Customer Reviews

Cottonclads!: The Battle of Galveston and the Defense of the Texas Coast (Civil War Campaigns and Commanders Series)

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Cottonclads! The Battle of Galveston and the Defense of the Texas Coast presents a good account of the many naval operations along Texas. The book has good details; it includes battles ranging from Galveston to Sabine Pass. The book provides a good starting point for the interested reader to research and learn more.

I found that Cottonclads! was a quick read as I finished it in one day. This book really helps to paint a picture of the state of affairs along the Texas Gulf Coast during the Civil War.

The book places special emphasis on the Battle of Galveston, which freed this important Texas port from Union control. Additional chapters cover battles at nearby Sabine Pass.

What I liked most about this book was its ability to get me to think about Galveston in a different way. I had never thought of what this city was like in the 19th Century, but the book claims that it was the largest city in Texas. When the Union Army occupied the city, it was with the intent to legitimize a Union-backed government there and to use the city as a base of operations for Union troops to penetrate deeper into Texas. In the end, the Union penetration of Texas failed, just as Sibley's Brigade failed to take the desert Southwest. It was only fitting that the regiments of Sibley's brigade were present at the freeing of Galveston from Union control.

I recommend this book as a starting point in learning about the Union blockade of the Confederacy and the Rebels' efforts to thwart it.

Well written and interesting for Texans who may not be aware of the cottonclads participation in Civil War coastal protection.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Cotham's works about Galveston and Sabine Pass, I did not expect much from "Cottonclads!" Generally I find the "Civil War Campaigns and Commanders" series books too short and sparse on detail. To my pleasant surprise Donald Frazier's slim volume packs a reasonably detailed narrative between the covers.

Frazier's overall approach is more businesslike and concise focusing on the facts, figures, and positions while Cotham's contains a wider background narrative and more details in most areas. Each succeeds as I found these surprisingly complimentary companions. Frazier's coverage of events other than those surrounding the recapture of Galveston is more of a summary and clipped short in some areas.

"Cottonclads!" is centered on the Texan recapture of Galveston in a joint land and sea attack. The Union navy inflicted heavy casualties that repulsed the initial land assault against the small garrison at Kuhn's wharf. Then the cottonclads CSS Bayou City and Neptune attacked, dismounted cavalry serving as snipers and boarding parties on the boats. At first this too appeared to be unsuccessful as the Neptune was sunk in shallow water. However, this proved of some benefit as men continued to snipe from the top of the vessel. The Bayou City rammed the USS Harriet Lane and took it by storm. This led to the withdrawal of the U.S. Navy and the loss of the USS Westfield through scuttling after it ran aground. Without support the troops on the wharf were compelled to surrender. It was a stunning victory for a cobbled together land & sea operation, and a major debacle for the Federal blockading squadron.

Frazier includes some decent maps (although the map scale is not given.) He also includes orders of battle for Galveston and Sabine Pass, and provides a good description of the vessels involved along with basic layouts of the gun positions and calibers. Ample biographical sketches of the various land and sea commanders are included. Casualties are tallied for the CS forces and by vessel for the Union.

There are some odd errors in the Anaconda plan maps: Savannah, GA is shown as a blockade running port throughout, while Wilmington, NC is not shown.

Overall I can recommend this book as a useful and concise summary with maps, orders of battle, and ships details.