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Confederate Patton: Richard Taylor And The Red River Campaign
ALEXANDER THE GREAT ONCE SAID he did not fear an army of lions led by a sheep, but he did fear an army of sheep led by a lion.
Superbly equipped and lavishly supplied, and backed by the largest inland fleet in American history up to that point, the Union Army of the Gulf marched up the Red River Valley with 32,000 men. The Confederate Army of Western Louisiana met with 8,800 ragged veterans, possibly 1,000 parole violators, and no navy.
In Confederate Patton, the Rebels are the good guys. Led by a lion named Richard Taylor, they threw themselves at the throats of the invaders, tore them limb from limb at Mansfield, routed their army, chased it 200 miles—all the way across Louisiana—surrounded it twice, and defeated it so badly it never threatened Confederate Louisiana again. Meanwhile, it cut off much of their fleet, forced it to shoot its way out, and inflicted such heavy losses on the Union Navy that it was delighted to escape at all, although it was forced to leave several of its vessels, including the largest and most powerful ironclad at the bottom of the Red River.
Originally published as Richard Taylor and the Red River Campaign of 1864, this revised and expanded second edition, details one of the most surprising and humiliating defeats in United States' military history.
Dr. Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr., is the author of more than 40 books and more than 100 articles, which have been translated into German, Italian, Polish, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, and other languages. He is a winner of the John Esten Cooke Literary Prize and holds the Jefferson Davis Gold Medal for excellence in the research and writing of Southern history.
Superbly equipped and lavishly supplied, and backed by the largest inland fleet in American history up to that point, the Union Army of the Gulf marched up the Red River Valley with 32,000 men. The Confederate Army of Western Louisiana met with 8,800 ragged veterans, possibly 1,000 parole violators, and no navy.
In Confederate Patton, the Rebels are the good guys. Led by a lion named Richard Taylor, they threw themselves at the throats of the invaders, tore them limb from limb at Mansfield, routed their army, chased it 200 miles—all the way across Louisiana—surrounded it twice, and defeated it so badly it never threatened Confederate Louisiana again. Meanwhile, it cut off much of their fleet, forced it to shoot its way out, and inflicted such heavy losses on the Union Navy that it was delighted to escape at all, although it was forced to leave several of its vessels, including the largest and most powerful ironclad at the bottom of the Red River.
Originally published as Richard Taylor and the Red River Campaign of 1864, this revised and expanded second edition, details one of the most surprising and humiliating defeats in United States' military history.
Dr. Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr., is the author of more than 40 books and more than 100 articles, which have been translated into German, Italian, Polish, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, and other languages. He is a winner of the John Esten Cooke Literary Prize and holds the Jefferson Davis Gold Medal for excellence in the research and writing of Southern history.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 11, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 16, 2024
The author of this book is credited as a military historian and is a visiting professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. In addition, and importantly, Dr. Mitcham is of southern birth and a member of the Stephen D. Lee Institute. This is important because much of American historic literature suffers from the "victor's bias." That is not the case with this work. The book primarily deals with the Red River Campaign of 1864. Mitcham's insights concerning the nuts and bolts of conducting a military operation in his home state demonstrates a rare understanding of the effects of weather and geography on military operations. The book also features introductions to general officers on both sides. And lastly, it demonstrates how politics and economics can influence military decisions at the highest levels of government. If you enjoy history, you will enjoy this book.
January 25, 2024
Excellent coverage of the entire Red River Campaign
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews