Bluegrass Confederate: The Headquarters Diary of Edward O. Guerrant ed. by William C. Devis, Meredith L. Swentor (review)

BOOK REVIEWS do not illustrate features mentioned repeatedly throughout the text. The Boy General provides an acceptable narrative that will appeal to Civil War enthusiasts. Still, a definitive biography of Francis Channing Barlow, the soldier and the man, remains to be written. Christopher S. Stowe McNeese State University William C. Davis and Meredith L. Swentor, eds. Bluegrass Confederate : Tbe Headquarters Diary of Edward 0. Guerrant. Bato 1 Rouge: Louisiana State Un vesity Press,2005. 716 pp. ISBN: 0807124117 ( cloth), $ 49.95; 0807130583 ( paper), $ 24.95. ivil War diaries are often mother lodes of detailed information, valuable perspectives, and contemporary observations. Publishers demand that these m: 11'lliscripts exhibit their editors' dedication and thoroughness in mining and interpreting these valuable resources. The wartime diary of Edward 0. Guerrant , now available in paperback, is a source rich with historical information and insight. William C. Davis and Meredith L. Swentc, r edited and shortened the original twothousand page diary,one that offers both a useful account of military life and an alltoo rare perspective of a Kentuckian who cast his lot with the Confederacy. While serving under several notable Kentucky generals,including Humphrey Marshall and John Hunt Morgan,Guerrant commented on army life, the conduct of the war, and Confederate efforts to regain Kentucky. Although his diary contains rich details of military life in Virginia,the real value of this source is Guerrant' s heartfelt expectations of securing Kentucky fc, r the Confederate cause, and his disgust with Unionists who kept the state in the Union. Guerrant' s quirky humor and skill at storytelling make this book an enjoyable, if ponderous, read. His military service was primarily administrative, although he did observe firsthand 1 nul»nber of campaigns and battles. As the war progressed, Guerrant's entries change from the writings of an eager recruit, hungry for every scrap of camp gossip , to the somber niusinqs of a veterin unafraid 11* 11* 2# ist> 49 to record the scenes ot death and destruction he witnessed. In spite ot the hardship and adversity he faced, Guerrant's unwavering confidence in secession accurately depicts the ironic situation of Kentuckians who left their home state to join the army they hoped would free their state from the Unionists. Many of these men despised Lincoln and believed abolition would forever change their state. Their fears would ultimately prove wellfounded . Historians, students, and researchers searching for perspectires on the politics of the waiin Kentucky and the bitterness it engendered may find much of value in Guerrant's diary. But despite the wealth of detail, Guerrant' s entries also contain vague,incomplete,or incorrect inforniatio n. Davis and Swentor sifted a source document replete with catlip gossip, rumors, and rough estimations, providing meticulous annotation that draws upon census data, military records, and Guerrant's other writings to fill in the gaps. Unfortunately,the editing is inconsistent. Rumors about the alleged deaths of Confederate generals are annotated, but Guerrant's commentary on Kentucky politics, emancipation,and black enlistment often lack context and sufficient annotation. More frustrating,the limited index diminishes the value of this edited diary. Guerrant often records the actions of " bushwhackers" ( which he inverts 72 01410 VALLEY HISTORY from common usage to mean Unionist partisans) and Confederate reprisals against these guerrillas, but in chapter ten alone there are five references to bushwhackers that are not included in the index. Further, Guerrant offers a lengthy accouiit of the Union raid on Saltville, Virginia, ati action that involved newly mustered African American cavalry from Kentucky's infamous Cainp Nelson. but the index contai,is no entry either for black troc, ps or African Americans. Guerrant' s diary contains similar references to importint aspects of the Civil War in Kentucky and the middle border. However, readers will have to rely on their own knowledge of the period to identify the nuggets of historical inforniation thit lie withiti Guerrant's mundane accounts of camp life. There will always be a market for Civil War sources so rich in detail, ind Guerrant's diary is one of the most complete and insightful Civil War diaries written by any soldier and certainly by a Kentuckian. It is thus unfortunate that the limited scope of...