“[P]erhaps a small demonstration on your part would have the effect to move them;†wrote Army of the Potomac commander Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan to Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone on October 20; 1861. This simple telegram triggered a “demonstration†by General Stone that same afternoon that evolved into the bloody subject of James Morgan’s A Little Short of Boats: The Battles of Ball’s Bluff Edwards Ferry; October 21–22; 1861.Opposing the Union effort was Brig. Gen. Nathan “Shanks†Evans’ small Confederate command at Leesburg. Reacting to the news of Federals crossing at Ball’s Bluff and Edwards Ferry; Evans focused on the former and began moving troops to the point where Col. Edward D. Baker’s troops were gathering. The Northern troops were on largely open ground; poorly organized; and with their backs to the wide river when the Southern infantry attacked. The twelve fitful hours of fighting that followed ended in one of the worst defeats (proportionally speaking) either side would suffer during the entire Civil War; wrecked a prominent Union general’s career; and killed Baker―a sitting United States senator and one of President Abraham Lincoln’s good friends. The disaster rocked a Northern populace already reeling from the recent defeats of Bull Run and Wilson’s Creek.A Little Short of Boats sets forth the strategy behind the “demonstration;†the fighting and the key command decisions that triggered it; and the many colorful personalities involved. The bloody result; coupled with the political fallout; held the nation’s attention for weeks. The battle’s most important impact was also the least predictable: the creation of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War. Ostensibly formed to seek out the causes of the string of defeats; the Joint Committee instead pushed the political agenda of the “Radical Republicans†and remained a thorn in Lincoln’s side for the rest of the war.Gracefully written in a conversational style; Morgan’s study is based upon extensive firsthand research and a full appreciation of the battlefield terrain. This fully revised and expanded sesquicentennial edition of Morgan’s A Little Short of Boats includes numerous photos and original maps to make sense of the complicated early-war combat. Seven appendices offer an order of battle; discussions of key participants and controversies; and a complete walking tour of the battlefield at Ball’s Bluff. This special edition will please Civil War enthusiasts who love tactical battle studies and remind them once again that very often in history; smaller affairs have important and lasting consequences.About the Author: Born in New Orleans; Jim Morgan grew up in Pensacola; Florida; and now lives in Lovettsville; Virginia. A former Marine; Jim is a past president of the Loudoun County Civil War Roundtable; a member of the Loudoun County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee; and a volunteer guide at Ball’s Bluff for the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
#1541843 in Books James W Erwin 2012-02-21 2012-02-21Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .31 x 6.00l; .50 #File Name: 1609493885128 pagesGuerillas in Civil War Missouri
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. My youth in Independence and Kansas CityBy Joy A. BradshawI bought the book because of our family ties to western Missouri. My mother was born at Montrose MIssouri in 1908 and recalled her grandmother recounting the border war and of her grandfather being hanged in an Apple tree on his farm in St Claire County (supposedly by his refusal to abide by Order No 11). I was surprised at st Claire County not being included in the order. As a child we played in the Luce Park area and recall finding military things ; bullets etc.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Inadequate Coverage of Guerrilla Depredations in Civil War MissouriBy J. Dale WestThis book was mostly a rehash of previously published information with some enhancement; and it totally ignored the significant guerrilla warfare in southwest Missouri carried out by Thomas Livingston; Kinch West; Ab Humbard; et al. Southwest Missouri; particularly Jasper and Lawrence Counties; suffered considerable depopulation during the war because of guerrilla depredations. Expecting comprehensive coverage of the guerrilla war in Missouri I was very disappointed in it.11 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Well Written but Narrow FocusBy rw-chesterfield;MOThe book presents a well written overview of guerrilla activity in MO and KS from the KS-NE act of 1854; through the civil war; and afterwards. It also provides biographical sketches of several of the more prominent guerrillas. The book easily fulfills the promise of its title but it deals only minimally with "formal" military activities in the west and thus it does not provide full context for its subject. I view this book as a worthy supplement to books which are more comprehensive in their treatment of the western civil war; such as Jay Monaghan's 1955 book; "Civil War on the Western Frontier". The formatting of the Kindle edition is good but the maps(which are few in number and not especially important) are a bit too small.
