The Civil War writings of G. Campbell Brown--cousin; stepson; and staff officer of famed Confederate General Richard S. Ewell--provide a comprehensive account of the major campaigns in the north Virginia theatre. Terry L. Jones has performed an invaluable service by gathering these widely scattered but oft-cited primary sources into a deftly edited volume. Brown's memoir details his service under Ewell during the campaigns of First Manassas; the Shenandoah Valley; the Seven Days; Second Manassas; and Gettysburg; and under Joseph E. Johnston at Vicksburg. His correspondence and memoranda form a suspenseful recounting of the Overland Campaign; the siege of Richmond; and a harrowing retreat that ended with the capture of Brown and Ewell at Sayler's Creek just three days before Robert E. Lee's surrender. Their subsequent three-month captivity in Fort Warren; Massachusetts; is documented in Brown's letters. Leaders such as Ewell; Johnston; Lee (whose daughter Brown tried to marry); "Stonewall" Jackson; and Jubal A. Early come to life in rich anecdotes and occasional critiques of their wartime actions. A southern aristocrat from Tennessee; Brown exhibits a grasp of the nuances of military protocol that is as compelling as his descriptions of battlefield horrors. Brown's eagerness to report all he sees--from the quotidian to the bloodcurdling--makes his writing the finest to come out of the Civil War. Scholars will want copies of this volume at close hand for ready reference; and buffs will treasure the play of a nimble mind over a dire and fascinating time.
#1699321 in Books Louisiana State University Press 1996-09Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .92 x 6.03 x 9.03l; #File Name: 0807121142351 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellently written; I had no idea of this history ...By CustomerExcellently written; I had no idea of this history until I read it.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Record of DevestationBy Helen Earth Angel OilsThe most damage possible; but lives spared.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. A Great Popular Account of Confederate PrivateeringBy Stephen HammackThis subject is one of the most fascinating in the history of sea power; and the general public has needed a reliable single-volume reference on it for some time. The story of the eight Confederate privateers and their attempt to bring Union trade to a halt seems to break every rule of common sense. How could so few be so successful against so many? The United States; after Great Britain; had the most valuable and extensive import/export trade in the world by the middle of the 19th century. The British themselves were worried since they were in danger of being surpassed in the same manner that their own sea traders had surpassed the Dutch early in the 18th century.From its founding in 1861; the Confederate States of America realized it had a huge problem since it lacked a navy. It also saw that it couldn't build one; especially after the fall of its biggest port; New Orleans; in 1862. The vast majority of shipbuilders and men with maritime skills lived north of the Mason-Dixon line; in the United States; and mostly in New England. This put an incredible burden on the Confederate Secretary of the Navy; Stephen R. Mallory. When he saw that most of the enemy navy was being used to blockade the thousands of miles of Confederate coasts; however; he saw an opportunity for the use of privateers. Mallory sent Archibald Bulloch; a Georgian and the future maternal grandfather of Theodore Roosevelt; to England to purchase British-made vessels that the Confederacy could send out to prey on Union merchant ships. Bulloch's long experience with the sea enabled him to buy good ships; including the vessels that became the most feared of the Confederate privateers - the Alabama; the Florida; and the Shenandoah. Matthew Fontaine Maury added the British-built Georgia; and the Confederacy itself launched the Sumter; the Nashville; the Tallahassee; and the Chickamauga - though these were generally not as effective commerce raiders as the first four. This popular history details the history of the eight vessels in question; and gives detailed biographical information on their captains; officers; and crews. The author relates the careers of Raphael Semmes; John Newland Maffitt; Charles Manigault Morris; James Iredell Waddell; Charles W. Read; and others with great enthusiasm."Gray Raiders" is a great basic introduction to the privateers of the Confederacy. More than eighty black and white illustrations help the reader to visualize their dramatic exploits; and an appendix lists all the captured vessels. I recommend it highly to everyone interested in the Confederacy; and also to all naval and military history lovers.
