Author Archives: Rich & Tracy Y

Civil War Podcast, Episode 70

THE BLOCKADE (AGAIN) / HATTERAS ISLAND

In which we discuss the Blockade Board, Confederate privateers, and the capture of Hatteras Island by a Federal joint army-navy task force in August, 1861.

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Civil War in Coastal North Carolina by John S. Carbone.

“From the drama of blockade-running to graphic descriptions of the battles on the islands and sounds of the Tar Heel State, The Civil War in Coastal North Carolina portrays the explosive events that took place on the North Carolina coast during America’s great sectional conflict.”

Listen to Episode 70: BlockadeAgain

Civil War Podcast, Episode 69

FREMONT’S FOLLIES

In which we look at John C. Fremont’s tenure as commander of the Federal’s Western Department in 1861 and see how troubled Missouri proved to be his downfall.

Our book recommendation for this episode is Pathfinder: John Charles Fremont and the Course of American Empire by Tom Chaffin.

“The most eloquent, understanding, and yet very candid biography of Fremont that has appeared to date.” ~ Howard R. Lamar, Yale University

Listen to Episode 69: Fremont’sFollies

Civil War Podcast, Episode 68

“BATTLE OF THE HEMP BALES”

In which we discuss the successful siege of Lexington by Sterling Price’s Missouri State Guard in September, 1861.

Our book recommendation for this episode is actually a back issue of North & South magazine. Issue #3 of the magazine, from February 1998, has an excellent article about the siege of Lexington by Jeff Patrick.

Listen to Episode 68: BattleHempBales

Civil War Podcast, Episode 67

WILSON’S CREEK (Part the Second)

In which we cover the action at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek (August 10, 1861).

Our book recommendation for this episode is Wilson’s Creek: The Second Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It by William Garrett Piston & Richard W. Hatcher III.

“The definitive study of a long-neglected but important battle… It should be seen as a blueprint for the way all Civil War books ought to be written.” ~ Journal of American History

Listen to Episode 67: WilsonsCreekPartSecond

Civil War Podcast, Episode 66

WILSON’S CREEK (Part the First)

In which we discuss the activities and maneuvering of both sides prior to the Battle of Wilson’s Creek (August 10, 1861) in southwest Missouri.

Our book recommendation for this episode is Campaign for Wilson’s Creek: The Fight for Missouri by Jeffrey L. Patrick.

Listen to Episode 66: WilsonsCreekPartFirst

Civil War Podcast, Episode 65

MAYHEM IN MISSOURI (Part the Second)

In which we continue our look at the mayhem that broke out in Missouri at the start of the Civil War. In this episode, we cover the ‘Battle of Carthage,’ and set the stage for the Battle of Wilson’s Creek.

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Civil War in Missouri: A Military History by Louis S. Gerteis.

“Making a case for the national importance of Civil War military campaigns in Missouri, Louis Gerteis portrays the operations of Union and Confederate armies in vivid detail. Although Missouri was notable for the intensity of its guerrilla warfare, this book demonstrates that conventional armies largely determined developments in the state, forming the anchor of Union control in the trans-Mississippi theater.” ~ James M. McPherson

Listen to Episode 65: MayhemMissouriPartSecond

Civil War Podcast, Episode 64

MAYHEM IN MISSOURI (Part the First)

In which we look at the mayhem that broke out in the important border state of Missouri at the start of the Civil War.

Our book recommendation for this episode is actually a magazine article in a back issue of North & South magazine. Volume 2 #5 (June, 1999) of North & South has an article titled “Don’t Yield an Inch! The Story of the Missouri State Guard” by William Garrett Piston & Thomas P. Sweeney.

Listen to Episode 64 to find out about our

March Madness T-shirt Giveaway!

Listen to Episode 64: MayhemMissouriPartFirst

Civil War Podcast, Episode 63

EX PARTE MERRYMAN

In which we discuss Chief Justice Roger Taney’s dramatic challenge to Abraham Lincoln’s suspension of “the great writ of liberty” (habeas corpus).

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Body of John Merryman: Abraham Lincoln and the Suspension of Habeas Corpus by Brian McGinty.

“An original, comprehensive, and well-written narrative about the first constitutional crisis pitting Abraham Lincoln against Chief Justice Roger B. Taney. Anyone interested in American history, the Constitution, and the Civil War will be anxious to read this excellent book.” ~ Frank J. Williams, former Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and founding chair of The Lincoln Forum

Listen to Episode 63: ExParteMerryman

Civil War Podcast, Episode 62

CIVIL WAR MEDICINE (Part the Second)

In which we continue our discussion of medical issues affecting Civil War soldiers. In this episode, we look at what happened to a soldier after he was wounded on the battlefield.

Our book recommendation for this episode is actually an article in the January 2009 issue of America’s Civil War. That article is titled “Life Is Better Than Limb” and posits that wartime amputations, while extreme, saved thousands of lives and helped spur the development of modern prosthetics.

Listen to Episode 62: CivilWarMedicinePartSecond

Civil War Podcast, Episode 61

CIVIL WAR MEDICINE (Part the First)

In which we look at some medical aspects of the Civil War. In this episode, we focus on diseases, which killed many many more Civil War soldiers than did wounds.

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Encyclopedia of Civil War Medicine by Glenna R. Schroeder-Lein.

“Disease and medical practices during the American Civil War have been the subject of important scholarship in recent years. This encyclopedia is an invaluable reference work for consultation by those who are interested in these questions. Clear, concise, accurate, its entries are readily accessible to the lay reader. I wish it had been available when I wrote my books on the war.” ~ James McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom

Listen to Episode 61: CivilWarMedicinePartFirst