridge, Va. To celebrate the Tenth Anniversar
of Emerging Civil War, Savas Beatie is releasing a number o thematic volumes containing scholarship and writings on various Civil War topics. The Civil War on the Water contain
45 short essays related to the Civil War at sea, in harbor, o
rivers and on the beaches. The essays are basically in chronological order and cover most areas and theaters of the Civil War afloat. Among them a essays on greater and lesser s
Memphis, Tennessee, June 6th, 1862;” and “Charles ‘Savez’ Read and the Battle of Portland
Harbor;”); greater and lesser la battles (“Ships versus Forts 186 Off to the Races;” and “Burnside Sand March; The North Carolina Amphibious Expedition”), and vessels (“Attrition Rates of Cit Class Ironclads;” and “Loss of the USS Monitor”). There is something for everyone. Readers who served in the US Marine Corps will be happy with “The Leathernecks of 1861.” Those readers who served in the US Coast Guard will find “Perpetual Beacons? Lighthouses in the Civil War” interesting. U Naval Academy grads will enjoy “The U.S. Naval Academy: Coming of Age for the Civil War.” Submariners will like “The Civil War Submarine in the Littl Free Library.” Probably the most obscure Civi
War topic covered is in “World on Fire: Confederates on the Far Side.” While burning US whalers in Pohnpei Harbor, now part of t Federated States of Micronesia, the CSS Shenandoah’s Captain
James Waddell visited the local chieftain, and as the author wri “the Confederacy, three days after Appomattox, achieved its primary foreign policy objective recognition and offer of assista by a foreign power.” The Civil War on the Water
is another fine publication in the Emerging Civil War series
and continues that series’ high standards of scholarship, interesting and varied topics,
and readability. It is highly recommended to those with an especial interest in the Civil W afloat, as well as those who wan some different reading about the Civil War.
Civil War buff with a special interest in Civil War naval hist
and the Civil War in the West. H is a retired USCG officer and a licensed officer of the Merchant Marine, currently self-employed as a marine surveyor and marine accident investigator in
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