Overview

The remarkable life of a noteworthy—yet overlooked—Union general turned Reconstruction-era politician A central figure in Reconstruction-era politics, Adelbert Ames and his contributions during a significant and uncertain time in American history are the focus of Michael J. Megelsh's fascinating study. As Megelsh discusses, Ames's life took many compelling turns. Born on Maine's rocky shore in 1835, he served as a Union general during the American Civil War and was heralded as one of the young stars whose leadership was integral in helping the Union to victory. He briefly remained in the army after the conflict, stationed in Mississippi, where he entered the political arena. During his four-year tenure as a Republican US senator representing Mississippi, Ames exhibited a growing commitment to civil rights and battled for the protection of freedmen in the halls of Congress, even when it drew ire and damnation from his colleagues. In 1874, Ames was elected governor of Mississippi and tried to create a free and prosperous state rooted in protecting civil rights and promoting economic liberty. This meant challenging the growing brutality and unruliness of the white populace and a burgeoning Democratic Party. For the first time, Ames's confidence faded as his struggles intensified and political enemies sought to impeach him, culminating in a trial that captivated local and national media. This contentious battle led to Ames's resignation from office and the end of Reconstruction in Mississippi. Ames's once-promising political career, too, was over. But Ames's later years remained thrilling. He helped the townspeople of Northfield, Minnesota, defeat Jesse James and the James-Younger Gang in a gunfight during an attempted bank robbery in 1876. When the Spanish-American War began in 1898, Ames, though now in his sixties, volunteered to join the fight and served in Cuba. While Adelbert Ames has appeared in many texts as a secondary character, Megelsh's work unearths Ames's important and underappreciated contributions to a transitional time in American history and politics.

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9781606354674

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Reviews

"""Adelbert Ames lived a big life. He was the first colonel of the 20th Maine, one of the legendary 'boy generals,' Reconstruction governor of Mississippi, enemy of Jesse James, and commander of troops in the Spanish-American War. In this long-overdue biography, Michael J. Megelsh skillfully tells Ames's remarkable story with all the flavor and nuance that it deserves."" —Kenneth W. Noe, author of The Howling Storm: Weather, Climate, and the American Civil War ""Michael J. Megelsh dives deep into the fascinating life of the longest-lived Union major general, Aldebert Ames. Ames was at the crosscurrent of almost every major development in American history in the latter half of the 19th century. Educated at West Point, he fought and led troops at Bull Run, Gettysburg, and Fort Fisher. Postwar he was elected senator for and then governor of Mississippi, where he unsuccessfully fought the rise of the Red Shirts. He then embarked on a highly successful business career, with one break to serve as a general in the Spanish-American War."" —John G. Selby, author of Meade: The Price of Command, 1863–1865 ""In this extensively researched and well-written new biography, author Michael J. Megelesh brings Adelbert Ames back to life, recounting the general's stellar war record and his tumultuous years in Reconstruction-era Mississippi politics."" —Steve French, author of Phantoms of the South Fork: Captain McNeill and His Rangers ""Michael J. Megelsh's biography of General Adelbert Ames presents his underappreciated Civil War record in an honest yet critical manner. However, it is his description of Reconstruction in Mississippi that sets this book in a class of its own. The efforts made by the resurgent Democratic Party to return the state to its antebellum days is as disturbing as it it powerful. The incorruptible general turned Republican governor was one of their many casualties."" —Thomas E. Parson, author of Work for Giants: The Campaign and Battle of Tupelo/Harrisburg, Mississippi, June–July 1864"

Author Information

Michael J. Megelsh is assistant professor of history at Blue Mountain Christian University. The author of numerous scholarly articles, he has also taught courses at Georgia Southern University and Auburn University.

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