Quote of the Day: "The Sault canal system, which links Lake Superior and Lake Huron at the twin towns of Sault Sainte Marie, in Michigan and Ontario, is the most important mile in America." National Geographic Society, 1950.
In spite of Williams who was killed in battle and officers who were either drunks or cowards and ran when a shot was fired the 6th performed admirably in battle. If they were magnificent in a fight they were equally impressive at foraging and outright theft. The 6th suffered more deaths, from illness and battles combined than any other Michigan regiment. In 1863 the 6th was converted to a heavy artillery unit. The author makes great use of soldiers' diaries and letters giving a-you-are-there intimacy to the narrative. Faust has written an engrossing and eye-opening regimental history. The book contains maps, numerous photos, and includes a complete regiment roster. I'm looking forward to the author's earlier book on the 11th Michigan which I hope to review this fall.
The 6th Michigan Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War: A History and Roster by Eric R. Faust. McFarland and Company, 2020, $49.95 pb.
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Reviews
The 6th Michigan Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War: A History and Roster
by Eric R. Faust
This readable and always interesting history of the 6th Michigan presents readers with a glimpse of the often miserable conditions Civil War soldiers had to endure, the hardships caused by poor leadership, and the unique character of volunteer regiments in the Civil War. Many volunteer regiments did not take well to discipline, of which the sixth served as a sterling example. The regiment was recruited from southern Michigan and in late August 1861, the 996-strong unit left for Washington. Their journey was interrupted in Baltimore where they encamped for several weeks. Baltimoreans said they were the best-behaved regiment to enter the city. It was the last such compliment they would ever receive.
Brigadier General Williams, who disliked volunteer troops, commanded the brigade to which the 6th Michigan was assigned. The dislike soon turned to hate which was returned in full by the men. On the brigade's first foray into the field, Williams ordered no one was to allow slaves to follow them to freedom and there was to be no foraging from rebel households. When Williams caught a private from the 6th with a turkey he charged him with theft. The man swore he paid for the bird and Williams couldn't prove otherwise so in disgust he dropped the charges. As Williams walked away the entire regiment began to yell gobble, gobble. From then on many of his orders were met with the same refrain.
The 6th along with the brigade was transferred to New Orleans where the regiment suffered from the climate, the officers, and the ever-present pestilence in the field. Williams literally drilled the men to death in malarial swamps and marshes. At one point the 6th was housed in the New Orleans mint until Williams ordered them to set up camp, without tents, in inhospitable wetlands. The 6th's Lt. Colonel refused the order as did the major. Both were dismissed and Williams turned to the regiment's captains to carry out the order. One after another refused until Williams threatened to have the next captain who refused the order put before a firing squad. That is only one of several jaw-dropping instances the reader will find here.
Brigadier General Williams, who disliked volunteer troops, commanded the brigade to which the 6th Michigan was assigned. The dislike soon turned to hate which was returned in full by the men. On the brigade's first foray into the field, Williams ordered no one was to allow slaves to follow them to freedom and there was to be no foraging from rebel households. When Williams caught a private from the 6th with a turkey he charged him with theft. The man swore he paid for the bird and Williams couldn't prove otherwise so in disgust he dropped the charges. As Williams walked away the entire regiment began to yell gobble, gobble. From then on many of his orders were met with the same refrain.
The 6th along with the brigade was transferred to New Orleans where the regiment suffered from the climate, the officers, and the ever-present pestilence in the field. Williams literally drilled the men to death in malarial swamps and marshes. At one point the 6th was housed in the New Orleans mint until Williams ordered them to set up camp, without tents, in inhospitable wetlands. The 6th's Lt. Colonel refused the order as did the major. Both were dismissed and Williams turned to the regiment's captains to carry out the order. One after another refused until Williams threatened to have the next captain who refused the order put before a firing squad. That is only one of several jaw-dropping instances the reader will find here.
In spite of Williams who was killed in battle and officers who were either drunks or cowards and ran when a shot was fired the 6th performed admirably in battle. If they were magnificent in a fight they were equally impressive at foraging and outright theft. The 6th suffered more deaths, from illness and battles combined than any other Michigan regiment. In 1863 the 6th was converted to a heavy artillery unit. The author makes great use of soldiers' diaries and letters giving a-you-are-there intimacy to the narrative. Faust has written an engrossing and eye-opening regimental history. The book contains maps, numerous photos, and includes a complete regiment roster. I'm looking forward to the author's earlier book on the 11th Michigan which I hope to review this fall.
The 6th Michigan Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War: A History and Roster by Eric R. Faust. McFarland and Company, 2020, $49.95 pb.
Find Me When I'm Lost: A Charlie Mack Motown Mystery
by Cheryl A. Head
I was somewhat chagrined to discover I had never heard of, let alone read any of Cheryl A. Head's private eye novels until I stumbled across this fine mystery. The series is obviously set in Detroit and features Charlie Mack, a lesbian and woman of color who heads up her own detective agency. The characters ring true, the depiction of Detroit and its movers and shakers is right on the money, and the plot has the narrative pull of a Kenworth.
Head's novels, based on her latest, are not the usual detective mysteries and I'm not referring to Charlie's ethnicity or sexual orientation. The main character is not a tough guy with a drink in one hand and a gun in the other who blunders around like a drunk in a glass factory gets beat regularly and has a whip-smart retort for every remark thrown his way.
Instead, Charlie and the two other detectives in her agency are methodical, by-the-book investigators who work as a team to uncover and collect evidence and follow it to a conclusion. In the current case, Charlie is hired by the wife of her ex-husband Franklin, who she married years ago when still unsure of her sexual orientation. Franklin appears to have shot and killed his second wife's no-account brother and gone on the lam. Complicating the investigation is Franklin's second wife who believes her husband is innocent, her influential upper-crust parents, and Franklin's strong-willed parents. They all have an oar in the water and are rowing in different directions.
The team's unraveling of the who-done-it is realistic and absorbing. The narrative gets even more compelling when one of Charlie's investigators is shot at, the evidence leads to an unthinkable conclusion, and a professional hitman enters the picture. If you enjoy mysteries and especially if they are set in Michigan then Ms. Head's Charlie Mack Motown Mysteries deserves your attention. I know I'll be reading the four previous books in the series.
Find Me When I'm Lost: A Charlie Mack Motown Mystery by Cheryl A. Head. Bywater Books, 2020, $16.95.
Water Dance: A Lake Michigan Lodge Story
by Kathy Fawcett
This second novel in the Lake Michigan Lodge Series is once again told in the first person by Kay, the novel's main character as if she was telling her best friend about the trials and tribulations of owning a charming but old Lake Michigan resort. In the first of the series, Kay Kerby recounted how she inherited the lodge from her parents and her determination to modernize and update the resort she long neglected.
The second in the series opens with Kay and her husband returning from their honeymoon with Kay having to deal with all the problems of running a successful resort. And at the same time working on ways to expand her business and adjusting to the married life at the age of 34. One of her ideas is to make the resort a wedding destination and faces the embarrassment of having her summer intern layout the multitude of details that go into offering that option. The author does a fine job of describing the stress and rewards of running a bed and breakfast including the challenge of making it a perfect day for your guests while yours devolves into chaos. The series is a good introduction and a cautionary tale for anyone who may consider opening a B & B.
Inexplicably, Kay's biggest and most challenging problem is the arrival of her two teenage nieces. She has seldom seen the sisters and hopes to get to know them better, but finds it hard to connect with them and the girls don't make it easy. The problem isn't simply that they are rude, independent-minded, obsessed with boys and don't like imposed limits. It's that they are teenagers and that's problem enough.
This is the kind of book one reads in the summer on the beach or saves until winter and opens it beside a fire while a storm keeps you housebound. It's light, pleasant reading during a pandemic, in the off chance one occurs. Depending on the season the book is well paired with a hot cup of cocoa or a salt-rimmed glass brimming with a Marguerita.
Water Dance: A Lake Michigan Lodge Story by Kathy Fawcett. Privately Published, 2020, $12.95.
Laughing in Leelanau or, I Swear It'sTrue by Scott Craig, Illustrated by Henry Coleman. Mission Point Press, 2020, $14.95.
Any of the books reviewed in this blog may be purchased by clicking your mouse on the book's cover which will take you to Amazon where you can usually purchase the book at a discount. By using this blog as a portal to Amazon and purchasing any product helps support Michigan in Books.
Laughing in Leelanau or, I Swear It's True
by Scott Craig, Illustrated by Henry Coleman
The author of this slim and very amusing book was at his regular men's morning coffee klatch in Leelanau County when the inspiration for this book walked in the door. Another member brought a book on Maine humor to share. It immediately occurred to Scott there were enough great stories, great characters, quick wits, and just laugh-out-loud funny happenings in Michigan's Little Finger to fill a book. The author went to morning coffee clubs across the county asking for funny true stories, mined the local paper for odd quips, and talked to folks known for their sense of humor. The result is this treasure of local humor assembled by Scott Craig and ably accompanied by Henry Coleman's sketches, cartoons, and maps. The book's introduction describes the county's geography including landmarks, climate, scenic beauty, agriculture, and the hard to believe claim that the county has no chain fast-food restaurants.
The following is a brief sampling from the book but they come with a warning. You'll be very tempted to buy the book.
A woman called the sheriff because she was upset by the number of deer hit by cars near the deer crossing sign. She asked the lawman if the sign could be moved to a spot where it would be safer for deer to cross. A man impressed by the number of trout he saw in the Leland River asked a local what they were biting on. With a straight face, the man said trout were crazy for Barbie Dolls to which you just added hooks. Within days a Barbie Doll couldn't be found in any Traverse City store. Another downstater asked if the salmon trying to jump the Leland River dam were freshwater porpoises.
Then there was the charter boat captain setting lines out near North Manitou Island for his customer when he asked the captain, "Where exactly is Lake Michigan?" Lastly, a man who wasn't a native of Leelanau County but had moved there three years earlier asked if he was now considered a local. After some discussion and rumination, it was decided he qualified as "perma-fudge."
I dare you not to laugh out loud at this good-hearted and very funny book. It sure brightened my day and I know I'll never get tired of returning to it now and again whenever I need a laugh. It also presents a wonderful mosaic of the character and characters of Leelanau County.
The following is a brief sampling from the book but they come with a warning. You'll be very tempted to buy the book.
A woman called the sheriff because she was upset by the number of deer hit by cars near the deer crossing sign. She asked the lawman if the sign could be moved to a spot where it would be safer for deer to cross. A man impressed by the number of trout he saw in the Leland River asked a local what they were biting on. With a straight face, the man said trout were crazy for Barbie Dolls to which you just added hooks. Within days a Barbie Doll couldn't be found in any Traverse City store. Another downstater asked if the salmon trying to jump the Leland River dam were freshwater porpoises.
Then there was the charter boat captain setting lines out near North Manitou Island for his customer when he asked the captain, "Where exactly is Lake Michigan?" Lastly, a man who wasn't a native of Leelanau County but had moved there three years earlier asked if he was now considered a local. After some discussion and rumination, it was decided he qualified as "perma-fudge."
I dare you not to laugh out loud at this good-hearted and very funny book. It sure brightened my day and I know I'll never get tired of returning to it now and again whenever I need a laugh. It also presents a wonderful mosaic of the character and characters of Leelanau County.
Laughing in Leelanau or, I Swear It'sTrue by Scott Craig, Illustrated by Henry Coleman. Mission Point Press, 2020, $14.95.
Any of the books reviewed in this blog may be purchased by clicking your mouse on the book's cover which will take you to Amazon where you can usually purchase the book at a discount. By using this blog as a portal to Amazon and purchasing any product helps support Michigan in Books.
