29 Responses to Question of the Week: What Civil War biography deserves to be written?
Colonel George Washington Rains, CSA. He created and ran the Confederacy’s largest single source of gunpowder along the Augusta River from a pamphlet about a powder works in England.
James McPherson for sure…………..the general, not the historian. Rosecrans needs a new one as well. Edge of Glory is solid, but it’s also 50-60 years old.
Col John T. Wilder, commander ot the Lightning Brigade in the Army of the Cumberland and his development of 20th century military tactics of fire and maneuver with mounted infantry and
Spencer repeating rifles (not carbines)
Charles, There are 2 recent biographies on Wilder – one excellent, the other not-so-excellent. The excellent bio is Forging A New South: The Life of General John T. Wilder by Maury Nicely.
John Ancrum Winslow, who was in command of the USS Kearsarge when it defeated the CSS Alabama off France. There is ONE book on him that I know about, but have never read, and that book was published early, very early, in the 20th Century. If I’m wrong about there being only one book on him, please let me know. Thank you in advance.
Hope you’ll give a look at “Searching for Irvin McDowell: The Civil War’s Forgotten General,” published by Savas-Beatie in 2023, which I co-wrote with Frank Simione, Jr.
Smith Pyne Bankhead first cousin of John Magruder and brother of Henry Bankhead. Smith Pyne’s wife Ada was the woman who bitched out Sherman when he tried to evict her and her daughter Ada from their home in Memphis. I’m a collateral descendant of Smith Pyne and thought of writing about him earlier. I pulled articles about his murder in Memphis but wrote about someone else. But a good story and unique
I’ve always been fascinated by Confederate intellectuals: Pettigrew and Maxcy Gregg are my top two. Aside from Caldwell’s short summary and Krick’s longer chapter in “The Smoothbore Volley…” I know of no other – I suspect the paucity of primary source material.
Arguably the most evil man engaged in the Civil War – on either side – was John H. Winder. A few months prior to the firing on Fort Sumter, Captain Winder was Officer-in-Command of the U.S. Army forts defending Pensacola Bay… but he took a leave of absence… and next turned up in Richmond in Confederate Grey. Initially assigned oversight of Camps of Instruction, Winder was promoted to Brigadier General and in 1862 was tasked with enforcing Martial Law in Richmond; and was eventually promoted to Command of Military Prisons in Alabama and Georgia.
Even the Devil must be given his due; and John H. Winder is deserving of a biography… if for nothing more than to provide “a cautionary tale.”
There is a solid biography on the younger Dahlgren: Eric J. Wittenberg, Like a Meteor Blazing Brightly: The Short but Controversial Life of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren…
Colonel George Washington Rains, CSA. He created and ran the Confederacy’s largest single source of gunpowder along the Augusta River from a pamphlet about a powder works in England.
I do believe something is in the works on him, actually….
General George Sears Greene for his great work on July 2nd at Gettysburg.
The only published biography on Greene is David W. Palmer, The Forgotten Hero of Gettysburg: A Biography of General George Sears Greene, 2004.
James McPherson for sure…………..the general, not the historian. Rosecrans needs a new one as well. Edge of Glory is solid, but it’s also 50-60 years old.
Robert Anderson, commander of Fort Sumter. Fortunately, a new biography is coming out shortly.
I’d like to see someone revisit Edward RS Canby, Rosecrans, and Joe Hooker.
Col John T. Wilder, commander ot the Lightning Brigade in the Army of the Cumberland and his development of 20th century military tactics of fire and maneuver with mounted infantry and
Spencer repeating rifles (not carbines)
Charles, There are 2 recent biographies on Wilder – one excellent, the other not-so-excellent. The excellent bio is Forging A New South: The Life of General John T. Wilder by Maury Nicely.
John Ancrum Winslow, who was in command of the USS Kearsarge when it defeated the CSS Alabama off France. There is ONE book on him that I know about, but have never read, and that book was published early, very early, in the 20th Century. If I’m wrong about there being only one book on him, please let me know. Thank you in advance.
General Burns (Confederate)
Is there a good biography of D.H. Hill?
One coming this fall
General O. O. Howard
Francis Marion Cockrell, BG CSA
Irvin McDowell
Hope you’ll give a look at “Searching for Irvin McDowell: The Civil War’s Forgotten General,” published by Savas-Beatie in 2023, which I co-wrote with Frank Simione, Jr.
John Charles Fremont.
I find Alexander Stephens to be intriguing: a powerful intellect in a tortured body.
I find Alexander Stephens intriguing: a powerful intellect in a tortured body.
General Ord
Joe Hooker is an important person with an interesting story who needs a new biography.
Smith Pyne Bankhead first cousin of John Magruder and brother of Henry Bankhead. Smith Pyne’s wife Ada was the woman who bitched out Sherman when he tried to evict her and her daughter Ada from their home in Memphis. I’m a collateral descendant of Smith Pyne and thought of writing about him earlier. I pulled articles about his murder in Memphis but wrote about someone else. But a good story and unique
I’ve always been fascinated by Confederate intellectuals: Pettigrew and Maxcy Gregg are my top two. Aside from Caldwell’s short summary and Krick’s longer chapter in “The Smoothbore Volley…” I know of no other – I suspect the paucity of primary source material.
There is no good biography on John Gibbon. And, hands down, I’d like to see a book on Andrew Atkinson Humphreys…
Arguably the most evil man engaged in the Civil War – on either side – was John H. Winder. A few months prior to the firing on Fort Sumter, Captain Winder was Officer-in-Command of the U.S. Army forts defending Pensacola Bay… but he took a leave of absence… and next turned up in Richmond in Confederate Grey. Initially assigned oversight of Camps of Instruction, Winder was promoted to Brigadier General and in 1862 was tasked with enforcing Martial Law in Richmond; and was eventually promoted to Command of Military Prisons in Alabama and Georgia.
Even the Devil must be given his due; and John H. Winder is deserving of a biography… if for nothing more than to provide “a cautionary tale.”
Had a second one- would love to see a double biography on John and Ulric Dahlgren, or even just a mythbuster on Dahlgren the younger
There is a solid biography on the younger Dahlgren: Eric J. Wittenberg, Like a Meteor Blazing Brightly: The Short but Controversial Life of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren…
I’m writing it, about two extraordinary soldiers, ‘Till The Stars Appeared.’