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Grierson's Raid Kindle Edition

by Dee Brown (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 354 ratings
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The improbable Civil War raid that led to the Siege of Vicksburg, recounted by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.
 For two weeks in the spring of 1862, Colonel Benjamin Grierson and 1,700 Union cavalry troopers conducted a raid from Tennessee to Louisiana. It was intended to divert Confederate attention from Ulysses S. Grant’s army crossing the Mississippi River, a maneuver that would set the stage for the Siege of Vicksburg. Led by a former music teacher whose role in the Union cavalry was belied by his hatred of horses, Grierson’s Raid was not only brilliant, but improbably successful. The cavalrymen ripped up railway track, destroyed storehouses, took prisoners, and freed slaves. Colonel Grierson lost only three men through the whole expedition. Rich and detailed, Grierson’s Raid is the definitive work on one of the most astonishing missions of the Civil War’s early days. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Dee Brown including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.
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  1. Print length
    253 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Open Road Media
  5. Publication date
    October 23, 2012
  6. File size
    5720 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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From the Publisher

Dee Brown: A Life

Brown in the 20's

Brown in the early 1920s. (Photo courtesy of the Dee Brown LLC.)

WW2 Portrait

A portrait of Brown taken during World War II.

Brown with Grandson

Brown with his grandson, Nicolas Wolfe, in 1972. He dedicated Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee to Nicolas. (Photo courtesy of Linda Luise Brown.)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dorris Alexander “Dee” Brown (1908–2002) was a celebrated author of both fiction and nonfiction, whose classic study Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is widely credited with exposing the systematic destruction of American Indian tribes to a world audience. Brown was born in Louisiana and grew up in Arkansas. He worked as a reporter and a printer before enrolling at Arkansas State Teachers College, where he met his future wife, Sally Stroud. He later earned two degrees in library science, and worked as a librarian while beginning his career as a writer. He went on to research and write more than thirty books, often centered on frontier history or overlooked moments of the Civil War. Brown continued writing until his death in 2002.  

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B009KY5OGM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media (October 23, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 23, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5720 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 253 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 354 ratings

About the author

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Dee Brown

Dee Brown

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Dorris Alexander “Dee” Brown (1908–2002) was a celebrated author of both fiction and nonfiction, whose classic study Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is widely credited with exposing the systematic destruction of American Indian tribes to a world audience. Brown was born in Louisiana and grew up in Arkansas. He worked as a reporter and a printer before enrolling at Arkansas State Teachers College, where he met his future wife, Sally Stroud. He later earned two degrees in library science, and worked as a librarian while beginning his career as a writer. He went on to research and write more than thirty books, often centered on frontier history or overlooked moments of the Civil War. Brown continued writing until his death in 2002.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
354 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Michael E. Fitzgerald
5.0 out of 5 stars Musician Turned Warrior
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2008
Verified Purchase
The Civil War resulted in some remarkable career changes, in this case from band leader to combat officer. This is the story of Benjamin Grierson's remarkable Civil War raid from one end of the State of Mississippi to the other. It was a most singular achievement starting at Grand Junction, Tennessee straight down the central corridor of Mississippi, and ending at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, just north of New Orleans. Over a seventeen day period, Grierson led 1,700 Union troopers over 600 miles while eluding three separate converging columns commanded by two separate Confederate generals. Enroute they fought 4 separate engagements, destroyed 3,000 stands of arms, captured 500 enemy, destroyed 50-60 miles of railroad and tons of Confederate war material.

It was the most successful cavalry raid of the war, costing 3 killed, 7 wounded, 5 left sick and 9 missing. i.e. , out of the 1,700 men who started, 1,683 successfully completed the journey. More amazing, Grierson's orders were verbal and amounted to, "Just do it." Undertaken by Grant as a diversion for the Union Army's crossing of the Mississippi River, the raid's objective of focusing Confederate attention on Grierson as opposed to Grant is so successful, Grant's army crosses the river totally unopposed and subsequently takes Vicksburg from the land side 63 days later.

How important was the raid's ultimate objective, Vicksburg? In describing the city to David Dixon Porter, Lincoln is reported to have said," It means hogs and hominy without limit, fresh troops from all the States of the far South, and a cotton country where they can raise the staple without interference. (Cotton financed the Southern war effort). Let us get Vicksburg and all that country is ours. The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket."

This raid then, so brilliantly executed by Grierson, was the initial move in Grant's successful Vicksburg campaign, one that resulted in the capture of not just the city but an entire 30,000 man Confederate Army in the field. This is an excellently written work, chronologically detailing each day's activities and supported by quite detailed maps. It is a heck of a yarn, complex, fast paced and riveting.
32 people found this helpful
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Heinrick Ludwig von Mencken
4.0 out of 5 stars Boy did he cause a distraction
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
This as a very good explanation of the raid. Each chapter covers a day in the raid, from Tennessee to Baton Roughe. It however gave short shrift to what was going on around them. Grant's crossing of the Mississippi was way to important to only have it covered by a short paragraph or two. There should have had some more bibliographical material. Grierson was too much of a character to being relegated to so little. But the material on the raid itself was stellar.
This reads like a novel. Which is a bad thing or a good thing. I can't make up my mind. It is a very fun read, that is for sure
9 people found this helpful
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Lou S.
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Most Audacious Operations of the Civil War
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2022
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This splendid, well researched history reads like a novel. It keeps readers on the edge of their seats as it paints a vivid picture of a daring operation carried out against long odds by a skillful commander leading well trained and disciplined soldiers. The raid had a positive effect on Grant’s Vicksburg campaign, unlike Stuart’s ride around the Army of the Potomac, which accomplished little for Lee. Grierson kept his objective clearly in mind throughout, while skillfully dodging superior forces sent to deal with him, resulting in Pemberton dissipating the scarce cavalry he had available, just as Grant forced a crossing of the Mississippi. The verbal descriptions of the movements are clearly stated, but difficult to follow without adequate maps, which the book lacks. This is about the only fault with the book, but adequate maps would have made such a positive difference.
2 people found this helpful
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Raymond H. Mullen
5.0 out of 5 stars A Tremendous Story Of A True Hero
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2013
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Here's the picture. You are a mild mannered musician but now find yourself in the Union Army. You hate horses, so in the always infinite wisdom of the military you are chosen to be a Cavalry officer. Then there's more. You are told to take a group of men, disguise them as Confederate soldiers and head South into Mississipi to act as a diversion (decoy) to draw the real Confederates away from the Vicksburg campaign where General Grant is again (for the 8th. time) attempting to take Vicksburg, giving the Union control of the Mississippi River.
Grierson's two week long raid through Mississippi, in my opinion is the most important factor in the fall of that great fortress of the South.
The book is a real page turner, beautifully written, exciting and very true to actual history.
The raid was highly sucessful but not without a lot of pure fighting along with brilliant tactics used, on an almost daily basis to trick the Confederacy and draw them into there web.
Col. Benjamin Grierson shold have his name up there with the likes of Grant, Sherman and Sheridan for the Union and Lee, Jackson and Longstreet for the Confederacy.
Even though the war would continue on for another two years, the fall of Gettysburg and the taking of Vicksburg would be the two most important events in the outcome of the war.
If you wish to read about a 'real' hero dedicated to the Union and its' mission, do not miss this important work. Thrilling, just thrilling!
12 people found this helpful
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Mark J. Luongo
4.0 out of 5 stars Horse Soldiers
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2020
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Basis for the John Wayne movie, The Horse Soldiers. Such a daring exploit deserved to be immortalized in a film though some of the facts were embellished or disregarded. But that's Hollywood's approach to historical movies. Robertson's ride should be remembered for the mayhem it caused in Mississippi and allowing Grant movement to eventually seize Vicksburg. The cost in casualties was minimal for a raid so hotly pursued by the Confederates. Yes, movie fans, there is such a place called Newton Station where the "dirty Yankees" did their worst.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Elaine
5.0 out of 5 stars Husband happy with his book!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 12, 2020
Verified Purchase
Bought for my husband as a wedding anniversary present, he's happy with it.
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Tim O'Sullivan
4.0 out of 5 stars A good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2017
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A nice narrative about a little known episode of the American Civil War, by the wonderful Dee Brown. ... .
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John Wright
5.0 out of 5 stars Magic.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2018
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Brilliant book,John Wayne's horse soldiers were based upon this,too many similarities to be ignored. Have kept this in my kindle library to read at a future date,it is that good.
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David John Brooks
5.0 out of 5 stars As a fan of the film Horse Soldiers this was ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2018
Verified Purchase
As a fan of the film Horse Soldiers this was a must read for me. A very well written and absorbing account of a daring campaign.
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Peter Simpson
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2018
Verified Purchase
Its a book any review would be personal and subjective.
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