The First Louisiana Special Battalion: Wheat's Tigers in the Civil War [Library Binding]

Gary Schreckengost (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0786432020 | ISBN-13: 978-0786432028

From the little-known Filibuster Wars to the Civil War battlefield of Gaines' Mill, this volume details the fascinating story of one of the South's most colorful military units, the 1st Louisiana Special Battalion, aka Wheat's Tigers. Beginning with a brief look at the Filibuster Wars (a set of military attempts to annex Latin American countries into the United States as slave states), the work takes a close look at the men who comprised Wheat's Tigers: Irish immigrant ship hands, New Orleans dock workers and Filibuster veterans. Commanded by one of the greatest antebellum filibusterers, Chatham Roberdeau Wheat, the Tigers quickly distinguished themselves in battle through their almost reckless bravery, proving instrumental in Southern victories at the battles of Front Royal, Winchester and Port Republic. An in-depth look at Battle of Gaines' Mill, in which Wheat's Tigers suffered heavy casualties, including their commander, completes the story. Appendices provide a compiled roster of the Wheat's Tigers, a look at the 1st Louisiana's uniforms and a copy of Wheat's report about the Battle of Manassas. Never-before-published photographs are also included.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Author and historian Gary Schreckengost lives in Elm, Pennsylvania. An infantry officer in the Army Reserves, his work has been published in American Civil War Magazine, World War II Magazine, Field Artillery Journal and Armor Magazine.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 221 pages
• Publisher: McFarland (January 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786432020
• ISBN-13: 978-0786432028
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.7 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,199,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Author and historian Gary Schreckengost teaches American history at Lampeter-Strasburg School District in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A retired Army Reserve infantry major and a Bosnia and Iraq War veteran, he is a the author of:

-The 1st Louisiana Special Battalion: Wheat's Tigers in the Civil War

-Try Me: I Was One of Wheat's Famed Louisiana Tigers

-A Firm Determination to Do or Die: The Defense and Fall of the Peach Orchard Salient at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863

-Before Bull Run: The Army of Pennsylvania and Its Forgotten Campaign of 1861

-Always Move Forward! The 319th Infantry Regiment, 80th U.S. Division in World War I

-Willing and Able! The 319th Infantry Regiment, 80th U.S. Infantry Division in World War II

-I Was a Hessian Grenadier at the Battle of Trenton, December 26, 1776.


My other works have been published in American Civil War Magazine, World War II Magazine, Field Artillery Journal and Armor Magazine.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Can't hold these Tigers. June 14, 2010

By Joel Manuel

Format:Library Binding

Author Schreckengost states in his preface that his aim with this book was to "bring into the light" the exploits of the "original" Louisiana Tigers of the Army of Northern Virginia, and he accomplishes that pretty well. We are introduced to the filibustering exploits of Tiger leader Roberdeau Wheat in Central America in the 1850s to set the stage for the Tigers' devil-may-care attitude, though I think this chapter was a little too long for a book of this shorter length. We then learn how the Tigers came together from a collection of companies formed from the "best and worst" of New Orleans society, how they trained, and how they fought viciously at First Bull Run, the Valley Campaign of 1862, and the Seven Days, finally being absorbed into other Louisiana units after Wheat and other leaders were killed in June 1862.

Anyone interested in the Army of Northern Virginia, its Zouave units, the Louisiana Brigade (which adopted/was given the "Tiger" name), or even the accoutrements of early Zouave units will enjoy this book. Good maps too; but steep price ($55 from expensive publisher McFarland) may relegate this book to libraries or serious buyers/collectors only. As a descendant of a member of the 6th Louisiana, which fought alongside the Tigers in several fights, I found this to be a very enjoyable book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars First-rate military history of an almost legendary Louisiana Civil War unit December 14, 2008

By Michael K. Smith TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Library Binding

Wheat's Tigers was one of the more colorful Louisiana units in the Civil War, but this appears to be the first full-dress history of the battalion's activities, from its formation by Maj. Roberdeau Wheat in New Orleans in the summer of 1861 until it was nearly wiped out in the Seven Days in Virginia in August 1862. The battalion was formed partly by amalgamating several previously raised militia companies (Wheat convinced their officers to place him in overall command) and partly by enlisting new recruits with the aid of many of the local aid societies in the city, such as the Ladies Volunteer Aid Association. Wheat was a bellicose individual and had been part of William Walker's filibustering expedition to Nicaragua in 1855, as well of several earlier private expansionist attempts at invading Latin American nations. He was wounded at Manassas and killed in action at Gaines Mill. Some of the companies in the battalion wore Zouave uniforms while others preferred long, tunic-like "battle shirts." They were issued either M1842 muskets or the elderly M1816 conversions, though the Tiger Rifles, made up of selected skirmishers, were armed with the far superior M1841 "Mississippi Rifle," the nation's first percussion-cap weapon, manufactured at Harper's Ferry. (This sort of fascinating detail continues throughout the book, making it a natural for any student of the Civil War in Louisiana.) The battalion's movements for its single year of existence also are carefully detailed and there's a listing of the service records for all officers and men, though many of the latter are just names. (Tracking down the full records and later personal histories of all of Wheat's Tigers who survived the Seven Days, and many of whom transferred to other units, would be an interesting project for further research.)

Just a comment: Even though it's (naturally) a short-run title, the ever-climbing cost of nonfiction books is amazing; this one works out to more than twenty-six cents per page.