Author Archives: Rich & Tracy Y

Civil War Podcast, Episode 73

BALL’S BLUFF

Edward Dickinson Baker (1811-1861)

In which we look at the Battle of Ball’s Bluff, which took place near Leesburg, Virginia on October 21, 1861.

Our book recommendation for this episode is A Little Short of Boats: The Battles of Ball’s Bluff and Edwards Ferry by James A. Morgan, III.

“Jim Morgan is a masterful writer and military historian. This revised and expanded edition is the definitive account of Ball’s Bluff. His excellent tactical analysis has been augmented with more firsthand accounts, many previously unpublished, that make a good work even better… This is Civil War history at its best.” ~ Ted Alexander, Historian, Antietam National Battlefield

Listen to Episode 73: BallsBluff

Civil War Podcast, Episode 72

McCLELLAN TAKES CHARGE

In which we discuss George McClellan’s arrival in Washington in July of 1861, and his taking command of the defeated & demoralized force that would become the Union’s famed Army of the Potomac.

Our book recommendation for this episode is George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon by Stephen W. Sears.

“A dozen years after the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant said that ‘McClellan is to me one of the mysteries of the war.’ Historian Stephen Sears has finally unraveled most of that mystery. He has probed the puzzling personality of this complex, brilliant man of whom so much was expected but who delivered so little. A fascinating story of the reasons for the Union military failure in Virginia during the first half of the war.” ~ James M. McPherson

Listen to Episode 72: McclellanTakesCharge

Civil War Podcast, Episode 71

CHEAT MOUNTAIN

In which we look at Robert E. Lee’s Cheat Mountain campaign in western Virginia in September, 1861.

Our book recommendations for this episode are:

September Blood: The Battle of Carnifex Ferry by Terry Lowry

R.E. Lee’s Cheat Mountain Campaign by Jack Zinn

Listen to Episode 71: CheatMountain

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