To the Manner Born: The Life of General William H. T. Walker (review)

BOOK REVIEWS335 Like McMurry, Davis concludes that Johnston "had no meaningful plan to defeat Sherman and drive him back" (55). Any judgment of Hood should therefore begin with an acknowledgment that Johnston had already thrown away almost all hope of holding Atlanta. Hood accordingly did not lack generalship so much as he lacked options. His attacks were desperate, but they were not foolish. The Confederate president was correct to place Hood in command, as the only reasonable alternative was Joseph Hardee, a commander who lacked self-confidence and who was not aggressive. Davis demonstrates that, far from being a pugilistic blunderer, Hood planned well during the three battles he fought attempting to save Atlanta. 'Two of the three battles called for bold flank attacks, with powerful Confederate columns falling on unsuspecting or unprotected enemy wings," while the third "called for an en echelon attack against an unfortified enemy, which was throughout the war a favorite method of assault for Confederate commanders" (7 1 ). Failure occurred because of bad timing, bad luck, and tactical-level developments beyond the control of an army commander. Hood's casualties have been overestimated by historians, and there is evidence that his aggressive actions strengthened rather than weakened his army's morale. In conclusion, the strengths of these two volumes outweigh their weaknesses , but one hopes for even better material in the remainder of the series. William Garrett Piston Southwest Missouri State University To the Manner Born: The Life ofGeneral William H. T. Walker. By Russell K. Brown. (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1994. Pp. 41 1. $50.00.) Russell K. Brown writes that historians usually remember Gen. William H. T. Walker for three things: "his death at the Battle of Atlanta in 1864, his intemperate resignation from Confederate service in 1 861 , and his bad-tempered behavior throughout his life" (xi). This reviewer remembers Walker for one thing more: his determined, even obsessive, opposition to Gen. Patrick Cleburne 's proposal of January 1864 to enlist slaves in the Confederate army. Devoting most of a chapter to probing this fascinating topic, Brown concludes that Walker was not acting to discredit Cleburne because he hoped to advance his own military career. Rather, contends Brown, the idea ofmaking black slaves the equal of free white men "for any reason" (205) was unacceptable to Walker. Furthermore, freeing the slaves would "ruin his family financially and destroy his plans for the future" (198). This interpretation is certainly consistent with the author's presentation of Walker's background and character and serves to illustrate the thorough research, sound analysis, and fairness of the biography. Brown believes, probably correctly, that most historians have done little more than skim the Walker Papers at Duke University, searching for bits of information to satisfy their particular interests, usually about Civil War battles. 336civil war history Yet the papers, many penned to Walker's wife over a period of eighteen years, are extensive and revealing about the general. They enabled Brown to craft an arresting and worthwhile life of the native Georgian who sought glory and honor through the military. Clearly Walker was not always "the Georgia firebrand " whose face was "lit by the gleam of battle" (xiii) and who "quarreled with anyone over anything" (295). Brown concludes that Walker was "a real human being" (xiii), a man who smoked cigars, liked to eat fried chicken, enjoyed Catawba wine, loved to dance (especially waltzes and polkas), worried about his wife being alone while he was away, and cared deeply for his children. Furthermore, his desire for glory and honor in the army was well realized in two wars, the Seminole and the Mexican, in both of which he was wounded and nearly died but recovered and returned home to renown as a military hero. But when all is said that may be said about Walker's good qualities, the negative ones are still pronounced. The author does not attempt to gloss over this fact, stating for instance that Walker "allowed no challenge to his opinions or inference of dishonor to go unnoticed" (295). He also points out how Walker frequently quarreled with his wife's brothers and even members of his own family. Walker's belief...