South Carolina Books

In this fascinating and succinct book "Charlestonians in War: The Charleston Battalion," W. Chris Phelps records the history of a Confederate unit that was central to the defense of Charleston: the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Battalion, usually known simply as the Charleston Battalion. Mr. Phelps ably describes the battalion's brave and pivotal role in several key battles in the Charleston area. He also lays out the unusual composition of the battalion and its constituent companies, including the Charleston Light Infantry, the Irish Volunteers, the Sumter Guards and the German Fusiliers. Mr. Phelps writes that more than a few of the battalion's privates were well-to-do lawyers and businessmen. That fact called for a firm and capable leader, which they had in the person of Lt. Col. Peter C. Gaillard, a Charlestonian West Pointer turned businessman, who was in command throughout the battalion's existence.

The Charleston Battalion played a key role in repelling a Union thrust against Charleston at nearby Secessionville, SC in June 1862 and it repeatedly defended Fort Sumter, the keystone of Charleston's defenses. The battalion bore the brunt of the famous July 18, 1863 attack on Battery Wagner, which was led by the black 54th Massachusetts. Inside the fortification, the Charleston Battalion withstood an 11-hour close-range bombardment by Union ironclads; during the infantry assault, its executive officer and the Irish Volunteers' company commander were among those killed in the intense combat. Mr. Phelps continues the narrative through the battalion's consolidation with another unit to form the 27th SC Infantry Regiment. The new regiment was assigned to Lee's Army where it fought several engagements in the Richmond-Petersburg area, again proving its valor and suffering heavy losses. At several points in its service, Mr. Phelps points out that the battalion's companies often mustered no more than platoon strength in modern terms. In the last chapter, Mr. Phelps follows representative members of the Charleston Battalion into the post-war era with thumbnail sketches of their later lives.

An appendix listing the battalion's members and casualty lists for several battles are among the products of the author's extensive and detailed research. My only quibble is that the format of the book made some of the maps difficult to read but reading the book in conjunction with any good Civil War atlas will solve that minor problem. That my great-grandfather enlisted in the battalion's Irish Volunteer company only added to my interest in the book but any student of the Civil War or, more generally, Charleston's role in Southern history will find the book an excellent account of a remarkable unit.

The Charleston Battalion was first organized in 1860 and began with six independent companies of militia volunteers. In February, 1862, these six companies, Company A ("The Charleston Riflemen"), Company B ("The Charleston Light Infantry"), Company C ("The Irish Volunteers"), Company D ("The Sumter Guards"), Company E ("The Calhoun Guards"), and Company F (composed of both "The Union Light Infantry" and "The German Fusiliers"), were organized into the Charleston Battalion for one year's service in the Charleston area.

The battalion took part in the Battle of Secessionville (June 1862) and played a vital role in the defense of Battery Wagner (July 1863). The battalion also helped to repulse the daring but suicidal Union night attack on Fort Sumter. After three companies of South Carolina Sharpshooters were added to their ranks in the fall of 1863, the battalion was designated as the 27th South Carolina Infantry Regiment. In April, 1864, the regiment was sent to Petersburg, Virginia, where it took part in several battles, including the bloody Battle of Cold Harbor.

In December, 1864, it was sent to Wilmington, North Carolina, which at that time was one of the last ports still open to Confederate Blockade Runners. It took part in the Battle of Bentonville and was soon after surrendered and paroled with the rest of Gen. Joseph Johnston's army, which had been overwhelmed by Gen. Sherman's huge army. In this book there are several rosters which will be very helpful to researchers, including casualty lists for the battalion's/regiment's battles and skirmishes as well as the complete roster of the regiment. The author has written a superb history of this neglected Confederate unit and this book is an absolute must for any Civil War buff!

This is a terrific book--an important history that brings together a story of race, labor unions, economic change, politics, and culture, but never loses sight of the actual people involved. Very well written--not dry and academic like some history, but also very rich analytically. Buy it and read it!

In this wonderful book, African American tobacco workers tell their own story of civil rights struggle and union organizing. It is long, but so was the struggle, and I couldn't put it down. Oral interviews give us the black workers' own accounts, sending, for once, the white supremacists to the back of the bus.
Read it. You will find a South you never thought you would find.

This book was well researched, nicely written and contains wonderful facts and stories about Yadkin County, N.C. before, during, and after the Civil War. It presents actual letters from the people of that era giving their personal accounts of the horror of the Civil War and how Yadkin County residents coped with the changes that the Confederacy and War brought to them. If you are studying the family history of someone in or around Yadkin County, this book will really help you understand what your relatives went through in the early days of this section of our country.

A small western Piedmont county in North Carolina is the subject of this very unusual Civil War history. Written by a local historian with a rich knowledge of the county and its people, the book weaves the colorful threads of local characters and events into the big picture of the greatest war in our history. Battlefield stories and army life are recounted, partly in letters writen home by Yadkin soldiers in the field, but the most intriguing events are those that occurred on the home front. In a region of sharply divided loyalties, the woods of Yadkin County soon filled with "bushwhackers", men hiding out to escape concription into the Confederate army. The book tell of the locally famous shoot-out between some of these men and the Militia, of their arrest and the jail breaks that set them free, of executions by the Home Guard, and of the treks to Tennessee to join the Union army. In the last days of the war a Yankee Cavalry division led by George Stoneman rode through the county and Cassstevens treats us to previously unpublished stories of his famous raid.

More than a history, the book is also a genealogy. Appended lists name people who applied for pensions, men who served in the Militia, and men exempted from military service and why. A final appendix gives Yadkin men who served in the army with a summary of their service and, not infrequently, the names of their parents and other relatives. This book is for everyone with Yadkin County roots and for anyone interested in learning about the secret little wars within the Civil War.

This is an excellent book that tells a little known side of the Civil War.

I personally knew Fred Mallison all my life and have a personally signed copy of this book. Fred died a while back so there will be no more signed copies from him. The only thing Fred did not like was the title, as he had a different one, but the publisher made him use this one. A fair amount of the information in the book came from the memoirs of my GG Grandfather, William Henry von Eberstein. The book is well written and Fred used many good sources, including books, memoirs, etc. Many little known facts of the War on the Outer Banks are included which make for very interesting reading. Fred also included a number of very good pictures in the book. I have just completed transcribing William H. von Eberstein's memoirs (the War Years)and hope to have them published soon as they give a wonderful accounting of his service to the Confederacy. I would recommend this book as a must for all personal War for Southern Independence libraries.

During the 20th century, textiles because the number one industry in the Carolinas, with most of the mills being established along river banks for cheap power and close to the raw product supplies--cotton. To get workers, the mills built company owned housing. Cliffside is typical of hundreds of such communities. Reno Baily's passion for his home town comes through as he chronicles the life of Cliffside.

Cotton is no longer king. The textile industry has mostly moved to other countries. Cliffside held on much longer than many company towns. It is an important document for new generations who rarely will see an existing 'mill town'. Although the names mean little except to relatives and neighbors, it is important that this era in a community's life be kept alive. Reno has done that for Cliffside.

A glimpse of the past, present, and future of a town through images and words
Clear, sharp, bright photographs of people, places, and things allow the reader to catch the flavor of a mill town from the turn of the Twentieth Century until now. The captions are descriptive and at times even humorous. The real point of interest, however, is the people. The reader is encouraged to view the past but not to hold it too tightly. I recommend the book to other communities that have/had a textile industry, to those who want to look in the eyes of the people of past, and to those who want to find out more about life in a mill town. Experience a time gone by through this quality experience: CLIFFSIDE: Portrait of a Carolina Mill Town.

As a former North Carolina resident, our secret's out. "Coasting the
Mountains" depicts Western North Carolina as a magical place full of the
finest arts and crafts, antiques and an abundance of natural beauty and
outdoor activities. And it is! This guidebook covers a 200 mile
stretch from Murphy to Boone and uncovers lots of hidden treasures along
the way. It's a fun read too, with unusual facts and recipes. My
personal favorite: Kudzu Jelly!

Editorial Review

Call dibs on the shotgun seat as four enthusiastic travelers take you on a lively ride through western North Carolina in "Coasting the Mountains". The authors are friends...whose love of discovery shines through.

Their personal insights validate our enthusiasm for places we've visited and whet our appetites for those we haven't. Scattered throughout the book are recipes gathered during their rambles as well as boxes with notes of interest, little-known facts and insider tips. Plus they steer travelers to the best shopping and antiquing.

"Coasting the Moutains" is thorough and a lot more fun than most guidebooks.
Excerpted from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
September 16, 2001

Augusta, Georgia author Elise Weston offers readers an intriguing mystery set during the time period of World War II -- August 1943 to be specific -- on the coast of South Carolina. The story begins when eleven-year-old Hugh, who is coastwatching with binoculars, spots a periscope that he believes belongs to a German submarine close to the beach.

Hugh continues to monitor the area where he's staying with his family in a beach house. A flashing light in an abandoned beach house dubbed "the spook house" by Hugh and his siblings catches his eye. As the plot unfolds, Hugh keeps a scrap book of the war, adding details and evidence that result from his coastwatching adventures.

Though this book is a perfect companion for a lazy afternoon at the beach, it is also a good reading choice for any time of the year. The plot moves fast, the setting will make the reader wish for the beach, and the historical accuracy and details bring this period to life for readers young and old. Well-drawn characters that literally step off the pages, sand, salt air, and a satisfying ending all combine to make this an outstanding read.

While scouting for books for my grandson I found Coastwatcher and read it less than 24 hours because I couldn't put it down. There is a fast paced plot which begins with a periscope sighting off the South Carolina coast by an 11 year old boy. He pursues his clues and there is an exciting conclusion. Of interest to me were descriptions of 1943 wartime America which I lived through - including rationing, radio news, blackouts, and the great volunteer war effort. It has historical interest for children and the book has useful information at the back for teachers. The descriptions of life in a south Atlantic coastal setting are beautifull and evocative of the place and time. It is wonderful to read about children playing together without so much adult supervision and the sedentary influences of TV, computers, and Ipods. All the characters, including the dog, are well drawn and charming.

This book has beautiful pictures of Columbia. I really did not realize how gorgeous our capital is until you see it through the eyes of the photographer Suzy McGrane. It would be a wonderful gift for anyone from South Carolina or even a person who just loves great photography. I am getting several copies to give as gifts to friends and family.

This book portrays in wonderful pictures and words the true heart of Columbia. The book captures all major as well as minor sites and events as well as the feel of Columbia. Columbia has a rich tradition from the founding of our Nation through the Civil War up to the modern era of the internet. The people and places are acurately represented. The book looks at South Carolina's capital from a variety of angles. It covers the Universtiy of South Carolina, one of the Nations oldest public universities and a corner stone of Columbia's soul. It touches on the state government which is the foundation of the city. Ms. McGrane captures the city beautifully with a myriad of fine photographs. Columbia's wonderful outdoor life is realistically portrayed for all to view. For those from the south, and certainly those from South Carolina, this book hits the bullseye.

South Carolina by Henry Leifermann is one of a series of Compass American Guides. Each state is written by a different author, and South Carolina is not only the best of them all, but also one of the most informative and concise guides ever written.

South Carolina is a diverse and beautiful state, and few states can boast that they begin at the Atlantic Ocean and end at the mountains. The author first provides us with a crash course in history from the geology of South Carolina, to the Colonial Era, the Revolution, the Antebellum Era, The Civil War and through to race relations and the diverse population that makes up this state. Leifermann also includes chapters on the Sea Islands, Charleston, Coastal Plantations, Myrtle Beach and Grand Strand, Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and the Blue Ridge. In addition to maps, timelines, paintings, and drawings, all the chapters include wonderful photography by Eric Horan.

This book is also packed full of pertinent information such as facts about the climate, the economy, the population, and specifics (state bird, state flower, etc.). It also provides the reader with practical information such as bed and breakfasts, hotel chains, restaurants, historic sites, festivals and events, museums, parks and forests, tours, golf courses, and places to get tourist information. It even includes a recipe or two.

So, if you're planning a trip to South Carolina, forget the AAA Tourbook and pick up Leifermann's book instead. You won't be disappointed.

Leifermann is an excellent writer, and his commentary is insightful. This is not your typical Chamber of Commerce, tourist brochure type of guidebook. The book is comprehensive and attractive, chock full of useful information. It contains excellent photography and tell-it-like-it-is descriptions. It has the accurate maps that are a necessity to any adequate guidebook. If you buy only one resource on South Carolina, this book should be it.

Emory Thomas has long been one of my favorite Civil War historians and he has another winner with this book. By Thomas' own account, this book is an extended essay, while his later work, The Confederate Nation, was his more broad, lengthy study of the Confederacy. Still, this book has great merit, especially for being an easy to read synopsis of the Confederate revolution. As the previous reviewer stated, that means that the Confederacy was founded by revolutionaries, but also that the Confederacy went through an internal revolution during the Civil War. Thomas points out, as few other historians have, that the things the Confederacy fought for ended up being lost during the war years. Also, the "fire-eaters" (aka, the revolutionaries) who for so many years wanted secession and ultimately got it, were often shut out of the new Confederacy that they helped form. Thomas points out in the end that many of the revolutions that occurred in the South during the war (economics, industry, politics, social hierarchy, etc.) were actually lost post-Reconstruction.

This book is a great introduction to the topic of the Confederacy, but don't pick up this book for military analysis or even in-depth political analysis. Instead, if you wish to read about secession, the founding of the Confederacy, and the transformation of the antebellum South then pick up this book. I, for one, highly recommend it.

There are a lot of things I like about this book and almost nothing I dislike. I think the strongest feature of this book is that it presents the reader with a reasonable historical middle ground for reflecting on the Confederacy, a ground that lay somewhere between the two more extreme views (the Confederacy as an evil racist nation and the Confederacy as a pure and glorified "Lost Cause"). One of the last paragraphs of the book I think best illustrates the position of its author:

"The challenge here is to be honest to the Confederate past. Honesty requires that myths and historical apology be put to rest, along with many of the negative clichés about the Confederate South. To be honest to the Confederate experience requires that we accept its revolutionary aspects and rethink many outworn judgments of its positive and negative accomplishments." (p. 138)

The purpose of this book is to show that the Confederacy not only enacted an external revolution (in terms of its war with the Union), but that it also experienced a very significant internal revolution. Thomas does a great job in this short book of explaining what things within Southern society were revolutionized and in what ways. Examples of areas of Southern life that went through profound change include the economy, the aristocracy, industrialization and the prominence of agriculture, gender roles, the psychology of individualism and romanticism, and of course slavery.

This book is well written and Thomas makes his subject very accessible to the reader. This book would probably be out of reach for the average high school student, but is certainly appropriate for any college-age person. My only point of disagreement with Thomas was his categorization of the Confederate revolution as essentially conservative, which I think is a hugely debatable point. However, since the point is so contestable the disagreement does not affect my opinion of this work. Five stars for a great book from a qualified author.