Customer Reviews

Major General Isaac Ridgeway Trimble: Biography Of A Baltimore Confederate

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Almost 60 years old when the Civil War began, Isaac Trimble was still a major force as a Confederate commander, participating in a number of campaigns in the eastern theatre, being severely wounded twice, and becoming a favorite of Stonewall Jackson's. Tucker's biography is scholarly and academic, which might discourage some readers; but I didn't find it numbingly so.

Trimble was born in 1802 in Pennsylvania. A West Point graduate, he served in the army until 1832, when he resigned to become superintendent of a number of East Coast railroads. Siding with the South at the outbreak of the war, he destroyed railroad bridges around Baltimore. He saw action at Winchester and Cross Keys during Jackson's Valley campaign, and was wounded severely at Second Bull Run. He recuperated in time to participate in the Gettysburg campaign, leading forces up the Cumberland Valley (this account by Tucker interested me the most). He lost a leg at Gettysburg and was captured; he remained a prisoner of war until 1865. After the war he was an engineer in Baltimore and died in 1888.

Tucker's biography is not written for a general audience; the book's very few illustrations might be the biggest clue to this fact. Tucker's style is also rudimentary. His annotations are excellent, however, and as I said earlier I didn't find his scholarly approach to be overwhelming. The biography is informative and straightforward, and not particularly stylistic. Civil War buffs will find much to appreciate here.

General Trimble merits a biography. He's a fascinating man. The author's efforts though reads more like a thesis written to submit both to the history and psychology departments rather than a biography meant for the reading public. I would've enjoyed more personal anecdotes relating to the General and would've liked to have see the constant references to Maslow's hierarchy of needs jettisoned completely. It seemed like an artificial appendage added to the book, and its insertion ranged from distracting to downright annoying. It made for a dull, pedantic read.

This is way more interesting than most history books. It's great for research or just a good read. Highly recommended.