Book Review

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Book Review | The Journal of American History, 86.2 | The History Cooperative

Collis' Zouaves: The 114th Pennsylvania Volunteers in the Civil War. By Edward J. Hagerty. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1997. xviii, 357 pp. $29.95, isbn 0-8071-2199-1.)

Conceived in Liberty: Joshua Chamberlain, William Oates, and the American Civil War. By Mark Perry. (New York: Viking, 1997. xii, 500 pp. $31.95, isbn 0-670-86225-8.)

Civil War historiography has been trending toward increasingly sophisticated studies of the common soldier and other lesser known individuals. Results have expanded the breadth of our understanding of the human experience in a time of national turmoil. 1

     The quality of unit histories, an important aspect of this trend, has risen dramatically. An excellent example is Edward J. Hagerty's splendid study of the 114th Pennsylvania. Hagerty notes that recent regimental histories possess three characteristics: "they are well written; they are analytical, not simply narrative, in form; and they incorporate some measure of social history in their portrayal of the common soldier of the Civil War." Hagerty has succeeded in structuring his book in the same manner, while adding a discussion of key political factors affecting the Pennsylvanians. 2

     The heart of Hagerty's study is indeed sociopolitical aspects of the 114th. The regiment participated in four major engagements: Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and the Petersburg siege. During their thirty-one months of war, they fought a total of six days, gaining more distinction from their colorful uniforms than combat. The significant story here is of their daily life in the Union army. 3

     Hagerty's account is very detailed, yet analytical. Camp life routine is explored, but more fascinating is the background of the regiment regarding prewar jobs and economic status as those factors impacted the war experience. Especially interesting is a casualty chart comparing losses among those whose prewar careers classified them as skilled, semiskilled, and unskilled. Statistics indicate that "those who bore the brunt of the casualties came from the most numerous class of workers, semiskilled." This is but one of several avenues of investigation that Hagerty uses to flesh out his portrait of the regiment. . . .

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