Edward A. Wild And the African Brigade in the Civil War [Paperback]

Frances H. Casstevens (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786424435 | ISBN-13: 978-0786424436 | Publication Date: August 16, 2005

Edward Wild, the controversial Union general who headed the all-black African Brigade in the Civil War, was one of the most loved and most hated figures of the 19th century. The man was neither understood nor appreciated by military or civilian, black or white, Northerner or Southerner. After enlisting at the outbreak of the war, Wild was promoted to Brigadier General and placed in charge of the United States Colored Troops. In fulfilling his assignment to free slaves and gain recruits, he took three women as hostages and ordered a great deal of property destruction. He freed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of slaves and settled them safely on Roanoke Island. Wild then not only recruited the newly freed blacks but trained them and gave them the opportunity to prove their worth in battle. Nobody, it seems, was happy about serving with them, but the African Brigade performed courageously in several battles. Wild did some inexplicable things. Were his actions typical of the 19th century or did he act outside the norm? Was the criticism he suffered from his fellow Union officers valid—or was it due to personality conflicts? Did he deserve to be arrested, court-martialed, and even wiped from the history books—or was he the victim of discrimination? This work draws its answers from extensive research and includes many rare letters to and from Wild, including one from one of the North Carolinian hostages.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Well researched...worth reading" -- Military Review

"What a volume...meticulously researched...excellent background information...extensive notes and sources" -- Colorado Libraries

“Well researched...worth reading” --Military Review

“What a volume...meticulously researched...excellent background information...extensive notes and sources” --Colorado Libraries

“Well researched...worth reading” --Military Review

About the Author

Retired from Wake Forest University Frances H. Casstevens, is also the author of “Out of the Mouth of Hell” (2005), George W. Alexander and Castle Thunder (2004), Clingman’s Brigade in the Confederacy, 1862–1865 (2002) and The Civil War and Yadkin County, North Carolina (1997). She lives in Yadkinville, North Carolina.

Product Details

• Paperback: 335 pages
• Publisher: McFarland (August 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786424435
• ISBN-13: 978-0786424436
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,467,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The audacious, opinionated, and unconventional Wild, January 26, 2006

By 

Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edward A. Wild and the African Brigade in the Civil War (Hardcover)

General Edward A. Wild was one of the more controversial officers of the Civil War. A staunch abolitionist, after losing an arm at South Mountain (prelude to Antietam), Wild aided Massachusetts governor John Andrews in raising all-black fighting units. A number of black regiments were created and together were known as the African Brigade. Sent to South Carolina, Wild and his men arrived only weeks after the action at Battery Wagner that saw the heroism of 54th Massachusetts Volunteers (Colored) and the death of its leader, Robert Shaw.

Wild was an unyielding defender of his black troops and their ability to be the equal of any soldiers in the army. His outspokenness and, at times, disobedience of orders, on their behalf got Wild in trouble. He hated Southern sympathizers and especially guerrilla fighters; his treatment of them was at time horrendous. In 1864 he led a raid through northeastern North Carolina against these "land pirates" (Wild's words). Sometimes prisoners taken (these might include civilians, even women, and not just soldiers) would be tortured, even hanged. Authorities North and South became outraged at Wild's actions. Eventually he was court martialed and demoted (for disobeying orders and not for his treatment of others). Suspended from the battlefield for 6 months, he returned in time to lead the XXV Corps before Richmond in April 1865. After the war Wild stirred up more controversy with his confiscation of private property in Georgia as a member of the Freedman's Bureau. The last years of his life were spent silver and gold mining, first in Nevada, then in Canada, and finally in Colombia, South America, where he died in 1891.

His wife probably summoned up Wild best: "He was very heroic, he would not give up, he had a very strong will and proved it all his life." Sometimes that "strong will" got him in a lot of trouble and prevented him from seeing how his actions might be misconstrued or outright wrong. But it also made him a hero to his black troops, who saw a man willing to fight for his convictions and their rights.

Casstevens presents a thoroughly researched and detailed account of her subject's life (though 90% of the book deals only with his Civil War years). The information is presented in bullet fashion: short subsections within each chapter dealing with specific events or incidents. Style is not a concern with Casstevens, only presenting the facts in a clear, straightforward manner. In that she succeeds well. The notes, bibliography, and index are excellent; the book is definitely designed for the researcher in mind.