Read the opening extract of the brand new Susie Steiner book before its publication on 05/04/2018

Key Command Ulysses S. Grant's District of Cairo

T.K. Kionka

Part of the Shades of Blue and Gray Series Series

Compare Prices

Share this book

Synopsis

Key Command Ulysses S. Grant's District of Cairo by T.K. Kionka

During the Civil War, Cairo, Illinois, held a uniquely strategic position: it was not only the southernmost northern city, but it was also located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Union strategists believed that the importance of securing it could not be overestimated, and Cairo was occupied by the first volunteer regiments organized in the western theater of the war. Arriving six months later, an underappreciated general named Ulysses S. Grant decided that the Union could do more with Cairo than simply guard it, and using the town as his headquarters he set about reclaiming the Mississippi valley from Rebel forces. This book unfolds the story of how Grant honed his strategic skills in those campaigns while also telling of the changes that came to Cairo. Key Command examines Grant's tenure at his first district command from both military and administrative perspectives. T. K. Kionka has written the first book-length study of the district, exploring the town's Civil War legacy while shedding new light on Grant, the war in the West, and other important Union generals such as Logan and McClernand. From this command post, Grant led troops to the first great Union victories at Belmont, Fort Henry, and Fort Donelson, and Kionka explores their role in Grant's military evolution while highlighting the contributions of civilian volunteers through first-person accounts. Nineteenth-century Cairo was home to an unruly, ethnically diverse population, and Kionka interweaves the story of Grant's military campaign with a social history of the town, describing the men and women associated with the Cairo camps who played significant roles in Grant's command. Grant's victories not only sealed his own reputation, but they also brought unprecedented wealth to a town that before the war had failed to develop under two different land companies. Kionka's work tells how local entrepreneurs made money supplying Grant's troops and how unscrupulous speculators poured into Cairo as Grant coped with dissension, supply shortages, and refugees. It also examines the prewar movement to create a new state out of southern Illinois and its implications both for Cairo and for Union strategy. More than a military history, Key Command gives readers a glimpse of the social and cultural atmosphere of an important military base that proved to be the decisive training ground for the most successful general in the war. With its insight into a polarized society and wartime corruption, Kionka's readable account sheds new light on our own times as it tells the story of a town struggling to survive and a man fighting to succeed.

About the Author

T. K. KIONKA is an independent scholar based in Fairview Heights, Illinois.

More books by this author
Author 'Like for Like' recommendations

Share this page

What is this?

Loading other formats...

Book Info

Publication date

15th July 2006

Author

T.K. Kionka

More books by T.K. Kionka
Author 'Like for Like'
recommendations

Publisher

University of Missouri Press

Format

Hardback
240 pages

ISBN

9780826216557

You can trust Lovereading to show unbiased reviews by actual, ordinary readers that help likeminded booklovers choose their next great read.
Linda Hill

I love reading books I wouldn't normally choose before everyone else gets to read them!
Dawn Lynch

The books for review are always great reads, brilliantly written, and introduces me to a huge variety of, established and new, authors.
Lesley Hart

I recommend Lovereading because you get honest reviews on a whole range of genres-there's something for everyone. It's the only site I need.
Sian Spinney

At Lovereading there are fabulous books available in every genre, with great reviews to help you pick the right book for you.
Teresa O'Halloran

Love books. Love reading. Love reading books. And, here's the trick. Here's a website which caters for people like me.
Ian Harvey-brown

Hooked on books? Give Lovereading a go - for the chance to discover brilliant books, and to see why our members love it so.
Claire Hill

You'll always find what you never knew you were looking for and you're always spoilt for choice.
Helen Jones

Your Friend's Name
Your Friend's Email
Your Name
Your E-mail

Your Message	I found this page on Lovereading.co.uk and thought you might find it interesting. (max. 1024 characters)
	Send Email