Stonewall of the West : Patrick Cleburne and the Civil War /

Symonds (US Naval Academy) has written a very readable biography and battle history of one of the great Confederate field commanders. Cleburne, an Irish native, emigrated as a young man to Arkansas, where he became totally committed to the Southern cause. He joined the Rebel army when the Civil War began, rising quickly to division commander because of his leadership and bravery in battle. Tracing Cleburne's military career, Symonds gives fine accounts of Shiloh, the Kentucky Campaign, Chickamauga, and the battles for Atlanta and Franklin, where Cleburne was killed at age 36, leading a desperate attack in 1864. The author sheds new light on Cleburne's personality and life outside the army, reveals why Cleburne was never promoted beyond division commander, discusses the complicated politics of the Army of Tennessee involving Braxton Bragg and Jefferson Davis among others, and describes Cleburne's surprising proposal in the winter of 1863-1864 that the slaves be freed and used as soldiers in the decimated Southern armies to save the Confederacy. Good illustrations and maps. Highly recommended for all readership levels and collections in Civil War history. E. M. Thomas; Gordon College

Born and raised in Ireland, Cleburne was instrumental in organizing a militia company at the beginning of the Civil War known as the Yell Rifles, which elected him their captain. Symonds (Joseph E. Johnston: A Civil War Biography, LJ 2/1/92) delves into the reasons why Cleburne joined the Southern cause and his proposal that slaves be armed to fight for the Confederacy. Much of the book examines Cleburne's growth as a combat leader, from his first major battle at Shiloh to his emergence as one of the war's more effective field commanders. The author also investigates Cleburne's relations with Generals Hardee, Bragg, Johnston, and Hood, resolves the mystery of what happened at Spring Hill, and recounts Cleburne's dramatic charge and untimely death at the Battle of Franklin. This first full-scale critical biography should be in every Civil War collection.‘W. Walter Wicker, Emritus, Louisiana Tech Univ., Ruston (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The heroic story of an outstanding divisional commander for the Confederacy in the Army of Tennessee. Symonds (History/US Naval Academy; Joseph E. Johnson: A Civil War Biography, 1992) combines well researched narrative history and biography with a highly readable style in exploring the life of this exceptional man. Cleburne was, as the narrative demonstrates, reliable, cool, and reserved under extreme hardship but passionate in battle. Leaving his starving homeland, Ireland, in the bitter year of 1849 after service in the British Army, Cleburne emigrated to the US and became a hard-working member of the frontier community in Helena, Ark. When the Civil War started, this accidental Southerner joined the Confederate forces and soon distinguished himself as an inspirational leader, displaying both courage and judgment. Symonds describes his gallantry in such battles as Shiloh, Chickamauga, and Kenasaw Mountain. Even though Jefferson Davis called him ``the Stonewall of the West,'' and Robert E. Lee described him as a ``meteor shining from a clouded sky,'' Cleburne, being foreign-born and an outspoken critic of ineffective officers (including his own commander), was often passed over for promotion. He also stirred controversy when he proposed abolishing slavery and enlisting ex-slaves in the army. Despite his disappointments, he achieved a superb record as an innovative division commander and was faithful to the Southern cause. After the capture of Atlanta, though the war had clearly been lost, the army's new commander fought on, rashly expending lives. Cleburne, though aware of the likely outcome, stayed with his troops and was killed at the Battle of Franklin at the age of 36. A fine addition to Civil War literature and a deserved tribute to a remarkable career. (20 photos, 11 maps) (History Book Club main selection)