Lafayette of the South: Prince Camille de Polignac and the American Civil War (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) [Hardcover]

Jeff Kinard (Author)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeff Kinard received an M.F.A in art from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and an M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Texas Christian University. He published numerous articles on military history, as well as The Battle of the Crater; a Military History Book Club selection.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: TAMU Press; 1st edition (February 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585441031
• ISBN-13: 978-1585441037
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,121,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Read, March 15, 2010

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W. Rome - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lafayette of the South: Prince Camille de Polignac and the American Civil War (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) (Hardcover)

Excellent, well documented and entertaining read, with the exception of one passage in which the author becomes confused and seems to buy into revisionist history that the war was fought to free slaves. How simplistic! He refers to the high standards of the southern soldier with the exception to the cause they were fighting for...slavery. Any one who truly researches the political climate and opinions of the south at the time and in fact the north also, well understands how wrong that opinion is. However, as long as he sticks to the military aspects of the war, it is an excellent book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very fun, and scholarly too, August 18, 2009

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David W. Nicholas (Van Nuys, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lafayette of the South: Prince Camille de Polignac and the American Civil War (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) (Hardcover)

One of my favorite characters from the Civil War era is the Confederate general who was a French Prince, Camille de Polignac. Polignac served primarily in the trans-Mississippi department, so he's relatively obscure. For Civil War buffs, however, the story of the "Polecat" (as his soldiers called him; it's Texan for "skunk") and his tempestuous relationship with the Texans he commanded is one of the minor legends of the Civil War. This book fills in the blanks, rounding out the story of Polignac and how he became a general in the Confederate army.

Jeff Kinard is a good historian, and he keeps the narrative of Polignac's life going pretty well. Though the book is relatively short (about 180 pages of text) the author presents a considerable amount of information about Polignac that I didn't know prior to reading the book. For instance, he was French and raised in France, but he already spoke English when he arrived, because his mother was English. As the Civil War started, Polignac swiftly made friends with P.G.T. Beauregard, and also Judah P. Benjamin. Both men were from Louisiana, but since Benjamin was aligned with Confederate President Jefferson Davis, who in turn hated Beauregard, Polignac had to navigate pretty dangerous waters to avoid insulting the one man or the other, while maintaining friendly relations with both.

Appointed Lieutenant Colonel in the Confederate service, Polignac spent about two years languishing mostly in staff positions. He once commanded a regiment in a single small battle, but was immediately after transferred back to staff duties. He chafed at the desk work and eventually wrangled for himself a promotion to Brigadier General, and an appointment to the Trans-Mississippi department, where he would be assigned a command. After some hesitation, he was appointed commander of a brigade of Texans by General Richard Taylor, the commander of the local forces. Under Taylor's command, Polignac's brigade fought through the Red River campaign, fighting three pretty harsh battles with Union General Nathaniel Banks' forces, and Admiral David D. Porter's gunboat fleet. In the first of these battles, Polignac's division commander, Alfred Mouton, was killed, and Polignac replaced him. He led the division in the next two battles, and for some time after.

In early 1865 Polignac was sent to France by his department commander, General E. Kirby Smith. The mission was futile, and the Confederacy surrendered before he could return. He never set foot in America again, though he lived a long life. He also served with distinction in the Franco-Prussian War, his forces remaining together long after most of the rest of the French army had disintegrated.

I really enjoyed this book, and I found this book quite interesting, informative, and entertaining. Highly recommended for Civil War buffs.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU ENJOY CIVIL WAR BIOGRAPHIES "READ THIS"!, May 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Lafayette of the South: Prince Camille de Polignac and the American Civil War (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) (Hardcover)

This is one of the most well written Bio's i have ever read! it kept me riveted to my hammock! I would highly recommend it!!