Union General

Samuel Ryan Curtis and Victory in the West

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Pub Date 01 Jan 2023 | Archive Date 31 Dec 2022

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Description

2023 A. M. Pate, Jr. Award in Civil War History

Union General is the first biography of Samuel Ryan Curtis, the most important and most successful general on either side in the Civil War west of the Mississippi River. Curtis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War veteran, and determined foe of secession who gave up his seat in Congress to fight for the Union. At Pea Ridge in 1862 and Westport in 1864, he marched hundreds of miles across hostile countryside, routed Confederate armies larger than his own, and reestablished Federal control over large swathes of rebel territory.

In addition to his remarkable success as a largely independent field commander, Curtis was one of only a handful of abolitionist generals in the Union army. He dealt a heavy blow to slavery in the Trans-Mississippi and Mississippi Valley months before the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. His enlightened racial policies and practices generated a storm of criticism and led to his temporary suspension in the middle of the conflict—but he was restored to active duty in time to win a crushing victory at Westport, where he saved Kansas and put an end to Price’s Raid.

Before the war Curtis was an accomplished civil engineer, a prime mover of the transcontinental railroad, and an important figure in the emerging Republican Party and was elected three times to the House of Representatives from Iowa. After the war he participated in pioneering efforts in peacemaking with the Plains Indians and helped oversee construction of the Union Pacific across Nebraska. This biography restores Curtis to his rightful place in American history and adds significantly to our understanding of the Civil War.

2023 A. M. Pate, Jr. Award in Civil War History

Union General is the first biography of Samuel Ryan Curtis, the most important and most successful general on either side in the Civil War west of the...


Advance Praise

“William Shea’s study of Samuel Ryan Curtis is the most important biography of a Civil War figure to be produced in many years and one of the very few that does not retread well-worn ground. . . . Shea’s meticulous research restores Curtis to the position of significance he deserves as the dominant Union commander west of the Mississippi, a leader whose influence on the overall course of the war exceeded that of a host of more familiar soldiers. This is essential reading.”—William Garrett Piston, coauthor of “We Gave Them Thunder”: Marmaduke’s Raid and the Civil War in Missouri and Arkansas

“More than 150 years after his death, Samuel Ryan Curtis, one of the Union’s most capable but least acclaimed generals, finally gets the rich, detailed biography he has long deserved, courtesy of one of our leading Civil War historians. This is a major contribution to our understanding of the titanic struggle in the sprawling Trans-Mississippi.”—Thomas A. DeBlack, author of With Fire and Sword: Arkansas, 1861–1874

“William Shea’s study of Samuel Ryan Curtis is the most important biography of a Civil War figure to be produced in many years and one of the very few that does not retread well-worn ground...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781640125186
PRICE $34.95 (USD)
PAGES 368

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Featured Reviews

A great novel of the Civil war and the story of an unsung hero. The story and the man are not well known when compared to the more famous generals of the time. His life was truly inspiring and this book is a great read for all.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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The American Founders were gifted, multi-dimensional leaders. Many of them had multiple careers throughout their lifetimes, holding positions as surveyors, farmers, merchants, lawyer, and soldiers. Their stories can serve as an inspiration to the current generation of leaders who must struggle with many of the same issues the Founders struggled with developing this nation. Wartime service, particularly from the American Revolution to the Civil War, was often a prerequisite for future leadership in state and federal government.

Union General: Samuel Ryan Curtis and Victory in the West by William L. Shea brings the story of General Samuel Ryan Curtis to life in his first biography. General Curtis was a highly successful West Point graduate, engineer, Congressman and soldier during the Mexican-American and Civil Wars. His life is well-documented by many letters he shared with his family and scrapbooks that he kept from his military campaigns.

General Curtis is probably just now receiving the attention he deserves because he primarily served the outer boundaries of the then Western frontier in Missouri and Arkansas. Most of the attention during the Civil War was on the Eastern theater where the likes of Generals Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman fought. Despite his distance from his superiors, General Curtis held a steady hand of leadership and defended the U.S. Western boundaries from the Confederates and Native American uprisings as local tribes were also being pushed West.

There are common themes in the lives of the great military leaders of the American Revolution and Civil War generations. They were incredibly smart and had basic foundational skills that made them knowledgeable about traversing the land and building earthworks whether it be from experience as a surveyor, engineer, or explorer. Many also endured great personal tragedy and long separations from their families. There were also always internal political battles within the military for recognition, promotion, and choice assignments. General Curtis’s life follows this familiar pattern.

Although the pattern of the story is not new, Shea’s writing style makes Union General an excellent read. The narrative and quotes Shea provides gives the reader a real sense of Curtis’s character and moments of pride and disappointment. Shea also kept the story moving by including in-depth overviews of the battles Curtis led and the strategies he deployed to defend his territory and supply and maintain his troops.

Union General is an obvious good choice for military and Civil War historians and anyone who enjoys a good book. This review is based on receipt of an advanced review copy.

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Union General is written by William L. Shea. This is the first biography of Samuel Ryan Curtis, the most important and most successful general on either side in the Civil War west of the Mississippi River. Curtis was a West Point graduate and Mexican War veteran. As a Civil War buff he is not someone that I have had the pleasure to know a lot about. I felt the author did great and careful research - and brought Samuel Ryan Curtis to life through his writing. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.

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