BOOK REVIEW : MOVING THE UNION ARMY.

This is a reprint of a book published privately in 1901 and written by a highly regarded general officer who was responsible for the military railways of the Union during the early years of the Civil War. The career of this man, Herman Haupt, was quite remarkable both before and after the war. The book gives a huge amount of information about the processes employed in using the railways to support Union forces during several battles including Gettysburg. The complex nature of these activities is very illuminating and given that these took place at such an early point in the military use of railways, makes you wonder a lot about what happened later during the First World War for example. A book by someone so employed during that war would be exceedingly interesting.

Several things strike me in this book including how quickly damaged track could be repaired after destruction by Confederate forces, over a mile a day being usual, and reconstruction of bridges which only took hours on most occasions. The sheer quantities of supplies moved is  noticeable, the Confederates often saying that the Union forces wasted more than the Confederates actually used. There are also a number of insights into some of the most prominent Union generals of the time. These reports provide plenty of evidence as to why the Union army performed so poorly during those early years of the war.

The other thing of note is the astonishing level of corruption in both politics and business during the 19th century in the USA. I have read about this before but never realised that election to political office was more or less a passport to corrupt financial gain from businesses for favours. This activity continued for a long time including the first half of the 20th century where there is ample evidence from the Prohibition era and the activities of the Mafia where politicians and judges could  be bought and sold. This book gives plenty of insight into this sort of thing and the potential impact on individuals caught on the wrong side, that is the honest side !!!!!

Overall an excellent book on many levels if a little heavy in places.