Book Review: "Isn't This Glorious!"

When I was putting together my lecture to the San Diego Civil War Roundtable last month about the 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, or Harvard Regiment, at Gettysburg, I happened upon a text I had not known existed. Prior to my discovery of "Isn't This Glorious!" by Edwin Root and Jeffrey Stocker, I thought my library had all of the pertinent materials I needed.
As soon as this book arrived in the mail from the publisher, I knew I had been mistaken, as this book had a treasure trove of new photos and personalities to examine. It was put to use as a resource, and after the lecture, I've gone back and read it as it is supposed to be; a treatment of the 15th, 19th, and 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiments at Gettysburg that will bring their memory up to an equal level with other, more celebrated forces that participated in the battle.
There is no shortage of books providing analysis of various regiments and their exploits at this most famous of American battles; "Isn't This Glorious!" is particularly unique because it's investigation does not end with the battle or even the war's conclusion.
The first part of the book introduces us to the men of the regiments, the bloody paths that brought them to Gettysburg, and focuses us in on the essential role they played in the battle: the sealing of the southern portion of the Confederate breathrough at the Copse of Trees. The detail is tremendous, as the fighting is told straight from the eyes and mouths of the men, and not just the officers, either. We learn about the brutal dealings from the rank and file, brought out in vivid and anxious detail. There is also no shortage of photos of the men from whom we are hearing, so we can almost see their faces through the battlesmoke.
The fighting in this small section of the battlefield was just as chaotic as it was pivotal, and the tension provided by the authors as the men surge towards the Confederates at the Copse of Trees is palpable. Bringing this home in a more tangible form are some of the best battle maps I've seen. These foldout pages do not present the battle as a whole, but the the small piece of the action these regiments took part in. The value and uniqueness of these maps comes in their kinetic ability to show the lines of the regiments move from a disciplined front on Cemetery Ridge to a mob charging north towards the Copse of Trees. The Confederate forces have no marking at all, they come forward in the maps as a ravening horde, an irresistable tide plunging toward the Union forces.
The actual detail of the battle I'll leave to you, but this little-discussed segment of the battle, fought just below the Copse of Trees by men with carbines, pistols, swords, and bare hands, will leave you quite shaken.
The second section of the book takes us on a journey quite unique in the regimental histories pertaining to Gettysburg. After we spend much time investing in the men and their sacrifices, the authors take us through the sometimes sordid history of the monuments placed on the field to commemorate these sturdy men. In this portion, we see how this story became almost lost in contemporary Gettysburg history and how the men of these regiments faded from memory.
The historiography of the Civil War is spoken of frequently in this space, and this section of the book is an example of historiography at the highest level. We are walked through events that occurred over decades and shown how decisions were made and how they have influenced our current conceptions of the battle. There was quite a struggle over these regiments, and I learned, quite to my dismay, that the marker of the Harvard Regiment on the field today is in the wrong place! This story is a perfect example of how the reality of the past is frequently altered subject to the exigencies of the present.
As the various markers and monuments are shuffled around, it can become difficult to follow. We are well-served by the map that shows the previous and current locations of the structures, as well as another collection of photos of the site as well as the monuments themselves.
The stroke of genius in this book is in its ability to remind us why we care about these monuments and showing how closely the men whom they represent were so closely tied to them after the war. It's clear why these monuments maintain a hold on our imagination and why the pictures in the book are so evocative.
At the book's end, the author's stated goal, to elevate the memory of these Massachusetts men back to a level field with the more celebrated units that fought at the Copse of Trees and repulsed Pickett's Charge, is fully realized. In closing, we are reminded by the authors just what these men dealt with not only to achieve victory, but also to survive the sometimes tragic lives that awaited them after the war. The diary entry of one James Tenney, an enlisted man in the 15th Mass. as pertaining to the battle, is a telling conclusion to this story.
You will undoubtedly close this book with saddened eyes and a newfound appreciation for these men who helped win the battle of Gettysburg. If you have any interest in this battle or in Massachusetts regiments, this book will be an asset to your learning. Best of all, you can acquire it and still remain faithful to our commitment to supporting independent booksellers. I refer you please to the book's website, where you can order directly from the publisher.

Lecture on the 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment A Great Success!

I delivered my lecture last night to the members of the San Diego Civil War Roundtable entitled "Revenge and Redemption: The 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment at Gettysburg" and am very proud to say it was a big success!
The talk came in at just about 45 minutes and, based upon feedback I got during the Q and A as well as afterwards, was very well received. We spent a few minutes discussing the origins of the regiment and some of the personalities in it, before moving onto the 20th in the war in the East. We hit Ball's Bluff, Yorktown, the Seven Days, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Second Fredericksburg. In proceeding this way, we were able to lay a good foundation for the regiment's trials and tribulations before Gettysburg.
The bulk of the talk was on the regiment at Gettysburg, and I found some wonderful quotes and personalities to discuss that really brought the experience to life, both for me and my audience. I could hear groans, signs, and the occasional "Wow" as we moved through the subject matter. We finished by traveling with the 20th through the rest of the war, then visited the regimental memorial on Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg.
One of the best parts of the talk happened quite serendipitously, but I will use again the next time I give it. I had 42 slides, a mixture of photographs, book covers, and maps, as part of a Powerpoint show to be used as an adjunct to my ever-melodious and commanding basso profundo voice. Turned out that our projector would not be available, so I converted the slides into a syllabus and made 10 copies.
There was one syllabus, unbound, for everyone 2-3 people to share, and I would mention when they should turn the page. This was a wonderful way for the presentation to move on. People didn't look ahead, so there was always a measure of suspense, the picture quality was excellent, so the images really had an impact, and the lights stayed on, so no one got drowsy.
The best part was, it gave the room a very special kinetic energy, an interactive dynamism as people could really sink into the subject matter. I saw people pointing and discussing, as well as just staring at some of the faces and images before them. Definitely a fantastic way to have the talk go forward.
Up at the dias, I had an absolute ball, and loved speaking before a group of friends, peers, and The Jess about a subject I'm quite passionate about. I'm glad it showed through and was truly flattered by the compliments I received.
I cannot wait to give the lecture again and would be more than happy to go to other roundtables, classrooms, book clubs, etc. If you'd be interested in hearing the talk, please let me know in a comment.
Speaking of book clubs, the book chat at Civil War Interactive is doing "Harvard's Civil War" by Richard Miller. This is the best regimental history I've ever read and gives an amazing discussion of the 20th before, during, and after the war. It's free to participate, so please sign up!

My Lecture On The 20th Massachusetts Infantry At Gettysburg Tonight!

Just a quick post today as I need to finish preparing to deliver my lecture tonight to the San Diego Civil War Roundtable. I've given it the title of "Revenge and Redemption: The 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment at Gettysburg." It's been an absolute blast reconnecting with the themes, people, and events that I last studied in detail a decade ago as a UCLA undergrad, and I hope that my interest and enthusiasm is reflected tonight.
It should be around 45 minutes and, though I'd hoped to have a projector available for images, I'm going to be using a handout instead. I actually think this may work better, as long as people don't skip ahead in the syllabus. There's some great carte de visite's, maps, and art that we'll be looking at, and the content, well, you've gotta hear it to believe what the men of the Harvard Regiment actually went through during their term of service and especially at Gettysburg.
I'm really excited to be speaking in public again, it's been awhile and it's something that I really enjoy doing. The meeting is open to the public and free, so if you're in San Diego and looking for something to do, feel free to join us. I provide here a link to the San Diego Civil War Roundtable website that has the address of our meeting place.

San Diego Civil War Roundtable Newsletter "Skirmish Line" Now Available

The October issue of "Skirmish Line", the newsletter for the San Diego Civil War Roundtable, is now available online. There's a brief piece about the 20th Massachusetts and my lecture next week. The way to access it is to click on the link above, then select "2008" under year, then "October" under month; it'll load as a pdf file. Take a look at the flag (which will reappear in my talk) and note just how many battle sites are embroidered!

Time To Focus On The 20th Massachusetts Infantry AKA The Harvard Regiment

Ever since my senior year at UCLA, when I had the opportunity to take a class with Dr. Joan Waugh wherein each student selected a Civil War regiment as the subject of a rigorous study and paper, I have had a strong bond with the 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; more famously known as The Harvard Regiment. This moniker was assigned because 31 of the officers and men of the regiment were either active students or recent graduates when they joined the regiment to fight.
This was by far my favorite undergrad class, and that affinity has persisted. I've been able to collect some of the seminal texts regarding the 20th over the years, and was thrilled when Richard Miller published "Harvard's Civil War", which is the best regimental history I've ever read. This interest has reached new levels over the past few months because of three wonderful happenings.
First, I was invited to join a community on Yahoo focusing on the 20th. Every Tuesday we have an online chat, there's a daily digest that comes out, and an active homepage on Yahoo for people to share photos, blogs, etc.
The man who runs this community is behind the second part of this renaissance, as he got the good people at Civil War Interactive to select "Harvard's Civil War" as the next subject of the website's book chat. Here is the schedule if you would like to participate.
The last part of this focus is actually a two-parter. I am in the midst of preparation for my lecture on October 15th for the San Diego Civil War Roundtable where I will be discussing the 20th at the Battle of Gettysburg. This is an absolute blast, as I feel like I'm getting back to my Civil War roots, and have nearly every book I need already in my collection. It's also my love of books that is the second part of this new focus. The one book I wanted to use, entitled "Isn't It Glorious", is coming in the mail this week. I got to speak with the publisher at Moon Trail Books over the phone and I was stoked when she asked me to please review the book and that she would send me a review copy along with my purchase. What an honor and what a thrill!

My Civil War Community, And Yours Too

One of the best parts of blogging about the Civil War is the feeling of connecting with the Civil War community and landmarks, something that is otherwise difficult to do in California (San Diego Civil War Roundtable notwithstanding). Linking up with other bloggers, historians, park rangers, authors, students, etc and chatting about our shared interest is a huge part of what makes this a satisfying hobby, otherwise I sometimes feel like I'm just spinning my wheels.
All good things start at home, and the import of having The Jess share this interest is far and away the best part. I've also found a few wonderful niche communities out there and have tried to mention them to draw you into these circles as well, if you like. Things like the SDCWRT, Civil War Network (just finished program two, review is coming, but it's dynamite), links to other blogs are all part of this, but I want to be more comprehensive in this project, because it really is a ball. So I've added a label called Civil War Community and will be sure to add it to posts that fall into this category.
This post's contribution is the Civil War History Ring, which I joined today. If you look on the right toolbar, you'll see the blue icon. If you click it, it'll show you other sites that have subscribed. I do not vouch for their content or views, that's for the individual to decide, but there may be something there you enjoy. Remember to click on the red icon above it for the Civil War Top 100 sites, many are daily stops on my web tours. On the same sidebar, I've started a blogroll so you can share other sights that are a frequent part of my Civil War learning. Don't worry, I've included some choice mixology and coffee blogs as well.

San Diego Civil War Roundtable Website

The website for the San Diego Civil War Roundtable is back online. Please check it out at www.sdcwrt.org, the September issue of our newsletter "Skirmish Line" is available for your enjoyment.

A Bit Of Civil War Housekeeping

It's been a fun time recently, lots of posts, lots of comments. I so enjoy hearing from people who read my missives, I'm flattered that you take the time!
A few housekeeping issues:
-the website for the San Diego Civil War Roundtable does appear to be down. I've emailed our chapter president and will certainly mention when it's back up and running.

-it's been brought to my attention from several readers that Warren Wilkinson, the author of the regimental history of the 57th Massachusetts, passed away in 1995. I wasn't aware of that and couldn't find much about him when I wrote the post; certainly no offense was intended. The book he was working on that was subsequently completed by Steven Woodworth, entitled "A Scythe of Fire: A Civil War Story of the 8th Georgia Infantry Regiment", is used by Dr. Joan Waugh, who was my professor at UCLA, in one of her courses; a ringing endorsement to be sure! After I finish the research for my lecture in October, Mr. Wilkinson's books will be on top of the reading list.

-many thanks to Brett Schulte at TOCWOC for the mention, and much thanks to Francis Rose of the Civil War Network and Bjorn Skaptason of virtualbooksigning.net for their kind emails .

-the first program of the Civil War Network is now available! It's an interview with Pulitzer-prize winning author James McPherson about battlefield touring, promises to be fantastic! I'll be enjoying it tonight and will blog about it soon.

The Round Table And Battlefield Preservation

Wow, sorry for the delay between posts! Busy, busy, busy!
Last night I attended the monthly meeting of the San Diego Civil War Roundtable, and what a treat it was; not least because The Jess was at my side. The lecture had a nautical theme, so my wife was totally into it. We heard a fantastic lecture by one of the members on the battle between the USS Kearsarge and the CSS Alabama off the coast of Cherbourg, France on July 19, 1864.
Our lecturer didn't just dryly recite the facts of the battle and persons involved; he had a fascinating take on this sea battle as a classic duel. There was the challenge issued by Alabama to the Kearsarge as the Kearsarge lurked offshore. There were the seconds (French ships) standing by to ensure the fight took place in international waters, and there was the British ship standing by to aid the injured and rescue survivors. An excellent and unique spin on this well-studied battle.
Before we got to the discussion, there was a discussion about issues pertinent to the group: lectures, upcoming talks (including mine in October, which will be blogged about in detail in the near future), and battlefield preservation. This is a large component of what the SDCWRT is about, as all funds raised through raffles, membership, and book sales go to the Civil War Preservation Trust. Last year alone, we donated over $2000 to help with this worthy endeavor.
I learned earlier today about a threat that will certainly be discussed at the next Round Table, and that is the news of a proposed Wal-Mart Superstore on the Wilderness and Chancellorsville battlefields in Virginia. Thanks to Eric Wittenberg at civilwarcavalry.com for the info!
I will hold my tongue on my opinions of Wal-Mart here, but I am most resolutely in favor of protecting these battlefields! For one, I have not yet been able to visit them (they share large portions of the same ground, Chancellorsville taking place in May 1863, the Wilderness occurring one year later, almost to the day) and they are a priority for when The Jess and I sojourn east. Second, Gordon Rhea's incredible series of books on The Battle of the Wilderness and the Overland Campaign helped re-launch my interest in the Civil War several years ago. Lastly and most importantly, this is land made sacred by the tens of thousands of men who died on that ground, many of whom are still buried there.
In California, we don't have any Civil War battlefields, so it's easy to feel a bit detached; however, it is vital to remember that once these lands are paved over and defiled by golden arches or megamalls, they're gone. Please take some time and decide if this is an issue that might strike your interest, and keep in mind that these parks are always free to anyone who wishes to visit. I'll close by providing a National Park Service link to the Wilderness.

San Diego Civil War Roundtable

Being that tonight is the third Wednesday of the month, it is a big night for myself and my fellow San Diego Civil War aficionados, for this is the time when the San Diego Civil War Roundtable convenes.
So let's bust up a few stereotypes right here, right now
-no, we do not all dress up like Union or Confederate soldiers
-no, I am not a Civil War reenactor
-no, we do not whistle Dixie
-no, there is no campfire
-no, we are not trying to glorify the Confederacy (or the Union, for that matter)
The group functions as a resource for people interested in discussing and learning about the Civil War through a monthly lecture series. Each meeting covers a specific topic selected by the person giving the talk that night. We usually start with updates on local lectures and interesting book publications. There is also a great opportunity for bibliophiles to augment their collections as the stash of used Civil War books for sale is never-ending. The cause is also noteworthy, as all proceeds go towards battlefield preservation.
Once we've all spent a few bucks, we get started with the subject at hand. Over the past 1.5 years I've been a member, there have been lectures on topics ranging from Jefferson Davis and the Pope to infectious disease during the war. We've had authors discussing their books, battlefield guides covering their experiences, all sorts of fantastic authorities.
Tonight, we'll be hearing a group member who is an expert at geneology discussing the path he took to find the war records of a relative in Michigan. This is a fascinating topic and one that is broadly applicable; most people, including myself, have relatives that fought in the war whether you know about it or not.
October will be my opportunity to take the podium for a lecture on the Harvard Regiment and its service during the Battle of Gettysburg. This is going to be a great opportunity to discuss this band of warriors in a single campaign without all of the myth-making and glorification that usually accompanies regimental discussions. I'll be sure to post more about it closer to the time, right now the talk is very much in the formative stages.
Anyway, the SDCWRT website has directions as well as a link to the monthly newsletter if you wanna check it out. The meetings are free and there is no expectation of any Civil War knowledge or background, thus the material is readily accessible to anyone with a hint of interest. It's a unique experience in a really relaxed environment, so join me if you're so inclined