Free Ebook Courage Under Fire: Profiles in Bravery from the Battlefields of the Civil War, by Wiley Sword
Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword. What are you doing when having downtime? Chatting or browsing? Why do not you attempt to check out some e-book? Why should be reviewing? Reading is one of enjoyable and also satisfying task to do in your downtime. By reviewing from lots of sources, you can find brand-new information and encounter. Guides Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword to read will be numerous starting from scientific publications to the fiction e-books. It indicates that you can review the e-books based on the requirement that you intend to take. Naturally, it will certainly be different and you can check out all e-book types whenever. As below, we will reveal you a book need to be read. This publication Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword is the choice.
Courage Under Fire: Profiles in Bravery from the Battlefields of the Civil War, by Wiley Sword
Free Ebook Courage Under Fire: Profiles in Bravery from the Battlefields of the Civil War, by Wiley Sword
When you are hurried of job due date as well as have no idea to get motivation, Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword book is among your options to take. Schedule Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword will provide you the appropriate source and also thing to obtain inspirations. It is not only concerning the jobs for politic company, administration, economics, and also other. Some ordered jobs making some fiction jobs additionally require inspirations to overcome the task. As just what you require, this Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword will probably be your option.
Poses now this Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword as one of your book collection! Yet, it is not in your cabinet collections. Why? This is the book Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword that is given in soft data. You can download the soft file of this incredible book Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword now as well as in the web link offered. Yeah, different with the other people that try to find book Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword outside, you could get less complicated to posture this book. When some individuals still stroll right into the store and browse the book Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword, you are right here just stay on your seat and get guide Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword.
While the other people in the shop, they are unsure to find this Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword straight. It may need more times to go establishment by store. This is why we mean you this website. We will certainly supply the most effective way as well as reference to obtain guide Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword Also this is soft file book, it will certainly be convenience to bring Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword anywhere or conserve in the house. The difference is that you could not need relocate the book Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword place to area. You might require just copy to the other gadgets.
Now, reading this stunning Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword will be much easier unless you obtain download the soft file right here. Simply right here! By clicking the link to download and install Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword, you can begin to get the book for your personal. Be the very first proprietor of this soft documents book Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword Make difference for the others and obtain the initial to advance for Courage Under Fire: Profiles In Bravery From The Battlefields Of The Civil War, By Wiley Sword Present moment!
Through diaries and letter written on the battlefield, in camps, and on the deathbeds of soldiers from north and south, Wiley Sword, writes about more than the Civil War. He writes of the complex working of a soldier's mind coming to grips with life and death in a time when his country was at war with itself. On Aug. 3, 1864, Illinois Lieutenant Frank Curtiss was ordered by his commander to take the 127th Illinois Infantry into a charge of the fortified Rebel lines. He knew certain death was in store for him and his men. He also knew little tactical superiority would be gained for lives lost and refused to do it. Confederate Brigadier General Patrick Cleburne, one of the South's greatest military tacticians, left diaries showing he was striving to refine his methods to save lives while winning battles. And then there is the Rhode Island Regiment's Major Sullivan Ballou who, in 1861 on the eve of the battle of Bull Run who wrote of courage and dedication to his cause. Wiley Sword constructs a picture of the military mind that still resonates in today's wars.
- Sales Rank: #3117995 in Books
- Published on: 2007-11-13
- Released on: 2007-11-13
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.11" h x 1.18" w x 6.77" l, 1.32 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 336 pages
Review
"A solid work...reinforce[s] our understanding of a remarkable generation of Americans."--Civil War News "Sword writes in clean and straight to the point prose. A worthy read for anyone in a position of leadership, for it lays out the rigors of sending others into harm's way, which is a brand of courage, in itself. Also, it is a must for anyone who has an interest in human nature. For those with a preconceived notion of what they think courage means."--Civil War Book Review
About the Author
WILEY SWORD is the author of several Civil War histories, including Mountains Touched with Fire and Southern Invincibility. He is a Fletcher Pratt Prize Award-winner and has been nominated numerous other prizes, including the Pulitzer. He lives in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1 August 3, 1864, was not proving to be a good day for Frank Curtiss. He was sweating profusely because the Illinois lieutenant colonel faced a big problem. He had been ordered by the senior (brigade) commanding officer, Brigadier General Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn, to take his regiment, the 127th Illinois Infantry, and charge the fortified Rebel lines across an open field near Atlanta, Georgia. Curtiss knew what was in store. His skirmishers had already attempted to attack the enemy’s pickets across the same field. They had started off with a yell, aiming at the dusky brown line of improvised earthworks. Halfway across the field, it seemed as if all hell had exploded in their faces. Ten Confederate cannon, firing deadly shotgunlike blasts of canister, had raked the sprinting lines of blue-clad soldiers. Minié balls had zipped about like angry swarms of bees. Seven of fifty men were downed in an instant, and the remainder had scattered in confusion back to the Union lines.
Before the attack Curtiss’s palms were sweaty. Now the oppressive Georgia heat added to the ache in his heart. If he took his men out there again, perhaps not a man would survive. Yet Curtiss carefully considered the situation: Lightburn was waiting impatiently, his brigadier general’s stars glistening on gilded shoulder straps. Obviously the austere and gruff West Virginian saw little merit in Curtiss’s hesitation. He wanted that Rebel skirmish line captured.
Frank Curtiss was no fool. A veteran combat officer with extensive experience, he knew the consequences of making the attack: heavy losses for an insignificant gain. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. Lightburn was known to be bucking for a second star and division command, especially since his superior, Major General Morgan L. Smith, was ill and on the verge of leaving the army for home. Moreover, Lightburn was aware that the Army of the Tennessee’s new commander, Major General Oliver O. Howard, was personally present, watching for good results. Lightburn thus wanted bold action that might impress his seniors.
Frank Curtiss wanted only to keep his men alive. They deserved better than to have their lives thrown away in a useless frontal assault that could accomplish nothing to compensate for an outright slaughter. From Arkansas Post to Dallas, Georgia, these men had fought valiantly and suffered accordingly. Their lives were precious, more so than the prospect of a new star for old Lightburn—whom the boys said they “hated worse than a Rebel” for his self-serving ways.
Curtiss’s expression turned grim. Common sense opposed Lightburn’s orders, but it equated to a dire choice: his arrest for disobeying orders, or the death of many of his men. Thus the decision was both simple and complex.
In Frank Curtiss’s mind there really was no choice. He refused to make the attack.
Lightburn’s reaction was like that of a stricken grizzly; swiftly Curtiss was placed under arrest, his sword was confiscated, and the distraught officer was sent to the rear to face dismissal from the army.
Lightburn now angrily turned to the next regiment in line, the 55th Illinois Infantry. The result was the same. The captain commanding (the senior officers were casualties) decided he, too, would not make such a forlorn attack. When the third regiment’s commander also hesitated to charge, Lightburn had these officers arrested and was seen galloping off in a huff, apparently damning the ill luck that had brought him command of such independent-minded units.1
Great moral courage was comparatively rare on the tactical battlefield prior to 1864; experience, if not the ability, was wanting. Knowing what was tactically right or wrong was generally a by-product of personal experience, and hence had to be learned. Yet acting upon that same knowledge frequently involved an extraordinary dilemma. At what point was the right to be implemented, and at what cost? The lessons of three years of increasingly vicious warfare had clarified the means and the issues. Those in the ranks knew, as survivors, what their service had taught: what was or wasn’t practical or possible. Often at issue was a myriad of counterpoints, from what was good judgment, to the implementation of selfish motives or bureaucratic initiatives, to a use of common sense. It was a familiar bane of common soldiers and their units’ officers: coping with the perceived bungling of high-ranking commanders. Those who seemed to know the best were those with the most to gain or lose—their lives. Decisions by those not at risk often involved a far different perspective.
“Cannon fodder” was an outmoded concept even in 1861. “Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die” implied a universal theme of compliance amid ignorance. Yet in the mid-nineteenth century the masses were not essentially stupid. With the Industrial Revolution had come an equally fundamental educational revolution. Ordinary people were no longer largely uneducated and thus complaisant amid their relative ignorance. From religious institutions to the military, the implications were enormous. The masses, able to read and write, and stimulated to think by rapid means of communication, were as a maturing apple tree, ready to bear quality fruit where only the yield would be affected by the climate and conditions. Being told what to do now involved a more sophisticated approach—that of rationale. While there were those who relied upon traditional methods to obtain results, they often were less successful than the innovators, the leaders who studied, reasoned, and adapted.
By 1864, the crux of the matter was the evolving war of technology, in which attitudes and traditional concepts were subject to the relative overall wisdom that was applied. Management of the battlefield centered on a new criterion—personnel conservation and efficacy in action. In its most basic meaning, this translated into use of common sense rather than staid, all-but-obsolete textbook concepts. The world was changing. New technology had altered the methodology of war. Thinking had to keep pace. It was a fascinating challenge to those in control—how well could they adapt?
To the men who fought in the trenches during the later stages of the war, the matter of their life or death thus had a new focus; would their lives (being increasingly precious) be truly valued by those in command? Would they be given a fair chance to survive in combat, consistent with the altered, more deadly conditions of modern warfare? Because of the widespread use of more lethal weapons technology, this meant fighting smart.
From Today’s Perspective
In achieving victory in battle, the basic reliance for ages has been on military discipline. As such, the focus has always been on the one essential maxim: “Obey orders.” Yet in a “why” context, is it enough to be told what to do on the basis of rank? Perhaps in ordinary circumstances, yes. But ultimately, if human life is the essential value, are there times when risking one’s life is to be weighed against the viability of the endeavor? Traditionally, superior rank has been given full discretion in such matters, but at what point does a higher consideration have sway? Frank Curtiss thought he must act in refusing an order based upon his knowledge and personal experience; he saw the situation at Atlanta on August 3, 1864 as resulting in a useless sacrifice of life. To refuse Lightburn’s mandate was contrary to the oath he had taken to obey the lawful orders of his superiors, but he viewed his moral courage in doing what was “right” as saving the lives of countless numbers of his men. Was it justified? Or, in reverse perspective, was Lightburn’s tactical ignorance—or perhaps ulterior motive—in ordering the attack defensible under the scrutiny of hindsight? If correct in a technical sense, were his actions in a practical sense justifiable? Even in today’s military, should a subordinate officer be denied the chance to alter the course of action, given explicit orders contrary to the moral ethics of right versus wrong—such as to sacrifice without due gain the very lives of his men? The answers are not easy, even as we examine cause and effect. No explanations or solutions will be satisfactory, but it is a fundamental human quest to seek an understanding of what is ultimate wisdom.
This book, while often focused on the tactical battlefield, examines decision making as a consequence of personal perception and applied moral resolution. Differences in thinking may be based upon extent of knowledge, but ultimately the results sometimes defy conventional rationale (because, essentially, we are not invariably smart enough to correctly perceive and manage all factors large and small). While an analysis of some of the Civil War’s key decisions in forethought and their subsequent consequences is necessarily limited by the passage of time and inherent loss of data, we can in a larger sense stimulate thought, raise internal questions, and inspire deeper reasoning. Indeed, if we are to learn from the past, our understanding must encompass as much of the whole story as is possible—that is, the thinking as well as the doing.
What went through the mind of certain individuals caught up in life-or-death circumstances is generally difficult to determine. However, put into perspective from the historical clues that exist, often a meaningful if subjective analysis is possible. If we are to better understand our lives and the meaning of such, the past hopefully holds clues in its many recorded lessons. Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Sword. All rights reserved.
Most helpful customer reviews
13 of 17 people found the following review helpful.
Much Better than one star!
By James W. Durney
I was very close to bringing this book home today. I spent about twenty minutes looking it over and reading sections. One star is a very harsh review of what is a good readable book. Pen Avenger is on a quest to defend John B. Hood and gives one start to most books dealing with the Nashville Campaign of 1864.
Mr. Sword is an excellent author and a respected historian, who should not be quickly dismissed based on a single partisan review. My evaluation of the book is a minimum of four stars. It is on my "To Read" list and I recommend you consider it.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Riveting window into the past
By Viki Lee Butler
This was a touching testament of the terrors of war as seen through the eyes of the common soldier. It brought you into the mindset of the times.. brother against brother, the letters of loved ones making this a personal experience of a dark time in out countries history.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
I'm not still fighting the Civil War
By Roger A. Newman
After reading all this bantering back and forth and then reading the book, my thought was that maybe we should all get a life. One vendetta against another and another, maybe I should have taken sides? Much history of the Civil War is written by Southerners who haven't accepted defeat yet, and keep fighting it over and over again, I've leaned to live with that. Wiley seems little different. Yet then who are his detractors?
Thomas and Sherman saw to the death blow, one with the only complete Civil War victory, which was against Hood, the other with a barbarous "total war". The Civil War abounds with distorted history, emotional evaluations, but mostly blundering in a new form of warfare. Newspapers and writers often felt little obligation to the truth. Hood was little different in this respect, he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, trying to do the wrong job, too late, with too few men and then he came up against Thomas at his peak performance, who was at the right place at the right time and only a couple of weeks late , according to Grant.
Beyond this Hood thing, Wiley Sword's book is interesting, with different points of view on some different subjects. He wonders at times and varies from his own subject matter, but I enjoyed the book. Better than much of the usual repetitive predictable rhetoric on the war. Maybe not a four star book, but maybe three or three and a half, but a balance with the radicals was necessary. So for our next war, we will set down some rules so this doesn't happen again.
Courage Under Fire: Profiles in Bravery from the Battlefields of the Civil War, by Wiley Sword PDF
Courage Under Fire: Profiles in Bravery from the Battlefields of the Civil War, by Wiley Sword EPub
Courage Under Fire: Profiles in Bravery from the Battlefields of the Civil War, by Wiley Sword Doc
Courage Under Fire: Profiles in Bravery from the Battlefields of the Civil War, by Wiley Sword iBooks
Courage Under Fire: Profiles in Bravery from the Battlefields of the Civil War, by Wiley Sword rtf
Courage Under Fire: Profiles in Bravery from the Battlefields of the Civil War, by Wiley Sword Mobipocket
Courage Under Fire: Profiles in Bravery from the Battlefields of the Civil War, by Wiley Sword Kindle
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar