The Union inland navy that became the Mississippi Squadron is one of the greatest, yet least studied aspects of the Civil War. Without it, however, the war in the West may not have been won, and the war in the East might have lasted much longer and perhaps ended differently. The men who formed and commanded this large fighting force have, with few exceptions, not been as thoroughly studied as their army counterparts.The vessels they created were highly specialized craft which opera...

Nearly as old as the city itself, Oakland Cemetery is one of Shreveport's most significant historical landmarks. Notable residents were laid to rest here as early as 1842. In a mass grave lie nearly eight hundred victims of a virulent yellow fever epidemic that struck the city in 1873. Others interred include Annie McCune, the famous Shreveport madam who operated a brothel in the city's red-light district, as well as hundreds of Civil War soldiers, city founders and the first African Ameri...

In the rough-and-tumble days of the nineteenth century, Shreveport was on the very edge of the country's western frontier. It was a city struggling to tame lawlessness, and its streets were rocked by duels, lynchings and shootouts. A new century and Prohibition only brought a fresh wave of crime and scandal. The port city became a haunt for the likes of notorious bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde and home to the influential socialite and Madam Annie McCune. From Fred Lockhart, aka the 'Butterf...

Legendary Locals of Shreveport chronicles fascinating people who have made a difference in the Shreveport-Bossier City area. Some are good, some are bad, and more than a few are wicked. There are movie starlets, entertainers, decorated war veterans, gangsters, preachers, madams, politicians, giants of industry, and humble folk who rose to greatness or infamy. Shreveport began as a rough and tumble frontier town that came late to being "civilized." A Baptist preacher shot one of Quantrill's...

Over the course of many decades, the city of Shreveport witnessed dramatic growth and ever-changing landscapes. Mule-drawn railways gave way to electric streetcars, and what was once the Confederate capital of the state became today's vibrant commercial hub of northwest Louisiana. Drawing from their extensive image collection, authors Joiner and Roberson depict the forgotten scenes and lost stories that form the complex layers of Shreveport history. From the famous performances of Pawnee B...

Ulysses S. Grant’s ingenious campaign to capture the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River was one of the most decisive events of the Civil War and one of the most storied military expeditions in American history. The ultimate victory at Vicksburg effectively cut the Confederacy in two, gave control of the river to Union forces, and delivered a devastating blow from which the South never fully recovered. Editors Steven E. Woodworth and Charles D. Grear have assembled essays ...

In the spring of 1864, as the armies of Grant and Lee waged a highly scrutinized and celebrated battle for the state of Virginia, a no- less important, but historically obscured engagement was being conducted in the pine barrens of northern Louisiana. In a year of stellar triumphs by Union armies across the South, the Red River Campaign stands out as a colossal failure. General William Tecumseh Sherman's scathing summation describes it best, 'One damn blunder from beginning to end.' Taking...

"May well be the best, most perceptive and authoritative account of the Battle of Shiloh." — The Weekly StandardThe bloody and decisive two-day battle of Shiloh on April 6-7, 1862 changed the entire course of the American Civil War. The stunning Northern victory thrust Union commander Ulysses S. Grant into the national spotlight, claimed the life of Confederate commander Albert S. Johnston, and forever buried the notion that the Civil War would be a short c...

The bloody two-day battle of Shiloh changed the course of the American Civil War. The conflagration at Shiloh had its roots in the strong Union advance that resulted in the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson in Tennessee. The offensive collapsed General Albert S. Johnston's advanced line in Kentucky and forced him to withdraw to northern Mississippi. Anxious to attack the enemy, Johnston began concentrating Southern forces at Corinth, a major railroad center just below the Tennessee borde...

Balanced and in-depth military coverage (all theaters, North and South) in a non-partisan format with detailed notes, offering meaty, in-depth articles, original maps, photos, columns, book reviews, and indexes.Gray’s Louisiana Brigade – Union Naval Expedition – Beard and the Consolidated Crescent Regiment – Campaign Letters – Touring the Red River Campaign