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Union General: Samuel Ryan Curtis and Victory in the West Hardcover – January 1, 2023

by William L. Shea (Author)
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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2023 A. M. Pate, Jr. Award in Civil War History

Union General is the first biography of Samuel Ryan Curtis, the most important and most successful general on either side in the Civil War west of the Mississippi River. Curtis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War veteran, and determined foe of secession who gave up his seat in Congress to fight for the Union. At Pea Ridge in 1862 and Westport in 1864, he marched hundreds of miles across hostile countryside, routed Confederate armies larger than his own, and reestablished Federal control over large swathes of rebel territory.

In addition to his remarkable success as a largely independent field commander, Curtis was one of only a handful of abolitionist generals in the Union army. He dealt a heavy blow to slavery in the Trans-Mississippi and Mississippi Valley months before the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. His enlightened racial policies and practices generated a storm of criticism and led to his temporary suspension in the middle of the conflict—but he was restored to active duty in time to win a crushing victory at Westport, where he saved Kansas and put an end to Price’s Raid.

Before the war Curtis was an accomplished civil engineer, a prime mover of the transcontinental railroad, and an important figure in the emerging Republican Party and was elected three times to the House of Representatives from Iowa. After the war he participated in pioneering efforts in peacemaking with the Plains Indians and helped oversee construction of the Union Pacific across Nebraska. This biography restores Curtis to his rightful place in American history and adds significantly to our understanding of the Civil War.
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  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Potomac Books
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1640125183
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1640125186
  8. See all details
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  1. I Dread the Thought of the Place: The Battle of Antietam and the End of the Maryland Campaign
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Deeply researched and extremely well written, Union General is an excellent biography that should appeal to all readers who are interested in the Civil War."—Roger D. Cunningham, Journal of America's Military Past

"Highly celebratory while remaining judicious, William Shea's Union General is a fine biography that should go a long way toward fostering a wider recognition and appreciation of Samuel Ryan Curtis's substantial historical legacy."—Civil War Books and Authors Published On: 2023-01-12

"Those interested in the Civil War, the West, or the nineteenth-century United States generally will find Union General informative and worthwhile."—Michael A. Hill, Western Historical Quarterly

"Samuel Ryan Curtis was a Civil War officer who never received the recognition that he deserved. After authoring campaign studies of Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, and Vicksburg, William L. Shea delivers a full-length study that appraises the military actions of Curtis, the most successful Union general west of the Mississippi River."—Brad D. Lookingbill, Nebraska History

"Union General, Samuel Ryan Curtis and Victory in the West is a well-researched book that provides readers with a thorough examination of Curtis's life. Shea offers convincing evidence to prove his argument that Curtis played a critical role in Union success in the Trans-Mississippi Theater while also writing a study that enthusiasts will enjoy reading. Thanks to Shea, Curtis is able to reclaim at least a measure of deserved attention previously so long denied."—Phill Greenwalt, Emerging Civil War blog Published On: 2023-09-19

"Shea has successfully restored Samuel R. Curtis to a well-deserved place in the study of the Civil War."—James R. Jewell, Journal of Southern History

"Shea's writing style makes Union General an excellent read. The narrative and quotes Shea provides gives the reader a real sense of Curtis's character and moments of pride and disappointment. . . . Union General is an obvious good choice for military and Civil War historians and anyone who enjoys a good book."—In CONGRESS - Brief

"This book, a well-written study of one man's life,  is both meticulously researched and a fascinating story, written in an engaging way."—Ricochet Published On: 2023-02-12

"Samuel Curtis lived a truly remarkable life and deserves Shea's remarkable biography."—Ethan S. Rafuse, Missouri Historical Review

"Union General is a worthy addition to the scholarship on military leadership and will appeal to readers seeking a traditional military biography of an understudied but impactful commander."—Lindsey R. Peterson, thestrategybridge.org Published On: 2023-07-26

About the Author

William L. Shea is author and coauthor of numerous books on the Civil War, including Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West, Fields of Blood: The Prairie Grove Campaign, and Vicksburg Is the Key: The Struggle for the Mississippi River (Nebraska, 2005).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Potomac Books (January 1, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1640125183
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1640125186
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

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William L. Shea

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5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5
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Top reviews from the United States

Jedediah Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Civil War Officer Finally Gets His Due
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
One of the long-standing gaps in Civil War biographies has been the absence of anything meaningful on Curtis. That has always struck me as odd because of the critical role he played in the Trans-Mississippi, his pattern of success, and the fact that less proficient officers received commands for which he merited consideration. Shea is well-qualified to take on this biography as one of the authors of an excellent study of the Battle of Pea Ridge. He has extensively mined primary sources, including Curtis's scattered papers. In addition to Curtis's Civil War career the author thoroughly lays out Curtis's notable accomplishments between his graduation from USMA and the war - primarily his achievements as a civil engineer at St. Louis and as a congressman from Iowa. One puzzling issue remains so. Despite taking a deep look Shea could not come up with a coherent explanation for Grant's persistent antipathy to Curtis which undoubtedly played is role in confining Curtis to a relative "back water" during the war. Undoubtedly his age had an influence, as well. Curtis's apparent lack of political influence also defies the book's efforts to find an explanation, in light of his abolitionist sentiments and his role as a Republican legislator. This is a well-done study which is long overdue and is an important acquisition for students interested in the Trans-Mississippi and in the Union high command.
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Anthony R. Cox
5.0 out of 5 stars Cutis-Victor of Pea Ridge
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
One of the areas I have paid inadequate attention to in my Civil War reading is the TransMississippi Theater, west of the Mississippi River. Probably the most prominent, and under appreciated Union general in this region was General Samuel Curtis of Iowa. Curtis was the victorious general in one of the first major clashes in the Civil War, the Battle of Pea Ridge. He was also the victorious general in what has been called Price’s 1864 Missouri Expedition, or the Westport Campaign.

I never realized how aggressive and active a campaigner Curtis was. He stands right up there with Grant and Sherman with their desire to bring the war to the Confederacy. In the 2 major campaigns he directed, his armies marched through many miles of rough terrain and brutal weather. He worked with what he had, and cooperated with other generals in departments bordering his, not caring much about turf rights and formalities but in defeating the secessionists. Most of the time the generals he needed to reciprocate did not, the most glaring example being Rosecrans during the Westport Campaign. My estimate of Rosecrans was lowered considerably through reading this book.

This was a well written book by a distinguished authority on the TransMississippi theater, having co-written the classic account of the Pea Ridge Campaign along with Earl Hess. I learned more than I usually do from reading a Civil War book, as I have neglected the TransMississippi in my reading. This book has inculcated a desire to read more about Civil War campaigns and personalities west of the Mississippi.

Highly recommend 5 stars
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rob
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and interesting
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2023
Picked up this book off the library new bookshelf and am really enjoying it. Well written biography that apparently was helped due to General Curtis's family keeping many letters going back to his youth. The author recounts Curtis's life from his early days through West Point, his service in the Mexican War and his career as an important civil engineer in the developing western frontier. Am now reading about the outbreak of the Civil War and Curtis's belief that it was his duty to take part in the war effort. The western theatre (now the Midwest states) may be a part of the war many are not that familiar with from their reading. Highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys Civil War history and learning more about the development of the Ohio, Missouri, Iowa areas.
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