Civil War Times Illustrated, March-April 2006

The March/April 2006 issue is the next issue of Civil
War Times Illustrated
that I’ll be reviewing for this blog. Civil
War Times Illustrated tends to cover more of the social and political
aspects of the war than the other magazines, and I’ve learned to appreciate
it as one of the main sources for furthering the understanding of the
Civil War in these areas. In this month’s issue, articles include a look
at the myths and realities of George Custer, Appomattox parole slips as
souvenirs, how the destruction of the USS Mound City ruined a
Yankee offensive, and a look at the Dred Scott decision.
Page 8
Turning Points: ‘Go West, Young Man’ by Jeffry
D. Wert

The Homestead Act, legislation that allowed those who qualified to
pay an $18 fee and receive 160 acres of land in return with a few other
qulaifications, was passed in 1862. Interestingly, similar legislation
had failed to go into effect due to the Southern belief that it was
meant to create more free states. Once the Civil War started, opposition
was nonexistent, and the bill was signed into law.

Page 10
Gallery: A 100-Days Soldier submitted by Thomas
A. Ware
Tom Ware was 34 years old in May 1864, and he left his Ohio home to
join the 149th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in response to a call for 100 day
men by Lincoln. Ware and his regiment joined Lew Wallace’s VIII Corps
in Baltimore and Annapolis, and they soon found themselves involved in
the Battle of Monocacy. Ware’s regiment and others faced off against Robert
Rodes’ veteran Confederate Division. Ordered to hold a bridge on the northern
end of the field, the 149th Ohio fought until forced to retreat, and men
scattered in all directions. Ware was reported missing in action, but
he and many others later reported back to their regiment. Ware returned
home to Frankfort, Ohio, and lived until 1907.
Page 12
Living in the Past: One For The Books by Tom
Huntington
Tom Huntington points out that books see a boom in times of war. From
popular European authors such as victor Hugo to Beadle’s Dime Novels,
books were present and affordable in large numbers.
Page 16
School of the Soldier: ‘The Grayback’ by Eric
Ethier

Lice were present in large numbers during the Civil War. Personal hygiene
was far less than what we see today, and the tough conditions along
with only one set of clothes led to fertile breeding grounds for the
pesky insects. As the war wore on, soldiers came up with many means
for removing the critters, some more effective than others.

Page 18
My War: Dead Horses In Sheridan’s Ashes by Jeanette Cabell Coley
William Daniel Cabell kept a diary of some of his actions in 1864 in
the Shenandoah Valley during Sheridan’s “burning”. Among other
things, he was involved in some semi-guerrilla activities trying to slow
Sheridan’s men down.
Page 22
Custer: Boy Wonder Under Arms by Jeffry D. Wert
Custer biographer Jeffry Wert attempts to peel away some of the romanticized
images of Custer to describe the real man behind the legend. In this article,
he covers Custer’s time at West Point, where he finished dead last and
seemed unconcerned that he did so, and his Civil War service. Custer started
out first as a member of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry, and later served on McClellan’s
staff. His fame came as a result of being appointed to lead the Michigan
Brigade of cavalry in the Army of the Potomac. Custer, determined to prove
his worth, routinely led from the front. Eventually he commanded the 3rd
Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac. Wert concludes by saying that Little
Bighorn has tarnished Custer’s reputation, which shined brightly by April
1865. For further reading, CWTI recommends either Wert’s Custer
or Gregory Urwin’s Custer
Victorious
.
Page 30
The Deadliest Shot by Donald Barnhart, Jr.
Barnhart here covers the June 1862 expedition up the White River in
Arkansas. Commander Augustus Kilty of the USS Mound City, one
of James Eads’ ironclads (aka “Pook’s Turtles”), led the expedition.
His purpose was to supply Samuel Curtis’ Union Army, then making its way
south into eastern Arkansas. Accompanying him were the USS St. Louis,
a sister ship of the Mound City, the timberclads Conestoga
and Lexington, the tugboat Spiteful, and a troop convoy
transporting the 46th Indiana. On June 17, 1862, the convoy reached St.
Charles, Arkansas, about 100 miles from where the White intersects the
Mississippi. The 46th Indiana and the gunboats were able to drive off
one battery covering the town, but the Mound City steamed ahead
to take on a second battery. As the ship steamed forward, disaster struck.
A Confederate shell penetrated the ironclad and hit a steam drum. Scalding
steam burst forth and blanketed men, killing many and sending those near
hatches diving to escape. This essentially ended the action, but there
was some controversy over whether or not the Confederates fired on wounded
Yankee sailors struggling in the river. This “deadliest shot”
caused Curtis to abandon the notion of the White River as a supply line.
Instead he moved southeast to Helena.
Page 38
‘A Priceless Legacy’: Examing the Appomattox Parole by Gregory
A. Coco
Gettysburg NMP park ranger Gregory Coco here examines the importance
a simple scrap of paper had to many Confederate veterans after the war.
These scraps, printed quickly and handed out haphazardly, came to symbolize
their owners’ devotion to the cause. Men who did not have a parole slip
were forced to explain themselves, conceal that fact, or face the stigma
of being known as a deserter. In addition, these passes offered safe passage
for soldiers returning home, and also allowed them to draw rations from
Yankee supply sources. In a rather unique article, Coco also briefly discussed
the differences in the appearance of the various Appomattox passes.
Page 46
The Lawsuit That Started The Civil War by Gregory J. Wallance
Dred Scott filed “The Lawsuit That Started The Civil War”, according to
author Gregory J. Wallance. The author argues that the country was a
tinderbox just waiting for a match, and Chief Justice Roger B. Taney’s
decision in the Dred Scott case was just such a match. Wallance covers
the background of the case, and also of Taney’s personal tragedy not
long before the case was decided. In his decision, Taney not only
upheld a decision by the Missouri Supreme Court to overturn what had
been law concerning slaves taken to live in free states becoming free,
but also declared that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional.
Page 54
In Their Footsteps: The Road To Appomattox by Jay Wertz
Jay Wertz takes readers on a tour of the roads Lee’s army took from
Richmond and Petersburg following fighting of April 2 near those cities.
Among the topics are the Sailor’s Creek battlefield, and of course the
sites in the little town of Appomattox Court House.
Page 62
Reviews: Books and Other Media
1. Confederate
Emancipation : Southern Plans to Free and Arm Slaves during the Civil War

by Bruce Levine
2. A
People’s History of the Civil War: Struggles for the Meaning of Freedom

by David Williams
3. Kearny’s
Own: The History of the First New Jersey Brigade in the Civil War
by
Bradley M. Gottfried
4. Team
of Rivals : The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
5. Four
Years in the Stonewall Brigade
by John O. Casler
Page 66
Civil War Times Album of the Late War
This version of “Album of the Late War” includes
topics as diverse as Libbie Custer, a rat terrier as a regimental pet,
and newspaper correspondents.
Page 74
Frozen Moment: Henry House Hill
A picture of the demolished Henry House is the forzen moment of this
issue. Although the First Battle of Manassas was a great southern victory,
it destroyed one southern family’s lives forever. The family matriarch,
Judith, would die as a result of wounds suffered from Union artillery,
and the house itself was destroyed. Mrs. Henry’s son rebuilt the house
in the 1870’s.

Check out Beyond the Crater: The Petersburg Campaign Online for the latest on the Siege of Petersburg!


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