protomattr reviewed Battle cry of freedom by James M. McPherson (The Oxford history of the United States -- v. 6)
Review of 'Battle cry of freedom' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
"From the Halls of Montezuma" to the shoals of victory...
Appropriately James McPherson wrapped his work with prologue and epilogue adapting their titles from the Marines' Hymn. Indeed, this superbly researched and written book takes us from the US defeat of Mexico to the Union-preserving victory some 20 years later. The annexation of Mexican territory was but one link in the chain of events that deepened the divide between North and South to the point of Civil War. Continuing through other developments, McPherson demonstrates convincingly how the War came to be, presenting the context in which it happened, and how the issue of slavery, specifically, the slave-based economy and way-of-life of the South, was the central issue. After the first shots are fired at Fort Sumter, the reader is treated to a comprehensive account of key campaigns and battles (including excellent maps), principal actors, and developments occurring off the battlefields, …
"From the Halls of Montezuma" to the shoals of victory...
Appropriately James McPherson wrapped his work with prologue and epilogue adapting their titles from the Marines' Hymn. Indeed, this superbly researched and written book takes us from the US defeat of Mexico to the Union-preserving victory some 20 years later. The annexation of Mexican territory was but one link in the chain of events that deepened the divide between North and South to the point of Civil War. Continuing through other developments, McPherson demonstrates convincingly how the War came to be, presenting the context in which it happened, and how the issue of slavery, specifically, the slave-based economy and way-of-life of the South, was the central issue. After the first shots are fired at Fort Sumter, the reader is treated to a comprehensive account of key campaigns and battles (including excellent maps), principal actors, and developments occurring off the battlefields, including the diplomatic battles in Britain and France. I appreciated the sections describing how the displacement of smooth-bore muskets by state-of-the-art rifles and carbines, combined with a lack of corresponding development in battlefield tactics, was largely responsible for the great loss of life in the War, as battles took on more of a defensive shape, eventually becoming trench warfare long before the end. I also came away with favorable opinions of several Northern and Southern military commanders, including Grant, Sherman, Sheridan (of whom I did not have a favorable opinion after reading of his later service against the Plains Indians), Farragut, Lee, Jackson (I plan to read more about Stonewall), and the flamboyant cavalry master Jeb Stuart.
On Lincoln I cannot heap enough praise. It was extremely interesting to learn about his evolving stance on slavery. I was especially impressed with the Emancipation Proclamation. I am not sure I was previously aware of how huge of a strategic masterstroke this was. Saying it freed the slaves is missing the point. Issued midway through the War, it was essentially a big middle finger to the Confederacy, giving the rebelling states 100 days to surrender and rejoin the Union, or else declaring their slaves to be free by force. This gave the Union something more to fight for, and went for the South's economic jugular at the the same time.
On the other hand, my impression of Jefferson Davis is that he was an inept leader and a villain, and does not deserve the adulation he still receives in Southern states.
I searched for a book like this because I wanted to learn more about the event in American history that probably shaped the nation more than any other, and Battle Cry of Freedom exceeded my expectations. The Civil War still ripples through our nation today, especially in the South. Views on it are necessarily complex. Southerners should be proud of their ancestors' rebellion, even if the core issue was to defend something we now rightly consider immoral. I appreciated this statement by future president Woodrow Wilson quoted in the book:
"Because I love the South, I rejoice in the failure of the Confederacy. . . . Conceive of this Union divided into two separate and independent sovereignties! . . . Slavery was enervating our Southern society. . . . [Nevertheless] I recognize and pay loving tribute to the virtues of the leaders of secession . . . the righteousness of their cause which they thought they were promoting-- and to the immortal courage of the soldiers of the Confederacy."