ABOUT THE BOOK

The history of the War Between the States in Galveston is one of the last untold stories from America's bloodiest war, despite the fact that Galveston was a focal point of hostilities throughout the conflict. As other Southern ports fell to the Union, Galveston emerged as one of the Confederacy's only lifelines to the outside world. When the war ended in 1865, Galveston was the only major port still in Confederate hands. In this beautifully written narrative history, Ed Cotham draws upon years of archival and on-site research, as well as rare historical photographs, drawings, and maps, to chronicle the War years in Galveston. His story encompasses all the military engagements that took place in the city and on Galveston Bay, including the dramatic Battle of Galveston, in which Confederate forces retook the city on New Year's Day, 1863. Cotham sets the events in Galveston within the overall conduct of the war, revealing how the city's loss was a great strategic impediment to the North. Through his pages pass major figures of the era, as well as ordinary soldiers, sailors, and citizens of Galveston, whose courage in the face of privation and danger adds an inspiring dimension to the story.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edward T. Cotham, Jr., is the prize-winning author of many books and articles on the history of the War Between the States, emphasizing the battles and skirmishes in Texas. A frequent lecturer on these subjects, Ed also leads occasional tours of Texas battlefields and state historic sites.

REVIEWS

Don't let the title mislead you, "Battle on the Bay" is much more than a battle monograph. It is a thorough retelling of the actions of the important gulf port city of Galveston, Texas throughout the war. Author Edward Cotham reviews the politics and early war action. He then takes the reader through the 1862 Federal seizure of the port and the brilliant cottonclad attack that recovered the city for the Confederacy. He also reviews the naval and blockade running activity through the end of the war.

Cotham's narrative is very entertaining and easy to read while at the same time providing the reader a wider understanding of Galveston's place in the war. Despite his obvious enthusiasm for the subject, the author maintains a balanced tone. I especially enjoyed the amusing anecdotes about "Prince John" Magruder's colorful and at times brilliant actions. Cotham does a great job of reviewing anecdotes and events from Galveston's wartime history that provide good sense of the problems facing a city under friendly and enemy occupation.

The book is well illustrated and has some useful maps of the outlines of fortifications by Don Frazier. Frazier's map of the fight at Kuhn's wharf is helpful and critical to understanding the unique battlefield, but it might have been more so if it had some unit labels on the CSA side as well as a wider view of the surroundings as well as a scale. Lacking in the text itself is a detailed order of battle for the CSA units engaged, commanders, and a breakdown of each unit's substantial casualties.

I recommend this book to those interested in understanding the War Between the States in Texas and particularly to anyone trying to understand the very important strategic coastal war. As a detailed military study, I found Cotham's work about Sabine Pass more compact and focused, while this text about Galveston will appeal to those interested in a wider overview of the war along the Texas coast.