John R. Lundberg's compelling new military history chronicles the evolution of Granbury's Texas Brigade; perhaps the most distinguished combat unit in the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Named for its commanding officer; Brigadier General Hiram B. Granbury; the brigade fought tenaciously in the western theater even after Confederate defeat seemed certain. Granbury's Texas Brigade explores the motivations behind the unit's decision to continue to fight; even as it faced demoralizing defeats and Confederate collapse. Using a vast array of letters; diaries; and regimental documents; Lundberg offers provocative insight into the minds of the unit's men and commanders. The caliber of that leadership; he concludes; led to the group's overall high morale.Lundberg asserts that although mass desertion rocked Granbury's Brigade early in the war; that desertion did not necessarily indicate a lack of commitment to the Confederacy but merely a desire to fight the enemy closer to home. Those who remained in the ranks became the core of Granbury's Brigade and fought until the final surrender. Morale declined only after Union bullets cut down much of the unit's officer corps at the Battle of Franklin in 1864.After the war; Lundberg shows; men from the unit did not abandon the ideals of the Confederacy -- they simply continued their devotion in different ways. Granbury's Texas Brigade presents military history at its best; revealing a microcosm of the Confederate war effort and aiding our understanding of the reasons men felt compelled to fight in America's greatest tragedy.
#1377336 in Books Louisiana State University Press 2006-04-15 2006-04-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x 1.17 x 5.51l; 1.36 #File Name: 0807131504420 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Superb concise reference workBy Jon L AlbeeThis book is exactly what it claims to be - a biographical encyclopedia of Confederate generals.The book opens with an introductory essay in which the author describes his methodology for inclusion in the directory. There are 425 generals included; from all of the 13 Confederate states; including border states.Now let's talk about the catalog itself. Each entry includes a small photograph of the man in question. Let's think about that for a minute. Considering the period; including a portrait of all 425 men is simply amazing. The entries include each man's birthday and location; followed by information about his formal education; trade or career (if any); and all the expected details of his ante-bellum military service. Then we are treated to the details of his wartime service; the details of his battle engagements; promotions; etc... We get more information about his post-war life or wartime demise; whichever is applicable.Then there are the appendices; notes; and a complete bibliography which should leave nobody questioning the seriousness and completeness of this work.For absolutely anyone with an interest in the Civil War and its great personalities; this book is mandatory; every bit as seminal as Shelby Foote's great three-volume narrative history. While it's intended as a reference tool; it's also great fun to simply browse and learn.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Where have all the soldiers gone...?By Kerry WaltersLike its companion volume Generals in Blue; Generals in Gray is an important resource for both the Civil War buff and the serious historian (which is not to say that the two can't be one and the same!). In this volume; which was actually written before Generals in Blue; author Ezra Warner has written the biographies and rustled up the photos of all the general officers confirmed by the Confederate Congress; and a handful of those who weren't for one reason or another.There were 425 men who served as Confederate generals. Nearly one-fourth of them died in the war. Boy generals; men promoted before they reached the age of 30; were plentiful; and nearly half of them were killed on the battlefield. Looking at their photographs; one can scarcely fathom the experiences they endured at such young ages. They look like college lads.Several of the generals profiled by Warner especially stand out for me. There's William Flank Perry; for example; the philosopher-general; who enlisted as a private in 1862 and was commissioned a brigadier in the war's final months. After the war; he taught philosophy at Ogden College in Kentucky until the turn of the century. There's Alexander Reynolds; who at war's end entered the service of the Khedive of Egypt; and so must've known the tragic Federal General Charles Pomeroy Stone; of Ball's Bluff infamy; who did so as well. There's General John McCausland; who with his huge handlebar moustache and heavy eyebrows looks for all the world like Yosemite Sam of cartoon fame. And there's the boy general Thomas Benton Smith; a youngster whose fate breaks my heart. After he and most of his brigade surrendered during the Battle of Nashville; a Federal colonel tried literally to beat Smith's brains out. His brain exposed; in a coma; Smith was expected to die. But he somehow survived; only to spend the rest of his life; some 48 years; in an insane asylum.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Essential companion for studying the Civil War.By Robert C. OlsonEssential companion for studying the Civil War.An absolutely indispensible book for all Civil War buffs. Ezra Warner's Generals in Gray is required for any Civil War library to be complete. It is the definitive Who; What; Where; When; and How of the Confederate General Officer Corps. Mr. Warner provides concise thumbnail sketches of each General and best of all he also includes a photo or drawing of the General. A perfect companion when studying the various Confederate Armies; Battles and Battlefield tactics of the Civil War. It is really nice to have a book like this at your finger tips when you read about or study a battle or other CW history involving senior army commanders. Some of the Generals in Mr. Warner book are of minor importance but fortunately they are included and that is the importance of this masterpiece.Highly recommended for anyone claiming to be a serious CW buff.
