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Book Reviews These are some reviews from a recent issue of
The Civil War News:
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“No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Caesar”—Sherman’s Carolina Campaign: From Fayetteville to Averasboro
Mark A. Smith and Wade Sokolosky
Maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, index, softcover, 260 pp., 2005. J. David Petruzzi, Marketing Director, Ironclad Publishing, P.O. Box 244, Brockway, PA 15824-0244, $19.95 plus shipping.
Books on Civil War battles continue to race off the presses. Ironclad Publishing Company has now launched “The Discovering Civil War America Series,” a planned collection of paperback books “that focus on less publicized Civil War battles and sites.” Thus, Civil War tactical action has yet another source of publication, and we can expect more books on skirmishes that are already covered in publication of larger theme. The book under review discusses that part of Sherman’s march though the Carolinas that took place between Fayetteville and Averasboro, N.C. Previous books by John G. Barrett, Mark Bradley and Nathaniel C. Hughes Jr., to mention the most prominent historians, have already discussed this combat, but the 143 pages of this narrative are, according to Bradley, the “definitive treatment” of this topic. For those who want a straightforward account of the particular position of one of Sherman’s marches, this book will meet their wishes. The authors argue that the Confederate desire was to slow down Sherman’s juggernaut, while Sherman wanted to keep moving. So both sides were victorious at Averasboro. The authors refreshingly describe Union soldiers as demonstrating “rough professionalism” and excellent engineering and logistical skills, instead of repeating the tired tales of exaggerated Union brutality and alleged Confederate virtue. The entire book demonstrates an even-handed approach toward both armies, which deserves praise and emulation. Smith and Sokolosky would have made this publication more useful and in line with the modern trends of the “new military history” by including more information and analysis on the impact of the combat on black and white civilians. In this same vein, they would have provided a more effective book had they included in the text a discussion of the Union army’s engineering prowess, and informa-tion on logistics and medicine, which they instead relegated to appendices. In short, Smith and Sokolosky, clearly aided by Mark Bradley’s vast knowledge of North Carolina Civil War history, have produced a slim, readable book which covers its limited topic clearly.
John F. Marszalek
John F. Marszalek is Giles Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, Mississippi State University. He is the author of numerous books including Sherman, As Soldier’s Passion for Order. His biography of Henry W. Halleck will appear in 2004.
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