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John Votaw on the Journals of Josiah Gorgas, 1857-1878

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John Votaw on the Journals of Josiah Gorgas, 1857-1878 Sarah Woolfolk Wiggins, ed.. The Journals of Josiah Gorgas, 1857-1878. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1995. xxxix + 305 pp. $39.95, ISBN 978-0-8173-0770-7. Reviewed by John F. Votaw Published on H-CivWar (April, 1996) Personal journals, even when skillfully edit‐ 1945 and his encounter with two of the elder Gor‐ ed, often are rich in research detail but seldom gas's daughters. Although he published the Civil make stimulating reading. Thanks to Sarah Wool‐ War portion of the memoirs in 1947, Vandiver folk Wiggins, emeritus professor of history at the credits Wiggins with interpreting the diaries and University of Alabama, and the Alabama Press we journals "in full Gorgas family context and in the have at hand a pleasing exception. Appointed to perspective of the times they cover." Her scholar‐ the rank of brigadier general in November 1864, ship, he adds, "informs with the sort of editorial the Confederate chief of ordnance still remains notes expected of a careful scholar, but she en‐ less well known than his eldest son, Major Gener‐ lightens with wide knowledge of American and al William Crawford Gorgas, an army surgeon southern history" (p. xi). general and a researcher of Yellow Fever. The fa‐ Wiggins's purpose was to add "new dimen‐ ther was an 1841 West Point graduate, but the son sions to our understanding of a man usually graduated from the University of the South in known only as a military fgure" and to provide 1875 after failing to obtain an appointment to his "an unusual perspective on nineteenth-century father's alma mater. For Civil War scholars, the southern family life" (p. xxiii). As Vandiver ob‐ eighteen Josiah Gorgas journals provide helpful served, Professor Wiggins cast her net to encom‐ insights into the activities of the Confederate mili‐ pass more than military biography and success‐ tary establishment. For historians of southern cul‐ fully crafted the results of that research. In an ef‐ ture, the journals connect the antebellum South to fort to let Josiah Gorgas "speak for himself to the period of Reconstruction, uninterrupted by readers through a literal and readable text," the the Civil War and focused by the events affecting editor has transcribed the journals just as the the Gorgas family over two decades. were written, including idiosyncratic spellings, Frank Vandiver informs us, in his interesting underlining, and other punctuation. Gorgas ex‐ foreword, of his search for the Gorgas diaries in plained that his reason for keeping the journals, H-Net Reviews "however trivial the entires my appear," was as a Washington over the growing sectional tension. legacy for his children (p. 88). Editorial notes are This sort of eclectic attention to the social, eco‐ included in brackets, and a chronological division nomic and political life of antebellum America is of the journals has been imposed. Defaced pas‐ reminiscent of Theodore Roosevelt's social calen‐ sages in the original, that reflected Gorgas's "blunt dar but seems odd today. but perceptive assessments" of Confederate offi‐ The Civil War journals allow us to peek into cials and family members, have been restored in the inner workings of the Confederacy and to this edition (pp. xxix, xix). learn that in the matter of reporting casualties, These manuscript sources have been known "The Yankees are probably the greatest liars, but to the historical community since the end of the we are not much behind them" (p. 46). Brigadier Second World War. What the new edition has General Gorgas was no armchair general. He of‐ done is to place Gorgas in a wider historical con‐ ten rode out to the site of recently concluded bat‐ text and to give greater detail to his character and tles to compare what he had read of the engage‐ activities. The journals begin with an entry for 1 ment with the terrain (pp. 47-48). Throughout the January 1857, but Gorgas's frst 38 years were full wartime journals, Gorgas laments the destruction and interesting. Born in rural Pennsylvania in of property by the Yankees. He frequently quotes 1818 in a large family, Josiah had little formal edu‐ the rising prices of beef and dairy products. cation. He apprenticed in journalism, then read There are numerous optimistic entries fol‐ law in the local congressman's office. The con‐ lowed several days later with the stark realism gressman nominated young Gorgas to West Point, and depressing news of the growing military pow‐ where he was graduated in 1841. His early com‐ er of the Union forces. Learning of Union success‐ missioned years were spent at Watervliet Arsenal es in Mississippi, Gorgas noted that "Grant ap‐ in upstate New York, with brief assignments at pears to have out generaled us" and observed that other ordnance facilities. During the Mexican War the loss of Mississippi "would have an important he provided ordnance support to Winfield Scott's influence on the duration of the war" (pp. 67-68). army but did not distinguish himself in battle as This example of Gorgas's clear analytical ability did many of his contemporaries. In the summer of that surmounts his patriotic optimism makes 1853 he served at the Mount Vernon Arsenal near these journals particularly helpful in understand‐ Mobile, Alabama, where he met Amelia Gayle and ing the attitudes of Confederate leadership. married her on December 29 of that year. In July Regarding the formerly defaced passages re‐ 1856, with their new son William Crawford in stored in this edition, Wiggins treats us to some of tow, the Gorgas family returned to the northeast Gorgas's more pointed criticisms of the Confeder‐ and duty at Kennebec Arsenal in Augusta, Maine. ate high command, starting with President Jeffer‐ At this point the journals begin. son Davis himself. "The President seems deter‐ The antebellum journals are full of detail il‐ mined to respect the opinions of no one; and has I lustrating Josiah Gorgas's many interests. For ex‐ fear little appreciation of services rendered, un‐ ample, we learn of his Jefferson-like attention to less the party enjoys his good opinion. He seems diverse matters such as the falling temperatures to be an indifferent judge of men, & is guided in Maine in January 1856, the comments of Henry more by prejudice, than by sound, discriminating Ward Becher delivered at a lecture in Augusta, the judgment" (p. 78). Perhaps Gorgas was secure in unfolding investigation into the murder of New the knowledge that his evaluations would be pro‐ York dentist Dr. Burdell, his careful following of tected in his family records, but his willingness to newspaper reports of the political debates in criticize, even parenthetically, the leaders says 2 H-Net Reviews something important about the makeup of the 1865: "The calamity which has fallen upon us in Confederate bureaucracy and Gorgas's intellectu‐ the total destruction of our government is of a al honesty. There is no indication in the journals character so overwhelming that I am as yet un‐ that he was as outspoken in public or social con‐ able to comprehend it." (p. 167) He frequently vis‐ versation. ited with General William J. Hardee in Dempolois The events of 1864 seemed to be more and thought about starting an "iron business . promising for the Confederacy, but as Union now that my profession is gone" (p. 183). As he forces began to close in on Richmond, shortages busied himself at his new occupation as part own‐ of food and military supplies strapped the Confed‐ er and manager of an Alabama iron works, he for‐ erate government. In May, Gorgas recalled with got his routine journal entries. The family was in obvious distaste, General Joseph E. "Johnston veri‐ Baltimore awaiting Gorgas's preparation of their fies all our predictions of him. He is falling back new home in Alabama, which they occupied on 12 just as fast as his legs can carry him" (p. 111). April 1866. The iron works progressed toward Throughout the war years Gorgas made the effort profitability slowly, always threatening to fail for to read "Yankee Sources" and, by comparing them lack of funds. President Andrew Johnson's im‐ to Confederate papers, was able to arrive at bal‐ peachment trial and acquittal were reported by anced, although sometimes painful assessments. Gorgas, in between reports on the possible resur‐ Lincoln's re-election left little doubt that "the war rection of his business fortunes. In July 1868 the must go on" until the Northern hope of "our sub‐ position of president of Sewanee University in jugation" is "crushed out and replaced by desire Tennessee was offered and accepted, to be effec‐ for peace at any cost." tive in March 1869. The peace and satisfaction of academic life seemed to agree with Gorgas and Hope was in short supply as the new year his family. But even that small pleasure was ulti‐ 1865 opened. "Everybody is depressed and mately denied him as the university trustees in‐ somber. Military events have as in '62 & '63 closed stalled a cleric as vice-chancellor in mid-1878, against us" (p. 147). Gorgas lamented the efforts of which caused Gorgas to resign as president. He the elderly Jacksonian democrat, Francis Preston accepted the presidency of the University of Al‐ Blair, and "so-called [Confederate] peace commis‐ abama, thereby taking some of the "sting" out of sioners," who negotiated unofficially with the ene‐ the Tennessee affair (p. 249). my at Hampton Roads "before we are half beaten" (pp. 149-150). As the mounting wave of Union mil‐ The last journal entry, transcribed by his itary power waxed in the spring of 1865 and Con‐ daughter Jessie, was for his sixtieth birthday on 1 federate capabilities waned, Gorgas contemplated July 1878.
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