audiobook Thunder at the Gates: The Black Civil War Regiments That Redeemed America by Douglas R Egerton in History

Review

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Remarkable Scholarship and Clear WritingBy Patrick YoungEveryone who has seen the movie Glory is familiar with the outlines of the story of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment. That "Brave Black Regiment" is also immortalized in August St. Gauden’s magnificent sculpture in Boston; as well as in books; magazine articles and on film. Mention Fort Wagner and the student of the Civil War can give you a virtual blow-by-blow description of the regiment’s most famous fight. But how many of those who know so much about Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and his men know anything at all about the 54th's sister regiments; the 55th; and the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry?Thunder at the Gates is a collective regimental history of the three black Massachusetts regiments. While I at first wondered if author Douglas Egerton’s decision to combine the story of the three regiments into one volume made sense; I came to see the virtues of this approach. The white officers all three regiments came from the same social milieu of earnest; educated; upper-class abolitionists. With the notable exception of Robert Gould Shaw; they were mostly from the elite of Boston. Some were even related to each other by blood or marriage. In addition; it was not unusual for officers from one of the three regiments to transfer to another of them.Putting them all together also highlighted the contrasts among the white officers. Charles Francis Adams; who would command the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry; comes across as a snobbish man of great prejudices. Col. Pen Hallowell of the 55th Massachusetts; on the other hand; was the sort of man who led his men but who also learned from them.Douglas Edgerton also gives us insights into the men who filled the ranks of the regiments. The three regiments were not identical in where they drew recruits from. The 54th Massachusetts recruited nationally from throughout the North and had very few Massachusetts men below the rank of lieutenant. The 55th included many former slaves. The men of the 5th Cavalry knew that they were a particular experiment because many whites believed that black men were incapable of the initiative required for an effective cavalry trooper.The author tells the stories of some of the men; including that of the African immigrant Nicholas Said and William Carney; the Medal of Honor winner. Egerton also looks at the discrimination the black troops suffered from the Union high command; and their direct actions taken to bring attention to the disabilities they had imposed on them. Resistance to unequal pay set the tone for soldiers bent on forcing the Federal government to recognize them as equal to white men.Douglas R Egerton teaches at Cornell University and a professor of history at Le Moyne College. He brings remarkable scholarship to this project; but offers his findings in clear text.This is a fine book for those readers interested in the military aspects of the war. It also examines the interplay of race; politics; and the army at a liminal moment in American history. Overall the writing is effective. This is a welcome addition to the literature on black soldiers in the Civil War.Pat Young blogs at The Immigrants' Civil War.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Outstanding book that students and novices will gain from a good read.By David MarshallWith Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1; 1863; the War Department permitted black regiments to be raised and fight for the Union in the Civil War. Though many Northern Democrats complained about black soldiers; the administration went forward with close to 200;00 soldiers and sailors joining the effort to defeat the South in this conflict. Many dreaded the prospect that the war’s aim was changing from preserving the union to one also of ending slavery. Douglas Egerton in Thunder At The Gates argues that many in the North and the South believed that colored troops could not be controlled by white officers and would not make good fighting men. In the end; this excellent historian showed this point of view was incorrect and groups of men like the Massachusetts 54th were courageous and changed American society forever.This book tells the story of three interconnected regiments; The Fifty-fourth; and the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts Infantry and the Massachusetts Fifth black cavalry; by following the lives and careers of a small number of soldiers. Their story started before Ft. Sumter; continued into the battles of Reconstruction and continues today. This writer shows how individuals tried to change this struggle into as Lincoln stated in his Gettysburg Address as” a new birth of freedom.” Additionally; the soldiers chronicled in this title declared that their purpose in enlisting was to show that their race was entitled to state and federal citizenship. Also; they sought to liberate their loved ones that they had left behind in the South and unite their families.Richly narrated and drawn from an array of firsthand accounts; the author sheds new light on the complexities and significance of The Black Civil War Regiments that Redeemed America; both on and off the battlefield. This work published by Basic book of New York details the difficult events that followed the initial enlistment of black soldiers; what colored troops went through to be able to fight leading to the liberation of slaves; and the occupation of the South after Lee’s surrender. Egerton provide a clearer picture of the postwar United States and its attempts to be one nation again. Additionally; he does a first rate job of describing what changed for the veterans back home as well as the legacy of the regiments throughout American history to 2015.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Great Read for History Buffs and Others AlikeBy Debra TuckerI was interested after reading a similar book. That said; I just picked this up to read more about the Civil War. I ended up feeling it got a little off-track when it focused on daily lives of some citizens. I didn't mind it that much due to how it tied into the main story; though.First off; this provided great information about the war. It focused on both well-known people and lesser-known people. It also focused on conditions the soldiers and civilians had to face. In addition; it contained information on how the army worked at that time.Likewise; this contained a brief glimpse into the Confederate's struggling economy. An important court case was also mentioned. In addition; it mentioned several people's lives and deaths after the war ended.I found this enthralling due to how detailed the descriptions became. It helped that the soldiers celebrated a few times and that made their hard work worth it. All that said; it was a worthwhile read.