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That Body of Brave Men: The U.S. Regular Infantry and The Civil War In The West

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While the Regulars made up appoximately 3% of the total forces in the Civil War they are rarely mentioned in Civil War literature and when they are the information is usually sketchy or erroneous. This book not only brings light to a story that has remained hidden for 138 years, but it also explains why the fascinating story of the Western Regulars was never been told before. This book will appeal to any Civil War reader interested in the Western Theater, the Regular Army, or the cultural conflicts between the Regulars and Voluteers and how they continued to cast shadows over the truth for over a century.
Mark Johnson brings new perspectives to major western campaigns/battles such as Shiloh, Perryville, Stones River, Tullahoma, Chickamuaga, Chattanooga and Atlanta. While these battles have been all recieved at least one book length study the significant contributions of the Regulars was rarely acknowledged.
Scorned by the volunteer units for their high standards and uncompromising values, the Regulars were ignored or maligned in post war literature that predominately focused on trumpeting the stories of volunteer units to local/state audiences. The Regular's professionalism made those who survived reluctant to tell their own stories.
The author's extensive use of primary source material from the National Archives and many obscure collections brings life to this important story through the voices of men never heard from before. The ricely annotated maps are not only original, but a cut above what is being published by even the most notable contemporary Civil War authors. These maps along with extenisve notes and appendices allow the reader to drill down into the details and further contribute to the insightful nature of this remarkable book.
One of the sub-themes of this book is the results of changing standards in recruitment and training. As the Regular Brigade went through rebuilding cycles to replace its loses it was gradually degraded by Federal regulations that made it more difficult to recruit quality men. It is a lesson that is still applicable today for those who need to be reminded that diminished training, pay and enlistment enticements will eventually impact the quality of the military.
I look for this book to promote the image of the Regular Brigade into the ranks of other notable units such as the Iron Brigade and Irish Brigade. It is the complete historical package. A story never told before using original material and told comprehensively through the voices of the men who have until now been lost to history.

Mark Johnson, Major, US Army has created a masterfully written, well researched study of an all but overlooked force of men, the Regulars who served in the United States Army, and fought in what was considered the "western" theater of operations of the Civil War - Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, etc.

This book is a rarity in the field of Civil War literature, unlike the plethora of books that continue to plow the same ground with some variations on a theme, "That Body of Brave Men" details the history of a unit that is effectively unknown to all but the most serious students of the conflict - the Regular Brigade of the Army of the Cumberland, the 15th 16th, 18th and 19th United States Infantry Regiments. Not only does this work detail the units, officers and men in a candid and forthright manner, it provides the reader with an excellent understanding of the battles and campaigns that made up the war for Kentucky, Tennessee and the march on Atlanta.

I would be remiss if I did not note that the Major Johnson provides a reader, through his writing style, and his maps which I consider to be some of the best ever presented in a Civil War unit or battle history, with an excellent view of the war in the West from a strategic, operational and most especially unit level. But most of all he tells the story of the men who served in these units through their own words, he shows you the life of a Regular through their eyes, whether it be in bivouac, on the drill field or in combat, and he does so in a masterful style.

As someone who had the honor and privilege to assist Major Johnson with this project, and has spent a lifetime studying the Civil War I have found that on rare occasion, every now and again an exceptional work of Civil War history comes along, this is one of those books.

Several of my relatives from Ohio fought for the Union during the years 1861-1865 with 4 from my mother's side dying. Other relatives in our family were from Indiana, and I have two Civil War discharges from Indiana units on the wall, plus one G.A.R. medal from 1886.

The 4 that perished were with the Army of the Potomac, Eastern Theatre, but the two extant discharges come from the Western Theatre. I've found it very difficult to find much in print other than regimental histories concerning the Western Theatre. With this admirable book, THAT BODY OF BRAVE MEN I now have a large amount of material at my disposal.

The other reviews here have given synopsis of content, so I will spare you that. I will only say in way of recommendation for this volume that I can count on one hand the number of books in print on the U.S. Regular Infantry in the West. And probably have a finger or two left over.

Though the cost of this book is not small, I still will recommend it.

Semper Fi.

Worth a look: Mark W. Johnson's "That Body of Brave Men". That rarity of rarities, a well written, interesting Doctoral Thesis. Major Johnson follows the fortunes of the Regular Army regiments in the Western Theatre, specifically the 15th, 16th, 18th and 19th US, who spent much of the later war as the "Regular Brigade" of the Army of the Cumberland. The Regulars provided perhaps 3% of the total Union Army field strength, a majority of which was concentrated in the two brigades of Sykes Regular Division in the Army of the Potomac. The four regiments that served in the West are much less well known, even though their combat record was excellent.

These "new regiments", designed to have two field and one depot battalion each, found it difficult to recruit to strength because of the more attractive enlistment contracts and large bounties of the Volunteer Regiments, and because so many of their lieutenants, captains and field officers were serving the Republic as Colonels of Volunteer Regiments, Brigadiers and Major Generals, while simultaneously filling a slot in the Regular regiments - a slot which couldn't be filled by promotion or recruitment, but which left the Regulars short of officers in the field.

In spite of these difficulties, and because of the recruiting skills and local connections of Colonel Henry Carrington of the 18th US, it was possible to raise and maintain a brigade of Regulars for most of the war. And, because of the frontier army experience embodied in their pre-war noncommissioned officer ranks, the regulars were trained to a standard that matched their brand new Springfield rifles and gleaming brass shoulder scales.

As Mark Johnson tells it, the regulars did their share of the work, more than their share of the fighting, and spent the rest of the time drilling. Certainly their battle record was impressive. At Shiloh, Perryville, Stones' River and Chickamauga the Regulars were thrown into the thick of combat where their courage and stamina made them a byword for skill and determination - at a fearful cost in lives. The excellent accompanying maps show where and how they fought with enough detail to allow the interested student to see why what they did was important and how it fits into the larger picture. The historian will appreciate Major Johnson's careful, complete footnoting, taking advantage of the wealth of scholarship developed in the last decade or so.

Near the end of the war, worn out and attenuated, the Regulars were withdrawn to garrison Lookout Mountain, and begin transition to post-war Army life. By this time in the narrative, the reader is familiar with all the personal and beaurocratic issues, the combat performance and some of the personality quirks of "That Body of Brave Men" who made up the US Regular Army in the West. An extensive biographical survey reveals what became of the major characters, and throws light on some of the minor ones (like Captain Fetterman, of Fetterman's Massacre fame). An excellent read for Civil War historians and a useful primer for students of the Indian Fighting Army and the Old West.

As a student of the Civil War for more than 13 years, I can say I've read my share of Civil War regimental and brigade histories. Mark W. Johnson's book "That Body Of Brave Men" has introduced a group of "professional" soldiers lost to the history books. From the introduction of key junior officers leaving their posts to assume commands in the North to the brigade's sad days on Lookout Mountain, this book thoroughly attempts to create a visual of what these soldiers experienced. A excellent example of what a history of a unit should be.

For me, my relatives did not serve in a regular unit, but one served from 63' till 64' attached to the 11th Michigan Infantry, probably till the regiment's muster out when he returned to his own regiment, the 9th Michigan Infantry. I am positive, being in King's Brigade with the 11th, that he whole heartedly experienced what the regular's did, though he did not have to attain the rigid discipline of the regulars being a volunteer. Very informative. I am very happy I have added this book to my collect.

When the United States found itself at war in 1861, the Regular Army was ill prepared and lacked the manpower to subdue the seceding states. To make matters worse, existing regiments were scattered across the country, mostly in the west, and would not be available quickly. As a result, eleven new United States infantry regiments were formed. Four of these new regiments, the 15th, 16th, 18th, and 19th U.S., eventually comprised the Regular Brigade in the Army of the Cumberland. Author Mark W. Johnson chronicles the Civil War journey of these four units from initial formation to their final garrison duty at Lookout Mountain. Though the Regulars might not have been the best unit in the Army of the Cumberland, given the difficulties they were forced to work through they provided much solid work, especially at Stones River.

The birth of what would become the four regiments attached to the Regular Brigade came in 1861. The antebellum United States Army was expanding with eleven new infantry regiments designed on a new model. Rather than ten companies to a regiment, the new units would have three battalions of eight companies each for a total of 24 total companies. These new regiments had difficulty recruiting members, especially given the advantages a prospective soldier gained by joining a volunteer regiment instead. Better pay, higher enlistment bounties, and less discipline were only some of the items in favor of the volunteers. Despite these shortages, recruiters slowly managed to bring in manpower, some based on the prospect of earning commisions in the Regular Army. Noteworthy in the recruting aspect were Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Shepherd of the 15th U.S. and Colonel Henry Carrington of the 18th U.S.

Once the Regular regiments formed permanent training camps, they found other difficulties to contend with. Chief among these was a lack of suitable officers. Many of these men were used in staff positions in Union brigades, divisions, corps, and armies. Others resigned to lead volunteer regiments. Still others were given the necessary duty of recruiting. Throughout the war, common themes for the Regular Army regiments would be lack of manpower and lack of officers to lead what manpower there was. As companies were trained and deemed ready, they were shipped off to the front. This led to some companies becoming stranded from their parent battalions while performing garrison and provost duty. Given the lack of Regular regiments, these units were coveted even in small portions by district and department commanders. Once at the front, the regiments usually did not have enough strength to field the regulation three battalions. Early in the war, the 15th, 16th, and 19th regiments each had one battalion in the field, usually composed of various companies from the three component battalions. Due mainly to the efforts of Colonel Henry Carrington, the 18th United States was able to field two battalions.

During their time in the Army of the Ohio under Don Carlos Buell, the 18th United States was in a separate brigade (and even a separate division) from the other three units. This resulted in several incidents which started when members of the volunteer regiments, especially the 9th Ohio, interfered with what they considered to be overly harsh discipline in the 18th. The regulars fought under this arrangement at Shiloh, their baptism of fire, and also later in 1862 at Perryville.

When William Rosecrans took command of what he would rename the Amry of the Cumberland in the fall of 1862, he brigaded all four of the Regular regiments into what he naturally called the "Regular Brigade", and he used this force as his army reserve. The Regulars would be used in this fashion at Stones River, where their stand in some woods in all likelihood saved the Union army from a disaster. This stand, though it cost the Regular Brigade dearly, allowed Rosecrans to form a final defensive line which ultimately blunted the Confederate attack. This brigade continued its solid if unspectacular service through the Atlanta Campaign, participating in battles from Chickamauga (where the Regulars were routed on the first day) and Chattanooga all the way to Jonesboro in early September 1864.

As the war wore on, the government realized that a fully manned army would be essential for the proper garrisoning of the South during Reconstruction. To make matters worse, the replacements the Regulars were receiving grew steadily worse. As a result, all Regulars in the east and west were taken off of the firing line starting in 1863 and extending into late 1864 in order to build up strength and train those new to the regiments. The Regular Brigade found itself on garrison duty at Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, Tennessee for the end of the war. The end of the war found these units garrisoning portions of the South, just as the government had anticipated.

Author Mark Johnson has produced a masterful and definitive account of the western United States Regulars during the Civil War. Their tale is told comprehensively through their own and others' words. The author moves seamlessly from times of drill and training to campaign and then battle narrative with ease. The story of these men is told in an engaging and interesting way, with the author showing excellent writing skills in weaving together his various sources into a finished product. Many of these are primary sources, allowing the Regulars to speak for themselves concerning their exploits and failures during the war. The tacit admission by the author that these were not supermen is another strong point in his favor. The Regulars were crushed on September 19, 1863 in a devastating flank attack, and Johnson pulls no punches when describing the scene. Johnson's effort stands up well when compared with Timothy Reese's book Sykes' Regular Infantry Division, 1861-1864: A History of Regular United States Infantry Operations in the Civil War's Eastern Theater, by all accounts an excellent book in its own right. I would have liked to have seen the experiences of the 13th U.S. of the Army of the Tennessee covered as well, though this may have been unwieldy giving the need to discuss numerous other battles. The maps in this volume are excellent and deserve to be discussed in a new paragraph.

The thirty-one maps in That Body of Brave Men stand out to such an extent that they merit further discussion. Theater and campaign maps for various periods of the war detail the major battles fought in that time frame and the participation and location of the western Regulars. The battle maps really stand out. With few exceptions, the positions of every single brigade in each army are listed, and insets show the regimental alignment of the Regular Brigade and both friends and foes in the general vicinity. Multiple battle maps exist for many of the battles, including Shiloh, Stones River, and Chickamauga. The presence of these maps made it very easy to follow the action of the Regulars as they participated in these engagements. The maps in That Body of Brave Men exceed the industry standard to such an extent that I have not seen superior examples in any of the unit histories I own.

The four appendices also merit additional comment. Appendix A covers "Regimental Strength and Battle Casualties" for all of the Regular Brigade's fights. This section is ideal for wargamers, though it is limited in scope to only the Regular Brigade. Appendix B shows the reader "Orders of Battle" for the organizations containing regular battalions and regiments for each battle of the Army of the Ohio and the Army of the Cumberland, going down to company level in all cases. The unpublished (in the Official Records or Broadfoot's Supplement to the Official Records) reports of the Regular Brigade are listed in Appendix C. Johnson was able to find four such reports in existence. Appendix D lists the "Colonels of Regiments" for the regular infantry regiments that existed during the Civil War.

That Body of Brave Men is an exceptional unit history in all respects. Author Mark Johnson has in this reader's judgment produced a definitive history of the Western Regulars during the Civil War. The books follows the Regulars of the Army of the Cumberland from their formation in 1861, through numerous major battles, to their use as garrison troops at Lookout Mountain. Men integral to the development of these regiments are profiled throughout the book. This effort is able to hold up to scrutiny when compared to some of the best unit histories available, including Mother May You Never See the Sights I Have Seen. The book will appeal to multiple groups. In addition to holding the interest of students of the Civil War's Western Theater, this book can also be enjoyed and appreciated by those with an interest in the history of the United States Army, especially since this is literally the only book covering this subject. I cannot recommend That Body of Brave Men highly enough. It is an excellent example of a Civil War unit history which prospective authors should aspire to.

I bought Mark's book as soon as it came out. I had been searching over 20 years for a detailed account like this. My great-great grandfather spent 3 yrs. serving in the Regular Brig. with Co. E, 2nd Bat. of the 18th U.S. Inf. I had walked the battlefields of Stones River, Chickamauga, and Missionary Ridge almost 20 years ago. Until Mark's book came out I could not fully understand what my relative must have experienced. Being from Pennsylvania all you read about here is Gettysburg. Marks book gave me much needed detailed accounts of the campaigns and day to day life of what my great-great grandfather went through. I suggest anyone who is interested in "The war in the west" read this book. A copy of the picture of my great-great grandfather in his uniform has been attached to the title page of the book, and will remain with me forever. Thank you Mark Johnson for writing a great book, and if he could I am sure Priv. John B. Armstrong would also.

This is a very true to life book that we had been looking for. The seller was great to work with and the book was great Thank you.

At last a book on a hitherto ignored subject;namely, the Regular Army in the West.
It was refreshing to finally read a book on the Civil War that emphasizes the

experiences of officers below the rank of general and their men.