For
Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War by James M. McPherson
As
a history buff, I am an admirer of McPherson’s work on the Civil War, so I requested
this book for Christmas from my wife. It didn’t disappoint. The author draws on
the letters and diaries of common soldiers, not published memoirs which tend to
spin the truth to show the writer in a favorable light. It is a valuable
addition to Civil War literature that I highly recommend. My great, great
grandfather, Sergeant Oliver Vernal, fought through the war, and was one of the
three-year men who reenlisted. He had a 30 day leave from that, married my
great, great grandmother, and returned to battle. He was badly wounded twice,
once at Deep Bottom when the Sixth broke and fled. There he was shot through
his tin cup into his hip. I assume it was on his belt behind him and he was
running with the rest. Good thing too, because he had no children at the time.
The Sixth had good days. They went into Battery Wagner next to the famous 54th
Massachusetts, but didn’t get a mention in the movie Glory. My one
disagreement with McPherson is when he says the Civil War soldiers were
volunteers, unlike those who fought in Vietnam, who were draftees or career
regulars. I wrote to McPherson and said that two-thirds of those who fought in
Vietnam were, like me, volunteers who did not make careers of the military,
while two-thirds of the soldiers in WWII were draftees. He wrote back and said
he would fix that if there was another addition. This book offers great insight
into human motivation, and I highly recommend it.
Marching Through Georgia: The Story of
Soldiers and Civilians During Sherman's Campaign by Lee B. Kennett
The
book focuses not so much on generals and strategy (except where necessary to illustrate
events) but on how Sherman’s campaign to “Make Georgia howl” effected the
average person, the soldiers both blue and gray, and the black and white
citizens of Georgia, who suffered this terrible tragedy. I am not a sympathizer
with the “lost cause.” My great, great grandfather, Sergeant Oliver Vernal,
fought through the war, and was one of the three-year men who reenlisted. He
had a 30 day leave from that, married my great, great grandmother, and returned
to battle. He was badly wounded twice, once at Deep Bottom when the Sixth broke
and fled. There he was shot through his tin cup into his hip. I assume it was
on his belt behind him and he was running with the rest. Good thing too,
because he had no children at the time. The Sixth had good days. They went into
Battery Wagner next to the famous 54th Massachusetts, but didn’t get
a mention in the movie Glory. So I have been a unionist all my life, and
thing the March to the sea was justified and needed. That doesn’t stop me for
feeling pity for those who suffered during it. I learned many things I didn’t
know from this book and highly recommend it.
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