Lamson of the Gettysburg: The Civil War Letters of Lieutenant Roswell H. Lamson, U.S. Navy Book PDF, ePub eBook

Join our eBook service for unlimited books & audiobooks. Get a free 7 day subscription! ↓↓↓↓↓


Book Descriptions:
Roswell Lamson was one of the boldest and most skillful young officers in the Union navy. Second in the class of 1862 at Annapolis (he took his final exam while at sea during the war), he commanded more ships and flotillas than any other officer of his age or rank in the service, climaxed by his captaincy of the navy's fastest ship in 1864, USS Gettysburg. Now, in Lamson of the Gettysburg, we have the war-time letters of this striking naval figure. What's more, these are letters of exceptional quality. James M. McPherson, co-editor of the collection with his wife Patricia and one of America's preeminent Civil War historians, writes that "few sets of letters equal and none surpass those of Lamson for richness of description, scope of coverage, or keenness of perception and analysis." Indeed, the McPhersons term Lamson's correspondence "the best Civil War navy letters we have ever read or expect to read."
Throughout the war, Lamson always seemed to be where the action was on the South Atlantic coast, and these letters describe with striking immediacy the part he played in these events. While serving on the USS Wabash, for instance, he directed the big deck guns that did the most damage to enemy forts at Hatteras Inlet and Port Royal, two major naval victories. He was the officer who took command of the CSS Planter in May 1862, when slaves led by Robert Smalls ran her past Confederate fortifications in Charleston harbor and delivered her to the Union fleet. He commanded a gunboat fleet on the Nansemond River that helped stop James Longstreet's advance on Norfolk. In a daring attempt to blow up Fort Fisher, the huge earthwork fortress that guarded the entrance into the Cape Fear river, he towed the USS Louisiana (packed with more than two hundred tons of gunpowder) directly under the guns of the fort, sneaking into the shallows behind a rebel blockade runner, (Lamson describes "a terrific explosion. An immense column of flame rose towards the sky, and four distinct reports like that of sharp heavy thunder were heard and a dense mass of smoke enveloped everything"). And a few weeks later, he led a contingent of seventy men from the Gettysburg as part of the January 15, 1865 assault on the sea-face parapets of Fort Fisher, where he himself was wounded and his close friend, Samuel W. Preston, died. The letters also capture the spirited personality of Lamson himself, resolved to "stand by the Union as long as there is a plank afloat," but also deeply ambivalent about the war. In a moving passage early in the collection, he describes leaving Annapolis for war duty on the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides): "We gave three cheers for Capt R., three for the troops, and for old friendship's sake three for those of our number who intending to resign [to join the Confederacy] were requested not to go on board. Some of my best friends were among them. This will be a sad sad war. It will be more painful to strike than to be struck."
The publication of the letters of Roswell Lamson marks a major addition to Civil War literature. Featuring superb introductions to each section as well as informative notes that explain references in the correspondence to people, ships, land and sea battles, or homefront news, Lamson of The Gettysburg now joins the first rank of Civil War sources. One of the few accounts we have from the perspective of a navy officer, it is a book that everyone interested in the Civil War or in American naval history will want to read.

Lamson of the Gettysburg: The Civil War Letters of Lieutenant Roswell H. Lamson, U.S. Navy by James M. McPherson, Patricia R. McPherson

From reader reviews:

Kathleen Land:

What do you about book? It is not important to you? Or just adding material if you want something to explain what you problem? How about your free time? Or are you busy particular person? If you don't have spare time to try and do others business, it is make you feel bored faster. And you have spare time? What did you do? Everyone has many questions above. The doctor has to answer that question since just their can do that will. It said that about reserve. Book is familiar on every person. Yes, it is appropriate. Because start from on jardín de infancia until university need that Lamson of the Gettysburg: The Civil War Letters of Lieutenant Roswell H. Lamson, U.S. Navy to read.

Dewayne Campbell:

In this 21st hundred years, people become competitive in every way. By being competitive at this point, people have do something to make all of them survives, being in the middle of the crowded place and notice through surrounding. One thing that at times many people have underestimated the idea for a while is reading. Sure, by reading a book your ability to survive increase then having chance to stand than other is high. For you personally who want to start reading some sort of book, we give you that Lamson of the Gettysburg: The Civil War Letters of Lieutenant Roswell H. Lamson, U.S. Navy book as beginner and daily reading reserve. Why, because this book is greater than just a book.

Eunice Randle:

Why? Because this Lamson of the Gettysburg: The Civil War Letters of Lieutenant Roswell H. Lamson, U.S. Navy is an unordinary book that the inside of the publication waiting for you to snap it but latter it will jolt you with the secret it inside. Reading this book beside it was fantastic author who write the book in such awesome way makes the content on the inside easier to understand, entertaining approach but still convey the meaning entirely. So , it is good for you for not hesitating having this ever again or you going to regret it. This phenomenal book will give you a lot of advantages than the other book have such as help improving your ability and your critical thinking approach. So , still want to hesitate having that book? If I were being you I will go to the publication store hurriedly.

Karen Taylor:

Do you have something that you prefer such as book? The book lovers usually prefer to pick book like comic, small story and the biggest you are novel. Now, why not attempting Lamson of the Gettysburg: The Civil War Letters of Lieutenant Roswell H. Lamson, U.S. Navy that give your enjoyment preference will be satisfied by reading this book. Reading habit all over the world can be said as the opportunity for people to know world a great deal better then how they react when it comes to the world. It can't be said constantly that reading behavior only for the geeky person but for all of you who wants to always be success person. So , for every you who want to start reading as your good habit, it is possible to pick Lamson of the Gettysburg: The Civil War Letters of Lieutenant Roswell H. Lamson, U.S. Navy become your own personal starter.