The Forgotten Marines: The Capture of John Brown
This novel is the first installment of a planned series of five works covering the actions of the little-known men of the Marine Corps, both Federal and Confederate. Written by a retired Navy commander and co-founder of a U.S. Marine Civil War reenacting unit, The Capture of John Brown is a historically accurate fictional accounting of the prewar event in which the Marines played a commanding role. Sumner does a remarkable job of fleshing out the historical account of the suppression of John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry by the Marine contingent led by Lt. Israel Greene under the leadership of Bvt. Col. Robert E. Lee of the U.S. Army assisted by Army Lt. J.E. B. Stuart. The pages are filled with period detail and the dialogue is believable and very enjoyable. Sumner offers plausible explanations of mysteries such as why the Marines resorted to using a ladder as a battering ram to gain entrance to the Armory engine house and why Lieutenant Greene’s sword bent when striking Brown. Even though this is a work of fiction, Sumner includes a section of photographs and maps of characters and the Harpers Ferry environs. There is also a roster of the Marine contingent and a biography of the one Marine to be fatally wounded in the fight. The only quibble I have is the author’s rendering of the carbines carried by several of the raiders as “Sharpe’s” carbines instead of Sharps. The quality of this novel makes one look forward eagerly to the future installments of the story of the Leathernecks in the Civil War. So as the pre-“Semper Fi!” Marines would exclaim —“Fortitudine!” — with courage. Reviewer: Kenneth D. Williams is writing a book on the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteers and is doing doctoral level work in American history. He has worked as a park ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site.
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Novel. Illustrated, appendices, 219 pp., 2008. Lulu.com for hardcover, paper and download prices.