The Civil War 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential People in the War Between the States
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, History
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, History
Book Type: Hardcover
As you might expect, any book listing the "Top 100" risks criticism of who or what is included, where they are listed and who or what is not mentioned. As such, I won't discuss where the author lists people, but will raise some serious questions as to why some were included.
The book's title is "The Civil War 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential People in the War Between the States." Notice it states "in the war," not 'after' or 'before.'
First, I'll mention a serious error on the author's part. He claims Generals Grant and Sherman both commanded the Union Army of the Mississippi. This is incorrect. They both commanded the Army of the Tennessee, as Sherman assumed command when Grant was promoted in responsibility. There were two different Union Armies of the Mississippi. Both existed for only a short time and one consisted of only two divisions. This error casts doubt on the author's knowledge of the Civil War.
I have questions about a number of individuals listed, but I'll mention only a few of them. Mary Chesnut is listed as #55 for her "A Diary from Dixie." Her diary contains a wealth of information and is quoted in numerous books on the war. As such. I recommend it to any student of the Civil War. Her husband was a U.S. Senator from South Carolina who resigned before the war began. He was later an advisor to Confederate President Davis. As his wife, Mary was present at numerous historical events, including the attack on Fort Sumter and she was often a guest in the Southern "White House." Her comments on the war and countless important participants are an historian's dream. There were three editions of her diary and you need to read the 1981 edition "Mary Chesnut's Civil War" as previous editions were heavily edited. However, her diary was not published until the 1880s. So, how does this make her an important figure 'in' the war? You might as well list other historians who wrote after the war.
Dred Scott #47 is also listed. While the Supreme Court opinion on his trial was important, Scott died in 1858, three years before the war even began.
The author also includes Walt Whitman #69 (poet) and Herman Melville #91 (novelist) as important figures. Yet he also mentions their Civil War works were not well received, not even today. Due to this, I see no reason to include these two in "The Civil War 100."
Another two bewildering figures are Gail Borden #96 (for condensed milk) and Philip Armour #97 (for pork.). This is like saying a manufacturer of C-rations is one of the most important figures of World War II and other conflicts.
While Congressman James Morrill #83 is best remembered for the Morrill Land-Grant College Act, which created agricultural colleges in each state, and, as a result, had significant effects on agriculture and learning, the law had no relationship to the War, except it was passed in 1863.
I have questions about several other individuals the author claims were important 'in' the War, but I won't list them. I had the feeling the author was trying to be super-politically correct by including poets, authors, meat packers and others. He does justifiably include a number of women, white and black, and, of course, that great figure of America's 19th century, Frederick Douglas #10. The author even includes several non-Americans.
It is not as if there weren't any others important figures he could list. For example, he lists John Logan and Judah Benjamin as only "Honorable Mentions." Logan was not only a political general who rose to command of the Army of the Tennessee, but was a prime force in creating the Grand Army of the Republic, which had a huge political influence on post Civil War America. If Logan hadn't died suddenly in the 1880s, there was an excellent chance he would have been elected president. Judah Benjamin was one of Jefferson Davis' best advisors in the Confederate cabinet and held several important posts.
And the author doesn't even mention John C. Breckinridge, who not only held several important military commands in the Confederate army, but was also Davis' best secretary of war. Breckinridge also shares credit for allowing Abraham Lincoln to win the 1860 presidential election. As a former vice-president under Buchanan, Breckinridge was selected as the presidential candidate for the Southern Democrats and thereby help split the democratic vote. As a result, Lincoln was elected with less than 50% of the vote, and the southern states began 'leaving' the Union.
Despite my criticisms, the book is valuable as a pocket capsule history of some important figures for 19th Century America.
The book's title is "The Civil War 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential People in the War Between the States." Notice it states "in the war," not 'after' or 'before.'
First, I'll mention a serious error on the author's part. He claims Generals Grant and Sherman both commanded the Union Army of the Mississippi. This is incorrect. They both commanded the Army of the Tennessee, as Sherman assumed command when Grant was promoted in responsibility. There were two different Union Armies of the Mississippi. Both existed for only a short time and one consisted of only two divisions. This error casts doubt on the author's knowledge of the Civil War.
I have questions about a number of individuals listed, but I'll mention only a few of them. Mary Chesnut is listed as #55 for her "A Diary from Dixie." Her diary contains a wealth of information and is quoted in numerous books on the war. As such. I recommend it to any student of the Civil War. Her husband was a U.S. Senator from South Carolina who resigned before the war began. He was later an advisor to Confederate President Davis. As his wife, Mary was present at numerous historical events, including the attack on Fort Sumter and she was often a guest in the Southern "White House." Her comments on the war and countless important participants are an historian's dream. There were three editions of her diary and you need to read the 1981 edition "Mary Chesnut's Civil War" as previous editions were heavily edited. However, her diary was not published until the 1880s. So, how does this make her an important figure 'in' the war? You might as well list other historians who wrote after the war.
Dred Scott #47 is also listed. While the Supreme Court opinion on his trial was important, Scott died in 1858, three years before the war even began.
The author also includes Walt Whitman #69 (poet) and Herman Melville #91 (novelist) as important figures. Yet he also mentions their Civil War works were not well received, not even today. Due to this, I see no reason to include these two in "The Civil War 100."
Another two bewildering figures are Gail Borden #96 (for condensed milk) and Philip Armour #97 (for pork.). This is like saying a manufacturer of C-rations is one of the most important figures of World War II and other conflicts.
While Congressman James Morrill #83 is best remembered for the Morrill Land-Grant College Act, which created agricultural colleges in each state, and, as a result, had significant effects on agriculture and learning, the law had no relationship to the War, except it was passed in 1863.
I have questions about several other individuals the author claims were important 'in' the War, but I won't list them. I had the feeling the author was trying to be super-politically correct by including poets, authors, meat packers and others. He does justifiably include a number of women, white and black, and, of course, that great figure of America's 19th century, Frederick Douglas #10. The author even includes several non-Americans.
It is not as if there weren't any others important figures he could list. For example, he lists John Logan and Judah Benjamin as only "Honorable Mentions." Logan was not only a political general who rose to command of the Army of the Tennessee, but was a prime force in creating the Grand Army of the Republic, which had a huge political influence on post Civil War America. If Logan hadn't died suddenly in the 1880s, there was an excellent chance he would have been elected president. Judah Benjamin was one of Jefferson Davis' best advisors in the Confederate cabinet and held several important posts.
And the author doesn't even mention John C. Breckinridge, who not only held several important military commands in the Confederate army, but was also Davis' best secretary of war. Breckinridge also shares credit for allowing Abraham Lincoln to win the 1860 presidential election. As a former vice-president under Buchanan, Breckinridge was selected as the presidential candidate for the Southern Democrats and thereby help split the democratic vote. As a result, Lincoln was elected with less than 50% of the vote, and the southern states began 'leaving' the Union.
Despite my criticisms, the book is valuable as a pocket capsule history of some important figures for 19th Century America.
