Stephanie Hagiwara’s Top Ten Civil War Books

Originally published November 2020 · pp. 10–11

Stephanie Hagiwara’s Top Ten Civil War Books It would be challenging for me to decide which of the many Civil War books I have read are my favorites. Instead, I am listing books that sparked ideas for my column, “Through The Lens.” 1. Tempest at Ox Hill: The Battle of Chantilly by David A. Welker. New York: Da Capo Press, 2001. Welker is the author of A Keystone Rebel and many Civil Warrelated newspaper and magazine articles. Welker became interested in the battle when he realized that it was fought on the site of a local park. At the time, the park lacked interpretive signs, markers, or guide paths. Furthermore, there were no good modern accounts and few firsthand accounts of the battle. Welker stepped up to the challenge of investigating what happened. The battle came to my attention while I was visiting the area. I wanted to find out why generals Philip Kearny and Isaac Ingalls Stevens were killed. It is an interesting, well-researched book. 2. My Cave Life in Vicksburg With Letters of Trial and Travel by Mary Ann Loughborough. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1864. Loughborough was born in New York. She married a soldier before the War and spent the rest of her life in the South. Under the mistaken belief that it would be safer, Loughborough made the tactical error of moving from Jackson, Miss., to Vicksburg, just before the Siege of Vicksburg began. Amidst Covid related challenges, I decided I needed a reminder to count my blessings by exploring extreme “sheltering in place.” I thought Loughborough did an excellent job recounting the civilian experience during the Siege. 3. The battle of Glorieta: Union victory in the West by Don E. Alberts. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2000. When I think of the Battle of Glorieta, the painting depicting Company F, galloping in “columns of twos” down the Santa Fe Trail and leaping over a burning eighteen-foot bridge to continue fighting with the Texans comes to mind. The book details the intricacies of a battle fought through an 11-mile area of valleys, canyons, creeks, wooded ridges, and cultivated fields. Sadly,

the myth of horses being able to leap an eighteen-foot burning span may have been true in spirit but not reality. Aboard the USS Monitor: 1862: The Letters of Acting Paymaster William Frederick Keeler, US Navy, to his wife Anna edited by Robert W. Daly. Annapolis United States Naval Institute Press, 1964. William Keeler was 40 years old when he volunteered for the U.S. Navy. His first assignment was on the USS Monitor. Keeler served on the Monitor from her first voyage to her last. He was fortunately able to survive her sinking. Keeler wrote letters to his wife that paint a vivid picture of life on the ironclad. An enjoyable read. The Chickamauga Campaign: A Mad Irregular Battle: From the Crossing of Tennessee River Through the First Day, August 22 – September 19, 1863 by David A. Powell. El Dorado Hills, CA: Savas Beatie, 2014. Powell is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (1983) with a BA in History. For the past decade, Powell’s focus has been on the epic battle of Chickamauga, and he is nationally recognized for his tours of that important battlefield. He has written five books on the battle. This book is the first of his Chickamauga trilogy. I had the pleasure of visiting the battlefield and the Lee and Gordon’s Mills. I like quotes and Powell has ample quotes illuminating the experiences of the soldiers in his books. Cavalry Raids of the Civil War by Col. Robert W. Black. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2004. Col. Black, a highly decorated Ranger veteran of Korea and Vietnam, is a member of the Ranger Hall of Fame. As Black writes, “A successful raid requires a bold concept executed with audacity.” The book includes both Confederate and Union raids. It brought Armstrong’s Raid to my attention. Capital Navy: The Men, Ships, and Operations of the James River Squadron by John M. Coski. El Dorado Hills, CA: Savas Beatie, 2005. Tells the tale of the naval effort to protect the Confederate capital, which in turn, made Richmond a major center of naval construction. Eight days after Fort Sumter, there was a false rumor that the USS Pawnee was coming to seize ammunition.

taste of what it would be like to live in a war zone and wanted to be prepared. This enjoyable book was written to make history accessible to general readers with enough detail for the more technically inclined. 8. Destruction and Reconstruction: Personal Experiences of the Late War by Richard Taylor. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1879. Confederate Gen. Richard Taylor was the only son of President Zachary Taylor, a plantation owner and military historian. Taylor used his knowledge of military history, strategy, and tactics to his advantage in the field. Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson recommended his promotion to Major General. Perhaps having read many military histories, Taylor details his interactions with all ranks, including the famous and how his decisions in the field were made. 9. Mr. Lincoln’s T-Mails: How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil War by Tom Wheeler. New York: Harper Collins, 2009. Amateur historian Tom Wheeler was the former Chairman of the Federal

Communication Commission (FCC). He is the only person selected to both the Cable Television Hall of Fame and the Wireless Hall of Fame, a fact President Obama joked made him “the Bo Jackson of telecom.” Two events sparked Wheeler’s interest in Lincoln’s telegrams. During the Iraq War he had seen soldiers in the field communicating by email on the evening news and he had the opportunity to see Lincoln’s handwritten notes to be sent by telegraph at the National Archives. Researching Lincoln’s use of the telecommunications was a natural fit. Lincoln turned the use of the telegraph from a curiosity to a tool enabling two-way conversations from a distance. In doing so, he was able to combine his face to face conversation leadership style with his interest in new technology. Enjoyable book on a lesser known facet of Lincoln. 10. Shea, William. War in the West: Pea Ridge & Prairie Grove. State House/ McWhiney Foundation Press, 2012. William L. Shea holds a Ph.D. from Rice University and is Professor of History at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. I was not familiar with the War in Arkansas or the role Gen. Franz Sigel played in rallying the German immigrant community to fight for the Union. “’I fights mit Sigel’ became a proud exclamation of German-born soldiers throughout the Federal army.” During the Battle of Pea Ridge, Sigel used his artillery to devastate the Confederates. The Rebels were driven off the field by, “… nearly 10,000 Federal soldiers dressed ranks and aligned on units to their right and left. It was the only time in the Civil War that an entire army—infantry, cavalry, and artillery—was visible in line of battle from flank to lank.” I wish someone took a photo. Sigel’s otherwise less than stellar military career did not diminish his regard in the German community. Towns and parks were named for him and statues were erected in his honor. Stephanie Hagiwara is the editor for Civil War in Color.com and Civil War in 3D.com. She also writes a column for History in Full Color. com that covers stories of photographs of historical interest from the 1850’s to the present. Her articles can be found on Facebook, Tumblr and Pinterest.