Book Review: One of Morgan's Men

One Of Morgan's Men: Memoirs of Lietuenant John M. Porter of the Ninth Kentucky Cavalry

Editor: Kent Masterson Brown

copyright 2011

University Press of Kentucky 

For students of John Hunt Morgan, Civil War cavalry and/or the western theater, this book, though only 204 pages of text (not including notes) is a very good resource that gives many details of what happened during various cavalry raids and scouting expeditions and how the men handled their jobs.

Written in the early 1870s, it of course raises questions about how the author remembered as many details as he did, even a few years after the war, and that question should remain in the reader's mind, but Brown did a masterful job of editing it. He even used many different sources such as census records to confirm the names Porter mentioned. Brown added additional information about these people and families in the very in-depth notes section - readers should be sure not to skip over this part of the book, which also includes modern references to the areas Porter traveled, including current road and town names. His research certainly adds to the credibility of the text.

This is an enjoyable, informative and well-written, well-edited book. Porter was a lieutenant, but this is not a memoir of an officer, but, rather, of a soldier following orders and doing his duty. Little is mentioned of grand strategies or even tactics - Porter sticks to telling what he and his comrades did, how they obeyed orders, the actions they undertook, and how they accomplished all they did, sometimes in challenging conditions or areas.

This is the story of night scouting expeditions, of travel through dark and rainy conditions, often in territory with Yankees around, of trying to find food and shelter for man and horse and of a man who clearly believed in his cause. Several times throughout the book, he emphasizes what he perceives as the correctness of the Confederate cause. He tries to avoid bragging about his own accomplishments, but is not afraid to describe the bravery and courage of his comrades and the units under Morgan's lead. He clearly believed that he and his fellow Confederates were fighting for the side of the right and that they were determined to give their all to achieve victory.

One of Morgan's Men also serves as a small sample of the story of Kentucky itself during the war. One fascinating aspect of the narrative is Porter's descriptions of how the scouts found so many friendly citizens to help, house and/or feed them throughout the Commonwealth, but especially the central and west-central parts of it. Though they had to be careful not to catch the attention of Union supporters or soldiers who were frequently in the same areas, they still found help when they needed it. This is another example of the split loyalties of what was still technically a Union state, even though that was not the intent of the writer or his book.

This work does include a nice selection of photographs and a few maps/drawings, which do add to to the quality of the work. The editing, with the information in the notes, and selection of the illustrations, deserves much praise for making this a better work, not just a word-for-word retype of Porter's manuscript.

Porter's writing (with some assistance from the editor) is easy to read, with a nice flow, and provides a fascinating perspective on the operations of Confederate cavalry, especially under Morgan's command. Most of the story takes place in southern Kentucky and Tennessee, but they did make their way to eastern and Central Kentucky too. Porter was captured prior to the Indiana and Ohio portions of Morgan's last great raid, but he provides many anecdotes and details of the raids and expeditions in which he took part.

This is a very good, interesting and valuable book. It gives gives a good look at the small, often forgotten or unrecorded aspects of war incidents that do not always make it to newspapers and major studies about the war. Those interested in the Civil War generally know of the reputation of Morgan and his men, but the details of their riding during the night and resting during the day, or of locating friendly civilians for rest or shelter are often missing from the official reports of such activity. This book provides some of those details.

John Hunt Morgan and his men caused a lot of chaos for Union soldiers, supporters and supply lines in the region during his reign, and John M. Porter's memoirs provide a very fascinating insight into the whats, wheres and hows of these various actions. This is a high-quality book that I highly recommend.

"Thunderbolt" by John Paul Strain

Book Review: Gray Ghost, by James A. Ramage

Gray Ghost: The Life of Col. John Singleton Mosby

by James A. Ramage

copyright 1999 

University Press of Kentucky

When I wrote a review of Sickles at Gettysburg I began by stating that "one way to produce a fascinating book is to start with a fascinating story" and I found that James Hessler had done so with his work.

James A. Ramage used the same philosophy with this comprehensive biography of Colonel John Singleton Mosby, the famed head of the "Mosby's Rangers" Confederate unit during the Civil War. Mosby was certainly a far different person than Dan Sickles, but, like the Union general, he lived a long life and earned his fame not only during the Civil War, but also in the several decades after the war ended. (Plus, both were involved in long post-war controversies over the happenings over the campaign and battle of Gettysburg.)

The book begins with a chapter that touches upon many of Mosby's feats during the war and the philosophies Mosby used. This is a very effective introduction to this man and soldier and sets the state for the rest of the book, which starts with a discussion of Mosby's family history and then his youth, when his small size and  health issues often left him a victim of bullies. This early discussion shows how this childhood and its challenges developed Mosby's personality and his attitude about fighting, even when an underdog. Dr. Ramage even claims that Mosby developed two distinct personalities that would remain with him for the rest of his life - a peaceful, studious and kind side, contrasted with the fighter, willing to face any challenge.

Mosby eventually was able to attend the University of Virginiaa where his personality earned him a negative reputation. When he was put on trial for shooting a well-known local bully, most of the jurors sided with him, but his reputation convinced enough members of the jury of his guilt, leading to a conviction of unlawful shooting, with a fine and a 12 month jail sentence. This was a major event in Mosby's life, and the treatment he received in the trial and by the university was something he would always remember. It also is a perfect example of his willingness to face large challenges and challengers, which his small band of rangers would do frequently in his future.


This book describes how Mosby, like many others, experienced conflicting emotions about the coming of the Civil War, at least until Virginia seceded, which ended any question he had about which side to support. It describes his early military days, and how being in the open air actually improved his health, even when he slept in the cool outdoors. He started learning his military values under Grumble Jones before moving to the command of Jeb Stuart, the most famous cavalryman of the war. This work shows how both men influenced Mosby, how he appreciated each and how both valued his services before he ended up on Stuart's staff.

Gray Ghost demonstrates how Mosby learned to scout effectively and gather information that Stuart found valuable and forwarded to Robert E. Lee. When the Confederate Congress passed a Partisan Ranger Act, Mosby  became interested in taking advantage of that opportunity. He eventually got the chance, thanks largely to support from Confederate Secretary of War James Seddon. Dr. Ramage does a fantastic job of showing how this happened and how Seddon's support was vital to Mosby being allowed to form and then keep a company of partisans, despite the poor reputation such soldiers had earned throughout the south.

Included in the discussion of Mosby's development as an effective scout and ranger are a couple of examples where failure taught him lessons, such as in the difficulties of raiding against a railroad or the different responsibilities required in including a cannon with this band of men.  

As the Civil War ended, Mosby avoided surrendering as long as he could, first of all waiting for Joe Johnson to surrender in the Carolinas, then waiting for appropriate treatment and terms from the Union forces in the area. It was during this time that Mosby developed a respect for U.S. Grant, which in turn created a relationship that would serve Mosby both good and bad in the future.

The discussion of Mosby's Civil War career is the essence of this biography. The analysis of the strategies Mosby used in his guerilla warfare is especially valuable.  Dr. Ramage describes Mosby's use of secrecy, how he took advantage of darkness and/or poor weather, how he and his men portrayed Union soldiers even without the use of Union clothing, and how Mosby quickly realized that the days of using sabers for cavalry charges were gone, thanks to the presence of revolvers. His "take-the-offense" approach, even when the enemy seemed to have the advantage, was another common tactic and this book details how and why this worked so often. Mosby and his men practiced a very true form of guerilla warfare, not acting as lawless bands of marauders (though Union citizens and officials may have disagreed) but as an actual military unit practicing legitimate military methods to achieve military goals. Dr. Ramage emphasizes Mosby's desire to use fear and to multiply that emotion among Union soldiers as being a key part of his approach.

Gray Ghost follows its tellling of the tale of Mosby's Civil War career by moving on to the fascinating story of his post-war life, where this Southern hero became almost persona non grata in his home state, thanks to his decision to support the Republican party and many of its leaders. It discusses how he used his Republican party contacts to help find him employment and how he established himself as a reformer in some of these jobs. Despite his fame and his many jobs, he never saved any money, thus whenever one job ended, he found another until he finally retired in his mid-70s, living with some of his children and grandchildren.

During these years, Mosby turned to writing to tell  his memories and sides of the war, especially Lee's second invasion of the North. This was the "Gettysburg War" he waged with many opponents over Jeb Stuart's actions during the days and weeks before the battle. Mosby, the southerner who had lost his Virginia friends due to his support for Ulysses S. Grant, further hurt his reputation in the commonwealth when he dared criticize Robert E. Lee, the ultimate Confederate hero. Here again, his willingness to take on any fight when he thought he was right shows itself, just as it had in some of the reforms he favored from the consuls in Hong Kong to the plains of Nebraska, and as it had throughout his life, starting with his refusal to allow bullies to intimidate him in his youth.

I found the last chapter The Gray Ghost of Television and Film to be an outstanding addition to the book. This discussion of Mosby's image in popular culture, from portraits, silent films, books and television provides an outstanding perspective of his image in popular culture in the final decades of his life, including the ups and downs of his reputation, fame and popularity. This was a wonderful section and a great way to describe Mosby's legacy. 

Following that chapter may be an even more valuable addition, a brief "conclusion" which analyzes and summarizes Mosby's military effectiveness. This may have been the best part of the book. The entire work is wonderful, but adding this recap - after the chapters on Mosby's postwar life and his image - simply wrapped the book up in a wonderful, informative manner.

The book then finishes with end notes and a fine bibliographic essay, revealing the many writings, collections, archives and other sources the author used in compiling this work.

I readily admit that I do volunteer at the James A. Ramage Civil War Museum and have met Dr. Ramage on several occasions. He is man for whom I think the phrase "a gentleman and a scholar" was created. Any comments I have made during this review are my honest thoughts and nothing I wrote was intentionally influenced by my relationship with Dr. Ramage, but I do think it only fitting that readers of this entry know of this

Before reading this book, I knew very little about John Singleton Mosby and did not realize what a long, fascinating and productive life he had, serving for the Confederacy then for the United States. He was not a "scoundrel" like some described Dan Sickles, but, like his Union counterpart, Mosby made the most of life both in and out of the army and always found himself in the center of activity and attention.

Gray Ghost is a very fine cradle-to-grave biography of this southern gentleman, providing an in-depth perspective of this man, his personality, his careers and legacy. Any Civil War enthusiast or student can benefit by reading it and will be better off for doing so. 

Miss Oldom the Kentucky Heroine

I have no idea if this story is true, but here is one link to some research someone performed on the family name.
http://yesteryearsnews.wordpress.com/tag/cornelia-oldham/

I find it to be an enjoyable little story, from pages 73 and 74 of Sparks from the Campfire: Thrilling Stories of Heroism, Adventure, Daring and Suffering, as Told by the Boys Who Were there, an old book published a couple decades after the Civil War.


A marauding band of rebels in Kentucky, on their way to Mount Sterling, stopped at the house of a Mr. Oldom, and he being absent at the time, plundered him of all his horses, and among them a valuable one belonging to h s daughter Cornelia. She resisted the outrage as long as she could, but finding all her efforts in vain, she sprang upon another horse and started post haste toward the town to give the alarm. Her first animal gave out, when she seized another, and meeting the messenger from Middleton, she sent him as fast as his horse could carry him to convey the necessary warning to Mount Sterling, where he arrived most opportunely. Miss Oldom then retraced her way toward home, taking with her a double-barrelled shot-gun. She found a pair of saddle-bags on the road, belonging to a rebel officer, which contained a pair of revolvers, and soon she came up with the advancing marauders, and ordered them to halt. Perceiving that one of the thieves rode her horse, she ordered him to surrender her horse; this he refused, and finding that persuasion would not gain her ends, she levelled the shot-gun at the rider, commanded him, as Damon did the traveller, "down from his horse" and threatened to fire if he did not comply. Her indomitable spirit at last prevailed, and the robbers, seeing something in her eye that spoke a terrible menace, surrendered her favorite steed. When she had regained his back, and patted him on the neck, he gave a neigh of mingled triumph and recognition, and she turned his head homeward and cantered off as leisurely as if she were taking her morning exercise.