Battles That Need Good Books

Eric
I am with you entirely on South Mountain; that book needs to be written.
The fighting at Crampton’s Gap has been ably covered by Tim Reese in Sealed With Their Lives, and John Priest did an account of Fox’s, but we need something more thorough about the entire battle.
John

Eric: I am happy to see that you included the three battles from the T-M theater.Of course, a overall study of the Price Campaign of 1864 would cover all of them you mention.

I would add Helena and Prairie Grove, Arkansas. Fortunately, Bill Shea has a new book on Prairie Grove coming out this fall from UNC.

I think Castel’s work on the Atlanta Campaign is a great book, but I would always like to see more scholarship on that particular campaign. What about Corinth? Cozzen’s work is good, but again, I’d like to see something else. And Jim, I agree with you that the we need more work on Price and Missouri.

Good list, Eric.

I’ll second Drew’s comment about Hafendorfer’s book on Mill Spring; it is very good.

I think that Lexington, Missouri could use a study as well; it probably wasn’t all that important outside of Missouri but definitely was important inside the state.

I’d also like to see good tactical studies of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill; there are a couple of good overviews of Red River but those two battles deserve more than just an overview.

Castel’s book is good, but Atlanta just begs for a good multi-volume study.

Eric,

This is a good start to such a list. As you know Petersburg and Atlanta are my pet peeves as far as under coverage goes. It is GREAT to hear that Will Greene is going to tackle a multi-part Petersburg book. I enjoyed Breaking the Backbone of the Rebellion immensely.

Bond who wrote a great book about the Great Locomotive Chase is coming out with a book about Hood’s battles around Atlanta but I would love to see a Rhea-styled series about the battle of Atlanta. Also I havent seen the Howard’s books about Mine Run but would also like to see someone tackle the series of events post- gettysburg pre- Wilderness.

Here, here! on Charleston. A long and very complex campaign (it’s the longest of the war), which would make an interesting study.

Consider also Island No. 10/New Madrid. Complex campaign combining ravine/naval ops, siege ops, a fair amount of small cavalry actions, and some for those who like that kind of stuff. Oh, and the author would have to finally explain who the heck John Pope had compromising photos of!

Craig.

Eric,

Agree with the Atlanta Campaign, the Petersburg Campaign (in particular, events north of the James) and Price’s raid. Scott Patchen’s study of Sheridan’s Valley Campaign should fill in a big gap. A couple of other battles and campaigns I would like to see, all of which have been covered in one work or another, but could use either a definitive account or republication of hard to find accounts:

Camden Expedition – Several books including one by Bearss (which was difficult to follow) and one by Forsyth (which was good, but could use some heavy editing). Still think it needs a definitive study.

Steele’s Little Rock Campaign – Previous study “Division” is difficult to find at affordable price

John Hunt Morgan’s various raids and battles.

Knoxville Campaign – I understand there is a decent account, but it is almost impossible to find

Seven Pines – one of the most underappreciated battles of the war with over 11,000 casualties. Sears account of the campaign hardly scratched the surface and the H.E. Howard book left me wanting more.

Tupelo/Brices Crossroads – Bearss is the standard, but I agree with you that the battles could use another look.

Forrest’s campaigns. I have read several accounts, but still don’t quite grasp Parker’s Crossroads, First Franklin, Paducah, Brentwood, etc. I suspect I am missing the definitive military study of his campaigns (as opposed to a biography which also covers his campaigns), but haven’t been able to track it down.

West Virginia Campaign of 1861 – Many accounts, some very good, but most are difficult to find and expensive (e.g. Lowry’s “September Blood”) I also have not seen the definitive account tying the various campaigns together.

Banks’ Bayou Teche Campaign (Spring 1863) – I wish that David Edmonds had done a prequel to his “Yankee Autumn in Acadiana.”

Burnside’s North Carolina Expedition – I understand a decent account exists in Sauers “A Succession of Honorable Victories,” but very difficult to find at an affordable price.

Wyse Fork – We have great accounts of the Wilmington Campaign, Averasboro, Bentonville and, thanks to you, Monroe’s Crossroads, but I am not aware of an account of this end of the war battle which resulted in over 2,500 casualties.

Eric and Drew, please feel free to point out my ignorance if I am missing something worthwhile on these topics. As always, I appreciate your recommendations.

Chris

Eric,

Great choices. Here’s a couple others that I would like to see a more thorough analysis on.

Belmont (and Grant taking command at Cairo)

Benjamin Grierson (specifically his diversionary ride around the Confederates in Mississippi)

Vicksburg (Michael Ballards book is great but more could certainly be written)

First Manassas

Second Manassas

Mike Noirot

I certainly agree with John that South Mountain needs to be covered in more detail. The South Mountain battlefields are some of my favorite places to visit and reflect on the battle…sadly, and not because it isn’t a great magazine, Blue & Gray has published some of the better information available on the battle. Try as I may, I haven’t been able to get my hands on a copy of ‘Sealed with Their Lives’….I’m not even sure if it’s still in print.
I’d love to see a more in-depth study of Harper’s Ferry in the Maryland Campaign…I could be wrong but Dennis Frye might be working on this.
Jackson’s 1861 Valley campaign is certainly deserving. Detzler gave a brief overview in ‘Donnybrook’ but this campaign really needs to be examined in a way that details the importance of the campaign in regards to the outcome at Bull Run a few weeks later. This might also be a good time to look at this campaign as some of the sites associated with it are rapidly disappearing as the DC bedroom communities expand west. In just the past few years the Falling Waters battlefield (1861) has been reduced to only a few acres.
Lastly, I’d like to echo Chris in that a serious study needs to be completed on the early campaigns in (West) Virginia. Most recently Hunter Lesser completed a fine book giving an overview of the 1861 campaigns in West Virginia. Firtz Haselberger wrote ‘the’ go to book on Rich Mountain; unfortunately there are no footnotes, making it difficult to check and reference sources. Beyond these, Terry Lowrey has done some very fine micro histories on several ‘forgotten’ battles, i.e. Scary Creek, Carnifex Ferry, Droop Mountain, etc. Since these books have come out there have been numerous new sources of information that have come available and I can’t imagine how many more are still out there waiting to be discovered. Newspapers, especially….Lowrey did a fine job of including the early newspaper reports of the ‘battle’ at Scary Creek, many of which included soldiers letters and descriptions of the campaign. Hasleberger’s book is left wanting of newspaper correspondence.
Great topic, Eric. I would be excited to see you tackle any topic from your list for an upcoming book.

Chris, I’ve read Daniel’s book, and rate it well (as with much of his work). But I just don’t think he had room in 200 pages to fully expand on the topic. I could go a bit further, but would venture off topic. :-). Time for me to post something on my blog!

Craig.

Thanks Eric for the update on the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864 books. I’m really looking forward to them. I thought someone could expand on the excellent work on those battles done by William C. Davis and Jeffry Wert.
Chris

Eric,

I have read John Hennessy’s book on Second Manassas. I agree with you. It is superb. I should have probably clarified my post to state the Second Manassas Campaign. Specifically, I think a book on Cedar Mountain would be nice.

Mike

Hood’s 1864 Tennessee campaign deserves another look–Sword’s book is pretty good (not the maps though) but really just whetted my appetite for a true tactical study.

Chris–
Thank you for the tip–just ordered it.
mjm

I believe that Rhea’s book will end with the assaults on Petersburg from June 15-18.
Chris

Duke —

You should check out Gordon Rhea’s book on Cold Harbor, which covers the first half of the campaign, 26 May to June 3, 1864. I never read any accounts of a near mutiny during the campaign and actually Rhea’s account uncovered new material that indicates the Union assault on 3 June was not as bloody as Civil War myth leads one to believe. The really bloody attacks that nearly broke the Army of the Potomac came during the opening assaults on Petersburg, culminating in the Battles of Reams Station (25 August) that broke the US 2nd Corps for good and Weldon Railroad (19-21 August) that broke the 5th Corps. – Todd