GDG- Alonzo's Brother

Mon Jun 23 20:35:09 CDT 2008

I just watched a clip of the Navy's new mach 7 rail gun.
(You have to look quick).
The admiral expaining the historical sugnificance cited the "ghost
" of Admiral John Dahlgren" the father Naval Gunnery".

If you look at the military long enough, you understand how it was shaped by 
the Civil war-in all areas.

Regards,

Jack
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dennis Lawrence" <denlaw at fone.net>
To: <gettysburg at gdg.org>
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2008 5:05 PM
Subject: GDG- Alonzo's Brother

> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
>
>>
>>
>>REVIEW:
>>
>>H-NET BOOK REVIEW
>>Published by H-CivWar at h-net.msu.edu (June 2008)
>>
>>
>>Robert J. Schneller Jr. _Cushing: Civil War SEAL_. Brassey's Military 
>>Profiles Series. Series Editor Dennis E. Showalter. Washington, D.C.: 
>>Brassey's, 2004. 119 pp. $19.95 (cloth), ISBN 1-57488-506-5; $12.95 
>>(paper), ISBN 1-57488-6967-7.
>>
>>
>>Reviewed for H-CivWar by Douglas W. Cupples, Department of History, The 
>>University of Memphis
>>
>>
>>Robert J. Schneller Jr., a historian at the U.S. Naval Historical Center, 
>>offers a well-written and concise military biography of one of the most 
>>important naval figures as well as one of the Civil War's most intriguing 
>>and charismatic leaders, William Baker Cushing (1842-74).  Part of 
>>Brassey's Military Profiles series, this biography is a superb short book 
>>in a valuable series that does not attempt to accomplish too much. 
>>Schneller has written several other books on the United States Navy, 
>>including _A Quest for Glory: A Biography of Rear Admiral John A. 
>>Dahlgren_ (1996), for which he received the 1996 John Lyman Book Award in 
>>Biography from the North American Society for Oceanic History; and 
>>_Farragut: America's First Admiral_ (2002), also part of Brassey's 
>>Military Profiles series.
>>
>>Despite the important role played by both Confederate and Union navies, 
>>the navies are too often eclipsed by the Homeric scale of the land war. 
>>In fact, the _Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the 
>>War of the Rebellion_ (1894-1922) is less than one-fourth the size of the 
>>comparable _The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official 
>>Records of the Union and Confederate Armies_ (1880-1901) and less than 
>>one-half the size of the recently published supplement to the latter 
>>(_Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies_ 
>>[1994]).  None of the Civil War's naval engagements, for example, has 
>>garnered the attention of Gettysburg, and even the revolutionary clash 
>>between the USS _Monitor_ and the CSS _Virginia_ usually focuses on the 
>>transition from wood and sail to iron and steel rather than its effects on 
>>the overall campaigns.  Yet, as Schneller indicates, Cushing, along with 
>>David Glasgow Farragut and David Dixon Porter, contributed as much to the 
>>final Union victory as did any other military figure.
>>
>>Cushing did not have a seafaring background.  Appointed to the United 
>>States Naval Academy from Wisconsin, he was the brother of Alonzo Cushing, 
>>a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, who died a 
>>hero's death at the Battle of Gettysburg.  Although the brothers shared 
>>many of the same qualities desired in a military leader, William was prone 
>>to an impetuosity that, at times, bordered on insubordination.  He had a 
>>tendency to bully those with whom he disagreed, and he manifested a racist 
>>attitude toward blacks, which seemed extreme even for that era.  He was 
>>appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1857 but was forced to 
>>resign before graduating.  With the outbreak of the war in April 1861, 
>>however, the navy's need for officers resulted in his appointment as 
>>acting master's mate on the USS _Minnesota_.  Cushing found that life on a 
>>large ship of the line was too constraining as his overbearing personality 
>>often caused problems with his superiors.  Nonetheless, his abilities had 
>>not gone without notice; he was promoted to lieutenant in July 1862.  For 
>>the next two years, Cushing's flair for special operations was developed 
>>and honed to a fine perfection culminating with the destruction of the 
>>_Albemarle_ and the elevation of his status as a legitimate U.S. naval 
>>hero.  After getting past the chivalric duel between the CSS _Alabama_ and 
>>the USS _Kearsarge_, perhaps the best-known naval event is the bold attack 
>>and sinking of the Confederate ironclad ram _Albemarle_ by a small party 
>>of sailors led by Lieutenant Cushing on October 27, 1864.  Cushing 
>>continued to serve with distinction for the remainder of the war and even 
>>led a ground assault of sailors and marines against Fort Fisher in 1865. 
>>After the war, he commanded the USS _Wyoming_ to prevent Spanish 
>>authorities in Cuba from killing American sailors.  In 1874, his health 
>>declined and he suffered a mental collapse, which soon was followed by his 
>>death in December of the same year.
>>
>>Unfortunately, the subtitle of this biographical sketch is misleading.  I 
>>would correct the tendency to conflate nineteenth-century terminology with 
>>that of the present day.  Such terms as "Seal" "Green Beret," etc., are 
>>best reserved for the historical contexts in which they were developed and 
>>used.  Although the intention is generally understood, the term is a 
>>contemporary one that denotes a specific branch of Navy Special Operations 
>>in the current service.  This service division did not exist during the 
>>Civil War, and it is best to use terms that are historically accurate.
>>
>>This minor issue of terminology should not detract from the value of this 
>>well-written and informative book. These types of biographical studies are 
>>useful contributions to the volume of works available to Civil War 
>>readers, whether amateur or professional historians.  Adding greater depth 
>>than dictionary or encyclopedic entries, they provide insight and 
>>character development.  Schneller has offered a concise and cogent 
>>biography of one of the war's most interesting warriors.
>>
>>
>>
>>         Copyright (c) 2008 by H-Net, all rights reserved. H-Net permits
>>         the redistribution and reprinting of this work for nonprofit,
>>         educational purposes, with full and accurate attribution to the
>>         author, web location, date of publication, originating list, and
>>         H-Net: Humanities & Social Sciences Online. For other uses
>>         contact the Reviews editorial staff: hbooks at mail.h-net.msu.edu.
>
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