Sources: American Civil War: A State-by-State Encyclopedia

American Civil War: A State-by-State Encyclopedia. Ed. by Spencer C. Tucker. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2015. 2 vols. acid free $189 (ISBN: 978-1-59884-528-0). E-book available (978-1-59884-529-7), call for pricing.

Obviously there is no shortage of available resources on the American Civil War. Nor is there a shortage of encyclopedias covering this seminal event from numerous perspectives and vantage points. However, there are not many sources looking specifically at the war from a state-by-state viewpoint. Two separate books with the same title have covered this territory previously. The Civil War State by State by Paul Brewer (Thunder Bay 2004), and more recently, Chester G. Hearn’s unrelated work by the same name (BlueRedPress 2013) take the state approach. However, neither work is nearly as in-depth and detailed as this new release edited by the senior fellow in military history at ABC-CLIO, who has authored or edited a long list of military history books and encyclopedias. Also, the previous editions mentioned have a great emphasis on color graphics and appealing layout, and are not intended as a starting point for scholarly research. This latest release, however, is clearly focused on providing historical background information while also pointing the user to further research and analysis by way of Further Reading lists and a “Select Bibliography.”

The two volumes are simply organized alphabetically by state or territory into forty-four chapters. There were thirty-four states at the start of the war, and thirty-six by the end, with West Virginia and Nevada joining the Union mid-war. Each of these chapters begins with an Introduction providing geographical and historical context. Next are listed “Key Cities/Towns,” “Key Military Facilities,” and “Notable Individuals,” which includes civilians, politicians, and military figures. Finally, “Notable Battles” are listed, if any. Clearly, a state like Virginia will merit a longer section than California. Yet whatever manner of participation in the war took place in a region, whether by contributing soldiers, generals, ammunition, or food, this set will cover it. From a military perspective, campaigns, raids, and expeditions appear in addition to the expected battles. For example, the Battle of Gettysburg warrants a long, detailed explanation, but also included are summaries of two nearby engagements in Pennsylvania involving the town of Chambersburg, one before and one after the great Gettysburg battle. These forays into Northern territory neatly encapsulate an important aspect of the Civil War—the South taking the war to the North. This encyclopedia does an excellent job of concisely demonstrating how the South was only raiding to destroy Union supplies earlier in the war (the first raid on Chambersburg in October of 1862), but later changed tactics. In the second raid on Chambersburg in 1864, Southern forces actually held the town hostage, demanding monetary ransom. When it failed to materialize, they burned and looted the town. As clearly explained in this source, this gesture was both retaliatory and counter-productive, since the Union Army used the incident as an excuse to employ similar tactics as they occupied more and more of the South as the war progressed. A user of this set can clearly and easily see how a particular area, in this case southern Pennsylvania near the Maryland border, played a crucial role in the war.

Overall, the set is well-indexed in case users do not know in which state to seek information on a person or battle. Other features are some black and white maps and illustrations. The entries clearly and concisely tie locations, events, and people to the overall war effort of each side. The level of detail and overall scholarly approach make this seem more appropriate for academic libraries; or perhaps public libraries with a strong Civil War collection.—Mike Tosko, Associate Professor, Research and Learning Services, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio