This is a story of New Yorkers who were recruited primarily from the gentle farmlands of central New York - young and middle-aged; American and European; farmer and tradesman; poor and well-off - all of whom were among the first to step forward and answer their fledgling nation's call during the Civil War. Though those young men marched proudly off to war anticipating glory and quick victory; victory was usually absent and glory was not their companion. Official accolades never seemed to materialize; and death soon wrapped its cold arms around the Second Oneida" with a vengeance experienced by very few other blue-clad regiments. To be fair; more often than not the regiment was placed in difficult; often impossible military situations; which resulted in the New Yorkers being forced to leave the field in disorder. They did their best and played their small role in a much bigger production whose results helped to shape America into what it is today. This work covers the regiment's entire two-year term of enlistment from May 1861 to May 1863. Glory Was Not Their Companion draws upon numerous unpublished letters and diaries from the collections of individuals; private libraries and public institutions; as well as contemporary newspapers and obscure government documents. Appendices cover the order of command within campaigns and post assignments. Also included is a regimental roster listing the 1;182 men who served in the Twenty-sixth."
#4872453 in Books 2005-11-02Ingredients: Example IngredientsFormat: Large PrintOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.14 x 6.00 x 9.00l; #File Name: 0786280794536 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Needed more adventureBy MunseyfloraThe Navy of the Confederate States had over a dozen ocean cruisers or raiders planned to molest and destroy shipping that supported the Union cause. The C.S.S. Alabama was; perhaps; the most infamous among them. While less well known; the Shenandoah circumnavigated the globe; sunk many vessels; fired the last shot of the Civil War (hence the title); continued her exploits long after the war was over (unbeknownst to the crew); and eventually surrendered to Great Britain. British support of the ship's exploits resulted in a lawsuit by the United States against Great Britain (which the American's won). Much of the book is based upon diaries of the officers aboard; detailing a sailor's life of alternate boredom and panic and grumbling against officers. The ship sailed undermanned and appropriated members from captured vessels; crew behavior is a frequent subject. There are no figures in support of the text. The author chose not to include maps; making some of the extended voyage hard to follow (unless the reader has a detailed knowledge of global geography). In many cases the author has chosen to "translate" some of the English diary entries; which can be annoying to the reader. In general; it is a good story but I found the author's preponderance of crew detail distracting from the adventure. Towards the end; one has to feel badly for the crew; having gone to sea for a cause and government that no longer existed; what happens to them now? Read the book for the interesting conclusion. For me; the adventure should have been the focus; but the crew got in the way.
