The 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign Journal of
Colonel Joseph Thoburn, Commander, First Infantry Division, Army of West Virginia
by Scott C. Patchan
Based
primarily on his 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign journal, this
biographical work on Colonel Joseph Thoburn, Commander, 1st Infantry
Division, Army of West Virginia, provides significant insight on this
period of the Civil War, as well as background on an important field
commander of the Union Army who was a physician from Wheeling, West
Virginia.“JosephThoburn
was both a physician and a warrior. His martial skills caused him to
stand out among his peers in Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan’s Army of the
Shenandoah. The Scotch-Irish immigrant became an outstanding brigade and
division commander who left his mark on the numerous battlefields of
the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. His diary provides keen insight
into the workings of Thoburn’s mind and likewise provides keen insight
into the physician-turned-warrior’s battlefield exploits. Scott Patchan,
the dean of 1864 Valley Campaign historians, has done a fine job of
editing Thoburn’s diary and getting it ready for publication.This diary
will become an important resource for any historian seeking to document
the fightingthat occurred in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864 and will be
an excellent source for those who enjoy reading primary sources.” – Eric
J.Wittenberg, award-winning author
“This
is a gem of a journal – particularly because it comes from the hand of a
brigade and division commander, perhaps one of the Civil War’s most
underappreciated Union martyrs. Colonel Joseph Thoburn’s insights and
details provide abundant grist for understanding and appreciating the
first three months of the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Scott
Patchan’s expertise as the leading authority of the campaign enhances
this rich account with adept annotations as well as valuable bookends to
the journal, including Thoburn’s life and career before his first
journal entry and his heroic performances and untimely death after his
final one. After completing this enjoyable read, one cannot escape the
mix of hope and regret that appear from the realization that Thoburn’s
earlier journals of the War may still exist but have yet to be
discovered.” – Gary Ecelbarger, a leading authority on the 1862
Shenandoah Valley Campaign.