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Author Archives: Sean Michael Chick
Book Review: Benjamin Butler’s Noisy, Fearless Life
Andrew Jackson once said, “I was born for the storm, and a calm does not suit me.” The same could have been said by one of Jackson’s admirers, Benjamin Butler. He was accused throughout his career of rank opportunism, incompetence, … Continue reading
The Louisiana Unification Movement and the Political Limits of Reconstruction
In the messy annals of Reconstruction, one of the most perplexing episodes was the short-lived but fascinating Unification Movement of Louisiana. A New Orleans political alliance of both black and white elites, the movement tried to merge concerns over corruption … Continue reading
The Supposed Enigma of Isidore Francois Turgis
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was not just a hit in America, but also in France. After its publication slavery was considered a blight on history, at least in France’s liberal circles. Among those affected was Isidore Francois Turgis, … Continue reading
Posted in 160th Anniversary, Civilian, Western Theater
Tagged 160th Anniversary, anti-slavery, Battle of Shiloh, Catholic, chaplain, civil war politics, Confederate chaplain, Confederate veterans, Isidore Francois Turgis, Lost Cause, New Orleans, Orleans Guards, P. G. T. Beauregard, Slavery, St. Louis Cathedral, yellow fever
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USS Tyler and USS Lexington at Shiloh
One decisive reason the Federals won the war on the rivers was the rapid creation and utilization of gunboats. These vessels protected transports, patrolled the rivers, shelled Confederate defenses, directly supported Union amphibious operations, and more than once saved a … Continue reading
Obscure Confederate Brigade Commanders of Shiloh
A variety of Confederate brigade commanders at Shiloh were for a long time something of a mystery to students of the war. Only minor details could be gleamed and for a few there were not even photographs. Each was a … Continue reading
Farragut vs. Port Hudson
In April 1862 Flag Officer David Glasgow Farragut took a fleet past Forts Jackson and St. Philip. His passage of the forts led to the fall of New Orleans and made Farragut the darling of the Northern press. In March … Continue reading
Posted in Battles, Navies
Tagged Admiral David G. Farragut, Benjamin Butler, George Dewey, Nathaniel Banks, Port Hudson, Red River
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Book Review: Civil War Witnesses and Their Books: New Perspectives on Iconic Works
Civil War Witnesses and Their Books: New Perspectives on Iconic Works Edited by Gary W. Gallagher & Stephen Cushman Louisiana State University Press 2021 $45 hardcover Reviewed by Sean Michael Chick If there are two things we seem assured to … Continue reading
The “Emerging Civil War Series” Series: Dreams of Victory
Here’s a sneak-peek at an ECWS book set for release in early 2022. It’s heading to the printer now! Beauregard has long been a figure of some interest to me, but it was in writing The Battle of Petersburg, June … Continue reading
“The Emerging Civil War Series” Series: Grant’s Left Hook
Writing Grant’s Left Hook was unlike anything I had done before or since. It started out as an attempt to update the scholarship and combine the best of what William Glenn Robertson and Herbert M. Schiller had done before in … Continue reading
Beauregard’s Slow Fade Into Oblivion
By the time the smoke cleared at Bull Run, one thing was certain for P.G.T. Beauregard. He was now the South’s premiere military hero. In the months after songs and poetry would be written about him. Letters from admirers, many … Continue reading
