Courage Under Fire: Profiles in Bravery from the Battlefields of the Civil War

by Wiley Sword

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.

Genres: Civil War, History

336 pages, Hardcover

First published November 13, 2007

About the author

A graduate of the University of Michigan, Wiley Sword worked as a manufacturer’s representative to the automobile industry until his retirement. He was also a prolific collector of Civil War memorabilia, and wrote several works of military history.

Reviews

[Kendrick Hughes · Rating 1 out of 5]

not sure any author could actually write on this topic

[Sandra]

Okay. I give up. I tried. I really did. But this book was sooooooo boring. It would've been a good book if I was a total Civil War buff, but I'm not. I had a hard time deciphering which side the people were fighting for. And it was wordy. Really wordy. I've been holding on to it for like 2 months, and it's not worth it anymore.

I thought it really strange that the author was commending the Confederate Army so much with their bravery and leadership. Last time I checked, it was the Confederates who wanted to secede from the Union and keep slaves around. So, while not trivalizing those men who lost their lives from the Confederate Army, I think it'd be important to point out that their cause was inhumane.

Anyways, if you're a history buff and enjoy reading about the Civil War and can keep which battalions were for which side, this might actually be a good book. It was much too confusing and wordy for me.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am just about done with this book. I am a Civil War buff and cannot get enough of the history and experiences from it. When I am reading this book, I feel immense gratitude for the sacrifice of each man and woman who gave their lives for the beliefs they had in fighting such a war. It is truly marvelous to be an American.