St. John Richardson Liddell (1815--1870); a conspicuous combat leader in the Army of Tennessee; was an important eyewitness to the making of history. A prominent Louisiana planter; he also served on the staffs of P.G.T. Beauregard; William J. Hardee; and Albert Sidney Johnston during the conflict and traveled in the upper circles of the Confederate military and political high command. In 1866; disillusioned and embittered by defeat; Liddell penned his memoirs for his sons. More than a description of his wartime experiences; Liddell's Record is one man's judgment on why the Confederacy failed; offering blunt; often harsh criticisms of Confederate leadership and fellow soldiers rarely found in such personal accounts.
#1847893 in Books 1985-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 6.25 x .50l; #File Name: 0807112852231 pagesNavalMilitaryCivil WarConfederacy
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. An excellent resource about Civil War "torpedos"By James D. CrabtreeThis book presents a study of explosive devices known collectively at the time as "torpedos" but mostly what we consider today to be mines. Few people are aware today but mine warfare; both on land and in the water; saw great advancement; mostly in the hands of the Confederates as mines are primarily a defensive weapon. Charleston saw considerable use of mines to keep Union soldiers at bay and landmines made the assault of some rebel forts almost prohibitively expensive. Offensive mines (spar torpedos) encouraged the development of submarines; torpedo boats and destroyers. Unfortunately for the Confederates they were never able to effectively use this slight technological advantage to defeat the Union.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. We should have won the WarBy Ron BraithwaiteThis is a beautiful little book on a little known subject; Confederate submarine and mine warfare. Here we read discussions and see little known drawings of some absolutely remarkable contraptions including mines the likes of which destroyed the Union warship; "Cairo"; on the Yazoo river. At the end of the book is a table; tabulating all the Union warships damaged and sunk by Confederate 'torpedos' [in fact; mines]. There are a total of 43; an incredible number; and most of these were significant ships that sunk.We also read the description of the first sucessful submarine in world history; the 'Hunley' and how heroic crews volunteered to service the dangerous vessels. All of her crews died but not before sinking the Union Battleship 'Housatonic.'There is also a discussion of one of the most 'infernal' machines of all. It was a bomb made up to look like a lump of coal. Most ships of the time were steamships operating on coal power. One lump of this stuff into the boiler room and the whole thing blows up...and the ship goes down. One of the greatest losses of lives during the war [actually just after the war] was possibly due ot one of these devices. A paddlewheeler taking thousands of Union troops and Union ex-POWs blew up unexpectedly; taking hundreds down with her.It's fascinating to think that a nation--any nation; really--with its back against the wall; can really become innovative...more innovative than the more powerful enemy has to be.Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico
