States Rights Gist: A South Carolina General of the Civil War (First Edition Library) - Hardcover

Cisco, Walter Brian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0942597281 ISBN 13: 9780942597288

Publisher: Ragged Edge Pr, 1991

Synopsis

Named States Rights Gist by his father, the Harvard Law School graduate went on to become a Confederate general despite his lack of formal military training. This biography fills in the outline of Gist that other historians have left incomplete. His brilliant performance in high command led him to become a militia general at the age of twenty-four. He participated in the first shots at Fort Sumter and lead the charge at Franklin, Tennessee, dying gallantly in the process. In the interim, he was a combat leader at First Manassas, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and the Atlanta campaign.

About this title

From the Publisher:

"An excellent biography of a lesser-known Confederate general . . . The book gives an interesting overview of how an untrained politician becomes an effective military leader. Recommended for specialized collections of Civil War military history and regional history collections." --Library Journal

"The great strength of Cisco's book is the author's exemplary story-telling abilities. His clear, evocative explanations of the political and social psychology of the antebellum South are superb. Cisco is a major new talent." --Charleston Post and Courier

"Brilliantly researched and movingly written, Cisco's States Rights Gist is a perfect match for the man, who has deserved a good biography and has one at last." --William C. Davis, History Book Club

"Cisco has uncovered all known information about the man and presented it in both readable and reliable fashion." --Richmond News Leader "Walter Brian Cisco has rescued Gist from the obscurity of mid-level command. His solid, well-researched biography tells the story not only of its subject, but also of all the brave young men of the South who went off to war to fight for their beliefs. The story of Gist's personality, dedication, courage and ability is a moving one that brings home the cost of war." --Orlando Sentinel "In the final analysis, Cisco's States Rights Gist is a well-written book about a little-known Civil War general, making it a valuable literary contribution." --Civil War Regiments

"Walter Brian Cisco has revealed the eloquent, brilliant, and respected young Southerner behind the name." --Southern Partisan

From the Inside Flap:

Named in honor of his father's strong political beliefs and educated at Harvard Law School, South Carolina's States Rights Gist became an important leading militia general in the Civil War.

From his participation in the first shots fired at Fort Sumter, Gist helped strengthen the Confederate army and train new recruits to fight against the invading Union troops. A lawyer by trade and with little military training, Gist proved himself a capable and determined leader throughout the war. He served in the Confederate Army of the Potomac and fought in crucial conflicts, including the First Battle of Manassas, the Battle of Atlanta, and the attacks on Chickamauga and Chattanooga.

While leading a charge in 1864's Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, Gist was killed. His death marked another loss for the fading Confederacy, as he was one of six generals killed in John Bell Hood's useless and futile charge. Although not as legendary as other Confederate leaders such as Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson or Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard, States Rights Gist was an influential politician and leader during the Civil War era and helped shaped the future of a changing nation.

Walter Brian Cisco is a lifelong student of the Civil War, one of the most violent periods in U.S. history. He served in the United States Army for three years and saw action in Vietnam. He is the recipient of the Army Commendation Medal and was a captain in the South Carolina State Guard. He lives in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and has two children and two grandchildren.

Cisco is the author of Pelican's War Crimes Against Southern Civilians, a powerful and sobering account of the average citizens who were brutalized at the hands of the invading North. He is also the author of Wade Hampton: Confederate Warrior, Conservative Statesman, which was a selection of the History Book Club and is considered the definitive biography of this military and political leader.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ragged Edge Pr
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0942597281
• ISBN 13: 9780942597288
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 198