The Dahlgren Papers

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer maintains that 'The Dahlgren Affair' effectively utilizes the themes of history, drama, bloodshed, war, politics and mystery to weave a tale that originated during the Civil War. Schultz's use of high quality characterization and well-paced narrative adds to the value of the book. The writer notes that there are some flaws in the book, and some critics assert that Schultz either fabricated portions of the story, or just made honest errors, and those discrepancies are reviewed in this paper. The writer concludes that it is unlikely there will be definitive proof presented to verify beyond any shadow of a doubt either point of view regarding the Dahlgren papers. But perhaps what is just as important is that by reading books like Shultz's and by studying all accounts of the Civil War, students and scholars will be more informed about U.S. history, and that in itself is a positive thing.

From the Paper:

"The genesis of the plot that launches this well-told story is based on an actual attempt to free Union prisoners from the terrible conditions in Libby Prison and Belle Isle prison in Richmond, Virginia. The fact that many Union soldiers had either surrendered or were captured and were being held there - many reportedly near starvation and living in squalor - was eating away at leaders in the North. And so, President Lincoln, who was up for re-election soon and needed to get any positive publicity he could, authorized an attack on Richmond, ostensibly in order to free the prisoners at Libby.
"It was March 2, 1864. But the attack went awry, and in fact when Union Army Colonel Ulric Dahlgren was killed by Confederate soldiers defending Richmond and the prison, papers were found on Dahlgren's body that to this day have historians confused. The controversial nature of the papers has provided historical writer Schultz with a perfect mystery to complement his book."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hall, James O. 1999. Gunning For Davis. Civil War Times Illustrated 37 (February): 66-68.
• Mullen, Richard. 1999. Civil War Comes to Virginia. Contemporary Review 275 (September): 163-165.
• Schultz, Duane. 1998. The Dahlgren Affair: Terror and Conspiracy in the Civil War. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

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