Notre Dame and the Civil War: Marching Onward to Victory by James M. Schmidt (review)

Book Reviews 121 Dawson’s journalistic style minimizes analysis in favor of a chronological recitation of events. To be fair, Reynolds has the advantage of deeper hindsight, as modern history generally reveals trees more easily than forests. The tone of the book might raise eyebrows among corporate critics. Reynolds presents various perspectives on labor, the environment, and other issues, but there is a faint pro-Cliffs sentiment: for instance, while Reynolds touches upon labor troubles, his work hints at positive management-labor history. Strikes, harsh working conditions, and even a fairly regular pattern of releasing workers in favor of profits suggest otherwise. For her part, Dawson takes a rather upbeat view of corporate developments that occasionally flirts with cheerleading. Perhaps familiarity born of substantial research inevitably provides a positive “filter.” Reviewers, too, struggle with balance—how to critique large, complex books in a few words? How to challenge authors without leaving a “too negative” impression? What about small points that will not fit in a brief review? [E.g., Finnish miners as antiunion?] This reviewer does not have a ready answer. Notwithstanding the criticisms raised earlier, Iron Will deserves praise as an informative and interesting account of one of America’s major natural-resource firms. This is certainly a book that is worth reading, whether one is interested in Marquette and the surrounding area, natural-resource exploitation, corporate strategies, Cleveland’s business history, or simply a complex tale well told. Peter V. Krats University of Western Ontario James M. Schmidt. Notre Dame and the Civil War: Marching Onward to Victory. Charleston, S.C.: History Press, 2010. Pp. 142. Notes. Photographs. Paper, $19.99. James Schmidt, a professional chemist who works in Texas, is an amateur historian with a strong interest in the Civil War. In telling the story of Notre Dame and its role in that conflict, Schmidt makes abundant use of archival materials belonging to the university, and of those deposited with the men’s and women’s branches of the Congregation of the Holy Cross (CSC—Congregatio a Sancta 122 The Michigan Historical Review Cruce)—the religious communities that sponsor Notre Dame and the adjacent St. Mary’s College. The story Schmidt relates is a dramatic one. More than one hundred students and alumni eventually participated in the Civil War, of whom two fought for the Confederacy. Notre Dame men were a part of virtually all of the major battles that involved the Army of the Potomac and Grant’s Army of the Tennessee. One Notre Dame man, Orville Chamberlain, received the Medal of Honor for his valor in the Battle of Chickamauga. Father Edward Sorin, Notre Dame’s founder and president during the Civil War, was concerned about the large number of Irishmen and other Catholics in the Union armies and eventually supplied seven priest-chaplains. Among them, Father William Corby gained fame for his work with the Irish Brigade. A statue of Father Corby with his hand raised in the gesture of general absolution before the Battle of Gettysburg, adorns the Pennsylvania battlefield. A copy of that statue can be found on Notre Dame’s campus in South Bend. Finally, the CSC sisters, under the leadership of Mother Angela Gillespie, were staffing ten Union hospitals by the war’s end, serving heroically in challenging and often disheartening and dangerous conditions. The war years brought a number of unexpected developments to Notre Dame. Because the campus was not located in an area where combat was likely to occur, more and more students enrolled from the South and from border states. In time, this diversity caused conflict among students at Notre Dame and St. Mary’s, disturbing the tranquility of the academy. Perpetrators received a severe punishment: usually expulsion. One wartime benefit for Notre Dame was a connection with the family of General William T. Sherman, whose children were enrolled in the two schools. His wife Ellen was active in college affairs during the war; and in 1865, the victor at Atlanta and Savannah addressed the graduates. After the war, veteran priests and brothers had sufficient numbers to form their own post of the Grand Army of the Republic. Notre Dame and the Civil War is lavishly illustrated...