The Jan. 12th Greenville (Tn) Sun reports that Myron J. "Jack" Smith, director of Tusculum College's Thomas J. Garland Library has now written EIGHTY books since 1972 (I must have graded several million quizzes and tests, reports, and homework in that time). An impressive number and especially on his last three books that deal with that subject near and dear to my heart, the Navy in the Civil War. And, even better, these new books are about the little-known tinclads, timberclads and Le Roy Fitch.
His latest effort is "Tinclads in the Civil War: Union Light-Draught Gunboat Operations on Western waters, 1862-1865."
Slow and heavy ironclads were ineffective on western rivers (the Brown Water Navy), so steamboats were outfitted with thin armor and guns and carried the main load of activity. They were often attacked from the river banks and provided convoy protection for merchant ships, enforced revenue measures (not exactly sure what this means), towed ships, ran dispatches and performed other fleet support services.
However, at $55, that is a bit too much for me to spend these days of retirement.
The other two books in the series:
"Le Roy Fitch: The Civil War career of a Union River Boat Commander" 2007.
"The Timberclads in the Civil War: The Lexington, Conestoga, and Tyler in Western Waters" 2008
Congratulations Mr. Smith. --Old B-Runner
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