The Regular Army on the Eve of the Civil War by George T. Ness, Jr. hc, illus., Index, 307pp.

The Regular Army on the Eve of The Civil War

By George T. Ness, Jr.

Captured within these pages is in an era of United States Military History long neglected and misunderstood, yet so basic and primary to a full appreciation of Americaís most compelling conflict - the Civil War. For the first time, a scholarly, detailed and comprehensive study of the United States Regular Army in the dark decade preceding the explosion of the Civil War is presented here. The tiny armed force of the nation, spread from far outposts on the American western frontier to the bustling streets of Washington D.C., is examined here with a true appreciation for their sacrifice. From beginning to end it will be found that each action and event would have lasting, often critical, effects on the great conflict ahead. The shear volume of biographical information on these early officers is invaluable for the student of the Civil War. Many of these officers, destined to be stellar personalities, achieving national notoriety will be found here with mere company grade commissions. Likewise, others carrying higher rank and greater command will be swallowed by the smoke of Fort Sumpterís guns.

Countless works have been published on the subject of the American Civil War in the last decade. Many are new accounts based on original sources while others are reprints of contemporary and earlier published works. This great prolification has produced, I believe, new avenues for the serious student to traverse as well as widening the audience for which the Civil War is more than a passing interest. The unique character of this work, however, lay in its specific concentration on the men and organization of an embryo army, little altered from its earliest days, during a period of great change and turmoil prior to the tragedy of our Civil War.

George T. Ness, Jr., born in Baltimore in 1905 is a graduate of Baltimore City College, The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland Law School. A lifelong student of the United States Army he is widely regarded as a premier historian, teacher and lecturer on the subject. This, his lifeís work, is a graciously given to all of us who seek a deeper understanding of the past. A pioneering treatise in the field, it is destined to become a cornerstone in the library of every military historian. The contents of this monumental work represents a new chapter in our understanding of the military and the Civil War. I am honored to present this book to the American public as a superb accomplishment for herein, clad in Army blue, lay the calm before the storm.

Courtney B. Wilson

Ellicott City, Maryland