The Boy General: The Life and Careers of Francis Channing Barlow

by Richard F Welch

The biography of an ambitious Civil War soldier Drawing heavily on primary-source material, The Boy General is the first full-length account of Francis Channing Barlow, one of the most successful combat officers in the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War. Although his clean-shaven, youthful appearance earned him the nickname “the Boy General,” his fighting capabilities resulted in frequent promotions and greater responsibilities. Born in October 1834 in Brooklyn, New York, Barlow’s professional, military, and political careers were all in the service of his native state. Intelligent, ambitious, and confident, Barlow graduated as valedictorian of the 1855 Harvard class and launched a legal career in New York. When Lincoln sent out a call for volunteers following the bombardment of Fort Sumter, Barlow dropped his practice and entered the U.S. Army as a private. He transformed himself from a privileged young lawyer into one of the most formidable combat leaders produced by either side during the Civil War. Rising from private to major general, Barlow served in most major operations in Virginia and was increasingly entrusted with assignments of crucial importance to the success of Federal arms. He cleared out the deadly sunken road at Antietam, where he was badly wounded, and led a division at Gettysburg, where he suffered another serious wound. He and his men often spearheaded the Army of the Potomac’s assaults during Grant’s bloody Overland campaign. Following the war, Barlow resumed his law practice and entered the political arena. He served as New York attorney general in 1871 and as Grant’s personal representative in the Florida recount following the contentious 1876 election. This book will be welcomed by Civil War historians and buffs alike.

Genres: Civil War, Biography

301 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Sarah Bierle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written biography of a not-so-well-known Union general, tracing his life from his New England roots, to his early career in New York, to the battlefields and hospitals of the Civil War, and his post-war political service. Far from a "stereotypical" Union man, Barlow's fiery courageous temperament, obsession with order and discipline, and independent thinking won him many friends and enemies.

Though not exactly a legend or a "marble man", this biography masterfully presents Barlow as a real person, delving into his letters and other records to uncover a character more complex and fearless than could ever be invented by fiction.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really more of the same but still a remarkable man previously unknown to me. I'd no idea of who he was or his contribution prior to my last Gettysburg trip

Married Robert Shaw's (54th Mass) sister after his first wife passed. And put a hurting on Tammany as ny attorney general

[David Engel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressive account of Barlow, about whom I don't recall hearing much. His toughness, bravery and leadership during the Civil War and after, politically, during the reign of Boss Tweed and his ilk, were exemplary. I'm glad to have learned about him in this well-written biography.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but being an Ebook, I missed out on photographs, sketches and maps, a disadvantage in a book of this type. ( Hints to Amazon). Barlow was an intriguing character, an excitable mix of brilliance, heroism, ambition, integrity, arrogance and supreme confidence in his career as a soldier and a lawyer. He was an eccentric, who knew no fear and lived his life brilliantly in pursuit of perfection in battle and in post war politics.