Thomas F. (hardtack) -
Good story about U.S. Grant's masterful 1863 campaign in the West which resulted in the fall of Vicksburg, an event probably of more importance than the Battle of Gettysburg.
While it had lots of filler, the pages went by quickly.
One item the author stressed and which he got true was that many of the Confederate soldiers who surrendered after the fall of Vicksburg and signed paroles probably never again served in the Confederate army after they were officially "exchanged." They, as one character in the book states, just "disappeared."
In 1864, as he toured the South trying to build up morale, Jefferson Davis admitted there were over 200,000 deserters from the Southern army. He pleaded with them to return to service. But by that time the logistical network for the Southern armies had pretty much collapsed and it couldn't even support the men who were left on active duty. To be fair, the Union army had about 250,000 deserters during the war, as it was a lot larger. Hell, even Mark Twain accepted a position as secretary to his brother, an official in Colorado, so he wouldn't have to fight in the war.
While it had lots of filler, the pages went by quickly.
One item the author stressed and which he got true was that many of the Confederate soldiers who surrendered after the fall of Vicksburg and signed paroles probably never again served in the Confederate army after they were officially "exchanged." They, as one character in the book states, just "disappeared."
In 1864, as he toured the South trying to build up morale, Jefferson Davis admitted there were over 200,000 deserters from the Southern army. He pleaded with them to return to service. But by that time the logistical network for the Southern armies had pretty much collapsed and it couldn't even support the men who were left on active duty. To be fair, the Union army had about 250,000 deserters during the war, as it was a lot larger. Hell, even Mark Twain accepted a position as secretary to his brother, an official in Colorado, so he wouldn't have to fight in the war.
