Illinois in the Civil War (review)

BOOK REVIEWS275 volume, those unknowns are erased. It almost goes widiout saying diat die Richmond Civil War Centennial Committee (which sponsored die preparation of the work) and historian Louis Manarin could not have performed a greater service for the cause of Confederate local and social history. Manarin has meticulously transcribed the detaüed minutes of councü meetings for the April 5, 1861-April 3, 1865, period. He has identified principal persons mentioned and annotated events discussed. Manarin's heavy reliance in footnotes on newspaper sources provides additional primary material. Appendices contain such useful data as wartime city ordinances and biographical sketches of councü members; iUustrations are sprinkled UberaUy throughout the text; and an exhaustive index makes a highly useful work just as usable. The councü minutes obviously are iU-suited for Ught reading. Nor wül one encounter humor among the pressing issues the aldermen had to face. Thus, this book wül be more a basic reference source than a popular volume for bedtime perusal. But above aU else, Richmond at War is a testimonial to the fact that die now-concluded Civü War Centennial produced items more lasting than batde re-enactments and worthless souvenirs . James I. Robertson, Jr. Virginia Polytechnic Institute Illinois in the Civil War. By Victor Hicken. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1966. Pp. xiv, 391. $7.50.) Another very worthwhile result of the Civil War Centennial is this scholarly volume by Victor Hicken, professor of history at Western Illinois University. By examining the diaries and letters of Illinois men who fought in that fierce struggle between the states, Hicken has obtained a deep insight into their feelings and motives for pursuing the bloody fighting through to victory for the North. And it was a huge contribution that the state of Illinois made to die federal government. It sent 259,092 men into the army and navy, and of these, 35,000 did not Uve to see their beloved prairies or woodlands again. Their scattered bones were left from the swampy banks of the Mississippi at the southern tip of Illinois to the most remote prisoner-of-war camps in the South. No other state furnished tougher or braver soldiers than Illinois. Hers, and other midwestern regiments, were fiUed with farmers and workers who were hardened and seasoned for the hardships of war. With strong muscles and determined minds they marched and fought day after day, month in and month out. Most of them strongly supported the Lincoln administration, but only a few of die Illinois boys were ardent abolitionists . To most of them, the goal of die war was an undivided Union. Their letters demonstrate this. Illinois also contributed some of the most important generals of the 276CIVIL WAR HISTORY CivÜ War. It gave such men as U. S. Grant, John A. Logan, Benjamin H. Grierson, Stephen A. Hurlbut, W. H. L. Wallace, James H. Wüson and John A. Rawlins—to name but a few. However, it would appear that the audior has singled out John A. McClemand as the unsung victor of several engagements. To judge fairly this political general one would have to have had him as a junior officer. Only then could anybody appreciate the problems which this general created by his many political connections and his utter disregard for the chain of command. He deluged Lincoln with pleas in order to gain his own ends. These the President could not weU ignore since he needed die support of as many Democrats as possible. So, McClemand gained his separate command dirough diese means. And he did win a victory with his "army." Yet one should point out diat McClemand took very few risks in the capture of Arkansas Post It was held by about five thousand Confederates. Against this small garrison McClemand threw 33,000 men plus forty pieces of artillery and Admiral Porter's fleet. Needless to report again, the fort fell, giving the North a victory which it had long sought But what would a sound tactician such as Douglas MacArthur have ordered if he had faced this situation? We do know diat in World War II he often bypassed such strongholds when diey were not urgently needed...