The complete set of "Confederate Veteran" reprints...

[WoodenNutmeg]

Wow...now HERE is something for you Rebs to get excited over!

[BumpusTN]

Re: The complete set of "Confederate Veteran" reprints...

I actually own this set and HIGHLY recommend it especially to anyone who has an interest in the post-war lives of Confederate Veterans. Like the O.R.'s, I can walk into my library, blindly grab any issue, pick a page, and sit down and enjoy. I'll be interested in what the set goes for.

Scott Bumpus

[WoodenNutmeg]

Re: The complete set of "Confederate Veteran" reprints...

Does such a thing exist, in similarity, regarding Union troops during their post-war days (i.e. GAR newsletters, etc)?

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: The complete set of "Confederate Veteran" reprints...

H-Bar's previous efforts to publish portions of "Confederate Veteran" were less than satisfactory; it'd be good to have the whole body of work available in a reliable, searchable format, like Guild Press of Indiana (or whatever they're called nowadays) great CD with the Southern Historical Society Papers.

There is no equivalent body of work for Federal troops/veterans. There were numerous Union veterans organizations, from MOLLUS to the GAR and other groups dedicated to one military unit or another (some groups were for the veterans of the Army of the Potomac, or other field armies, for example). Certain collections here and there have first-person accounts from these organizations, but there's no central depository of them that I know of.

Certainly the "Battles and Leaders" books are a great resource as well, and include both US and CS viewpoints, albeit often from the war's major players instead of the man-in-the-ranks. Many folks may be unaware, however, that in recent years Peter Cozzens, author of several good Civil War campaign studies, published two continuation volumes, titled, "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War Vol. 5" and "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War Vol. 6". Both Vols 5 and 6 are similar in arrangement and format and content to the original four volumes published in the late 19th Century by Centruy Magazine, and increase by 50% the volume of valuable, first-person accounts available to researchers and history buffs. I have all six volumes of "B&L" and consult them often.

[BrownBlanketMess]

Re: The complete set of "Confederate Veteran" reprints...

I would not rule out using the "National Tribune" as a source for post war Federal soldier reminiscences. It was published in Washington D.C. after the war and served generally as a voice of the GAR and as a forum for soldiers to provide reminiscences.

Steve LaBarre
Corn Fed Comrades

[Dignann]

Re: The complete set of "Confederate Veteran" reprints...

I agree with Steve. The National Tribune is a fantastic resource and probably the closest periodical that is comparable to Confederate Veteran. It was a weekly newspaper, where Union veterans contributed articles, stories and re-fought the war. Unfortunately, a comprehensive index does not exist. You can, however, acquire it on microfilm (a couple dozen reels).

Eric

[Rick Keating]

Re: The complete set of "Confederate Veteran" reprints...

I have a complete set of the Confederate Veteran reprints as well as the index books. Without the indexes it's very difficult to find anything. They've been a valuable resource but I rarely look at them anymore.

There's truly a wealth of information that you won't find in any history courses. Great for Confederate research of the common soldier.

Rick Keating

[AZReenactor]

Re: The complete set of "Confederate Veteran" reprints...

I have all but two volumes of the Confederate Veteran. It is a good resource with quite a lot of interest. One good resource is the Library of Virginia index.

[cprljohnivey]

Re: The complete set of "Confederate Veteran" reprints...

I was in a used bookstore lastnight in Frederick, MD and they have several volumes of CV. I opened one randomly and turned right to a page with an article about Frederick, MD. Couldn't do that again if I tried. If only I had cash on me... I would like to have picked up a few volumes of that.

[madasabagofcats]

Re: The complete set of "Confederate Veteran" reprints...

I agree with Steve. The National Tribune is a fantastic resource and probably the closest periodical that is comparable to Confederate Veteran. It was a weekly newspaper, where Union veterans contributed articles, stories and re-fought the war. Unfortunately, a comprehensive index does not exist. You can, however, acquire it on microfilm (a couple dozen reels).

Eric

I have three copies of the National Tribune, one from 1882 (attached,) one from 1898 and another from 1925. The 1882 copy is in brilliant nick. I only found out about it when furthering my research into the McElroy versions of 'Si Klegg and His Pard'. And one day, there they were on eBay.

The masthead of the 1882 issue is a fabulous piece of artwork, including all the Corps badges. The later mastheads consist of a normal gothic font - much less grand - with a drawing with a 'soldier to civilian' theme. I'll get a scan of it if anyone wants it.

I'd love to get hold of those microfilm reels. The British Newspaper Library has only two 1920ish copies of the Tribune, so no joy there.

The National Tribune fought hard for Soldier's and Widow's pensions; when you read that final chapter in Hinman's version of 'Si Klegg' you can see why. The quote, from Sec.4, Art XIV, Constitution of the United States on the Editorial page says it all:

"The validity of the Public Debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned."

[Spinster]

Re: The complete set of "Confederate Veteran" reprints...

I was in a used bookstore lastnight in Frederick, MD and they have several volumes of CV. I opened one randomly and turned right to a page with an article about Frederick, MD. Couldn't do that again if I tried. If only I had cash on me... I would like to have picked up a few volumes of that.

Oh, I imagine you could--sometimes items like these just find you rather than you finding them.

Some years ago, in a junk store in middle Tennessee, I picked up a volume of the CV that fell open to a west Tennessee account of a girl bursting out of the cellar in the midst of a skirmish, ripping off her petticoat, waving it and shouting to rally the failing Confederate troops.

The 1890's account was accompanied by a picture of the girl made at war's end---a picture that bore a reasonable resemblance to my own daughter---and also the same first name and last name as my daughter. What little we know about her father's family line has them leaving that same area of west Tennessee in the 1890's, traveling by wagon to Texas and thence to Oregon.

I slept in the car that night, and had no supper. I got the book though :D