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Book Reviews These are some reviews from a recent issue of
The Civil War News:
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Chicago Battery Boys: The Chicago Mercantile Battery and the Civil War in the Western Theater
Richard Brady Williams
Illustrated, maps, unit rosters, bibliography, index, appendices, endnotes by chapter, 636 pp., 2005. Savas Beatie, LLC, 621 Fifth Ave., Suite 3400, New York, NY 10175, $39.95 plus shipping
If you want to read a good soldier story combined with accurate and detailed military history narratives of many of the key battles fought in the Western Theater of the Civil War, look no further than the Chicago Battery Boys: The Chicago Mercantile Battery and the Civil War in the Western Theater. Rick Williams' new book is thoroughly researched and rich with personal photos, letters and recollections of these Union soldiers of the Army of the Tennessee who served in this distinguished light artillery unit from the state of Illinois. Williams, a business executive working in the biotechnology field, spent almost 10 years conducting research and collecting memorabilia from the unit. His research was combined with several staff rides of the actual terrain the unit fought on. The result of this research is a book full of personal letters, recollections and photos, many of which are from Williams' own library. The unit, sponsored and funded by a group of local businesses known as the Chicago Mercantile Association, was mustered into service in August 1862. This was just in time to see some of the biggest action west of the Mississippi River. The "Battery Boys" earned their reputation during the Vicksburg Campaign. Battles such as Chickasaw Bluffs, Port Gibson, Champion Hill and Big Black River, saw members of this unit perform consistently in an outstanding manner. Their most noteworthy accomplishment came against the 2nd Texas Lunette on May 22, 1863. The unit commander and five other artillerists would eventually receive the Medal of Honor for their actions on that day. After the siege and capture of Vicksburg, the Battery Boys were transferred to New Orleans where they were reassigned to support Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks' invasion into Texas. This became known as the Red River Campaign. On April 8, 1864, at the battle of Sabine Crossroads, also known as the battle of Mansfield, the Battery Boys were decimated. The story then takes an interesting twist into the lives of the roughly two dozen who survived, but were captured at the battle of Mansfield and were subsequently imprisoned in East Texas. The Battery Boys endured many of the hardships and harsh treatment found in most Confederate prisons, while incarcerated. During this time, Camp Ford, the East Texas prison was experiencing an extreme shortage of both clothing and medical supplies. Despite attempts by General Banks to silence any problems, letters from the Battery Boys reached the North, where swift acts of retribution against the Confederates followed. Captain White, the unit commander, managed to live through this 13-month prison ordeal and became a successful businessman after the war. There are some minor editorial drawbacks, though nothing that is significant to be a negative. For example, on p.78, "pour" was used instead of "poor" to describe the state of the soldiers. This book is well worth the $39.95 price, and belongs on the shelf of every serious student of the Civil War. Gaining the seal of approval from the National Park Service Chief Historian Emeritus Edwin C. Bearss is no easy task. However, in this case, Williams' book really does deserve it. The book provides solid primary source information in a neatly organized format on a subject with little previous coverage.
Richard J. Blumberg
Richard J. Blumberg has a master’s degree with honors in Civil War studies. He is past president of the Houston Civil War Round Table and is a speaker for that group and the Society of Women in the Civil War. He also reviews books for the Blue and Gray Education Society.
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