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Essay on Sources
- The University of Tennessee Press
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Essay on Sources My study of Andrew Johnson in the 1860s is based almost entirely on primary sources. Therefore, I will not attempt to offer here a comprehensive discussion of secondary works. Besides, an excellent bibliography of books and articles about Johnson is readily available: Richard B. McCaslin, comp., Andrew Johnson: A Bibliography (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1992). For a search of relevant studies published prior to 1992, McCaslin’s book is the best place to begin. In a somewhat similar vein, an interested scholar should consider a remarkable Johnson encyclopedia: Glenna R. Schroeder-Lein and Richard Zuczek, Andrew Johnson: A Biographical Companion (Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2001). Not only does it include reliable entries on an abundance of topics related to Johnson, but also it contains an extensive bibliography. For an impressive and complete (birth to death) biography of Johnson, one must consult Hans L.Trefousse, Andrew Johnson: A Biography (New York: W. W. Norton, 1989)—its bias against Johnson notwithstanding . On the other hand, the best brief biography is James E. Sefton, Andrew Johnson and the Uses of Constitutional Power (Boston: Little, Brown, 1980). But unfortunately, it has long been out of print. I have focused on Johnson’s career during a tumultuous decade: the secession crisis of 1860–61; his appointment and service as military governor of Tennessee (1862–65); and his vice presidency and presidency (1865–69). As my notes demonstrate, I have depended significantly on an indispensable source: LeRoy P. Graf, Ralph W. Haskins, and Paul H. Bergeron, eds., The Papers of Andrew Johnson, 16 vols. (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1967–2000). The existence of twelve volumes (vols. 4–15) that cover Johnson in the 1860s means Essay on Sources 278 that no scholar can write about him without scouring the thousands of documents found there.Furthermore,research notes accompanying the documents provide a treasure trove of additional information. With regard specifically to Johnson as military governor, there are a few important published primary sources beyond The Papers of Andrew Johnson. Chief among them is the War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of theOfficialRecordsof the UnionandConfederateArmies,73 vols.,128 parts (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1880–1901)—particularly ser. 1, vols. 10, 20, 23, 24, 30. This compendium offers documents pertaining to military operations in Tennessee and Johnson’s involvement with the generals. Augmenting the Official Records are the Lincoln volumes edited by Roy P. Basler, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, 8 vols. (New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1953–55). As expected, this collection contains letters to and from Lincoln that relate to Johnson and his work as military governor. Both old and fairly recent studies are among the pertinent secondary works that deal with Johnson during the Civil War. In the former category is Clifton R. Hall, Andrew Johnson, Military Governor of Tennessee (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1916). Despite its vintage, it still provides notable information and insight. But Hall’s book has been largely superseded by Edwin T. Hardison, “In the Toils of War: Andrew Johnson and the Federal Occupation of Tennessee, 1862–1865,”(Ph.D.diss.,University of Tennessee,1981).Hardison has done an impressive amount of research in a wide variety of sources. In his extensive recounting of the military governorship, he argues that the manner in which Johnson handled the challenges of the war years foreshadowed his future dealings as president. A third essential source is Trefousse’s biography of Johnson, which is quite good on the topic of the Civil War years. A book that has rightly captured much praise is William C. Harris, With Charity for All: Lincoln and the Restoration of the Union (Lexington : University Press of Kentucky, 1997). He does a splendid job of interpreting Lincoln’s policies and actions with regard to the rebellious states during the war years. Thus Harris provides a broader context for Johnson and the Tennessee experiment; particularly noteworthy are chapters 2, 5, and 10, which examine the Volunteer State directly. Essay on Sources 279 Harris makes clear that Lincoln and Johnson had a close and friendly connection during the 1861–65 period. When scrutinizing the presidential years, there is a plethora of primary materials from which to choose.At the top of the list,of course,is The Papers of Andrew Johnson. Moreover, there is a special collection of documents that deals with the early part of his presidency: Brooks D. Simpson, LeRoy P. Graf, and John Muldowny, eds., Advice After Appomattox...