Product Description

Formed in the summer of 1862, the 24th Wisconsin Infantry participated in many major battles of the Western theater, earning a reputation as a brave, hard-fighting unit. Unlike other unit histories, this book makes no attempt, as the author freely admits, to provide "an objective history" of the regiment. Rather, the book digs deeper, following the personal stories of the soldiers themselves, providing hundreds of individual vignettes that, taken together, paint a vivid picture of the life of a Union soldier. Includes the personal stories of members of the 24th, including Arthur McArthur, the father of General Douglas MacArthur.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #985809 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 438 pages

About the Author
William J. K. Beaudot is the co-author of two books on Civil War history: "In the Bloody Railroad Cut at Gettysburg" (0890295387) and "An Irishman in the Iron Brigade" (0823215016). He has also written several articles on the Civil War for publication.

Customer Reviews

Excellant!
What a great book! Detailed, yet easy to read, this book covers all that anyone would desire to know about the 24th Wisconsin. As a regimental history, it ranks among the top that I've read. This book shows above all else the personal side of the regiment and the war. Beaudot shows how soldiers are tied to home in a much better way than have past regimental historians. As Beaudot was describing the 24th's final battle, the Battle of Nashville, I literally gasped as he told of the last man ever to be killed in the regiment. My story here tells of how much Beaudot depicted the personal side of the story. Readers become truly in touch with the men that make up this brave regiment from Milwaukee. This book is worthy to be on every Civil War buffs bookshelf.

Well-balanced and highly readable.
Writing a good regimental history is a complex task. While the foremost concern for any regimental author is to tell a story, it is also important to put that regiment into a proper context and offer something more to the reader than just the regiment "fought here" or "charged there." Noted historian of Wisconsin regiments, William J. K. Beaudot has succeeded admirably at presenting a well-balanced and highly readable regimental history in The 24th Wisconsin Infantry in the Civil War: The Biography of a Regiment.
The 24th Wisconsin, often times referred to as "The Milwaukee Regiment," has never before had its story told. Until now many only know the regiment because one of its members was Arthur McArthur - father of the famed commander of operations in the Pacific during World War II.
Drawing on an array of sources, which includes a sizeable body of published primary and archival collections Beaudot presents a history that would most certainly please the veterans of that regiment. The book is not only valuable to individuals with an interest in Wisconsin regiments, but is highly valuable to scholars and arm chair historians alike who seek to learn more about the oft-forgotten western theater and the life of the common soldier. -- Jonathan A. Noyalas, The Skirmish Line.

24th Wisconsin
This is a powerful book, ably researched and clearly written. The craftsmanship causes the reader to feel a part of the action. The treatment of the events at Stones River and Franklin reminded the reader of the costs of war. The book is a significant addition to the history of Milwaukee, of Wisconsin and the nation. --Frank P. Zeidler, former mayor of Milwaukee.