By Mary Bobbitt Townsend

A German-born Union officer within the American Civil conflict, Maj. Gen. Peter Osterhaus served from the 1st conflict within the western theater till the ultimate hand over of the warfare. Osterhaus made a reputation for himself in the military as an brisk and creative commander who led his males from front. He was once one of many final surviving Union significant common and army governor of Mississippi within the early days of Reconstruction. this primary full-length examine of the officer files how, regardless of his meteoric army profession, his accomplishments have been underreported even in his personal day and sometimes misrepresented within the ancient list. Mary Bobbitt Townsend corrects prior error approximately his existence and provides new insights into his contributions to significant turning issues within the struggle at Vicksburg, Chattanooga, and Atlanta, in addition to different battles.             Townsend attracts on conflict reviews now not present in the professional files, on own papers, and on different nonpublished fabric to check Osterhaus’s half within the significant battles within the West in addition to in minor engagements. She tells how he got here into his personal within the Vicksburg crusade and proved himself via ability with artillery, services in intelligence collecting, and taking the lead in opposed territory—blazing the path down the west facet of the river for the full Union military after which protecting Grant’s again for a month throughout the siege. At Chattanooga, Osterhaus helped Joe Hooker strategize the rout at Lookout Mountain; at Atlanta, he led the 15th Corps, the biggest of the 4 corps making Sherman's March to the ocean. Townsend additionally records his contributions within the battles of Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, Arkansas publish, Port Gibson, Ringgold hole, and Resaca and exhibits that he performed an important position in Canby’s cellular Bay operations on the finish of the conflict.             as well as reporting Osterhaus’s wartime reports, Townsend describes his reports as a pacesetter within the 1848–1849 uprising in his local Germany, his frustration in the course of his time period as Mississippi’s governor, and his stint as U.S. consul to France in the course of the Franco-Prussian warfare.             Osterhaus stood out from different volunteer officials in his knowing of strategies and logistics, even supposing his cautious box training ended in feedback by means of historians that he used to be unduly wary in conflict. Yankee Warhorse units the list directly in this vital Civil conflict basic because it opens a brand new window at the struggle within the West.