Like a Meteor Burning Brightly: The Short But Controversial Life of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren Hardcover – 1 March 2010

Brave, enthusiastic, careless, connected, smart, daring, careless, lucky, unlucky. These are just some of the words that quickly come to mind after having read Eric Wittenberg's highly entertaining work on Ulrich Dahlgren.Wittenberg has taken on an important, but often overlooked, subject in Dahlgren. Dahlgren came from a well connected family, his father being John Dahlgren, "The Father of Modern Naval Ordnance." Through his father Ully was able to meet presidents Zachary Taylor and later Abraham Lincoln. These connections, in addition to his own abilities, led to his being promoted to the youngest Colonel in the United States Army.Wittenberg traces the military career of young Ulrich including his stints working along side Generals such as Franz Sigel, Joe Hooker, and later George Meade. We read of Dahlgren and his enthusiasm and the problems this caused at Fredericksburg. In the Gettysburg campaign Dahlgren makes a major find in seizing letters to Robert E. Lee from Jefferson Davis. These letters showed that Lee would not be receiving reinforcements and that he would be on his own. General Meade however did not follow up on this intelligence and eventually Lee and his army were able cross the Potomac and make an escape. Shortly after the battle Dahlgren was shot in the leg while in Hagerstown. The injury cost him his leg below the knee shortly thereafter. He returned from this injury with the new title of Colonel.Judson Kilpatrick then helps recruit Dahlgren in his plan ostensibly to free prisoners from Belle Isle and Libby Prison. Whether this was really the goal of the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid has been the subject of debate ever since. Dahlgren led a group of 500 men who attacked from the south of Richmond. Delays caused him to miss his meeting with Kilpatrick and ultimately led to Dahlgren being killed during a Confederate ambush. Here's where the story takes a turn. Papers were found on Dahlgren's body that he was to burn Richmond, free the prisoners, capture Jefferson Davis and the Confederate cabinet and assassinate them. Based upon this strained relations are even more so. Dahlgren is give an "anonymous" burial though there is an interesting story included on the retrieval of his body for burial by family. Wittenberg then spends a good amount of time examining the "papers". He puts forth a compelling argument that shouldn't be shared in a review. Whether you agree with his ultimate findings there is little doubt that Wittenberg has done his research and his conclusion is well thought out and stated.Overall a well written book that reads quickly. The research is extensive (40 pages of notes and 18 pages of bibliography). Wittenberg does rely heavily on a memoir written by Ulrich's father and of course objectivity of such a source can be questioned. Overall though Wittenberg has written what seems to be a balanced account of this young man. While pointing out the potential greatness of Ully he doesn't hide the warts. For anybody interested in the Civil War this should be on your "to be read" list. Unfortunately you are unlikely to find this at your local B&N so online ordering is your best bet.

The Dahlgren Affair gets short shrift in the history of the Civil War cataclysm. The plot failed, and the guilty parties disavowed the scheme placing the onus on a poor young cavalry officer who died at the pointy edge of the plot.President Lincoln was often guilty of bothering his military with impossible silly taskings. Trying to do something to relieve the plight of Union prisoners of war trapped in the South, whose disintegrating logistics made it that much more difficult to sustain prisoners, resulted in some silly scheming amongst cavalry adventurers for a raid on Richmond. Judson Kilpatrick, one of the norths more reprehensible excusses for a cavalrymen (so named "killcavalry" for the wreck he made of his own commands)went to Washington with a plot which won the endorsement of the President and the Secretary of war.Kilpatrick recruited a young staff colonel to, Ulric Dahlgren, to lead the advanced brigade of the attack. Somewhere in the evolution of this plan humanitarian interests took second seat to a darker and ruthless plot to kill the CSA national command and sack the city of richmond. Papers found on the dead Colonel Dahlgren detailed the plot and caused angry exchanges between governments. It has even been suggested that the road leading to Lincolns assasination can be traced to the Dahlgren Affair.Eric Wittenberg bio of Dahlgren draws out the character and development of a prestigious military family. The young Dahlgren is not a professional soldier but a romanticist caught up in the war and the ideology of his admired father who is a bulwark of the federal administration. The young up and coming Dahlgren makes bad choices in his infamous final campaign, tarnishing his judgement and reputation.Wittenberg's judgement, that the plot was probably the creature of Killpatrick and Stanton is most probable based on the records of these two players.Mr Wittenberg literary style may not be his greatest strength. He compensates with a ruthless pursuit of historical data which provides the greatest possible veracity to his case.The Dahlgren Affair is the sort of thing people never tire of debating, so achieving a final solution isn't likely. Kudos to Eric Wittenberg for coming as close as historical fact will allow.

This will be a gift. I have the book in Kindle and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Very good book and quite interesting too.