The Confederate Dirty War: Arson, Bombings, Assassination and Plots for Chemical and Germ Attacks on the Union [Paperback]

Jane Singer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786419733 | ISBN-13: 978-0786419739 | Publication Date: May 11, 2005

They echo modern headlines—a shadowy underground organization orchestrating plans to bring down the government; bands of saboteurs slipping in from Canada to attempt coordinated acts of destruction; plans to poison water supplies and spread deadly diseases among the urban populace—but these and similar incidents were part of a Confederate strategy to wreak "terror and consternation" upon the North during the Civil War. Elements within the Confederacy, acting officially or otherwise, developed—and attempted—numerous plans to inflict terror and death upon the Union populace and bring down the government using a variety of unconventional means. These efforts are an overlooked and important aspect of the Confederate strategy during the Civil War.

This is a history of Confederate efforts to terrorize, demoralize and defeat the North by attacking civilians and the government, using means outside the bounds of conventional warfare. It covers arsonists, "destructionists," engineers of chemical and biological weapons, bands of mobile operatives, and a variety of other nefarious characters and those who opposed them. Chapters cover prominent events in the campaign, from the efforts of the Sons of Liberty—an underground society allied against the Union and brought down by one heroic spy—to attempts to destroy the White House and "decapitate" the government. Illustrations, photographs and relative documents are included, as is an appendix following the career of Confederate bomber W.S. Duepree, killed while setting one of his own mines. Notes, a bibliography and an index are included.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Independent Civil War scholar Jane Singer’s writing has been featured in the Washington Post Magazine and the Washington Times. Her research has been covered in the Chicago Sun Times. Presently, she is a consulting historian with Engel Brothers Media in New York City. She lives in Venice, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (May 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786419733
• ISBN-13: 978-0786419739
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,005,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Desperate Measures, April 28, 2007

By 

David W. Gaddy (Tappahannock, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Confederate Dirty War: Arson, Bombings, Assassination and Plots for Chemical and Germ Attacks on the Union (Paperback)

This is certainly not the "banners and roses, bugles and sabres" popular military history of The War, but a serious examination of the South's willingness to entertain exceptional, desperate measures to resist a foe growing in power. As such, historical researcher Singer has expanded our awareness of how far some individuals--and even government officials--were willing to go. The thoroughness of her research and documentation (twelve tightly spaced notes in a book of less than 175 pages, tracking down and interviewing descendants, exploiting previously unpublished manuscript sources) should rebut the notion that our ancestors would never have entertained such "modern" concepts as improvised explosive devices and weapons of mass destruction.
Placing thse ideas in the context of a Washington effort to formulate (unilaterally) acceptable standards or "rules of warfare" (eventually to lead to the modern "Geneva Convention" concept) is a reminder of American idealism and pioneering in the international arena. (Nathan Bedford Forrest's formulation is said to have been simply "War means fightin' and fightin' means killin'." Probably no argument from Sherman and Sheridan.)
Ms. Singer's work will shock some and cause others to re-evaluate the lessons of 1861-1865. She has done more than "scratched the surface," but there is more work to be done. Let's hope she will return to the subject.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story!, November 17, 2005

By 

J. Rubiner - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Confederate Dirty War: Arson, Bombings, Assassination and Plots for Chemical and Germ Attacks on the Union (Paperback)

I'm glad Jane Singer is not an academic. If she were, her book probably wouldn't be so readable. She tells a great story. Terrorist plots during the Civil War; who knew? She uses many previously unpublished primary sources and the book reads like a journal of the saboteurs. Informative and enjoyable.

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly Relevant!, January 19, 2006

By 

Martin James "Civil War Buff" (Stamford , CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Confederate Dirty War: Arson, Bombings, Assassination and Plots for Chemical and Germ Attacks on the Union (Paperback)

Jane Singer writes a very readable and compelling story of terrorism during the civil war. I could not put this book down. Especially unsettling are the parallels to todays evil-doers