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Defend This Old Town: Williamsburg During the Civil War

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Anyone familiar with Colonial Williamsburg will want to learn about this period of its history. Major Civil War figures such as McClellan, Longstreet, Sumner, and Pickett were present, yet the details of the Battle of Williamsburg and the lengthy occupation of the town by Union forces are not widely known. This book compiles the facts and tells the story with excerpts taken directly from the memoirs, journals, and newspaper accounts of those who were there. This is not a fictionalized novel. The movements of the troops are well chronicled, and it is interesting to read the various perspectives on the strategic importance of the Battle of Williamsburg. Anyone interested in Civil War history will treasure the details offered in this book. In my mind, the images of the town's honorable aspirations and its historic significance as represented by the College of William and Mary, Bruton Parish Church, the Mental Asylum, and the care offered the wounded of both sides, were graphically contrasted with the harsh realities of slavery, and a bloody war.

Carol Dubbs wrote an extremely informative and interesting narrative about the old colonial capital of Williamsburg, VA during the Peninsula Campaign/Battle of Williamsburg of the Civil War. People may only view Williamsburg in the context of American colonial history, but the town also played an important role in the early years of the CW. Benjamin Stoddert Ewell, the 16th president of the College of William and Mary and the older brother of Gen. Richard Ewell, served as a colonel in the 32nd Virginia infantry under Gen. "Prince John" Magruder (even though Ewell and other faculty were opposed to the idea of secession), and had the primary responsibility for developing and constructing Fort Magruder and the Williamsburg Line, a line of defensive fortifications across the Virginia Peninsula east of Williamsburg. The bloody Battle of Williamsburg resulted in a draw, but it served as a "trial period" for many soldiers/officers on both sides who would become well known in the years following (Joe Hooker acquired the sobriquet "Fighting Joe", and Winfield S. Hancock became known as "Hancock the Superb" for his 20 mins of fighting during the Battle of Wburg.) Aside from the military history, the book provides a humanistic view of the Williamsburg citizens and how the war impacted their daily lives. Examples: on September 9, 1862, drunken soldiers of the 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry set fire to the W&M College Building, purportedly in an attempt to prevent Confederate snipers from using it for cover; Bruton Parish Church was used as a hospital and many Confederate dead were buried in the church yard---a marker/monument stands there today; today's Duke of Gloucester street was known as "Main Street" and some of its notable houses were occupied by Federal and Confederate troops....the Vest House was occupied at different times by George McClellan and Joseph Johnston; Rebecca Ewell (the sister of Richard) invited Phil Kearney (a pre-war acquaintance of Gen. Richard Ewell) to lodge with her in the President's House, across from the Brafferton, shortly after the battle. The book chronicles many interesting details about people, places, and events before, during, and after the occupation of Williamsburg by the Federal army. It is highly recommended for Civil War and history buffs (novices would also enjoy but might need supplemental background information when reading the chapter covering the Battle of Williamsburg as the content may be tedious to read for some.) I also highly recommend viewing the DVD presentation narrated by historian/author John Quarstein called the "Civil War in Hampton Roads" - a four part series.