Most Civil War regiments came from rural areas of the country but the 14th Brooklyn was taken from the city of Brooklyn; New York. Having been a militia unit until the outbreak of the war; they were quickly mobilized and they served in most of the major battles in the East. Their bravery in battle was noted by both friends and enemies and certainly by the military leadership on both sides. The book tells of the military and the personal side of fighting; the soldiers' letters home show their homesickness as well as their willingness to endure whatever was necessary to preserve what they believed was right. It shows the relationship between the men of the regiment and the people of Brooklyn; who rather than the Federal government; provided some of their supplies. This was particularly true of their distinctive uniforms modeled after the French chasseur uniforms with bright red pants. The 14th kept these uniforms even after the Federal government standardized the Union uniform to the blue with which we are all familiar.
#4566607 in Books 2008-03-18Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.00 x .47 x 6.99l; .83 #File Name: 0786437766208 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. RedundantBy Bernard LavalleeA very dry review of the blockade of the Texas coast during the Civil War. Other sources are better such as "Lincoln's Trident: The West Gulf Blockading Squadron during the Civil War" by Robert Browning.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. The Union Blockade of TexasBy Dean B. MahinRodman L. Underwood's "Waters of Discord" focuses on the Union blockade of the Texas coast and several attempts by Union forces to get a "foothold" on that coast. His prose style is very readable; and his accounts of military and naval actions are much easier to follow than those of many Civil War authors. Underwood also provides useful background on the blockade running system on other coasts and the operations of the Union blockading sqadrons. I was impressed by the material on the geography of the Texas coast; the origins of the Union blockade; the buildup of the Union and Confederate navies; the evolution of Union blockading stratery; the prize system; and the pattern of operations of the blockade runners. His comprehensive analysis of the opinions of previous authors on the impact of the Union blockade on the Confederate war effort is unprecedented and very helpful."Waters of Discord" also includes extensive background on the diplomatic and domestic issues that influenced Union and Confederate actions in Texas (including French interest in Texas; Lincoln's desire to establish a Union foothold on the Texas coast as a means of thwarting French designs on Texas; the Confederate need to get Texas cotton through the blockade to Europe to finance arms imports; and the domestic pressures on Lincoln to obtain Texas cotton for Northern cotton mills). His discussion of diplomatic issues is highly consistent with that in "One War at a Time;" my book on the international dimensions of the Civil War. Every CW author can quibble about a few points in the CW book of another author; but my quibbles about Underwood's book are on minor points of little interest to average readers.
