U.S. Civil War FAQ, Part 1/2
Justin M. Sanders
Posting-frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 2002/3/19
Version: 9.11
U.S. Civil War FAQ v9.11 (19 Mar 2002)
This is part 1 (of 2) of a collection of answers to frequently asked
questions (and some not-so-frequently, too!) about the Civil War. It is
posted on or about the 20th of each month. It was compiled by Justin M.
Sanders (jsan...@jaguar1.usouthal.edu) who tried to be as complete and
accurate as possible, but who is definitely human and has probably made
several errors.
Please send comments, suggestions, or corrections to the address above.
The topics covered are (a plus means a new entry, an asterisk means a
revised entry):
---Part 1---
Section 0: alt.war.civil.usa, soc.history.war.us-civil-war, and net stuff
*Q0.1: What are these groups anyway?
*Q0.2: Are the FAQ and Reading List archived somewhere?
*Q0.3: Where can I find Civil War images, documents, and so
forth on-line?
Section 1: Secession and the beginning of the War
Q1.1: When did state X secede?
Q1.2: Was there a declaration of war or something?
Q1.3: Was Texas given a right to secede by the Treaty of Annexation
that brought it into the Union?
Q1.4: Did the Supreme Court ever rule on the legality of secession?
Q1.5: What were the populations of the states at the outbreak of
the war?
Section 2: Battles and fighting forces
Q2.1: What are the alternative names of various battles?
Q2.2: Who were the U.S. Generals at the outbreak of the war, and
who were the first Generals appointed after the war began?
Q2.3: Who were the first C.S. Generals appointed?
Q2.4: What were the naval ranks during the Civil War?
Q2.5: What were the organization and strengths of various units
in the armies?
Q2.6: What is the difference between grapeshot and canister?
Q2.7: How did prisoner exchanges and paroles work?
Q2.8: What did a brevet promotion indicate, and what did an officer
gain by being given a brevet?
---Part 2---
Section 3: The end of the War
Q3.1: When did the war end?
Q3.2: If the rebel states were never considered legally out of the
Union, how was Reconstruction justified?
Q3.3: When were the different states readmitted to representation in
Congress?
Q3.4: Who was the last surviving veteran of the Civil War?
Section 4: Genealogy and Unit Histories
Q4.1: My ancestor fought in the war-- how do I find out about
his service?
Q4.2: How can I find information about a particular regiment?
Section 5: Miscellaneous
Q5.1: What is the "Stars and Bars"?
Q5.2: What changes to the U.S. flag occurred during the war?
Q5.3: How was the state of West Virginia created?
Q5.4: What war records did the post-war presidents have?
Q5.5: What are the various alternative names for the war?
*Q5.6: What are good books on the war?
Q5.7: How can I get the soundtrack to Ken Burn's "Civil War"?
Q5.8: Did U.S. Grant and R.E. Lee both own slaves and free them?
Q5.9: What is the recipe for hardtack?
*Q5.10: Where can I get a copy of the Sullivan Ballou letter quoted
in Ken Burn's "Civil War"?
*Q5.11: What were the lyrics to "Dixie", "The Bonnie Blue Flag", etc.?
Q5.12: How can I get the "Official Records" on CD-ROM?
Answers
Section 0: alt.war.civil.usa, soc.history.war.us-civil-war, and
net stuff
------------------------------
*Q0.1: What are these groups anyway?
The USENET newsgroup alt.war.civil.usa was created in the Spring
of 1992 at the suggestion of Patrick L. Dunn (Thanks!). The earliest
articles are dated in early May 1992. The charter of alt.war.civil.usa
reads:
The purpose of this group is the discussion of topics
related to the United States Civil War (1861-65). Topics can
involve military, political, social, economic or other factors
which impacted upon this period of history. This newsgroup will
also serve as a source of information, assistance, or referral
for persons seeking guidance via responses from more
knowledgeable subscribers.
The USENET newsgroup soc.history.war.us-civil-war is a moderated group
created in June 1995. Andrew McMichael spearheaded the drive to create
the group (thanks Andrew!). Its purpose is very similar to
alt.war.civil.usa; the whole panoply of topics related to the U.S. Civil
War may be discussed. However, it is moderated. This means that articles
are screened by volunteer moderators to insure that they remain on topic,
do not excessively quote other articles, are not flames, and do not
contain racial or other attacks. A more detailed explanation of the
moderation policy is posted in the group at the beginning of each month.
It is also available at the soc.history.war.us-civil-war Web Page at
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Delta/7002
------------------------------
*Q0.2: Are the FAQ and Reading List archived somewhere?
Yes, the latest versions of the FAQ and Reading List are available for
anonymous ftp at:
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/civil-war-usa/faq/part1
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/civil-war-usa/faq/part2
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/civil-war-usa/reading-list
------------------------------
*Q0.3: Where can I find Civil War images, documents, and so forth on-line?
[Your humble FAQ maintainer asks the net cruisers among you to keep him
notified of changes and errors.]
A large collection of e-texts relating to the Civil War including the
Confederate Constitution, secession ordinances, Lincoln's Inaugurals, the
Emancipation Proclamation, lists of CS Navy ships, the autobiography of
CSA Gen. D.H. Maury, plus images of famous people on both sides are
available at the anonymous ftp archive site
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/academic/history/marshall/military/civil_war_usa
Here is list of URL's that will lead to dozens more
[Compiled with assistance from Steven Rohr]:
The American Civil War Homepage (Univ of Tennessee)
http://sunsite.utk.edu/civil-war/
U.S. Civil War Center (LSU)
http://www.cwc.lsu.edu
Civil War Page (Jim Janke)
http://homepages.dsu.edu/jankej/civilwar/civilwar.htm
Civil War Resources
http://www.usafa.af.mil/dfeng/cwarres.htm
The Gettysburg Discussion Group
http://www.gdg.org
Causes of the Civil War site (Jim Epperson)-- lots of documents from
the period leading to secession)
http://members.aol.com/jfepperson/causes.html
The Library of Congress has a Civil War image collection at
http://rs6.loc.gov/amhome.html
An archive of articles previously posted in alt.war.civil.usa and
soc.history.war.us-civil-war is available at
Section 1: The beginning of the War
------------------------------
Q1.1: When did state X secede?
Before Lincoln's call for troops, the following states seceded:
1. South Carolina, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 20 Dec 1860
2. Mississippi, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 9 Jan 1861
3. Florida, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 10 Jan 1861
4. Alabama, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 11 Jan 1861
5. Georgia, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 19 Jan 1861
6. Louisiana, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 26 Jan 1861
7. Texas, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 1 Feb 1861, to
take effect 2 Mar 1861 provided it was ratified by the voters
on 23 Feb 1861 (approved 46,153 to 14,747). Texas admitted to the
Confederacy, 2 Mar 1861.
After Lincoln's call for troops on 15 Apr 1861, the following states
seceded:
8. Virginia, Convention rejected secession 4 Apr 1861, Convention
passed Ordinance of Secession 17 Apr 1861 and ratified C.S.A.
Constitution, both subject to ratification of voters 23 May 1861
(approved 132,201 to 37,451). Virginia admitted to CSA 7 May 1861.
9. Arkansas, Convention rejected secession ordinance on 18 Mar 1861
and called for referendum in August, Convention passed Ordinance
of Secession 6 May 1861. Arkansas admitted to C.S.A. 20 May 1861.
10. North Carolina, Voters narrowly rejected (47,705 to 47,611) calling a
Convention 28 Feb 1861. Legislature called Convention 1 May 1861.
Convention passed Ordinance of Secession 20 May 1861. North Carolina
provisionally admitted to CSA 17 May 1861.
11. Tennessee, Voters rejected (69,772 to 57,708) calling a Convention
9 Feb 1861. On 6 May 1861 Legislature passed "Declaration of
Independence" and ratification of CSA Constitution subject to
referendum on 8 June 1861 (approved 104,471 to 47,183). Tennessee
admitted to CSA 17 May 1861.
The following two states never seceded via any mechanism provided by a
"regular" government:
12. Missouri, Convention rejected secession 9 Mar 1861; Convention
reconvened in July 1861 and declared offices of governor and
legislature vacant; rump legislature, meeting in Neosho, passed
Ordinance of Secession 31 Oct 1861 and requested admission to CSA.
Missouri admitted to CSA 28 Nov 1861.
13. Kentucky, southern sympathizers called for convention Oct 1861,
Convention passed Ordinance of Secession 18 Nov 1861. Kentucky
admitted to the CSA 10 Dec 1861.
Sources: Civil War Day-by-Day; Official Records, Ser. IV, Vol 1; D.W.
Crofts, *Reluctant Confederates* (1989); W.L. Buenger, *Secession and the
Union in Texas* (1984).
------------------------------
Q1.2: Was there a declaration of war or something?
1. The United States never declared war. This was in keeping with its
position that the rebel states did not form a new nation, rather they were
states in which a rebellion was taking place. Abraham Lincoln issued a
Proclamation that an insurrection existed in the states of SC, GA, FL, AL,
MS, LA, and TX on 15 Apr 1861 (Messages & Papers of the Presidents, vol. V,
p3214). He also proclaimed a blockade of Southern harbors on 19 Apr
1861, and the date of this proclamation was taken by the Supreme Court in
several cases to be the official beginning of the insurrection.
2. The Confederate States passed "An Act recognizing the existence of
war between the United States and the Confederate States" on 6 May 1861.
This act exempted MD, NC, TN, KY, AR, MO, DE, and the territories of AZ
and NM, and the Indian Territory south of KS.
Sources: McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom; Official Records, Ser. IV,
Vol. 1
------------------------------
Q1.3: Was Texas given a right to secede by the Treaty of Annexation
that brought it into the Union?
Texas *was not* brought into the Union by treaty. There was an attempt
to do this in 1844, but the U.S. Senate refused to ratify the treaty.
Texas was annexed by a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1845.
Neither the failed annexation treaty nor the Resolution of Annexation
reserved any right for Texas to secede. In fact, the treaty would have
made Texas a mere territory, but the Joint Resolution gave immediate
statehood. In addition, the Resolution provided that Texas might divide
itself into as many as five states, if it so desired. In 1845, Texas did
not avail itself of this provision of the Resolution, and it is not clear
whether the provision would still be operable after that time.
------------------------------
Q1.4: Did the Supreme Court ever rule on the legality of secession?
Yes, it did-- after the war. Perhaps the clearest statement is in
the case Texas v. White (74 U.S. 700). Chief Justice Chase, writing
for the court in its 1869 decision, said:
"The Constitution, in all its provisions, looks to an indestructible
Union, composed of indestructible States. ... Considered, therefore, as
transactions under the Constitution, the Ordinance of Secession, adopted
by the convention and ratified by a majority of the citizens of Texas, and
all the Acts of her Legislature intended to give effect to that ordinance,
were absolutely null. They were utterly without operation in law. ... Our
conclusion, therefore, is, that Texas continued to be a State, and a State
of the Union, notwithstanding the transactions to which we have referred."
The entire decision is available on the Web at
http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/cases/historic.htm
------------------------------
Q1.5: What were the populations of the states at the outbreak of the war?
The following statistics are from J.C.G. Kennedy, Supt. of Census,
_Population of the United States in 1860_ (Washington, G.P.O., 1864)
State White Free Colored Slave Total[1] Military[2]
AL 526,271 2,690 435,080 964,201 99,967
AR 324,143 144 111,115 435,450 65,231
CA 323,177 4,086 0 379,994 169,975
CT 451,504 8,627 0 460,147 94,411
DE 90,589 19,829 1,798 112,216 18,273
FL 77,747 932 61,745 140,424 15,739
GA 591,550 3,500 462,198 1,057,286 111,005
IL 1,704,291 7,628 0 1,711,951 375,026
IN 1,338,710 11,428 0 1,350,428 265,295
IA 673,779 1,069 0 674,913 139,316
[3] KS 106,390 625 2 107,206 27,976
KY 919,484 10,684 225,483 1,155,684 180,589
LA 357,456 18,647 331,726 708,002 83,456
ME 626,947 1,327 0 628,279 122,238
MD 515,918 83,942 87,189 687,049 102,715
MA 1,221,432 9,602 0 1,231,066 258,419
MI 736,142 6,799 0 749,113 164,007
MN 169,395 259 0 172,023 41,226
MS 353,899 773 436,631 791,305 70,295
MO 1,063,489 3,572 114,931 1,182,012 232,781
NH 325,579 494 0 326,073 63,610
[4] NJ 646,699 25,318 18 672,035 132,219
NY 3,831,590 49,005 0 3,880,735 796,881
NC 629,942 30,463 331,059 992,622 115,369
OH 2,302,808 36,673 0 2,339,511 459,534
OR 52,160 128 0 52,465 15,781
PA 2,849,259 56,949 0 2,906,215 555,172
RI 170,649 3,952 0 174,620 35,502
SC 291,300 9,914 402,406 703,708 55,046
TN 826,722 7,300 275,719 1,109,801 159,353
TX 420,891 355 182,566 604,215 92,145
VT 314,369 709 0 315,098 60,580
[5] VA 1,047,299 58,042 490,865 1,596,318 196,587
[5] VA1 691,424 55,269 472,494 1,219,299 129,786
[5] WV 355,875 2,773 18,371 377,019 66,801
WI 773,693 1,171 0 775,881 159,335
Territories 76,214 (all terr.)
CO 34,231 46 0 34,277
DK 2,576 0 0 4,837
NE 28,696 67 15 28,841
[6] NV 6,812 45 0 6,857
[7] NM 82,979 85 0 93,516
UT 40,125 30 29 40,273
WA 11,138 30 0 11,594
DC 60,763 11,131 3,185 75,080 12,797
The bottom line:
White Free Colored Slave Total Military
Union* 21,475,373 355,310 432,650 22,339,989 4,559,872
CSA 5,447,220 132,760 3,521,110 9,103,332 1,064,193
*includes MO and KY, DC, and territories
The following statistics are from J.C.G. Kennedy, Supt. of Census,
_Preliminary Report on the Eighth Census, 1860_ (Washington, G.P.O., 1862)
and from Annie Abel, _The American Indian as Slaveholder and
Secessionist_ (1915, repr 1992: U of Nebraska Pr)
The Five Civilized Tribes
Tribe White Free Colored Slave Indian
Choctaw 802 67 2,297 18,000
Cherokee 713 17 2,504 21,000
Creek 319 277 1,651 13,550
Chickasaw 146 13 917 5,000
Seminole 8 30 0 2,267
The following statistics are from J.C.G. Kennedy, Supt. of Census,
_Agriculture in the United States in 1860_ (Washington: G.P.O., 1864)
[ratios calculated by JMS]
State Slave- Slaveholders in slaves per
holders white pop. (%) slaveholder
AL 33,730 6.4 12.9
AR 11,481 3.5 9.7
DE 587 0.65 3.1
FL 5,152 6.6 12.0
GA 41,084 6.9 11.2
KY 38,645 4.2 5.8
LA 22,033 6.1 15.0
MD 13,783 2.7 6.3
MS 30,943 8.7 14.1
MO 24,320 2.3 4.7
NC 34,658 5.5 9.6
SC 26,701 9.2 15.1
TN 36,844 4.4 7.5
TX 21,878 5.2 8.3
VA [5] 52,128 5.0 9.4
VA1 [5] 48,523 7.0 9.7
WV [5] 3,605 1.0 5.1
Total 393,967 4.9 [8] 10.0
The number of free households in the 15 slave states was 1,515,605.
Since the census generally counted only one slaveholder per household, the
number of slaveholding households will be roughly equal to the number of
slaveholders. So there were roughly 393,967 slaveholding households in
1860. Taking the ratio shows that 26% of Southern households were
slaveholding households.
Notes:
[1] Total includes other racial/ethnic groups.
[2] White males aged 18-45
[3] KS became a state in 1861; it was a territory during the Census.
[4] "Slaves" are "colored apprentices for life."
[5] VA includes the present state of WV, VA1 is just the present state of
VA, and WV is just the present state WV. The whole of VA in 1860
(i.e. VA1 plus WV) was used in later calculations.
[6] NV became a state in 1864.
[7] White includes "half-breeds."
[8] White population used was the total of the 15 states (WV included
with VA) in the table.
Section 2: Battles and fighting forces
------------------------------
Q2.1: What are the alternative names of various battles?
Union Confederate
Bull Run, VA Manassas 21 July 1861
Wilsons Creek, MO Oak Hills 10 Aug 1861
Logan's Cross Roads, KY Mill Springs 19 Jan 1862
Pea Ridge, AR Elkhorn Tavern 6-8 Mar 1862
Pittsburg Landing, TN Shiloh 6-7 Apr 1862
Fair Oaks, VA Seven Pines 31 May-1 Jun 1862
Bull Run, VA (2nd) Manassas 29-30 Aug 1862
Antietam, MD Sharpsburg 17 Sept 1862
Chaplin Hills, KY Perryville 8 Oct 1862
Stones River, TN Murfreesboro 30 Dec 1862-2 Jan 1863
Elk Creek, Ind. Terr. Honey Springs 17 July 1863
Ocean Pond, FL Olustee 20 Feb 1864
Sabine Cross Roads, LA Mansfield 8 Apr 1864
Opequon Creek, VA Winchester 19 Sept 1864
------------------------------
*Q2.2: Who were the U.S. Generals at the out-break of the war, and who
were the first Generals appointed after the war began?
[Contributed by Carlton Andrews (and...@mls.ed.ray.com)]
USA Generals - Prior to Army Expansion
Name Rank *Commission Date Age 7/1/61
---- ---- --------------- ----------
Winfield Scott M.G. 6/25/1841 75
John Ellis Wool B.G. 6/25/1841 77
David Emanuel Twiggs B.G. 6/30/1846
[Twiggs was dismissed 3/1/1861 for handing/surrendering all men and
equipment in Texas to the state of Texas]
William Selby Harney B.G. 6/14/1858 60
[Harney was removed from his command in Missouri 29 May 1861. He was
not reassigned and retired 1 Aug 1863.]
Joseph E. Johnston QM-B.G. 6/28/1860 [staff appt.]
Edwin Vose Sumner B.G. 3/16/1861 64
ARMY EXPANSION May 1861
-----------------------
Regular Commissions
George Brinton McClellan M.G. 5/14/1861 34
John Charles Fremont M.G. 5/14/1861 48
Henry Wager Halleck M.G. 5/19/1861 46
Joseph K. F. Mansfield B.G. 5/14/1861 57
Irvin McDowell B.G. 5/14/1861 42
Robert Anderson B.G. 5/15/1861 56
William Starke Rosecrans B.G. 5/16/1861 41
Volunteer Commissions
John Adams Dix M.G. 5/16/1861 62
Nathaniel Prentiss Banks M.G. 5/16/1861 45
Benjamin Franklin Butler M.G. 5/16/1861 42
37 officers B.G. 5/17/1861
* Commission Date is date to rank from, not date appointed.
-------------------------------
Q2.3: Who were the first C.S. Generals appointed?
[31 Aug 1861 will be the cut-off date for this answer.]
Generals in the CS Army (all were appointed on 31 Aug 1861, to date
from the date given below):
Samuel Cooper 16 May 1861 (Adjt & Insp. Gen)
Albert Sidney Johnston 30 May 1861
Robert Edward Lee 14 Jun 1861
Joseph Eggleston Johnston 4 Jul 1861
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard 21 Jul 1861
Prior to 16 May 1861, the highest rank in the CS Regular Army was
Brigadier General (5 were authorized):
Samuel Cooper 16 Mar 1861 (Adjt & Insp. Gen)
Robert Edward Lee 14 May 1861
Joseph Eggleston Johnston 14 May 1861
In addition to the CS Regular Army, there was the Provisional Army (PACS).
Which had the ranks of Brigadier and Major General.
Major Generals (PACS):
David Emanuel Twiggs 22 May 1861
Leonidas Polk 25 Jun 1861
The first Brigadier General (PACS) was
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard 1 Mar 1861
at least 35 others appointed between Mar and Aug 1861
The rank of Lieutenant General was authorized for the PACS on 18 Sep 1862.
----------------------------------
Q2.4: What were the naval ranks during the Civil War?
[Information from Richard Staley with amendments from Justin T. Broderick]
Admiral (grade created for David Farragut 25 Jul 1866)
Vice Admiral (grade created 21 Dec 1864, Farragut being the
first to hold this rank)
Rear Admiral (created 16 July 1862, the only flag rank that has been
maintained continuously to this day)
Flag Officer (title created 16 Jan 1857, replaced by Commodore on 16 Jun
1862)
Commodore (courtesy title until 16 Jul 1862 when the grade was
formally adopted to replace Flag Officer)
Captain
Commander
Lieut. Commander (grade created 16 Jul 1862)
Lieutenant
Master (originally "sailing master"; after the period was changed to
Lieutenant Junior Grade.)
Ensign (title for a passed Midshipman after 16 Jul 1862)
Passed Midshipman (Midshipman who had passed his examination for
promotion to Lieutenant; called Ensign after 1862 although the term
continued in use.)
Midshipman (grade given undergraduates of the U.S. Naval Academy;
not strictly in the line of the Navy in the latter part of the century).
Master's Mate
Shipped or Rated Master's Mate (usually a warrant officer).
References:
_Todd's American Military Equippage: 1851-1870_
W.B. Cogan, _Dictionary of American Admirals_, US Naval Institute Press,
1989
C.G. Reynolds, _Famous American Admirals_, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1978
C.O. Paullin, "Naval Administration, 1842-1861", _USNI Proceedings_, vol.
33
J.C. Tily, _The Uniforms of the United States Navy_, Thomas Yoseloff,
1964
-------------------------------
Q2.5: What were the organization and strengths of various units in the
armies?
[Compiled with the assistance of Stephen Schmidt
<schm...@unvax.union.edu> and Dominic J. Dal Bello
<tec...@fido.ucsb.edu>]
(A good source of information is Richard Zimmermann, _Unit Organizations
of the Civil War_.)
First, always remember that most Civil War units in the field were only
at anywhere between 20% to 40% of their full strength. Thus, while in
theory a company contained 100 men, and would be recruited at that size,
by the time they reached the army they'd be down to 60 or so and after the
first battle down to 40 or so. The full-strength sizes are given below, so
remember to knock them down by 50% or more when reading about units
engaged in battles.
Second, due to casualties among the officers, frequently units would
find themselves commanded by an officer one or two grades below the rank
he should have for the job (e.g., a regiment commanded by a lieutenant
colonel or major).
Third, keep in mind that in the early stages of the war and in the more
remote areas (such as the Trans-Mississippi), unit organizations tended to
deviate more from the norm. What follows will be the ideal, your mileage
may vary.
I. Infantry.
COMPANY.
The basic unit is the company, commanded by a captain
100 men = 2 platoons = 4 sections = 8 squads
A company has the following officers (commissioned and non-coms):
Captain (1), 1st. Lieut. (1), 2nd. Lieut. (1)
1st Sgt. (1), Sgts. (4) and Corporals (8).
When the company was divided into platoons, the captain commanded one and
the 1st Lt. the other. There was a sergeant for each section, and a
corporal for each squad. The 1st Sgt. "ran" the whole company.
BATTALION and REGIMENT.
Battalions and regiments were formed by organizing companies together.
In the volunteers (Union and Confederate), 10 companies would be organized
together into a regiment. The regiment was commanded by a colonel. A
regiment has the following staff (one of each):
Col.; Lt. Col.; Major; Adjutant (1st Lt); Surgeon (maj.);
Asst Surgeon (capt.); Quartermaster (lieut); Commissary (lieut);
Sgt-Major; Quartermaster Sgt.
There were also volunteer organizations containing less than 10 companies:
if they contained from 4-8 companies, they were called battalions, and
usually were commanded by a major or lieutenant colonel.
The (Union) Regular regts organized before the war (1st-10th) were 10
company regiments like the volunteers. When the NEW Regular regts. were
authorized, a different organization was used. The new Regular regts were
organized 8 companies to a battalion and 2 battalions to the regiment.
Thus new Regular regts contained 16 companies. These regiments frequently
fought as battalions rather than as single regiments. However, often the
2nd battalion could not be recruited up to strength, in which case they
fought as a single regiment.
BRIGADE.
A brigade is formed from 3 to 6 regiments and commanded by a brigadier
general. The South tended to use more regiments than the North, thus
having bigger brigades. At some times in the war, some artillery would be
attached to the infantry brigade: see the Artillery section below. Each
brigade would also have a varying number of staff officers.
DIVISION.
A division is commanded by a major general and is composed of from 2 to
6 brigades. In the North usually 3 or 4, but in the South normally 4 to 6.
Thus, a Southern division tended to be almost twice as large as its
Northern counterpart, if the regiments are about the same size. At some
times in the war, some artillery or, less often, cavalry might be
attached: see the Cavalry and Artillery sections below. Each division
would also have a varying number of staff officers.
CORPS.
A corps is commanded by a major general (Union) or a lieutenant general
(Confederate) and is composed of from 2 to 4 divisions. Again the North
tended to have 2 or 3, while the South had 3 or 4. Each corps would also
have a varying number of staff officers.
ARMIES.
Corps within a geographic department were aggregated into armies. The
number of corps in an army could vary considerably: sometimes an army
would contain only 1 corps and other times as many as 8. Armies were
commanded by major generals in the North, and usually by full generals in
the South. Corps and armies usually had some artillery and cavalry
attached: again, see below. Each army would also have a varying number of
staff officers.
To summarize, the nominal strengths and commanding officers were:
UNIT MEN Commander Example NAME
Company 100 Captain Co. A (but not J, looks like I)
Regiment 1000 Colonel 5th N.Y. Infantry
Brigade 4000 Brig Genl 3rd Brigade (US) **
Division 12000 Maj. Genl Cleburne's Division (CS) **
Corps 36000 Maj. Genl* IIIrd Corps (US) **
Army Maj. Genl+ Army of Tennessee (CS) ++
* or Lt. Gen. in the South
+ or Gen. in the South
** Numerical designation was used in the North, the Commander's
name was typically used in the South, e.g. Forrest's Corps.
++ The South mainly used the name of the area or state where the
army operated. Rivers were used primarily as names in the
North, e.g. Army of the Cumberland.
II. Cavalry.
COMPANY or TROOP.
The basic unit is the troop or company, organized pretty much the same
way as an infantry company. The nominal strength was 100. If the troop
dismounted for battle, 1 man in 4 would stay behind to guard the horses.
BATTALION and REGIMENT.
In the Union volunteers, 12 cavalry troops form a regiment commanded by
a colonel. The Confederate Cavalry used a 10 company regiment. Again, the
(Union) Regulars had a different organization: in the Regular units 2
troops form a squadron, 2 squadrons form a battalion, and 3 battalions
form a regiment. And again, there were groups of 4-8 companies of
volunteer cavalry which are called battalions.
BRIGADE, DIVISION, and CORPS.
Initially, each Union cavalry regiment was assigned to an infantry
division. The Confederates brigaded their cavalry together. The Union
eventually adopted this organization as well. As the war progressed, both
sides formed cavalry divisions (again the South took the lead). The North
also formed cavalry corps, and the South later also adopted this
innovation.
III. Artillery.
BATTERY.
The basic unit of artillery is the battery, which has 4 to 6 guns, is
commanded by a captain, and has 4 lieutenants, 12 or so noncoms, and 120
or so privates. It typically had 4 guns in the South and 6 guns in the
North. Batteries were a subdivided into gun crews of 20 or so, and into
sections of 2 gun crews, 2 or 3 sections per battery. A gun crew was
commanded by a sergeant and a section by a lieutenant.
BATTALION or BRIGADE.
At the start of the war, each side assigned one battery attached to
each infantry brigade, plus an artillery reserve under the army commander.
By mid-1862, larger organizations were used. The basic unit contained 3
or 4 batteries of artillery; it was called a battalion in the South and a
brigade in the North (same unit, just a different name) and it was
commanded by a colonel, lieutenant colonel, or major.
ARTILLERY RESERVE.
After 1862, it was typical for each infantry division to have an
artillery battalion attached, and each corps or army to have a reserve of
two to five battalions. Each division's artillery usually fought along
side the infantry, while the corps/army reserves were used to form the
massed batteries. The artillery reserve was commanded by a brigadier
general or colonel.
IV. Other Units.
LEGION.
The Confederacy organized a number of units known as legions. They were
mixed-arms units, usually containing 6-8 companies of infantry, 2-3
companies of cavalry, and a couple artillery pieces. Generally as soon as
they reached the battlefield they were broken apart, the infantry forming
a battalion, the cavalry being reassigned to some other unit, and the
artillery joining the reserve. Sometimes the infantry retained the name
legion, more frequently it got renamed to battalion.
MARINES.
Both sides had a rudimentary Marine Corps which fought along the
Atlantic coast. The US Marines contained about 3,000 men and were
organized into companies. There doesn't seem to have been any organization
higher than that: they rarely operated in larger units than a few
companies anyway. The Confederate Marines had a strength of about 300 men
organized in four companies and was nominally commanded by a colonel.
HEAVY ARTILLERY.
The Union organized some "heavy artillery" units, regiments containing
10 artillery batteries (about 1800 men) which had training both as
infantry and as artillerists. They were organized in much the same way as
infantry units, but were quite a bit larger to provide enough men to run
the guns. Originally raised to man the defenses of Washington, in 1864
they joined the Grant's army, and then served more as infantry.
ENGINEERS.
Both sides raised special regiments of engineers. They were organized
similarly to the infantry regiments and were expert in building forts,
entrenchments, bridges, and similar military construction. They were
combatants but usually didn't do any fighting, instead continued to work
on construction even when under fire.
SHARPSHOOTERS.
Both sides raised special sharpshooter units. The Confederate units
tended to be independent companies, but the Union raised two sharpshooter
regiments (Berdan's 1st and 2nd US Sharpshooters). These regiments were
organized as infantry. Usually they were assigned to skirmish duty, or
they would be allowed to roam around the battlefield to find good
positions from which to shoot at enemy officers in the rear.
------------------------------
Q2.6: What is the difference between grapeshot and canister?
Here is a list of the various ammunitions used in the war. The main
division is between shot (did not carry its own explosive charge) and
shell (carried an explosive charge).
For shot:
1. solid shot-- the standard cannon ball (or bullet shape in the in case
of a rifled gun)
2. canister-- smaller shot placed in a sheet iron cylinder. The
cylinder disintegrated when the gun was fired.
3. grape-- smaller shot layered between iron plates and held together by
a central bolt. Presumably the bolt broke when the gun fired allowing the
shot to scatter. Examples of grape shot can be seen in [2] pp. 76, 76,
and 191.
4. quilted grapeshot-- small shot covered in canvass and tied up with
rope which a gave it a quilted look. An example of quilted shot can be
seen in [2], p. 177.
5. chain shot-- two shot joined by a chain. Used to destroy rigging of
sailing ships.
6. bar shot-- two shot joined by a solid bar (like a dumbbell). Used to
destroy rigging to sailing ships.
7. red hot shot-- shot heated before firing. Used to start fires on
ships.
For shell:
1. standard shell-- hollow iron projectile filled with explosive
2. shrapnel shell-- hollow iron projectile filled with explosive and with
small solid shot which scattered upon explosion. The spherical version of
this was called "spherical case" or simply "case." The term "case" was
also used for the name of the class of rounds which scattered small shot,
thus canister, grape, and spherical case were all classified together as
"case shot." (confusing, isn't it?)
Shell was fitted with either a timed fuse (which ignited the charge
after some fixed delay) or a percussion fuse (which ignited the charge
upon impact).
Standard solid shot and standard shell were primarily for destruction
of materiel (viz. fortifications or ships). Canister, grape, quilted shot
and shrapnel were used against personnel. However, there were also
varieties of (non-shrapnel) shell designed for use against personnel (the
hollow was shaped so the shell would split into a relatively few large
pieces about the size of small shot).
References:
[1] "Ammunition", in Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed (1911).
[2] F.T. Miller, ed., "Photographic History of the Civil War," vol. 5,
"Forts and Artillery" (1957 edition).
[3] "Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War"
------------------------------
Q2.7: How did prisoner exchanges and paroles work?
Prisoner exchanges were a way for captors to avoid the responsibility
and burden of guarding, housing, feeding, clothing, and providing medical
care for POW's.
Exchange of prisoners began with informal agreements between the
commanders of the armies after particular battles, but the practice was
codified by a cartel between the USA and CSA in July 1862. The cartel was
suspended by the US in May 1863, but individual commanders again arranged
exchanges and paroles until the US called a halt to all exchanges in early
1864. When the CSA agreed to correct some irregularities in its earlier
exchanges, and when it agreed to treat captured black troops equally with
whites, the 1862 cartel was again put into operation in early 1865.
Commissioners of exchange were appointed by each government, and they
exchanged and compared lists and computed how many on each side were to be
exchanged. There were official points where prisoners were to be taken
for exchange: City Point, VA in the East and Vicksburg in the West.
Equal ranks were exchanged equally, and higher ranks could be exchanged
for some number of lower ranks according to an agreed upon list of
equivalents (e.g. 1 colonel equaled 15 privates). If one side still had
prisoners left, after the other side had exhausted its supply of prisoners
by exchange, those excess prisoners would be released on parole.
Paroled prisoners were returned to their side, but were prohibited by
an oath of honor from taking up arms or performing any duty that soldiers
normally performed (like garrison or guard duty) until they were properly
exchanged. Generally each side maintained parole camps where their
paroled soldiers were kept while they awaited exchange, but in other cases
the parolee was allowed to return home until exchanged.
[Sources: Boatner, Civil War Dictionary; Miller, ed, "Prisons and
Hospitals", vol 8, Photographic History of the Civil War]
------------------------------
Q2.8: What did a brevet promotion indicate, and what did an officer gain
by being given a brevet?
[By Stephen Schmidt (schm...@unvax.union.edu) with assistance from Jim
Epperson and J.M. Sanders]
A brevet rank was an honorary promotion given to an officer (or
occasionally, an enlisted man) in recognition of gallant conduct or other
meritorious service. They served much the same purpose that medals play
today (our modern system of medals did not exist at the time of the Civil
War).
A brevet rank was almost meaningless in terms of real authority. For
example, a major who was a brevet colonel collected the pay of a major,
wore the uniform of a major, could not give orders to lieutenant colonels,
and was only eligible for commands that normally fell to majors. But he
was allowed to use the title of colonel in his correspondence.
In addition, there were some unusual circumstances where brevet rank
carried authority. For instance, when a force consisted partly of Regular
troops and partly of state militia, command would go to the officer with
the highest brevet rank (who might neither the highest ranking regular
officer nor the highest ranking volunteer!). This came up during the
Mexican War on some occasions, and seems to have been designed to allow
Regular officers with brevets (implying experience) to assume command over
higher-ranking militia officers who had neither experience nor brevets.
An officer could also claim his brevet rank when serving on court-martial
duty. Since an officer cannot be tried by officers ranking lower than
himself, using brevet ranks allowed more people to qualify as possible
court members.
During the war itself, brevets were very difficult to get and were a sign
of valor, but on March 13, 1865, the War Department gave one brevet and
sometimes two to nearly every officer on duty with the army. This angered
many officers and men, who saw it as trivializing the efforts of men who
won brevets in combat. (J.L. Chamberlain mentions this in his memoirs, for
instance.)
Like regular ranks, brevets were kept separately for the U.S. Volunteers
and the U.S. Army. Thus one man could have four ranks: an actual Volunteer
rank, a brevet Volunteer rank, an actual Regular rank, and a brevet
Regular rank. Brevets in the Regular army were sometimes used to honor men
who had already been brevetted Major General in the Volunteers and could
not be brevetted again (in the Volunteers), as no brevet Lieutenant
Generals were created during the war (Winfield Scott had been made Brevet
Lieutenant General [of Regulars] during the Mexican War).
Brevet ranks were authorized for the Regular Army in the Articles of War
of 1806; they were authorized for the US Volunteers on March 3, 1863.
Partly as a result of dissatisfaction with the end-of-war brevet giveaway,
brevet promotions were discontinued in 1869; although officers who had
been given brevets before that date continued to use them. They were
reinstated for the Spanish-American war and continued in use until after
World War I.
The Confederate army did not award brevet promotions.
Sources: Boatner's *Civil War Dictionary*, the *Historical Times
Encyclopedia of the Civil War*, the 1806 Articles of War, and a very
helpful discussion of several Mexican War situations involving brevet
ranks in *The Mexican War 1846-1848* by K. Jack Bauer.
*** End of Part 1 of U.S. Civil War FAQ ***
Justin M. Sanders "I shot an arrow into the air. It fell
Dept. of Physics to earth I know not where." --Henry
Univ. of South Alabama Wadsworth Longfellow confessing
jsan...@jaguar1.usouthal.edu to a sad ignorance of ballistics.
Justin M. Sanders
Posting-frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 2002/3/19
Version: 9.11
U.S. Civil War FAQ v9.11 (19 Mar 2002)
This is part 2 (of 2) of a collection of answers to frequently asked
questions (and some not-so-frequently, too!) about the Civil War. It is
posted on or about the 20th of each month. It was compiled by Justin M.
Sanders (jsan...@jaguar1.usouthal.edu) who tried to be as complete and
accurate as possible, but who is definitely human and has probably made
several errors.
Please send comments, suggestions, or corrections to the address above.
The topics covered are (a plus means a new entry, an asterisk means a
revised entry):
---Part 1---
Section 0: alt.war.civil.usa, soc.history.war.us-civil-war, and net stuff
*Q0.1: What are these groups anyway?
*Q0.2: Are the FAQ and Reading List archived somewhere?
*Q0.3: Where can I find Civil War images, documents, and so
forth on-line?
Section 1: The beginning of the War
Q1.1: When did state X secede?
Q1.2: Was there a declaration of war or something?
Q1.3: Was Texas given a right to secede by the Treaty of Annexation
that brought it into the Union?
Q1.4: Did the Supreme Court ever rule on the legality of secession?
Q1.5: What were the populations of the states at the outbreak of
the war?
Section 2: Battles and fighting forces
Q2.1: What are the alternative names of various battles?
Q2.2: Who were the U.S. Generals at the out-break of the war, and
who were the first Generals appointed after the war began?
Answers (Part 2)
Section 3: The end of the War
------------------------------
Q3.1: When did the war end?
9 April 1865, Gen. R.E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at
Appomattox Courthouse, VA
26 April 1865, Gen. J.E. Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee et al.
at Durham, NC
4 May 1865, Gen. Richard Taylor surrendered Dept. of Alabama,
Mississippi, and Eastern Louisiana at Citronelle, AL
13 May 1865, engagement at Palmito Ranch, near Brownsville, TX, often
taken to be the last engagement of the war
2 June 1865, Gen. E.K. Smith surrendered the Trans-Mississippi Department
at Galveston, TX (the surrender had been agreed to by Smith's
representative, Lt Gen S.B. Buckner, in New Orleans on 26 May)
23 June 1865, Brig. Gen. Stand Watie's troops in the Indian Territory
surrendered at Doaksville. Watie was the last general to surrender
his troops.
13 June 1865, Pres. Johnson proclaimed the insurrection in Tennessee
at an end. (Messages and Papers of the Presidents, V, p3515)
4 Nov 1865, The raider CSS Shenandoah surrendered in Liverpool to British
authorities. For several months after the surrender of ground forces,
this last of the CSA's naval vessels had been burning USA shipping,
with her captain, James I. Waddell, still thinking the war was in
progress. Her last fight was against a whaling fleet in the Bering
Sea on 28 Jun 1865. After this, the vessel was the object of a
worldwide search. On August 2, Waddell had contact with a British
ship, whose captain informed him that the CSA was no more. With this
in mind, he put guns below decks and sailed to England, where the
ship was surrendered to the British Admiralty. Upon the boarding of
the vessel by British authorities, the last sovereign Confederate
flag was furled. [contrib. by PDunn]
2 Apr 1866, Pres. Johnson proclaimed the insurrection ended in all the
former Confederate States except Texas. This was his recognition of
the legitimacy of the governments formed under his Reconstruction
proclamation. (Mess. & Papers, V, p3627)
20 Aug 1866, Pres. Johnson proclaimed that Texas had complied with the
conditions of his Reconstruction proclamation and declared the
insurrection in Texas at an end. (Mess. & Paper, V, p3632)
------------------------------
Q3.2: If the rebel states were never considered legally out of the
Union, how was Reconstruction justified?
Although the states remained part of the U.S., they had no loyal
governments, and the authority for the federal government to provide
mechanisms to erect loyal state governments was derived from Article IV,
Sec. 4 of the Constitution. That section provides that the United States
shall guarantee to each state a republican form of government.
Another important provision of the Constitution was Article I, Sec. 5
which provides that each House of Congress shall be the judge of the
qualifications of its members. This allowed the Congress to refuse to
seat delegations from former rebel states until the states had met the
conditions of the Reconstruction Acts.
The authoritative constitutional justification for reconstruction can
be found in the Supreme Court's decision in Texas v. White (74 U.S. 700)
delivered 12 Apr 1869. The entire decision is available on the Web at
http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/cases/historic.htm
----------------------------
Q3.3: When were the different states readmitted to representation in
Congress?
For the dates that follow: "Act" is the date of the act which declared the
state entitled to Congressional representation (the Act of 25 June 68 was
conditional upon the states' ratifying the 14th and 15th amendment, the
other acts required no additional state action). "S" and "R" are the dates
on which the first Senator and first Representative were seated. "Mil" is
the date on which the military turned over all authority to the state
government. Tennessee did not undergo Congressional Reconstruction.
TN-- Act 24 July 1866
AR-- Act 22 June 1868; S 23 Jun 68, R 24 Jun 68; Mil 30 Jun 68
NC-- Act 25 June 1868; S 17 Jul 68, R 6 Jul 68; Mil 24 Jul 68
SC-- Act 25 June 1868; S 22 Jul 68, R 18 Jul 68; Mil 24 Jul 68
LA-- Act 25 June 1868; S 17 Jul 68, R 18 Jul 68; Mil 13 Jul 68
AL-- Act 25 June 1868; S 25 Jul 68, R 21 Jul 68; Mil 14 Jul 68
FL-- Act 25 June 1868; S 30 Jun 68, R 1 Jul 68; Mil 29 Jun 68
VA-- Act 25 Jan 1870; S 26 Jan 70, R 26 Jan 70; Mil 28 Jan 70
MS-- Act 23 Feb 1870; S 25 Feb 70, R 25 Feb 70; Mil 28 Feb 70
TX-- Act 30 Mar 1870; S 31 Mar 70, R 31 Mar 70; Mil 16 Apr 70
GA-- Act 25 June 1868; S rejected 25 Jan 69; R 25 July 1868;
2nd Reconstruction 22 Dec 1869; Act 15 July 1870; S Feb 1871,
R Dec 1870.
The seating of Georgia's delegations was complicated by the fact that it
was placed under military rule for a second time in 1869. This delayed
final seating of the delegations until late 1870 and early 1871.
----------------------------
Q3.4: Who was the last surviving veteran of the Civil War?
[this entry was originally written by the late Paul Cowan, but it has
been extensively revised by JMS]
1. Albert Woolson of Minnesota was the last authenticated survivor of
the Civil War. Woolson served as a Union drummer boy and died in 1956.
2. Determining the last Confederate veteran is more difficult. The
most recent and thorough study by William Marvel, published in "Blue and
Gray" magazine in Feb. 1991, finds that the last authenicated veteran of
the Confederate army was Pleasant Crump of the 10th Alabama, who died on
31 Dec 1951. Previous claims to be the last veteran of the Confederate
army (and of the whole War) were made for Walter Washington Williams (died
19 Dec 1959) of Texas and for John Salling (died 19 Mar 1959) of Virginia.
However, Marvel concluded that their claims must be rejected, since (among
other reasons) census records indicated that, in 1860, Williams was only 5
years old and Salling was just 2 years old.
3. The last surviving Civil War general was Union Brig.Gen. Adelbert
Ames, who died in 1933 at age 97.
4. The last surviving Confederate general was Brig.Gen. John
McCausland, who died on 22 Jan 1927 at age 91. Felix H. Robertson, who
was appointed B.G. in 1864, who served at such, but whose nomination was
rejected by the CSA Senate in 1865, died on 20 Apr 1928 at age 89.
Sources: William Marvel in "Blue and Gray", Feb 1991; Jim Epperson
(eppe...@math.uah.edu); Ron Kolakowski (rk...@ida.org ); Stephen E. Brown
(seb...@prairienet.org); _The Civil War Notebook_, by A.A. Nofi; _New
York Times_ article, Dec. 19, 1959;_Civil War Dictionary_, by M.M.
Boatner;_Handbook of Texas_.
Section 4: Genealogy and Unit Histories
-----------------------------
Q4.1: My ancestor fought in the war-- how do I find out about his service?
[Thanks to Geoff Walden and Lynn Berkowitz for updated information.]
First, here are two good reference books that contain much more
information than can be given in this FAQ:
(1) George K. Schweitzer, Civil War Genealogy,
available from: G.K. Schweitzer, 7914 Gleason C-1136,
Knoxville, TN 37919
(2) B.H. Groene, Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor
ISBN 0-345-36192-X
An additional reference dealing in Confederate records is
James C. Neagles, Confederate Research Sources: A Guide to Archive
Collections (ISBN 0-916489-11-6, Ancestry Publications, P.O. Box
476, Salt Lake City, UT 84110)
The basic facts on your ancestor that you will need to know are his
name, state, regiment, and (if possible) company, for example:
Levi Lindsey Sanders, 6th Texas Cavalry (CSA), Company I.
If you don't know the regiment name, you can often find it in 19th century
county histories for the county your ancestor lived in. Also be careful
with Confederate regiments; they were frequently referred to by the
commander's name when they in fact had a numerical designation, for
example: 2nd Texas Partisan Rangers a.k.a. Stone's Regiment a.k.a.
Chisum's Regiment. There are frequently indexes listing all the soldiers
from a state which were published in the 19th century as well (this is
almost without exception for the Union states, more rare for the
Confederate states). The National Archives has published a Consolidated
Index to Compiled Confederate Service Records on microfilm which is
available in many large historical libraries (the service records
themselves are also frequently on microfilm at the library). A useful
bibliography of regimental and state histories is C.E. Dornbusch,
_Military Bibliography of the Civil War_ (4 vols).
Assuming that you have the above information, you can obtain copies of
your ancestor's service records by writing to the National Archives.
Write to:
General Reference Branch (NNRG-P)
National Archives and Records Administration
7th and Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20408
and request NATF Form 80. Or you may request NATF Form 80 by sending
e-mail to:
inq...@arch2.nara.gov
Give your name, (snail) mailing address, phone number and netid. Whether
you request NATF Form 80 by e-mail or regular mail, you may wish to
request 3 or more copies, especially if you are researching a Union
veteran or multiple veterans.
When you have the forms, fill one out as completely as possible and
check "military service" (Schweitzer recommends that you write in red ink
next to the veteran's name "Please send complete contents of files.") If
your ancestor fought for the Union, he may have a pension file; you may
fill out a second Form 80 and check "pension record" (again Schweitzer
recommends requesting the entire contents of the file). (The National
Archives will not have pension records for Confederate veterans, but some
former Confederate state did give pensions and their archives may have the
records, details can be found in the above references especially Neagles.)
Some weeks later, the Archives will send you a letter indicating what they
have located and how much it will cost to copy it (typically about $10).
------------------------------
Q4.2: How can I find information about a particular regiment?
For the Union side, the definite first place to look for a brief
history of a regiment is
F.H. Dyer, _A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion_, 2 vols.
It contains, among lots of other useful information, brief histories of
just about every Northern regiment.
On the Confederate side, the nearest equivalent to Dyer is
Stewart Sifakis, _Compendium of the Confederate Armies_(New
York: Facts on File, 1991-1994?), 11 vols.
The volumes in this series are for VA; TN; AL; FL and AR; NC; LA; MS; TX;
SC and GA; KY, MD, MO and Indian units; and a volume of Tables of
Organizations. Another useful work is
Joseph H. Crute Jr., _Units of the Confederate States Army_,
(Midlothian, VA: Derwent Books, 1987)
Crute's work is not quite as comprehensive as Sifakis', but it has the
advantage of having everything in one volume.
A useful bibliography of regimental histories, both North and South, is
C.E. Dornbusch, _Military Bibliography of the Civil War_, 4
vols.
It contains entries on books and articles which have been written about
Civil War regiments through about 1987. It is strongly recommeded that
you consult this work.
If you would like to see if others on the internet have an interest in
the same unit that you do, consult Carol Botteron's Civil War Units file.
The CWUNITS file is described as follows:
"The purpose of the CWUNITS file is to let people list the units they are
interested in and have at least some information on (from pension records,
books, etc.). Typically the contact person had an ancestor who was in the
unit, but re-enactors, history buffs, et al are welcome. (This is _not_ a
file of re-enactment units.) If you see a listing for a unit you are
interested in, you can send the contact person email and share
information. The idea is not necessarily to find people with the same
ancestor; people can share info on what action the unit was involved in,
how the soldiers lived, etc."
The file is currently divided into 5 parts (3 Union, 2 Confederate) by
states. To get a copy of the file by e-mail, send e-mail to:
ROOTS-L...@rootsweb.com
Subject: archive
Text is:
get genealog.cwunits
get genealog.cwunits1
up to "get genealog.cwunits5". Note! This mail server is *case
sensitive*, so make sure to use only the capital letters used above.
The Civil War Units file is also available over WWW from:
http://sunsite.utk.edu/civil-war/warweb.html#rosters
Ms. Botteron updates the file approximately every two months.
Finally, you can consult the Index volume to the _Official Records of
the Union and Confederate Armies_ and start wading through the O.R. This
may be your only alternative for particularly obscure units. The index
lists the regiments by state. It is a good idea to check the index for
the name of the regiment's commander and perhaps for the brigade
commander.
Keep in mind the regiment's place in the army structure. Histories of
battles or campaigns may not mention every regiment, but they may mention
the brigade or division the regiment is in. As an example, Ludwell
Johnson's _Red River Campaign_ indexes very few regiments, but the
brigade commanders are indexed, and the brigades are shown on the maps.
The 2nd Texas Partisan Rangers was in Major's cavalry brigade and Green's
division, so its activities can be inferred by following the action at
the brigade or division level even though the regiment itself is not
mentioned anywhere in the book.
Section 5: Miscellaneous
------------------------------
Q5.1: What is the "Stars and Bars"?
The "Stars and Bars" IS NOT the familiar "rebel" flag one sees
adorning license plates and often carried by the KKK-- that is the CS
Naval Jack, based on the CS battle flag.
The Stars and Bars design was approved by a committee of the
Provisional Congress on 4 Mar 1861, but was never made official by law.
The bottom red stripe ran the entire length of the flag and was 6 units
long and 1 unit wide. Above it, and to the left was a blue square, 2
units on a side. In the blue square, a circle of stars (one for each
state, initially seven, to represent the original seven Confederate
States, eventually thirteen). To the right of the square, two stripes,
white below, red above, each 1 unit wide and 4 units long.
The Stars and Bars' similarity to the U.S. flag caused problems of
mistaken identity at 1st Bull Run/Manassas, so a battle flag for the Army
of Northern Virginia was designed. It was blue saltire ("X" shape) on a
red SQUARE field. On the saltire was placed stars equal to the number of
Confederate States (in principle, eleven at the time of the initial
design, but up to thirteen by the end of 1861). This flag design was soon
picked up by the other armies and branches of service. The CS Navy flew
an oblong version as a Naval Jack which is identical to the oblong "rebel"
flags seen today.
By a law approved 1 May 1863, a new national flag was adopted by the
Confederate States-- the "Stainless Banner". It was a field of white
twice as long as wide, in the upper left was the battle flag (square) with
a side two-thirds the width of the field. This flag had the drawback that
when partially wrapped around the flagstaff, the non-white part was
covered. This made it look like a white flag of surrender. Furthermore,
its length to width ratio of 2 to 1 made it an unusually long flag which
exacerbated the problem.
A law approved 4 Mar 1865, modified the "Stainless Banner" to correct
its problems. The revised flag was 10 units wide and 15 units long. In
the upper left was an oblong battle flag 6 units wide and 7 units long.
The field was white, as before, except on the fly end there was a vertical
red bar 4 units wide. The above dimensions, in terms of units, are
derived from the much more convoluted description given by the flag act.
This flag was the last national flag of the Confederacy.
------------------------------
Q5.2: What changes to the U.S. flag occurred during the war?
The admission of two states affected the U.S. flag during the war. By
the Flag Act of 1818, a new star was added on the 4 July following the
admission of a state. Stars were added on 4 July 1861 for Kansas
(admitted 29 Jan 1861, the 34th state) and on 4 July 1863 for West
Virginia (admitted 20 June 1863, the 35th state). Nevada, the 36th state,
was admitted during the war on 31 Oct 1864, so its star was added 4 July
1865 after hostilities were over (more or less, see Q3.1).
------------------------------
Q5.3: How was the state of West Virginia created?
On 17 Apr 1861, the Va Secession Convention passed an ordinance of
secession (to be ratified by the people). A mass meeting was held in
Clarksburg and called for a Convention of western/unionist counties to
meet in Wheeling. The 1st Wheeling Convention met 13 May 1861 with 425
delegates from 25 counties, it decided to adjourn until after the vote on
the secession ordinance. The ordinance of secession was ratified by
popular vote on 23 May 1861 at which time new legislators were also
elected.
The 2nd Wheeling convention met 11 June 1861 and included the western
counties' members-elect to the VA legis. On 19 June, the convention
passed an ordinance "reorganizing" the state government (creating a
"loyal" one), and on 20 June, Francis Pierpont was chosen governor. On 1
July 1861, the members of the legislature elected on 23 May and some
holdovers from the old legislature met, finished the organization of the
Reorganized state govt., and elected 2 U.S. Senators-- this government
was recognized as legitimate by the U.S.
On 6 Aug, the Wheeling convention reconvened, and on 20 Aug 1861 passed
an ordinance to divide the state. The division ordinance was ratified by
the people on 24 Oct. From 26 Nov 1861 to 18 Feb 1862, the convention
wrote a constitution for the proposed new state which was approved by the
voters on 11 Apr 1862. Lincoln signed the enabling act on 31 Dec 1862
which admitted W.VA on the condition that its constitution include a
provision for the gradual abolition of slavery.
The Convention reconvened yet again, and on 12 Feb 1863 amended
the state constitution to abolish slavery. This amendment was approved by
the voters on 26 Mar 1863. Lincoln proclaimed (on 20 Apr 1863) that W.Va
would officially be admitted in 60 days. During the interval, W VA
elected new officers-- A.I. Boreman was elected 1st governor, and VA
unionist government under Gov. Pierpont was moved to Alexandria. On 20
June 1863, West Virginia was officially admitted to the Union.
In 1866, Virginia repealed the act approving the division, and brought
suit in the U.S. Sup. Crt. to have the division overturned. In
particular, it wanted Berkeley and Jefferson Cos. returned. On 10 Mar
1866, Congress passed a joint resolution approving the previous transfer
of the counties to W.Va. In 1871 the Supreme Court decided in favor of
W.Va., thus settling the matter of division.
Source: Virginia and West Virginia articles in Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 10th ed.
------------------------------
Q5.4: What war records did the post-war presidents have?
From: tec...@sulu.ucsb.edu (Dominic J. Dal Bello)
I have looked up what the presidents after Lincoln and up to McKinley
did in the war (from _The Complete Book of US Presidents_ or something
like that.)
ANDREW JOHNSON: In March, 1862, President Lincoln appointed Johnson
military governor of Tennessee with the rank of brigadier general.
ULYSSES GRANT: No intro necessary (lieut. general)
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES: served with the 23d Ohio Infantry from June, 1861,
entering service as a major. October '61: promoted to lt. colonel; Oct.
'62 promoted to colonel, commanding the 23d. After Cedar Creek (Oct.
'64), promoted to brigadier general of vols. Received one of the
infinitely many brevets dated March 13, 1865 to major general, vols.
Resigned June, 1865.
JAMES GARFIELD: Commissioned a lt. col in the 42nd Ohio, Aug. 1861, and
promoted to Col. in November, '61. Commanded the 18th Brig. at Middle
Creek, Jan. '62, defeating superior numbers, and was subsequently promoted
to brigadier general. January, 1863-- appointed Chief of Staff to
Rosecrans, "In a daring ride under enemy fire, during which his horse was
wounded, he conveyed vital information from flank to flank. For this he
was promoted to major general." Rosecrans said of him: "I feel much
indebted to him for both counsel and assistance in the administration of
this army...He possesses the instinct and energy of a great commander."
Elected to Congress in Sept., 1863 Garfield resigned in Dec., 1863.
CHESTER A. ARTHUR: Served in New York State militia from Feb. '58 to Dec.
'62, rising from brigade judge advocate to quartermaster genl. In Jan,
'61, appointed engineer-in-chief with rank of brigadier general. Apr,
'61, promote asst. QM genl; Feb '62 inspect. genl; July `62, QM general.
Spring `62 inspected NY troops in Virginia. War Gov. Edwin D Morgan said:
"He was my chief reliance in the duties of equipping and transporting
troops and munitions of war. In the position of Quarter Master General he
displayed not only great executive ability and unbending integrity, but
great knowledge of Army Regulations. He can say No (which is important)
without giving offense."
GROVER CLEVELAND: Drafted, but purchased a substitute. Paid $150 to
George Brinske (or Benninsky), a 32-year-old Polish immigrant to serve in
his place.
BENJAMIN HARRISON: Was approached by Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton
in early July, 1862 to raise a regiment in the congressional district in
and around Indianapolis. Was given a provisional recruiting commission as
2nd Lt. on 9 July 1862, promoted to Captain on 22 July, and commissioned
Colonel of the 70th Indiana Volunteer Infantry regiment on 7 Aug 1862 when
the regiment was full. The commissions as Lt. and Capt. were essentially
pro forma, as Harrison understood that he was to have command of the 70th
IVI. Commanded a brigade under Hooker in the Atlanta campaign. Hooker
recommended him for promotion to brigadier general for foresight,
discipline and fighting spirit. He was brevetted Brigadier General 23 Jan
1865, and mustered out of the service 8 June 8 1865. He said, "I am not a
Julius Caesar, nor a Napoleon, but a plain Hoosier colonel, with no more
relish for a fight than for a good breakfast and hardly so much."
[Additional info contributed by Steve Towne,
<STEVE_TOWNE...@IMA.ISD.STATE.IN.US>]
WILLIAM McKINLEY: 23d Ohio Infantry from June 61 to July '65, starting
out as a private. April '62 commissary sergeant; for valor at Antietam
(in getting rations to the men) promoted to 2nd Lt. commd'g Co. D, but put
on Col. Rutherford Hayes' staff. Feb 63, promoted 1st Lt.; July 64,
promoted captain. Served on staffs of George Crook and Winfield S
Hancock. March, 1865, breveted major. In uniform, cast his first vote in
1864 (for Lincoln). Hayes said of him: "Young as he was, we soon found
that in the business of a soldier, requiring much executive ability, young
McKinley showed unusual and unsurpassed capacity, especially for a boy of
his age. When battles were fought or service was to be performed in
warlike things, he always filled his place."
------------------------------
Q5.5: What are the various alternative names for the war?
From: pd...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Patrick L Dunn)
From Davis, B. (1982), _The Civil War: Strange and Fascinating Facts_
(Originally published as "Our Incredible Civil War). ISBN 0-517-37151-0
Chapter 13. Which War? pp. 79-80.
The War for Constitutional Liberty
The War for Southern Independence
The Second American Revolution
The War for States' Rights
Mr. Lincoln's War
The Southern Rebellion
The War for Southern Rights
The War of the Southern Planters
The War of the Rebellion
The Second War for Independence
The War to Suppress Yankee Arrogance
The Brothers' War
The War of Secession
The Great Rebellion
The War for Nationality
The War for Southern Nationality
The War Against Slavery
The Civil War Between the States
The War of the Sixties
The War Against Northern Aggression
The Yankee Invasion
The War for Separation
The War for Abolition
The War for the Union
The Confederate War
The War of the Southrons
The War for Southern Freedom
The War of the North and South
The Lost Cause
The War Between the States
The Late Unpleasantness
The Late Friction
The Late Ruction
The Schism
The Uncivil War
and of course.... THE War, "as if the planet had not heard a shot fired
in anger since '65."
Yet another alternative name: The Slaveowners' Rebellion
-----------------------------
Q5.6: What are good books on the war?
Steve Schmidt (schm...@unvax.union.edu) has compiled a recommended
reading list which will be posted monthly as a supplement to this FAQ.
Other lists are archived at
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/academic/history/marshall/military/civil_war_usa/
in that directory are two files
civ_war_biblio_1.txt,
which is an annotated bibliography of Civil War bibliographies, and
civ_war_biblio_2.txt,
which is a bibliography of Civil War books arranged by subject, similar
to Schmidt's, but without descriptions.
-----------------------------
Q5.7: How can I get the soundtrack to Ken Burn's "Civil War"?
From Wayne J. Warf (WW...@ucs.indiana.edu):
<Original Soundtrack Recording> The Civil War <A Film by Ken Burns>
Elektra Nonesuch #9 79256-2 copyright 1990
ISBN# 0-681-92609-0
Songs of the Civil War
Produced by Ken Burns and Don DeVito
Columbia #CK 48607
Copyright 1991 by Sony Music Entertainment
no ISBN# listed
------------------------------
*Q5.8: Did U.S. Grant and R.E. Lee both own slaves and free them?
[from the late Paul Cowan and James Epperson with amendments by JMS]
1. R. E. Lee personally owned at least one slave, an elderly house
servant that he inherited from his mother. It is said that Lee continued
to hold the slave as a kindness, since he was too feeble to have made his
way as a free man. Although it is commonly believed that Lee owned the
Arlington Plantation and the associated slaves, these and two other
plantations totalling over 1,000 slaves were the property of Lee's
father-in-law, George Washington Parke Custis. Upon Mr. Custis's death in
1858, Lee did not personally inherit either the plantations or slaves, but
was named the executor of the estate. Mr. Custis willed that his slaves
should be freed within 5 years. Legal problems with the fulfillment of
other terms of the will led Lee to delay in the execution of the terms of
manumission until the latest specified date. On 29 Dec 1862, Lee executed
a deed of manumission for all the slaves of the Custis estate who were
still behind Confederate lines (Arlington was in Union hands by then).
Sources: _Lee & Grant_, by Gene Smith; _R.E. Lee: A Biography_, by
D.S. Freeman.
2. In 1858, while attempting to make a go in civilian life as a farmer
near St. Louis, MO, U.S. Grant acquired a slave named William Jones,
probably from his father-in-law, although the record is not entirely
clear. In March, 1859, Grant gave Jones his freedom despite the fact that
Grant desperately needed the money he might have recovered by selling him.
Grant's wife, Julia, had the use of four slaves as personal servants; the
record is unclear as to who held legal title to them (it could well have
been Julia's father). In her own memoirs, Julia states that these were
freed at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Sources: _Captain Sam Grant_, by Lloyd Lewis; _The Personal Memoirs of
Julia Dent Grant_, by Julia Grant; _Let Us Have Peace, etc._ by Brooks D.
Simpson.
------------------------------
Q5.9: What is the recipe for hardtack?
Recipes for hardtack vary from extremely simple to more elaborate.
The simplest is:
6 parts flour to 1 part water, mix, knead, roll out thin, and bake until
hard.
From: tec...@sulu.ucsb.edu (Dominic J. Dal Bello)
For about 10 crackers (1 ration):
3 cups flour
1 1/2 or so tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
water to form to a workable dough.
Kneed the dough. Crackers should be cut to about 3"x3" (although some
contractors made 'em 5x5, even 7x7). When you cut the dough, I have found
that it should not "pull away" - if it does, it is still too wet. With a
nail, or similar object, punch about 16 holes in each cracker (4x4 pattern
- although this was not the only way to do it). Put in oven at about 375F
for about 50 minutes - this is what I find to work for me; different ovens
may act differently. In any event, it should be brownish on the bottom.
Your not "baking" cookies here, you are essentially trying to heat all the
water out of the cracker. Take out and cool. - they should get hard.
"Evidence" indicates that hardtack was made with "self-rising" flour.
If I recall right, however, no specifications have been found as to what
the government actually called for. Some recipes call for oil, but I have
found that it has no effect on the final product. In any event,
experiment with kneeding, etc., time to bake to get a final product which
is a nice hard slab of flour.
From: zur...@solaris.wpd.sgi.com (Jeff Zurschmeide)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp baking soda
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt to taste
water to consistency
Mix up well, (dry ingredients first, then wet) roll out thin, bake at 450
degrees about 15 minutes, or to tooth-breaking quality.
From Merle Kirck:
We make it for our Living History programs. here it is:
3 cups milk
8 cups plain flour
8 tbl spoons shortening (crisco)
6 tea spoon brown sugar (opt)
3 tea spoon salt
Mix, roll on floured board, to 1/2" thickness. cut into 3" squares, punch
holes 3 rolls of 3 with ice pick, Lightly grease baking pan, Bake in oven
400 deg for 45 min or till golden brown, cool in open air. Don't store in
plastic (no plastic in 1800's) because of moisture.
This recipe is the same they used except the sugar. We have found that
a good dose of cinnamon, and not cooking it as long is good eatin'.
------------------------------
Q5.10: Where can I get a copy of the Sullivan Ballou letter quoted
in Ken Burn's "Civil War"?
The text of Maj. Ballou's letter can be found at the follwoing web
site:
http://www.hillsdale.edu/dept/History/Documents/War/America/Civil/1861-Ballou.htm
------------------------------
Q5.11: What were the lyrics to "Dixie", "The Bonnie Blue Flag", etc.?
Kathie Fraser has the lyrics to several songs on her homepage of songs
and poetry:
http://www.erols.com/kfraser/index.html
------------------------------
Q5.12: How can I get the "Official Records" on CD-ROM?
There are currently three publishers who have the "Official Records of
the Union and Confederate Armies" on CD-ROM.
Guild Press of Indiana
435 Gradle Drive
Carmel, IN 46032
(317) 848-6421
sa...@guildpress.com
http://www.guildpress.com
Broadfoot Publishing Co.
1907 Buena Vista Circle
Wilmington, NC 28405
Order Line (800) 537-5243
Fax Line (910) 686-4379
General Information (910) 686-4816
brop...@wilmington.net
http://broadfoot.wilmington.net/
H-Bar Enterprises
1442 Davidson Loop
Oakman, AL 35579
1-800-432-7702
http://www.hbar.com
Guild Press and H-Bar have several other Civil War-related titles on
CD-ROM as well, while Broadfoot is well-known for its reprints (in paper)
of essential Civil War reference materials.
***End of U.S. Civil War FAQ
Justin M. Sanders
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1995/7/18
Version: 2.0
This reading list is a supplement to the U.S. Civil War FAQ and will be
posted on or about the 20th of each month.
The purpose of the U.S. Civil War Reading List is to provide the beginning
Civil War reader with a short guide to good introductory books on the war.
This list was originally compiled in the newsgroup alt.war.civil.usa in
the summer of 1993. It lists 81 books, several of them with multiple
volumes, as well as an 11 hour documentary film and a CD of Civil War era
songs. The list is divided into various topic areas, each listing between
three and eight books, which do not require a lot of prior knowledge about
the war and which provide a good introduction for further reading on the
subject. Version 2.0 was prepared in June 1995, and added about a dozen
books from reader suggestions while dropping a couple that had been
superseded by new entries, and dropping the Official Records.
This reading list is maintained by Stephen Schmidt
(schm...@unvax.union.edu) to whom suggested additions and corrections
should be sent.
The list is divided into 13 topic areas as follows:
1. General Histories of the War
2. Causes of the War and History to 1861
3. Slavery and Southern Society
4. Reconstruction
5. Biographies
6. Memoirs
7. Reference Works
8. Unit Histories and Soldier's Reminiscences
9. Fiction
10. Specific Battles and Campaigns (chronological)
11. Strategies, Tactics, and General Military Aspects
12. The Experience of Soldiers
13. Civil War Periodicals (popular press)
----------------------------------------
Section 1. General Histories of the War
James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom. 1988.
A comprehensive history of the United States from about 1845 until
Appomattox. About 40% of the book is on the prewar years, the rest on the
war. This book is up to date, reflects most (though not all) of the
historical research on the war, and is a single volume which is well
written, easy to read, and accessible to the non-historian. It also has an
excellent bibliographic note at the end which refers to most of the
scholarly literature on issues relating to the war. If you read only one
book on the war, this one should probably be it. Probably the work most
frequently cited in alt.war.civil.usa.
Bruce Catton, The Centennial History of the Civil War. New York, Doubleday
Books, 1963. Three volumes: published separately as "The Coming Fury,"
"Terrible Swift Sword," and "Never Call Retreat."
One of the best written histories of the war, by a man associated
primarily with the Union side of the war. This series, however, presents
equal coverage of both sides of the war. First volume covers prewar
material through First Bull Run, second volume Bull Run to Antietam, third
volume the rest of the war.
Shelby Foote, The Civil War: A Narrative. New York, 1958. 3 volumes.
Published separately as "Fort Sumter to Perryville," "Fredricksburg to
Meridian," and "Red River to Appomattox."
A history of the War, focusing on the history of the Confederacy more
than on Union operations. Until McPherson's book, the most popularly read
history of the War.
Robert Johnson and Clarence Buel, editors. Battles and Leaders of the
Civil War. 4 volumes. 1887. Reprinted 1959.
A series of articles on the various battles of the Civil War, written
by generals from both sides who had fought in the battles. A troublesome
book: like most firsthand sources, it tends to be inaccurate on the
details, especially of the opponent's actions, and also tends to reflect
the author's needs to justify himself more than what actually happened.
However, an excellent, and fairly comprehensive, collection of first-hand
descriptions of the battles by the men who fought them.
Alan Nevins, The Ordeal of the Union. 8 volumes. 1949-1971. Also published
as three shorter series: volumes 1-2 as "The Ordeal for the Union,"
volumes 3-4 as "The Emergence of Lincoln," volumes 5-8 as "The War for the
Union."
Covers much the same ground as McPherson but in much more detail.
Focuses at least as much on the political, strategic, and logistical side
of the fighting as on the battles and tactics. Covers the Union in more
detail than the Confederacy but both sides are described.
Ken Burns, The Civil War.
An 11 hour motion picture documenting the war. First shown on PBS and
highly acclaimed, now available from Time Life Video on 9 VHS tapes. There
is also a companion book, "The Civil War: An Illustrated History" which
you can get.
----------------------------------------
Section 2. Causes of the War and History to 1861
David M. Potter, The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861 (Harpers & Row, 1976).
This book covers, primarily from a political perspective, the events
leading to the war from the Mexican Cession in 1848 through Fort Sumter.
Judged by the weight of footnotes, this is a very serious historical work,
but Potter reaches beyond mere facts and manages to relate a sense of the
personalities and motives behind the events. A very enjoyable read. In
the preface of "Battle Cry of Freedom," McPherson lists this book as one
of the handful of classics on the Civil War period. 638 p.
Bruce and William Catton, Two Roads To Sumter. 1963.
Compares the lives of Lincoln and Davis starting with their births
close together in time and space. It then uses their two diverging lives
as a microcosm of the national drift to war.
Richard N. Current, Lincoln and the First Shot. 1963.
A vivid narrative and scholarly analysis of the decision to resupply,
and not to surrender, Fort Sumter. Regards Lincoln's second inaugural as
containing a succinct and true characterization of the crisis - that both
sides preferred war to compromise - and that Lincoln felt that to
compromise on Fort Sumter without the Southern states promising to
dissolve their secession conventions was futile appeasement.
William Freehling, Road to Disunion: The Secessionists at Bay 1787-1854.
1990.
A good, though idiosyncratic, one volume treatment of the South's
development of the secessionist mindset.
Phillip Shaw Paludan, A People's Contest: The Union and Civil War.
David M. Potter, Lincoln and His Party in the Secession Crisis. 1942.
A professional historian's treatise. Not light reading, but a quite
compelling account of the blunders and circumstances that led to the
outbreak of war.
----------------------------------------
Section 3. Slavery and Southern Society
Fogel and Engerman, Time on the Cross. 1974.
A comprehensive and HIGHLY controversial study of slavery in the Old
South. Though the authors are not apologists for slavery, they do conclude
that slavery was not as bad as it had been made out to be and had a number
of positive redeeming features. A long literature has followed this book
which has largely, though not entirely, repudiated it. It is probably
unwise to read this book unless you also intend to start in on the
following discussion, some of which is also summarized below.
Paul David, et al, Reckoning with Slavery.
A straightforward, point by point rebuttal of "Time on the Cross" (see
below) by a number of respected historians and economists. If you read
"Time on the Cross," you should really read this one also so as to get
both sides of the issue at once.
Eugene Genovese, Roll Jordan Roll: The World the Slaves Made. 1974.
Published the same year as Fogel and Engerman's 'Time on the Cross'
(see above), Genovese offers a Marxist perspective of US slavery. The
book describes the social aspects of control, both of slave by master and
of master by slave, and analyzes in depth the real relationship between
master and slave. Genovese also wrote "The Political Economy of Slavery"
(1965) which suggests that slavery was becoming economically unviable.
Peter Kolchin, American Slavery, 1619-1877 (New York: Hill & Wang, 1993)
xv, 237pp, 6 tables, 10pp notes, 34pp Bibliographic essay, index.
Peter Kolchin, in this slim volume, surveys the 250 year history of
slavery in the United States. It is a well written and well made book
highly recommended as an up-to-date review of slavery as well as of the
historiography of slavery. Kolchin discusses the origins of slavery, the
development of an African-America culture among the slaves, the effect of
the American Revolution on the institution, antebellum slavery, and the
end of slavery through the Civil War and Reconstruction. A bibliographic
essay, equal in length to one of the chapters, completes the book and
provides numerous references for further reading.
Rollin G. Osterweis, Romanticism and Nationalism in the Old South
(LSU Press, 1949)
Studies the factors that influenced antebellum Southern thought and
idealism.
Ulrich B. Phillips, Life and Labor in the Old South (Little, Brown 1929).
A sympathetic study of plantation economy and culture.
Kenneth M. Stampp, The Peculiar Institution. 1956.
Another broad treatment of Southern slavery, but somewhat more
accepted and more traditional than Fogel and Engerman's.
Gavin Wright, Old South New South. 1988.
A comparison of the Southern economy before and after the war, with
emphasis on the effects of slavery and its abolition.
----------------------------------------
Section 4. Reconstruction
Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution. 1990.
A comprehensive history of the Reconstruction period, and the effects
of the abolition of slavery on the Southern economy and Southern society.
Emphasizes the central role that blacks played in Reconstruction.
----------------------------------------
Section 5. Biographies
Stephen Oates, To Purge This Land With Blood. 1970.
Biography of John Brown.
William C. Davis, Jefferson Davis: The Man and His Hour. 1990.
Evenhanded account of Davis that examines primary sources critically.
Well written. Humanizes Davis. Illustrates his strengths and weaknesses.
Definitive work on Davis and why and how he ran the Confederacy.
Jack Hurst. Nathan Bedford Forrest: Alfred A. Knopf 1993.
A very balanced look at a soldier who was brilliant and ruthless.
Focuses on both his days before the war as a wealthy slave trader and
after the war as a railroad investor and founder of the KKK.
Richard M. McMurry, John Bell Hood and the War for Southern Independence.
1982.
A short (less than 200 pp), accessible work about an important
commander who advanced too fast for his (and his country's) own good.
Good material about the pre-war Army.
GFR Henderson, Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War. 2 volumes.
1898.
Biography of Stonewall Jackson, who never wrote his own memoirs,
because dead people don't.
Douglas S. Freeman, Robert E. Lee: A Biography. 4 volumes. 1935.
The most thorough biography of Lee, who never wrote his own memoirs.
It presents an extremely positive view of Lee, which has come into
question in recent years; it is nonetheless the best work available on
General Lee.
Thomas L. Connelly, The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in
American Society. 1977.
Often cited, frequently criticized, and rarely read, this book
provides a convincing psychological portrait of Lee which is sadly lacking
from Freeman or any of the other hero-worshiping texts. If you want to
get a feeling for the man, read this book.
Stephen Oates, With Malice Towards None. 1977.
Biography of Abraham Lincoln.
William Piston, Lee's Tarnished Lieutenant. 1988.
Reviews Longstreet's military record, the attacks against him by the
Virginia clique, and Longstreet's replies. The best and most accurate
review of Longstreet's controversial career, it largely though not
completely supports the pro-Longstreet camp. An interesting book, not only
in its coverage of Longstreet, but as a reflection on how history is made,
and how it can become inaccurate when personal vendettas and political
pressure come into play.
Ezra Warner, Generals in Blue. 1964.
Quick biographies of all the men ranked brigadier general or higher in
the Union army. Good for a quick background or for looking up particular
biographic details.
Ezra Warner, Generals in Gray. 1964.
Same as above for the Confederates.
----------------------------------------
Section 6. Memoirs.
[Note: The following books were written by prominent participants in the
war. Their perceptions are necessarily subjective; many of them wrote to
present their side of controversies involving themselves that arose after
the war. They did not have the benefit of access to the historical records
that later writers did, and sometimes made factual errors, particularly
regarding the strengths or actions of the other side. Some also slanted
their facts in favor of their own version of events. These books should be
read skeptically for these reasons, and it is wise where possible to read
a later, neutral treatment of the same subjects to get an idea of where a
participant may have made mistakes or misspoken.]
John Gordon, Reminiscences of the Civil War. 1903.
Autobiography of Gordon, who after the Big Three of Longstreet,
Jackson, and Stuart, is probably the most distinguished of Lee's generals.
Another book that has to be read carefully, it is largely accurate but has
a number of scenes that were completely made up by Gordon to vindicate
himself after the other eyewitnesses to events had died.
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of US Grant. 2 volumes. 1885.
Basically an autobiography, though concentrating on his ACW career.
James Longstreet, From Manassas to Appomattox. 1896.
Longstreet's autobiography. Take this book with a large grain of salt:
Longstreet had been unjustly attacked by many former Confederate generals
(notably Jubal Early) and this book is his reply.
Horace Porter, Campaigning with Grant. 1896.
Recollections of one of Grants aides de camp on the history of the
war. One of the most widely cited primary sources in subsequent
literature, this book has had a large impact on Grant's historical
reputation, probably larger than Grant's memoirs have had.
Phil Sheridan, Personal Memoirs of Philip Sheridan. 1888.
Sheridan's autobiography.
William T. Sherman, Memoirs of W.T. Sherman. 2 volumes. 1887.
Sherman's autobiography.
Richard Taylor, Destruction and Reconstruction.
The memoirs of Richard Taylor. General Taylor, the son of Mexican War
general and President Zachary Taylor, served throughout the war in all
three of the major theatres; first with Lee in the East, then with Kirby
Smith in the Trans-Mississippi, and last as commander of the Department of
Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. He begins his story with the
secession of South Carolina and ends with four chapters on the surrender
of the Confederate armies and Reconstruction. His book provides two main
contributions: first he offers a relatively critical look at the
Confederate war strategy and priorities, and second, he provides a good
example of the response of ex-Confederates to the North's Reconstruction
policies and their effects on the South.
----------------------------------------
Section 7. Reference Works
The books on this section of the list are here as valuable references, and
are not something that you would actually sit down and read. However, if
you want to look something up first-hand, these are the books in which to
do it.
Mark Boatner, The Civil War Dictionary. (reprint, 1988).
A dictionary of Civil War names, places, battles, and terms, with one
paragraph descriptions of each. Designed as a quick and easy reference to
let you get a quick grasp of a subject starting from only a name or place.
Dornbusch, Military Bibliography of the Civil War. 4 vols, 1987.
A listing of books published on Union and Confederate regiments, and
personal narratives. 1987 is the latest update. An ideal way to track down
the wartime experiences of a relative whose unit is known.
Frederic Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. 3 volumes.
1959.
A summary of the portion of the Official Records which deals with the
Union armies: contains much of the interesting information and numerical
data without the dross and kipple of the complete Records. Useful if you
want to find something that is in OR but don't have the time to hunt
through it.
William Fox, Regimental Losses in the American Civil War. 1985.
Regiment by regiment, lists all the losses suffered in the various
battles of the war. Also contains synopsis histories of each corps in the
Union Army, and a fair amount of other very interesting information.
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Section 8. Unit Histories and Soldier's Reminiscences
Bruce Catton. Civil War, 3 volumes.
Published separately as Mr. Lincoln's Army, Glory Road, and A
Stillness at Appomattox. The history of the Army of the Potomac from First
Bull Run to the final surrender.
Thomas Connelly, Army of the Heartland.
History of the Confederate Army of Tennessee from 1861 to late 1862.
Thomas Connally, Autumn of Glory.
History of the Army of Tennessee from 1862 to 1865.
Rice Bull, The Civil War Diary of Rice Bull.
The personal reminiscences of one of Sherman's bummers who marched
through Georgia.
Joshua L. Chamberlain, The Passing of the Armies.
Contains two equal parts: a history of the Appomattox campaign and of
the Grand Review of the Army of the Potomac in Washington, by a man who
was a major general commanding a division in the V corps, who received the
official Confederate surrender at Appomattox.
William C Davis, The Orphan Brigade.
A unit history of the Kentucky brigade of the Confederate Army of
Tennessee. Particularly poignant in describing the emotions of men whose
states, and often families, were fighting on the other side of the firing
line.
Alan Nolan, The Iron Brigade. 1975.
A unit history of the brigade composed of the 2nd, 6th, and 7th
Wisconsin and the 19th Indiana, later the 24th Michigan, probably the best
brigade in the Army of the Potomac.
Elisha Hunt Rhodes, All For The Union. 1985.
The diary and letters of Colonel EH Rhodes, Second Rhode Island
Volunteers. Rhodes enlisted as a private and worked his up through the
ranks, reaching Colonel of the regiment in 1865. His firsthand impressions
of the war in the East.
Sam Watkins, Company "Aytch". 1885 or so.
Reminiscences of Sam Watkins, private in Company H of the First
Tennessee Volunteer Infantry. Very down to earth story of what it was like
to be a Confederate private. Does not discuss military history or issues
at all - purely one soldier's impression of the war.
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Section 9. Fiction
Ambrose Bierce, In the Midst Of Life.
A collection of short stories: the first half of the book is stories
of soldiers in the War. His themes are (1) the nature of courage; (2)
the ghastliness of war; (3) fighting between family members. Sort of "All
Quiet on the Western Front" for the ACW.
Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage. 1891.
The most literary novel to emerge from the Civil War. It is a loose
description of the battle of Chancellorsville, although it doesn't say so.
It's about three Union enlisted men, and their motivations for fighting
the war.
Michael Shaara, Killer Angels. 1974.
A novelized version of the Gettysburg campaign, told from the
viewpoints of Lee, Longstreet, and Joshua L. Chamberlain, colonel of the
20th Maine. A must-read for those who want to know what it was like to be
there.
Irene Hunt, Across Five Aprils.
A novelized account of a family living in Southern Illinois which has
sons fighting on both sides of the war. Written for children about ages
ten to twelve, but a good read for adults as well.
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Section 10. Specific Battles and Campaigns
Jay Monaghan, Civil War on the Western Border, 1854-1865 (University of
Nebraska Press, 1955).
Covers all aspects of the Trans-Mississippi west, including the
pre-war period, guerrillas, battles, and generals.
Robert Hendrickson, Sumter: The First Day of the Civil War. 1990.
Describes activities associated with events in Charleston Harbor
roughly from before the election of 1860 until Lincoln's call for troops.
Includes several appendices, one with the text of the "South Carolina
Declaration of Causes". Has a strong Northern bias.
William J. Shea and Earl J. Hess, Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the
West (Univ. of North Carolina Press, 1992) ISBN 0-8078-2042-3
The definitive book on the Battle of Pea Ridge. It is very well
written telling in a clear, straightforward way what happened where and
when. There are many helpful maps of the battle at various stages (among
them are 5 of the action at Leetown and 7 of the action at Elkhorn
Tavern). The authors clearly have a thorough familiarity with the terrain
of the battlefield and the vicinity of Pea Ridge. There are extensive
notes and a thorough bibliography. Orders of Battle for both sides are
included. Two additional chapters provide a military commentary on the
battle and discuss the battle's legacy.
Stephen Sears, To the Gates of Richmond. 1992.
An exceptionally good treatment of the Peninsula campaign and the
Seven Day's Battles.
John J. Hennessy, Return to Bull Run: The Campagin and Battle of Second
Manassas (1992).
Hennessy was formerly the historian for the National Park Service at
Manassas. A well-written account of Second Bull Run (August 10, 1862-
September 3, 1862). Fills the gap between Sears' books. A good
description of the failure of command of the federal Army of Virginia
headed by John Pope, and some interesting evaluations of how effective the
Confederates actually were.
Stephen Sears, The Landscape Turned Red. 1983.
An exceptionally good treatment of Antietam/Sharpsburg; Works equally
well as a guide to the battlefield and to the politics and personalities
of the moment.
Ernest B. Furguson, Chancellorsville 1863: The Souls of the Brave. 1992.
Despite the corny title, this is the definitive modern work on
Chancellorsville. Covering the time between the defeat at Fredericksburg
and the defeat at Chancellorsville, Furguson gives an insightful,
well-written presentation of a confusing battle that is often difficult to
understand. Of particular interest are his conclusions about the
effectiveness of Confederate command. He argues convincingly that even
after Stonewall Jackson turned the right flank of the Army of the Potomac,
the federals had a number of excellent chances of crippling the
Confederate army had Hooker simply held his ground and allowed Lee to
attack frontally as Lee was planning to do.
Richard Wheeler, The Siege of Vicksburg. 1978.
A history of the siege of Vicksburg and the campaign leading up to it.
Wheeler tends to use eyewitness accounts heavily, tracing the broad
outlines in his own words but letting the participants speak for
themselves on the details of what happened. Wheeler has written many more
books in the same style, if you like this one you might want to read his
other books.
Edwin B. Coddington. The Gettysburg Campaign. Scribner's Press, 1968.
The definitive account of the campaign and battle of Gettsburg,
starting in June 1863 and running to the end of July. Though more books
have been written about Gettysburg than any other battle, this one is the
most accurate, most comprehensive, and most accessible of them.
Robert Kerby, Kirby Smith's Confederacy. 1972.
The definitive account of the war west of the Mississippi from 1863
through 1865. Discusses the generals and campaigns, the irregular warfare
in Missouri, the home front in the West, and the relationship of the
Western theater to the whole war in about equal parts.
Glenn Tucker, Chickamauga, Bloody Battle in the West. 1964?
A fairly detailed tactical history of Chickamauga, with some comments
though not many on the preceding campaign and on the general history of
the Western Offensive plan that Longstreet and Johnston, among others, had
been advocating for some time.
Ludwell Johnson, The Red River Campaign. 1958.
The history of the Red River campaign of 1864. Provides about an equal
mix of battle tactical details, and the political maneuvering over
Southern cotton that led to the campaign in the first place.
Noah Trudeau, Bloody Roads South. 1989.
History of the Grant's 1864 campaign from the Wilderness to Cold
Harbor. Contains an excellent description of Grant's strategy, tactics,
and the problems therewith as they manifested themselves in operations
against Lee.
Wiley Sword, Embrace An Angry Wind. 1991.
The Franklin/Nashville campaign.
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Section 11. Strategies, Tactics, and General Military Aspects
Douglas Freeman, Lee's Lieutenants. 1944.
A study of the generals of the Army of Northern Virginia who served
under Lee. Primarily intended as a study in the makings of commanders, it
also gives a solid history of Lee's strategy for the war in the East as
well as providing a good working biography of nearly all the important
Confederate generals in the Eastern theatre.
Paddy Griffith, Battle Tactics of the American Civil War.
Presents the thesis that the Civil War tactics were dominated by
Napoleonic thinking that was never really supplanted until after the war.
A somewhat controversial book.
Hattaway and Jones, How the North Won. 1983.
An excellent introduction to 19th century strategy, logistics and
grand tactics. Essential for an understanding of why and how battles came
to be fought where and as they did. Concerns itself less with battle
accounts than with operations and command organization.
George Edgar Turner, Victory Rode the Rails (1953, reprinted by the U of
Nebraska Press, 1992).
A description of the impact that railroads had on the battles and
strategy of the Civil War, both North and South. Contains many
fascinating tidbits and insights missed by larger and more general works
on the war.
John Waugh, The Class of 1846. Warner Books, 1994.
The West Point class of '46 was probably the most remarkable in its
history. George McClellan, Stonewall Jackson, A.P. Hill, George Pickett,
Dabney Maury and Darius Couch all graduated that year. The book traces
their schooling and Mexican fighting together. Most interesting is the
contrast between McClellan, who was the star of that class, and Jackson,
who was the one who came to the Point with determination, but no academic
skills. The portaryal of the West Point education shows why just about
every ACW star went to the Point.
Kenneth P Williams, Lincoln Finds a General. 5 volumes. 1949.
A study of the command problems of the Union army.
T. Harry Williams, Lincoln and his Generals. 1952.
A shorter version of the same material.
Stephen R. Wise, Lifeline of the Confederacy: Blockade Running During
the Civil War (U. of South Carolina, 1988).
A thorough study of blockade running-- how cargoes were obtained, the
effect of blockade running on the Confederate war effort, and the
companies involved in activity. Contains a chronological list of runners
by port of entry and a descriptive list of all known vessels used in
blockade running.
Steven E. Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals. 1990.
A penetrating examination of the failure of Confederate command in the
West. This includes brief biographies of all major commanders in the
Western theater, an evaluation of their performance, and Jefferson Davis's
successes and failures. A clear, sucinct portrait of why there was so
little good news from the West for the Confederacy.
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Section 12. The Experience of Soldiers
Gerald Linderman, Embattled Courage: the Experience of Combat in the
American Civil War. 1987.
Looks at the 1861 volunteers of both sides and traces the emotional
and psychological changes which their war experiences inflicted upon them
over time.
Bell Irving Wiley, Johnny Reb.
A collection and study of the collected reminiscences of a number of
Southern soldiers, providing a detailed look at the life of enlisted men
in the Confederate army.
Bell Ivring Wiley, Billy Yank.
Same as Johnny Reb for the Northern side.
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Section 13. Civil War Periodicals (popular press)
These are periodicals for the general reader which deal with the Civil War
and are likely to be found at your news stand.
Civil War Times Illustrated.
The articles are a well researched, and there are features that focus
on the life and times aspect of the War.
Blue and Gray.
Each issue focuses on a particular battle or campaign, with articles
by several authors taking different tacks on the main story. It is really
wonderful to have an issue when you are visiting a battlefield.
Acknowledgments:
The number of people who contributed to this list has grown so large
that it is no longer feasible to list all their names. However, I would
like to thank them collectively for all of the effort they put into
recommending books and writing descriptions. Without their work this list
would not exist.
Stephen Schmidt (schm...@unvax.union.edu)
*** End of Civil War Reading List ***