The Man Behind the Guns: A Military Biography of General Henry J. Hunt, Commander of Artillery, Army of the Potomac

Rating:
Summary: A Fine biography that Civil War buffs will much enjoy
Review: Civil War biographies seem to be a lost art as of late. We do see the occasional biography such as Sears' fine book on McClellan, Wert's on Custer and it seems there's a new Lee or Jackson biography every year. However for many Civil War commanders it's been years since we've seen full biographies for them. Generals George Meade and George Thomas haven't seen new full bios in 50+ years. Not since Freeman Cleaves wrote his works on them in the late 40s and it's been 60 years since Walter Hebert wrote his work on Fighting Joe Hooker.

So with that said, it's nice to see a modern biography of an important and yet overlooked man in the Army of the Potomac's leadership.

If there was any one constant in the history of the Army of the Potomac it would have to be Henry Hunt. He served under every commander from McDowell and McClellan through Meade and Grant. For most he served as their head of artillery. In the war Hunt saw every major battle that the Army of the Potomac fought in from First Bull Run through Appomattox Court House. Army Commanders changed as did Corps commanders but Hunt was always there.

It's partly that that makes this book interesting. It's as much a story of the evolution of artillery in the Civil War as it is Hunt, although it's evolution controlled and nurtured by Hunt. In Longacre's book we see Hunt's famous stubbornness and temper and his equally famous conflict with Winfield Hancock at Gettysburg. We also see his brilliance with artillery and unfortunately his tragic life after the war where one could argue that his country turned it's back on him after Hunt did so much to help preserve it.

Of Ed Longacre's biographies I would have to say this could be his best. The book is well researched thanks in part to some of Hunt's decendants who allowed Longacre access to some of Hunt's personal writings that have never been seen before. Lastly Longacre is just a very good writer. His works are never boring or dry. This book will be much enjoyed by Civil War buffs.

Rating:
Summary: An awesome book, a hero of Gettysburg!
Review: This biography of Henry Jackson Hunt, Chief of Artillery of the Army of the Potomac in the Civil War, is an outstanding example of a biography of an oft-overlooked yet key figure in the Civil War. Hunt's professional knowledge and expertise led to his prominent contribution to Union victory at Gettysburg, a
battlefield that offered tremendous opportunities to the side that more effectively utilized artillery. His role in the later
campaigns was reduced by the reduced reliance on artillery on the Virginia battlefields of 1864 & 1865. His prickly and sometimes quarrelsome disposition also failed to endear him to some of his peers, notably W.S. Hancock. Nonetheless, Hunt's story is one that all students of the Civil War should know.
Buy and read this book!