General William Averell's Salem Raid: Breaking the Knoxville Supply Line [Hardcover]

Darrell L. Collins (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 174 pages
• Publisher: Burd Street Pr (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572491116
• ISBN-13: 978-1572491113
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #698,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well told tale of a little known Civil War episode., September 17, 1999

By 

James H. Kurtz ([e-mail]) (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: General William Averell's Salem Raid: Breaking the Knoxville Supply Line (Hardcover)

I ordered this book hoping to learn more about my great-grandfather's regiment, which served under Averell in the Army of West Virginia. The excellent Order of Battle appendix told me right away that the 8th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry hadn't joined Averell's command by the time of this December 1863 raid, but that was my only disappointment. This is an easy reading, well documented story of a little known episode that shocked the Confederacy. More important, it is a gripping tale of men succeeding against the elements, and against overwhelming odds. Averell and his small brigade "marched, climbed, slid and swum" 355 miles through enemy held territory in the dead of winter, going without food and sleep, climbing mountains and crossing rivers, avoiding Confederates sent to intercept them, and striking the depot at Salem (today a suburb of Roanoke, Virginia) to threaten the lines of communication between Richmond and Knoxville. The book documents the extraordinary leadership and tenacity of Brigadier General William Averell, but it also highlights the streak of hesitancy that eventually caused Phil Sheridan to sack him during the Shenandoah Valley campaign of 1864 (in which my great-grandfather's regiment did take part). Abundant photographs and simple, readable maps complement the text and help bring the characters and the story to life. A truly good book, highly recommended for descendents of the Gray as well as the Blue, and for anyone else interested in the Civil War.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I felt like I was there, January 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: General William Averell's Salem Raid: Breaking the Knoxville Supply Line (Hardcover)

I wanted to read this book because of the family connection I have with it. My gg-grandfather was a member of the West Virginia 8th Mounted Infantry. As I read the book I realized I couldn't put it down. As Averell rushed to escape to the North, his decision to burn the Island Ford Bridge, my heart began to sink. For I now know what my gg-grandfather must have felt like to know that he was part of the rear guard that was left behind on the wrong side of the river. If you want interesting reading of a little known event in the history of the Civil War, then this book is for you.