From First to Last: The Life of Major General William B. Franklin (The North's Civil War, No. 19)

Rating:
Summary: An excellent biography.
Review: Before I read this book, the name William Buell Franklin meant little. All I knew was that he was a Union commander at Fredericksburg. The rest of Franklin's war service was a mystery to me. Thank God I read this book.

Franklin's reputation before this book can be compared to other Union generals such as George McClellan. Unfairly criticized for the Union losses in the eastern theater, McClellan has been the focal blame for the Union's lack of success in the early part of the war. In comparison, Franklin's inability to break through Jackson's lines at Fredericksburg has scarred his name until recently. Taking unjustifiable blame for this defeat, the Pennsylvanian never regained full respect for his illustrious war service.

What's even more impressive about this book is its commitment to the truth. Snell's study illustrates Franklin's strengths and failures throughout the war. Surely, the Maryland Campaign was not Franklin's finest hour as a commander, but Snell refuses to put entire blame on the general for his inability to rescue Harpers Ferry, unlike other historians of the campaign.

One can admire the entire life of this Union general. His service to his home and country has finely been noticed. Though still seen as the "scapegoat" of Fredericksburg, Franklin now has a fair biography that will certainly be the best out there for years to come.


Rating:
Summary: A fascinating cast of Civil War personalities!
Review: Franklin's life reads like an action-adventure story! Using previously undiscovered letters and meticulous research of the period, Mark Snell has brought to light a man whose life parallels the development of the United States through the 19th century. As an infant, William B. Franklin had been kissed by Lafayette and given, as were the fledgling United States, the blessing of that great proponent of American independence. Graduating first in his class at West Point, Franklin pursued an Army career in the Corps of Topographical Engineers, deeply involved in building the infrastructure which would support and define America's burgeoning industrial economy . . . mapping western territories and surveying Great Lake shorelines, building innovative coastal lighthouses, and serving as project manager for the DC capitol dome. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Franklin advised the Lincoln administration on how to expand the Regular Army, just the beggining of his interaction with many of the "big dogs" in that political and military struggle. He rose in rank and was a principal player in some of the war's most renown campaigns: First Bull Run, the Peninsula Campaign, Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, the Red River Campaign. He was even captured by Confederates and made a daring escape!

Of most interest to Civil War aficionados, Snell disputes Franklin's alleged "failure" at Fredericksburg and presents a solid argument for his true failure during the Maryland Campaign. Had Franklin been more aggressive following his success at Crampton's Gap on September 14, 1862, McClellan might have trounced Lee thoroughly at Sharpsburg, surely shortening the war. New information on Franklin's participation in the Red River Campaign is also fascinating. Following the war, Franklin ventured into a life of public service and business -- such as overseeing The National Home for Disabled Veterans and managing the Colt Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company -- and finally bowed out gracefully with the beginning of the new century.

This is a fair and objective biography of a truly selfless patriot, whose life teaches us about the century during which America defined itself as a nation, a man whose vigor, enthusiasm, and accomplishment matched that of the dynamic era during which he lived.

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating cast of Civil War personalities!
Review: Franklin's life reads like an action-adventure story! Using previously undiscovered letters and meticulous research of the period, Mark Snell has brought to light a man whose life parallels the development of the United States through the 19th century. As an infant, William B. Franklin had been kissed by Lafayette and given, as were the fledgling United States, the blessing of that great proponent of American independence. Graduating first in his class at West Point, Franklin pursued an Army career in the Corps of Topographical Engineers, deeply involved in building the infrastructure which would support and define America's burgeoning industrial economy . . . mapping western territories and surveying Great Lake shorelines, building innovative coastal lighthouses, and serving as project manager for the DC capitol dome. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Franklin advised the Lincoln administration on how to expand the Regular Army, just the beggining of his interaction with many of the "big dogs" in that political and military struggle. He rose in rank and was a principal player in some of the war's most renown campaigns: First Bull Run, the Peninsula Campaign, Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, the Red River Campaign. He was even captured by Confederates and made a daring escape!

Of most interest to Civil War aficionados, Snell disputes Franklin's alleged "failure" at Fredericksburg and presents a solid argument for his true failure during the Maryland Campaign. Had Franklin been more aggressive following his success at Crampton's Gap on September 14, 1862, McClellan might have trounced Lee thoroughly at Sharpsburg, surely shortening the war. New information on Franklin's participation in the Red River Campaign is also fascinating. Following the war, Franklin ventured into a life of public service and business -- such as overseeing The National Home for Disabled Veterans and managing the Colt Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company -- and finally bowed out gracefully with the beginning of the new century.

This is a fair and objective biography of a truly selfless patriot, whose life teaches us about the century during which America defined itself as a nation, a man whose vigor, enthusiasm, and accomplishment matched that of the dynamic era during which he lived.