The Red River Campaign: Union and Confederate Leadership and the War in Louisiana

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book on the Louisiana War
Review: The Red River Campaign has been largely overlooked since the end of the Civil War, and given its complexities, joint operations, and impact on the war, that is a surprising thing. The articles in this issue are deeply researched, well illustrated with photos and original maps, and heavily footnoted with outstanding explanatory notes. All the articles are outstanding; the overview on the naval operations is the best in print, and the essay on Colonel Beard and the Crescent regiment is deeply moving (he was killed near his home, with all the family issues involved you can imagine, all based on personal family papers). It stays with you. Overall, this is not intended as a definitive history, but instead hits on several major topics as a deep overview. It is well balanced, Union and Confederate and non-partisan. I think it is the best thing on the subject to date.

This issue of Civil War Regiments came out in 1994 as Vol. 4, No. 2, and quickly sold out. It has recently been reprinted in an expanded and revised edition with a touring the campaign article, but without the book reviews. Buy it if you can find it.