The Brotherhood of Valor Verna Marie Valdepenas, Eddie Ryan, Michael Carter, Associate Professor Humanities, Social Sciences and Management Department The Brotherhood of Valor, by Jeffrey Wert, is an assigned text in the Civil War course taught by professor Michael Carter. The book is an historical narrative concerning two of the most famous infantry brigades, involved in the United States' most cataclysmic conflict: the Stonewall Brigade, mainly comprised of northern Virginians, and the Iron Brigade, made up of soldiers from Wisconsin and Indiana. The book follows bth of these brigades throughout the war, through their constant marching, fighting, and dying. They oppose each other on numerous occasions and Mr. Wert wants to give the reader a "feel" for the trials and tribulations of the average footsoldier. Mr. Wert tries to compare and contrast both of these excellent units. The following two selections are book reviews from students in the Civil War class Verna Marie Valdepenas Junior AEET A Brotherhood of Valor is a biography of the two armies' experiences in the Civil War. This book is a biography of the civil war. It leads the reader through the war and its battles in a similar manner as a history text with facts and descriptions of the army leaders, the armies, and the battlefields. The style of the book goes beyond that of a history text or narrative, in that it adds a personal view of individuals in the war. Wert describes the Confederate and the Union soldiers in a manner that the reader distinguishes that they are two separate armies fighting against each other under two separate causes. However, Wert also includes descriptions of various soldiers, generals and infantry, which make the reader, believe and imagine vividly what that individual is experiencing at that moment. I do not believe that Wert is attempting to bring in the "sentimentality" and "tragic" aspect of war, which is generalized to be rough, dirty, and unimaginable. I believe that the personal experiences are more directed to compare the similarities of the Confederate and the Union armies. It is the human aspect that relates to two "different" soldiers to a common understanding, as mentioned in the inside cover summary of the book . Once he or she begins to read the book he or she may believe that they understand the point of this book. The book begins by describing the armies as a whole. The details of the recruiting and the training of the soldiers and how they have come into the spirit of the war and left behind families and careers. Both armies have soldiers that were from different areas of the country and many have no experience in war training. Wert treats the beginning of the biography as "two sides with this similar whole, but different affiliation" in the early chapters of the book. He incorporates several facts that remind the reader that this was a reality with real soldiers in real cities. As the descriptions and the changes of the war occur, the readers become engulfed in the battles. I believe that you are taken away from the personal aspect as the figure and battle plans are described and are turned to the personal edge when the aftermath and the travel experiences are occurring. The descriptions are straightforward in that this type of cycle occurs - description of the players, description of the armies' movement, descriptions of the general, the battleground and the aftermath. Then the individual recollections are given about the resting or traveling periods in between the battles. The described intentions that were mentioned in the summary are evident. Two sides remain - not just the Confederates and the Union, but the history-hard facts and then the personal view, retold for both sides of the war. It is during the final half of A Brotherhood of Valor that a realization of similarities begins to occur. As mentioned earlier the fragments of the soldier's views are incorporated to add to the drama and "tragedy" of war. However,Wert manages to retell the stories in such a manner that one does not feel "sorry" or "bad" for these soldiers, but begins to realize that this is their reality. The stories are real accounts of everyday, typical occurrences. The "drama" begins to strip away that there no longer becomes a distinction between the two armies. The reader becomes aware that the ice cold marches without shoes, the bullets embedded in skin that are infected with maggots, or the bread which was so hard in hurt, even when soaked in water and fried with pork lard; were daily obstacles. This change in the narration of the Civil War has the greatest impact as this biography developed. I believe Mr. Jeffry Wert has combined the ideas of biography, historical facts, and common narrative very well in A Brotherhood of Valor. In researching his background, I found a few other reviews on this work and other printed literature. His other works include Custer: the Controversial Life of George Armstrong Custer, From Manassas to Appomattox: Memorials of the Civil War in America, General James Longstreet: the Confederacy's Most Controversial Soldier - A Biography, and Mosby's Ranger's. I believe that Mr. Wert has shown his expertise on this subject matter and has incorporated a complimentary mix of personal narratives in a well-balanced text. I agree with a critic that this cannot be a sole source in gathering information in the war. This text is more understandable with the background that I have had with the class. There were many figures that were mentioned and many other facts that can be easily lost or confused in reading the text, even with a bit of background. Overall, this is an enjoyable account of the war and I would recommend it to an individual interested or researching the Civil War. Book Reviews: "A Brotherhood of Valor" by Jeffry D.Wert Reviewed by: Eddie Ryan  Jeffry D. Wert, a history teacher at Penns Valley High School and a citizen of Centre Hall Pennsylvania is the author of a "Brotherhood of Valor", the chronological story of two of the most notable brigades in the Civil War. Wert describes the battles, the daily routine, the fears and the enormous amounts of courage shown by the Unions Iron Brigade and the Confederates Stonewall Brigade.Wert, has authored several books, including "Custer The Controversial Life of George Armstrong Custer", "From Manassas to Appomattox : Memoirs of the Civil War in America", and "From Winchester to Cedar Creek : The Shenandoah Campaign of 1864". In "A Brotherhood of Valor" Wert uses the words of the soldiers themselves to describe the action from the great first victory of the Stonewall Brigade at Manasses to the slaughters at Spotsylvania, Antiedam and Gettysburg to the Confederate surrender to Ulysees S. Grant on April 9th 1865. Many books have been written about the civil war since its end in 1865 but Wert gives the reader a personality to the soldiers that have become just numbers with the passage of time. Many people are familiar with the romantic leading players of the civil war such as President Abraham Lincoln, General Ulysees S. Grant, and General Robert E. Lee, but it is the common enlisted soldier, the field commanders and the Brigadier Generals that fought the battles that ultimately saved the United States from a fractured history. Wert begins his story with the country on the cusp of war, shortly after the southern states secession and the attack on Fort Sumter. It is a time of great excitement in the South as its political leaders ask for volunteers to fight the inevitable war against the North. As was the practice in recruitment during this period volunteers were grouped together according to geographical location. One such group of volunteers were the men of the Shenendoah Valley in Northern Virginia which would in time immortalize themselves as one of the finest group of soldiers in either the Union or Confederate Armies. It is this group of men, who stand out in the first battle of Manasses that distinguish themselves as the Stonewall Brigade, named after the their first Brigadier General Thomas J. Jackson. Jackson, an extremely religious man, refused to back down from a furious attack by the Northern forces in that first battle and was subsequently nicknamed "Stonewall" after General Barnard Bee shouted "Look men there is Jackson standing like a stone wall!". Jackson's performance and that of his men earned him a promotion to Major General, which effectively ended his direct command with the men of the Shenendoah Valley. However Jackson's imprint would forever instill the values and discipline which would separate the Stonewall Brigade from all others on the Confederate side. Because of this Jackson was held in such high regard by these men. As Wert notes the feelings were mutual between Jackson and his former Brigade and it is very seldom that the Major General is far from his former men and they are often the first to lead a charge into battle he has designed. The Iron Brigade was formed in much the same manner as the Stonewall Brigade. Volunteers formed infantry units according to their geographical location and were subsequently placed into larger brigades. Although these men volunteered they did not initially seem to be as committed as their southern foes. Many joined to forgive loans or for other monetary reasons but their attitudes seemed to change as they prepared for the battles which would ultimately come. A real sense of patriotism and the fervor that surrounded the volunteers changed these men from a group of guys that wreaked havoc as they trained to one of the fiercest and most feared brigades in the Union Army. In much the same way as Jackson forced his personality on the Stonewall Brigade, Brigadier General John Gibbon forced his will on the men from Wisconsin and Indiana. Gibbon was an intelligent leader and trainer of men. Although at times the western men did not appreciate Gibbon during their initial period he proved to be one of the factors that made this brigade stand out in the Union Army. Gibbon was a relentless and tireless commander who felt there was no substitute for training. He also gave his men a sense of pride in the way they looked. When Gibbon issued his men tall black hats he gave them an air of confidence that only they were privy to. They would stand out in battles to both allies and enemies and after their encounter with confederate forces at Antiedam were given the nickname of the Iron Brigade. As Wert describes the dances between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of North Virginia throughout the first three years of the War it becomes apparent that the men in opposing Brigades are very similar. For the most part they welcome the war initially, anxious to show their courage and their superiority. The Stonewall Brigade seems as if they are in every battle. Jackson has an enormous amount of confidence in his former brigade and the Virginians are more than happy to please Jackson. For the entire war they are trying to live up to a reputation that they earned at the battle of Manasses. But for every victory they secure on the battlefield they suffer great losses in manpower. Their numbers keep dwindling at an alarming rate as the battles rage on. The Stonewall Brigade in its dying devotion to Jackson suffers greatly with the constant marches. They hold Jackson in high esteem but he is slowly demoralizing them by being so hard on them. This becomes a problem as the army stays in Virginia because the numbers keep dwindling because of desertion. History seems to romanticize the memory of Jackson, maybe because of his death, but it would appear that he is as responsible for the desertions and lack of man power as he is for the victories in battle. The Iron Brigade is also trying to live up to their reputation, although they suffer great losses they always seem to perform well in battles. The losses that continue to build up on the Union side are in no way a reflection on how the men performed, but it becomes apparent in retrospect that they had a stable of poor leaders at the top of the army. They also look up to their leaders particularly Major General George McClellan. History however shows that McClellans' poor leadership probably extended the war, which resulted in greater amounts of casualties. His replacement General Ambrose Burnside was so bad at Fredricksburg that it would appear he was working for the Confederates. General Joseph Hooker, who replaced Burnside, missed a golden opportunity at Chancellorsville to defeat Lee. The battles that were fought by the two heralded brigades were often the bloodiest and the most costly to their respective armies. Antietam and Gettysburg seemed to take the fight out of both brigades. They had been through enough and their battered bodies and tired emotions were beginning to show on the battlefield. Their numbers dwindled and reorganization changed the make-up of the two war wary brigades. They were a shell of themselves by the end of the war. The letters that the participants sent back to relatives and friends showed what remarkable men these soldiers were on both sides. Many foresaw their own demise yet would not let down their brothers in arms. They all had a tremendous sense of responsibility to not only their comrades but for the cause for which they fought. The Confederate men seemed to feel they were fighting for God and what they deemed to be right, while the Union men felt it their patriotic duty to fight for a country that had provided so much to them and feared the precedent being set by secession. As one reads this book it becomes clear that both sides had a tremendous amount of respect for each other as warriors. There seemed to be a gentlemanly quality to each side such as truces being called to bury the dead and bugle calls to signify an offensive movement. Opposite sides shared watering holes and spoke when the war hit a lull. Wert showed throughout this book that these men were similar in every way except for the uniforms they wore. They came from similar backgrounds. They respected authority, sometimes begrudgingly, and all seemed to be very parochial (There were many changes in the ranks due to death and promotions). Outsiders were not welcomed because trust could not be given to an outsider. They all looked forward to the battles at the beginning of the war but when the realities of war came upon them they were repulsed by it. Those who didn't desert fought gallantly and sacrificed for their beliefs and their families. Wert sums up the numbers in the last chapter of the book and shows the effectiveness and the sacrifices of the Stonewall Brigade and Iron Brigade. When the numbers were tallied and the Confederates finally surrendered the only thing that was proven was that the Union had more resources. When the battles raged in Virginia and Maryland for four years there was virtually no ground given to either side for a substantial amount of time. But it is also apparent and Wert says so much, that the war may have turned for good on that first day at Gettysburg. It was here that The Iron Brigade probably influenced the war the most by the many sacrifices it endured, which enabled its brethren to secure the more desired ground. General Lee seemed to be in retreat from that point on. It also seemed that the Union was much more fortunate than the Confederates when it came to its leaders. It is obvious that the Confederates had the more capable leaders at the beginning of the war but casualties' diminished their superiority. It was unclear in the book if the Confederate leaders had a more hands on approach to commanding which put them in harms way more often. The Stonewall Brigade had several deaths in its command and Jackson himself although not a member of the Brigade at the time was mortally wounded on the battlefield. General Grant was the missing piece to the Union cause in the Eastern Quarter. His aggressive command did not give Lee a chance to dictate the war as he retreated. It makes one wonder if the war could have been over quickly if the North didn't have to put up with McClellan, Burnside and Hooker for so long. It is however the men on the battlefields that made this war a part of the American conscience. There does not seem to be any good guys or bad guys just men who answered the call when asked. Wert lets these men describe their emotions and the battles that shaped our landscape which ultimately makes "A Brotherhood of Valor" an objective look at the American Civil War.