Books by Chris J. Hartley
Confederate General D.H. Hill: A Military Life
Daniel Harvey Hill was a devoutly religious man with an unrelenting disdain for Yankees. He was also one of the fiercest warriors to stride a battlefield. The West Point graduate celebrated for his extraordinary courage in the Mexican War carried that bravery into the Civil War, charging into the bloodiest conflicts with the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of Tennessee. Controversy followed him relentlessly, as inescapable as his shadow. In this groundbreaking cradle-to-grave biography, award-winning author Chris J. Hartley offers a compelling military reassessment of one of the Confederacy’s most enigmatic figures.
A native South Carolinian, Hill stood at the heart of the Civil War’s most pivotal moments and the center of its fiercest controversies. From his reluctant assault against George B. McClellan’s James River transports in 1862 to his role in negotiating the contentious prisoner cartel, Hill’s actions consistently provoked the ire of his superiors. He faced blame for the loss of “Special Orders No. 191” during the Maryland Campaign, and his clashes with Gen. Robert E. Lee supposedly convinced Lee to orchestrate Hill’s departure from the Army of Northern Virginia. Hill’s defiance continued as he opposed Lee over reinforcements for the Gettysburg Campaign. His transfer west to command a corps in the Army of Tennessee resulted in battlefield decisions at Chickamauga that sparked debate during and after the conflict, and his involvement in the 1863 generals’ revolt against Braxton Bragg strained his relationship with President Jefferson Davis. Hill ended the war in North Carolina.
Although his sharp tongue and pen often got him into problems—Lee once remarked that Hill “croaked”—many revered the polarizing figure for his unyielding spirit. Before the war, Hill shaped young minds as a professor at Davidson College. After the conflict, he left a legacy as president of the University of Arkansas and Georgia Military College. As an editor, writer, and commentator, he helped shape the Confederacy’s enduring legacy.
Hartley’s meticulously researched Confederate General D. H. Hill: A Military Life draws upon a wealth of archival records, newspapers, and other sources to reveal a far more nuanced man than traditional accounts suggest. Hill’s impact on Civil War history remains undeniable and unforgettable.
Advance Praise for Confederate General D.H. Hill: A Military Life
“Unlike most Civil War books published these days, here is something that is both original and essential. How a general of Hill’s stature escaped a full modern treatment until now is hard to understand. A lifetime spent embroiled in controversy makes Hill’s story a reader’s delight. This is a fine biography of an important man, skillfully executed by an extremely able historian.” — Robert E. L. Krick, author of The Battle of Gaines’s Mill
“Chris Hartley’s biography of Confederate General D. H. Hill is a welcome and long-overdue addition to the study of the Civil War. The result of his superb research and gifted writing is a wonderfully crafted story that does not shy away from the wartime controversies that often embroiled Hill. Never one to remain silent, Hill’s sharp tongue often found him at odds with superiors like Robert E. Lee and Braxton Bragg. Despite the web of trouble that trapped the fiery general, Hill was devoted to the Confederate cause, as exemplified by his warrior spirit from Big Bethel to Bentonville. Confederate General D. H. Hill: A Military Biography is a must-read.” — Wade Sokolosky (Col., U.S. Army, ret.), co-author of “To Prepare for Sherman’s Coming”: The Battle of Wise’s Forks, March 1865
“Daniel Harvey Hill was considered by some to be General Lee’s best division commander and one of the most difficult officers to deal with. Chris Hartley does a fantastic job breathing life into the real Hill, from his successes on the battlefield to his wranglings with his superiors. This is an essential addition to Civil War historiography.” — Michael C. Hardy, author of Feeding Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia
Daniel Harvey Hill was a devoutly religious man with an unrelenting disdain for Yankees. He was also one of the fiercest warriors to stride a battlefield. The West Point graduate celebrated for his extraordinary courage in the Mexican War carried that bravery into the Civil War, charging into the bloodiest conflicts with the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of Tennessee. Controversy followed him relentlessly, as inescapable as his shadow. In this groundbreaking cradle-to-grave biography, award-winning author Chris J. Hartley offers a compelling military reassessment of one of the Confederacy’s most enigmatic figures.
A native South Carolinian, Hill stood at the heart of the Civil War’s most pivotal moments and the center of its fiercest controversies. From his reluctant assault against George B. McClellan’s James River transports in 1862 to his role in negotiating the contentious prisoner cartel, Hill’s actions consistently provoked the ire of his superiors. He faced blame for the loss of “Special Orders No. 191” during the Maryland Campaign, and his clashes with Gen. Robert E. Lee supposedly convinced Lee to orchestrate Hill’s departure from the Army of Northern Virginia. Hill’s defiance continued as he opposed Lee over reinforcements for the Gettysburg Campaign. His transfer west to command a corps in the Army of Tennessee resulted in battlefield decisions at Chickamauga that sparked debate during and after the conflict, and his involvement in the 1863 generals’ revolt against Braxton Bragg strained his relationship with President Jefferson Davis. Hill ended the war in North Carolina.
Although his sharp tongue and pen often got him into problems—Lee once remarked that Hill “croaked”—many revered the polarizing figure for his unyielding spirit. Before the war, Hill shaped young minds as a professor at Davidson College. After the conflict, he left a legacy as president of the University of Arkansas and Georgia Military College. As an editor, writer, and commentator, he helped shape the Confederacy’s enduring legacy.
Hartley’s meticulously researched Confederate General D. H. Hill: A Military Life draws upon a wealth of archival records, newspapers, and other sources to reveal a far more nuanced man than traditional accounts suggest. Hill’s impact on Civil War history remains undeniable and unforgettable.
Advance Praise for Confederate General D.H. Hill: A Military Life
“Unlike most Civil War books published these days, here is something that is both original and essential. How a general of Hill’s stature escaped a full modern treatment until now is hard to understand. A lifetime spent embroiled in controversy makes Hill’s story a reader’s delight. This is a fine biography of an important man, skillfully executed by an extremely able historian.” — Robert E. L. Krick, author of The Battle of Gaines’s Mill
“Chris Hartley’s biography of Confederate General D. H. Hill is a welcome and long-overdue addition to the study of the Civil War. The result of his superb research and gifted writing is a wonderfully crafted story that does not shy away from the wartime controversies that often embroiled Hill. Never one to remain silent, Hill’s sharp tongue often found him at odds with superiors like Robert E. Lee and Braxton Bragg. Despite the web of trouble that trapped the fiery general, Hill was devoted to the Confederate cause, as exemplified by his warrior spirit from Big Bethel to Bentonville. Confederate General D. H. Hill: A Military Biography is a must-read.” — Wade Sokolosky (Col., U.S. Army, ret.), co-author of “To Prepare for Sherman’s Coming”: The Battle of Wise’s Forks, March 1865
“Daniel Harvey Hill was considered by some to be General Lee’s best division commander and one of the most difficult officers to deal with. Chris Hartley does a fantastic job breathing life into the real Hill, from his successes on the battlefield to his wranglings with his superiors. This is an essential addition to Civil War historiography.” — Michael C. Hardy, author of Feeding Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia
The Lost Soldier The Ordeal of a World War II GI from the Homefront to the Hürtgen Forest |
The Lost Soldier offers a perspective on World War II we don’t always get from histories and memoirs. Based on the letters home of Pete Lynn, the diary of his wife, Ruth, and meticulous research in primary and secondary sources, this book recounts the war of a married couple who represent so many married couples, so many soldiers, in World War II. The book tells the story of this couple, starting with their life in North Carolina and recounting how the war increasingly insinuated itself into the fabric of their lives, until Pete Lynn was drafted, after which the war became the essential fact of their life. Author Chris J. Hartley intricately weaves together all threads—soldier and wife, home front and army life, combat, love and loss, individual and army division—into an intimate, engaging narrative that is at once gripping military history and engaging social history. Stackpole Books, 2018, Hardcover, 384 Pages, 6" x 9", 6 maps, 29 illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. Praise for The Lost Soldier "Chris Hartley succeeds mightily in penetrating through the heavy mist of time to tell the remarkable life-and-death story of one American soldier in World War II. Anyone who wants to know something of war's profound effect on soldiers and their families should read this book." (John C. McManus, author of The Dead and Those about to Die, D-Day: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach, and Grunts: Inside the American Infantry Combat Experience, World War II through Iraq) "This is an absorbing account of World War II's impact on one family and without a doubt shows us why this period will remain relevant to the American experience for generations to come. Chris Hartley masterfully blends military and social history to give the reader a wholly new take on one of the war's most bitter campaigns--the Hürtgen Forest--and its legacy seven decades later. Read it!" (Lt. Col. Edward G. Miller (Ret), author of A Dark and Bloody Ground: The Hürtgen Forest and the Roer River Dams, 1944-1945) "The Lost Soldier is a simply wonderful piece of work, a thoroughly researched study of one soldier’s life and that of his family. Meticulously researched, this is a moving story based primarily on letters between Pete Lynn and his wife, Ruth, from the time he was drafted to when the letters stopped. Additional to the letters, Hartley conducted exhaustive research to complete the record, including checking the company morning report listing the comings and goings of its members, unit journals and reports, correspondence between the army and family, and Ruth's diary." (Robert Sterling Rush, author of Hell in Hürtgen Forest: The Ordeal and Triumph of an American Infantry Regiment) Review: Naval Historical Foundation: The Lost Soldier, April 2021 Review: Michigan War Studies: The Lost Soldier, August 2021 National World War II Museum Program (Video), September 2019: https://www.c-span.org/video/?464309-1/battle-hrtgen-forest-75th-anniversary or https://livestream.com/nww2m/events/8798891 Author Interview: The Author's Voice, January 2019 Review: The Journal-Patriot, November 2018 Podcast: Carl White's Life in the Carolinas WW2TV Program, December 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iz1xcYWDgI |
Stoneman's Raid, 1865
In the spring of 1865, Federal major general George Stoneman launched a cavalry raid deep into the heart of the Confederacy. When the raid ended, Stoneman's troopers had brought the Civil War home to dozens of communities that had not seen it up close before. In the process, the cavalrymen pulled off one of the longest cavalry raids in U.S. military history. In their wake, the raiders left a legacy that resonates to this day, even in modern popular music such as The Band's ''The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.'' Based on exhaustive research in 34 repositories in 12 states and from more than 200 books and newspapers, Hartley's book tells the complete story of Stoneman's 1865 raid for the first time. John F. Blair, Publisher, 2010, Hardcover, 6.2" x 1.5" x 9.2", 464 Pages, 13 maps, 37 illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.
Praise for Stoneman's Raid, 1865
"Major General George Stoneman's unjustly neglected final raid has at last received the book length treatment it deserves. Author Chris Hartley does a masterful job recounting the events and placing the campaign in its proper context. Stoneman's Raid, 1865 is the definitive study of the raid and will likely remain so for many years to come. (Mark L. Bradley, author of This Astounding Close: The Road to Bennett Place)
"Chris Hartley's Civil War work is known for the depth and scope of his research, combined with a lively narrative. In Stoneman's Raid, 1865, a study of the last major cavalry raid of the war, he has provided just that. Hartley's deeply researched and eminently readable narrative brings George Stoneman's raid of the spring of 1865 to life. Made famous by the song 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,' this raid deep into Tennessee, North Carolina, and western Virginia devastated what little remained of the Confederacy's war-making capacity and helped bring the long war to an end. For anyone interested in the campaigns of 1865, this book is a must-have." (Eric J. Wittenberg, award-winning Civil War historian)
"Stoneman's Raid, 1865 fills a woeful gap in North Carolina's Civil War history. Chris Hartley's carefully researched account filled with personal anecdotes from that time period accurately details what Tar Heels were thinking and feeling as the war's losses hit home." (Clint Johnson, author of Touring the Carolinas' Civil War Sites and Touring Virginia's and West Virginia's Civil War Sites.)
Reviews:
Praise for Stoneman's Raid, 1865
"Major General George Stoneman's unjustly neglected final raid has at last received the book length treatment it deserves. Author Chris Hartley does a masterful job recounting the events and placing the campaign in its proper context. Stoneman's Raid, 1865 is the definitive study of the raid and will likely remain so for many years to come. (Mark L. Bradley, author of This Astounding Close: The Road to Bennett Place)
"Chris Hartley's Civil War work is known for the depth and scope of his research, combined with a lively narrative. In Stoneman's Raid, 1865, a study of the last major cavalry raid of the war, he has provided just that. Hartley's deeply researched and eminently readable narrative brings George Stoneman's raid of the spring of 1865 to life. Made famous by the song 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,' this raid deep into Tennessee, North Carolina, and western Virginia devastated what little remained of the Confederacy's war-making capacity and helped bring the long war to an end. For anyone interested in the campaigns of 1865, this book is a must-have." (Eric J. Wittenberg, award-winning Civil War historian)
"Stoneman's Raid, 1865 fills a woeful gap in North Carolina's Civil War history. Chris Hartley's carefully researched account filled with personal anecdotes from that time period accurately details what Tar Heels were thinking and feeling as the war's losses hit home." (Clint Johnson, author of Touring the Carolinas' Civil War Sites and Touring Virginia's and West Virginia's Civil War Sites.)
Reviews:
Stuart's Tarheels
James B. Gordon and His North Carolina Cavalry (Second Edition)
James B. Gordon and His North Carolina Cavalry (Second Edition)
When the original edition of Stuart's Tarheels went out of print, and demand for the title continued, Hartley put together this revised second edition of Stuart's Tarheels. After all, the book was named by Hughes, Gallager and Krick's In Taller Cotton as one of the top 200 most important other books for Confederate researchers and collectors. Now, Stuart's Tarheels still provides a detailed chronicle of the life of Confederate cavalry Brigaider General James B. Gordon of North Carolina. But it includes much more, including additional source material about Gordon's cavalrymen that has come to light. There's also a complete roster of Gordon's 1st North Carolina Cavalry Regment, one of the best cavalry units in the Army of Northern Virginia. McFarland, 2011, Hardcover & Paperback, 435 Pages, 7" x 1" x 10.2", 14 maps, 20 illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.
Stuart's Tarheels
James B. Gordon and His North Carolina Cavalry
James B. Gordon and His North Carolina Cavalry
When Confederate Major General J.E.B. Stuart said "North Carolina has done nobly in this army," he had one of his own men to thank: Brigadier General James Byron Gordon. A protege of Stuart, Gordon was the consummate nineteenth-century landowner, politician, and businessman. Despite a lack of military training, he rose rapidly through the ranks and, as the commander of all North Carolina cavalrymen in the Army of Northern Virginia, he helped bring unparalleled success to Stuart's famed Confederate cavalry. This biography chronicles Gordon's early life and military career and, through his men, takes a fresh look at the vaunted Army of Northern Virginia--its battles, controversies, and troops. Butternut & Blue, 1996, Hardcover, 438 Pages, 6.2" x 1.2" x 9.5", 14 maps, 20 illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.
Selected Additional Publications
- Introduction to W.A. Day, A True History of Company I, 49th North Carolina. Reprint. Butternut & Blue, 1998.
- James G. Gordon. America's Civil War, January 1995.
- Like an Avalanche: Stoneman's 1865 Raid. Civil War Regiments 4, 1998.
- "You Never Saw a More Gallant Charge: The Battle of Willis Church. America's Civil War, May 2001.
- "Stoneman's 1865 Raid in Central North Carolina." Blue & Gray Magazine, Summer 2010.
- "Don't Bury Me Among the -- Yankees: Gettysburg's Confederate Soldier. Gettysburg Magazine, January 2012.
- "An Old Army Name: Lt. Gen. Alvan C. Gillem and the Dawn of a New Army." Military Heritage, Spring 2013.
Oakland was the home of Confederate cavalryman Brig. Gen. James B. Gordon. For more, see Stuart's Tarheels: James B. Gordon and his North Carolina Cavalry.