Customer Reviews

Southwest Virginia in the Civil War; the battles for Saltville.

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Marvell does an excellent job writing of this small but critical battle for Saltville located in western Virginia. The salt works here supplied the confederacy with much needed salt for preserving food as well as a dietary supplement. This was during a desperate time in late 1864 and the book actually covers several battles in the campaign such as Cloyds Mountain outside of Dublin (Crook versus Jenkins). The climax of the book is Stoneman's raid on Satlville and Breckenridge's rushed efforts to concentrate and repel the Union raiders who were intent on destroying the salt works and neighboring lead works.
As Marvel points out the efforts of the Confederates were desperate and results in loss but the damage to Saltville was tardy for any long range effect by the Union. The dark side pf the book is an appropriate analysis of the mistreatment of wounded black cavalry soildiers that were left behind. Marvel provides an interesting discussion on whether it was a massacre or obvious mistreatment. A side that many historians do not cover but certianly appropriate to give this sad event full coverage. Stoneman today is still considered a scurge among the people of the southwest Virginia as Sheridan is in the valley or Sherman in Georgia or Columbia.