The Confederate Monument at Hanover Courthouse bears 1125 names on the original four bronze tablets; representing 1096 veterans. The men are grouped by branch and unit; however many served with units from adjacent localities or even in another state; so they are listed under "Other Commands." Additionally; the men are denoted by last name and initials; plus rank and an indication as to being “Killed in Action;†“Wounded;†or “Died in Service†of other causes. This book is intended to more fully identify the veterans and to give a short account of their service. The Monument was dedicated August 27; 1914. Since that time other interested individuals have indicated that not all of Hanover's Confederates were included on the tablets; with one researcher indicating he had uncovered the names of fifty men qualified to be included. I discovered in 2006 that the name of my great; great grandfather was not included on the Monument; so I decided to try to find out why. The original compilation of records for the Monument are apparently lost to time; therefore I set out to more fully identify all of Hanover's men and to locate as many as possible who were not originally memorialized. My intent was to give each veteran’s complete name; however I became aware that many were only identified by last name and initials in the military records. I also desired to list the actual command of those listed under the “Other†headings. While researching the men on the Monument; an additional 305 names have been identified and included in this work. I also discovered errors on the Monument; and the various errors are denoted. When the original research was undertaken over 100 years ago; the records were not well organized and as easily accessed as today. The large number of names coupled with the passage of over forty years; time obviously made data collection more difficult. The modern research utilized the books of the Regimental History Series published by H. E. Howard Publishing Company; other local history books; resources available to the Library of Virginia and the Page Memorial Library of History and Genealogy in Montpelier; as well as other genealogical resources and message boards. The revised edition contains additional veterans who were found while doing follow-up research on the veterans with insufficient information to identify. Also; additional information and/or corrections were made to the information for some veterans. I hope this work will aid others in gaining insight into some of the events their ancestors endured in that time of turmoil and conflict.
#47666 in Books Williamson Murray Wayne Wei siang Hsieh 2016-09-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x 1.80 x 6.30l; .0 #File Name: 0691169403616 pagesA Savage War A Military History of the Civil War
Review
71 of 73 people found the following review helpful. Refreshing New Perspective to an Oft Covered TopicBy Writing HistorianMajor General H.R. McMaster's academic and professional qualifications non-withstanding; I found myself skeptical after reading an extract from his pre-publication review stating Williamson Murray and Wayne Wei-Siang Hsieh have brought to light an important new perspective on an admittedly done to death subject.I was wrong to be skeptical. A quick glance disclosed that this book delivers far more than McMaster promised. In fact; Murray and Hsieh make a strong case throughout the book that our Civil War represented the first truly modern military-industrial-nation conflict and thus had a global impact.I have not read the whole book yet but its consistently heading on a positive trajectory as I progress through the narrative. The post battle assessments are IMHO without parallel as the authors point out the rights and wrongs of opposing commanders but they do so using methods in line with contemporary military processes; such as discussing not only the gaining of intelligence information; but also its perceived and actual value; when commanders received it; how they acted or didn't act on it; whether they embraced it or remained hesitant; and what impact their actions ultimately had on the ensuing battle; which is a method of analysis that I am far more familiar with. That revelation appeared on the first page I opened in the book - which discussed the Second Bull Run - and has not proved to be an exception to the rule.Another example appears on page 268 when the authors discuss the results of Chancellorsville; writing "Who Won Chancellorsville? The obvious answer is Lee and the Confederates. Certainly; in considering the slashing attacks he; Jackson; and Stuart had launched against a superior enemy; who had in the first hours caught them completely by surprise; their performance stands out as one of the great pieces of generalship in the Civil War. Yet the casualty figures on the two sides were nearly equal: a bill the Union with its superior population could afford to pay. but which the Confederacy in the long term could not. Moreover; throughout the battle; Lee had taken chances that had placed his army on the brink of defeat. Perhaps the battle's most significant result was that Lee gained the impression his troops could achieve anything against impossible odds; an estimation that had a disastrous impact on his conduct of the battle the next July at Gettysburg."I feel that since the authors have had to explain past battles to an audience of field grade officers (who sometimes have a hard time visualizing the link between past battles and today's brand of warfare) in an academic setting; they have gained insights into presenting that material in not only an interesting fashion; but have included details that resonate with modern soldiers seeking (or not) to link today with the past. I enjoyed seeing that style displayed to the fullest because I have sat in one of those classrooms and as such; the language is familiar and I believe their analysis a bit more informed as a result.The book is organized with thirteen chapters; each running anywhere from 25 - 35 pages in length. They are presented as follows: 1.) The Origins; 2.) The War's Strategic Framework; 3.) "And the War Came;" 4.) First Battles and the Making of Armies; 5.) Stillborn between Earth and Water: The Unfilled Promise of Joint Operations; 6.) The Confederacy Recovers; 1862; 7.) The Confederate Counter-Offensives; 8.) The War in the East; 1863; 9.) The War in the West; 1863; 10;) The Killing Time: The War in the East; 1864; 11.) Victory in the West; 1864; 12.) The Collapse of the Confederacy; and 13.) The Civil War in History.There are no less than 51 maps! The maps adequately depict important subjects/events at both tactical; operational; and strategic levels. However; the large number of maps may have come at the cost of photographs; of which there are none. That said; this reviewer does not believe a lack of photographs detract from the overall story.I must admit to being glad that A SAVAGE WAR did not come out before now; as the tremendous work by both authors would have seriously dampened my enthusiasm for previously published works on this same topic. If there is ONE volume to read on this conflict; I would strongly recommend A SAVAGE WAR as my choice.My only caution is that this book should not be considered a populist history per se. If you are more interested in the experiences of individual soldiers and their leaders; then perhaps other fare would meet your needs.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Never-ending warBy Peter PierceSuperb military history of the Civil War - recommendedfor specialists and educated readers of all kinds; notleast for what it says of the retrograde condition of theAmerican South.27 of 28 people found the following review helpful. A Savage War is an excellent military history of the Civil War giving insights into the battles and commanders of the bloody warBy C. M MillsA Savage War is a detailed military history of the American Civil War (1861-65) which:a. Covers the political background to the war with the enactment of such legislation as the Compromise of 1850; the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854; John Brown's slave freeing futile raid on Harpers Ferry and other important players and events in this time frame.b. The authors look at the two disparate cultures of the North and South in the antebellum period.c. The book includes succinct but well explained details of all the major battles of the war. Kudos to the authors for giving the Western theatre of the Civil War equal coverage with the eastern battles. The War was won in the West under the leadership of Grant at Fts. Henry and Donelson; Shiloh and Vicksburg before he moved eastward to challenge Lee in the victorious Overland Campaign.d. The political situation of both belligerents during the conflict is covered.e; greatest figure; according to the authors; to emerge from the Union victory was our Abraham Lincoln our nation's greatest presidentf. The war cost upwards of 750;000 deaths with most due to disease and inadequate medical treatment. Both authors have had military experience and their analysis of the combat is sage making their comments a good reason to read this book. This is not the same old boring recounting of well known battles but gives the reader a fresh perspective on the war. This is an excellent book which I am proud to add to my extensive Civil War book collection. Highly recommend to experts and neophytes of the war. Read and learn!
