From 1861 to 1865; the Civil War raged along the great rivers of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. While various Civil War biographies exist; none have been devoted exclusively to participants in the Western river war as waged down the Mississippi to the mouth of the Red River; and up the Ohio; the Tennessee and the Cumberland. Based on the Official Records; county histories; newspapers and internet sources; this is the first work to profile personnel involved in the fighting on these great streams. Included in this biographical encyclopedia are Union and Confederate naval officers down to the rank of mate; enlisted sailors who won the Medal of Honor; or otherwise distinguished themselves or who wrote accounts of life on the gunboats; army officers and leaders who played a direct role in combat along Western waters; political officials who influenced river operations; civilian steamboat captains and pilots who participated in wartime logistics; and civilian contractors directly involved; including shipbuilders; dam builders; naval constructors and munitions experts. Each of the biographies includes (where known) birth; death and residence data; unit organization or ship; involvement in the river war; pre- and post-war careers; and source documentation. Hundreds of individuals are given their first historic recognition.
#1598349 in Books McFarland 2011-03-07Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.80 x 1.00 x 8.40l; 2.05 #File Name: 0786459247410 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Immensely readable account of a portion of the Civil War ...By Peter BrownriggImmensely readable account of a portion of the Civil War borderlands. Mr. Chamberlin manages the difficult feat of combining "play by play" detail of the myriad personalities and events with a fascinating tale of intrigue; patriotism; courage; cowardice; double-dealing; and trying to muddle through a difficult time.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Fred Lee George IVGreat book about local people in my area.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Great Story of Union Enclaves in Confederate VirginiaBy Neil HughesAuthors Chamberlin and Souders superbly capture the tragiic circumstance of Civil War in a border state when neighbor is pitted against neighbor.In the small village of Waterford; its Quaker citizens try to remain neutral in accordance with their belief prohibiting violence. Unionist towns like Waterford and Lovettsville were directly in the path of either Union or Confederate armies marching south to Richmond or north to Gettysburg; and were also targets of Mosby's Rangers and locally based Confederate Calvalry.But the most destructive and tragically ironic event of all was the great "burning raid" in which a Union Army Corps took all the livestock and burned all the barns and crops of farms in northern Loudoun County;making no distinction between loyal unionists or secessionists.The book is filled with many fascinating characters; both male and female: A Union female undercover agent who carried two loaded pistols and a dagger in her dress; a Quaker miller who forsakes his mill and his family to establish a Union cavalry company in Virginia; an 18 year-old Confederate cavalry soldier who becomes a renegade specializing in ambushing Yankee cavalrymen; shooting them and taking their horses and weapons; the yankee cavalryman who survived the ambush and got even; the female Quaker elder who preached so eloquently about peace and God's love she made Confederate troopers cry; a Quaker woman who rode through the night past Confederate pickets to get Union troops to stop Confederate soldiers from burning down Waterford.Highly recommended!
