"The Madman and the Assassin" by Scott Martelle (2015)

Boston Corbett once shook Abe Lincoln’s hand. That happened just after Corbett arrived in Maryland as part of a NY regiment after Lincoln called for volunteers when the South seceded from the Union. That this man; who would go on to be remembered for killing John Wilkes Booth 4 years later; met the victim of the man he was destined to kill is just one of the many strange things about this man which the author has chronicled in this carefully researched and thoroughly engaging book.

Boston Corbett was born Thomas Corbett and took the name of the city in which he first accepted Jesus Christ. This decision would inform every part of his life from that moment forward. Put out of your mind everything which you have heard about this enigmatic and mysterious man and get ready for a fascinating read. There is much more to his story than just that singular moment when he shot John Wiles Booth in a tobacco barn.

Scott Martelle does a superb job of bringing to life not only Boston Corbett’s story, but also in chronicling the Second Great Awakening of Religious fervor in the United States. The First Awakening was in the years before the American Revolution, as the colonists stretched the wings of their newly found religious freedom in North America. 

The Second Great Awakening; of which Corbett became a part; occurred just as the Northern half of the country was embracing the new Industrialism and the South was clinging to its own Agricultural and slave based economy. And after the war, Corbett’s travels out West in search of a new life are particularly interesting. He took over an 80 acre homestead which had been abandoned.

Descriptions of Corbett's time in the infamous Andersonville prison camp are remarkable for their description of the conditions, as well as how this man comported himself in a hell on earth. Testimonies from others who were imprisoned there at the same time all speak fairly well of the man who was known to be a religious zealot. He spent much of his time ministering to others and sharing what little he had with those who had even less. This was a very complex individual.

The book also serves as a reminder of a time when a person could be as different as they dared to be without too much interference from either the law, or other people. As you read the book you cannot help but wonder what the fate of this man would have been were he alive today. It’s a very pertinent question, which begs whether or not we have really become more tolerant as a people, or are we now even more restricted in our thoughts than ever before.

"The Fire of Freedom" by David S. Cecelski (2012)

The story of Abraham Galloway is not one which we were taught as kids. It is the true tale of a man who wanted his freedom badly, and went to extraordinary lengths to acquire it. With a deft hand, author David Cecelski takes the reader along on a journey which begins with Abraham’s birth in 1837 as a slave in Smithville; near the mouth of the Cape Fear River in North Carolina; and through his younger years apprenticed for a time as a brick layer.

It is fitting; in a way; that he was named Abraham, for he too would lead his people to freedom, just as Abraham had led them from Ur to Canaan in the Old Testament. In a way, this is the story of two Abrahams; one a slave; the other the President of the United States. That the two would meet in person, at the White House, in the midst of the Civil War is not surprising, as they were both exceptional men, and both would die far too young.

Abraham Galloway was a firebrand for freedom. He breathed it, spoke it and fought for it. He took his grievances all the way to the White House in 1864; and in between he organized African-American troops who would fight the Confederate army in the slave state of North Carolina. And when the war was through, he embarked upon a political career, becoming one of the first black men ever elected to the Legislature in North Carolina.

Most of the story takes place in the area of New Bern, North Carolina and the battles in the area of Wilmington. But the book goes far beyond the simple story of Mr. Galloway’s quest for freedom. In the spring of 1864 it became apparent that the Confederate troops were being massacred in the field when captured. For Galloway, these reports hit very close to home. At the Battle of Plymouth in early 1864, Confederate General Ransom’s brigade had taken no prisoners after encountering African-American troops in the field. They even killed the women and children hiding in the woods. This was the catalyst for Galloway’s meeting with the President.

After meeting with Lincoln, Galloway embarked on a tour of the North to raise money to supply the African-American brigades. A soldier, statesman and a spy for the North, Abraham Galloway’s story is a must read for anyone who is seriously interested in the history of the Civil War. The sheer determination, and will to persevere, against overwhelming odds; all while facing the loss of his own life to further what he saw as justice; will forever stand tall among the stories of war and those who gave more than was expected of them.

Mr. Galloway passed away at the age of 40 in 1870, just as the Ku Klux Klan began their 100 year denial of South's defeat. Had Galloway lived there is no telling what else he might have contributed to the advancement of Civil Rights in an era which begat Jim Crow Laws and institutional segregation.

With a skilled eye for detail, as well as the politics of the era, Mr. Cecelski has given us a piece of history long forgotten. And, in doing so, he has underscored the importance of the role which African-Americans played in taking their first steps toward obtaining their own freedom.

"Lincoln On War" by Harold Holzer

This may be the best book yet written concerning Abraham Lincoln. Actually, it is the closest thing to having Lincoln pen his own memoirs of the years between the War with Mexico and our own Civil War. In some ways it even eclipses the great 2 volume masterpiece by Carl Sandburg, which is considered by many, me included, to be the "Holy Grail" of books about our most mercurial President.

The War with Mexico is of great interest, as the annexation of the state of Texas, aside from having been accomplished illegally, added fuel to the fire that would eventually grow into the conflagration of full blown Civil War. Lincoln saw the annexation of Texas as a way for the Southern States to hold a majority in the Senate and Congress. This was at the time of the great debates concerning the Missouri Compromise, and the Fugitive Slave Act, both of which were mere band aids or attempts in vain, to stave off the bloodshed which was sure to come from the slavery question.

The author has let Lincoln speak for himself by using the President's letters and speeches to make his point. The book is laid out in a way which parallels the career and thoughts of our 16th President on all of the issues leading up to the Civil War. And once that war has begun, this correspondence gives us a new and keener insight into the thoughts behind the actions taken by Lincoln during the prosecution of the War Between the States.

Lincoln, at the outset, wanted only to ban slavery in the new territories being acquired out west. He had no intention of outlawing the institution itself. As late as in his first Inauguration speech, Lincoln was still not calling for the Abolition of Slavery in the Southern States, but only in the newly acquired territories. In his first Inaugural Address he spoke these words; "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the Institution of Slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so." He had made this same declaration in earlier speeches and was re-quoting himself in an effort to allay the fears of the Southern States, which had already seceded from the Union in January of 1861.

By the time that Lincoln issued his duplicitous Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in enemy territory only, the outlawing of slavery in the Southern States became the objective of the war. Previously the chief concern had been one of finances. Lincoln queried, on more than one occasion, whether it was right for the Southern States to leave the Union while keeping the forts and roadways which had been paid for by federal loans. These loans would have to be repaid to the banks, and Lincoln considered it to be an unfair burden upon the remaining states to bear the full brunt of their repayment.

This is an exciting book which lays bare many of the myths that have been pumped into us over the years; Mr. Holzer has presented a new side of one of our most well-known, but often misunderstood Presidents.

"Touched by Fire" by James M. Perry

Wars have always given birth to future Presidents of the United States. Our first President was a General. The War of 1812 gave us two more military Presidents, as did the War with Mexico in the 1840's. The Civil War gave us five Presidents who had been "touched by fire." The Spanish-American War gave us one. The First World War gave us at least 2, and the Second World War gave us a string Presidents from Eisenhower through Ford. Almost half of our Presidents have been products of the military. But the Civil War gave us the most number of Presidents who had actually seen combat, in essence, "touched by fire." Their experiences in the war would color their leadership, as well as help to chart the future course of our nation.

Beginning in 1869, at age 46 years old, General Grant would become the youngest President elected up to that time. That record would not be broken until Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest President-elect at age 42, and that would not be surpassed until John Kennedy's election, at age 43, in 1960. (The discrepancy in who was actually elected at a younger age, versus being inaguarated, comes from the change in the date of inaguaration, which changed from March to January, in 1933 with the swearing in of Franklin Roosevelt.)

Grant was a natural choice for the office after Lincoln's Vice President had finished the slain President's term in 1868. Grant was, after all, the hero of the Civil War. He did, however, make a lousy President, and his administration was marked by scandal after scandal as he was manipulated by the Barons of the Gilded Age. Only Mark Twain, by assisting Grant in the writing of his memoirs, would save Grant from poverty. He died shortly after completing the book.

Grant was a product, like his nemesis General Lee, of West Point. He had failed at everything prior to that endeavor, and even in that he graduated at the bottom of his class. After the Mexican War he left the Army and tried his hand at everything imagineable, failing at them all. The outbreak of the Civil War brought him back into the Army, and with his daring tactics and agresssive leadership, he was able to prosecute the war to a speedy conclusion.

Grant was followed into office by Rutherford Hayes, who had served in the Civil War as a Major in the 23rd Ohio Regiment. These men were all volunteers, including an 18 year old Private named William McKinley. That he would actually form a bond with the future, and much older, Major Hayes, would seem unlikely, but is nonetheless true.

Major Hayes won the hearts of his men the day that the 23rd received their weapons. Due to the actions of President Buchanan's last Secretary of War, John B. Floyd, a Southerner, most of the modern weapons had been shipped South in the days leading up to the outbreak of the war, leaving the North short on modern rifles. The boys of the 23rd refused, at first, to accept the old weapons and were actually threatened with being shot for doing so. That order came from Lieutenant Colonel Matthews. Major Hayes took a different tact, going from tent to tent, lecturing the boys in a kindly way and reminding them of the lack of weaponry at the outbreak of the American Revolution, inspiring them to return to the arsenal and take up their arms. The 23rd would go on to extinguish itself in the West Virginia campaign.

The next, and third, President to spring from the Civil War was James Garfield. He was an inspired leader of men, and would go on to fight in the the Big Sandy campaign, which though crucial to the sucess of the war, gets surprisingly little note in the history books. The Big Sandy was critical due to the fact that the valley, and the river named for it, ran along the line between West Virginia, which was Union, and Kentucky, which was not officially a Confederate state, but so conflicted in it's loyalties, that it was essential that the Union maintain hold of it. And with the help of future President Garfield, it remained a part of the Union. Garfield's exploits in the Big Sandy made his future career. That he was only President for six months, dying at the hands of an assassin during his first year in office, in no way diminishes this accomplishment.

After Garfield there was a period of 8 years before another Civil War veteran was elected to the Presidency. This was Benjamin Harrison, who was the grandson of William Henry Harrison, who had also been a General in the Mexican War before he became President. That Benjamin Harrison would follow so closely in the career path of his grandfather was surprising, as prior to the war he had no political ambitions at all. His contribution to the war came during the infamous March to the Sea under General Sherman. He lead the 70th Indiana into battle in Northwestern Georgia, as well as the neighboring states of Tennessee and Alabama.

After Harrison's reign in the White House there was another 8 year spell between a Civil War Veteran becoming President. William McKilnley, who had entered the war as an 18 year old Private, would be the last of the Civil War Presidents. Elected 38 years after the war had ended, he presided over the nation in the middle years of "Jim Crow" laws down South. Like Garfield, he too was shot by an assassin. Present at both assassinations was President Lincoln's son Robert Todd Lincoln. It remains one of the most unusual facts of American history that he was present at the deaths of 3 American Presidents, including his father's.

This was a very insightful read, with much information about the battles in which each man made his mark. The battles fought, and sacrifices made, by these men, and the admiration of the men who served under them, paved the way for their eventual elections as President. And their experiences in that war would color their leadership in office, while shaping the nation in which we still live today.

"Stealing The General" by Russell S. Bonds

This is the story which everyone has heard of. It was even made into the famous silent comedy by Buster Keaton, "The General." In reality, of course, it was no comedy, but rather a very tense and daring mission, behind Rebel lines. Had it been successful it would have shortened the war by about a year, or more, and saved tens of thousands of lives. That it failed is in no measure attributable to any deficiencies on the part of the men. Were mistakes made? Yes. Were there things which could have altered the outcome of the raid? Of course, there always are. But that's Monday morning quarterback stuff; Should've, could've, would've.

April 12th, 1862, barely one year into the Civil War, James Andrews, a smuggler, and a band of 19 Union soldiers, all volunteers, set off to steal a Confederate railroad engine. Its name was The General. It was a twin to the locomotive Texas, which would chase it down over a distance of 48 miles, while running backwards, at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. The chase was short, but filled with every imaginable thrill one would expect from an epic Hollywood movie. Tracks were torn up, and telegraph lines cut as The General ran northwards from Georgia to East Tennessee, hoping to cut the Confederate supply lines and shorten the war.

But they hadn't counted on a spunky little conductor, one William Fuller, who was simply incensed that "someone has stolen my train!" He chased the train at first by foot, and then with a railroad handcar, before boarding The Texas for the final leg of the chase, which came to an end only after The General had run out of fuel and water. With both trains equally matched; they each had been built by competing firms but were identical in all aspects, including their 5 foot driving wheels and a 22 inch strokes; the race is a dead heat until the very last moment, when the crew of The General hops from the train, taking to the woods for even further adventure as they try to avoid capture as spies.

The author, Russell Bonds, has carefully reconstructed each moment of what became known as "The Great Locomotive Chase." Using letters, government documents, telegraph transcripts and personal journals, he is able to take the reader on a roller coaster of a journey, first by rail, and then on foot and canoe, through the woods of Tennessee as the raiders attempt to escape their fates, and the eventual capture, trial and execution of several of the prisoners.

Two of the men had to be hung twice, as their ropes broke on the first try. One man hung too low to the ground and so Confederate soldiers dug out the earth beneath his feet while he slowly strangled to death. Only eight of the 19 men would make it home, where they were honored by President Lincoln with the Nation's first Medals of Honor, which are often referred to mistakenly as "Congressional" Medals of Honor.

One of the most interesting aspects of this book involves the escape through the backwoods country of Tennessee, which was about as divided over the war as Virginia had been. At one point there was even talk of Eastern Tennessee breaking away from the Western half of the state in order to remain in the Union, much in the same manner as West Virginia had done. Had that happened, there would have been no need for James Andrews and his volunteers to undertake the mission in the first place.

History is often a series of accidental happenings and circumstance. At times it is colored with people who rise above the obstacles which confront them as they attempt to change the course of events. The Great Locomotive Chase was one of these times. The story of the General, with, or without, all of its inaccuracies, will live on forever. It is a story of courage, and dishonor, on both sides. As usual, there were heroes, and villians, on both ends. A riveting book.

"The Case of Abraham Lincoln" by Julie M. Fenster

I have always been a fan of Abraham Lincoln. Although I do realize that some of his intentions in freeing the slaves were politically motivated, I have always held him in high regard. The Emancipation Proclamation is a prime example of his political prowess. Had it not been for the later passage of the 14th Amendment, the Proclamation would have kept slavery alive in the North until 1900, while abolishing it immediately in the South. But the man has always fascinated me, even in Kindergarten, where I first spied his face on the wall, alongside of George Washington.

Abraham Lincoln, by the spring of 1856, was considerd a former Congressman with a legal practice. His political capital was at an all time low, and he lamented that he would go down in history as just another lawyer, riding the circuit of the local courts. And it may have wound up just that way, were it not for a Mrs. Anderson and her husband's nephew, Theodore.

George Anderson, a blacksmith in Springfield, was married to Jane Anderson. They lived next door to the Masonic Hall, a very busy gathering spot for the towns politicos and aspiring office seekers. It was also the main gathering spot for news of the day. That spring the hall was unusually busy with the debate of two pressing national issues; the first being the spread of slavery into the new territories, and the second being the suppression of Catholicism as a growing "threat" to the naton. The focus in Springfield was about to become more local.

From April 22nd through May 15th, George Anderson was gravely ill. He was expected to pass away. His symptoms were fever, convulsions and extreme pain. The convulsions arched his back to the point of breaking. His weight dropped to the lowest point since his youth. The attending physicians, Dr. Lord and Dr. Fowler were certain that George Anderson was being poisoned with strychine, but were not sure by whom. The only person who administered his food and medicine was his wife, Jane. At the same time, Jane was having an affair with her husbands nephew, Theodore.

By all accounts, Geoge Anderson was a strong man. As a blacksmith he was very fit. When he became ill so suddenly, red flags were raised, and all through April and early May, Dr. Lord and Dr. Fowler were on hand, trying to determine the cause of Mr. Anderson's troubles. But a strange thing happened around the middle of May; Mr. Anderson seemed to be making a full recovery.

On May 15th he was well enough to leave his sickbed for the first time in almost a month. He went to the tailors and bought some new cothes to fit his now thinning body. He was also supposed to meet his wife at his brother's house for tea. They were celebrating his recovery. Mrs. Anderson never made it to the tea, electing instead to go home and have tea alone. Prior to that, she had been shopping, and was seen in the company of Mr. Anderson's nephew.

That evening, upon his return home, Mr. Anderson confronted his wife as to her absence from the tea. They fought briefly, in front of the servants, before retiring for the night. Sometime around 10 PM, Mr. Anderson, according to Mrs. Anderson, crept quietly from their bed to use the outhouse in the backyard. He took his pistol with him. He never returned.

By 11 PM, Mrs. Anderson had awakened, and peering out the window, saw her husbands body lying on the ground. She summoned the servants to see to him. She never went to check on him herself, falling into hysterics instead.

The town sheriff concluded that Mr. Anderson had been struck over the head with a board as he exited the outhouse. The board was found about twenty feet away from the body with blood on it. By the next morning, though, bloodied sheets and a ball peen hammer were found in the bushes, raising the possibility that Mr. Anderson had been killed in bed and then moved outside. Moreover, Mrs. Anderson was now charged with her husband's murder.

What ensues after that is a quickly paced book, which not only covers the trial of Mrs. Anderson and her husband's nephew, but also offers a glimpse at a country struggling with the divisive issue of slavery. It also gives us some new insights into the law career of Abraham Lincoln, a man who fought for both sides of every issue that came his way. His work in the Fugitive Slave Act cases underscores his ability to argue, and win, cases for which he had previously argued against. From 1836 to 1861, Lincoln argued more than 5,000 cases. More than just a debt lawyer, Lincoln was involved in over 30 murder trials. The Anderson case came on the scene just in time to revitalize his political career, and offers one of the best insights into his years as an attorney.

The Anderson trial began on November 19th, 1856. Lincoln had not returned to Springfield until June, a month after the murder took place. The State's attorney, Amzi McWilliams, needed help to prosecute the case, and to that end offered Lincoln $200 to be the Special Prosecutor. Lincoln turned him down, citing an overload of cases, but offered instead to assist in the Defense for $75.

I will not go any further into the case. It is one of the most overlooked episodes of Lincoln's 25 year career as an attorney, and as such, offers some new perspective into both the man himself, and the volatile times in which he lived. If you like Lincoln, you will love this book.

"Bloody Crimes" by James Swanson

I was in the throes of dental work when I posted this review and I failed, due to the prevailing circumstances, to address some of the book. I have added the "missing" portions here, in italics, to distinquish them from the original review.

This is a well written and fascinating account of two men at the close of the Civil War. The first man is, of course, Abraham Lincoln. The second, and equally important man is Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The book follows their lives during the last few weeks of the war, the assasssination of President Lincoln, and the flight, and eventual capture of Jefferson Davis.

But before the book delves into the tragedy of the assassination, it takes a hard look at the last 2 weeks of the war, as Lincoln toured the Confederate Capital of Richmond after it's fall, and Jefferson Davis moved his government to Danville, before beginning his journey to Mexico.

Lincoln and Davis had so much in common, yet were so different in their backgrounds. Lincoln often toured the battlefield, as he did in Richmond, and was often seen in the trenches around Washington during the war. Davis, on the other hand, was more of an aristocrat, although, of the two men, he was the one who had major military experience. Davis had fought in the War with Mexico, serving under General Taylor with great distinction. Lincoln, although he had been elected Captain of his regiment during the Black Hawk War, never saw battle until he became President.

When Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to General Grant on April 12th, the war was effectively over. There was no way for the Confederate Army to rally and reverse the tide. They were simply outgunned and out of supplies. Nevertheless, Jefferson Davis refused to believe this was the end, and so he began his flight westward, most likely seeking to reach Mexico. He would never make it, instead being captured and imprisoned for several years, during which time he was chained, shackled and nearly lost his mind. It was only the intervention of some very influential Northern politicians that eventually freed him.

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln sent shock waves throughout the nation. It was alledged that Jefferson Davis was responsible for this terrible deed. In reality, only one man from the Confederate government was directly involved. Upon hearing of Lincoln's death, Davis was heard to lament the act, realizing that the full force of retribution would now fall upon the Southern States.

The book is well organized as it jumps back and forth from the manhunt for Jefferson Davis, the assassination of President Lincoln, the pursuit of John Wilkes Booth and the preparations for the President's funeral.

At first it was planned that the slain President be interred beneath the Capitol Building in Wahington, in the crypt which was intended for George Washington. But forces in Chicago, where Lincoln had been a state legislator, and won the 1860 nomination for President at the Republican Party Convention, wanted him buried there. And still others wanted the President to be returned to Springfield, where he had established his early career in law and politics. It was there that he had made his home. Springfield, of course, emerged as the winner.

But the meat of this book is in the journey, by train, which was undertaken to honor a man who, with a singleminded purpose, held together a unique country, founded in unity, and then tested by internal conflict. The Civil War was inevitable, the seeds for it had been planted in the birth of a nation that allowed slavery. The founding fathers had every intention of re-visiting the issue of Abolition, but, in a haste to gain our freedom from Britain, neglected to resolve this one great difference that would one day, surely come back to haunt the nation.

The book also follows the life of Jefferson Davis after his imprisonment and subsequent death in 1889. He, like Lincoln, also had a funeral train, which passed through the Southern states from New Orleans to Richmond, just as Lincoln's trian had passed through the Northern States. Davis' train bore a macabre resemblance to the funeral train taken by President Lincoln in 1865.

In addition, the author calls attention to Lincoln's own views of the treatment of the Southern states after the end of the war. In the last 2 weeks of the conflict, Lincoln remarked that we should "let 'em down easy." Had he lived, Jefferson Davis would have been allowed to leave the country, or simply go home. The fact that he was imprisoned, humiliated and impoverished gave birth to the hatred of the Reconstruction Era, as well as the "Jim Crow" laws of the south, the scars of which affect us until this very day.

This is an excellent read, one which will enlighten and educate the reader, as well as entertain.

Abe Lincoln at 202 - Defining a Legend

Today is Honest Abe's birthday. He was born in 1809. There was a time when this portrait, along with that of George Washington's, graced the walls of every classroom in America. He was like a God. But now we are a bit older and more jaded, and we hear much talk about Lincoln's real purpose with the Emancipation Proclamation was to cripple the South as far as labor was concerned, while doing nothing to free the slaves in the Union held States. This is all very true. We also hear much talk of State's Rights being the true cause of the Civil War in lieu of slavery.

And that reminds me of a story that concerns Old Abe and State's Rights. Like most good stories, there is not likely to be any truth to it, but it does make it's point. I heard this tale about 30 years ago, and have used it many times in illustrating just how inter-dependent we are on one another if we are to make the world a better place in which to live. I hope you enjoy the story, and moreover, I hope you get the point..

Abe Lincoln was riding on a train when the man in the seat next to him lit a big cigar. The smoke, and smell, of the cigar was wafting across Mr. Lincoln's face, making it hard for him to breath. He politely asked the man, "Sir, your cigar smoke is causing me great difficulty. I wonder if you would mind putting it out?"

The other man looked at Lincoln and said, "Sir, I will have you know that I paid for both my seat and the cigar. If I wish to smoke the cigar, and it bothers you, that's too bad!" With that he sat down and blew a large cloud of smoke across Mr. Lincoln's face.

Lincoln reached down into his bag and drew out a large pistol, which he then pointed at the other man's head, stating as he did, "I, too have paid for both my seat and this pistol. If I chose to shoot it and the bullet bothers you, I suppose that is the same thing?" The other man extinguished his cigar..

Lincoln was a most crafty lawyer, arguing, in different cases, successfully, both for and against clients in cases that involved the Fugitive Slave Act, which required that all runaway slaves were to be considered property and returned to their original owners. Lincoln argued, quite easily in one case, that the slave was indeed the property of his client. The slave was returned to his owner. In the other case he argued that since the trial was taking place in a free state, the runaway slave had all the rights of a free man, and therefore could not be treated as property by the law. That slave was given his freedom.

There is a reason that Abraham Lincoln is so important to the history of this nation. It's not that he freed the slaves, or split rails. The reason that Abraham Lincoln is still so important to us today was spoken by Old Abe himself during his 1858 acceptance speech as the Republican Candidate for Senate, when he said, "..a house divided against itself, cannot stand." Truer words were never spoken, nor so apt as they are today.