Michigan's Early Military Forces: A Roster and History of Troops Activated Prior to the American Civil War (review)

Le Roy Barnett, with the assistance of Roger Rosentreter, has produced a true labor of love. Michigan's Early Military Forces is a solid, well- researched reference book on Michigan's military history prior to the start of the Civil War. Dealing with the 1775-1848 period, the focus of Barnett and Rosentreter's work is narrow, yet very comprehensive. It is a patriotic account of the service of Michigan's soldiers during this early period, one the authors believe is long overdue.

The book is divided into six chapters that address Michigan's involvement in five conflicts: the War of 1812; Black Hawk's War; a border dispute with Ohio referred to as the Toledo War; the Patriot War with Canada; and the Mexican-American War. Each chapter provides an overview of Michigan's role in the conflict and includes an extensive roster listing the men who served in the military during the war. Also included is a fine opening chapter detailing the service of Michigan's militia units during the preterritorial period.

Roger Rosentreter, the editor of Michigan History Magazine, is responsible for the descriptive accounts of the five conflicts that Michigan men found themselves engaged in. The texts are well written and provide the reader with enough information to understand both the conflict and Michigan's involvement. Especially enlightening is Denis M. Au's depiction of Michigan's preterritorial militias. Au wrote the text for the introductory chapter dealing with the militia's experiences during the French and Indian Wars.

The real heart of the book is the impressive rosters compiled by Le Roy Barnett. After twenty years of research, Barnett, a former head of reference for the state archives of Michigan, has produced definitive rosters of the nearly one thousand men who served in the military during this period. For each conflict covered in the book, Barnett gives information for every individual soldier including his unit, rank, dates of service, and any personal remarks. These remarks could contain information on place of birth, civilian occupation, wounds received in the war, desertions, personal features, and death.

Michigan's Early Military Forces will probably have a small audience given its narrow focus; however, it is nonetheless a valuable reference work for those interested in Michigan's military past or the five conflicts discussed in the book. Barnett's research is to be commended. Not only did he unearth the names of some four hundred men whose service had been overlooked, but he provides a wealth of details about their service. The book is a fine addition to the Great Lakes Book Series of Wayne State University Press.