Press Release--The Dreaded Thirteenth Tennessee Union Cavalry

The History Press is pleased to introduce the new title:

The Dreaded Thirteenth Tennessee Union Cavalry

Marauding Mountain Men

 

Melanie Storie

  

Tennessee’s Thirteenth Union Cavalry was a unit composed mostly of amateur soldiers that eventually turned undisciplined boys into seasoned fighters. At the outbreak of the Civil War, East Tennessee was torn between its Unionist tendencies and the surrounding Confederacy. The result was the persecution of the “home Yankees” by Confederate sympathizers. Rather than quelling Unionist fervor, this oppression helped East Tennessee contribute an estimated thirty thousand troops to the North. Some of those troops joined the “Loyal Thirteenth” in Stoneman’s raid and in pursuit of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. Join author Melanie Storie as she recounts the harrowing narrative of an often-overlooked piece of Civil War history.

 

A scholar and teacher of American history for more than twenty years, Melanie Storie is a graduate of East Tennessee State University. In 1991, she earned her master’s of arts degree in history, and for the past ten years, she has had the pleasure of teaching for her alma mater. In addition to teaching survey courses in U.S. history, she has also taught Tennessee history and women’s history. While she enjoys researching, writing and teaching about many historical topics, her main research interest centers on nineteenth-century U.S. history, with a special emphasis on the American Civil War. She lives in Elizabethton, Tennessee, with her husband and two children.

 

ISBN: 978-1-62619-112-9  •  Paperback   •   160 pages   •   $21.99  •  October 2013

 

This new book is available at local stores and online at www.historypress.net

It retails as an E-BOOK via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the iBookstore, Kobo & OverDrive.

 

 

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.

New Release--The Prairie Boys Go To War

Thanks go out to the great folks at Southern Illinois University Press for sending along a copy of The Prairie Boys Go to War: The Fifth Illinois Cavalry, 1861-1865 . Written by Rhonda M. Kohl, this is "...the only modern, comprehensive analysis of a southern Illinois regiment during the Civil War and combines well-documented military history with a cultural analysis of the men who served in the Fifth Illinois.

"The regiment’s history unfolds around major events in the Western Theater from 1861 to September 1865, including campaigns at Helena, Vicksburg, Jackson, and Meridian, as well as numerous little-known skirmishes. Although they were led almost exclusively by Northern-born Republicans, the majority of the soldiers in the Fifth Illinois remained Democrats. As Kohl demonstrates, politics, economics, education, social values, and racism separated the line officers from the common soldiers, and the internal friction caused by these cultural disparities led to poor leadership, low morale, disciplinary problems, and rampant alcoholism.

"The narrative pulls the Fifth Illinois out of historical oblivion, elucidating the highs and lows of the soldiers’ service as well as their changing attitudes toward war goals, religion, liberty, commanding generals, Copperheads, and alcoholism. By reconstructing the cultural context of Fifth Illinois soldiers, Prairie Boys Go to War reveals how social and economic traditions can shape the wartime experience."

With over 30 pages of end notes and a 10 page bibliography the research appears to be quite thorough. The book contains 10 maps, several of which are full page and 12 b/w photos.

Book Review--Forrest's Fighting Preacher

Bradley, Michael R. Forrest's Fighting Preacher: David Campbell Kelley of Tennessee.  The History Press, Charleston, SC. 2011. Index, bibliography, notes, b/w photos, maps. 142 pages, 123 text. ISBN 9781609493837, $19.99.

The History Press has really been carving out a niche in publishing brief and inexpensive books many dealing with narrow subjects that might not see publication through other houses. Michael Bradley's new book Forrest's Fighting Preacher is one of those type books.

David Kelley began his career as a missionary going to China. He spent just over a year there before returning and taking over the preaching duties at various churches.

One would think with his background Kelley would have served as a chaplain in the Confederate army. This was not the case and Kelley took command of a cavalry troop that became known as "Kelley Troopers". His group was assigned to Nathan Bedford Forrest and eventually became Co. F 3rd TN Cavalry. Kelley was promoted to Major and became Adjutant.

From this introduction Bradley goes on to discuss much of the Civil War career of Forrest and the role Kelley played. This included several stints as regimental commander, time away from the army, and more.

While really under the shadow of Forrest during the war David Kelley excelled after the war. He became a key church leader, often clashing with those above him and eventually earning himself a six month suspension for allegedly leaving his post. Kelley served on the Board of Trustees for the founding of Vanderbilt University. On the issue of college education for blacks, Kelley became a spokesman believing that the interests of both races were ultimately the same. In 1890 he ran for Tennessee governor as the candidate for the Prohibition Party. While unsuccessful, Kelley kept active. He continued to write, mostly religious works, and became active in groups such as United Confederate Veterans and the Forrest Veteran's Association.

Michael Bradley has written a book that should be read by anybody who has an interest in Nathan Bedford Forrest. Those interested in the role of Tennessee Cavalry in the Confederacy should also consider this work. While Kelley is certainly not a household name, even for those interested in the war, this book will help raise awareness of him. From there it is up to readers to decide what his stature should be.

*Thanks to the History Press for sending a complimentary review copy.

Upcoming Review--Failure in the Saddle

Thank you to my friends at Savas Beatie for sending a review copy of Failure in the Saddle: Nathan Bedford Forrest, Joe Wheeler, and the Confederate Cavalry in the Chickamauga Campaign written by David A. Powell.

Mr. Powell was recently awarded the Richard Barksdale Harwell Book Award by the Civil War Round Table of Atlanta for this work.