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The Last Confederate General: John C. Vaughn and His East Tennessee Cavalry

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I have read a lot of Civil War Histories, but The Last Confederate General provides a different perspective. First, it is well researched and well written. (OK, that is not a different perspective.) Second, it looks at a leader who never made it into our history books until Larry Gordon decided to write about Brigadier General John Vaughn. Most Civil War histories ignore Vaughn and concentrate on Grant, Lee, Jackson, McClellan and the others we all know. The role of the second level leaders like Vaughn is easy to overlook these days, but back in the 1860s with poor intelligence and poor communications, the ability of all officers to lead their troops was probably more important than today. While the top leaders in war or business are important, having competent second level leaders is necessary. I wish Gordan had explored that more.

Some have said that Vaughn was basically an incompetent, but Gordon shows him to be a better--but flawed leader than that simple assessment. Vaughn was a great example of someone who was elected colonel by the volunteers that he recruited. He led them well and was promoted over his head to the rank of brigadier general. Vaughn had no training as an officer, but he made the best of what he knew. He never learned how to command a brigade effectively...how to get ammunition, food, transportation, strategy, tactics, and those other details that can win the battle. Gordon tells the story of the various battles that Vaughn was with and makes them very interesting.

The Last Confederate General brings out the atmosphere in a border state. There was no law and order. Union and Confederate supporters tried to burn down each others homes. Civilians were physically attacked for their political beliefs. Vaughn's family was arrested by the Union and sent to prison for their/his support of the Confederacy. I wish Gordon had explored the conditions back home more.

Another interesting question that Gordon could have explored more is how generals learn their craft. Vaughn never went to West Point. Maybe if he had like Lee and many of the other successful leaders on both sides, he would have been able to succeed, but for many of us learning by doing makes it difficult to expand on the lessons that we should have learned. Of course many incompetent generals in the Civil War went to West Point (and more recently).

So Vaughn was an example of the Peter Principle: someone who was good as a colonel, and was promoted over his head.

I've just finished reading Mr. Gordon's book "The Last Confederate General" and found it to be very well written. Mr. Gordon covers General Vaughn's prewar life in East Tennessee to his service during the Mexican War. During the Civil War, the reader follows Vaughn as he recruits troops for his regiment, later to be designated the 3rd TN Infantry. During the Battle of First Manassas, Vaughn and his regiment distinguished themselves very well, and from that point, we follow Vaughn as he is promoted to brigadier general, and commands a brigade in Mississippi during the Vicksburg Campaign.

After the Vicksburg surrender, and when Vaughn and his brigade is paroled, he mounts his brigade and serves in East Tennessee fighting lawless bushwhackers, and Federal troops in the area. Late in the war, part of Vaughn's brigade serves in Virginia and later returns to East Tennessee. After the fall of Richmond, and Lee's surrender, General Vaughn escorts Jefferson Davis as he attempts to flee Federal authorities.

After the war, Vaughn settles in Thomaston, Georgia where he eventually remarries after the death of his first wife. He briefly returns to East Tennessee to serve in the state legislature, but prior to his death returns to Thomaston. In my opinion, this is a very well written book.

I have just finished reading "The Last Confederate General" by Larry Gordon. Before writing this review, I looked for reviews that others had written about Gordon's work. The only review that I found was by Charles B. Sabin. I will not go into the intricate depths of the book, as did Sabin, for I do not possess his eloquence, or his apparent knowledge of military history. I suggest that you read his review for a thoroughly factual appraisal of Gordon's work from a military historian's point of view.

Larry Gordon's opus is as thrilling to me, a military historian "want-to-be", as the many Shaara' works that I have read. But Gordon's tome is totally factual, not laced with smatterings of what I perceive to be author's prerogative, as are much of the Shaara books. While most of my interest in military history has involved World War II and also the battles for Texas Independence, I have also read a great deal about the War Between the States. However, my interest in the War Between the States had previously only followed the major battles, and the notable Generals that fought them. Having early in my military career visited Gettysburg and Antietam (later in life to Appomattox and Manassas); my interests were based around the battles fought in these geographic areas. Until Gordon's book, I gave little thought to East Tennessee, and do not recall previously reading about John Crawford Vaughn.

One of the things that the book's jacket describes about Larry Gordon is that "he has long been a park volunteer at Manassas National Battlefield." I have been on a tour of Manassas Battlefield with Gordon as my guide. His narration of the battles at Manassas (First and Second) gives you the feeling that you are there at the time of the conflicts. You can readily visualize CSA Brigadier General Bernard Bee rallying his troops by pointing toward General Thomas J. Jackson, and saying, "There stands Jackson like a stonewall!" My interaction with Gordon, and his in-depth knowledge of the Manassas battles piqued my interest to purchase and read "The Last Confederate General: John C. Vaughn and His East Tennessee Cavalry". I was not disappointed.

Kudos to Larry Gordon for writing a very well researched and finely presented piece of military history. I especially appreciated the interweaving of Vaughn's personal life with his military prowess ... or lack thereof.

In 1990 Ken Burns opened his 11 hour PBS documentary, "The Civil War," with the tale of Wilmer McClean, on whose farm in July of 1861 the newly formed Union and Confederate armies converged in the first major battle of the Civil War, Bull Run. Afterwards, McClean moved his family out of harms way, to the small cross roads town of Appomattox Courthouse, southwest of Richmond, and there, in his living room, three and a half years later, Lee surrendered to Grant, "and Wilmer McClean could rightfully say, `The war began in my front yard, and ended in my front parlor."

Though it is hard to find a person whose story better arcs the full four, battle bloodied years of the American Civil War, author Larry Gordon has found just such a person in Brigadier General John Crawford Vaughn of the Confederacy.

In his book, "The Last Confederate General: John C. Vaughn and his East Tennessee Cavalry," Beginning with his ancestry and early life, Mr. Gordon's linear narrative follows this all but forgotten east Tennessean's life from the Mexican War and the Civil War to his death.

What makes the story of John C. Vaughn fascinating is that he seems to have been, at least from a historian's perspective, at the right place at the right time, for some of the most crucial events of the Civil War. Tennessee's secession from the United States was ratified by the voters of the state on June 8, 1861, making it the last state to leave the Union. But even before the state's separation Vaughn and recruited and organized the 3rd Tennessee Infantry and was elected as its Colonel. The regiment then boarded a train bound for Manassas, Virginia and the First Battle of Bull Run, in what would be the first use of a railroad to move troops to a battlefield.

East Tennessee, known for its pro-Unionist sentiment during the war, was much like any of the other Border States. Mr. Gordon does an admirable job of painting a picture of a society where distrust lay everywhere; neighbor turned on neighbor, and where often there was localized violence. The Vaughn family, an island of secessionist in a sea of unionists, became themselves, pawns in the chess game of war. Vaughn's, father, wife and family were arrested and taken north to prison.

Promoted to the rank of Brigadier General after the Battle of Lexington, Kentucky, Vaughn & his East Tennesseans were sent to Mississippi, where they made an unsuccessful attempt to block Grant's westerly march at Big Black River Bridge, and retreated into the defenses of Vicksburg. After a forty-seven day siege Vicksburg was surrendered and Vaughn and his troopers paroled.

Later Vaughn & his command returned to the Eastern Theater and were a part of General Grumble Jones' forces that were routed at Piedmont. Controversy has for years swirled around Vaughn's action in this battle, and frequently Vaughn has been blamed for the Confederate defeat. Mr. Gordon does an exemplary job in demonstrating that Vaughn was in no way to blame for the loss.

Being a part of Jubal Early's Corps, Vaughn's brigade also took part in Early's raid on Washington, D.C., and even after Lee surrendered to Grant, Vaughn & his troops continued to serve the Confederacy as an escort to its fleeing president, Jefferson Davis. Vaughn left Davis shortly before his capture and was the last Confederate general in the field. He surrendered his troops a month after Lee's capitulation.

Mr. Gordon ends his narrative with a brief summary of John C. Vaughn's life and political career after the war until his death in 1875.

With but a limited cache of Vaughn's personal writings, Gordon does an admirable job of piecing together the life of John C. Vaughn, and giving us a sense of who the man was. Mr. Gordon's is a narrative well researched, and written in an easy manner. He has done well to bring to light the story of the Last Confederate General that might have otherwise been left to the dustbin of our history.

Wilmer McClean may have claimed that the war started in front yard and ended in his front parlor, but John C. Vaughn experienced the war in all of its horrors from the Confederacy's birth and first cry of victory at Bull Run to its last gasp of breath at its death.

This was a very unique read from several angles and the ways it hits you, from first impression to the final page it is also unique. First I was drawn to the book by its simple and elegant cover, but upon opening it up for a glance the small type, a lot of pages and maps, it made me wonder what I was getting into.

I started the book and was surprised that I was engrossed enough not to have noticed three hours had elapse. I for one want and like stories that flow and while I am a historian, in my pleasure reading I do not want a ton of statistics thrown at me. It is supposed to be fun right?

Larry Gordon seemed to have nailed both recreational reading and historically accurate statistics in one read. For me the story flowed well and I found I could keep the story and go back later to get the statistics. It was written so that the main story was not broken or bogged down with the later. It was very simple to navigate and with the titles and topics clearly defined it was unbelievably easy to go back and study the material from an educational stand point.

The book drew me in because not only was it a fascinating story of courage, determination and self worth, but it spoke of dignity , sacrifice, love and hope as well. It tells the personal story of someone who we all aspire to be in terms of standing for what we believe and have the convictions to carry on even when it is not the popular choice.

From John C. Vaughn's ideas of adventure when young, to his actual adventures in Mexico and California the story does not disappoint. You can see the transformation yourself in this story as the youth turns to adulthood and a very hard and rough time during combat and banishment in the later years.

Truly the Forest Gump of the Civil War John C. Vaughn was indeed everywhere and had a hand it seems in almost everything. "The Last Confederate General: John C. Vaughn and his East Tennessee Cavalry" is a fine read for anyone: Action, adventure, love, drama, war and perseverance. What more can you ask for in a book. Five stars for Larry Gordon for a job well done.

Craig Anderson
Our History Project
www.ourhistoryproject.com

"The Last Confederate General" completely encapsulates the life and times of Brig. General John Crawford Vaughn. This is the first time I've read up on the Civil War since my A.P. history class in high school and I couldn't have been more pleased. I don't do recreational reading every day but this was one I couldn't miss.
Author Larry Gordon takes the reader through some of the major battles and skirmishes of "The War Between The States" and brings it down to a human level. It's remarkable the challenges and setbacks Vaughn faced as a leader and family man. I never knew that he was the only military leader during the Civil War to have his family imprisoned by the North. I hope this book will bring Vaughn, despite his serious flaws, out of obscurity.
At times the book has a lot of technical details, with names and dates forcing the reader to really process the information, but it's well worth it. Vaughn is an East Tennessean you won't forget!
I hope you'll pick up a copy today. You won't be disappointed.

The Last Confederate General is the story of an all but unknown East Tennessean who musters a brigade of Appalachian horse soldiers to follow him into the bloody war that would change the entire construct and direction of a nation.

The author, Larry Gordon, provides a concise overlay of Brigadier General John C. Vaughn's lineage and early life and education in very rural Tennessee. Gordon closely follows the early military exploits of Captain Vaughn and his East Tennessee soldiers to Vera Cruz and their late arrival into the War with Mexico. John Vaughn's attraction to the excitement and adventure of military life remained with him as he married and started a family, and continued building a career.

Even before Tennessee officially seceded from the Union in 1861, Vaughn had recruited and organized the 3rd Tennessee Infantry Regiment, and was elected its colonel. As Gordon clearly describes the scene at that time, Tennessee presented a rather complex dilemma for Vaughn and those living there. As one of the early states leaving the Union for the Confederate side, the population was not universally in support of the Southern cause. This was especially true for those in Vaughn's home region of Appalachian east Tennessee where Unionists were very active and politically dangerous. As the War starts, Gordon now carefully tracks Vaughn and his Tennessee Volunteers through the battles at New Creek and First Manassas; the Cumberland Gap and Lexington, Kentucky (where Vaughn was promoted to Brigadier General); Big Black River Bridge, then on to Vicksburg, Mississippi (their surrender and parole); and, back to East Tennessee. From there Vaughn's East Tennessee cavalry returned to the Shenandoah where they were part of General "Grumble" Jones' forces that were routed at Piedmont (the blame going to Vaughn). As part of Jubal Early's corps, Vaughn's exhausted and almost decimated brigade moved within rifle shot of the outskirts of Washington DC. They continued to fight courageously right up to their final attempt to escort CSA President Jefferson Davis to safety after Lee's surrender at Appomattox. Vaughn surrendered his forces in Augusta, South Carolina a month after Lee, which made him the last remaining Confederate general in the eastern theater.

For US Civil War experts and academics, Gordon provides a wealth of fresh research which will certainly prompt others to look more closely at the life and times of John C. Vaughn. The author's findings not only surface new information but realign some previously accepted "truths" that held Vaughn responsible for Confederate battlefield defeats. Gordon's detailed examination of field reports and known unit dispositions on the battlefield clearly concludes the contrary. For more casual Civil War buffs, the author provides an excellent and engaging story of an unusual "rebel with a cause" who, without formal military training, inspired and commanded his troops in battle as best he could. He falls short at times and is unduly blamed by others for events beyond his control, but he never yields. John C. Vaughn was a determined secessionist willing to give all he had to a cause he fully supported and played a significant role in the outcome of this struggle.

As a career army officer and military history reader, this reviewer thoroughly enjoyed The Last Confederate General. It is totally engaging, crisp in presentation, and appropriately detailed where explanations of strategy, battlefield tactics, and unit dispositions are needed to help the reader better understand the action. Gordon personalizes Vaughn's story when he describes the almost unbearable pressures Vaughn deals with as he fights battles outnumbered, outgunned, and minimally supplied, while plagued with constant worry about the safety of his wife and family who were living among union loyalists, spies, and un-tethered bush-whackers and uncontrolled guerrilla groups. They were, in fact, taken hostage twice during the hostilities which increased the distraction and added more weight to Vaughn's anxieties. According to the author, no other general officer's family, Union or Confederate, was taken and held hostage during the war.

The book is a great read and Gordon has done a superb job researching and clearly presenting a complex story of a very unique historical figure in a refreshing way.

The Last Confederate General is a wonderfully written and well organized book. I had the privilege to listen to Colonel (retired) Larry Gordon lecture on Confederate General Vaughn, and I had to get the book. A great subject, General John Vaughn is given a well rounded treatment in this book. Col Gordon reveals many things about Vaughn's character, the importance of how divided his home was (East Tennessee), and what bearing that had on him and his performance as a general in the various campaigns he participated. While Vaughn was obscure compared to many others, and did not have any particluar moments of great fame, he was participant in many great campaigns, and made an enormous contribution to Confederate operations in East Tennessee. As COL Gordon emphasizes; he was a man who never quit in the face of setbacks.

This book is richly researched, and has some of the BEST TACTICAL MAPS of any Civil War book, tailored exactly to tell this story. A great addition to the serious Civil War student's library.

An outstanding book that focuses on an individual rather than the tactics of the war. Vaughn may not have been a great general but he was a great individual. He perseveres at every obstacle. We now have insight into the dilemmas he faced with the incarceration of his family, his wife's poor health and the lack of unity and lawlessness in Eastern Tennessee. We see a man whose soul is with the Confederacy and what he lacks in soldierly skills he more than makes up for in tenacity and dedication. He was not a flamboyant leader but to the end he stood and fought for his men. Vaughn has been judged unfairly until now. In this book, the author lays out the facts and solidly debates the issues.

I am a relatively newbie when it comes to Civil War History. I spent my youth being dragged around to various civil war sites, but never really gained a large interest in the topic. I enjoy history, but with limited time and attention span, I must admit this is the first true Civil War book that I have read cover to cover. On a positive note, I do not expect this to be the last Civil War book that I read...

In fact, this well written, insightful, quick flowing book has piqued my interest. As I write this, I find myself daydreaming about other books that I might soon read to increase my knowledge. I'm pretty sure there is a Civil War for Dummies book that might help me out for starters.

So what's my point? My point is this book has something in it for everyone. It has all of the historical and ancestral information required to satisfy the appetites of your die-hard Civil war buff as well as carefully spelling out the basic details and strategies of the war to help out the newbies like myself. Mr. Gordon's style of writing is factual and smoothly flowing. He does not waste time with clever or fanciful prose to prove how smart he is. Instead he delivers his information in clever, concise, verbally pleasing sentences that are both easy to ready and tantalizing to the senses. His writing gives the reader the experience of almost being there (not that I want to be).

Ok.. on to the story. other reviews have described exactly what this book is about and why. Go read those reviews if you want that information. Other than what I have already mentioned, here's what I personally liked and disliked about this book:

Likes:
- Preface/Intro is superb. If you are able to just grab a copy and read a couple of these pages you will see what I mean. Read a couple pages and you will find yourself dying to jump into the book. If the intro does not grab your attention, then stop there.
- great description from the human point of view. Mr. Gordon has done an amazing amount of research (trust me I know). The sheer amount of historic content literally puts the readers in Mr. Vaughn's shoes.
- contains lots of interesting tidbits about the civil war that I was unaware of including, but not limited to, the following: descriptions of guerilla warfare; origins of some civil war lore songs; interesting facts/anecdotes on various other generals/leaders and their triumps/flaws; difference between conscripts and recruits (how many soldiers were "forced" to fight); bitter divides in Tennesse; honor amongst soliders concerning the wounded and exchange of prisoners;
- detailed explanation of Vicksburg including its importance to the war
- significan details and corrected histories on several battles that Vaughn participated in where he was improperly cited as a failure like Big Black River (prob better to be named as Pemberton's blunder) and Piedmont (or Grumble Jones' poor decision making)
- enhanced histories proving Vaughn's involvement with Jubal Early's incursion into Maryland as well as Vaughn's significant contributions to the success of the Chickasaw Bayou
- scattered strategies and topics related to strategical decisions made by key generals and leaders including Grant, Lee and Davis

Dislikes:
- the first 5 pages of the actual book were difficult to read. I believe this section was to satify the history buffs who demand ancestral clarification or something. All I know is these first handful of pages were quite dull... unlike the rest of the book.
- lack of maps... I would've liked to see more maps earlier in the book. Not being an expert on the war, I found myself paging around the book to look at maps when battles were cited. (Side Note: my inside info told me that the maps had to be developed by a cartographer at significant cost, thus the number of maps were limited)
- no description of what made up a brigade vs regiment vs division vs corps. being a newbie, I had to look this up. Of course, most people prob already know the differences.

All in all, the book was a sheer delight. Mr. Gordon has written an insightful, impressive, inspiring, interesting while impartially fair account of Mr. Vaughn's life. It leaves no stone unturned and shares all of Mr. Vaughn's triumphs and failures.

I hope Mr. Gordon can locate some other key, but lesser known, generals/leaders and enlighten us all on their unsung role(s) in the war. Please write another book...I will be the first to read it.

Side Note: I am the second (and favorite) son of Mr. Gordon. However, I stand by what I have just written and truly and sincerely believe that everyone will enjoy this book.