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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Failed attempt to capture the essence of General Milroy,
By A Customer
This review is from: Gateway to Gettysburg: The Second Battle of Winchester (Hardcover)
Even though Winchester, Virginia, was strategically located in teh Lower Shenandoah Valley and was the key for control of the Valley, little scholarship has been devoted to the topic. Most work on Winchester and its battles comes from its connections with Stonewall Jackson's 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Therefore, when Larry B. Maier's book Gateway to Gettysburg: The Second Battle of Winchester was advertised it was an anticipated piece of scholarship that would help to bolster the already scant historiography. Even though this book had many great expectations among scholars of the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley it does not live up to those expectations for a myraid of reasons.Before this review points out the faults of the book it must be noted that there are no glarin problems with the history of the Second Battle of Winchester. There are, however, numerous problems with the biographical information about General Robert H. Milroy and his occupation of Winchester, Virginia. There are numerous instances of historical inaccuracies within the pages of this book, but only several will be provided for the purposes of this review. First, the author attenpts in the beginning to lay out the biographical background of Milroy prior to the Civil War. The author notes that very few records exist about the service of Captain Milroy during the Mexican War, but that he and his men performed their duties ably. This is a problematic conclusion, since evidence does exist to paint a picture of the service of MIlroy and his "Wasbash Invincibles" (The author never uses the nickname of the company he commanded). Through several sources such as Indiana in the Mexican War and a small, but useful collection of Milroy's Mexican War letters from the Indiana Magazine of History and an article written on Milroy that appeared in the Indiana Magazine of History reveal that Milroy did not see any service, except for on one occassion when several men of his command were ambushed and killed. Milroy was disgusted with his service during the Mexican War becasue he did not see any action, and thusly was unable to attain heroic eminence. Concerning Milroy's occupation of Wincehster the author notes that it was not really harsh and that there is no substantial evidence to back up this claim. The author paints a false picture of Milroy's occupation! Enough evidence exists, via Milroy's correspondence, civilians' diaries, and records at the National Archives to demonstrate that Milroy played the tyrant. The author's claims that not much property was damaged is unfounded and his claim that Milroy never performed any atrocities is ludicrous. Exiling women of all ages, arresting women and children, starving those who did not accept the oath of allegiance, etc. Compared with other Federal commanders in the Valley, his acts were unparalleled. In fact Milroy was much harsher in his treatment of the population of Winchester than was General Benjamin F. "Beast" Butler during his 1862 occupation of New Orleans. Milroy does claim in his correspondence to his wfie that many of the civilian population of Winchester stated that no other commander in Winchester had ever maintained so much order and that the civilians appreciated the order he provided. The diaries of the civilians of Winchester reveal that this is not at all how they felt toward the "Gray Eagle". As a matter of fact, Milroy was so despised, that when he came to Winchester in October 1868 to do some politiciking he was jeered at while speaking on the steps of the Court House. He was the only former Federal soldier to be treated with contempt in Winchester's post-war years. Another glaring problem with the book, in its early pages, is the the date for the Battle of McDowell. June 8, is used at one point. That date is off by one month. Perhaps, however, this was an editorial mistake. Several of the problems with the text having been discussed I wish to shift my attention to the author's source material. The Handley Library in Winchester, Virginia, has a rich collection of diaries, letters, memoirs, and journals, yet the author used only one diary from that collection--Mrs. Mary Lee. What about Kate Sperry, Julia Chase, Gettie Miller, Portia Baldwin Baker and Treadwell Smith? Even though the author used Margaretta Barton Colt's Defend the Valley, he failed to use a host of other published primary sources such as the diary of Cornelia McDonald or Emma Cassandra Reilly Macon. Other sources would have revealed more about Milroy's actions such as collections at the National Archives and Library of Virginia. While the information on Milroy is not as abundant as source material on U.S. Grant or Robert E. Lee, there is a substantial body of primary material that the author could have examined to make better conclusions. Overall the book has many problems. Readers should beware of his treatment of General Milroy!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Needs More Primary Source Material,
By
This review is from: Gateway to Gettysburg: The Second Battle of Winchester (Hardcover)
I was quite excited to receive this work in my mailbox. A good friend of mine and fellow Civil War buff, Dean Wells used to sit up late at college and often talk about Winchester and the various attacks and strategies that took place. Dean even went on to write an article that was used in this work thus I truly wanted to take the time to go over this material in the proper fashion.The opening pages give rise to a wonderful description of Winchester and its importance to the Shenandoah Valley. The description of railroads and terrain give the reader an ideal look into the prominence this area was to play not just at this time but during the entire civil war. The map included on page 4 gives the reader a nice look into the Lower Shenandoah Valley including as far north as Hancock, Md. and as far south as Edinburg, Va. I would suggest that novices to this battle continually refer back to this map so they can get a better feel for the massive amount of terrain that was covered before and after this battle. As for the next chapter about Robert H. Milroy, I've seen and read better accounts of his pre-military life as well as his subsequent life in the military. I would have to agree with other authors in that Milroy had a lack luster career during the Mexican War and he was disgusted by his own lack of action. As for the chapter on his occupation of Winchester I have a hard time believing Mr. Maier's facts on Milroy's ease of "governing" Winchester. The author's opinion certainly differs greatly from many of the noted authors who spoke at the civil war seminars I've recently attended this past year. I just wish there was more primary source material listed in the bibliography to back up the authors findings. In going over the material presented I feel that many diaries were left out. Those of Kate Sperry, Julia Chase, and Portia Baldwin Baker to name a few, were not even mentioned. As for the property damage, I myself have visited the area and know first hand that there was a severe amount of property damage, so where the authors claim originated I have no idea. Also, if Milroy was so well liked why was he later jeered when he returned after the war on a more political agenda? Another error noted early on is that the battle of McDowell took place over a one month period of time. On page 25 the battle starts out in May and then moves into June on page 27. If that's the case then this battle would be longer than history has documented. Either the author clearly mixed up dates or the editor perhaps missed June for May in the final editorial draft. All in all this work may be suited for those that have a good working knowledge of the battle but it's definitely not recommended as the sole source for any reader on the second battle of Winchester.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Huh? This is an excellent book!,
This review is from: Gateway to Gettysburg: The Second Battle of Winchester (Hardcover)
After reading the two other reviews, I had to make sure we were talking about the same book. Despite the assertions of the other writers, I found this to be a great book! It's not just about Milroy or the citizens of Winchester, it's about the battles that occurred here during June, 1863, during the Gettysburg Campaign. I think Mr. Maier did a great job of clearly explaining the strategies and tactics used. After reading the book, I had a much better understanding of the Second Battle of Winchester and the Battle of Stephenson's Depot. The maps really are excellent and help the reader understand the nuiances of the battles.
Quite frankly, there are no other books on the market that cover these actions nearly as well as Maier's. I refer to it often in my own writing and think it belongs on everyone's shelf.
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