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A review by southernhon
Tennessee's Union Cavalrymen by Myers E. Brown II, Tennessee State Museum
5.0
I chose this book because I have always enjoyed the Images of America series. I have been interested in learning more about the history of my new home state, Tennessee, and this book seemed like a great place to start.
The images and accompanying information are fascinating, even if Civil War history is far down on your list of interests. Admittedly, I know a great deal about the battles fought in the state of my childhood, Maryland, but not so much about the Cavalrymen in Tennessee who chose to fight for the Union. Reading about their contributions to the conflict while enjoying their pictures was almost like taking a trip back in time for me. I was left wondering about their lives after the war, their families, and if any of them still have offspring living in the area.
The author began each chapter with a lot of history as a preface to the pictures, which I found very interesting. For example, in the last chapter, "The Postwar Years and the Legacy", the author notes that many of Tennessee's Union Cavalrymen came home to find that their farms had been destroyed, their families missing and their livestock stolen. The speculation was that pro-Confederate neighbors found out about the allegiance to the Union and sought retribution.
Sadly, 100 years later, times have changed, but attitudes haven't very much.
The images and accompanying information are fascinating, even if Civil War history is far down on your list of interests. Admittedly, I know a great deal about the battles fought in the state of my childhood, Maryland, but not so much about the Cavalrymen in Tennessee who chose to fight for the Union. Reading about their contributions to the conflict while enjoying their pictures was almost like taking a trip back in time for me. I was left wondering about their lives after the war, their families, and if any of them still have offspring living in the area.
The author began each chapter with a lot of history as a preface to the pictures, which I found very interesting. For example, in the last chapter, "The Postwar Years and the Legacy", the author notes that many of Tennessee's Union Cavalrymen came home to find that their farms had been destroyed, their families missing and their livestock stolen. The speculation was that pro-Confederate neighbors found out about the allegiance to the Union and sought retribution.
Sadly, 100 years later, times have changed, but attitudes haven't very much.