The 6th Michigan Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War: A History and Roster by Eric R. Faust

Abstract

194 The Michigan Historical Review Eric R. Faust. The 6th Michigan Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War: A History and Roster. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers, 2020. Pp. 301. Bibliography. Index. Illustrations. Paper: $49.95. Writing out of a desire to rectify the past histories of the Sixth Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Eric Faust has produced a painstakingly detailed account of the regiment’s Civil War service. From its creation in August of 1861 to its muster out in September of 1865, Faust traces the movements, skirmishes, and various misfortunes of the Michigan regiment as they ventured from their home state into the Deep South. Faust’s work helps to provide a clear view into a common Union regiment during their Civil War service. Using a combination of soldier’s letters, diaries, and memoirs, Faust weaves together a history of the Sixth Michigan that is more accurate than the glory-filled tales authored by the veterans of the regiment. The various veteran-authored histories of the Sixth, Faust argues, were written to promote the glorification of the regiment, to save an officer’s post-war reputation, and to protect the most cherished memories of the veterans. However, Faust’s work proves that these various histories of the Sixth were not always presented truthfully. He reveals that the Sixth Michigan Infantry often found itself in a struggle with food shortages, lack of shelter, and mistreatment by Union military officials. As Faust recounts, the Sixth Michigan, often out of necessity, needed to forage for food by stealing it from Southern citizens. Faust also recounts the Sixth’s many nights sleeping in the mud of Louisiana, exposed to the elements, as revenge for their constant mocking of their own Brigadier General. Although Faust’s work is highly detailed and well researched, the author’s discussion of racial perceptions could have been better developed. Choosing to achieve a narrow focus on the experiences of the regiment, Faust does not devote much to the soldier’s understandings or opinions of Southern slavery. For a study concerning a regiment that was stationed in the Deep South for much of the duration of its service, Faust’s book is relatively quiet on the opinions and attitudes of the Sixth Michigan soldiers towards African Americans. Mentions of freedpeople and their various roles within the Union encampment are present. Opinions of slavery and African Americans, however, are only highlighted when discussing key members of the regiment. Whether this relative lack of discussion rests on the sources themselves or on Faust’s own preference to focus on other topics, is not made clear in the work. However, the fact remains that perceptions of race were important within Union encampments and were certainly discussed by the soldiers. Book Reviews 195 In its totality, Faust’s work is an excellently written history of a Michigan Civil War regiment. The author’s use of primary sources, in addition to the scattered photographs of the soldiers themselves, helps to humanize the men who fought with the Sixth. Within Faust’s work, an interested reader will not find glorified tales of combat, but a history of military life during desperate times. Readers and scholars who are interested in the Civil War or the history of Michigan and its people will appreciate Faust’s clear and unbiased narrative while following the Sixth Michigan through its various trials and tribulations. Travis Faustin Central Michigan University Mona Hanna-Attisha. What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City. New York, NY: One World, 2019. Pp. 384. Notes. Index. Paper: $18.00. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha sets out in What the Eyes Don’t See to tell her experiences with the Flint water crisis and role as one of the key figures in making it public and forcing action. The book’s title is a reference to a D.H. Lawrence quote distilled down to “how can your eyes see something that your mind doesn’t know.” (23) Hanna-Attisha’s writing style is both seductive and lucid, drawing the reader in with a few personal anecdotes before getting to the author’s point in each of the book...