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BOOK REVIEWS361 Constitutions and Constitutionalism in the Slaveholding South is elegantly written, sharply argued, and rich in irony. Specialists will profit from Fehrenbacher's imaginative treatment of familiar issues, while others will find his work a lucid introduction to the constitutional dimensions of the sectional conflict. Donald G. Nieman Clemson University Custer and His Times (Book Three). Edited by Gregory J. W Urwin and Roberta E. Fagan. (Fayetteville: Little Big Horn Associates, University of Central Arkansas Press, 1988. Pp. 305. $28.95.) George Armstrong Custer is most often remembered for his defeat on the Little Big Horn in 1876. However, it is important to recall that during the Civil War he was a most able cavalry tactician, and the experience of the 1st Connecticut Cavalry indicated that he could be an effective leader as well. The regiment had a series of most difficult and unrewarding war experiences before it formed a part of Custer's Third Cavalry Division in the Shenandoah Valley. The 1st Connecticut found soldierly maturity under Custer's command, leading the critical flanking movement at Waynesboro (March 2, 1865) and performing uniformly well in the 1864 Valley campaign. The officers of Custer's Division wore a red scarf in admiration of their commander, and when the officers of the 1st Connecticut designed a new regimental flag toward the end of the war, it was also bright red. This was contrary to standing regulations, but to the officers of the regiment it indicated that the word "Custer" was as much a battle honor as the names of the engagements inscribed in the silk. Custer continues to excite the interest of the public, the popular historian, and the academician as readily as he gathered the atttention of those Connecticut troopers in 1864. His career has been the subject of a great many works, the scholarly quality of which has varied considerably . Custer and His Times is a collection of ten essays, a photo essay, a list of books dealing with Custer, and an introductory section. The essay by Lawrence A. Frost concerning Custer's intellectual level is based upon the volumes in the General's library and his various literary endeavors. The short piece by Sarah J. Blackstone, dealing with "Custer's Last Fight" in William F. Cody's Wild West Show, provides an interesting illustration of the interest Custer retained with the public. Roberta E. Fagan delineates clearly the controversy surrounding the hanging of several Confederate Partisan Rangers by Federal troops near Front Royal Virginia in September 1864, and how Custer was blamed by virtue of his reputation for an incident in which he did not participate. John M. Carroll presents a most unusual series of photographs showing Custer 362CIVIL WAR history with members of his family "dressing up" in costume in 1875. In addition, Richard G. Hardorff considers the logistical difficulties associated with Custer's pack train in the 1876 campaign in a superb fashion. He adds a great deal of practical information to our understanding of the difficulties in conducting nineteenth-century military operations. It would appear that all of these essays are well researched; they are certainly well illustrated. However, the remaining selections make little contribution to our understanding of events. David Dixon's essay dealing with Custer's activities in the 1868 Indian campaign is tedious. Gregory Urwin fails in his attempt to present an enlisted man's perspective on the 1876 Indian campaign. On balance it says little about the campaign and adds nothing that Urwin has not said on other occasions concerning the enlisted experience in the regular army. Neil C. Mangum's discussion of evidence found during the recent archaeological survey of the Custer battlefield does not essentially challenge standard interpretations of the engagement. The selections by Ray Meketa and Bruce A. Trinque are equally disappointing. Custer and His Times is uneven in quality as some of the selections fail to provide a sense of perspective and ultimately fall into the category of trivia. Other selections, which induce the reader to consider the astonishing public interest in Custer, illustrate his career. Custer and His Times is a volume containing a great deal of information for the student of "Custeriana" and is...

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