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WORK TITLE: Lincoln’s Bold Lion
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S): Huffstodt, Jim
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Tallahassee
STATE: FL
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://www.newstrib.com/lifestyle/who-was-lincoln-s-lion-la-salle-native-tells-general/article_5f98837e-c019-5b9f-b652-0862547ab197.html * http://www.pineapplepress.com/b-author/james-huffstodt/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: n 92041715
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n92041715
HEADING: Huffstodt, Jim
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400 1_ |a Huffstodt, James
670 __ |a Hard dying men, c1991: |b t.p. (Jim Huffstodt) p. xiii (W. Palm Beach, Fla.)
670 __ |a Everglades lawmen, 2000: |b CIP t.p. (James Huffstodt) galley (James T. Huffstodt) galley (born 17 June 1947)
670 __ |a Lincoln’s bold lion, 2015: |b t.p. (James T. Huffstodt) inside back cover (James Huffstodt born in LaSalle, Illinois; studied American history at Southern Illinois University and University of Illinois; previous books are ’Hard dying man’ and ’Everglades lawman’, lives in Tallahassee, FL.)
953 __ |a bd16 |b sf13
PERSONAL
Born June 17, 1947, in LaSalle, IL; son of Robert W. Huffstodt; married; wife’s name Judy.
EDUCATION:Attended Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and the University of Illinois, Urbana.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby, assistant public relations director, 1973-78; Illinois Department of Conservation, Springfield, IL, writer, photographer, press officer, educator; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, West Palm Beach, writer, photographer, press officer, educator.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
James T. Huffstodt is a writer based in Tallahassee, Florida. Originally from LaSalle, Illinois, he attended Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and the University of Illinois, Urbana. Huffstodt served as an assistant public relations director at the Illinois Valley Community College. He went on to join the Illinois Department of Conservation, where he worked as a writer, educator, press officer, and photographer. Huffstodt took on these same duties when he was hired by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. He retired from this organization.
Huffstodt has written nonfiction books, including Hard Dying Men: The Story of General W.H.L. Wallace, General T.E.G. Ransom, and their “Old Eleventh” Illinois Infantry in the American Civil War (1861-1865), Everglades Lawmen: True Stories of Danger and Adventure in the Glades, and Lincoln’s Bold Lion: The Life and Times of Union Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin, 1837-1923. In Hard Dying Men, Huffstodt focuses on the Eleventh Infantry of Illinois. He profiles its leaders, Wallace and Ransom, and describes the lives of the soldiers who served in the Eleventh during the Civil War. Huffstodt discusses the lives of the authorities based in the Florida Everglades in Everglades Lawmen. He explains how the officers’ and wardens’ jobs have changed over the years.
Lincoln’s Bold Lion, released in 2015, is the biography of an important Civil War figure. In an interview with a contributor to the StAugustine.com website, Huffstodt explained why he wrote the volume. He stated: “I love biography. I love telling stories about people. I love giving history a human face. When I learned about Gen. Hardin’s fascinating life many years ago, I was stunned to learn that he had been almost completely forgotten. From that point on, I resolved to write his biography.” Hardin grew up in Jacksonville, IL. His father was a pelican in the Whig party, but he died while serving in the military during the Mexican War. Hardin attended West Point. He graduated from the academy in 1859, as the Civil War was drawing near. Hardin and his classmates from West Point all served in the war, and Hardin was the only one of them to survive the conflict. He became a brigadier general in the war, serving in the Union Army. Hardin’s wife’s father, Chancellor R.H. Walworth, was well-connected and helped Hardin to move up within the Union Army. Hardin endured injuries from serving in the war and even had to have one of his arms removed. He lead his troops in an important battle in Washington, DC, during which they successfully defended the capital against the invading Confederate forces. Hardin was in the same city as Abraham Lincoln when Lincoln was killed by John Wilkes Booth. Huffstodt discusses Hardin’s opinions on other army leaders during the Civil War, including George McClellan. Hardin criticized some of McClellan’s decisions during the war, but he was against McClellan’s ouster as head of the Army of the Potomac. Hardin remained in the army for the years following the Civil War. When he left the army, he moved to Chicago, where he joined a law practice. Hardin worked as an attorney for about twelve years before retiring. He spent his last years living between Chicago and St. Augustine, FL. Huffstodt notes that Hardin became a Catholic and was a strong supporter of the Church for many years. Hardin died in 1923.
Wallace A. Hettle, reviewer in the Journal of Southern History, commented: “In this well-researched and clearly written biography, James T. Huffstodt successfully rescues his subject from obscurity.” Hettle added: “The outstanding feature of the book is its thorough research.” Hettle noted that Huffstodt’s book may not offer much new information to Civil War scholars. Hettle continued: “However, Hardin is an interesting character, and telling his story is a worthwhile enterprise. This book is a welcome addition to the literature on combat in the East.” Writing on the Civil War Monitor website, Thomas J. Rowland remarked: “The tone of the work is decidedly laudatory, and scholars may find the absence of incisive critical analysis and sophistication dissatisfying.” Rowland identified typographical errors in the work and also stated that the book was not geared toward scholars. Rowland suggested: “Qualifications aside, this is a useful book and a worthwhile read. However incompletely, it does edge Martin D. Hardin out of the shadows of obscurity. It should be very appealing to a popular Civil War audience and those interested in Illinois’ role in that conflict. It is another useful tile in the grand mosaic of Civil War history that is ever unfolding.” Scott Mingus, critic on the YDR.com website, remarked: “Huffstodt has brought General Hardin’s memory back to life for the modern reader in this entertaining and comprehensive biography. It is an interesting narrative, replete with human interest stories and vignettes from Hardin’s life, as well as from his father’s and other family members. This is an excellent addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in Union generals.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Journal of Southern History, May, 2017, Wallace A. Hettle, review of Lincoln’s Bold Lion: The Life and Times of Union Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin, 1837-1923, p. 428.
ONLINE
Casemate Blog, https://thecasemateblog.wordpress.com/ (October 27, 2016), author interview.
Civil War Monitor Online, https://www.civilwarmonitor.com/ (March 23, 2016), Thomas J. Rowland, review of Lincoln’s Bold Lion.
Illinois NewsTribune Online, http://www.newstrib.com/ (September 12, 2016), article about author.
Saratogian Online, http://www.saratogian.com/ (April 10, 2016), Paul Post, author interview.
StAugustine.com, http://staugustine.com/ (February 6, 2016), author interview.
YDR.com, http://www.ydr.com/ (February 11, 2016), Scott Mingus, review of Lincoln’s Bold Lion.
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Book details Spa City resident’s relationship with Lincoln
A note written by President Abraham calling for Col. Martin D. Hardin’s promotion to brigadier general, and a pair of the president’s spectacles, are part of Saratoga History Museum’s collection.
A note written by President Abraham calling for Col. Martin D. Hardin’s promotion to brigadier general, and a pair of the president’s spectacles, are part of Saratoga History Museum’s collection. Paul Post -- ppost@digitalfirstmedia.com
By Paul Post, The Saratogian
POSTED: 04/10/16, 1:00 AM EDT | 0 COMMENTS
Author James T. Huffstodt
Author James T. Huffstodt Photo provided
SARATOGA SPRINGS >> A new book brings to light the untold story of a future Civil War general who grew up in Saratoga Springs, went to West Point and became a close friend of President Abraham Lincoln.
General Martin Hardin served at Gettysburg -- a colonel at the time -- and later helped lead the search for Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth.
Author James T. Huffstodt provides fascinating insights about this overlooked Union hero in his book, “Lincoln’s Bold Lion.”
“I just felt his story needed to be told,” said Huffstodt, a lifelong Civil War buff and avid historian. “I first learned about him in the book, ‘Generals in Blue,’ which I read about 35 or 40 years ago. Hardin stood out because he was wounded four times and lost his left arm. That registered with me. I realized here was a story, if you could dig up the details.”
Many years later, after retiring, Huffstodt had time for the project and began trying to satisfy his curiosity about Hardin, which resulted in the new biography. He devotes parts of three chapters to Hardin’s teenage years in Saratoga as the stepson of Chancellor Reuben Hyde Walworth, one of New York’s most prominent citizens, who married Hardin’s widowed mother, Sarah.
She and her first husband, John, who was killed in the Mexican-American War (1846-47), were close friends of the Lincolns in Illinois, where Martin Hardin was born.
In fact, John Hardin was a cousin to Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln.
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After marrying Walworth, Sarah kept up her friendship with Lincoln and lobbied the president on her son’s behalf.
“During a war there would be opportunity for promotion and even fame,” Huffstodt wrote. “His mother was determined that her son be among those rewarded when that time came.”
However, the young Union officer earned advancements on his own, with great sacrifice.
He suffered a near fatal wound during the Second Battle of Bull Run (Aug. 28-30, 1862), but returned to fight, serving with distinction a year later at Gettysburg, following a long painful convalescence.
“At Gettysburg, Hardin led with one arm hanging limp and useless at his side, winning the respect and admiration of many,” Huffstodt wrote.
Five months later, on Dec. 14, 1863, his crippled left arm was struck again during an ambush by Confederate marauders dressed in Union uniforms near Catlett’s Station, Virginia. This time there was no choice. It had to be amputated.
Undaunted, after recovering he returned to action, joining Grant’s Overland Campaign to Richmond as commander of the First Brigade, in 1864
Sarah Walworth continued her own campaign, fighting for her son Martin’s promotion, and in late June she succeeded.
On the back of an envelope, Lincoln scribbled a note calling for Col. Martin D. Hardin’s promotion to brigadier general, pointing out how he was the son of a late dear friend (John Hardin) and how Martin had been shot and lost an arm while fighting to preserve the Union.
Lincoln’s original note is in the Saratoga Springs History Museum’s collection along with a pair his spectacles.
Huffstodt credited museum Archivist Agnes Hamberger and Executive Director Jamie Parillo for the research they provided about Hardin’s ties to Saratoga Springs.
“A book has an author’s name on it, but it’s not just the product of that author,” he said. “You’re standing on the shoulders of a lot of other people.”
Hardin closed out the war in Washington, D.C., defending the capital against a possible Confederate attack and visited Lincoln in the White House. Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theater on the evening of Good Friday, 1865.
“Hardin’s men spread throughout the city searching for the conspirators,” Huffstodt wrote.
There are many interesting post scripts to Martin Hardin’s life both during and after the war.
“The Civil War tore the country apart,” Huffstodt said. “Yet in many cases it literally tore families apart, too.”
Martin, although born in southern Illinois, stayed in the Union Army after attending West Point while his brother, Lemuel, became a general for the South. They later reconciled.
Huffstodt notes that Hardin and his sister, Ellen Hardin Walworth, held the family’s lifelong servant, Dolly, a former slave, in high esteem. She was literate and Hardin would occasionally share personal thoughts and observations about life in letters to her. Dolly is buried in the family plot at Greenridge Cemetery in Saratoga Springs.
Ellen Hardin Walworth co-founded Daughters of the American Revolution.
In 1873, Ellen’s husband, Mansfield -- who physically abused her -- was murdered by their son, Frank. The sensational trial that followed, involving one of New York’s most prestigious families, generated worldwide publicity.
“It was kind of the OJ trail of that time,” Huffstodt said. “Martin stood with the family. He went with his sister every day to the courthouse.”
Martin Hardin spent many later years in St. Augustine, Fla. He was the last surviving member of his West Point Class of 1859 when he died in December 1923.
He is buried at St. Augustine’s National Cemetery.
“Lincoln’s Bold Lion: The Life and Times of Union Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin, 1837-1923,” (359 pages) is published by Casemate.
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Paul Post covers NYRA, SPAC, agriculture, Wilton and other local towns, veterans’ issues and more. Reach the author at ppost@digitalfirstmedia.com or follow Paul on Twitter: @paulvpost.
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La Salle native interviewed at West Point Center for Oral History
Sep 12, 2016 0
La Salle native interviewed at West Point Center for Oral History
West Point, N.Y. — James T. Huffstodt, 69, a 1965 graduate of La Salle-Peru Township High School, was interviewed this past Tuesday at the West Point Center for Oral History, West Point Military Academy, New York.
The La Salle native was videotaped during a two-hour interview focusing on his experiences as an Army journalist in 1967 during the Vietnam War, and on Union General Martin Hardin of Jacksonville, Ill. whose life was documented in Huffstodt’s recent biography, “Lincoln’s Bold Lion: the Life and Times of Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin 1837-1923.”
The video interview will be archived for use by scholars at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, and eventually posted on the West Point Center for Oral History’s website.
Huffstodt was interviewed by center director Lt. Col. David Siry, a 1994 West Point graduate who served as an armored cavalry officer in Iraq, Bosnia and Kuwait. Siry, who earned a master’s degree in the history of the American Civil War from Pennsylvania State University, also teaches history classes at the Military Academy.
Lt. Col. Siry asked Huffstodt what motivated him to research and write the biography of this obscure Civil War hero and what lessons General Hardin’s life provides for contemporary West Point Cadets. He also asked about the author’s experiences as a military journalist/photographer serving with a tank battalion attached to the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam in 1967.
The West Point Center for Oral History’s mission is to record, present and preserve the stories of soldiers, statesmen and others to inspire, educate and develop West Point Cadets, enhance public understanding of the military experience, and provide new primary source material for scholars, according to Lt. Col. Siry.
Past subjects who have been videotaped range from relatively unknown enlisted men to luminaries such as former U.S. Secretary of State and Army General Alexander Haig, Pulitzer Prize winning historian Stanley Karnow who authored “Vietnam: A History,” and Medal of Honor winner and Navy SEAL Bob Kerrey who later was Nebraska governor and U.S. Senator.
James “Jim” Huffstodt was assistant public relations director at Illinois Valley Community College from 1973-78. His father, the late Robert W. Huffstodt of Peru, worked as an advertising solicitor for the NewsTribune for 30 years. The author’s older brother, Eugene Huffstodt of Peru, was the NewsTribune’s business manager from 1950 until 1995.
The author and his wife, Judy, reside in Tallahassee, Fla., where he retired in 2004 after a long career with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in West Palm Beach, working as a writer, photographer, press officer and educator. Prior to that, he worked in the same capacity for the Illinois Department of Conservation in Springfield.
Huffstodt studied history and journalism at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale and at the University of Illinois, Urbana.
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Lincoln’s Bold Lion author Jim Huffstodt on Civil War Radio
Posted on October 27, 2016 by taracasemate
Jim Huffstodt, the always working author of LINCOLN’S BOLD LION was interviewed live on Civil War Talk Radio, hosted by Dr. Gerald Prokopowisc of East Carolina University of Greenville, South Carolina.
You can access the Civil War Talk Radio archive at: https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2205/civil-war-talk-radio
siry9
Hope you enjoy the show.
Jim’s tireless efforts are no small part of why LINCOLN’S BOLD LION has received so much praise
A fascinating account of a truly remarkable young man; students of Civil War period history will find this particularly interesting, and the writing draws you into this young man’s life with ease.”
Books Monthly February 2016 2/3/2016
Anyone who is interested in the Civil War will surely want to read Lincoln’s Bold Lion, but locals will also enjoy the riveting tale that connected a decorated Civil War general to Henry Flagler’s elite Southern tourist haven.”
—St Augustine Register 2/6/2016
Author James T. Huffstodt has brought Hardin back from the lengthy ranks of the overlooked and ignored Civil War generals. His fascinating new book, Lincoln’s Bold Lion: The Life and Times of Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin, breaks new ground into the life of the boyish brigadier and examines his relationship with the 16th president of the United States. Huffstodt, an Illinois native is an award-winning writer who currently lives in Tallahassee, Florida. He brings his ample research and writing skills to the forefront in this well-written, fast-paced biography…Huffstodt has brought General Hardin’s memory back to life for the modern reader in this entertaining and comprehensive biography. It is an interesting narrative, replete with human interest stories and vignettes from Hardin’s life, as well as from his father’s and other family members. This is an excellent addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in Union generals, as well as to those interested in reading about one of Lincoln’s friendships that is not often discussed.
—York Daily Record 2/11/2016
…Huffstodt must be applauded for restoring Hardin to his rightful place as a heroic patriot … A highly recommended read.
—History of War 3/8/2016
“LINCOLN’S BOLD LION sticks to facts, but also tells an astounding story of an Illinois native whose life intersects with those of Abraham Lincoln, Gens. Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, John Wilkes Booth, and local legends such as Gen. Philip Sheridan. . . . Bringing to light the life of Hardin restores the man’s rightful position as an American hero .
—Chicago Daily Herald 3/13/2016
…an excellent job portraying General Hardin’s life in the context of a changing America. Readers get to know him intimately and and also how his world was changing…valuable contribution, this book makes as a definitive biography of a forgotten hero. It is highly recommended.
—Civil War News 3/30/2016
“…recounts the story of both an amazing American and a pivotal period of history…The author’s diligent, deep research and his knack for storytelling vividly describes Hardin’s lifetime in its historical context….Despite all his experiences and accomplishments, when Hardin died at age 86 in St. Augustine, Fla., he was apparently largely forgotten. Still it seems remarkable that this riveting new book ranks as the first biography of this relatively unsung
hero and exceptional American.”
—Toy Soldier Model Figure Magazine 3/31/2016
… brings to light the untold story of a future Civil War general who grew up in Saratoga Springs, went to West Point and became a close friend ofPresident Abraham Lincoln. General Martin Hardin served at Gettysburg– a colonel at the time– and later helped lead the search for Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Author James T. Huffstodt provides fascinating insights about this overlooked Union hero in his book, Lincoln’s Bold Lion.”
—Saratogian 4/12/2016
“…chronicles the previously untold life of a soldier who explored the far west, lost an arm to a gunshot wound and knew Robert E Lee and George Armstrong Custer, among the giants of his time. “
—Tallahassee (Fl.) Democrat 4/12/2016
High marks should be awarded Huffstodt for producing a highly readable and engaging work. …The photographs and illustrations are exceptional in their clarity and appeal,.. this is a useful book and a worthwhile read… It should be very appealing to a popular Civil War audience and those interested in Illinois’ role in that conflict. It is another useful tile in the grand mosaic of Civil War history that is ever unfolding.
—Civil War Monitor 4/27/2016
contains magnificent tales of the Civil War and post Civil War Years. This wonderful biography brings its readers the turmoil of the American Civil War, the terrible deaths and destruction caused by the war, and the attempts to rebuild our country, and the heartache suffered by families divided by the war.
—Civil War Courier 5/11/2016
There were many generals on both sides of the Civil War that have been ignored or forgotten since the closing of that tragic conflict. Most of them were not the front echelon of military leaders, corps commanders, or generals of the armies and many were simply in less conspicuous commands guarding the railroads, important industrial cities, or relatively inactive departments. Martin Davis Hardin was on the front lines, fought in seventeen battles, lost his left arm and took over the northern defenses of Washington, D.C., at the time of Early’s Raid, but until now, he has not rated a biography of note. James T. Huffstodt has filled this void with a nicely written volume highlighting Hardin’s military career and the usefulness of having friends in high places…a well constructed book, with excellent photographs and some useful maps at appropriate spots in the narrative… He covers the ground well, however, and proves his point that although Hardin is normally lost to history, he deserves to be better known
—Journal of America’s Past 7/11/2016
“This highly readable well-researched volume rescues General Hardin from oblivion while relating the sad exploits of a talented but sometimes dysfunctional family.”
—Civil War Times 12/1/2016
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QUOTED: "I love biography. I love telling stories about people. I love giving history a human face. When I learned about Gen. Hardin’s fascinating life many years ago, I was stunned to learn that he had been almost completely forgotten. From that point on, I resolved to write his biography."
Feb 6, 2016,
The story of Martin Davis Hardin provides more than a combat record — in fact, it comprises a tour through 1800s America, with its most costly war only the centerpiece.
Abraham Lincoln was a close friend and political ally of Hardin’s father, who died a hero in the Mexican War. The family were also relatives of Mary Todd.
Made brigadier general at age 27, Hardin fought with distinction at Malvern Hill, Second Bull Run, Gettysburg, Grant’s Overland Campaign and the Jubal Early’s 1864 raid on Washington. He was wounded four times, nearly died on two occasions and lost an arm during the war. Hardin himself took part in the hunt for John Wilkes Booth after Lincoln’s assassination.
In “Lincoln’s Bold Lion,” Huffstodt walks the reader through Hardin’s life as it reveals the progress of a century. After the war, Hardin survived the Chicago Fire and the Gilded Age, with all its newfound fascinations.
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Like many wealthy Northerners in the late 1800s, St. Augustine became the Hardins’ winter refuge. Martin and his wife, Estelle, stayed in hotels in the beginning, but eventually leased a winter “cottage” at 22 St. Francis St., known today as the Tovar House.
Anyone who is interested in the Civil War will surely want to read “Lincoln’s Bold Lion,” but locals will also enjoy the riveting tale that connected a decorated Civil War general to Henry Flagler’s elite Southern tourist haven.
Q&A with author
What inspired you to write the book?
I love biography. I love telling stories about people. I love giving history a human face. When I learned about Gen. Hardin’s fascinating life many years ago, I was stunned to learn that he had been almost completely forgotten. From that point on, I resolved to write his biography.
What type of research was involved?
Hunting down Gen. Hardin’s story led me to research his personal letters, photos, journals, photos, official Army reports and contemporary newspaper articles preserved at The National Archives in Washington, the St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library, the Saratoga Springs Walworth (Memorial) Museum, and the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. The research took the better part of six years.
Describe your writing process.
Research until you know the subject like a family member. Then put words on paper. Rewrite. Cut. Add. Prune. Rewrite again. Like someone once said: It’s 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. You keep rewriting until you get it right, not before.
What do you hope readers get out of the book?
My hope is that my readers meet and get to know this long-forgotten American hero who lived a remarkable life during a crucial span off American history. Despite the cynics, I believe strongly that America needs heroes; perhaps we need them more now than ever before. Gen. Hardin is such a hero: a soldier, a Christian and a gentleman.
Who is your favorite author?
As a lifelong reader, my list of favorite authors would probably top 100. But, if forced, my favorite historians would include David McCullough, Hampton Sides, T.J. Stiles, Eric Larson, Diane Preston, Iris Chang, Barbara Tuchman, Lloyd Lewis, Francis Parkman, William Manchester and Bruce Catton.
QUOTED: "In this well-researched and clearly written biography, James T. Huffstodt successfully rescues his subject from obscurity."
"The outstanding feature of the book is its thorough research."
"However, Hardin is an interesting character, and telling his story is a worthwhile
enterprise. This book is a welcome addition to the literature on combat in the East."
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Print Marked Items
Lincoln's Bold Lion: The Life and Times of
Union Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin,
1837-1923
Wallace A. Hettle
Journal of Southern History.
83.2 (May 2017): p428.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Southern Historical Association
http://www.uga.edu/~sha
Full Text:
Lincoln's Bold Lion: The Life and Times of Union Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin, 1837-1923. By James T.
Huffstodt. (Philadelphia and Oxford, Eng.: Casemate, 2015. Pp. 432. $32.95, ISBN 978-1-61200-339-9.)
The life of General Martin Davis Hardin of Illinois offers a good perspective from which to view the Civil War era. A
precocious young soldier, Hardin served as a brigadier general in the Union army in his twenties. The last survivor of
West Point's class of 1859, he lived until 1923. In this well-researched and clearly written biography, James T.
Huffstodt successfully rescues his subject from obscurity.
While many Civil War soldiers exhibited bravery and commitment to duty, Hardin's phenomenal devotion to the cause
exemplified those qualities. While Hardin did not fight in every major battle in the eastern theater, he was so
ubiquitous that one might think he had. In the course of the conflict, Hardin was wounded four times, most notably
losing an arm fighting against John Singleton Mosby's raiders in 1863. In a remarkable illustration of personal bravery
and commitment to the cause of the Union, Hardin continued to play a combat role until the end of the war.
The most original contribution this book makes is its emphasis on Hardin's relationship with Abraham Lincoln. The
general's father was John J. Hardin, an Illinois Whig who was both a friend and a political competitor of Lincoln's.
John Hardin died in the U.S.-Mexican War, but his family remained in contact with the future president. A lieutenant
in the regular army when the Civil War broke out, Martin Hardin experienced a rapid promotion to brigadier general in
part because he had earned a deservedly good reputation as a soldier. However, machinations behind the scenes by his
mother, Sarah Smith Hardin, helped him up the chain of command. It appears she used her personal connection with
Lincoln to advance her son's career. Huffstodt has discovered papers that illuminate the relations between Hardin, his
family, and Lincoln. Finding any new angle to approach the Civil War president is an accomplishment. The treatment
of Lincoln adds to our knowledge but does not transform our perception of the Union president.
The book is at its best describing military engagements in the East from the perspective of a leading soldier who
seemed to be everywhere. Hardin witnessed the hanging of John Brown and the defense of Washington, D.C., against
Jubal A. Early's raid, and he participated in the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth in the aftermath of Lincoln's
assassination. After leaving the service, Hardin became a successful lawyer and participated in activities to
memorialize the war. He lived for nearly sixty years after the war. While the author discusses Hardin's long postbellum
career, the book's relatively brief exploration of this potentially vast topic left me wanting to know more. Such an
omission provides an opportunity for future scholars and students.
The outstanding feature of the book is its thorough research. While Huffstodt provides some new evidence for
professional scholars, the book is primarily a traditional military history with a sprinkling of politics. It seems
primarily geared to a broader popular audience. The book evidences only a passing engagement with recent secondary
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literature on the new military history. However, Hardin is an interesting character, and telling his story is a worthwhile
enterprise. This book is a welcome addition to the literature on combat in the East.
Wallace A. Hettle
University of Northern Iowa
Hettle, Wallace A.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Hettle, Wallace A. "Lincoln's Bold Lion: The Life and Times of Union Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin, 1837-
1923." Journal of Southern History, vol. 83, no. 2, 2017, p. 428+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA495476233&it=r&asid=51ec20edd0a9e21a3c74e7a72ec07ec5.
Accessed 13 Nov. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A495476233
QUOTED: "The tone of the work is decidedly laudatory, and scholars may find the absence of incisive critical analysis and sophistication dissatisfying."
"Qualifications aside, this is a useful book and a worthwhile read. However incompletely, it does edge Martin D. Hardin out of the shadows of obscurity. It should be very appealing to a popular Civil War audience and those interested in Illinois’ role in that conflict. It is another useful tile in the grand mosaic of Civil War history that is ever unfolding."
Thomas J. Rowland
Lincoln’s Bold Lion: The Life and Times of Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin by James T. Huffstodt. Casemate Publishers, 2015. Cloth, ISBN: 978-1612003399. $32.95.
In Lincoln’s Bold Lion, fellow native Illinoisan James T. Huffstodt attempts to nudge Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin out of the shadows of obscurity into the light of recognition. An ambitious effort, the author hopes not only to tell the story of Hardin’s life, but to employ him as a lens upon the era in which he lived. As the general lived to the ripe age of eighty-six, his life spanned the antebellum era through the early 1920s. Huffstodt’s study succeeds as a general biography, but falls somewhat short of a comprehensive assessment of the times in which Hardin lived.
Born and raised in Jacksonville, Illinois, Martin Hardin, the son of a prominent Whig politician who was killed during the Mexican War, experienced a reasonably comfortable and happy childhood. He was accorded an appointment as a cadet at West Point, graduating in the year 1859. Courtesy of his mother’s promotion and the intercession of his new father-in-law, Chancellor R.H. Walworth, Martin found a command position at the outbreak of the Civil War. His service during the war was certainly noteworthy: he rose from the rank of colonel to brevetted brigadier general; was wounded four times (one wound resulting in the loss of an arm); commanded a key position in the defense of the capital in 1864; and ended up in Washington when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. After serving in the postwar army for five years, Hardin left the service and entered into a law practice in the city of Chicago. His legal career lasted barely a dozen years; then, the general and his wife alternated between summers in Chicago and long winters in St. Augustine, Florida. His first wife passed away and the general remarried late in life.
Huffstodt brings a respectable list of source material to this work. Much of the work is driven by primary sources, liberally buttressed by an array of secondary works. But herein lies the problem. Aside from some material in the Hardin family papers, including a brief autobiography or reminiscence by the general, the majority of sources are regimental histories and addresses Hardin gave at memorial functions. They may be adequate for assessing Hardin’s Civil War career, but they do not lend much insight into the fifty-eight years following the end of the war until his death in 1923. The dearth of personal papers is not a problem relegated to Martin Hardin alone; this limitation deprives us of substantial assessments of more substantial Civil War luminaries, such as Irvin McDowell, Hardin’s one-time commander and someone the general did not like.
The scarcity of any sustained diary entries or correspondence also leads Huffstodt to repeatedly speculate or surmise what Hardin may have thought about this event or that person. For instance, we learn that Hardin, although critical of George McClellan’s leadership on the Peninsula, was nonetheless a stout supporter of the general’s reputation after his dismissal as commander of the Army of the Potomac. But we do not get any insight as to Hardin’s position in the election of 1864 or his politics in the postwar era. Again, the author asserts the significance of Hardin’s conversion to Catholicism and his ongoing support of the Catholic Church. Yet, we are not informed what the aging Hardin might have thought about the rise of anti-Catholicism in the post World War I years, particularly the rise of Klan activity in his adopted state of Florida, which swirled all around him. Sadly, the very priest who eulogized the general at his funeral in 1923 would be found abducted by hooded Klansmen two month later. He was beaten, mutilated by castration, and unceremoniously dumped in front of his church. To be clear, these omissions are most likely not Huffstodt’s failing, but rather the inherent limitations of the source material.
High marks should be awarded Huffstodt for producing a highly readable and engaging work. As in many biographies, the tone of the work is decidedly laudatory, and scholars may find the absence of incisive critical analysis and sophistication dissatisfying. The work is marred by several typographical errors that suggest some laxity on someone’s part. The photographs and illustrations are exceptional in their clarity and appeal, notwithstanding the caption accompanying the photo of the 1891 unveiling of Grant’s equestrian statue, which states that the keynote address was given by President Henry Harrison when it clearly should be Benjamin.
Qualifications aside, this is a useful book and a worthwhile read. However incompletely, it does edge Martin D. Hardin out of the shadows of obscurity. It should be very appealing to a popular Civil War audience and those interested in Illinois’ role in that conflict. It is another useful tile in the grand mosaic of Civil War history that is ever unfolding.
Thomas J. Rowland teaches history at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. He is the author of George B. McClellan and Civil War History (1998).
QUOTED: "Huffstodt has brought General Hardin's memory back to life for the modern reader in this entertaining and comprehensive biography. It is an interesting narrative, replete with human interest stories and vignettes from Hardin's life, as well as from his father's and other family members. This is an excellent addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in Union generals."
Scott Mingus
Martin Davis Hardin is a name not known to most Civil War buffs, a man largely obscure to modern reader. But, in his time, he and his family were well known across the country for their long and faithful service to the United States army, as well as for his father's deep friendship (and later rivalry) with Abraham Lincoln.
Author James T. Huffstodt has brought Hardin back from the lengthy ranks of the overlooked and ignored Civil War generals. His fascinating new book, Lincoln's Bold Lion: The Life and Times of Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin, breaks new ground into the life of the boyish brigadier and examines his relationship with the 16th president of the United States. Huffstodt, an Illinois native is an award-winning writer who currently lives in Tallahassee, Florida. He brings his ample research and writing skills to the forefront in this well-written, fast-paced biography.
Hardin was born in Jacksonville, Illinois, in June 1837. His father, John J. Hardin, was a close family friend to Abraham Lincoln until battles over the Whig congressional seat led to a straining of the relationship. In fact, some accounts (lacking necessary documentation, however) suggest Lincoln met his future wife Mary Todd at an affair in the Hardin house.
John J. Hardin died in the Black Hawk War, and Lincoln for the rest of his life took an interest in young Martin, who graduated from the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY, in the Class of 1859. Young Hardin, who had a penchant for meeting and interacting with some of the greatest figures of the mid-19th century, served as an aide to Robert E. Lee during the siege of Harper's Ferry when the army captured abolitionist firebrand John Brown later that year.
Hardin had to have an arm amputated because of a severe wound suffered during a bushwhacking late in 1863, but he stayed in the army after his recuperation until his original term of enlistment expired. He then received an appointment as a brigadier general and later led a division during the defense of Washington during Jubal Early's July 1864 movement on the capital. He fought with distinction at the battle of Fort Stevens, a fight where his mentor and friend Abraham Lincoln came under Confederate rifle fire.
Hardin had attended Lincoln's second inauguration in March 1864, not realizing he was standing not far from eventual assassin John Wilkes Booth. At the time of the assassination on Good Friday, 1864, Hardin commanded Washington's northern defensive perimeter. When notified of that the president had been shot, he roused every available man and put them on alert to watch for the presumed shooter. However, one of Hardin's men, Sgt. Silas Cobb, on duty guarding the Washington Navy Yard Bridge, missed receiving the message and allowed Booth to ride across the Anacostia River into Maryland.
After the war, Hardin stayed in the army until retiring in December 1870. He became an attorney in Chicago and wintered in Florida. When he died in 1923, Martin Davis Hardin was one of the last remaining Union generals.
Huffstodt has brought General Hardin's memory back to life for the modern reader in this entertaining and comprehensive biography. It is an interesting narrative, replete with human interest stories and vignettes from Hardin's life, as well as from his father's and other family members. This is an excellent addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in Union generals, as well as to those interested in reading about one of Lincoln's friendships that is not often discussed.
James T. Huffstodt, Lincoln's Bold Lion: The Life and Times of Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin (Philadelphia & Oxford: Casemate, 2015), 432 pages, section of photographs, indexed and annotated, ISBN 978-1-61200-339-9.