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Fields of Glory: A History and Tour Guide of the War in the West, the Atlanta Campaign, 1864,  Second Edition

By Jim Miles

It can be fun traveling in the footsteps of history.  In fact there has been a recent upswing in “Heritage Tourism,” and with the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War quickly approaching I can only imagine the number of heritage tourists is only going to grow.  Though guided tours are great, they are often prohibitively expensive for the average tourist.  Besides, I would rather invest a small amount of money and buy a great guide book, follow the footprints of history at my own leisurely pace.

“The Civil War Explorer” is a terrific series of guidebooks written by Jim Miles published by Cumberland House Publishing of Nashville.  Among the series’ titles is “Fields of Glory: A History and Tour Guide of the War in the West, The Atlanta Campaign, 1864,” which is currently in its second edition.

“Fields of Glory” traces the route of Sherman’s campaign and capture of Atlanta.  Mr. Miles has broken the tour up into several easily manageable sections: Ringgold to Dalton, Tilton & Resaca, from Adairsville to Cassville, Cartersville to Pickett’s Mill, Kennesaw Mountain, from Roswell to Peach Tree Creek, and finally a tour of Atlanta and Jonesboro.

Introducing each section of the tour is a historical overview which puts the sites to which he will eventually guide his readers into their proper historical context.  Once you climb in the car with Mr. Miles book as a guide (I highly recommend taking another person along with you to act as a navigator) there detailed turn by turn instructions to take you to the tour stops.  Along the way, Mr. Miles has supplemented his text with several thumbnail, biographical sketches covering many of the most prominent players in the drama unfolding before you.  Not only does Mr. Miles take his readers to all of the must see places, but also he takes them off the beaten path to see things that many casual tourists may miss.

Any one who buys Mr. Miles book is getting two tours for the price of one, as also covered in the book are many sites related to “The Great Locomotive Chase” detailed by Russell Bonds in his book “Stealing the General.”

Mr. Miles’ book serves as a great companion book to two other recent books about the Campaign and battles for Atlanta, “The Bonfire” by Marc Wortman and “War Like the Thunder Bolt,” another book by Russell Bonds.  

“Fields of Glory” is a must have for every heritage tourist who finds him or herself in Northwestern Georgia.  You can easily cover a section or two of the tour in a day, but if you would like to take the whole tour, and see everything, I would highly suggest scheduling a week of vacation, as you will most surely need it.

ISBN 1-58182-256-1, Cumberland House Publishing, © 2002, 10” x 8” Paperback, 240 pages, Photographs, Illustrations, Maps, Appendices, Bibliography & Index, $16.95

145 Years Ago February 1865

By James W. Durney

• Illinois becomes the first state to ratify the 13^th Amendment abolishing slavery on the first.

• Sherman’s army of 62,000 starts north from Savannah.  O.O. Howard and Henry W. Slocum command a wing.  Hugh Kilpatrick commands the cavalry.

• On the third, Abraham Lincoln and Secretary William H. Seward meet with Confederate Vice-President Alexander H. Stevens, John A. Campbell and Robert M. T. Hunter meet on a ship in Hampton Roads to discuss peace.  Lincoln will only consider surrender and Stevens will only consider independence as the meeting falls apart.

• Starting on the fifth, Grant’s forces attack along the Boydton Plank Road in an effort to extend the line westward cutting vital supply lines.

• In Richmond, John C. Breckinridge is the new Secretary of War and Robert E. Lee becomes General in Chief.

• On the ninth, President Davis enacts a pardon for any deserter who reports to their unit within 30 days.

• John M. Schofield’s XXIII Corps deploys at Fort Fisher and starts operations in that area.

• On the 11^th, Sherman’s army has cut the railroad between Augusta and Charleston reinforcements cannot reach the city.  William J. Hardee is convinced that Charleston is Sherman’s objective.

• On February 12, 1865, the Electoral College elects Abraham Lincoln President 212 to 21.  The last President to be reelected was Andy Jackson in 1836.

• England expresses “unease” over the American naval buildup on the Great lakes.  The government says is in response to the St. Albans raid mounted from Canada.

• On the 14^th, Sherman’s army crosses the Congaree River advancing on Columbia, the city surrenders on the 17th.  Two-thirds of the city is destroyed in a fire set by retreating CSA and advancing USA forces.

• On the 18^th, forces under Alexander Schimmelfenning occupy Charleston.

• On the 20^th, the Confederate House of Representatives approves the enlistment of slaves as soldiers.  Opposition will delay this measure.  Having completed the destruction of military targets in Columbia, Sherman makes Goldsborough his next objective.

• Braxton Bragg orders Willington evacuated on the 21^st as Union troops reach the southwestern edge of the city.  On the same day, Robert E. Lee informs Richmond that maintaining communications with the army facing Sherman is the priority.  If necessary, he will abandon the city.

• On the 25^th, Joseph T. Johnston resumes command of the approximately 25,000 men that make up the Army of Tennessee.

• Philip H. Sheridan and Wesley Merritt take 10,000 men into the Shenandoah Valley to cut the Virginia Central Railroad and the James River Canal.

• Nathan Bedford Forrest is promoted to lieutenant general on the 28^th.

150 Years Ago January 1860

• Congress is contentious!  After 44 ballots, the Democrats elect William F. Pennington Speaker of the House.  This only happens when John Sherman withdraws his candidacy.

• In the Senate Jefferson Davis introduces resolutions defending slavery in the states and in the territories.  This is in addition to guarantees the return of fugitive slaves to their owners.

• Speaking at Cooper Union, in New York City, Abraham Lincoln sets forth his position on popular sovereignty, slavery and the expansion of slavery.  Lincoln tries to be conciliatory and reassuring toward Southerners.  Lincoln’s Copper Union Address is a major step toward his nomination.

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Check out Beyond the Crater: The Petersburg Campaign Online!

Check out Brett’s list of the Top 10 Civil War Blogs!

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I recently received an email from Anita Collins, whose daughter is in a New Jersey Girl Scout Troup.  The girls received a large collection of Civil War magazines that they had planned to donate to a local nursing home, but the nursing home already had plenty of magazines.  At that point, Anita contacted TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog asking how best to sell these items.  The girls plan to use the money raised to visit a historical site, a very worthy cause.  Luckily for you, I asked Anita to give TOCWOC readers first shot at purchasing the magazines.  Anita’s email and magazine listings follow.  If you’re interested in purchasing one, some, or even all of these, leave a comment below and I’ll get you into contact with her.

Dear Brett,

Thank you for this opportunity to connect with TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog.

Two Girl Scout Cadettes in NJ are trying to achieve their Silver Award (similar to steps toward a Boy Scout Eagle Award). Their community service project is to help improve the lives of residents in a Morris County nursing home.

A local history teacher donated his collection of civil war magazines to the girls, but the nursing home said they have enough magazines. The girls decided to use this opportunity to raise money for the troop to go on a historic site field trip by selling the magazines to Civil War history enthusiasts.

Can TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog readers help?

The magazines are in excellent condition and were well cared for. If there was a page crease noticed, we said the condition was very good.

Attached are the list of magazines we have for sale including Blue and Gray, America’s Civil War, and Civil War Times Illustrated.

Thanks for your help!

Anita

Click more to see the full list.  Indicate your interest in the comments.  First come, first served!  Let’s help these Girl Scouts learn more about our nation’s history!

[Read more →]

Eric Wittenberg scored a coup in Like A Meteor Blazing Brightly by finding a letter from former Confederate John Mosby about meeting Col. Isaac Wistar after the war. Wistar confirmed to Mosby the truth of the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren’s raid’s purpose—assassination—which he’d heard from Judson Kilpatrick himself. Wistar also claimed to have been ordered to do the same thing by Ben Butler but refused. Since there was only one Wistar expedition, it’s a good bet that Butler broached this for the abortive raid Wistar led in early February 1864.

This revelation not only serves as further confirmation of the truth of the Dahlgren papers, it also underscores the requirement to choose the right men to lead the expedition. This was the nineteenth century, after all, when honor and gallantry still mattered. Not just anyone could be trusted to fulfill its real purpose, which merits a close look at the men who did lead it. Judson Kilpatrick, in spite of being a West Point grad, was a scoundrel and everyone knew it. Ambitious and ruthless, “Kill-Cavalry” would stick at nothing, and as such he was chosen directly by the national command authority in Washington, outside the normal chain of command.

But what about the raid’s other leader, young Ulric Dahlgren? Wittenberg does an excellent job of showing how this boy colonel had unprecedented access to the president, a close friend of his father, and how this helped his career as it did that of his father. How did Admiral John Dahlgren, a technician who had no previous command experience, end up in charge of the Union naval effort at Charleston? Certainly his friendship with Lincoln didn’t hurt, and like the raid on Richmond it could have been a pivotal campaign that would have ensured his fame by capturing the seat of the rebellion. As for young  Ulric, his daring was well known, but he also had a streak of ruthlessness about him, which he showed in full measure when he lynched his Negro guide for giving him the wrong information. He was not a professional soldier, and was also well outside the normal social and command channels of the Army of the Potomac, and much closer to those in Washington, which made him less likely to be affected by ideas of “honorable” warfare and more likely to do what the president really wanted.

In short, I can think of no other reason that Ulric Dahlgren got the job other than his closeness to President Lincoln. It’s about as near as you’re going to get to a smoking gun implicating Old Abe in the plot. Kilpatrick almost certainly did not ask for him, and he had no particular connection with Stanton. But Lincoln knew him very well.

Unfortunately the result of these choices was disastrous operationally. Like the unsuccessful Desert One rescue attempt in Iran, the raid failed in large part because it was attempted with a cobbled-together force led by unfamiliar leaders.

More to come. Previous posts here and here.

Check out Beyond the Crater: The Petersburg Campaign Online!

Check out Brett’s list of the Top 10 Civil War Blogs!

Read many Civil War Book Reviews here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog!

Did you enjoy this blog entry?  Subscribe to TOCWOC’s RSS feed today!

Please consider using the ShareThis feature below to spread the word.

I got a card from Indiana University Press about a one-day sale that I’ll pass on to TOCWOC readers. For one day, February 17, all books will be 60% off!

All you need do is enter the code SIXTY at checkout to get this steep discount.

IUP has books on the Civil War and on Military History generally. It’s certainly worth a look to add to your library.

The Civil War community here in Western NC has been saddened by the passing of Dr. Richard Iobst, a long-time member of the Western North Carolina Civil War Round Table. Although best known for his history of the Sixth North Carolina, The Bloody Sixth, he was also an authority on Will Thomas, the commander of the Thomas Legion.

WNCCWRT president Carrie Kirkman wrote a fine obituary, which appeared in the newsletter and which I post here with her permission.

What a pleasure it was to know Dick Iobst, a charter member of the Round Table and our first treasurer, Dick was a willing worker and a supportive member of our new organization. And through the years he continued to bring his vast knowledge of the civil war period to our meetings, tours and symposia. He was, as his son Carl noted in his excellent eulogy, a man who loved history. He brought his encyclopedic knowledge to our meetings where he challenged our speakers. And to the many tours he attended and led, he brought a constant stream of facts that thoroughly engaged fellow participants. There is no one who knew more about William Holland Thomas and it was fascinating to hear him relate stories of this local hero. From his regimental history of the 6th NC “The Bloody Sixth” to his final definitive tome on “Civil War Macon” he was a master of facts both great and small. Yet while challenging speakers and Round Table members alike, I never heard him be anything but a gentleman. He was an old school professor. Never rebuking or condescending, he was more apt to say ‘here is what I know about this…let’s talk.” He knew what a fan of General Longstreet I was and he loved to tell how once upon a time he had escorted the general’s widow on a tour. Imagine that! We knew someone who knew a Civil War General’s wife…personally!! Another link to the past is lost. I’m so glad Dick Iobst was in our lives. We will miss him. It was a pleasure to know him.

Lincoln and the Sioux Uprising of 1862

By Hank H. Cox

For four young Sioux men returning home from an unsuccessful hunting trip August 17, 1862 was a day just like any other in Southwestern Minnesota. But what started as an ordinary Sunday ended in tragedy when juvenile taunts lead to the slaying of a number of white settlers that afternoon and ignited a rebellion of the Sioux and ended in the largest mass execution in American history.

If you’ve never heard of the Sioux Uprising of 1862 you are not alone. Had it not happened during the cataclysmic events of the American Civil War, it would surely be as well known as the Battle of Little Bighorn. But American attention was diverted elsewhere to the South and East. For many white and black Americans, the Indians on the western frontier were not a going concern.

Since the close of the Civil War tens of thousands of books have been written about the war and its participants, and few of them mention the bloody events which occurred in Southwestern Minnesota during the late summer and early fall of 1862. If they do at all, it is only a passing mention. It was David Donald’s mentioning of this episode of American history in his biography of Abraham Lincoln that caught the attention of author Henry H. Cox. His book, Lincoln and the Sioux Uprising of 1862, attempts to fill this historical void.

Mr. Cox has written an entertaining and easily read narrative of the Sioux uprising, alternating between events in Minnesota and juxtaposing them against those of Washington and the battlefields to the south and east. The author early on points out the injustices done to the Native Americans, the broken treaties, the late payments, and corrupt agents, and though that does not justify the Indians’ actions it does help illuminate their feelings of mistrust and betrayal towards the white settlers and the United States government.

Though Mr. Cox’s narrative is engaging to read his book is not without its share of problems. Primarily among them is the complete lack of either footnotes or endnotes. Without proper noting it is impossible for readers to track back and verify sources of a particular piece of information. Glancing at his skimpy bibliography, it appears that Mr. Cox has gathered most of his information from secondary sources. One extraordinary title listed in his bibliography is Gore Vidal’s “Lincoln,” a novel, which surely leads to a credibility issue.

Secondly the book’s bias is heavily tilted toward the white settlers, he seems to have lifted descriptions of the Native Americans directly from the accounts of the white survivors, though judging from his bibliography, it’s more likely that he pulled those references from only secondary sources. At least once he uses the politically incorrect “squaw” to describe a Native American woman. He also tends to lean to the sensational, mentioning several times an episode that he claims to be the largest and most prolonged gang rape in American history with no supporting evidence or documentation of the event. There is no Native American viewpoint to counter balance that of the white settlers.

Mr. Cox does a great job painting a larger picture of the events transpiring in the United States, explaining the difficulties and political realities President Lincoln faced during the summer and fall of 1862, but by presenting information about those events, as well as the political mechanizations in Washington, D.C., he spends too much time away from the events in Minnesota, resulting in the obfuscation of his subject matter.

John Pope was sent to put down the Indian insurrection in Minnesota, and judging from Mr. Cox’s work, doesn’t seem to have done much to bring the conflict to an end. Rather, he gives credit to ending the conflict to the local troops garrisoned in the forts in the area. When the rebellion was ended, 303 Native Americans found themselves in the custody of Federal Troops and condemned to be executed for their crimes. It was only through the direct intervention of President Lincoln who, at great political peril, prevented General Pope from executing them all. In the end he sentenced 38 Native Americans to be executed for their part in the uprising.

With Lincoln and the Sioux Uprising of 1862, Hank Cox does an admirable job of bringing to public attention this little known historical event. It is a great starting place for someone interested in this topic, but by no means, should this book be the only book one should read.

ISBN 1-58182-457-2, Cumberland House Publishing, © 2005, Paperback, 242 pages, Appendix, Bibliography & Index. $14.95

Check out Beyond the Crater: The Petersburg Campaign Online!

Check out Brett’s list of the Top 10 Civil War Blogs!

Read many Civil War Book Reviews here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog!

Did you enjoy this blog entry?  Subscribe to TOCWOC’s RSS feed today!

Please consider using the ShareThis feature below to spread the word.