After
leading three groups to Vicksburg to understand the pivotal Civil War Battle of
the West, I knew of the battlements, the map of movements and the primary
characters. My research provided me with
a good shell of understanding that lacked the emotional feeling of the
individuals caught in this critical war – people put in to places of danger,
horror, and stress that are difficult to
imagine. What I needed was this book
Shaara did a
wonderful amount of research to help us glimpse the sense of confusion and
helplessness that surrounded the events.
We do see Grant and Sherman who are the primary characters from our
historical view of the war, but only in context to their men and movements, to
the setting and the conflict. We see
through their chapters the uncertainty that surrounded them and the
determination to move through the uncertainty to accomplish their goals. We also see the resulting loss of life when
the decisions were ill-advised.
Through
private Bauer we get a sense of the isolation of each soldier – no need to
know, just to do. They had no sense of
the strategy, they were just told to march, dig, shoot, bury, and respect their
officers. It is a poignant viewpoint
that has the conflicting feelings of killing and the recognition that these are
neighbors – Americans that they are killing.
Through various interactions between rebels and Yankees there is a
connection made between individuals – during burying details, and shore truces,
but it only complicates the matters
since each handshake or exchange of goods gives a face to the man you might shoot or bayonet the next day.
On the rebel
side the primary character is General Pemberton, a Pennsylvania office put in
charge of Vicksburg. He is suspicious
because he is from the north and that suspicion has put him at odds with the
citizens and many subordinates. He
fights for the south because of his marriage.
He is a personal friend of Jefferson Davis which puts him at odds with
Joe Johnston, the man who commands this region, the man who is expected to move
in to support the besieged troops at Vicksburg.
Pemberton must ultimately make the decision to surrender, but in many
ways Johnston is lucky to escape the goat label in this war.
However,
Pemberton is not under any circumstances a good leader. He is stubborn in his resolve, he is loyal to
his orders, and yet he has no connection to the men he leads. In the end, the surrender is also a
capitulation of his own honor and position.
From the
Vicksburg side another viewpoint is expressed through the story of a young
woman who lives in Vicksburg and takes shelter in the hand dug caves that serve
as protection from the mortars and artillery.
She volunteers as a nurse and that puts here in a position to observe
both civilian and military people – not battles and we get a glimpse at the
realities of citizens under siege.
What the
book lacks is a “negro” voice. We
encounter a few slaves and get some ideas of their terrible plight and rising
emotions, but not enough. Yet, except
for that one desire, I would give this book a very high rating for accuracy,
research, and writing. The parallel
stories are compelling and enough to make it a page turner even though you know
the inevitable ending.
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