A fascinating and entertaining anthology about the American Civil War,
throwing new light on all aspects of the war, and how it affected
America and Americans, then and down to the present.
Albert Nofi tells the story of the American War through a range of
insightful essays, anecdotes, and facts. Did you know...
- During the final days of the war, some Richmond citizens would throw
"Starvation Parties," at which elegantly attired guests would gather at
soirees where the finest silver and crystal tableware was used, though
there were usually no refreshments except water.
- Union Rear-Admiral Goldsborough was nicknamed "Old Guts", not so much
for his combativeness as for his heft, weighing about 300 pounds, and
was described as ". . . a huge mass of inert matter."
- 30.6 percent of the 425 Confederate generals, but only 21.6 percent of
the 583 Union generals, had been lawyers before the war.
- In 1861, J. P. Morgan made a huge profit by buying 5,000 condemned US
Army carbines and selling them back to another arsenal, taking the Army
to court when they tried to refuse to pay for the faulty weapons.
- Major General Loring was reputed to have so rich a vocabulary than one
of the men once remarked he could "curse a cannon up hill without
horses."
- Many militia units had a favorite drink, the Charleston Light
Dragoons' punch took around a week to make while the Chatham Artillery
required 1 pound of green tea leaves be steeped overnight.
- There were five living former presidents when the Civil War began, and
seven veterans of the war (plus one draft dodger) went on to serve as
President.
