Like a Meteor Blazing Brightly: The Short but Controversial Life of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren [Hardcover]

Eric J. Wittenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2009

The only biography on Ulric Dahlgren, a brilliant, ambitious young man who became the youngest full colonel in the United States Army at the age of 21 yet died before his 22nd birthday, this account chronicles his full life story. Offering evidence of Dahlgren’s ties to Abraham Lincoln, this extensively researched record addresses the theory that Lincoln authorized the kidnapping and assassination of the entire Confederate cabinet, including President Jefferson Davis. Looking at the notorious Dahlgren Affair within the context of Dahlgren’s entire life, this examination provides insight into a unique individual’s past as well as an unclear incidence in American history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"By unearthing new sources and re-examining old ones, biographer Wittenberg offers a new and clearer definition of this complex character."  —Stephen Sears, civil war historian and author, Gettysburg

About the Author

Eric J. Wittenberg is an attorney and a Civil War historian who has contributed to America's Civil War, Blue & Gray, and North & South. He is the coauthor of One Continuous Fight and Plenty of Blame to Go Around and the author of Glory Enough for All, Protecting the Flank, and The Union Cavalry Comes of Age. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Edinborough Press (August 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889020338
• ISBN-13: 978-1889020334
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,338,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eric J. Wittenberg is an award-winning Civil War historian. A native of southeastern Pennsylvania, Wittenberg focuses on Civil War cavalry operations. He is the author of more than 15 published books. He was educated at Dickinson College and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and is a practicing attorney (someday, he might even get it right and get to stop practicing!). Wittenberg is a member of the Governor of Ohio's Advisory Commission on the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, and also serves as the vice president of the Buffington Island Battlefield Preservation Foundation. He, his wife Susan, and their two silly golden retrievers live in Columbus, Ohio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Small time, but in that small greatly lived This star...", October 19, 2009

By 

James Schmidt (The Woodlands, TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Like a Meteor Blazing Brightly: The Short but Controversial Life of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren (Hardcover)

"Small time, but in that small greatly lived This star of England" Shakespeare wrote in his Epilogue of Henry V. The same can be said of Col. Ulric Dahlgren, the subject of Eric Wittenberg's most recent book, "Like a Meteor Blazing Brightly."

First, as a disclaimer, I'd suggest that it is hard for many people to provide a completely unbiased review of one of Eric Wittenberg's books in that there are many people who have benefited from his advice and scholarship...I happily count myself among that group, having received generous amounts of both. But I'll do my best.

Eric Wittenberg's "Like a Meteor..." is a tremendous story of natural qualities of daring, leadership, acumen, and other admirable qualities in a very young man: Ulric Dahlgren. He ably charts Dahlgren's life from restless youth to purpose as soldier in defense of the Union during the Civil War. He also describes the unprecedented access that Dahlgren had to the highest levels of political and military power in the country. The narrative drives towards the climax of Dahlgren's death on a raid into Richmond and the subsequent controversy surrounding papers found on his body. It may be that the casual Civil War enthusiast is not already aware of the so-called Kilptarick-Dahlgren raid, but once they are, they'll be compelled to learn more about this interesting story written by Eric Wittenberg and backed by very good research.

Some high points:

1) A good part of Dahlgren's early career as a soldier was under the command of Major General Franz Sigel. Sigel is often derided in the Civil War literature, but I find that Wittenberg treats him quite fairly.

2) The Gettysburg chapter - and Dahlgren's thrilling exploits in the campaign - are worth the price of the book. Wittenberg explains very well the importance of critical enemy intelligence that Dahlgren had a part in securing.

3) The Dahlgren Raid, of course, is well-covered. The loss and recovery of Dahlgren's body is an amazing story and is told very well by Wittenberg.

4) As if the Gettysburg chapter wasn't enough, Wittenberg "closes the deal" by providing a very honest assessment of Dahlgren's achievements, faults, vices, admirable qualities, lost promise, and more in the final chapter.

5) Excerpts from the letters and diaries of the younger and elder Dahlgren's are used to great effect throughout the book.

I have only a few critical comments, though they do not detract from my overall positive assessment of the book and a recommendation to read it:

1) I wish he would have developed a bit more the mistakes in Dahlgren's Fredericksburg Campaign exploits; he hints at them, it seems, but doesn't really develop a case for how detrimental they were.

2) I was somewhat put off by Wittenberg's quoting often from a sermon and memoir written by Dahlgren's minister and father after the death of the young hero as they are by definition hagiographic and biased; that said, it's important to note that both Rev. Sunderland, and of course the elder Dahlgren, had been acquainted with "Ully" since his birth, and when they comment on his younger days, they compliment the text pretty well.

3) I wish the book had a closer touch of a copyeditor's hand...though not intrusive, the typos, etc., (esp. in the last chapters) could become distracting.

Nevertheless, this is a very fitting - and very honest - biography of an important personality and Mr. Wittenberg is to be congratulated.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best account of the Dahlgren Affair, October 17, 2009

By 

David Kelly - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Like a Meteor Blazing Brightly: The Short but Controversial Life of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren (Hardcover)

The Dahlgren Affair gets short shrift in the history of the Civil War cataclysm. The plot failed, and the guilty parties disavowed the scheme placing the onus on a poor young cavalry officer who died at the pointy edge of the plot.

President Lincoln was often guilty of bothering his military with impossible silly taskings. Trying to do something to relieve the plight of Union prisoners of war trapped in the South, whose disintegrating logistics made it that much more difficult to sustain prisoners, resulted in some silly scheming amongst cavalry adventurers for a raid on Richmond. Judson Kilpatrick, one of the norths more reprehensible excusses for a cavalrymen (so named "killcavalry" for the wreck he made of his own commands)went to Washington with a plot which won the endorsement of the President and the Secretary of war.

Kilpatrick recruited a young staff colonel to, Ulric Dahlgren, to lead the advanced brigade of the attack. Somewhere in the evolution of this plan humanitarian interests took second seat to a darker and ruthless plot to kill the CSA national command and sack the city of richmond. Papers found on the dead Colonel Dahlgren detailed the plot and caused angry exchanges between governments. It has even been suggested that the road leading to Lincolns assasination can be traced to the Dahlgren Affair.

Eric Wittenberg bio of Dahlgren draws out the character and development of a prestigious military family. The young Dahlgren is not a professional soldier but a romanticist caught up in the war and the ideology of his admired father who is a bulwark of the federal administration. The young up and coming Dahlgren makes bad choices in his infamous final campaign, tarnishing his judgement and reputation.

Wittenberg's judgement, that the plot was probably the creature of Killpatrick and Stanton is most probable based on the records of these two players.

Mr Wittenberg literary style may not be his greatest strength. He compensates with a ruthless pursuit of historical data which provides the greatest possible veracity to his case.

The Dahlgren Affair is the sort of thing people never tire of debating, so achieving a final solution isn't likely. Kudos to Eric Wittenberg for coming as close as historical fact will allow.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Biography on the Controversial Ulric Dahlgren, July 1, 2010

By 

Michael K. Noirot "This Mighty Scourge" (St Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Like a Meteor Blazing Brightly: The Short but Controversial Life of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren (Hardcover)

I recently finished reading Eric J. Wittenberg's newest book, "Like a Meteor Blazing Brightly: The Short But Controversial Life of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren." I first became aware of Eric's excellent books when I read the books he published with J. David Petruzzi and Michael Nugent, "Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg" and "One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia." Since then, I have many of the books he has published. They are all quite good, so when Eric let me know his newest book was available, I was excited to get a copy to review.

Eric's new book is a real page turner. I spent a couple of late nights reading "Like a Meteor Blazing Brightly," as I just could not put it down. Like most Civil War enthusiasts, I had read briefly about the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid in other narratives. It was a fascinating event during the Civil War, but something that has not been written about extensively. Wittenberg's book analyzes the raid extensively, but it is much more - it is the only biography written on the life of Ulric Dahlgren. "Ully" was the son of Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren, who is considered the "father of American naval ordinance."

Wittenberg's excellent research and well written prose make the story of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren, and the controversy of the "Dahlgren Papers" jump off the page with fantastic imagery. Fast paced and easy to read it is both a biography and a short battle history of the engagements that Ulric fought in. I recommend this book to all Civil War scholars and students as it provides a "looking-glass" into the life of an intriguing Union soldier that has been overlooked by historians for nearly 15 decades.

I was able to interview Mr. Wittenberg for my blog, ThisMightyScourge [dot] com. To access the interview, and my complete review of "Like a Meteor Blazing Brightly," go to my blog and click on the "interview" category in the right menu.

Michael Noirot
This Mighty Scourge blog
Saint Louis, Missouri
July 1, 2010