Overview

Gunboats versus cavalry? Preposterous! Not so fast. This unique form of Civil War combat is covered extensively for the first time in Iron Maidens and the Devil's Daughters by Mark Zimmerman, author of Guide to Civil War Nashville. Through the use of period photographs and more than a dozen original battle maps, the author details the clashes between Federal gunboats, including ironclads, and Confederate cavalry on the twin rivers of invasion into the heartland. Explore the US river gunboat flotilla (its creation, its commanders, its vessels) and subsequent joint navy-army invasion of Middle Tennessee up the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Chapters cover the naval battles at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson and the remarkable and daring Phelps Raid; the capture of Clarksville and Nashville; the little-known first battle of Shiloh; the strange Duck River Affair; Federal counterinsurgency measures; convoy operations; and the brilliant raids of 1864 by Nathan Bedford Forrest, including Eastport, Paris Landing, Reynoldsburg Island, Johnsonville, and Bell's Bend. The 176-page paperback features artwork by John Paul Strain and Andy Thomas, and a special section devoted to the USS Cairo ironclad gunboat. Especially noteworthy are the building and operations of the river fleet--timberclads, ironclads, tinclads, and river monitors. From the groundwork laid by Rodgers and Eads, to the amphibious operations of Grant and Foote, the raids by Phelps, the tinclad mosquito fleet of Fitch, to the Confederate warfare waged by Forrest, Kelley, and Wheeler, and the guerilla operations of McCann, Woodward, and Hinson, Iron Maidens and the Devil's Daughters explores these little-known fierce battles and skirmishes between Federal naval forces and the pride of Southern mounted infantry.

Full Product Details

9780985869250

Table of Contents

Reviews

The author does an admirable job of describing this unique form of warfare--Federal river gunboats versus Confederate cavalry. Particularly interesting are the numerous original maps of the skirmishes and battles. Highly recommended. Thomas Cartwright, Historian; Lotz House, Franklin, Tennessee Historian Mark Zimmerman has set his sights on a very under-reported aspect of the Civil War--Union Army and Navy operations along the rivers of Tennessee. Besides covering the main battles such as Fort Donelson, this work also focuses on behind-the-lines events after the main armies of both sides had moved south of Nashville. To capture forts and towns and maintain control of the rivers, the Union created a fleet of gunboats to project power and assist seizing territory. Union occupiers turned towns into supply bases which needed protection from regular Confederate cavalry, partisans, and guerrillas seeking to disrupt that line of supply. In response, Union forces fortified their garrisons and ran counter-operations in the field. The mission of the gunboats was altered to convoy transports of troops and supplies to keep the garrisons in place. The result was more than two years of often bitter fights on the navigable rivers of Tennessee where Confederate mounted forces, sometimes supported by artillery, sank and damaged both warships and transports. Yet in the end the U.S. Navy won out. This fast-paced book is well-written and laced with excellent maps and images. No longer will these battles and the pertinent commanders be so obscure. Greg Biggs, Civil War Historian President, Clarksville Civil War Roundtable Zimmerman's eye for detail is critical. His contributions to preserving our local Civil War history have been enormous. This work adds yet another component in understanding the decisive battle at Nashville. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the Nashville campaign. Jim Kay, President, Battle of Nashville Preservation Society, Inc. In his characteristically detailed style, Zimmerman (Guide to Civil War Nashville, 2nd Ed., 2019, etc.) provides a thorough battle history of Union Navy gunboats and Confederate gunners and cavalry in eastern Missouri, middle-to-western Tennessee, and western Kentucky. The unique geography of this region made the military campaigns there different from anywhere else during the Civil War. In one of the only places where the Union extensively deployed its brown-water navy, military tacticians on both sides had no gameplan to consult as the rules were created as the battles were fought. Virtually no other site in the war pitted Union gunboats against Confederate cavalry and field artillery. Adding to the lore of the Tennessee and Cumberland campaigns was that they featured some of the most famous figures of the Confederacy, including Kentucky's John Hunt Morgan and Tennessee's Nathan Bedford Forrest...Zimmerman's contribution is his ability to synthesize vast quantities of arcane military data into an accessible package. The book abounds with maps, fort schematics, charts, and photographs. It also features many well-placed insets with vignettes on particular weapons, people, and places. Civil War scholars may be perturbed by the lack of footnotes and references, though the volume does contain a bibliography that cites a number of academic books. General audiences and Civil War enthusiasts alike will be drawn to the work's aesthetic appeal and ample use of visual aids. The volume concludes with a travel guide to the region's battle sites that is particularly insightful, given the author's active participation in numerous state and local Civil War preservation societies. An engrossing, comprehensive examination of key Civil War river battles. Kirkus Reviews

Author Information

Mark Zimmerman is a retired newspaperman and publications manager who resides in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to operating Zimco Publications LLC, he is a member of the American Battlefield Trust, Battle of Nashville Preservation Society, Nashville Civil War Roundtable, Save the Franklin Battlefield, Civil War Fortification Study Group, and other historical preservation groups. As a newspaperman, Zimmerman worked for the Nashville Banner, The Oak Ridger, the Hendersonville Star-News, the Gallatin News-Examiner, and The Chronicle of Mt. Juliet and West Wilson County, which he co-founded and served as editor. He also worked for Third Coast Publications as Managing Editor and for Athlon Publications. He enjoys traveling to historic sites and museums, a good joke, and collecting books and old bottles of whiskey. More information available at www.zimcopubs.com.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available