The Civil War, State by State

by Chester G. Hearn

Most books and articles about the Civil War cover the subject chronologically and examine the war as one continuous event, but Civil War State by State looks at the war from the perspective of the forty-five states and territories that existed during the period. It looks at the politics of each; the battles fought; the regiments raised; the famous people, soldiers, sailors and very occasional airmen who played their part. Richly illustrated with maps and photographs, this book will provide a fund of knowledge and make a valuable addition to any historian's library.

Genres: History, American Civil War, Military History, Nonfiction, Civil War

448 pages, Hardcover

First published July 15, 2013

About the author

A 1954 graduate of Allegheny College, Chester Hearn served in the U.S. Army and worked in industrial management before becoming an author of books on the American Civil War in his retirement.

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good overview of every state and territory's part in the Civil War.
There were many good pictures on almost every page and maps sprinkled throughout.
Very glad I read it and recommended!

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provided what could have been an interesting look at the Civil War by showing the contributions of each state and territory to the war. Unfortunately, there are numerous mistakes all through the book; for example, the author had Alexander Ramsey serve as Minnesota governor from 1860 to 1963. He also had Nathan B. Forrest commanding Confederate troops at Poison Springs, Arkansas, while the Missouri section refers to Samuel Curtis as "Alfred Curtis". The District of Columbia section actually concentrated mostly on the Union war effort in the East during the first two years; it mentions neither the D.C. military units nor even the Battle of Fort Stevens.

[Peter McGinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though some of the content was not particularly interesting to me, I give it credit for looking at an old subject from a new and fresh perspective. What Hearn does is separate the chapters by state (as you can tell from the title!) So in each chapter, we learn about not only what officers and battles are connected to each state or territory, but also about the political figures and actions from each state. He also talks about the fighting units from each area. So with such a wide spectrum of topics, it would be surprising if none of them were less interesting than others. But young students of the Civil War or residents of a state can easily learn about the contributions and perspectives of each location. I read about my home state and then my adopted state first, and then moved on to the rest. And in a war where it was countrymen against each other, it was informative to learn how some states contributed officers and fighting units to both sides.

Despite the amount of material it covers, it is still a pleasant read and not bogged down with endless details or in-depth analysis.

[Douglas Graney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting tidbits and trivia. Fun to flip through.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would be difficult for a middle school student to read, but it's a good reference source.

[Jennifer Buchmelter · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are numerous mistakes throughout this book.