From Library Journal
With the release of five new volumes, Facts on File's landmark survey of the Confederacy's military units is nearly complete. This survey (see LJ 12/91 for a review of several early volumes) compares most favorably with Frederick Dyer's A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (Morningside Bookshop, 1994), the standard reference for regiments of the Union armies since its original publication in 1908. For the most part, "Compendium of the Confederate Armies" is organized into individual volumes for each large state of the Confederacy; smaller states and miscellaneous forces are grouped as appropriate. Units are categorized by service branch. Entries are provided for every known Confederate unit, establishing its identity and presenting a brief narrative of its service, war record, and commanders. Information given for several South Carolina regiments was found to be consistent with Augustus Dickert's History of Kershaw's Brigade, published circa 1899. Although this does not assure the accuracy of Sifakis's facts, it is indicative of the resources he consulted. And therein lies the strength of the series: information from a wide variety of relatively inaccessible or little-known Confederate sources is now available in a single, well-organized work. Researchers at all levels of Civil War scholarship, including enthusiasts and genealogists, will find the series an invaluable reference. Highly recommended for all academic and larger public libraries.?Lawrence E. Ellis, Newberry Coll., S.C.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
