Tenney, W. J. The Military and Naval History of the Rebellion in the United States: With Biographical Sketches of Deceased Officers

Naval War College Review, Autumn, 2004

Tenney, W. J. The Military and Naval History of the Rebellion in the United States: With Biographical Sketches of Deceased Officers. New York: D. Appleton, 1866; repr. Mechanicsburg, Penna.: Stackpole Books, 2003. 880pp. $39.95

Nonspecialists in U.S. Civil War history may be surprised to learn of the existence of the 1866 Military and Naval History of the Rebellion (not to be confused with the foundational Official Records), reissued in facsimile format by Scarecrow. The work has the defects of histories rushed to print so quickly, but it also has their merits--the memories of surviving commanders were fresh, and Tenney submitted proofs for approval to many of them. His book also offers a broad range of political, logistic, medical, and social issues, as well as a wealth of primary, sources (reports and correspondence), engravings, photographs, tables, and biographies.