One More War to Fight

"In his deeply researched debut, psychiatrist Goldman parlays decades of experience in academic and clinical medicine, including the treatment of combat veterans, into a unique history of the Civil War era. Focusing primarily on the Union Army's Left-Armed Corps of amputee veterans, Goldman investigates the ""warrior identity that motivates veterans in civilian life just as in uniform,"" drawing on unpublished letters to reveal servicemen's evolving views of the conflict and their lifelong commitment to the ""unfinished work"" of racial equality. Goldman delves into the important service that Union Army veterans provided in the Freedman's Bureau, their vociferous opposition to Andrew Johnson's racial policies and the Ku Klux Klan, and their ""grand scale political activism,"" which helped Republicans in the 1866 midterm elections and eased the way for the ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments. Even as the nation ""stripped the Civil War of its underlying ideology and racial foundation,"" Goldman writes, those ""who defeated the Confederacy remembered the truth"" and continued to fight for equality. Fresh and persuasive, this study of Union veterans whose battles did not end at Appomattox will appeal to Civil War buffs and fans of civil rights histories.-- ""Publisher's Weekly"" One More War to Fight is an exceptional book that draws the reader through chapter after chapter with a clear writing style and selection of quotes that blend so well into the narrative. Dr. Goldman outlines a history that began over 160 years ago, but which alludes to the scourge of white nationalism and bigotry that, today, has captured parts of our culture and portions of the polity. With the incandescent intellectual and creative contributions Black Americans have made, why are these so difficult for some people to see? To read this book only as a history is to miss its most powerful message.--Tom Grimes, professor of Journalism and Mass Communication, Texas State University Stephen Goldman offers a compelling argument in this comprehensively researched volume that addresses ways in which certain groups of northern white Union veterans supported a ""just"" Reconstruction that aimed to protect and extend the rights of African Americans. Of particular interest is Goldman's discussion of the role of the members of the Veterans Reserve Corps (wounded warriors), whose political activism, especially in veterans' organizations; Freedmen's Bureau work; and opposition to Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction plans, countered the prevailing prejudices and racism of post-Civil War America. This is a study that will enlighten both the serious student of history as well as the general reader.--Edna Greene Medford, Professor of History Emerita, Howard University Steve Goldman has taken us to new ground in his study of Reconstruction, Jim Crow, reconciliation, and remembrance following the Civil War. Goldman's double identity as a psychiatrist and solid Civil War scholar combine with his narrative skills to make this a highly original, riveting view of the contentious post-war events from the perspective of that special breed, Union veterans who lived by the bayonet and survived to carry on the fight for equality in the decades to follow.--John C. Waugh, award-winning journalist, historian and author of 12 books, including The Class of 1846: From West Point to Appomattox - Stonewall Jackson, George McClellan and Their Brothers and Reelecting Lincoln: The Battle for the 1864 Presidency The essence of Dr. Goldman's study is the lasting influence of military service on individual soldiers, particularly those with combat experience. One More War to Fight touches on the root causes of this historic contest...and the psychological effect of involvement in what, from hindsight, was an 'unfinished work' in the cause of freedom and equality for all Americans. Perhaps this is why their stories are best told by a trained psychiatrist, particularly this author, who has not only treated those who have been to war, but also extensively studied the Civil War and Reconstruction. Dr. Goldman's work offers an innovative look at the most important event in United States history, and not only how, but why, its great impact continues to this day.--John R. Sellers, emeritus Historical Specialist for Civil War & Reconstruction at the Library of Congress"