Book Review--Civil War Pittsburgh

Barcousky, Len. Civil War Pittsburgh: Forge of the Union (PA). Charleston, The History Press., 2013. Index, bibliography, b/w photos, 128 pages, 122 pages text, ISBN 9781626190818, $19.99.

Certainly Pittsburgh is not in the top dozen cities one would name when discussing the Civil War. Author Len Barcousky however shows us that while there were no battles fought here and that no Confederate army seriously threatened the area the Pennsylvania city played a role in the Union success.

While heavily for the Republican party and Abraham Lincoln, Pittsburgh did have a strong states rights wing. This difference is borne out buy the city having two newspapers, one supporting each party: the Gazette was Republican with the Post being Democratic. They each spun events their way. Author Len Barcousky, an editor and reporter with what is now the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had access to both papers and has used this archive in creating his interesting look at "The arsenal of the Union."

The book begins with a visit from President-elect Abraham Lincoln in February 1861. The author tells the contrasting stories of Lincoln's visit to the city. The Post of course plays up the visit and the Gazette instead chooses to talk about the physical appearance of Lincoln.

Other interesting stories include a telling of the tragedy at the Allegheny Arsenal, killing over 75 persons mostly women and girls. The explosion happened on the same day as the Battle of Antietam so Barcousky puts forth that the tragedy was under-reported due to the great los of life in Maryland. He does make what I though an unusual comment comparing the reporting of the destruction to that of reporting on 9/11/2001 in New York City. I'm not sure this was really the best choice here nor do I see the relation of a terrorist attack to management and employee negligence.

The late 1860 story of more than 100 pieces of artillery almost being sent south makes for good reading as does the story of POW Josiah Copley who compliments some southern officers for doing the best they could for the prisoners.

The book wraps up nicely discussing the 1939 GAR meeting held in Pittsburgh and also a story of the last Allegheny County Civil War soldier dying 1946, Joseph Caldwell.

Readers may see Mr. Caldwell's Findagrave memorial by clicking here.

With no notes and a small bibliography this is really more a book for a casual reader or somebody with a passing interest rather for somebody wanting in-depth information on the "Steel City" during the war. The book has many b/w illustrations though I think a map showing just how close Pittsburgh is located to what was the Confederacy would have been a nice addition. Overall though, still worth a look.

For a different look at Pittsburgh during the Civil War readers might want to find a copy of Pittsburgh during the American Civil War 1860-1865 written by Arthur Fox.

Thanks to The History Press for sending a complimentary review copy.

New Books From The History Press

Thanks going out to my good friends at The History Press for sending along a selection of their newest releases. These look like a great grouping of books!

First up is Arkansas Late in the Civil War: The 8th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry, April 1864-July 1865 (Civil War Sesquicentennial) written by David E. Castro.

From the publisher: At the request of Union general Ulysses S. Grant, in 1864 Major General Frederick Steele stripped the Department of Arkansas of twelve thousand men--half its strength--to support an expedition in Louisiana. And while the depleted infantry remained largely in garrison, the 8th Missouri Cavalry and its counterparts were ordered to patrol central Arkansas under horrid conditions and protect the state from guerrilla Rebels. The regiment spent nine long months battling against Confederate general Jo Shelby's efforts to raid the White River Valley behind Union lines while simultaneously battling to secure Arkansas' borders. Join author David Castro as he explores the 8th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry's perilous excursion into enemy territory.

Up second is The Battle of West Point: Confederate Triumph at Ellis Bridge (Civil War Sesquicentennial) (MS) written by John McBryde.

From the publisher: On February 21, 1864, Confederate and Union forces faced off over the banks of the Chuquatonchee Creek on Ellis Bridge in West Point, Mississippi. This three-hour battle pitted Nathan Bedford Forrest with his small but mighty cavalry against William Sooy Smith and his dogged Federal troops as they attempted to push through the prairie and destroy the railroad junction in Meridian. Smith's men did not succeed in their mission and suffered heavy casualties at the hands of Forrest in a precursor to the Battle of Okolona. Author John McBryde details the nuances of the battle that initiated Rebel opposition to the Meridian Campaign, including accounts from West Point locals of the time.

And up third comes Civil War Pittsburgh: Forge of the Union (PA) written by Len Barcousky. Barcousky is an editor and reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is the author of Remembering Pittsburgh also published by The History Press.

From the publisher: On Christmas Day 1860, the Daily Pittsburgh Gazette announced that more than one hundred cannons from the nearby U.S. Arsenal were to be shipped south. Fiercely loyal to the Union, Pittsburghers halted the movement of the artillery, which would have been seized by secessionist sympathizers. Over the course of the Civil War, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County provided both troops and equipment--including heavy artillery--in disproportionately large numbers. While no major battles were fought nearby, local soldiers and civilians sacrificed and suffered--the Allegheny Arsenal explosion in September 1862 left seventy-eight dead and was the worst civilian disaster of the war. Thousands dug trenches and joined militia companies to defend their city as others worked to support the wounded soldiers. Reporter Len Barcousky draws on the next-day reporting of the predecessors of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to craft a gripping and insightful view of the Steel City during the Civil War.

Book Review--Guide to Civil War Philadelphia

Sauers, Richard A. Guide to Civil War Philadelphia.  Da Capo Press, Cambridge, MA. 2003. 182 pages, b/w photos, index, bibliography. ISBN 0306812320, $18.95.

 The City of Brotherly Love is most commonly associated with the American Revolution and the founding of our great country. With Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin's grave and more this is completely understandable. However don't that fool you. For Civil War enthusiasts there is a wealth of things to do  as this book so capably shows.

Part history guide and mostly travel guide this is a must have for those interested in the Civil War who are travelling to Philadelphia. The book is broken down by category: abolition and underground railroad, museums and libraries, Civil War sites, vanished Civil War sites, cemeteries, and outlying sites.

For a city that was as far from the actual war as Philadelphia was there are an amazing number of places to see. Listed by category in alphabetical order Saunders gives a brief description of each site and it's importance or relevance to the war. This is helpful but then we run into the main problem with the book.

The book is dated badly. Travel guides are old even by the time they are printed. This one unfortunately is eight years old. Museums come and go, hours and admissions change, and perhaps most importantly is the explosion of the Internet. Very few listings are shown as having a website which in this day and age I find hard to believe. Da Capo Press if you are reading...How about an updated version? A very good book could be made even better.

For researchers the large appendix will be very useful. Included are listings of manuscript holdings at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Chester County Historical Society. A listing of Philadelphia shipyards and Civil War vessels is included as is a large listing of Civil War regiments and company breakdowns that were recruited in the city and surrounding area. A small listing of regimental histories is included separately from the bibliography.

Despite my reservation regarding the age of the book I can still recommend it as a starting point for those visiting Philadelphia who want to explore it's Civil War history. Take the information you gather inside and sit down with your computer and get the updated information that way. There are plenty of places listed here that you would miss otherwise.

Thanks to Bern at Battlefields & Beyond Military History Book Shoppe for reinforcing my purchase decision on this book.

Eating Our Way Through Gettysburg

Many of you know Chris and I recently took a trip to Gettysburg. There are plenty of good places to eat there so I thought I'd recap some of those we ate at. Feel free to chime in with your favorites or your comments on where we ate or better yet didn't get to.



Inside the Victorian Cottage Breakfast Lodge

 We stayed at the Quality Inn Gettysburg Motor Lodge. Seeing that breakfast was included we ate there each morning. Eggs, sausage, english muffins, toast, cereal, fresh fruit, milk, juices, coffee, and tea were available starting way too early but they had food out until 10am. Good way to start each morning.



On Steinwehr Avenue



While there we received several recommendations on places to eat and we tried a bunch of them. One place we ate lunch at a couple of times was Hunt's Cafe home of the Battlefield Fries. Owners Scott and Donna Hunt serve up heaping baskets of fresh cut "boardwalk style" fries. The small basket was easily enough to share. The cheese steak sandwich was also very good. The restaurant is a bit cramped with the ice cream station, the Green Mountain coffee display, and the hundreds of military type hats and flags, reproduction signs and more that is available. I guess that's all part of the charm but the food was excellent and both Scott and Donna were very friendly. Recommended.

We also ate at the Lincoln Diner(no website that I could find) a couple of times. Once out of necessity seeing that we were eating late and there wasn't much open and the other from a recommendation. Located near the Gettysburg Train Station the diner is easy to find. The food was pretty solid for what you would expect. It's a diner. Nothing fancy. The meatloaf was good and I had an open faced turkey sandwich that I thought more than filled the bill. Desserts are spinning in a case near the entrance and looked good. The staff isn't the best in the world and probably need to tone down the negative discussions about each other while in earshot of customers. Overall though it's what you should expect...it was clean, the food was good, and the prices reasonable. I would definitely eat there again.



The front of Pickett's on Steinwehr Avenue

 Our first night in town we had to decide where to eat since we were both hungry from the flight and the drive. General Pickett's Buffet it was. The food was fresh and good considering you never know what a buffet will hold. The offerings while not huge were satisfying. While overall pretty heavy on the starches and fried food (what buffet isn't) there some other interesting items including a spicy seafood creole that I found really good. The chili was tasty as well. Ham and roast beef with two different levels of wellness were at the carving station. Don't forget to hit the desert station before leaving for a brownie (or two) and a slice of pie or cake. Prices were fair and the service was attentive but not bothersome. Pickett's does seem to cater to tour groups and buses so you may want to have a backup plan in case you pull up to 4 tour buses of teenagers.



The Dobbin House



What trip to Gettysburg is complete without a trip to The Dobbin House? Check our their menus here. We ate lunch at the Springhouse Tavern. Chris had an excellent onion soup. The sandwiches were good and the surroundings fun and interesting. The service was adequate. Not stellar not horrible. Just an FYI it is dark in the Tavern. Most of your light comes from the candles you find on the tables. Watch your step! The house itself is full of history and during the 19th century served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. After the battle of Gettysburg the house served as a hospital for both Union and Confederate troops. Be sure to look for the spring and also ask for directions to see the runaway slave hiding location.



The Farnsworth House



Another destination for many tourists is The Farnsworth House. This is kind of one stop shopping for tourists: inn, restaurant, ghost tour, dinner theatre, gift shop, bookstore, and more. The house still shows the scars from the Civil War with over 100 bullet holes in the south wall. We ate in the tavern. I had a good burger, but then it should be hard to mess that up. Chris again had onion soup (though not as good as at Dobbin House) and a ham sandwich. We had a very nice window table looking out over the courtyard. I imagine during season though this wouldn't be such a great table since the courtyard would be busier.

If you are looking for pizza look no further than Tommy's. Made fresh while you wait this was really good. Run by third generation family members Tommy's and other restaurants owned by the same family are Gettysburg institutions so to speak. We got there late one evening and the inside was empty. We got our pizza quickly and noticed that while after 8pm during a still slow season the restaurant did a good take out business. The restaurant was clean, within walking distance of several hotels (including ours) and the staff friendly. We were greeted coming in the door and thanked when leaving. If you go to their website be sure to check out the about us page. Great story!

Probably the only disappointing meal we had was at Momma Ventura's. Located just off Lincoln Square in downtown Momma Ventura's bills itself as Gettysburg's only true Italian restaurant. If that is the case then somebody needs to open something else to help bring up the standards a bit. The problem started early when the bread was cold and hard. Now this was not meant to be standard room temperature bread. It really seemed like yesterday's bread. There were two rolls to start (one for each I suppose) and when the waitress noticed the basket empty and asked if we would like more it was a race as to who could say no quicker. I had lasagna which was just OK. Not bad but clearly not the best I have ever had. Chris had baked ziti but didn't think too much of it. I believe canned pasta was the term used to describe it. At least Chef Boy Ar Dee has found a job in this economy huh? After looking at what appeared to be brought in food service deserts tightly wrapped in cling wrap sitting in the old display case standing by the front window we took a pass. Service was so-so, prices were too high for what the food was, and the food, well you read my thoughts.



On Steinwehr Avenue



Eddie Plank



I guess to make up for Momma Ventura's we found Gettysburg Eddie's. Named for baseball hall of fame Eddie Plank, who is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, this was a nice find. We ate dinner here two different nights and had the same waiter both times. I was pleasantly surprised he remembered us since it was not back to back nights. Both times the food was good as well. The first time we went Chris had the blackened chicken and I had the seafood platter. Both were good. The chicken was different from other blackened I am used to. In addition to the blackening seasoning it also came covered in BBQ sauce. A bit unusual but I did try a bite and it was tasty. The seafood platter was a combination fried and broiled and was good. For our second go around we tried our waiters recommendation of the english style beef sandwich and the Philly cheese steak. The english style won out but the Philly was good too. I guess the only disappointment was that they were out of shirts in my size. Chris said maybe Santa was listening though.

Overall we had a great trip and had some good food. I know there are places we didn't get to though so please post your favorites or what you think of where we ate.

Pennsylvania Grand Review

In November 1865 citizens of Harrisburg, PA gathered to honor the black Union troops who were not allowed to march in Washington D.C. in the Grand Review of the Armies. November 4-7 will be a commemoration of this event.