Colonel Edward D. Baker: Lincoln's Constant Ally (review)

338civil wa ß history Less tiian three months elapsed from tiie time Lyon seized the initiative in St. Louis until he sacrificed himself in battle. The climax to that whirlwind campaign came on August 10, 1861. The scene was the crest of a scrub oak hill, twelve miles southwest of Springfield, overlooking Wilson's Creek, a tributary of the James Branch of White River. Here Lyon elected to play the role of a captain of infantry and to throw away his life for the cause he espoused. The Confederate forces possessed the field after the battle and owned a victory; however, despite General Sterling Price's strong prodding, General Benjamin McCulloch refused to follow up and the Southern advantage frittered away. Lyon's efforts in Missouri were significant to the outcome of the war. He secured to the Union the important river city of St. Louis and its arsenal, relieved tiie state capital at Jefferson City of secessionist Governor Claiborne Jackson and the pro-Southern legislature, insured the navigability of the Mississippi, Ohio, and Upper Mississippi rivers, and kept the faith with loyal Union citizens in the West. Although Lyon's actions ultimately retained Missouri in the Union, his death at Wilson's Creek bore heavily on the conscience of the Lincoln government . Congress went so far as to pass a joint resolution—and declared tiie battle of Wilson's Creek a Federal victory won under the leadership of Lyon. The autiior expertly re-examines the sanguinary battle of Wilson's Creek. This is timely in light of the recent Congressional action creating this hallowed ground a National Battlefield Park. Moreover, tiie author demonstrates the exactness of his research by refusing to cast as a scapegoat the hapless and unlucky Federal general, Franz Sigel. A splendid bibliography and index are included in a volume that belongs on the ever increasing Civil War bookshelf. John K. Hulston Springfield, Missouri Colonel Edward D. Baker: Lincoln's Constant Ally. By Harry C. Blair and Rebecca Tarshis. (Portland: Oregon Historical Society, 1960. Pp. xiii, 233. $6.50.) It is evident that considerable research has been done by the authors in preparing this book. Each chapter is documented, pertinent illustrations appear , and both an appendix and an appropriate index are included. Thework is less of a biography, however, than it is an account of the general history of a period. And as general history the treatment is sketchy. People, places, and events move by in rapid succession and only too frequently are neither identified with, nor related to, the main biographical theme. This weakness does not mean that reader interest lags, or that the content is irrelevant . On the contrary, the authors are skilled in their selection of colorful events: the Mexican War, the activities of the Vigilance Committee in San Francisco, the inauguration of President Lincoln, etc. Yet the fact remains Book Reviews339 that the changing emphasis causes the central theme to suffer because it is assigned repeatedly to a secondary role. It is regrettable tiiat the authors failed to give a title to each of the fifteen chapters. This limitation creates confusion and becomes all die more pronounced because of the absence of a smooth style which could serve to connect and establish chapter relationships. There is also no explanation as to why the authors made use of the same methodology in writing Appendix A (theme, footnotes, documentation, etc.) that they used for writing the regular chapters. It would appear more appropriate therefore for Appendix A to appear as an additional chapter. In Appendix B the authors included four of Baker's speeches. How or why these particular ones were selected is not revealed nor is the original source identified from which three were taken. The exception was the fourth speech, the Atlantic Cable Address, phonographically reported for pubUcation in the Sacramento Daily Union and appearing therein on September 30, 1858. Though the subject matter of the book is arranged chronologically there aremany gaps which need to be filled and expanded. This is true with respect to Baker's early life, his relationship with Lincoln in Illinois, and especially with reference to the period from June, 1852, to August, 1857, when Baker was a...