Black Jack: John A. Logan and Southern Illinois in the Civil War Era

Shawnee Classics

by James Pickett Jones, John Y Simon (Foreword)

John A. Logan, called "Black Jack" by the men he led in Civil War battles from the Henry-Donelson campaign to Vicksburg, Chattanooga, and on to Atlanta, was one of the Union Army’s most colorful generals.

James Pickett Jones places Logan in his southern Illinois surroundings as he examines the role of the political soldier in the Civil War. When Logan altered his stance on national issues, so did the southern part of the state. Although secession, civil strife, Copperheadism, and the new attitudes created by the war contributed to this change of position in southern Illinois, Logan’s role as political and military leader was important in the region’s swing to strong support of the war against the Confederacy, to the policies of Lincoln, and eventually, to the Republican party.

Genres: Civil War

354 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Jack Logan was one of the outstanding generals of the western theater of the Civil War and one of the outstanding political generals of the Civil War. That alone makes him a great topic for biography, but another important element of this story is Logan as one of the prominent political leaders of Southern Illinois, also known as Little Egypt. In telling Logan's story, Jones is also able to explore politics of Southern Illinois prior to and during the Civil War. It reflected Stephen Douglas in many ways - skeptical of the abolition movement with some Southern sympathizing. A significant element of Logan's story is navigating this environment - including having a family member volunteer for the Confederate army - and seeing Logan's evolving political views.
An interesting read both for Logan's extensive contributions as a military leader and insights into the political world he navigated in. Please note that this biography largely ends with the end of the Civil War and has a limited number of pages devoted to Logan's post-Civil War life.