Category Archives: 1862

Civil War Podcast, Episode 97

SIBLEY’S NEW MEXICO CAMPAIGN (Part the Second)

In which we continue our look at Sibley’s New Mexico Campaign by discussing the Battle of Valverde (February 21, 1862).

Our book recommendation for this episode is Bloody Valverde: A Civil War Battle on the Rio Grande, February 21, 1862 by John Taylor.

America’s Civil War Magazine, January 2013

Listen to Episode 97: NewMexicoPartSecond

Civil War Podcast, Episode 96

SIBLEY’S NEW MEXICO CAMPAIGN (Part the First)

In which we set the stage for Sibley’s New Mexico Campaign by discussing Texas’s secession from the Union in February, 1861 and looking at “Baylor’s Buffalo Hunt” (May-July, 1861).

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Civil War in the American West by Alvin M. Josephy, Jr.

“Marvelous, original… that great, adventurous, little-known side of the Civil War is all here for the first time: the clash of North and South set in the immense space of the West and peopled with some of the most vivid characters of that vivid time.” ~ David McCullough

Listen to Episode 96: NewMexicoPartFirst

Civil War Podcast, Episode 95

POSTSCRIPT: FORREST’S BREAKOUT

In which we talk a bit about Nathan Bedford Forrest’s background and then take a closer look at his escape from Fort Donelson on February 16, 1862.

Our book recommendation for this episode is A Battle from the Start: The Life of Nathan Bedford Forrest by Brian Steel Wills.

“A Battle from the Start is direct, fast-paced, and totally absorbing. Nathan Bedford Forrest comes vibrantly alive- not, perhaps, as a man to be loved, but certainly as one who merits the closest consideration. He is shown to be one of the Civil War’s ablest, most aggressive, and most interesting commanders.” ~ Richard Wheeler, author of On Fields of Fury

Listen to Episode 95: PostscriptForrestsBreakout

Civil War Podcast, Episode 94

FORTS HENRY & DONELSON (Part the Sixth)

In which we conclude our discussion of the Battle of Fort Donelson (February 13-16, 1862).

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Civil War in the West: Victory and Defeat from the Applachians to the Mississippi by Earl J. Hess.

“A thorough account and compelling analysis of the challenges those in charge of the Union war effort faced in the West and how they overcame them. Impressively researched and informative, this is an outstanding addition to the Littlefield History of the Civil War Era.” ~ Ethan S. Rafuse

Listen to Episode 94: HenryDonelsonPartSixth

Civil War Podcast, Episode 93

FORTS HENRY & DONELSON (Part the Fifth)

In which we continue our discussion of the Battle of Fort Donelson (February 13-16, 1862).

Our book recommendations for this episode are:

Blue & Gray magazine, Volume 28 #4

North & South magazine, Volume 7 #2 (March 2004)

Listen to Episode #93: HenryDonelsonPartFifth

Civil War Podcast, Episode 92

FORTS HENRY & DONELSON (Part the Fourth)

In which we look at the opening stages of the Battle of Fort Donelson (February 13-16, 1862).

Our book recommendation for this episode is Struggle for the Heartland: The Campaigns from Fort Henry to Corinth by Stephen D. Engle.

“A great addition to the University of Nebraska Press’s Great Campaigns of the Civil War. It is a fine example of the growing trend to incorporate economic, political, and social studies into military history.” ~ North & South magazine

Listen to Episode #92: HenryDonelsonPartFourth

Civil War Podcast, Episode 91

FORTS HENRY & DONELSON (Part the Third)

In which we look at the Federal timberclads’ dramatic raid up the Tennessee River, and Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston’s controversial decision to reinforce- but not to fully commit to the defense of- Fort Donelson.

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Battle of Fort Donelson: No Terms but Unconditional Surrender by James R. Knight.

Listen to Episode 91: HenryDonelsonPartThird

Civil War Podcast, Episode 90

FORTS HENRY & DONELSON (Part the Second)

In which we discuss the Battle of Fort Henry, which took place on February 6, 1862.

Our book recommendation for this episode is Where the South Lost the War: An Analysis of the Fort Henry-Fort Donelson Campaign, February 1862 by Kendall D. Gott.

“Some historians argue that the pivotal action of the Civil War was not Antietam or Gettysburg, but the twin Confederate losses at Fort Henry and Donelson, the battles that opened the way for the Union juggernaut to penetrate the Southern heartland and carve it into pieces, though it would take three years to accomplish. Kendall Gott’s Where the South Lost the War is our first comprehensive look at these turning points in some years, and is especially good on the oft-dismissed Fort Henry operations. It should establish itself as the standard word on both engagements and their impact.” ~ William C. Davis