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Saturday, January 7, 2023

Book Review from Rocky Mountain CWRT: Gettysburg's Southern Front


A nice review of Gettysburg's Southern Front from Guy Bowman of the Rocky Mountain Civil War Roundtable.  I spoke to the group last summer about The Fight For the Old North State and look forward to getting out there this August to talk about the new book.  Here is an excerpt from the review below - the full review can be accessed through the RMCWRT Facebook Page.   

"Newsome’s coverage of this campaign was thorough and well written. I found his narrative compelling! I particularly appreciated his attention to the logistical issues and the operational fine points of the individual raids; specifics which I haven’t the space to address here. His focus on certain details – the routes taken by the various armies, the movement of prisoners, and the complex problems arising from so many runaway slaves and refugees – drew me in. His explication of the political background and operational issues was excellent. He also took time to develop the story behind Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephen’s effort to organize a prisoner exchange convention/peace conference with the Lincoln administration. While complementary to the military campaign, it gave us a clearer picture of the political context of the Gettysburg campaign as viewed from Richmond. I thought Newsome had a good grasp of the key personalities and their idiosyncrasies. While the Blackberry campaign was a sideshow to the main event (Gettysburg), this is the kind of work that enriches our understanding of the character of the war. Earl Hess calls Newsome’s book a model study! I have to agree.

- Guy Bowman, Rocky Mountain Civil War Roundtable Newsletter, Jan. 5, 2023.

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