| The March/April 2006 issue is the next issue of Civil War Times Illustrated that I’ll be reviewing for this blog. Civil War Times Illustrated tends to cover more of the social and political aspects of the war than the other magazines, and I’ve learned to appreciate it as one of the main sources for furthering the understanding of the Civil War in these areas. In this month’s issue, articles include a look at the myths and realities of George Custer, Appomattox parole slips as souvenirs, how the destruction of the USS Mound City ruined a Yankee offensive, and a look at the Dred Scott decision. |
| Page 8 |
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Turning Points: ‘Go West, Young Man’ by Jeffry
D. Wert |
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The Homestead Act, legislation that allowed those who qualified to |
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Page 10
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Gallery: A 100-Days Soldier submitted by Thomas
A. Ware |
| Tom Ware was 34 years old in May 1864, and he left his Ohio home to join the 149th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in response to a call for 100 day men by Lincoln. Ware and his regiment joined Lew Wallace’s VIII Corps in Baltimore and Annapolis, and they soon found themselves involved in the Battle of Monocacy. Ware’s regiment and others faced off against Robert Rodes’ veteran Confederate Division. Ordered to hold a bridge on the northern end of the field, the 149th Ohio fought until forced to retreat, and men scattered in all directions. Ware was reported missing in action, but he and many others later reported back to their regiment. Ware returned home to Frankfort, Ohio, and lived until 1907. |
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Page 12
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Living in the Past: One For The Books by Tom
Huntington |
| Tom Huntington points out that books see a boom in times of war. From popular European authors such as victor Hugo to Beadle’s Dime Novels, books were present and affordable in large numbers. |
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Page 16
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School of the Soldier: ‘The Grayback’ by Eric
Ethier |
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Lice were present in large numbers during the Civil War. Personal hygiene |
| Page 18 |
| My War: Dead Horses In Sheridan’s Ashes by Jeanette Cabell Coley |
| William Daniel Cabell kept a diary of some of his actions in 1864 in the Shenandoah Valley during Sheridan’s “burning”. Among other things, he was involved in some semi-guerrilla activities trying to slow Sheridan’s men down. |
| Page 22 |
| Custer: Boy Wonder Under Arms by Jeffry D. Wert |
| Custer biographer Jeffry Wert attempts to peel away some of the romanticized images of Custer to describe the real man behind the legend. In this article, he covers Custer’s time at West Point, where he finished dead last and seemed unconcerned that he did so, and his Civil War service. Custer started out first as a member of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry, and later served on McClellan’s staff. His fame came as a result of being appointed to lead the Michigan Brigade of cavalry in the Army of the Potomac. Custer, determined to prove his worth, routinely led from the front. Eventually he commanded the 3rd Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac. Wert concludes by saying that Little Bighorn has tarnished Custer’s reputation, which shined brightly by April 1865. For further reading, CWTI recommends either Wert’s Custer or Gregory Urwin’s Custer Victorious. |
| Page 30 |
| The Deadliest Shot by Donald Barnhart, Jr. |
| Barnhart here covers the June 1862 expedition up the White River in Arkansas. Commander Augustus Kilty of the USS Mound City, one of James Eads’ ironclads (aka “Pook’s Turtles”), led the expedition. His purpose was to supply Samuel Curtis’ Union Army, then making its way south into eastern Arkansas. Accompanying him were the USS St. Louis, a sister ship of the Mound City, the timberclads Conestoga and Lexington, the tugboat Spiteful, and a troop convoy transporting the 46th Indiana. On June 17, 1862, the convoy reached St. Charles, Arkansas, about 100 miles from where the White intersects the Mississippi. The 46th Indiana and the gunboats were able to drive off one battery covering the town, but the Mound City steamed ahead to take on a second battery. As the ship steamed forward, disaster struck. A Confederate shell penetrated the ironclad and hit a steam drum. Scalding steam burst forth and blanketed men, killing many and sending those near hatches diving to escape. This essentially ended the action, but there was some controversy over whether or not the Confederates fired on wounded Yankee sailors struggling in the river. This “deadliest shot” caused Curtis to abandon the notion of the White River as a supply line. Instead he moved southeast to Helena. |
| Page 38 |
| ‘A Priceless Legacy’: Examing the Appomattox Parole by Gregory A. Coco |
| Gettysburg NMP park ranger Gregory Coco here examines the importance a simple scrap of paper had to many Confederate veterans after the war. These scraps, printed quickly and handed out haphazardly, came to symbolize their owners’ devotion to the cause. Men who did not have a parole slip were forced to explain themselves, conceal that fact, or face the stigma of being known as a deserter. In addition, these passes offered safe passage for soldiers returning home, and also allowed them to draw rations from Yankee supply sources. In a rather unique article, Coco also briefly discussed the differences in the appearance of the various Appomattox passes. |
| Page 46 |
| The Lawsuit That Started The Civil War by Gregory J. Wallance |
| Dred Scott filed “The Lawsuit That Started The Civil War”, according to author Gregory J. Wallance. The author argues that the country was a tinderbox just waiting for a match, and Chief Justice Roger B. Taney’s decision in the Dred Scott case was just such a match. Wallance covers the background of the case, and also of Taney’s personal tragedy not long before the case was decided. In his decision, Taney not only upheld a decision by the Missouri Supreme Court to overturn what had been law concerning slaves taken to live in free states becoming free, but also declared that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. |
| Page 54 |
| In Their Footsteps: The Road To Appomattox by Jay Wertz |
| Jay Wertz takes readers on a tour of the roads Lee’s army took from Richmond and Petersburg following fighting of April 2 near those cities. Among the topics are the Sailor’s Creek battlefield, and of course the sites in the little town of Appomattox Court House. |
| Page 62 |
| Reviews: Books and Other Media |
| 1. Confederate Emancipation : Southern Plans to Free and Arm Slaves during the Civil War by Bruce Levine 2. A People’s History of the Civil War: Struggles for the Meaning of Freedom by David Williams 3. Kearny’s Own: The History of the First New Jersey Brigade in the Civil War by Bradley M. Gottfried 4. Team of Rivals : The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin 5. Four Years in the Stonewall Brigade by John O. Casler |
| Page 66 |
| Civil War Times Album of the Late War |
| This version of “Album of the Late War” includes topics as diverse as Libbie Custer, a rat terrier as a regimental pet, and newspaper correspondents. |
| Page 74 |
| Frozen Moment: Henry House Hill |
| A picture of the demolished Henry House is the forzen moment of this issue. Although the First Battle of Manassas was a great southern victory, it destroyed one southern family’s lives forever. The family matriarch, Judith, would die as a result of wounds suffered from Union artillery, and the house itself was destroyed. Mrs. Henry’s son rebuilt the house in the 1870’s. |
Check out Beyond the Crater: The Petersburg Campaign Online for the latest on the Siege of Petersburg!
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