The Military Memoirs of General John Pope

by Peter Cozzens (Editor), Robert I. Girardi (Editor), John Y. Simon (Foreword by)

Overview

Union general John Pope was among the most controversial and
misunderstood figures to hold major command during the Civil War.
Before being called east in June 1862 to lead the Army of Virginia against General Robert E. Lee, he compiled an enviable record in Missouri and as commander of the Army of the Mississippi. After his ignominious defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run, he was sent to the frontier. Over the next twenty-four years Pope held important department commands on the western plains and was recognized as one of the army's leading authorities on Indian affairs, but he never again commanded troops in battle.
In 1886, Pope was engaged by the National Tribune, a
weekly newspaper published in Washington, D.C., to write a series
of articles on his wartime experiences. Over the next five years, in twenty-nine installments, he wrote about the war as he had lived it. Collected here for the first time, Pope's "war reminiscences" join a select roster of memoirs written by Civil War army commanders.
Pope presents a detailed review of the campaigns in which he
participated and offers vivid character sketches of such illustrious figures as Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. Clearly written and balanced in tone, his memoirs are a dramatic and important addition to the literature on the Civil War.

Originally published in 1998.

A UNC Press Enduring Edition — UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807865248
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	08/10/2010
Series:	Civil War America
Edition description:	1
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	751,638
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	1630L (what's this?)

About the Author

Peter Cozzens is a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Department of State and the author of four highly acclaimed Civil War books.

Robert I. Girardi is a Chicago police detective, Civil War historian, and president of the Chicago Civil War Round Table.

Table of Contents

Contents

Foreword by John Y. Simon
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Part I. Missouri in 1861
Chapter 1 The Rush to the Ranks
Chapter 2 An Unpleasant Page of History
Chapter 3 Quiet and Good Order Are of All Things Desirable

Part II. New Madrid and Island No. 10
Chapter 4 The Conduct of the Troops Was Splendid

Part III. The Siege of Corinth
Chapter 5 We Sauntered Along Slowly
Chapter 6 Confederate Generals at Corinth
Chapter 7 Federal Generals at Corinth
Chapter 8 We Frittered Away Our Strength

Part IV. The Second Bull Run Campaign
Chapter 9 Summoned East: I Was Most Reluctant to Leave
Chapter 10 The Battle of Cedar Mountain: Always a Source of Regret
Chapter 11 Leave Pope to Get Out of His Scrape

Part V. Miscellaneous Recollections
Chapter 12 Abraham Lincoln
Chapter 13 The Mexican War and Washington in 1861
Chapter 14 Prominent Confederates
Chapter 15 West Pointers to the Front

Appendix A Postwar Correspondence between Pope and the Comte de Paris Pertaining to the Second Bull Run Campaign
Appendix B Pope's Memoirs in the National Tribune

Notes
Index

Maps
Northern Missouri in 1861
New Madrid and Island No. 10
Northern Virginia in 1862

Illustrations
Brigadier General John Pope, early 1862 / frontispiece
Brigadier General John Pope, a postwar image

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Peter Cozzens . . . and Robert Girardi . . . have done General Pope a great service by letting Pope's letters, memoirs, and recollections speak for themselves.—North Carolina Historical Review



John Pope has long been one of the pat caricatures of the Civil War. But now, the caricature is exploded through the surest means of all: Pope's own thoughtful, restrained memoirs, newly discovered. Pope's literate observations are simultaneously interesting, refreshing, and important—a valuable lens on a troubled time, and a new look at a troubled man.—John J. Hennessy, author of Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas



An important lost look at the Civil War by one of the most complex commanders of the Union army. . . . Pope offers an intriguing eyewitness account of the battles of the Civil War, informed by an insider's knowledge of strategy, conditions, and events. Cozzens offers a succinct introduction and places the events related in the memoir within their proper context. An essential firsthand account to join the ranks of those of Sherman and Grant.—Kirkus Reviews



A superb job. . . . Readers willing to reconsider Pope will welcome the fresh perspective the book offers on his career.—Military History

Editorial Reviews

"A superb job. . . . Readers willing to reconsider Pope will welcome the fresh perspective the book offers on his career."--"Military History"

"An important lost look at the Civil War by one of the most complex commanders of the Union army. . . . Pope offers an intriguing eyewitness account of the battles of the Civil War, informed by an insider's knowledge of strategy, conditions, and events. Cozzens offers a succinct introduction and places the events related in the memoir within their proper context. An essential firsthand account to join the ranks of those of Sherman and Grant."--"Kirkus Reviews"

"John Pope has long been one of the pat caricatures of the Civil War. But now, the caricature is exploded through the surest means of all: Pope's own thoughtful, restrained memoirs, newly discovered. Pope's literate observations are simultaneously interesting, refreshing, and important--a valuable lens on a troubled time, and a new look at a troubled man."--John J. Hennessy, author of "Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas"

"Peter Cozzens . . . and Robert Girardi . . . have done General Pope a great service by letting Pope's letters, memoirs, and recollections speak for themselves."--"North Carolina Historical Review"

From the Publisher