From the time of the American Revolution, most junior officers in the American military attained their positions through election by the volunteer soldiers in their company, a tradition that reflected commitment to democracy even in times of war. By the outset of the Civil War, citizen-officers had fallen under sharp criticism from career military leaders who decried their lack of discipline and efficiency in battle. Andrew S. Bledsoe's Citizen--Officers explores the role of the volunteer officer corps during the Civil ...
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From the time of the American Revolution, most junior officers in the American military attained their positions through election by the volunteer soldiers in their company, a tradition that reflected commitment to democracy even in times of war. By the outset of the Civil War, citizen-officers had fallen under sharp criticism from career military leaders who decried their lack of discipline and efficiency in battle. Andrew S. Bledsoe's Citizen--Officers explores the role of the volunteer officer corps during the Civil War and the unique leadership challenges they faced when military necessity clashed with the antebellum democratic values of volunteer soldiers. Bledsoe's innovative evaluation of the lives and experiences of nearly 2,600 Union and Confederate company-grade junior officers from every theater of operations across four years of war reveals the intense pressures placed on these young leaders. Despite their inexperience and sometimes haphazard training in formal military maneuvers and leadership, citizen-officers frequently faced their first battles already in command of a company. These intense and costly encounters forced the independent, civic-minded volunteer soldiers to recognize the need for military hierarchy and to accept their place within it. Thus concepts of American citizenship, republican traditions in American life, and the brutality of combat shaped, and were in turn shaped by, the attitudes and actions of citizen-officers. Through an analysis of wartime writings, post-war reminiscences, company and regimental papers, census records, and demographic data, Citizen--Officers illuminates the centrality of the volunteer officer to the Civil War and to evolving narratives of American identity and military service.
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Add this copy of Citizen-Officers: the Union and Confederate Volunteer to cart. $36.18, very good condition, Sold by Lake Country Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Excelsior, MN, UNITED STATES, published 2015 by LSU Press.
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Very Good in Very Good jacket. Size: 9x6x0; Clean, solid copy with unmarked text. Binding is tight and square. Bumps to spine ends and bottom cover corners. Jacket has moderate edge wear mostly at top; no tears. Books, box sets, and items other than standard jewel case CDs and DVDs that sell for $9 or more ship in a box; under $9 in a bubble mailer. Expedited and international orders may ship in a flat rate envelope rather than a box due to cost constraints. All US-addressed items ship with complimentary delivery confirmation.
Add this copy of Citizen-Officers: the Union and Confederate Volunteer to cart. $40.51, very good condition, Sold by Orphans Treasure Box rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Champaign, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2015 by LSU Press.
Add this copy of Citizen-Officers: The Union and Confederate Volunteer to cart. $55.97, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2015 by LSU Press.
Add this copy of Citizen-Officers: the Union and Confederate Volunteer to cart. $69.09, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2015 by LSU Press.
Add this copy of Citizen-Officers: the Union and Confederate Volunteer to cart. $110.91, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2015 by LSU Press.
