Vizetelly Covers the Confederacy (review)

204CIVIL WAR HISTORY At the same time at Charleston, the last real naval campaign on the south Atiantic coast was nearing its end. Although the effect of this campaign was to make the blockade of the South Carolina coast infinitely more effective, it also exposed the serious shortcomings of American naval ordnance, both as to range and as to penetration and blast. The Dahlgren rifle, although an immense improvement on naval ordnance, was clearly going to have to be immeasurably improved if ironclads of die future were to be sunk by it. The reader will notice that notiiing has been said about actions on the high seas, most of the naval engagements taking place within sight of land. In fact, nothing resembling a fleet action ever took place in this war because the South never had a fleet as such. Instead, the South's highly publicized and remarkably effective naval performance on the high seas was limited to exploits of armed raiders. Of these, Captain Raphael Semmes, first in the "Sumter" and then in the even more successful "Alabama," performed a high proportion. His demise at the hands of Captain Winslow's U.S.S. "Kearsarge" off Cherbourg was the end of a careerofvalor and achievement. In spite of the most strenuous efforts of Lincoln's navy, the South with a few swift and heavily armed raiders built in England, commanded by bold and resolute officers, was almost able to drive the United States Merchant Marine from the high seas. Little more need be said. At the end of the war, Mr. Lincoln's navy reigned supreme. Its achievements were enormous. It had split the Confederacy, strangled it by blockade, and participated in amphibious operations novel in character and difficulty. Mr. West's book gives us in little more than 300 pages a panoramic view of these achievements, and at times, as for example in the description of the battle of Mobile Bay and the attacks on Vicksburg, exciting and detailed pictures of individual engagements. This is a fine piece of work. Niggling criticism is not in order. I doubt that any student of the Civil War can find between the covers of any book so much accurate detail regarding the naval war. Added to this, the book is always interesting and occasionally exciting. It is a culmination of a distinguished historical career. Samuel M. Fahr Iowa City, Iowa Vizetetty Covers the Confederacy. By W. Stanley Hoole. (Tuscaloosa: Confederate Publishing Company. 1957. Pp. 173. $4.00.) in limited editions of 450 copies per STUDY, the Confederate Publishing Company (P.O. Box Southside 9067, Tuscaloosa, Alabama) last year began issuing a series of monographs under the general title of "Confederate Centennial Studies." According to the publisher, a few series subscriptions to these additions to Civil War literature are still available, and orders for individual numbers will also be accepted. This book, Number Four of the series, was compiled and written by die Editor-in-Chief, W. Stanley Hoole of die University of Alabama. Its subject is the only special correspondent-illustrator to report the Army of die Confederate States of America. Frank Vizetelly ( 1830-1883?) secured his first job as a corresponderit-Ühistrator while still in his early twenties through the influence of his older brother, Book Reviews205 Henry Vizetelly, a pioneer of die illustrated press in England (and publisher there in 1852 of an edition of Uncle Tom's Cabin that was a runaway best seller) . By the time he came to the United States in 1861, Frank Vizetelly was a seasoned war correspondent, having sketched and reported the battles of Palestra , Vercelli, and Solferino for the Illustrated Times and having covered Garibaldi 's 1860 Sicilian expedition for die Illustrated London News, the journalthat sent him to die United States. He arrived in mid-May, 1861, and through the summer of that year and into the following fall and winter was with the Union Army as it countered Confederate thrusts toward the Capitol. In January of 1862 he witnessed Burnside's victory at Roanoke Island; in March he was with the Army of the Potomac; but by June—because Secretary of War Stanton had earlier revoked his permit to accompany...