Connecticut's Civil War [Paperback]

Sharon B. Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2009

Connecticut's Civil War offers a complete guide to sites in Connecticut related to the war, from the long battle against slavery to the production of war materiel to the homes and graves of heroes.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Connecticut's participation in the Civil War began long before any shots were fired. From New Havener Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin, which helped make slavery profitable, to Litchfield's Harriet Beecher Stowe, who gave names and faces to people held in bondage, to Torrington native John Brown's final, violent act at Harpers' Ferry that made war inevitable, Connecticut people were second to none in the long march to war.

Once war began, Connecticut's industrial might became vital. Arms factories in Hartford, New Haven, Middletown, Norwich, and others expanded to extraordinary levels of production. Inventors like Tyler Henry, Christoper Spencer, Horatio Ames, and the Hotchkiss brothers developed new and terrible weapons of war. A previously small factory in Enfield became the single most important producer of gunpowder for the Union army.

Former cotton mills turned to wool and other products, and factories turned the fabric into uniforms. Leather manufacturers turned to the production of thousands of cavalry saddles the brassmakers of the Naugutuck Valley retooled for shell casings, uniform buttons, and weapon hardware.

The state produced its share of heroes as well: the first Union general killed in the war was from Eastford, the highest-ranking Union general killed during the conflict was from Cornwall. From Plymouth came the young man whose secret list of the dead allowed the identification of the Andersonville victims at the close of the conflict.

Sharon B. Smith's Connecticut's Civil War: A Guide for Travelers is the first book in decades to review the state's role in the war and the first ever to offer descriptions and directions to hundreds of sites, monuments, and museums connected to the Connecticut's participation in the Civil War.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Featherfield Publishing (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0984166408
• ISBN-13: 978-0984166404
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,439,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sharon B. Smith, born in Montana, spent the early part of her career as a broadcast journalist in Texas, New York, and Connecticut. She moved to ESPN shortly after the new sports network began, anchoring Sportscenter, reporting on various sports and, finally, specializing in horse racing. Her show "Down the Stretch" won the first Eclipse Award received by ESPN. She also worked as an anchor or color commentator on dozens of horse racing broadcasts. Sharon also worked on NBC's broadcasts of the Breeders' Cup and the Arlington Million.

After leaving ESPN, Sharon began writing books, first on horse and racing subjects and now on the Civil War, a topic of long-time interest for her. Her most recent book is Connecticut's Civil War: A Guide for Travelers.