Massachusetts - State & Local History, Union - Civil War History - Regimental Histories, Armed Forces - United States - Regimental Histories - General & Miscellaneous, United States Civil War - Individual Battles & Campaigns, Union - Civil War History - S
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Overview
Sons of Privilege traces the wartime experiences of a unique Confederate cavalry unit drawn together from South Carolina's most prestigious families of planters, merchants, and politicos. Examining the military exploits of the Charleston Light Dragoons, W. Eric Emerson finds that the elite status of its membership dictated the terms of the dragoons' service. For much of the war, the dragoons were stationed close to home and faced little immediate danger. As the South's resources waned, however, such deference faded, and the dragoons were thrust into the bloody combat of Virginia.
Recounting the unit's 1864 baptism by fire at the Battle of Haw's Shop, Emerson suggests that the dragoons' unrealistic expectations about their military prowess led the men to fight with more bravery than discretion. Thus the unit suffered heavy losses, and by 1865 only a handful survived. Emerson tracks the return of the survivors to ruined homes and businesses, the struggle to rebuild lost fortunes, and the resurrection of exclusive social organizations that would separate them from Charleston's more prosperous newcomers. He chronicles efforts of veterans to reestablish the unit and evaluates the influence of writings by survivors on the postwar veneration of the dragoons.
Editorials
Library Journal
Understand the intricacies of the fierce, bloody siege of Fort Sumter and Charleston, South Carolina, by Union forces in 1863, and the fundamentals of the Civil War become clear. A historian, teacher and author (Lifeline of the Confederacy: Blockade Running During the Civil War, LJ 1/89), Wise paints a dramatic picture of gruesome, dreary trench warfare; ironclad ships; petty squabbles between commanders; and the heroism of many. Clara Barton nursed here; the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, an African American regiment under Capt. Robert G. Shaw, fought shoulder to shoulder with white troops, finding acceptance, death, and glory on the ramparts. The Confederacy ultimately held fast; both sides created new weapons and tactical innovations to be used in future battles. Wise captures it all, from the taste of battle to the pounds of shot fired per skirmish. Highly recommended as an in-depth resource for larger history collections.-Nancy L. Whitfield, Meriden P.L., Ct.Roland Green
The Charleston campaign of 1863 is currently best known for the role in it of the 54th Massachusetts in vindicating the effectiveness of African American soldiers, as was delineated in the movie "Glory". There was, however, much hard fighting before the 54th's assault on Battery Wagner, and there was even more afterward, with heavy losses on both sides and eventual Union failure, due as much to Union interservice rivalries as to Confederate tenacity. Among other features of the siege were the largest naval operations of the war, technologically advanced use of artillery, and trench warfare anticipating World War I. It is a compelling story that Wise handles with high competence, clarity, and scholarly thoroughness.Book Details
Published
December 31, 1998
Publisher
University of South Carolina Press
Pages
324
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780872499850