Southern Storm by Noah Andre Trudeau

[yankeecav]

Has anyone read this book? I am only part way through it and have already found enough to be somewhat suspicious of its value.

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: Southern Storm by Noah Andre Trudeau

I am reading it right now. I am also half way through. I still consider Burke Davis as THE Sherman March to the Sea historian. I have found this book to be good and I like his use of primary docmuents. Trudeau style takes some getting use to. But overall a fine narrative.

[Fenianboy]

Re: Southern Storm by Noah Andre Trudeau

I just re-read Davis's book and am 3 Chapter's into Trudeau's.This is too soon to rate it.However Galatheer's book was an eye-opener to me on this event.

[yankeecav]

Re: Southern Storm by Noah Andre Trudeau

I do like the diary style of the book and his use of primary sources.

I have a question though about one item. On page 208, middle paragraph, in his discussion of the fight at Griswoldville he states, "Although the majority of Federals were armed with standard single-shot muzzle-loading Springfield rifles, within each Union regiment were special squads of picked men carrying rapid-firing breech-loading rifles."

Is he speaking of this particular brigade or is he saying that every regiment on this campaign had such special squads? I have read quite a bit on the march from Atlanta to Savannah and the Carolinas Campaign and this is the first I have heard of such squads IF he is applying it to the entire army. His end notes are not helpful on this point.

One other matter that bothered me, and I am not finished reading the book, is that on page327 he states the following, "The bottleneck passing over Buckhead Creek provided General Davis with the opportunity to cut down of the size of the black host following his column. Davis, a Kentuckian, was not counted among the more racially enlightened members of the officer corps."

Clearly, he is referring to Union Brig. Gen. Jefferson C. Davis. Davis was not a Kentuckian but was a native of Indiana and there is never any indication that he ever lived in Kentucky except for duty during the war. Now, CSA President Jefferson F. Davis was originally from Kentucky. This seems such an easy fact to check. I know that Gen. Davis is from Indiana because he grew up about 5 miles from my home and from other research and reading. He was also very good friends with Indiana Governor Oliver Morton and was the former Col. of the 22nd Indiana Infantry.

For those interested in Gen. Jefferson C. Davis I recommend the biography, Jefferson Davis in Blue: The Life of Sherman's Relentless Warrior by Nathaniel Cheairs Hughes, Jr. and Gordon D. Whitney.

[yankeecav]

Re: Southern Storm by Noah Andre Trudeau

Actually, David Evans makes the same mistake about Bvt. Maj. Gen. Jefferson Columbus Davis in his book Sherman's Horsemen: Union Cavalry Operations in the Atlanta Campaign at pgs 469-470. While unfortunate the book is very well done.

Sorry for the rant but since Gen. Davis is a local figure for me it is somewhat irritating. I am still amazed that two very good authors with two different publishers and, presumably, two different sets of fact checkers can miss something so obvious given that Davis was such a controversial figure in the Union army.

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: Southern Storm by Noah Andre Trudeau

I understand your issue. I would say that besides the two problems you write about this is a very good book on the march.

I am just glad we have another Sherman/Western theatre book out there. Not another book on Gettysburg!

[yankeecav]

Re: Southern Storm by Noah Andre Trudeau

I understand your issue. I would say that besides the two problems you write about this is a very good book on the march.

I am just glad we have another Sherman/Western theatre book out there. Not another book on Gettysburg!

It is growing on me. I was hoping there might be more detail by some of the foragers themselves but it is a pretty good daily account. I like the daily weather report as it gives it some context even if it is an educated guess. I wish the maps were better but that is an issue with most books.

I absolutely agree with you on the western theater as I have a western bias. Most of my reading has been detailed accounts on the western theater. I did read Shelby Foote recently, from Sumter to Perryville. It was nice to have that broad overview of what was going on East and West and politically North and South.

[Strawfoot]

Re: Southern Storm by Noah Andre Trudeau

I believe Cozzens has a new book out on Sherman's campaign as well.


Mike Phineas
Arlington, TX

[Dignann]

Re: Southern Storm by Noah Andre Trudeau

Cozzens' latest book, which came out a couple months ago, is on the 1862 Shenandoah Campain.

Eroc