Abner Doubleday: A Civil War Biography

by Thomas Barthel

While Abner Doubleday is remembered primarily, and mistakenly, for having “invented” baseball (he did not), it was his selfless exercise of duty to his nation that should be honored. Following his youth in Auburn, New York, and his days as a cadet at West Point to the Union general’s involvement in the American Civil War and his public service afterwards, he is revealed in this biography as a man who took unpopular stands but was guided by a firm vision of justice. One chapter fully explores the baseball myth.

Genres: Civil War, Biography, Military Fiction

283 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 24, 2010

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming into this book, I knew that Abner Doubleday was a General in the First Corps of the Army of the Potomac and invented the modern version of Baseball that we know today. Turns out only one of those things were true.
This was an interesting biography of a Civil War General. It covered the usual bases, pun intended, of his life and career. From his pre-Civil War service through his post-Civil War service.
One thing this book brought up that I've not heard about was the pro-slavery clique in the Army of the Potomac. I knew of the West Point clique vs the non-West Point generals and the McClellan Supporters verses the non-McClellan supporters. But, this biography brings up that many in the leadership of the Army were slow to act with the army hoping for a negotiated peace and a return the pre-War status quo. While others, Doubleday included, wanted an end to slavery at all costs.
This was an aspect of Army politics that I'd not heard about before which does add an interesting dynamic to the failures of the Army of the Potomac given their superior numbers and material in almost every engagement with the Confederate forces.
A great addition to the Civil War discussion.