Human Interest Stories from Antietam

By Scott L. Mingus Sr.
"Mini-stories" (as the author calls them), sources, softcover, 104 pp., 2007. Colecraft Industries, 970 Mt. Carmel Rd., Ortanna, PA 17353, $9.95 plus shipping.

Reviewer: Kimberly Largent-Christopher
Kimberly Largent-Christopher, a West Virginia author, editor, public speaker and book reviewer, is founder and CEO of Charge the Cannons Publishing. She is a past contributor to Battlefield Journal and Ohio State University's ehistory.com Web site and a past VIP (Volunteers in Parks) at Gettysburg National Military Park.

Review:
Mingus opens his book of "mini-stories," as he calls them, with the oft-debated topic that the true High Water Mark of Confederacy took place during the summer of 1862 when the Confederate Army enjoyed a number of successes on all fronts -casting aside, of course, the geographical "High Water Mark" of the Confederacy at Gettysburg.

Mingus points out that the summer of '62 boasted a strong Confederate advance in the Western Theater; and in the East, Robert E. Lee led his army to a major victory at Second Manassas and proved himself a military genius who was leading an invincible army. But the extent of Mingus' debate is limited to the book's Introduction.

A timeline of the 1862 Maryland Campaign is provided prior to the stories and snippets that follow. It's obvious that some of these stories have fallen through the cracks - whether deliberately or unknowingly - of other Antietam authors' published works.

What's palpable is that Mingus scoured through hundreds of newspapers and books of that era; personal diaries, letters, and other historical documents from a variety of historical societies; and regimental histories in order to compile these mini-stories, which he presents in chronological order.

Although there are never-before-published tidbits of information in his book, there is no significant new information. It is a book designed to give the reader a clearer picture of what was happening behind the scenes.

Some of the stories are humorous; others are serious. But most are enlightening and provide us with the personal details we might be lacking to better understand those in high command, all the way down to those low in the ranks. And, of course, some of the stories led me to scratch my head in wonderment as to their validity. You decide.

The 103-page, softcover book is an easy read. It's entertaining and a title to put on your list if you enjoy reading about Antietam. You just might be surprised to realize you don't know everything about Antietam after all.