Wisconsin in the Civil War: The Home Front and the Battle Front, 1861-1865

by Frank Klement

The final book by Marquette University historian Frank L. Klement (1905-1994), this is a vivid chronological narrative of Wisconsin's role in the pivotal event in American history. In this volume, Klement greatly expanded his 1962 booklet on this topic, adding new material on each of Wisconsin's fifty-three infantry regiments, political and constitutional issues, soldiers voting, women and the war, and Wisconsin's black soldiers.

152 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 1997

Reviews

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jam packed full of Wisconsin's history in the Civil War. It's a somewhat dry reading and what other reviewers reference as reading like a text book because there is so much info.

There were interesting anecdotes about the personal side of the home front or Wisconsin heroes. Otherwise the rest is politically driven and the Wisconsin movers and shakers involved. Good photos, but then again I'd always like more historical photographs of those gone by.

If you need a reference for a report, check this volume out.

[Colleen MacFarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

While doing genealogical research on my paternal side, this book was invaluable. Well written and interesting. It provided the answers I was seeking.

[Jason Janecek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good book that gives good insight into state politics at the time. The book is somewhat dated in some aspects, as in perpetuating some of the now disproven myths about the Battle of Gettysburg.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It reads like school textbook, and I have a hard time reading those. It took me almost 2 months to read this.
However, I really learned a lot about my home state's involvement in the Civil War and things about the war I didn't know. I enjoyed learning about The Harvey House hospital for soldiers and its turning into The Soldier's Orphans' Home in Madison, the export items, and how the war helped the economy and advances in technology that might not have happened because of the war.
I'm glad I impulsively grabbed this book of the library's shelf!

[Russ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a decent overview of the role of Wisconsin in the Civil War, including a thorough look at the home front. It's not exactly gripping reading, even for a history text, you can tell it was thrown together a bit, and the lack of footnotes is disturbing to me. But if you want to quickly learn about the contributions of the Badger State in the Civil War, this is a decent way to go.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great overview of Wisconsin's involvement in the Civil War. It does read like a textbook. I found it well organized and helpful as a resource. It also had some interesting stories interspersed with all the facts.