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Military History“Old Slow Town”Detroit during the Civil WarPaul TaylorThough it was located far away from Southern battlefields, Detroit churnedwith unrest during the American Civil War. The city’s population, including alarge German and Irish immigrant community, mostly aligned with anti-warDemocrats while the rest of the state stood with the pro-Lincoln Republicans.The virulently anti-Lincoln and anti-Black Detroit Free Press fanned the city’sflames with provocative coverage of events. In “Old Slow Town”: Detroitduring the Civil War, award-winning author Paul Taylor contends thatthe anger within Detroit’s diverse political and ethnic communities overquestions about the war’s purpose and its conduct nearly tore the city in two.Taylor charts Civil War–era Detroit’s evolution from a quiet but growing industrial city (derisively called “oldslow town” by some visitors) to a center of political contention and controversy. In eight chapters, Taylordetails topics including the pre-war ethnic and commercial development of the city, fear and suspicionof “secret societies,” issues of race, gender, and economic strife during the war, Detroit’s response to itssoldiers’ needs, and celebration and remembrance at the conclusion of the conflict. Through Taylor’s useof overlooked military correspondence from the National Archives, soldier and civilian diaries and letters,period articles and editorials from Detroit’s Civil War–era newspapers; and a fresh, judicious synthesisof secondary sources, Paul Taylor presents the captivating story of Detroit’s Civil War history. Until now,why events occurred as they did in Detroit during the Civil War and what life was like for its residentshas only been touched upon in any number of general histories. Readers interested in American history,Civil War history, or the ethnic history of Detroit will appreciate the full picture of the time period Taylorpresents in “Old Slow Town.”October 2013 / 6 x 9 / 256 pp / 30 illus / ISBN 978-0-8143-3603-8, $34.95s clothISBN 978-0-8143-3930-5 eGreat Lakes Books SeriesAmong the EnemyA Michigan Soldier’s Civil War JournalEdited by Mark HoffmanThough many Union soldiers wrote about their experiences in the AmericanCivil War, few had the vantage point of William Horton Kimball, a member ofthe First Michigan Engineers and Mechanics. As a military engineer, Kimballspent most of his time behind the major lines of conflict and often workedamong civilians who sympathized with the enemy. In Among the Enemy: AMichigan Soldier’s Civil War Journal, Civil War historian Mark Hoffman presentsKimball’s journal as a unique window into wartime experience.Kimball was a prolific writer, and his journal is full of detailed accounts ofexpeditions into a hostile countryside, the bitter war against guerillas, andthe civilians caught in the middle of a traditional war waged with nontraditional means. He commentsfreely and openly on the strengths and weaknesses of his officers and comrades caught up in the samewar. At the same time, Kimball provides moving accounts of when the Engineers were thrown into theline of battle at Perryville and Lavergne and proved themselves as soldiers capable of traditional combat.Through Kimball’s account, readers can chart the important evolution of Union war policy regardingoccupied populations, as well as how the American views of warfare broke down when combat movedfrom battlefield to countryside and soldiers in the rear became important targets for enemy action.Hoffman introduces Kimball’s writings and provides some background on Kimball’s life as a soldier. Heaccompanies the journal entries with illustrations and maps.Kimball’s account reminds readers that there was a time when Americans who honored the same foundersand national holidays were seeking to kill each other in a bitter war behind the lines of traditional armies.Readers interested in military history and the Civil War will enjoy the inside perspective of Among the Enemy.March 2013 / 6 x 9 / 168 pp / 14 illus / ISBN 978-0-8143-3471-3, $24.95s paperISBN 978-0-8143-3853-7 eGreat Lakes Books Series18Wayne State University Press regional Books