German Americans were one of the largest immigrant groups in the Civil War era; and they comprised nearly 10 percent of all Union troops. Yet little attention has been paid to their daily lives--both on the battlefield and on the home front--during the war. This collection of letters; written by German immigrants to friends and family back home; provides a new angle to our understanding of the Civil War experience and challenges some long-held assumptions about the immigrant experience at this time. Originally published in Germany in 2002; this collection contains more than three hundred letters written by seventy-eight German immigrants--men and women; soldiers and civilians; from the North and South. Their missives tell of battles and boredom; privation and profiteering; motives for enlistment and desertion and for avoiding involvement altogether. Although written by people with a variety of backgrounds; these letters describe the conflict from a distinctly German standpoint; the editors argue; casting doubt on the claim that the Civil War was the great melting pot that eradicated ethnic antagonisms.
#2207160 in Books University of North Carolina Press 2011Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.33 x 6.28 x 9.50l; #File Name: 0807821071455 pagesMilitaryConfederacyCivil Warbiography
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The black sheep of the Confederate commandBy Captain KI am endlessly fascinated by the rough-and-tumble politics of America's 19th century and the colorful; sometimes absurd characters who rose to prominence. And; as a Civil War buff; I enjoy reading about the various commanders both great and small. Among the books in my ever-growing collection this is a true delight. Pillow was a wealthy lawyer and planter who knew the right people in high places and finagled commands of great responsibility in both the Mexican and Civil Wars despite lacking military training or; apparently; common sense. Yet he was recklessly brave and his men - some of them - and his public - most of it - adored him. Every page of this highly readable biography is packed with documented facts that boggle the mind; such that a certain level of wryness in the prose style is unavoidable. But this is far more than a "gee whiz" account; as the authors find evidence to dispel some of the worst disasters for which Pillow has been blamed; especially the surrender of Ft. Donelson in 1862. A self-promoter; brown-noser; and back-stabber he may have been; and it came back to haunt him even when he may not have deserved it. You will probably be most amazed to think Gideon Pillow had as good a chance to be President as some who made it; like Zachary Taylor or Franklin Pierce.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A man you loved to hate.By R. Scott PearsonPillow was a key player in the early stages of the war but very few people know his story. This book offers a very good insight to the vain Pillow; the man; politician and General. He is also an example of never giving up. He lost a lot during the war but never really believed he was "wrong." A good book to read.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Life and Wars of Gideon J. PillowBy Jonathan J. LongFascinating book!! Sheds new insight on a relatively unknown Civil War General; as well as other aspects of life in Southern Nineteenth Century America. Painstakingly researched.
