The Mutinous Regiment: The Thirty-third New Jersey In The Civil War [Hardcover]

John G. Zinn (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 078642141X | ISBN-13: 978-0786421411 | Publication Date: November 1, 2005

This treasure-trove of information about a single Union regiment fills a gap in the history of New Jersey. It details the regiment’s formation in the midst of the draft riots of 1863 and its three major campaigns under General Sherman in 1864 and 1865. Based on original source material, much of it previously unexplored, the book vividly describes the experiences of the soldiers in a regiment that lost 25 percent of its recruits to desertion even before leaving New Jersey, and then effectively walked from Chattanooga to Washington, D.C., by way of Atlanta and Savannah. Five campaign maps and almost 70 photographs are supplemented by an appendix containing the rosters of all ten companies that made up the 33rd New Jersey. Notes, a bibliography, and an index complete the work.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John G. Zinn is the chief financial officer of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark as well as the chairman of the board of The New Jersey Historical Society. He lives in Verona, New Jersey.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 286 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078642141X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786421411
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,074,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Like going on a pilgrimage, December 26, 2007

By 

R. Cowell (Round Hill, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mutinous Regiment: The Thirty-third New Jersey In The Civil War (Hardcover)

I purchased this book because two of my ancestors were volunteers in the Thirty-Third. The book is well researched, highly detailed and provides an interesting glimpse into the experience of Civil War soldiers. However, it is long on verbiage and would have benefited from more illustrations to help explain troop positions and movement in battle. I would recommend it to someone like myself, who has a family connection to the Thirty-Third. Reading the book is like going on a pilgrimage.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Since this is a modern regimental....", July 23, 2006

By 

Sherman Peabody "Sherm" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mutinous Regiment: The Thirty-third New Jersey In The Civil War (Hardcover)

John Zinn has produced a readable and useful history of a New Jersey regiment that was raised during the 1863 draft riots, was sent to the front under guard, served in the Eleventh and Twentieth Corps in Sherman's army, and marched to the sea. The title refers to one quarter of the men deserting the unit, mostly while the regiment was being organized in New Jersey. State and local bounties being paid in full led to a rash of bounty jumpers and the 33rd suffered greatly from them. However, Zinn would rather deal with the men who served, rather than those who deserted, and so focuses on the unit's military career: Missionary Ridge, the Atlanta Campaign (the 33rd suffered the highest casualties of any Federal unit at the Battle of Peach Tree Creek), and the March to the Sea and the Carolinas. Zinn generally writes well and has discovered a trove of letters and diaries to flesh out his text. There are campaign maps, but no battle maps. The text is liberally illustrated with clear photos of the officers and some enlisted men. The 33rd started as a Zouave unit with a unique uniform that was worn through the Atlanta Campaign. He does not include any post-war biographical information and I was left asking what happened to his major characters. His notable manner of writing is to begin too many of his sentences with "Since...." Since this happens in most paragraphs, it is very distracting. Since no editor caught this mannerism, perhaps the reader could turn it into a drinking game: drink a sip of your favorite libation each time you read it. You wouldn't get very far. Overall, though, this is a fine book about an interesting unit and Zinn should be commended for its publication.