Union Jacks: Yankee Sailors in the Civil War (Civil War America) [Paperback]

Michael J. Bennett (Author)

Book Description

Series: Civil War America | Publication Date: December 6, 2003

Historians have given a great deal of attention to the lives and experiences of Civil War soldiers, but surprisingly little is known about navy sailors who participated in the conflict. Michael J. Bennett remedies the longstanding neglect of Civil War seamen in this comprehensive assessment of the experience of common Union sailors from 1861 to 1865.

To resurrect the voices of the "Union Jacks," Bennett combed sailors' diaries, letters, and journals. He finds that the sailors differed from their counterparts in the army in many ways. They tended to be a rougher bunch of men than the regular soldiers, drinking and fighting excessively. Those who were not foreign-born, escaped slaves, or unemployed at the time they enlisted often hailed from the urban working class rather than from rural farms and towns. In addition, most sailors enlisted for pragmatic rather than ideological reasons.

Bennett's examination provides a look into the everyday lives of sailors and illuminates where they came from, why they enlisted, and how their origins shaped their service. By showing how these Union sailors lived and fought on the sea, Bennett brings an important new perspective to our understanding of the Civil War.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A remarkably effective job of capturing the voices of ordinary sailors. . . . A gem, joining social history methodology with the vivid storytelling loved by Civil War buffs."
-- Military History of the West

"Will prove very useful to anyone interested in the naval side of the Civil War, and in the life of the ordinary man in the service."
-- The NYMAS Review

"An outstanding contribution to the fields of the American Civil War, U.S. Military History, naval history, as well as the history of race, ethnicity, and class in nineteenth-century America. . . . Recommended for classroom use as well as general readers."
-- Florida Historical Quarterly

"A significant contribution to the historiography of the Civil War. . . . Bennett's marvelous book rides the wave of maritime social history that has surged in recent years. . . . [Bennett] convincingly demonstrates that the Civil War was not just a soldier's war and that sailors had a unique wartime experience. Union Jacks is a terrific book."
-- Journal of Social History

"An innovative and thoughtful approach to a unique group of Americans. . . . Outstanding. . . . A thought-provoking bridge between antebellum and Civil War social history."
-- Journal of African American History

About the Author

Michael J. Bennett is an attorney and independent scholar living in University Heights, Ohio.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press; 1ST edition (December 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080782870X
• ISBN-13: 978-0807828700
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #926,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Lincoln's sailors, February 16, 2005

By 

Kay's Husband (Virginia, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Union Jacks: Yankee Sailors in the Civil War (Civil War America) (Paperback)

After reading on the civil war for 40 years or more, one complaint I've had is that no one writes of the Union navy beyond the officers from admirals downward. Since I served in the U.S. Navy from 1961-1967, it isn't strange that I would hold some interest in these earlier shipmates. So I eagerly awaited the University of North Carolina to issue this book. I purchased a copy and was not disappointed.

I feel the book to be well worthwhile if one is interested in the union jack or blue jackets of that era. Some reviewers may have found the book not quite to their liking, but my humble opinion is that with the paucity of books available on this subject, one should be thankful for almost anything that is written on the area.

One of the more interesting items in this book are the pictures and illustrations. What did these men really look like? The appearance of their hats and uniforms? Here and there, some photographic books do give a clue. But I've encountered few that had as their entire subject the blue jacket of that day. It would seem from the pictures, that one need was to have had at least one banjo on board the ship. And curiously the numbers of navy men barefoot on board. And it was also of interest the number of African American sailors serving on board many of these ships. The Navy welcomed their service at least a year before the Union army, and by war's end upwards of 18% of all Union Navy men were African Americans, honorably serving their country.

With the author's notes covering almost the final 100 pages of this book, it appears very well documented. And as with any Civil War America book from Chapel Hill, you know it is solid history. I applaud this attempt by my fellow Ohioian for his efforts to give these mostly ignored and forgotten men an open hearing. Sadly, they too seemed aware their efforts were lost to history, with the combat armies often being remembered at their expense.

For me, this book is a very good first step in the direction of revealing these men and their naval service to our contemporary readers. I await even more of their stories.

Semper Fi.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly Satisfied, January 6, 2005

By 

Kill Cavalry (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Union Jacks: Yankee Sailors in the Civil War (Civil War America) (Paperback)

Northern Sailors don't get much respect. While they certainly didn't attain the glory that soldiers did during the war, and while they didn't see nearly as much combat as most soldiers, they did their duty. Yet, they are underepresented. Of the thousands upon thousands of books written about the Civil War, this is the first to actually examine the psyche, background, physical characterisitics, and everyday life of Union sailors. Bennett does a good job of it, too.
His examination of the average sailor isn't simply rehashing known facts, it's delving into the reasoning behind the actions and events in sailor's lives. It's as much a psychological research work as a historical narrative. For anyone interested in Naval history, Civil War history, or simply looking to beef up their nautical knowledge, this book is absolutely and undeniably invaluable.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Union Jacks-Yankee Sailers in the Civil War, September 23, 2008

By 

Andrew L. Norman (Kent Island, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Union Jacks: Yankee Sailors in the Civil War (Civil War America) (Paperback)

A beautiful, hardback book, well written. One of the best resources I have seen, it has 1/3rd of the pages in references and sources for more specific info, bookwide and chapter by chapter. The wonderful historical prose portions give such rich and realistic descriptions of the various daily lives and trials of the men on these fightings vessels, it puts you right on board! Highly recommended to any Civil War afficianado. A.Norman